Watch Those Carbs!

I've been trying to cut carbohydrates where I can and up my protein and it's been difficult to say the least.  I love eating chips and salsa, peanut butter on GF toast, rice or GF pasta with dinner, corn tortillas with cheese... Now if I have a craving for a sandwich I have decided to exchange the GF bread with lettuce.  There are all sorts of lettuce wraps these days in restaurants, usually with junk in them we can't eat!  Here is a sandwich wrap recipe I just invented, hope you like it!

Chicken Salad Wrap

servings: 2

Ingredients:

4 large Romaine lettuce leaves

1 (5 oz.) can GF chunk chicken in water, drained

1/4 c. plain yogurt

1/2 celery stalk, chopped fine

1/4 c. cucumber, seeded and chopped fine

1/2 avocado, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp. dried dill weed or 1/2 tsp. fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:  Wash the lettuce leaves, pat dry and divide among two plates.  In a small bowl combine the rest of the ingredients except the avocado.  Place the sliced avocado on each of the four lettuce leaves.  Scoop out an equal amount of the chicken salad and put on each leaf.  Roll up and enjoy!

Apple-icious

I love making homemade apple sauce!  It's especially on my mind as autumn is soon to be here.  Apple sauce is so versatile and easy to make, plus, you can add other fruits to the apples to make an even more delicious apple sauce.  Hope you enjoy this version...

Plum-Apple Sauce

Ingredients:
4 red apples, peeled, cored and chopped
2 plums, peeled, pitted and chopped
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/8 tsp. allspice

Directions:  Combine all but the allspice in a medium sized pot. Heat on medium-high for 3 minutes.  Reduce heat to simmer and cover, cook for 20-25 minutes, adding the allspice halfway through cooking.  Remove from heat and let cool slightly.  Puree in a food processor until desired consistency.

Hearty Healthy Chili

One thing about gluten-free eating is that you frequently have to modify recipes.  And it's a pleasure to find one that doesn't even need changing.  The following is one I found in Family Circle magazine, and although the ingredients don't need to be modified, the cooking instructions did.  Plus, I added a couple other ingredients I thought were necessary.  Next time I make it I think I will add another jalapeno - I like things spicy!  Hope you enjoy it!

Turkey & White Bean Chili

Ingredients:

1 Tb. olive oil

2 cans (15.5 oz. each) Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. (20.8 oz.) lean ground turkey

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped

1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 1/2 tsp. cumin

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

2 c. GF chicken broth

3 Tb. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. chopped cilantro

1/2 tsp. salt

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Directions:  Set aside 1 cup of beans.  Heat a large pot on med-high and add olive oil.  Break up ground turkey into pot and cook until lightly browned.  Add onion, peppers and garlic and stir occasionally, cook for 5 min.  Add beans, 2 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. coriander and chicken broth.  Stir to combine.  Place lid on pot and reduce heat to simmer.  Cook 1 hour.  Mash the reserved beans and add to the pot.  Also add 1/2 tsp. cumin, 1/4 tsp. coriander, lime juice, cilantro and salt.  Sprinkle with green onions and serve immediately.  Add a dollop of sour cream if desired (optional).