Sweet Potato and Quinoa Casserole - Gluten-Free

Sometimes I get really tired of the usual dinner food, which makes me go way outside of the box.  With a little help from my FitAddict pal, Andrea, I made a delicious and healthy Sweet Potato and Quinoa Casserole for dinner.  

I know what you're thinking.  Sweet potatoes as the main course for dinner?  Yup!  This casserole doesn't just contain sweet potatoes....there are lots more ingredients, (which couldn't all be listed in the title, or you'd think I was completely insane!) making is a complete meal!  Don't get me wrong.  This could totally be served as a side dish too.  In fact, I suggest bringing this to a party or to a work pot luck if you'd like something you can eat guilt-free and still get a complete meal.  Being gluten-free, I've found I usually starve at parties unless I bring something like this.  You can only eat so many fruits and veggies at one time.  Half the time the cheese and crackers are on the same platter, leaving that no longer an option either.  Cross contamination is a huge issue for us gluten-free folks.  If you bring this casserole, you'll be all set!

Andrea made a very similar version of this for her family during the holidays and they loved it.  We had mixed reviews here.  My husband wasn't a fan at all.  I loved it and my kids liked it, but didn't love it.  I won't even tell you what my husband added to his when he ate it.  It was disgusting.  LOL  I thought it was perfect as it was.  The only thing I would have changed is adding the pecans at the end instead of cooking them with everything.  They got soft and you couldn't really tell what they were.  They should still be crunchy.  This will be reflected below, so you can follow everything as typed below.

Servings: 6-10 (depending on whether you're serving this as a main dish or side dish)

Ingredients:

4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup black beans, soaked overnight, rinsed

3/4 cup quinoa

3/4 cup brown rice

1/2 cup craisins

2 Tbps. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. pepper

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 tsp. vegetable better than bouillon

1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped

Directions: (Use a 3 quart to 5 quart slow cooker for this recipe)

In your crock, place your sweet potatoes and onions.

 (I had two of the cutest helpers in all the land!)

Next, add in the black beans,

 brown rice

 and quinoa.

 Add the craisins.

Add in the maple syrup, cinnamon, pepper, vegetable bouillon and water.

Give it a stir.

(I apparently forgot to take pictures of these steps!)

Cook on LOW for 5-6  hours and add the chopped pecans just before serving.

Serve and Enjoy!

Fall Harvest Soup - Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan

This soup was truly and sincerely inspired by my trip to the Farmer's Market.  I had no idea what I was going to make before I left.  I wanted to just walk around and be inspired by the beautiful, in-season ingredients I was about to encounter.  Boy!  Was I ever inspired!!!!

I first came across the most beautiful beets.  You know what?  I have NEVER bought fresh beets before.  Never!  Mine have always come from a can.  Yup!  I'm telling the truth.  I love beets.  My grandma always made them warmed up with a little butter and salt on them.  I decided it was time to conquer them!

I came across a lot of other ingredients....beautiful carrots, leeks, TONS of butternut squash, huge sweet onions, green beans, wax beans, sweet peppers, pie pumpkins, red potatoes and giant zucchinis!  I brought them all home and decided to go with a vegetarian version of Borscht Soup!  Borscht Soup is a Ukranian soup with the main ingredients being beets, cabbage and potatoes.

My husband came home and asked where the bountiful harvest came from, LOL!!!!!!

What came of this was a sweet and tangy soup chock full of good-for-you things!  This soup will definitely warm you up this Fall/Winter and leave you feeling healthy and happy!

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Northern beans, soaked overnight

1/2 cup Navy beans, soaked overnight

4-5 beets, peeled, washed and chopped

2 cups butternut squash, seeded, peeled and chopped

1 leek, cleaned and chopped

3-4 carrots, cleaned, halved and chopped

1 large sweet onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, minced

6 oz. tomato paste

6 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar in the raw

1 Tbsp. dill

1 Tbsp. dried parsley

3 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

5 low sodium vegetable stock cubes

10-12 cups water

(If you don't have vegetable stock cubes, use 10-12 cups vegetable stock and no water)

Directions (Use a 7 quart slow cooker for this recipe)

*Make sure you soak your beans overnight before beginning this recipe.

Before we begin, let me help you with a few ingredients you might be intimidated by in this recipe.

First, the butternut squash.  You will need a VERY large knife and a lot of strength,  LOL

Cut it in half.  Scoop the seeds out.

My advice, from here, put on a pair of disposable kitchen gloves.  Butternut squash tends to leave a film on your hands that is weird.  Trust me on this.

 Using a vegetable peeler, peel the butternut squash.

Then, chop it up!

  

On to the beets.....

Cut off the greens, peel them and wash them.

 Cut off both ends.

 then, chop them up!

Oh leeks....these little guys are harmless.

Cut off the greens.

 Then, slice about a half an inch from the root end to the tips.

 Turn it a 1/4 turn clockwise and slice it again the same way.

 Fill a bowl with clean water and swish the ends of your leek around in the water vigorously.

Keep changing the water until you no longer see dirt in it.

 Then, chop it up!

Ok, on to the soup!

In your crock, place the butternut squash and beets.

Add in the leeks and carrots.

Add in the onions and minced garlic.

Now, add in the tomato paste, red wine vinegar, dill, parsley, salt, pepper and vegetable stock cubes.

Lastly, add in your beans and water and stir it up.

Cook on LOW for 10 hours or on HIGH for 5 hours.

Enjoy!

"Vegan Slow Cooking For Two or Just For You" by Kathy Hester #Review

When Kathy Hester asked me to review her new cookbook "Vegan Slow Cooking For Two or Just For You," I jumped at the chance.  I knew it would be good because I previously reviewed her book "The Vegan Slow Cooker" and LOVED it!  This book did NOT disappoint!  

I have to admit, when I first received the book, I wondered "Will I be able to make anything in this book being gluten-free?"  As I flipped through the book, more worries were put to rest almost immediately!  All of the recipes were clearly marked "gluten-free," "soy-free," "oil-free," "gluten-free option," soy-free option" or "oil-free option."  How wonderful is that?

Kathy begins the books with Tips and Tricks for working with small slow cookers and a section on "new to you" ingredients in case you're new to Vegan cooking.  She has "Budget Rescuer" recipes, Breakfast Recipes, International Recipes, "Vegan Squares" (in which an entire meal is layered into your slow cooker," Sweet Treats, and so much more!

I immediately made the Chocolate Pumpkin Brownie Breakfast Quinoa.  It was a wonderful yummy breakfast treat for me!  I've never experimented with quinoa in that way before and I was excited to try such a creative recipe!

I'm looking forward to trying the White Bean Quinoa Gumbo, Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque, Potato Cauliflower Curry and the Carrot Cake Rice Pudding!  Don't those all sound incredible?  There are SO many more recipes I'm eager to try, but my list is too long to list them all here!

You can find out more about Kathy Hester and her beautiful cookbook, "Vegan Slow Cooking For Two or Just For You" here.

You can also follow Kathy's blog at healthyslowcooking.com.