Easy French Onion Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan)

Such and easy soup to make and so silky, rich and sweet. If you like French Onion soup but you’ve always thought it was too hard to make for yourself, this is the recipe for you. Makes 2 servings.

You’ll need:

1 large or 2 medium onions (I used a Vidalia but you can use any onion you like)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gluten-free flour such as Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 blend
2-3 cups vegetable (or mushroom) stock (or if you can use it, use beef stock but I find the vegetable stock makes a very rich soup)
2 slices of gluten-free bread (I love the DeLong’s millet bread)
2 slices of dairy-free mozzarella or provolone cheese

First, cut onion in half and then cut across into slices. If you want, you can then cut these slices in half. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat in a 4 quart pot (you want as much space on the bottom as possible while having room to add the stock later. Stir the onions every few minutes to be sure that they don’t burn. You want to caramelize them which takes about 20 minutes and you will probably want to reduce the heat when they begin to brown. This is the longest, hardest part of the cooking process.

Once the onions are caramelized, add the flour and stir to make sure it is absorbed by the oil. Over low heat, let the flour cook out for a couple of minutes. Its okay if it sticks a little to the bottom of the pan since adding the stock will deglaze the pan. Add 2 cups of stock and stir until it starts to boil. If the soup is too thick (you want it silky but not as thick as gravy), add more stock to thin. Reduce heat as low as it will go and cover pot. Let cook 10 minutes.

According to every recipe I’ve seen on making French Onion soup, it tastes best if you chill it overnight and let the flavors melt together. But its so good I won’t blame you if you put it hot into two oven-proof bowls and eat it the same day!

Using a large biscuit cutter if you have one or just a knife, cut the bread so that each slice will fit into one of the bowls. In a fry pan large enough for both slices, heat the 1 tablespoon oil and when hot, add the bread rounds and grill on both sides. Place on top of the soup and then put a slice of cheese on top of the bread rounds. Broil (or microwave) until the cheese melts. If you broil it, you’ll get that great crust on the cheese like in a restaurant. Enjoy!

Quick Celery Root and Leek Soup (dairy-free, gluten-free)

This is a quick and easy soup that tastes wonderful; creamy and rich even without dairy or thickening. Provides 2 large bowls or 4 smaller ones if you’re using it as an appetizer.

You’ll need:

2 good sized leeks, white and green parts only, cut in half and washed then sliced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 garlic cloves depending on how much you like garlic
1/2 teaspoon of your favorite herb mixture
1 medium celery root, peeled and diced (like potatoes, the smaller you dice the root, the quicker it will cook)
3 cups of light vegetable broth (or if you prefer chicken stock or broth)
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized pot, heat oil and add the leeks and lightly salt them; cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic (you don’t need to slice it, just peel it) as well as the herbs. Add the stock or broth along with the diced celery root, salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until celery root is tender. Blend in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth.

Tuna Lettuce Wraps

Want a quick and easy yet tasty lunch? This takes only minutes, is very filling and delicious. Serves 2.

Mix:

1 can of tuna
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1/4 cup cooked peas
2 tablespoons (or enough for your taste, don’t make it too dry) of your favorite vinaigrette or vegan mayonnaise

Spoon mixture onto large lettuce leaves (I used red butter lettuce). You’ll need 6 to 8 leaves depending on how hungry you are and how big a spoonful you place on each lettuce leaf and how many toppings you want to add.

You can top each lettuce leaf with a number of things to give them some crunch and/or added flavor such as:

Grated carrot
Grated radish
Grated jicama*
Sliced tomato
Sliced avocado

*If you aren’t familiar with jicama, its also called Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip. Its a white, fibrous root that has a high water content and is very crunchy like an apple. Jicama is an anti-inflammatory that can help people who suffer from disorders such as IBS, leaky gut syndrome, and ulcers. Its also very delicious.

Quinoa Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free)

This is easy to make and one of those dishes where you can follow my recipe exactly or add whatever vegetables your family likes. Quick and easy. To turn this side dish into a meal, simply add 12 ounces of flaked tuna or salmon, or cooked chicken. If you want to add more fiber, you can add some sunflower or pumpkin seeds, or even some hemp hulls or chia seeds. This recipe is also very easily reduced to make fewer servings.

Put in a 2 quart saucepan:

1 cup plain or red quinoa
2 cups water

Cover and cook on medium heat until water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork before you put it in the fridge to cool.

To a 10-12 inch skillet heat:

1 tablespoon olive oil

Add:

1 small red onion chopped
1 small zucchini sliced
1 small summer or yellow squash sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic depending on size
1 small yellow, orange or red pepper chopped

Saute over medium heat until softened. Put aside to cool.

Add to the pan:

1/2 cup shredded carrot (I like to use the rainbow)
1/2 cup diced jicama (or if you prefer apple)
1/2 cup sliced snap or snow peas
1/2 to 1 cup of cooked green peas
1/2 cup cooked yellow or white corn

In a large mixing bowl, add the quinoa and all the vegetables. Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of your favorite vinaigrette and mix thoroughly. Chill. You may need to add more of the vinaigrette after you’ve chilled it since it may dry out as the quinoa absorbs more of the liquid. I like to serve this on a bed of red leaf lettuce. This recipe serves 8-10 as a side dish.

Seafood Pasta Salad (gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free)

This is a recipe passed down from my mother and grandmother. They traditionally made it for our July 4th celebration along with blueberry muffins since usually by early in July, we’d have fresh peas as well blueberries in central New Hampshire. They made it with canned salmon, crab and shrimp but these days fresh or frozen seafood is also widely available. My mother also always made it with the pasta shells for esthetic reasons but you can use whatever type of pasta your family likes.

You can also make it two ways, like the potato salad and the cole slaw, with either a vinaigrette or mayonnaise. I prefer the vinaigrette since it has a lighter taste, especially in the July heat.

Mix in a medium sized bowl:

6-8 ounces of cooked salmon
4 ounces of cooked tiny shrimp
6-8 ounces of cooked lump crabmeat
6-8 ounces of cooked peas
3 stalks of celery diced, don’t forget to add the leaves as well — they have a wonderful celery taste
1/4 cup chopped red onion, chives, or scallions
2 cups cooked gluten-free pasta [here I’ve found that the quinoa pasta works the best because it doesn’t get all mushy if it sits for a day; I’ve also gotten into the chickpea pasta to add more protein]
1/2 cup of your favorite vinaigrette [I make mine with 1/2 olive oil, 1 tablespoon spicy mustard, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons agave nectar (or 1 teaspoon stevia), and 1/4 cup of water.]; if you need to, you can add more vinaigrette especially if you let the salad sit awhile in the refrigerator since the pasta will absorb the moisture.
OR 1/2 cup of your favorite mayonnaise mixed with several tablespoons of cold water [the water will loosen up the mayo and make for a lighter dressing without affecting the taste].
Salt and pepper to taste along with some fresh parsley to taste

I like to serve it on a bed of lettuce with some cherry or grape tomatoes as a garnish. This recipe serves 4. Delicious!

Potato Salad 2 Ways (dairy-free, egg-free)

German style Potato salad. I like to use the small multi-color potatoes because they make the salad more interesting. And you don’t have to peel them, just cut them into quarters and cook. For this recipe,

Use a half-pound of these potatoes.
While they cook, dice up a couple of stalks of celery and some scallion (I use scallion instead of onion because it adds the flavor of onion but doesn’t give me the digestive issues that raw onions give me).
Cook 2-3 slices of bacon, chopped.
If you don’t have a vinaigrette already made, mix up one of your favorites or use a bottled vinaigrette.
Put about 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette in a medium sized bowl, add the celery and scallion along with the crumbled bacon.
When the potatoes are cooked. drain and put them directly into the mixture. Adding them when they are hot helps the potatoes absorb the dressing.
Salt and pepper to taste.
You can serve this hot but I prefer to let it sit overnight and let the flavors meld. I often leave the bacon bits out until I’m ready to serve this so that they stay crispy.
Makes 2-3 servings.

Traditional Potato Salad.

One of my favorite parts of the potato salad my mother made was the hard boiled eggs. Since I can’t eat eggs any longer, I simply

mix together cooked potatoes (1/2 pound of the small potatoes and perhaps, if I’m feeling like it, a diced small sweet potato),
diced celery and scallions, along with some crumbled bacon. Dressing consists of:
1/2 cup mayonnaise (see my recipe for vegan mayonnaise under dressings)
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon of my favorite herb blend (McCormicks or Mrs. Dash)
Salt and pepper to taste.

If you can still eat eggs, by all means add 1-2 diced hard-boiled eggs. This makes 2-3 servings.

Cole Slaw Two Ways (dairy-free, egg-free)

With a small cabbage (I like to use Chinese cabbage), remove outer leaves and cut in slides or wedges. Put in your food processor and pulse until medium dice (depending on what you like, me I like to taste the cabbage but I know people, like my husband, who like cole slaw finely diced).

Put in a medium to large bowl depending on how much cabbage you have and add:

1/2 cup diced scallion
1/2 cup shredded carrots

To make the dressing, put in a small bowl:

1 cup mayonnaise (see my recipe for egg-free mayonnaise)
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 tablespoon agave nectar

Stir until mixed and add to the cabbage mixture. Depending on the amount of cabbage you have, you may need a little more or a little less mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.

If you’d rather not have a mayonnaise-based cole slaw, here’s a vinaigrette to use instead:

Blend together: