poor man's stew

        This is an adaptation of a recipe my mom used to make when I was growing up. I added a few more vegetables, but it's still delicious and easy.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
3 to 4 medium sized whole carrots
6-8 medium russet potatoes
1/2 green bell pepper
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels 
1 clove garlic, minced
salt
pepper
garlic powder
italian seasonings
caldo de pollo
water

First I started by browning the ground beef with salt, pepper & garlic powder. Then I added the bell pepper, and diced potatoes..to make sure the potatoes get that meaty flavor.

Then I started boiling some water that I seasoned with caldo de pollo, (chicken bouillons, or chicken stock would also work). I added the carrots to that water. After the carrots boiled, I added the cooked meat, potatoes, bell pepper and frozen corn & spinach. I seasoned the broth to taste, and waited a few minutes for the flavors to all come together.

Delicious served as soup or with gluten-free corn tortillas & re-fried beans.

This is so easy and so worth a try. One of those home-y, rib sticking meals that nothing can compare to..

easy shredded beef-crockpot recipe

        One of my favorite crock-pot recipes is this shredded beef. It's so easy, great for entertaining, and so versatile. I use chuck roast, and it's as easy as setting it in the crock pot, seasoning liberally with salt, pepper and garlic powder. A little water and six to eight hours later (in my crockpot on low) a delicious meal! Pictured above, I added some red potatoes and carrots before the last hour. The corn, I steamed for another flavor & texture side dish. 
        The next day I reheated the leftover meat in a pan with a little oil, and water and seasoned with a little red pepper flakes and added some sliced bell pepper for shredded beef quesadillas.

Ingredients:
Chuck Roast (Boneless or Bone-in)
Salt 
Pepper 
Granulated garlic powder

Season your meat, put in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours.

That's it!         This meal is as delicious as it is easy. I really recommend trying it. It's a great gluten-free meal, the meat can be used for tacos, served with rice and beans. Great filling for taquitos, enchiladas, even with BBQ sauce on a sandwich with some pickles. YUM. The best part, Chuck roast is a really inexpensive cut of meat so you can make this once a week!

breakfast: vegan cheesy chorizo potatoes

        This spicy Mexican inspired dish is a great change of pace to your traditional breakfast of oatmeal or pancakes.
I used Russet Potatoes, Soyrizo, Almond cheese "pepperjack style" so good and a little spicy. Served with a corn tortilla. Delicious.


About one medium russet potato per person, peeled and I slice them about the size and width of a quarter. The thinner the pieces, the faster they cook. Heat a large skillet, coat the bottom of the pan with oil, about a couple tablespoons. Once the oil is hot add the potatoes, season with garlic powder & pepper. When the potatoes are almost done, I squeeze a few tablespoons of chorizo. Usually I add three tablespoons for four potatoes. Finish with salt & top with shredded pepperjack style cheese. 

Breakfast is served.

dinner tonight: taco salad

One of my staples and it's also great for entertaining; Taco Salad. People can add their own toppings and if kids are eating as well, they don't have to add the spicy salsa. My 9 year old cousin Isabel is disappointed if she and her sisters come over and we aren't having this for dinner.

Ingredients: 
Ground beef
Mexican rice
Pinto beans
Guacamole
Salsa
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes 
Tortilla chips*


Recipe for Guacamole:
5 ripe avocados
Juice of half a lemon
2 roasted jalapenos diced
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon
Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon

Peel & mash avocados, add spices, lemon juice & jalapenos. Stir to combine, leave one pit of an avocado to keep it green. You can take out the seeds of the jalapenos if you don't like it too spicy.

Recipe for ground beef:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium russet potato shredded
Diced green bell pepper
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder 
Red pepper flakes
Taco Sauce**

Brown ground beef, season well with garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes & about three tablespoons of gluten-free hot sauce of your choice. La Victoria sauces say gluten-free on the bottles and they have all kinds of red and green sauces in mild or hot. I also add diced green bell peppers once the meat is almost done, and even add a shredded russet potato, gives the meat great texture & stretches it out for a crowd.

Recipe for Mexican Rice:
1 cup of rice
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
Vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups of water
Salt, 1 teaspoon
Pepper, 1 teaspoon 
Garlic powder, 1 teaspoon
Caldo de pollo chicken bouillon***, 1 tablespoon


Heat oil in a shallow sauce pan that has a lid, add rice and brown the rice on high or medium heat. Once the rice starts to brown, turn off the stove. Add tomato sauce, water and spices, turn stove back on and bring to a boil, reduce to simmer. Cover for fifteen minutes. DO NOT OPEN the lid until the time is up. 
Voila! 
Perfect Mexican rice, my mom's recipe and probably my all-time favorite side-dish.

*Most tortilla chips are gluten-free, but always double check. I love Santitas White corn tortilla chips.

**Taco seasoning packets are usually full of sodium & may contain wheat, so using gluten-free taco sauce is a great way to get that flavor. 

***Bouillons are dangerous and can contain gluten. Always check ingredients. You can use gluten-free chicken broth instead of water.

easy gluten-free lunch

        Figuring out what to eat for lunch once I started my gluten-free life was a bit of a challenge. I was used to eating out, or eating something easy like a sandwich or a frozen burrito.

        Good gluten-free corn tortillas are a staple in my diet. I use Guerrero white corn tortillas. I use them for Quesadillas with my dairy-free almond cheese alternative and whatever meat leftovers from dinner the night before as a great quick lunch. Or I heat up deli meat, like bologna or roast beef and eat that with a corn tortilla.

        This is a white corn tortilla with a few slices of Hillshire Farms roast beef that I heated in a skillet and seasoned with a little pepper. A few slices of avocado and jalapenos make this perfect and delicious. I highly recommend you give it a try if you're looking for an easy and tasty lunch.