a day in the life of a gluten-free vegetarian

a friend of mine requested that i post what i eat since she was wondering what i was subsisting upon after announcing i was "going gluten-free" about a month ago.  since i was already a vegetarian, i was used to cooking lots and lots of veggies, but going gluten-free took that to a whole new level!

breakfast - almond meal hot cereal with ground flaxseeds (prepared with almond milk) and topped with cherries and peanut butter

lunch - 1/2 avocado topped with goat cheese, sauteed onions and tomatoes

snack - carrots "chips" (i.e. carrots sauteed briefly with olive oil and curry) and hummus

dinner - eggplant lasagna (all veggies -- no gluten-free pasta here!) and a glass of red wine : )

after dinner - decaf tea with half and half

so, that's what a day of meals looks like for a gluten-free vegetarian : ) yummy!

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foodie: my favorite gluten-free lunch (with avocado!)

as you know, i'm going "gluten-free" for a month to see if it clears up my pesky stomach issues and makes me feel overall better.  without gluten (i.e. wheat), my usual lunch of a pita sandwich is a no-go for the time being, but i'm not missing it at all because of my new favorite lunch of avocado topped with sauteed onions and goat cheese.  (is your mouth watering yet?!)

here's what you'll need for lunch for one...

1/2 avocado, in-tact and scooped out of the skin
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 oz goat cheese
1 tomato, sliced
lemon wedge
chives
salt & pepper

1. saute onions in olive oil.  season with salt and pepper.

2. squeeze some lemon on the avocado (if desired) to keep it from browning, and fill it with goat cheese and surround with tomatoes. 

3. top everything with the hot onions as soon as they're done so that they can begin to melt the cheese!

4. garnish with chopped chives, or herb of your choice.

(for a vegan option, replace the goat cheese with chopped kalamata olives to add some richness.  i had that version the other day and it was delish too!)

bon appetit!

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foodie: roasted eggplant with avocado salsa

the other night, with craig's request for a "light" dinner, my mind went to a salad.  salads can run the gamut from boring to brilliant, and this one fell more toward the latter...if i do say so myself.  to make our "light" dinner a little heartier, i roasted eggplant and made a chunky avocado salsa to add richness and texture to the dish.  served atop fresh baby greens, this meal was a winner!

what you'll need...

1 medium-large eggplant
1 avocado
2 plum tomatoes
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp grated or shredded parmesan
olive oil
salt & pepper

preheat your oven to 375-400 degrees

1. slice eggplant into 1/4-1/2 in slices.  try your best to keep them uniform, so they cook evenly.

2. lightly coat a baking tray with olive oil and lay out eggplant slices side by side.  mix 1 tbsp garlic with a bit of olive oil, and brush slices.  season with salt and pepper.

3. cook eggplant for 10-15 minutes, and then flip the slices - the underside should be nicely golden brown.  cook for another 10 min or so.  keep an eye on them so they don't burn!

4. in the meantime, roughly chop the tomatoes and avocado and mix together.  season with the remainder of the garlic and a bit of salt and pepper.

5. once the eggplant is done cooking, sprinkle the slices with parmesan - the hot slices will begin to melt the cheese - yum!

serve over baby greens, and feel free to add in other toppings like chopped nuts, minced red onion, or whatever else sounds good to you : )

bon appetit!

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foodie wednesday: super easy guac!

guacamole tastes good on just about everything - pita chips, veggie burgers, salad, tacos, scrambled eggs, a spoon.  if you've got a hankering for some guac, this super simple, 3-ingredient recipe will never let you down.

1 avocado, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
sea salt

gently toss the avocado with the lime juice to coat it (and keep it from browning), and then mix in the tomato.  season with salt, and you're all set!

recently, we topped homemade veggie burgers with it, and it was delish!

bon appetit!

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