More Fun with Black Beans!

The black bean patties I've tried so far were all good, but I am on the hunt for GREAT. I am closer. Last night I added a cup of cooked quinoa to a small can of black beans (drained and rinsed) and mashed. Then I added a tbsp. of GF Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper, MCCORMICS garlic and onion powder,  a handful of Daiya cheese shreds, 1 grated carrot, about a half cup of sauteed, chopped mushrooms, and 2 tbsp. of ground chia. It still seemed just a little mushy, so I added 1 tbsp. of rice bread crumbs as well. The consistency was just right, so I fried up some patties and some meatballs in garlic olive oil. Yum. I served us each a patty, with homemade red/purple potato salad and creamy coleslaw (both made with veganaisse). It was so good, I had some leftovers for breakfast this morning. :)

This meal was vegan and gluten-free; also free of nightshades.  There are other black bean patty recipes below.  It's been fun to experiment and you can't really "fail," only create patties that you may like either more or less than the last one.  So start with a small can of black beans, drain and rinse them, then experiment with the ingredients and seasonings you like best.  I suggested McCormick seasonings because they are gluten-free... at least, it would seem.  Other seasonings often contain fillers or "natural" flavours that are made with gluten.  If you are gluten-free, please make sure your seasonings and flavourings are as well. (Vanilla extract for instance, is often made in grain alcohol.  That's grain, as in gluten.)

Also try to add some Omega-3 ingredients, such as Chia and/or freshly ground flax seeds.  You can even add protein powder if you can have it.  It will help absorb the moisture of the black beans, and add protein to your vege patty as well. 

Have fun, and enjoy!!

My Stuffed Mushroom and Other Simple G-Free Meals

I found this giant mushroom at my local health food store, but I've also seen them in grocery stores. I had to have one. I cut up veggies ~ asparagus, green onion, garlic, celery, ordinary mushroom, red pepper, etc., and I nuked a small, red-skinned potato which I cut up, unpeeled. All went into a small mixing bowl where I added dressing: 1 tsp. garlic olive oil, dash of Tamari sauce, a little g-free dijon mustard, pepper, dried sweet basil and parsley and a sprinkling of fake parmesan cheese. Mix well.

I washed the mushroom and scooped out the gills. Then I stuffed it with the veggie mixture.

It would probably be best baked in a covered dish, but it was too hot to put the oven on, so I put it in a little enamel frying pan, covered it and cooked it over low-medium heat for about 20 mins. The bottom got blackened a bit, but the stuffing was steaming and it was all still really, really good. You could serve this with a crisp green salad, but I just put some sliced black olives and a dill pickled on my plate and enjoyed.


I needed to come up with a simple lunch for the teenager who is also now gluten-free. I had some leftover white meat from a roasted organic chicken, so using g-free mayo and adding some salt, pepper, dried parsley and sweet basil, I whipped her up some chicken salad. But how to serve it in an attractive way that was also yummy? My eyes fell on a package of blue corn chips, so I laid some out on the plate and put the chicken salad on top, then stuck one corn chip into it. My girl likes cucumber dipped in French dressing and we had some g-free dressing at hand, so this completed her lunch. She said, "Mom, some of my meals look like something I'd be served in a restaurant." Hey, cool. :)

We've gotten away from the meat and potatoes model in the last long while, but sometimes it still gets the job done. I made some natural beef patties and since it's asparagus season here, I fried some of that, along with some mushrooms in just enough garlic olive oil to coat the pan, and I nuked a nice little red skin potato. Served with homemade g-free catsup and some butter for the spud, the teen was smiling when she was through. :)

Resources Are So Important!

Look to the right and you'll see that my resources link have swelled. The Gluten-Free Celiac Guide group on Facebook provided many of these links, and credit where credit is due. Sure saved me some casting around! I've added the links that worked for me only. The others I will explore further and add links as I review them.

INFORMATION is so important when dealing with a big change in diet. I remember after learning there were dietary restrictions I'd have to follow when I was diagnosed with colitis, I felt I was having to give up so many foods I liked. But time and experience soon demonstrated that I gained more than I gave up, especially in learning more about fibre and its role in our health. But also in good food. Turned out the food I was satisfied with before wasn't really all that good, in terms of enjoyment as well as health. When forced to explore the matter, I discovered all sorts of other foods that are delicious and special.

The same thing happened when I realized I was intolerant of gluten. Ok, I won't lie. I miss bread. I had switched to only whole grains and was really enjoying my bread. There's so much more flavour in some of those peasant, speciality loaves we can get now. Gluten-free rice bread is icky, in my humble estimation. I would toast some to go with a fried egg and put up with it, but there is so much good food in our world, I figure we really shouldn't have to "put up with" something that we eat. This is where discovery, experimentation, and resources come in. And these explorations are not only helpful to our health, they can be fun!

I still miss bread sometimes, but I no longer use it. I do like the g-free waffles I can get and enjoy them toasted from time to time, with a couple scoops of soy ice cream and some fresh fruit, such as banana and berries. Sooooo good, and yes, perfectly healthy. :)

There are mixes available, as well as alternative "flours," and there is a g-free section in most large grocery chain stores. Explore. I mean, give yourself at least a half day to just explore the possibilities, read labels, etc. And another to check out these and other resources and formulate a menu that suits YOU! Cut yourself a break and find the joy in your journey. Leave the food behind that hurts you, and enter a world where many have gone before and paved our way.

My daughter found Shawna Ahern James' book, gluten free girl, at the library ~ so useful and informative. I sprinkled granulated garlic on some of my food early on, and it hurt. Now, to my mind, granulated garlic should just be... um.... garlic. But clearly it isn't . I love garlic and it goes in most of my food. But the granulated garlic does not, because clearly it has gluten in it... somehow. The gluten-free girl explained some unusual sources of gluten that helped clarify for me what I should be looking for in condiments, and of course, much, much more.

Once again there came a point where I am enjoying this new diet so much that I wonder why I was ever satisfied with ordinary food ~ why I ever settled for the foods many regard as a "normal" diet. I like raw veges dipped in my homemade hummus. I like brown rice pasta. I need to find more ways to express this food, but for now, simple does the trick. It's not such a difficult journey after all.