Ful Mudammas

Nothing says breakfast (or lunch...or dinner...) like a warm bowl of creamy, earthy fava beans seasoned with lemon, garlic, and jalapeño pepper, and topped with olive oil. 

Ful Mudammas is an authentic Egyptian dish, dating back millennia, but has long been eaten throughout the Middle East, where it's not only cooked at home, but also sold in many little ful shops. Each area and home has a slightly different recipe and accompanying vegetables, but it is always eaten with warm pita bread and hot tea. Unfortunately, delicious as tea is with ful, it actually blocks the body from absorbing the iron in these beans. 

As I have yet to bake my own gluten-free pita, I ate this with a spoon!

Mushroom and Onion Quiche

Why not use the Whole Foods gluten-free pie crust for a savory dish?

First, I sauteed onions and mushrooms.

Then I added a bit of swiss and white cheddar cheeses, and poured the egg, nutmeg, and half and half mixture in.

Baked!

And sliced!

Maple Sweet Potato and Pecan Pie

Those who play in the kitchen usually fall into one of two categories: cooks and bakers. I am definitely a cook. I just don't have the patience for baking. Which is why you won't find too many baked items on this blog.

I found baking just barely tolerable during my gluten days. But now that I am gluten free and baking would involve half a dozen flours and what not...well, I'm just not ready for that. So for now, I'll rely on either pre-mixed flour blends or ready products, such as the Whole Foods gluten-free pie crust used here.

Because the crust was ready to go, I was able to have fun with the filling, made of sweet potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, cream, and maple syrup, topped with pecans. I'm definitely making this one again.

Lentil Soup, 2

I was introduced to this lentil soup later in life, this being the one I grew up with. With just 6 ingredients (lentils, carrots, celery, onion, salt, and cumin) you can make a warm, delicious, vegan meal. Also yummy with some hot sauce added to it.

Thirty.

So, I baked my own very first gluten-free birthday cake, using Gluten Free Dreams chocolate.cake mix.

Rice Pasta with Pesto, Andouille, and Red Pepper

A fairly simple and quick Friday night dinner, I tossed some rice pasta with a basil and almond pesto, and added some organic chicken and turkey andouille and red bell pepper.

Satsumas

Small, sweet, and seedless!

Lentil Soup

Arab lentil soup, simply made with red lentils, leeks (or onions), salt, pepper, and cumin. Add lemon and raw onions before serving. Throwing in a few pieces of (gluten-free) pita or other bread into the bowl is also delicious.

Chard and White Bean Soup

Vegetables are very cool, as evinced by these rainbow chard.

Which were made into a chard, bean, and fennel soup, garnished with a bit of bacon. I'm not eating dairy for now, but this soup would also be good with some parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

Lettuce and Parsley Salad

The humble iceberg lettuce, parsley, green onion, lemon, sea salt, olive oil: that's it. Leave the stems on the parsley; they are healthy and delicious. Plus, parsley detoxifies the blood, so you should always eat plenty of it.

Kale, Cranberries, and Almonds

This is the first time I eat kale, which is one of the most nutritious vegetables. My coworker described it as pure chlorophyll, which is appropriate for something that tastes like a cross between cabbage and broccoli rabe. I sauteed it in olive oil and garlic, and added almonds and cranberries.  

Spinach

In the Middle East, when someone says they cooked spinach, they almost always mean they cooked it like this: simply, with some beef or lamb and salt, pepper, onions, and maybe garlic. I added sumac to mine as well. 

Chickpeas in Tahini

Do not be confused by the claims some make; chickpease in tahini, commonly called hummus, is a 100% Arab dish. While Americans consider hummus a light dip, Arabs find it hearty and often start their day with it as a substantial breakfast. Additionally, if you find hummus that's been mixed with roasted bell peppers, artichokes, olives, etc., it's not authentic. Nor is hummus traditionally scooped up with anything other than pita bread. Alas, for now, until I can bake my own gluten-free pita, I've had to eat my hummus with carrot sticks and rice crackers. I hang my head in shame.

Medicinal Chicken Soup and Rice

Anyone who is on the verge of the sniffles, as I am, needs to quickly make themselves some medicinal chicken soup. I always flavor my soup with the aromatic ingredients you'll find in this post, but if you want your chicken soup to be even more powerful, then you want to double the amount.

If you aren't eating basmati rice, then don't bother eating rice. I flavored mine with cardamom.

Aaahhhh, hot chicken soup. You'll notice plenty of onions, parsley, whole cloves, whole allspice, and whole cardamom. Additionally, the soup was cooked with a whole cinnamon stick, and lots of garlic and ginger.

Mmm, and here they are together....

And this is how you eat it: place some of your rice in the bowl and flood it with hot chicken soup. 

Beef and Mushrooms

Beef, button and shitake mushrooms, and onions cooked with garlic, lime juice, ginger, coriander, and cumin.

Cabbage and Apples

This is my first attempt at a German-esque cabbage and apple cooked slaw of sorts. Not the most eye-catching of dishes (I think it'll look better with red cabbage), but it tasted pretty good. Ingredients include balsamic vinegar, garlic, caraway seeds, and cloves.

Skip: Food For Life Brown Rice Tortilla

Do not buy these brown rice tortillas, unless you like a tortilla that is not at all pliable and is reminiscent of alien skin (meaning a cross between leather and plastic). I made myself eat half a one, hoping it would get better, but alas. I threw out the rest of the package.

Mint and Sage Tea

Unsweetened mint and sage tea, perfect for all sorts of abdominal pain. Simply boil water then steep fresh or dry mint and sage leaves. You can sweeten it, especially if you find the sage bitter.