BBQ Chicken Quinoa Salad

3 cups cooked quinoa
1 can corn
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups cubed BBQ chicken
1/2 cup grated cheese
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (or more)
6 scallions, chopped
cilantro for garnish

1. In a large bowl, toss together the quinoa, corn, black beans, and chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Transfer mixture into a bowl and top with shredded cheese, BBQ sauce, scallions and cilantro.

Serve warm or at room temperature or chilled.

Snack ideas

Another hard part of transitioning to living gluten free is figuring out what to eat for snacks. Here are some of my favorites:

Trio bars: Trio bars are fruit, nut, and seed bars. I buy the big box at Costco. They taste great and are a great source of protein. It's a great pre-gym snack.

Nuts, trail mix, etc: These can also be high protein. Just make sure that you check the ingredient lists to make sure everything is gluten-free. Not all brands will be safe.

Popcorn: Check labels but most are gluten free.

Fresh fruits and veggies: You really can't go wrong with fresh, whole fruits and veggies. If you can, try to pick things that will be high in fiber (it can be hard to get enough fiber when you are gluten free). I usually cut up a few days worth of fruits and veggies and put individual servings in ziplock bags in my fridge then I can just grab 3-4 to take with me to work.

Salads: Add toppings like meat, hard boiled eggs, and nuts for extra protein.

Hummus: I love hummus. You can buy it at the store but it's pretty easy to make yourself at home. I prefer to eat hummus with carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers but you can also have it with tortilla chips.

Lunchmeat: Make sure to check labels. Sometimes processed meat has gluten.

Eggs: High in protein but they require a little more preparation than most of the other things on this list. Try scrambled, omelets, or fried. For an quicker option, try making hard-boiled eggs ahead of time or mix eggs and your favorite toppings then bake in muffin tins and freeze for a quick snack.

String cheese

Yogurt

Gluten free cereal or granola: I know cereal is traditionally a breakfast food but I enjoy it for snacks too. I eat it dry or with milk, depending on where I am and what else I'm doing while I eat. In addition to the specialty gluten free cereals, check out Chex (not Wheat Chex), Pebbles, and gluten-free Rice Krispies.

Smoothies: Try blending one yogurt with 1 cup frozen fruit and 1/2 cup sugar-free juice. You could substitute Greek yogurt, add protein powder, add more fruit, or even add spinach.

Muffins, breads, etc: I wouldn't rely on these in general but if you have made/bought gluten free baked goods they make a great snack.

Breakfast Ideas

This afternoon my roommate and I talked about the possibility of her going gluten-free and it reminded me how hard transition can be. As I explained to her, I felt like I lived on corn tortillas, cheese, lettuce, ice cream, and potato chips for 2 months when I first got diagnosed. It took me a while to figure things out, and breakfast was one of the hardest things for me to get used to. Here are a few of the things I learned and my favorite options.

Cereals: I love cereal in the mornings and for snacks because it is so easy and fast. Luckily, there are quite a few cereals available now that are gluten free. In addition to the specialty gluten free stuff (expensive and some of it tastes horrible in my opinion), most Chex varieties are gluten free (not Wheat Chex), Pebbles (Chocolate, Fruity, etc) are gluten free, and Rice Krispies are available gluten free (but make sure you buy the ones that say gluten free on the front because the regular box still has gluten).
*One special note about cereal: Some people with Celiac Disease, especially if they are newly diagnosed and/or healing, have trouble tolerating milk. I personally have less trouble with yogurt so recently I've started using a plainer Chex with a flavored yogurt and fresh fruit or slivered/chopped nuts on top.

Granola: You can buy gluten free granola or make your own. One caution here is that some people have trouble tolerating oats. If you do, avoid the granola altogether.

Smoothies: Sometimes I have to do breakfast on the go or I have to be to work or an appointment extra early so I try to do breakfast in 2 rounds. Smoothies work perfect on these days. I blend one yogurt, 1 cup of fruit, and 1/2 cup of sugar-free juice. I like tropical flavors but use any combination of flavors you like. You can also add gluten free protein powder, use greek yogurt for extra protein, or even add a cup of spinach.

Eggs: I don't take time to cook eggs often but they are an awesome breakfast because they are full of protein and budget friendly. If you get bored with your eggs, play around with them. Try scrambled, fried, hard-boiled, omelets, etc. Also add different toppings: cheese, fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, etc), green onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, ham, bacon etc. You can even mix eggs with your favorite toppings then bake them in a muffin tin in the oven and freeze them to grab on a hurried morning.

Frozen waffles: Van's makes a couple of gluten free varieties of frozen waffles. I've seen them carried in most major grocery chains and they are pretty good for frozen waffles. (Just don't cook them in a toaster used for gluten products.)

If you are up for a little more work, check out the "Breakfast label" which has lots of delicious recipes.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 heads of broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
8 ounces grated cheese

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat with oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute three minutes or until tender.
2. Add broth and broccoli and bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook ten minutes.
3. Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Add milk mixture to broccoli mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Stir in pepper.
4. Using immersion blender, blend soup until smooth.
5. Removed from heat. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts.

Recipe adapted from "Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook"

California Quesadillas

corn tortillas
cheese
crumbled bacon
cubed turkey or chicken
sliced green onions
diced roasted red pepper
diced avocado

1. Put a thin layer of cheese on each tortilla. Top with desired toppings. Add another thin layer of cheese then top with 2nd tortilla.
2. Cook in frying pan until golden brown on each side and the cheese is melted.

Thai Red Curry

3 1/2 cups cooked rice
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
1 green or red pepper, diced
(or substitute other veggies if you prefer)
14 ounce can coconut milk
1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
2 tablespoons gluten-free soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
salt, to taste

1. Slice chicken into strips and saute with onion, garlic, and ginger in cooking oil. Remove from frying pan and set aside.
2. Saute veggies until tender.
3. Stir in coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Add chicken and onion mixture and simmer 3-4 minutes.
4. Serve over cooked rice, or add rice to the Thai red curry until liquid is absorbed by rice.

Recipe from "Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy" by Susan Bell.

Lemon Basil Chicken

2 cups cooked, diced chicken (I used leftover Rotisserie chicken)
1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (or more... I believe in being generous with bacon)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons gluten-free chicken bouillon
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 bell pepper, chopped
salt, to taste
gluten free noodles
Parmesean cheese

1. In a measuring cup, combine water and cornstarch.
2. Saute red pepper with garlic and oil.
3. Add basil, cream, bouillon, lemon juice, and cornstarch mixture. Heat through but do not boil.
4. Add chicken, bacon, and salt.
5. Serve over noodles. Top with Parmesean.

Recipe adapted from "Gluten Free Cooking Made Easy" by Susan Bell.

Turkey Chili

1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
15 oz can chickpeas
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced scallions

1. Brown turkey in oil.
2. Add onion, garlic, and spices, and cook.
3. Add chickpeas, tomatoes, and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil.
4. Simmer until thick.
5. Top with scallions.

Lime in the Coconut Chicken

3 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped ginger
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
1 cup cilantro
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/3 cup honey
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
4 pounds chicken

1. In blender, combine all ingredients except chicken. Puree.
2. Marinate chicken in coconut mixture for one hour.
3. Transfer chicken to rack placed on foil-lined baking sheet. Back at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Flip and bake until cooked through, 10 minutes.

Pear and Apple Relish

2 apples
2 pears
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Wash, core, and chop apples and pears.
2. Combine all ingredients in pan. Bring to boil, cover, and cook 20 minutes.

This relish is delicious as a topping for crepes and pancakes.

Cheesecake Pancakes

3 oz. cream cheese
1 cup gluten free Bisquick
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries
whipped cream

1. Freeze cream cheese overnight.
2. Combine Bisquick, milk, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg.
3. Slice cream cheese into 1/4" pieces and add to pancake batter.
4. Cook using frying pan/griddle.
5. Top with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.

*I used GF Bisquick but you could use substitute your favorite pancake recipe and just add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and cream cheese.

Cheese and Green Chile Enchiladas

2 cups monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles, drained
1 cup sour cream
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped (plus more for garnish)
1 tsp ground cumin
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
12 corn tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, combine half of the cheese, canned chiles, sour cream, yellow onion, garlic, chopped cilantro, and cumin.
3. Microwave tortillas for 2 minutes, flipping stack after 1 minute.
4. Scoop a spoonful of mixture into each tortilla and roll up. Arrange the enchiladas in a single layer in a casserole dish. Cover with any remaining mixture. Top with the remaining cheese.
5. Back until golden, about 15-20 minutes.
6. Garnish with cilantro leaves.

Ginger-Honey Pork

1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 pork tenderloin

1. Mix ginger, honey, lemon juice, soy sauce, salt, pepper and garlic together.
2. Marinate pork in mixture for at least one hour in the fridge.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until pork reaches internal temperature of 145 degrees. You could also grill the pork or cook it in the slow cooker.

Pumpkin Roll

Cake:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 eggs
2/3 cup mashed (canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 15 X 10-inch jelly roll pan. Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and leave an inch overhang on each of the short ends of the pan. Lightly grease the wax paper and sides of the jelly roll pan.

2. Mix the sugar, flour, salt, soda, cinnamon, eggs and pumpkin in a large bowl. Once mixed, pour mixture over the waxed paper. Sprinkle the walnuts, if using, on top of the mixture. Bake for 14-15 minutes until edges pull away from the sides of the pan and center is done.

3. Lay a large dishtowel on the counter top (it is best to use a dishtowel without any texture – a tea towel or similar towel works best). Spread a thick dusting of powdered sugar all over the towel. When the cake comes out of the oven, turn the pan upside down on the powdered sugar-laden towel so the wax paper is on the top. Gently peel off the wax paper, being careful not to tear the roll. Starting at one of the short ends, roll the pumpkin cake up with the towel to cool. While the roll is cooling, mix the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together until it is light and creamy. Once the roll is cool, unroll and with an offset spatula, carefully spread filling in an even layer over the cake. Roll it up without the towel and place in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap or wax paper) for about an hour before serving.

Recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe:

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/10/perfect-pumpkin-roll.html

Chocolate Truffles

1 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
finely chopped nuts, sweetened coconut flakes, cake decorating sprinkles, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, candy bits, etc for topping

1. In a heavy 2 quart pan, melt together chocolate chips and condensed milk. Stir in vanilla.
2. Refrigerate 2 or more hours in the pan until firm.
3. Place desired toppings in separate bowls. Shape chocolate into small balls about 1 inch in diameer and then roll in toppings. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes 35 truffles