Side Dishes

When Sarah Henkin and I were trying to come up with a menu item for samples at the Ferry Plaza Farmer’s Market FoodWise booth, we decided to make delicious, late summer tomatoes the centerpiece. We needed to keep the dish simple since there were some other events happening that day. Roasted tomatoes on top of something seemed like a good option to me.

Since we eat gluten-free, I tend to not think about using bread with tomatoes (although the thought does leave me with pangs of longing for Acme). My standard fallback is usually polenta. I made a similar dish last year with roasted veggies and gorgonzola (see that post here) so this needed to be different. Read More »

Did you know that you can make hummus with sunflower seeds? I didn’t either until I learned about it from my friend Dallas. Dallas is one of my most inspiring friends when it comes to healthy eating. She is a vegetarian, and although she isn’t gluten-free, much of her diet is naturally gluten-free, because she sticks to whole foods. Dallas also hosts our Raw Foods Potlucks each month. If you haven’t checked out this post on past Raw Foods Potlucks, take a look back.

But back to hummus. I love hummus. I make a big batch of it almost every weekend, and I pack it in my lunchbox throughout the week for an afternoon snack. One scoop of hummus covered with an assortment of veggies is a quick, easy, healthy Read More »

Bruschetta is a fantastic appetizer and or snack. But for those who can not have gluten, a wonderful healthy substitution is to use a cucumber as the base!  Here is my video to show you how to make a delicious cucumber-based bruschetta.

Read More »

I have teamed up with a group of amazing bloggers to help fight childhood hunger.  I hope you will join me on this important mission.  You can make a donation (every donation counts!) and even join in the fun and add your recipes to the virtual dinner party.

When I first saw that Share Our Strength was looking for bloggers to join their virtual progressive dinner I was intrigued – especially when I saw they were welcoming gluten free bloggers.  I have supported Share Our Strength financially for many years and am now so excited to be able to share with you a way that you can help end childhood hunger too. Read More »

Wings are quintessential half-time finger food. No wonder! Wings are economical, easy to make appetizers that everyone enjoys. Find a recipe in this collection of our best wing recipes from About.com Food and Drink Guides.

When a recipe calls for soy sauce, be sure to use a gluten-free product. Same goes for hot sauce. I use Frank’s Red Hot Original sauce in my wing recipes.

Cranberries Photo: www.gfreelife.com

Quinoa is the perfect gluten-free grain.  Full of protein and fiber, this delicious ancient grain serves as the ideal base for winter stuffings and salads.  Here is a recipe that was modified from the More Than Gourmet website.  More Than Gourmet has a line of amazing demi-glaces that can be used to make stocks and sauces.  Thier entire line is gluten-free,except for the wine sauces and the veal demi-glaces.

To learn more about quinoa click here.

Quinoa with Cranberries and Toasted Pecans

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 large rib celery, finely chopped Read More »

Cranberry Glazed Carrots

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh baby carrots (whole carrots, chopped into rounds, can be used as well)
½ cup jellied canned cranberry sauce (Ocean Spray is gluten-free)
¼ cup butter or margarine
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Place about 1” of water in a large saucepan; add carrots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until tender. Drain in a colander and set aside. Read More »

Chef Michael Chiarello's grilled radicchio version

What you will need:
• An outdoor grill or cast-iron skillet.
• 2 heads of radicchio
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Macadamia Nut Oil is also tasty with this recipe)
• ¼ C white balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Goat cheese
• Basil, ripped apart into small pieces.

Cut radicchio in quarters; keep some of the stem. By keeping the stem, the radicchio is more Read More »

Just because you are eating a gluten free diet, doesn’t mean you have to sacrafice on taste. Why not create a salad that is healthy, delicious and gluten free? The lemon and parsley give it a fresh and light flavor and the combination of quinoa, lentils and beans provide a wonderful balance of texture. Now, that will put a smile on your face!

Lemon juicer. Photo: Amy Fothergill

Quinoa, Lentil, and Garbanzo Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ cup French green lentils, aka lentils du puy
• about 1 – 1 ½ cups quinoa
• 1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed Read More »