On Our Table: January, Part One
As I write to you about our meals during the first half of January, I’m surrounded by boxes as our big move is just days away. Yes, we’re moving to our new house so soon and I can’t wait! The new house has a new-to-us kitchen and I’m so excited to cook and bake in the new space. In the meantime, I’m happy to share with you the dinners we’ve been cooking and enjoying leading up to the changes on the horizon. Did you think we’d skip cooking amidst packing? Ha!
I think having delicious, home-cooked meals during this time of change has been an immense help. However, we’re definitely switching to takeout before the end of this week. ;) The pots and pans must, finally, be packed. Now, without further ado, our (gluten free) dinners from the first half of January. I have provided recipe links when available as well as options to purchase primary ingredients. Enjoy!
Please leave a comment or send us a note with any questions you may have about our meals.
party hummus with crispy lamb
This delicious dinner, which is perfect for a weeknight or (someday) a small crowd, couldn’t be simpler to prepare. We followed the recipe and used ground lamb, but I think it would be equally excellent with ground beef. The key is to make the hummus base from scratch (not pre-made) as it’s just a lot more flavorful and worthy of the scrumptious crisped lamb on top.
For an extra flavor boost, we sprinkled feta on top and had Kalamata olives on the side. Serve with your favorite GF pita chips (or make them) and enjoy! Recipe is from the terrific Cook90 by David Tamarkin.
super cheese pepperoni pizza
Before we got around to including healthier meals again, we made one more amazing pizza. This one, topped with wayyy too much cheese and an entire pack of pepperoni was sinfully delicious. I threw a few artichoke hearts on as well for good measure. The cheese-to-crust ratio was beyond over-the-top and it was pretty perfect, if you ask me.
Once again, No Gluten No Problem Pizza is our go-to cookbook for creating the best gluten free pizza crust.
baked chicken nuggets with brussels sprouts
This dinner was basic, but delicious. Simple, yet flavorful. And filling, without being too much. We baked pieces of chicken (“nuggets”), dredged in milk and Aleia’s gluten free breadcrumbs, and served them alongside wild rice and Brussels sprouts. The sprouts were cooked with garlic and onion, per usual.
While we don’t have a specific recipe for this meal, I’d recommend a quick Google search for “homemade gluten free chicken nuggets” and I’m sure plenty of results will pop up.
I’d strongly recommend whipping up a dipping sauce to go alongside. I’m currently loving a sriracha aioli which is sriracha and mayo mixed together. See? Simple and delicious.
sweet potato and chickpea salad
This is one of those salads that’s the best option when you have minimal ingredients, but are still hoping for a flavorful meal. And it’s meatless! We don’t skip meat entirely, but we try for a meatless meal or two each week. It’s good for our bodies and good for the environment.
This salad had a base of mixed greens, roasted sweet potato cubes, crispy chickpeas (yay protein!), sliced cucumber, and a sprinkle of cheese on top (not required). It was a great mix of flavors and textures for a light, but still satisfying dinner. We made a balsamic vinaigrette to drizzle over the whole bowl. Yum!
Thai-style coconut curry chicken tacos
For the nights when you’re craving tacos, but with a twist, turn to this recipe and make this incredible dish. We’ve made these tacos a few times and each time they are as awesome and delicious as the last. I wouldn’t think to season chicken with red curry for tacos, but it works! And they are ridiculously good.
This is a spicy meal so the avocado slices and lime wedges help with the heat. The pico de gallo is a must-make and it goes so well with the spicy curry chicken. I am salivating as a I type, they are that good. We made our tacos using Siete Foods cassava tortillas which are gluten free and grain free. OK. Go make these for dinner. Go!
slow cooker chili
Since we didn’t bother with the slow-cooker, we actually made this meal on the stove top in just over an hour. Not bad! It was absurdly delicious and I’m not sure that would have changed if we had used the slow cooker instead. We may never know!
This supreme chili was filled with beef and beans and was just plain rich and delicious. We topped our bowls with scallions and shredded extra-sharp cheddar, which was a wise move. I loved the freshness of the scallions and creamy cheese with the piping hot, meaty chili. Note: be sure to use gluten free beer and gluten free soy sauce for the recipe.
This recipe makes a lot so be prepared for plenty of leftovers. Or serve it someday at a small dinner party (remember those?). I think everyone would love it. Note for next time: make corn bread to serve alongside.
caramelized shallot pasta
When you’re in the mood for a meatless, but decadent meal, turn to this incredible pasta. Another Alison Roman recipe gone viral, this pasta is as awesome as advertised. It uses an immense number of shallots and requires time to cook down the sauce, but the final dish is beyond “a great meal.” Be sure to use your favorite GF pasta when cooking.
Yes, that’s lots of fresh-chopped parsley on top. Normally, I tend to avoid this herb, but for this dinner I made an exception. ;)
chicken miso meatballs and rice
I’m of the belief that meatballs are one of the best creations for dinner and I am always excited to find a new recipe for them. Thankfully, the NY Times Cooking app has a plethora of meatball recipes and this one is terrific.
Adding miso to ground chicken results in a savory meatball that’s perfectly prepped for a spicy sriracha drizzle and a homemade dipping sauce (not shown).
Since chicken meatballs aren’t quite enough on their own, we made jasmine rice and added peppers and onion for some veggie content. A really delicious, straightforward dinner. I highly recommend it!
mediterranean chickpea wraps with feta and olives
I would like to call this meal “something to make when you have a weird variety of ingredients in the fridge and thankfully they all go together.” I wasn’t in the mood for salad, but we had lettuce. I wasn’t planning a meatless meal, but we had chickpeas. We had bought tortillas for something else, but decided to use them for this instead. Ta da! A really delicious dinner was made and enjoyed by all.
After we crisped the chickpeas and heated the tortillas, we created these open-face wraps that had a base of homemade tzatziki, then lettuce, crispy chickpeas, diced tomatoes, chopped olives, and some crumbled feta. Yes, those are a few artichokes leftover from the many-nights-prior pizza (see above).
The more we clean out the fridge in preparation for the move, the more creative we have become. Thankfully, this creation was a delicious success.
chicken-zucchini meatballs With Feta
Back on the meatball track, here is another great recipe featuring my favorite round protein. These chicken meatballs are packed with zucchini which makes them a healthy, filling option for a somewhat light dinner.
The joy of this recipe is that it’s a sheet-pan meal in which you cook the meatballs on one half of the baking sheet and then after a period of time add the slices of zucchini so it’s all done at about the same time. Very convenient!
PS: we served this dish over green beans because we felt like being extra-healthy. It would also be delicious served with a starch of your choice.
beef stir fry with asparagus and mushrooms
Rounding out the first half of the month, we made one of my all-time favorite dinners: stir-fry! Nothing says comfort food to me like a big bowl of noodles with meat and veggies.
Lately, we have been using ground beef or turkey for meals like these and I think it works well. Alternatively, sliced chicken or shrimp is an excellent option as well if you prefer. Of course, you could skip the meat entirely and add more veggies. The joy of stir-fry is that they are as versatile as you need them to be. And they lend themselves well to a “clean out the fridge” situation.
This dinner had a base of rice noodles (we use the ones from Lotus Foods) which we mixed with ground beef, asparagus, mushrooms, onion, and sliced fresh scallions. Lots of green! And so much flavor.
Quite often these days, we use the sauce recipe from the dish linked below (Woks of Life is a wonderful resource), but use our own choice of noodles, protein, and veggie. We’ve been amping up the sauce with sriracha or chili garlic sauce when some heat is necessary. ;) Overall, a really great dinner that makes us happy - and full!
enjoy!
Mollie and Seth
Follow along on social media @glutenfreemollied