Spaghetti Sauce

A very basic pasta sauce that you can eat with whatever gluten free noodles you like, put on spaghetti squash, or use to make stuffed bell peppers.

Ingredients:
2 cans of tomatoes, either crushed or diced, with liquid
1-2 white or yellow onions, chopped
1-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground beef or 1/2-1 dried cup red lentils (both of these are optional)
fresh or dried basil
salt and pepper

Directions:
If using beef, brown it in a frying pan and drain it. If using lentils, boil for 20 minutes or until soft and drain. You can prep the lentils or the beef at the same time you're making the rest of the sauce. Pour the cans of tomatoes into a large saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until the liquid has reduced, about 30 minutes. Add the beef or lentils (if using) once they are cooked. Before serving, add basil, salt, and pepper to taste. Makes a lot, but it freezes well.

Tomato Coconut Soup

Simple, quick, and dairy free. Just a note - when I say a 19 oz can or a 14 oz can of something in my recipes, that's not an exact requirement, that's just the size that these things typically come in. The amounts can vary. This isn't like baking where you need to be fairly precise. And you can leave the onion out if you don't like it or can't eat it.

Ingredients:
2 19 oz cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can of coconut milk
1 onion, chopped
Olive oil or butter (but don't use butter if you're making it for someone who doesn't eat dairy)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh or dried basil (optional)

Directions:
In a large sauce pan over medium-low, sautee the onion in the olive oil or butter until it is nice and translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the canned tomatoes and coconut milk and heat through (you don't have to boil it), stirring frequently. Serve sprinkled with dried basil or with with a few fresh basil leaves on top.

Baked Quinoa (or Rice) and Lentils

This recipe was loosely inspired by that casserole that people used to make that had rice, chicken, cheese, and cream of mushroom soup in it. It's a vegetarian (vegan, actually, if you don't use cheese), gluten-free, vegetable-full, healthy, and cheap alternative that's pretty easy to make. Merry Christmas!

Ingredients:
Leftover cooked rice or quinoa, about 2-3 cups
1/3 cup uncooked red lentils (don't worry, they'll cook in the tomato juice)
Chopped or shredded vegetables - I like to use chopped onions (about 1 whole onion), 4-5 stalks of chopped celery, and 2-3 shredded carrots, but you can vary the vegetables according to what you have in your fridge
1 19 oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes, NOT drained
Grated cheese - optional

Directions:
Shredded vegetables can be put in raw, but if you're using chopped onions or any kind of root vegetable, I recommend steaming/boiling/sauteeing them first until soft. Once the vegetables are ready, mix all the ingredients and spread into a casserole dish that looks big enough to hold everything. If you're using cheese, you can either mix some in or sprinkle some on top (or both). Bake at 350 F, uncovered, for 40-60 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the lentils are soft.

Creamy Tomato Coconut Soup

If you eat dairy and you don't like coconut, you can substitute milk or cream for the coconut milk. Just be sure not to let the soup boil after you add the milk or cream, or it will curdle.

Serves 2-3 as a main dish, more as a side dish

2 14 ounce cans of diced or crushed tomatoes, undrained (or equivalent
chopped fresh tomatoes)
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
(exact amounts of tomatoes and coconut milk are not super important,
if you live somewhere where things don't come in 14 ounce cans)
1 diced onion
1 tablespoon grape seed oil (or butter or other oil of your choice)

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion, and cook until soft and
translucent. Add tomatoes and coconut milk and cook until hot.