Butter, or lima, beans are a good source of protein as well as flavorful and very satisfying as a side dish. This recipe is very easy to make, especially if canned beans are used. It would work with any type of bean if butter beans are not to your taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray an 5x8x3″ baking dish. Heat over medium heat in a 12″ skillet:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When hot (shimmering), add:
1 small onion diced
2 small or 8-10 baby carrots, sliced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Reduce heat to medium and cook, covered, until the carrots are slightly softened and the onion is translucent. Remove the cover and add:
2 medium to large fresh Roma (or plum) tomatoes, peeled and diced
2 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (OPTIONAL)
Salt and pepper to taste
Stir to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add:
1 16ounce can butter beans, with liquid (unsalted if possible)
Stir to combine and cook for 8-10 minutes over medium high heat until sauce starts to thicken. Transfer to the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes. Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve. A dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt would add some richness. TIP: If your family likes spicy food, consider adding a few dashes of hot sauce when the tomatoes are added to the pan. Serves 4.
Here’s another recipe for a ratatouille dish that’s scrumptious! This idea comes from Vegan Cocette. I don’t generally make lasagna, too many steps and too much time but this one is fairly easy and not everything has to be made at the same time. Some things can be made ahead of time and then just assembled which takes very little time. First make the ratatouille, then the béchamel sauce, (Italian sauce if used) and lastly cook the noodles, gluten-free of course. If you don’t want the carbs from the brown rice lasagna noodles, I found one made from hearts of palm at Whole Foods (Whole Foods brand) which has very few carbs and calories. Several other noodle types are also available. Italian sausage can be added to either the ratatouille or the béchamel if desired. This makes a very large pan so choose a baking dish that holds at least 3 quarts and is 5-6 inches deep. I don’t need to serve 8 so I made it in smaller dishes and I froze some (uncooked, covered with plastic wrap and foil).
First make the ratatouille.
Peel and slice:
1 large or 2 small eggplants
On either a paper towel or a cooling rack, place the slices of eggplant and generously salt on both sides. Place a cookie sheet or tray on top of the eggplant and weight it down with several large cans. Let sit at least 15 minutes but 1 hour is better. Rinse off the salt and dry thoroughly and cube. In a good size pan, over medium high heat:
1 tablespoons olive oil
When hot (shimmering) add:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 small eggplants, peeled and cubed
2 small zucchini, cubed
2 small yellow squash, cubed
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Optionally, depending on taste can be added:
1 sweet pepper, seeded and diced
6 ounces of sliced mushrooms
Stir to combine, cover and cook over medium low heat until vegetables are slightly softened, about 10-15 minutes depending on the size of the pan. Add:
16 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 tablespoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Stir to combine and simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. While the ratatouille is simmering, make the béchamel sauce. In a medium saucepan, heat over medium:
1/4 cup avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Add:
1/3-1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (enough so it looks like a soupy mashed potato mixture but all the oil is absorbed)
Whisk in the flour and let it cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out the flour taste. Add:
2 1/2-3 cups non-dairy milk (any milk EXCEPT soy)
Cook over medium low heat until thickened, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. When it starts bubbling, reduce heat to low and add:
3/4 cup non-dairy mozzarella or parmesan cheese, grated
Let it cook for about 5-7 minutes while the cheese melts, whisking occasionally, being careful not to let it burn on the bottom so heat may need to be reduced further.
Lastly, cook the noodles in a large pot (8-10 quarts) of boiling water. When the water comes to a boil add:
1 tablespoon salt
10 ounces gluten-free lasagna noodles (the Whole Foods Heart of Palm can be used without cooking)
Cook the pasta per package instructions. Rinse thoroughly with cold water after draining so that the noodles don’t stick together. Then assemble the lasagna by starting with some ratatouille on the bottom of the baking dish which should be at least 5-6 inches in height to accommodate the layers. Second add a single layer of noodles, then a layer of béchamel, layer of noodles, layer of ratatouille, layer of noodles and lastly a layer of béchamel. Place on a baking tray lined with foil and bake at 400 degrees for approximately 35-45 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbling. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10-15 minutes so that the layers set up before serving. Serves 8.
All of us love ratatouille, one of our favorite summer side dishes, especially for my grandson. So when I saw a recipe for a summer vegetable gratin it occurred to me that if I added some eggplant to it, it would be a ratatouille in a casserole with a nice crunchy top. Sounded delicious and indeed, it turned out succulent and indeed the top was very crunchy. The most important thing is to cut the vegetables all about the same so they cook at the same rate. It does take time since getting the water out of the squash and tomatoes, and the bitter out of the eggplant takes about a half hour of sitting but that time can be used to make really delicious caramelized onions. But it’s very easy to make. While I used yellow and zucchini squash, one or the other will work.
First thing is to cut up the vegetables:
1 pound zucchini squash, smallish, about 2
1 pound yellow summer squash, smallish again about 2
1 medium eggplant, peeled (about 6″ long)
6 medium size, ripe tomatoes
Wash and slice the squash, eggplant and tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick. Place the vegetables on baking trays covered with paper towels, sprinkle with salt and let sit for at least 1/2 hour. Wash off the salt (except from the tomatoes) and dry thoroughly between paper towels to get the squash and eggplant as dry as possible.
While the vegetables are sitting, cut:
3 large or 4 medium size onion
Peel and then cut them in half and slice each half into thin slices. Should have about 4 cups of onions. Heat in a 12″ skillet:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add the sliced onions and cook for a minute over medium high heat before reducing to medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring every few minutes so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the skillet, for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown. The heat may need to be reduced if they begin sticking. I wasn’t patient enough and mine didn’t get as brown as they should have but still tasted delicious.
Preheat oven to 400 degree. Spread in the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Begin by layering the squash.
Now layer the eggplant on top of the squash. Next, mix together:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (pull the leaves off the tough stems)
1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper (or to taste)
Sprinkle half the mixture over the eggplant and then turn the eggplant over so that the mixture also gets to the squash. Now layer the onions on top of the eggplant and then the tomatoes on the onions.
Sprinkle the remaining mixture (garlic oil) over the top of the tomatoes and again, turn over the tomatoes so the oil can mix with the casserole. Bake for about 40-45 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the tomatoes look a little brown. Remove from the oven and spread on top:
1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs, plain
1 cup dairy-free parmesan cheese, grated (Follow Your Heart makes an excellent one)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme (again, pull the small leaves off the tough stems)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper)
Return to the oven and bake about 15 minutes more or until the topping has browned.
Sprinkle with:
1/4 cup roughly chopped basil
Feel free to half the recipe. The 9×13″ size will easily serve 8-10.
My mother loved moussaka. When I made it for her, I used ground lamb, ricotta cheese, eggs, and homemade pasta sauce. Things and times have changed so here’s one that’s dairy, gluten and egg free and uses jarred (or homemade if you have the time and desire) sauce. Just in case, I’m including my recipe for pasta sauce.
First, start the tomato sauce if making homemade by heating in a small Dutch oven:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add to it when hot:
1 diced medium onion
1 diced sweet pepper, any color
1/2 cup sliced carrots (or grated)
6 ounces shitake mushrooms
Stir to combine, lower heat to medium and cook until the onions and mushrooms are sweating and onion is translucent. Add:
1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
32 ounces small diced tomatoes
16 ounces tomato puree
1 teaspoon mixed Italian dried herbs (basil, marjoram, thyme)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Cook over medium low heat for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. This gets rid of much of the water in the tomatoes so the sauce can thicken. If it boils too vigorously, reduce the heat to low. When reduced by about 1/3, add:
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Use an immersion blender to cream most of the vegetables, leaving a few whole. I do this because then the eggplant slices sit better in the sauce but it is optional. In a large skillet, heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
When hot add:
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (or if you want this vegan, diced tofu)**
Cook the sausage through and then drain off the fat and add to the tomato sauce, stirring to combine. Set aside. If using jarred sauce, this will take more than 1 large jar.
While the sauce is cooking, peel and thinly slice:
1 large eggplant
Place the slices on a large, sided baking sheet in a single layer and salt generously. Once salted, another layer of eggplant can be added on the top of the first, again salting generously. Place a slightly smaller baking sheet on top of the eggplant and then weight it down with large cans. Let sit at least 30 minutes, 60 is preferable.
After sitting, wash each eggplant slice to remove the salt and whatever liquid was expelled from the slices. Dry between paper towels. Heat in a large skillet (12 inch) or flat griddle:
1 teaspoon olive oil (just to coat the bottom of the pan)
When hot, add eggplant slices until the bottom is covered but the slices have room to move. Let brown for a minute or two and then turn and brown the second side. Repeat until all the slices are browned.
Still while the sauce is cooking, add to a large saucepan:
1/2 cup olive oil
Begin heating over medium high heat. Add:
3/4 cup gluten-free flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon allspice (or nutmeg)
Whisk to combine. Cook over medium low heat for 2-3 minutes to cook the flour then add, 1 cup at a time:
3 cups oat milk (or any other non-dairy milk except soy)
Whisk each portion of milk into the flour and cook, whisking every minute or so, until the white sauce is thickened. It should be the consistency of a puddingor mashed potatoes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13″ baking pan with non-stick spray. Line the bottom of the pan with slices of eggplant.* Add a layer of the meat sauce and repeat ending with a layer of eggplant (3 layers of eggplant and 2 layers of sauce). There may be a little meat sauce left over. Slowly pour the white sauce on top of the last layer of eggplant (I didn’t quite have enough eggplant to cover the entire top but it still worked okay). The white sauce on mine was only about 1/2 inch thick but if your pan is deep enough, use all the white sauce, it’s that yummy on the top! Sprinkle the top with:
1-2 cups grated parmesan cheese
Place baking pan on a large baking sheet because if it’s full, it will bubble over and put in the oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the middle is bubbling. Let cool for about 15-20 minutes before slicing.
*Don’t think you have enough eggplant? Peel and thinly slice 1-2 medium to large Russet potatoes and place those on the bottom layer of the moussaka, using the eggplant for just other 2 layers.
**I used sweet Italian sausage but feel free to use any ground meat.
One of my (and my grandson’s) favorite vegetables is eggplant. I’d stuffed zucchini but never an eggplant but this turned out very luscious, a classic combination of an onion, garlic, sweet pepper and tomato base with rice. It’s a great side dish or add some protein, like sweet Italian sausage, and make it a main dish.*
Serves 2 (or double to serve 4). Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Wash and cut in half:
One medium to large eggplant
Score the middle, being careful not to cut through the skin, leaving about a half inch of meat around the edges. Use a spoon to scoop out the meat to leave a “boat”. Salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil. Place in a greased baking dish and bake for roughly 30-40 minutes until the meat is softened and slightly browned.
While the boats are cooking, heat in a large skillet:
1 tablespoon olive oil
Add:
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet pepper (any color you like)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
Eggplant meat, chopped
Sauté over medium heat until the onion is translucent and the pepper is softened. Add:
8 ounces finely diced tomatoes (half a can)
2 cups cooked brown rice
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, chiffonade
1 tablespoon avocado oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Stir to combine and cook until heated through before removing from heat.
When the eggplant boats are ready, stuff them with the filling, sprinkle with:
2 tablespoons grated non-dairy parmesan cheese
Return to the oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes before increasing the oven heat to broil. Broil until the cheese is slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Serve.
*To make it a main dish, reduce the rice to 1 cup and add 1 cup ground Italian sausage.
TIP: This is an Italian stuffed eggplant. For a more Moroccan style, leave out the basil and cheese and instead add:
If you like sage, think about your Thanksgiving stuffing, you will LOVE this recipe! I especially enjoyed the fried sage on the top, something I’d never done but oh how delicious! This recipe is fairly easy as long as each individual step is followed and the chopping and slicing is done in advance.
This recipe serves four:
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces prosciutto, sliced
8-10 large sage leaves, plus 3 tablespoons minced (or 3 teaspoons dried sage)
1 pound boneless chicken, breast and/or thighs, sliced (the thinner its sliced the faster it will cook)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 onion, minced
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon all purpose gluten-free flour
3 cups chicken stock
8 ounces gluten-free vermicelli or spaghettini
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed (optional)
2 tablespoons butter substitute
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest plus 3 tablespoons juice
First, in a large skillet (or a Dutch oven) with high sides, heat, medium high, 1 tablespoon olive oil until it shimmers. Add the prosciutto pieces as individually as possible because unlike bacon, they will not fully separate as they cook, cook until crisp, about 4-5 minutes, reducing heat slightly if needed. Remove the prosciutto from the skillet and place the sage leaves in the oil and cook them until crisp, about 30-40 seconds. Place prosciutto and sage on a paper towel.
Next, dry the chicken, then sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat another 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet, again medium high heat, add the chicken in a single layer and cook, not stirring, until it starts to brown, 1-2 minutes. Then stir it and cook until nearly cooked through, about 2-3 minutes or longer depending on thickness. Remove to a bowl, cover and keep warm.
Add the last tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until translucent and starting to brown. Stir in the garlic and minced sage and cook until just fragrant, about 30-40 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of chicken stock, scrape down the sides of the skillet and stir to smooth out any lumps, simmer until reduced by about half, about 5-6 minutes.
Stir in the remainder of the stock and the pasta. Increase heat to medium high and cook at a slow boil until pasta is tender, about 10-12 minutes. Stir frequently. The sauce should thicken more during this cooking.
Lastly, add the chicken back in along with the capers (if used), butter substitute, lemon zest and juice, stir to combine and cook for another minute or two until the chicken is heated. Remove from heat and add any additional salt and/or pepper that may be needed. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes and it will absorb any extra sauce into the pasta.
Sprinkle with the prosciutto and fried sage leaves and serve.
Sorry I haven’t blogged in a couple of days. The other main activity in my life is learning the craft of screenwriting and I’ve been at a virtual screenwriting summit all weekend. Just ending today so I have a little time to put up an old recipe of mine that I learned from a friend who was a caterer. Very easy to do and can be used as an appetizer or an entrée. Stuffed tomatoes can be stuffed with any kind of salad you like, egg, chicken, ham, etc. Tip from my caterer friend, use your food processor to process the meat into a well grated product so that it’s easier to stuff into the tomato, especially if you’re using very small tomatoes. It can also be put into a piping bag to fill the tomatoes. Use any size of tomato you like. I prefer to use Campari tomatoes, large for smaller tomatoes and large enough for 2 bites, a good size for an appetizer. If I’m making this as an entrée, a larger tomato is of course needed, like a Big Boy.
If you want the tomatoes to sit neatly on the plate, you can cut a very small amount from the bottom. Just be careful not to cut through the meat of the tomato.
Begin by making the salad. Put into the bowl of a food processor:
1 pound of ham, 1 large chicken breast, 8-10 hard boiled eggs, etc., cut into large chunks
1 large celery stalk, cut into large chunks
2 tablespoons dill relish (this is a sugar free relish; for a sweeter salad, add a little sweetener rather than use a sweet relish which contains sugar)
1-2 scallions, cut into large pieces
Blend until the meat is in small pieces. Add:
1/2 to 2/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
Blend until well mixed, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl before finishing processing. Remove the completed salad to either a piping bag or a medium bowl.
For the tomatoes:
16-20 Campari tomatoes
36-48 grape tomatoes
or 2-4 large tomatoes
Begin by washing the tomatoes.* Then cut off the very top of the stem end of the tomatoes. Then, using a small sharp knife, cut around the inside of the tomato next to the meat and use a sharp ended spoon to scoop out the seeds and veins of the tomato.
Set the tomatoes on a paper towel, upside down so that some of the moisture drains out. Leave for about 5 minutes before filling. Place on a plate, garnish with scallions, chives, or thin slices of dill pickle.
*I hope all my followers know that you should NEVER store tomatoes in the refrigerator! Take this from a girl who grew up on a farm. Refrigerating them steals their flavor and also toughens the skins. Also when buying tomatoes, smell them. If they don’t smell like a tomato, they won’t taste like a tomato. Same with most fruit that has a distinct odor like strawberries.
This is a remake of my Aunt Jean’s marinara sauce. I started making this recipe for my family as a teenager and have continued using it ever since. Many times, I made this for my roommate and son, brings back many memories.
Needed:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion diced
1 bell pepper, any color, diced
Cook for several minutes until onion is translucent before adding:
2 garlic cloves diced
1/2 cup grated carrot
64 ounces of pureed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup tomato paste
fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley (about 2 tablespoons of each)
monk fruit powder, stevia, or agave nectar if needed for additional sweetness
In a large skillet, saute the onion and bell pepper for a few minutes and then add the diced garlic and the grated carrot. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes over medium heat. Add the red wine (or mushroom stock) and cook off the alcohol. Add the pureed and diced tomatoes and simmer over a low heat, covered, for approximately 1 hour. Uncover and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Add the fresh herbs along with salt and pepper to taste and the tomato paste. If needed, depending on your taste, add additional sweetener.
I don’t generally blog recipes that don’t originally contain allergens. But I love vegetables so I thought it was time for me to share more of my basic go-to vegetable dishes like ratatouille. So delicious, one of my grandson’s favorites, and easy to put together. Like Chinese food, the hardest and most time consuming part of this dish is chopping the vegetables.
You’ll need:
1 small yellow squash
1 small zucchini squash
1 medium eggplant (I prefer to use Japanese ones because they don’t have the bitterness but pick one with a green stem and inward bottom where the blossom was; also try to pick one that’s reasonably thin and firm to the touch)
1 cup diced onion (sweet, yellow, white, red, whichever you have on hand)
1 tablespoon to minced garlic
1 16oz can diced tomatoes
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions, squash and eggplant. Stir to combine. Cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes turning several times. Reduce heat to low and cook another 5 minutes or until the vegetables are just getting tender. Add the canned tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt and pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes to heat, stir in the agave nectar. Serve. Serves 4-6.
Carrots are so versatile. Not only are they great in savory dishes like soups, salads, stews, curries, and stir-fries, but they also work very well in desserts. Here’s a great carrot soup with a hint of creamy tomato soup that’s hearty and satisfying. If you want a vegan soup, substitute the ground turkey for a ground vegan product and the chicken stock for vegetable stock.
In a Dutch oven pot, heat:
1 tablespoon olive oil and add:
1 pound ground turkey or chicken, when browned add:
1/2 cup chopped celery and
1/2 cup chopped onion and cook until onion is translucent
Add 2 1/2 cups grated carrots
32 ounce can of tomato puree
1 cup non-dairy yogurt
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon thyme, marjoram, and/or basil (I use a pre-mixed Italian blend that includes all three)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon date sugar
Cover, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. I like to serve this with seasoned croutons (gluten free of course) or gluten free rolls. Serves 4-6 depending on if you want it for an appetizer or a main dish.
cookingwithoutallergens 