Gluten Free 7-Layer Tacos and Taco Bar

This is a fantastic, naturally gluten free meal to serve for your family or guests. I often get asked by non-gluten free hosts what they can possibly make that everyone could eat. I'm continually impressed that more people are concerned with not making their gluten free guest feel uncomfortable.

A taco bar is a great way to offer up something for everyone. The ingredients are generally naturally gluten free and for those who may not eat dairy or meat, there are options for them, as well.

The above picture is of my 7-layer taco. I used the Ortega corn taco shells and taco mix since their company stated that they are gluten free and dairy free. I also used my Tex-Mex salad as one of the layers because it is so full of flavor that really made the taco above and beyond an ordinary dinner. (see post for Tex-Mex Salad - http://momcooksglutenfree.blogspot.com/2009/11/gluten-free-tex-mex-salad.html)

This recipe took about 30 minutes to prepare and bake (the shells), and serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 8-10 Ortega Corn taco shells (try to find the kind with the larger, square bottom - they hold more and don't crack when filling!)
• 1 package of Ortega taco seasoning
• 2/3 cup of water
• 1 lb of lean ground beef
• 1 12 oz can of gluten free refried beans (I used Old El Paso)
• 2 cups of Tex-Mex salad
• 2 cups of shredded lettuce
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat the oven according to the taco shell package. (Usually375 deg F)
2. Place the taco shells separately on a cookie sheet and bake according to directions. (Usually 5-7 minutes)
3. Remove from shells from the oven and let cool.
4. Brown the ground beef on medium heat on the stove. Drain. Add the seasoning and water (per directions on package - usually 2/3 cup water). Simmer 15 minutes until water evaporates.
5. Heat the refried beans for 5-7 minutes over med/low heat on the stove until warm.
6. Place each ingredient (meat, beans, Tex-Mex Salad, shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream) in individual serving bowls with spoons for the taco bar.
7. Prepare plates for the guests with the taco shells and invite them to pick their own ingredients, or go for the 7-layer taco! (shell, beans, taco meat, Tex-Mex Salad, shredded lettuce, cheddar cheese and sour cream)

Gluten Free Tex-Mex Salad

I was looking for something different to put in my 7-Layer tacos and decided to go with a Tex-Mex salad filling. It's full of vegetarian protein and naturally gluten free. If you leave out the butter, it becomes vegan and gluten/casein/dairy free, as well! It's very easy to make and grilling the corn is about the only work involved! The grilled sweet corn, mixed with the fresh cilantro, really brings out the flavor of this dish.

This recipe takes about 30 minutes to prepare/grill and serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of freshly chopped lettuce (Iceberg or Romaine)
• 2 12 oz cans of organic black beans
• 4 ears of fresh sweet corn on the cob
• 2 Tbsp of butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup of Ro-Tel "Mild" diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 2 Tbsp of freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat a grill to medium high. (you can use an outdoor grill, but I used my counter top Cuisinart grill)
2. Using your hands, rub the butter into the ears of corn so it's fairly well coated.
3. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. When the grill is ready, place the corn on the grill and rotate every five minutes until it's lightly browned on all sides. (approximately 20 minutes)
5. In the meantime, heat the black beans over medium heat on the stove until warm. (Approximately five minutes) Drain and set aside.
6. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, stand it on it's end. Using a small knife, place the blade right under the kernels of corn, and slice vertically. Don't cut so deep that you get a lot of the core. The goal is just to slice off the kernels. Continue to rotate the cob and slicing vertically until all of the kernels are removed.
7. Put all of the ingredients, except the lettuce, into a large salad bowl and gently toss.
8. Serve on a bed of lettuce and garnish with additional cilantro leaves.

Julie's Baked Salmon with Cilantro Hazelnut Pesto

Wow! There's just nothing like going to a friend's house who is a foodie and willing to cook for me. This is a really easy recipe that is full of flavor and terrific to serve to guests. You can use your preferred choice of fish. Last night we chose a large fresh salmon fillet. I was completely envious that her children not only ate this, but they also ate grilled asparagus and my crab cakes. She doesn't realize that her 4 and 7 year old children are unique and possibly future foodies. Sad to say, but my kids (same age) are STILL not quite as adventurous with food.

Either way, a big THANK YOU to yet another great friend who not only offered to cook gluten free for our families, but did it with no fuss and made it look effortless.

To give credit where credit is due, I believe she her recipe was inspired by Epicurious.com. They also have a nifty iPhone application that I already have to search for recipes and shopping lists WHILE you're shopping, if you are so inclined. They are not all gluten free, but very helpful.

This recipe takes about 45 minutes to prepare/bake and serves 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of salmon fillet
• 2 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
• 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 6 lemons cut, quartered, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 deg F.
2. Place the cilantro, toasted hazelnuts, garlic, salt and pepper into a food processor.
3. Blend until coarsely chopped.
4. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil. Continue to coarsely chop. The sauce should be thick and choppy (see picture above). If it's too dry, you can add another tablespoon of oil.
5. Place aluminum foil over a cookie sheet and lightly oil the foil. (You can grease a glass baking dish, as well, but our salmon fillet was too big.)
6. Place the salmon on top, skin side down.
7. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon the pesto mixture on top.
9. Bake until the fish is cooked through, about 15 minutes - depending on how thick it is. The fish should be a light pink color and flaky when done.
10. Garnish with fresh lemons.

Dr. McDougall's Right Foods Pad Thai Soup

I actually came across this at a health fair, and then saw it in my local grocery store. Dr. McDougall's Right Foods makes seven different gluten free soups. This is one of them, and also one that is a dried cup-of-soup where you add hot water (or microwave) and let it sit until the noodles are soft. I'm never really sure when I would eat something like this, since I tend to cook everything fresh.

So, I took it to work with me and stuck in my desk drawer. Sure enough, there was a day where I didn't have time to get lunch and this worked out perfect. The flavor was great and there were enough rice noodles to feel satisfied.

You can check out more about this soup and others at http://www.rightfoods.com/.

Rice Chex and Friends Go Gluten Free!

Here's a company that got it right!! Chex.com has modified their ingredients to be gluten free for: Corn Chex, Rice Chex, Chocolate Chex, Honey Nut Chex and Cinnamon Chex. It even says so right on the front of the package. Does it taste any different? Nope, not one bit. Does it help solve breakfast solutions? You bet it does. Not only that, but you can make Chex mix again using gluten free pretzels (Glutino are the best).

I feel remiss that I didn't post this sooner because I keep hearing that people didn't realize this product was available gluten free. Kudos to Chex!! On behalf of the gluten free population, THANK YOU!

Veggiesaurus Lex - My children's picture book on healthy eating!

Just released!! This is my third book in my series of picture books for children about healthy eating habits. It's available at Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com. Check out the press release below:

SAN DIEGO, Nov 12, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

At a time when parents spend more each year on fast food for their children than on books, educational materials, DVDs, music, trips to the movies and video games combined, it can feel like instilling healthy eating habits is a losing battle. With the publication of her third book, "Veggiesaurus Lex" (published by AuthorHouse), Karen Fine offers parents, educators and caregivers a new resource to combat the seemingly endless array of easy, cheap and available unhealthy food.

Meet Lex, a big pink dinosaur who has a big tummy ache after she eats too much junk food. Lex, feeling sluggish and slow, seeks the advice of her vegetarian friends who immediately have an answer for her. Fine writes:

Veggies are great And they don't slow you down.
They're easy to find all around town.
Carrots are roots That grow in the ground.
Peas are quite yummy; smooth, green and round.
Looking for color? There's plenty, they said.
Green peppers also come in yellow, orange and red!

As her friends go on to describe other types of tasty vegetables, Lex decides to try some for herself and discovers that they truly are delicious! With charming illustrations by Russ Novak that bring Lex and her friends to life on each page, "Veggiesaurus Lex" combines a fun, rhyming story with an important message: to stay fit and energized, it's important to eat vegetables.

Find out more in the pages of this whimsical new book. Karen Fine was inspired to educate children about living a healthy lifestyle after her oldest son was diagnosed with celiac disease and restricted to a gluten-free, wheat-free diet. Her other books, "How I Eat Without Wheat" and "Nature's Candy" (both published by AuthorHouse) are the first two installments in a trilogy she hopes will inspire children to make healthier choices.

For more information, visit http://www.karenfine.com.
AuthorHouse is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors.
For more information, please visit http://www.authorhouse.com.

EDITORS: For review copies or interview requests, contact: Promotional Services Department Tel: 888-728-8467 Fax: 812-961-3133 Email: pressreleases@authorhouse.com (When requesting a review copy, please provide a street address.)

This release was issued through eReleases(TM). For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE AuthorHouse URL: http://www.authorhouse.com www.prnewswire.com Copyright (C) 2009 PR Newswire. All rights reserved -0- KEYWORD: California INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BKS

Mom Cooks Gluten Free on Facebook!

Hi my friends, family and voyeurs! I have created a Facebook fan page and would love for you to join me there. Check it out at: http://www.facebook.com/kfine?ref=profile#/pages/Mom-Cooks-Gluten-Free/177603944620?ref=mf

As always, I sincerely appreciate all of your emails, comments and support for those living a gluten free life!