vegetarian gluten free green enchilada sauce

When my Beloved went gluten free again, I could no longer use my favorite green enchilada sauce from a can.  Wheat flour was in it.  There are gluten free enchilada sauces out there but you pay a pretty penny and my Beloved would rather not have chicken broth.  Vegetable broth is good but not chicken.  I decided I needed to try to make green enchilada sauce.  It is actually quite easy.  There was not anything difficult about it so then I had to wonder why I wished to use the can stuff.  Just a sigh.....

Vegetarian Gluten Free Green Enchilada Sauce

1 onion, peeled and minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup millet flour

2 cups vegetable broth

1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile, drained

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 tomatilla diced (optional)

In a large pot, put the olive oil and heat over a medium high heat.  Add the onion.  Let the onion get brown.  Mix in the millet flour.  You want the millet flour to make a roux and not taste raw.  

Add the vegetable broth.  Mix until there are no lumps.  Mix in the chiles, green onion, cilantro, and tomatilla.  Let it cook for a few minutes and then blend.

It is really that simple.  I made extra and put in jars for the freezer.  Next time, I may add a head of roasted garlic.  Yum!

lentils with rice and roasted vegetables

It was a night where I needed something that was simple to fill our bellies.  My Beloved was teaching knife safety to cub scouts and there was no way to know when he was going to be home.  I decided that I needed a dish of lentils that could just bake in the oven until he was home.  Rice and the vegetables could be made when he let me know he was leaving.  

This turned out better then the lentil curry I made.  I might try the curry but I am going to use some of the ideas from here to change it up!  This was tasty.

Lentils with rice and roasted vegetables

2 cups lentils

1/2 onion, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 small carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups vegetable broth

6 ounces tomato paste

juice from one lemon

cooked rice

about a cup of roasted vegetables.  I used parsnips, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Wash the lentils well in water.  I find that you can wash a lot of dirt off lentils and it will effect the taste.  If you have the time, let them soak at least a half hour, more if possible.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In an oven proof pot with cover, put the oil over medium heat.  Add the onions.  Stir occasionally until they are golden.  Add the carrots.  Let cook for about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring.  Add the garlic.  As the garlic is getting brown, stir in all the spices.  Add the lentils, vegetable broth, and tomato paste.  Bring to a boil, cover, and put in the oven.  Let bake at least an hour or until the lentils are soft and cooked through.  Pull out of the oven and mix in the lemon juice.

Serve over rice with roasted vegetables sprinkled over the top.

Yummy and belly warming and filling.  The Tall Short Person went back for seconds which surprised me.  

a simple snack

Snacks around here can be difficult.  My Beloved does not eat gluten and stays away from soy.  That means most snack foods are out.  But occassionally we like a snack or a light meal.  This has hit the spot recently.

A bit of prosciutto.  A bit of brie.  A smidgen of honey.  It is not really a recipe but I would suggest you try somehthing similar.  With a fizzy juice or a glass of sparkling wine.  Good conversation and your loved ones around.  It makes for a lovely time.

last current adventures with turnips

We have had people living on broths around here lately.  Allergies are rampant and my Beloved has been under the weather.  He has not been hungry at all, which is not a good thing.  Especially when he is swinging a handle in his forge.  His knife business is growing so he needs to keep up his strength.  Broths are a way to do that when nothing else appeals.

This is a simple one and soothes the throat.  A bit of turnip, onion, garlic.  A pinch of salt, garlic, and thyme.  A quart of vegetable broth and a couple tablespoons of cooked rice for each bowl.  Healing.  Strengthening.  A bit of love in a bowl.

Turnip soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons minced onion

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 turnip, washed and sliced into wedges

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 quart vegetable broth

cooked rice.

In a medium heavy pot, over medium heat, pour the oil.  Let it get hot and add the onion and turnip.  You want the onion to caramlize and the turnip to start having brown edges.  Add the garlic and cook until lightly brown.  Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.  Mix well.  Pour in the vegetable broth and cook until the turnips are tender.

When the broth is hot through and the turnips done, put a couple tablespoons of cooked rice in the bottom of a bowl.  We like a mix of brown and white.  Pour in a cup of the soup.  Enjoy.  

If your stomach is up to it, add a piece of toast with a bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper on it.  A bit of salad.  A few bites of fruit.  Strengthening the body and soul.

braised turnips

I told you I was on a turnip trip.  We also had braised turnips on our dinner out.  It changed the whole taste of the turnip, taking it from something with a bit of a bite to have an edge of sweet.  I did something similar with the turnips like I do with brussell sprouts but used vegetable broth instead of cream and a touch of thyme.  This was a lovely vegetable to go with the shwarma I made.

Braised Turnips

1 turnip, washed, root and top bits cut off, sliced into many wedges

2 tablespoons minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

a pinch of salt

a pinch of pepper

a pinch of thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 to 1 cup vegetable broth

In a heavy small pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium heat.  Put in the onion and cook until it starts to get golden.  Add the turnips and garlic.  You want the garlic to be golden and brown bits on the turnips.  Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.  Stir well.  Add 1/2 cup broth and cover.  Bring the broth to a boil and turn down to a simmer.  Cook the turnips until soft to a fork being poked in them.  Depending on the color of your broth, they may be very golden to brown.  Serve on a plate with a sprinkle of turnip chips.

The picture of this on the plate was very blurry.  There was a lot going on in the kitchen then.  Cooking.  People.  Sick Beloved but he will say he is not.

This with a bit of sourdough toast would make a lovely lunch.  Tea with a bit of fruit added and I would be very happy.