Sloppy Joes Gluten Free Vegan Variation

I loved Sloppy Joes as a child. My mother would make them as a sandwich and serve the Sloppy Joe over rice ... after all, it is not sloppy that way! 

 

Over the years I experimented with Sloppy Joes a few different ways. I tried different BBQ sauces and tried different meats.   

NOTHING quite compares to the way mom made it ... that's why Sloppy Joes is a comfort food for me. 

 

 

I love using Big Mountain's Cauli Crumble Veggie Ground to make Sloppy Joes VEGAN and GLUTEN FREE. 

Ingredients:

1 package Big Mountain's Cauli Crumble Veggie Ground 

1/2 cup gluten free barbecue sauce of your choice

1/4 cup gluten free ketchup of your choice

Just enough olive oil to coat pan so nothing sticks

Gluten free buns for serving

 

Instructions:

Saute the Veggie Ground and use a spoon to break into small crumbles

Once warm, add the barbecue sauce and ketchup

Stir to combine then let rest

Toast buns while the veggie crumble rests 

Serve in a bun or on a bed of rice.

NOTE: you can add more of less BBQ and/or ketchup to get the flavor profile you prefer.

 

Philly Cheesesteak REMIX Gluten Free Vegan Style

Philly Cheesesteak REMIX Gluten Free Vegan Style

I have been pondering making this dish for a while. I have tried a version of it at a restaurant with a friend, back when going to restaurants with friends was popular pre-COVID.

Finally,  I took the time to experiment. I am so glad I did! This is a dish I will make over-and-over again!

Ingredients: (to serve 2)

• 1/2 block of firm tofu (drained and pressed)
• 1 slice vegan cheese ( I used Violife)
• 1 TBSP nutritional yeast
• 1 TBSP gluten free soy sauce
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup diced bell peppers  
• 1/4 vegetable bouillon cube 
• olive oil (just enough so nothing sticks)
• Gluten free rolls/bread for serving ( I used Schar Cibatta)

 

Instructions:

• Drain and press the tofu to extract most of the liquid
• Cut the cube in 1/2, save the other 1/2 of the cube for another dish or double the recipe 
• Sautee the onion and peppers until the onion is translucent
• Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, and gluten free soy sauce
• Satuee until tofu is done
• Turn off the pan
  
• Add diced vegan cheese to the dish and stir to melt/combine
• Toast rolls with vegan cheese to melt cheese on the rolls as well as in the dish

 

NOTE: I did not have a heavy hand with the cheese. I used 1 slice total. There was a cheesy taste. You can use more based on your preference. 

Serve with a side salad or roasted potato wedges

 

 

Homestyle Ancient Grain Sandwich Bread

At the Nourished Festival in Del Mar earlier this month I had the opportunity to try Gluten Free Homestyle Ancient Grain Bread from Rotella's Italian Bakery.

The loaf I tried toasted up well with a crisp on the outside that held up to any toppings that were layered on it!

Enjoy Rotella's gluten free bread with your choice of protein or just with some butter to go with a warm bowl of soup during the winter months. My favorite sandwiches were tofu and hummus and roasted veggie as the textures along with the bread was satisfying.

Asparagus Sandwich

The blank canvas I was working with today was BFree Brown Seeded Sandwich Loaf. I love the longer slices as the provide more flexibility for sandwich making. Today I made a sandwich with hummus and asparagus.

Ingredients:

• 2 Slices of BFree Brown Seeded Sandwich Bread - TOASTED (Available at the Gluten Free Mall link on blog homepage)
• Gluten Free Hummus to spread on the bread 
• 8 stalks of asparagus the length of the bread ... raw or roasted ... your choice. Raw provides a great crunch and roasted provides a nutty and chewy flavor. 

Cut in half and serve.

Serve with soup, salad, or gluten free crackers like the crispy Gluten Free Multi-Grain Baked Crackers by Miltons!

Cheese and Apple Sandwich

The blank canvas I was staring at the other day was cream cheese. As Emily Dickinson wrote, "I dwell in possibilities", I did not dwell in the possibilities of poetry or prose, rather the possibilities of cream cheese! I did not want to just spread it on a gluten free bagel (after all it is not easy to FIND a gluten free bagel in the grocery store), rather I wanted to do something MORE with this spread. Taking inspiration from the flavored packages of cream cheese, I began to ponder a mix of homemade chunky applesauce (I will do that next time) with the cream cheese. The ah ha moment arrived! My sandwich decision was made. I would combine a baked apple with cream cheese and turn it into a sandwich.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices of gluten free bread or 2 rice cakes for an open face version
• 1 apple cut into small slices
• cream cheese (not flavored)
• cinnamon (to taste)

Instruction:

• Start by THINLY slicing an apple with a knife or mandolin.
• Either add slices of apple to non-stick foil and sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 20 minutes OR add slices to a pan with just enough water to cover the bottom of the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon and cook until liquid is absorbed
• Toast the bread and place the cream cheese and apple slices on the bread

NOTE: The apples can be prepared ahead of time. The baked apples provide a bit of a crunch while the sauteed apples are soft and the texture combines with the cream cheese.

SERVE: This sandwich can be a breakfast sandwich with some fruit on the side or eaten for lunch with a salad or vegetables on the side.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

I need to eat a gluten free diet and have been pleased with the quality breads that have entered the marketplace in the past few years. BFree Foods has found a way to create products that mimic traditional breads but are free from common allergens and vegan as well!

I love BFree Products as they not only taste like traditional bread and can fool someone who does not adhere to a gluten free diet but also because they give me the confidence that I can serve them to anyone since they are created to fit the most common dietary restrictions.

The roasted vegetable sandwich is a gluten free and vegetarian sandwich that satisfies hunger even after a long workout. It can be paired with gluten free chips, roasted potatoes, salad, or soup. This sandwich can be made over and over again with different roasted vegetables. Today I used BFree Pita Bread. BFree bagels, rolls, or sandwich loaf can be used instead. Have fun playing with your food to customize your meal!

Approach cooking with a smile! It is fun to create new recipes! Use my ideas as they are or a springboard for your creativity. Check out the BFree website to find Pita Breads and other products in your local store!

Ingredients:

• Gluten Free Pita (or bread/wrap if your choice)
• Hummus - I used an organic red pepper hummus for this recipe
• Roasted vegetables - I used Butternut squash, Vidalia onions, and red bell peppers
• Cheese (optional)

Preparation Instructions:

• Roast the vegetables in the oven (350 for about 30-60 minutes depending on thickness of cut)
• Sprinkle with olive oil, pepper, and a dash of salt
• Toast the Pita (or prepare the bread/wrap of your choice)
• Add about 1 TBSP Hummus to each side of the pita bread and fill with roasted vegetables of your choice

Gluten Free Sandwich Series #3 Featuring Three Bakers Bread

Barbecue Chicken Sandwich Featuring Three Bakers Bread

Precooking (oven roasting) plain chicken breasts and using them through the week saves time in meal preparations. Starting with a plain base allows me to customize the flavor profile so each meal is unique!

Ingredients:

• Oven Roasted Chicken Breast (Turkey or baked tofu can be substituted)
• Roasted Vegetables (or leafy greens)
• Parmesan cheese (optional)
• Gluten Free Bread
• Gluten Free Barbecue Sauce of choice

 

This sandwich is made with slices of oven-roasted chicken breast, sliced roasted vegetables, and sliced imported Parmesan cheese. Gluten free barbecue sauce was added to the bread to provide flavor.

To create the flavorful and moist sandwich with multiple textures, I thinly sliced the Parmesan cheese and added it to the bread so it would melt into the bread. I assembled the precooked parts while toasting the bread:

• I sliced the chicken breast
• I sliced the vegetables

To the toasted bread I added barbecue sauce on each slice then layered chicken on the bottom and vegetables on the top.

Enjoy this sandwich with soup, salad, gluten free chips, or a side of fruit or vegetables!

Gluten Free Sandwich Series #2 FEATURING Potapas

Sweet Potato Tortillas with Oven Roasted Chicken, Garlic, and Bell Peppers

During the busy workweek I try to make food that stretches for a few meals. I prepared two organic chicken breasts (with bone and skin) for the oven. I placed them in non-stick aluminum foil then sprinkled them with salt, pepper, and some olive oil. I baked them at 350 degrees until they were done (these took about 1.5 hours due to their thickness). Once cooled enough, I remove the skin and bone and place the chicken in an airtight container to store.

The chicken prepared this way is ready to be used in a variety of recipes during the week … all that needs to be done is to add a different flavor profile so that it does not taste like I am eating the same chicken every day!

For this meal I also roasted red, yellow, and orange bell peppers in the oven and baked a clove of garlic. This saved energy; as I only had to have the oven on once…and did not add extra heat to the house!

To put my sandwich together I placed two POTAPAS in the toaster oven and sprinkled Italian Blend Cheese over both of them to form a thin coat. When the POTAPAS were done toasting, I added a few cloves of roasted garlic to each one. I placed two slices of roasted pepper (all that fit on one side of the POTAPAS); I used a variety of colors, on one side of the POTAPAS and 1/4 of the chicken breast thinly sliced. I closed the tortilla sandwich and cut it in half.

Ingredients:

1.     POTAPAS

2.     Clove of Garlic

3.     Chicken Breast

4.     Bell Peppers

5.     Italian Blend Cheese

Serving Suggestions:

·      Serve with a bowl of soup, salad, or bowl of vegetables

·      You could serve with GLUTEN FREE chips such as Beanfield’s.

Recipe Variations:

·      Roasted squash or zucchini can be swapped for the bell peppers

·      Turkey could be swapped for the chicken

·      The meal could be made vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding more cheese – perhaps melted Gouda or Parmesan

Gluten Free Sandwich Series #1: Chicken Breast with Olive Tapenade

As a schoolteacher I view late August and early September as BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON. For me it means getting back into routine and spending MORE time working and less time in the kitchen/at the dinner table.

This fall I am doing a SANDWICH SERIES on the blog. I am highlighting quick and easy GROWN UP SANDWICHES that can be made for that busy weekend when you have to take children to games and practices, that work night where you need to be your son or daughter's #1 fan and have little time to cook, or that day when you need to use leftovers so they do not spoil. We all strive for a meal where we can take some time to decompress after a busy day but do not always have that luxury. A sandwich can be made in relatively no time and can be accompanied by a salad, cooked vegetables, vegetables or gluten free chips and hummus, or some fruit. A sandwich can be taken on the go to be consumed at a game or other event. Take the time to plan your meal so that you do not have to go through a drive through line and order into a "box".

Today's sandwich is CHICKEN BREAST WITH OLIVE TAPENADE

Base Ingredients:
Gluten Free Bread of choice (in this photo I used Udi's Millet Chia)
Chicken breast (cooked)
Olive tapenade (you can make your own or buy the spread - when I make my own I OMIT the anchovies)
OPTION: Swap out the sauce...use PESTO or BBQ sauce instead of the olive tapenade
Lettuce (other green of your choice) or sprouts to add to the sandwich for texture

Instructions:

1. I bake an organic chicken breast  in non-stick aluminum foil in the oven to be used for a sandwich later in the week (planning ahead saves time when you know in advance you will be facing a time crunch)
2. When you are ready to make your sandwich, toast the bread you wish to use and get out all the ingredients
3. OPTIONAL: You can warm your chicken while the bread is toasting if you like
4. When the bread is done, spread the tapenade on each slice and add the chicken and/or greens/sprouts.
5. Serve or put in a container to take with you and enjoy later