Delighted3 Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I am taking a meal to a family that is gluten free and nut free. I have no idea what to take. Everything I have googled seems to be expensive and time consuming. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks, Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Chicken enchiladas with corn tortillas and homemade sauce Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Soup. I make an awesome gazpacho. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peela Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Gluten free pasta with home made pesto or any other sauce. A potato dish of some sort. Something with rice- chilli, curry, dhal, stirfry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delighted3 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Soup. I make an awesome gazpacho. :001_smile: Recipe please? :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 any type of chicken over rice (curry, stir fry, creamy, mexican) any type of salad (my fav right now is greek meatballs, cucumber, tomato, feta) a lot of low carb recipe books are also because they are also typically grain free :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alenee Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Potato Soup! Ingredients 5-6 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed, boiled ¾ c Onions, chopped 1 Stick Butter ½ c Flour (1/4 c cornstarch for GF) About 2 tsp. Dried Basil About1 tsp. Celery Salt About 2 tsp. Dried Thyme Garlic Powder to taste (check for gluten...if so, add some freshly pressed garlic cloves) Pepper to taste Salt to taste 2 cans Chicken Broth 1 package Bacon, cooked and chopped Parmesan Cheese (at least 1/3 C.) 2-3 c Milk (more for thinner, less for thicker) Cook and prep time: About 30 mins. Directions Boil cubed potatoes until fork tender, about 5-7 minutes. Turn off potatoes and allow them to sit in the water until it's time to add them to the soup. While potatoes are boiling, cook bacon and chop onions. Sift together flour and seasonings in small bowl. Set aside. Saute onions in large soup pot with 1 stick butter, until the onions are starting to brown. Turn heat down to medium. When onions are slightly brown, add flour/seasoning mix to onions and butter. Whisk together to form a thick roux. Add broth gradually, whisking quickly as you go. When fully incorporated, boil and stir constantly for 2 min. Drain potatoes and add to broth mixture. Bring to a boil then reduce to Low heat. Cover and simmer 10 min. While soup is simmering, chop cooked bacon. When the simmering is done, add milk, parmesan, and cooked bacon. I do not measure my seasonings anymore so the amounts are just guesses. If you question it, half the seasoning and then taste at the end. You can always add more! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 I usually bring a pot roast with potatoes and carrots and a salad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternalknot Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 (edited) A simple stir-fry would be easy and relatively inexpensive. In a pinch, use frozen bags of bell peppers, broccoli florets, and carrots ... toss in some oil (olive, grapeseed, corn) ... add a few cloves of garlic, then some sliced onions. Add some diced chicken pieces (as a part of the meal, not the main focus, it should be affordable -- one breast should yield enough meat for 2-3 adults). For a bit of flavor, add diced pineapple at the very end. Throw in some red pepper flakes if the family likes it spicy, and it's as easy as that. If you want more liquid to cook the meal, maybe to saute it a bit rather than to stir-fry, use broth. Check ingredient list carefully though, for gluten. If broth won't work, water will; we also like to sometimes use pineapple juice or teas just for a little something different. If you stick to the aforementioned veggies, it'll freeze and re-heat well also. ETA: soy sauce would be a no-no, but Bragg's Liquid Amino acids are acceptable IIRC. My gluten-free friend uses that as a substitute for soy sauce. The stir-fry shouldn't need it, but people accustomed to pouring soy sauce over perfectly seasoned food may want the option LOL. (We had family restaurants and I spent years watching countless non-Asians drown their perfectly seasoned food in soy sauce - breaks my heart!) But Mexican seems to always be a naturally gluten-free source of recipes, too. Simple corn tortillas, cut and baked into chips; add pinto beans; add shredded cheese and shredded lettuce; add sour cream, avocado, and pico de gallo. You could brown some ground beef, too, which -again, if used as part of the meal and not the main focus- would be filling but not overly expensive. Easy nachos. Side of spanish rice and cornbread, and you have a full meal. Edited July 9, 2011 by eternalknot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 You've got great suggestions. Stay away from items marketed as gluten free generally because many have nut cross contamination. An exception would be Tinkyada rice pasta. I'd make something naturally gluten free. We do tacos with corn tortillas, rice based dishes, mac and cheese or pasta dishes with Tinkyada pasta, meat and potatoes, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Don't forget stews (meat, veggies, potatoes, can serve over rice) and Indian food (rice, curry, lentils/chickpeas, sometimes meat, cabbage, etc). Also chili! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 You could do spaghetti using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 The best and cheapest meal would be some that doesn't normally contain gluten. Chicken, rice, and veggies. Lots of veggies and fruits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delighted3 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thanks for all the ideas. I am unsure about what is gluten free. Are most spices gluten free or do I have to watch for fillers or preservatives that contain gluten? What about corn tortillas? I have some corn tortillas that are Hy-Vee brand and they don't say anything about wheat or flour, but there are several preservatives I don't recognize, so I am not sure if they are gluten free or not. Also, what about cornstarch? Always gluten free? The Mom in this family I am taking the meal to has advanced stage cancer and is undergoing 18 weeks of chemotherapy, so I will most likely be taking several meals over a period of time, so I am trying to get as educated about this as possible. Thanks for your help, Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delighted3 Posted July 9, 2011 Author Share Posted July 9, 2011 What about this recipe? With a salad? http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/04/baked-creamy-chicken-taquitos/ Thanks, Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Recipe please? :001_smile: I don't use measurements so feel free to adjust as you like. Add the following ingredients together, stir and chill, this soup is not heated: equal portions tomato juice (could be V8) and beef broth (or veggie broth when dd17 won't eat meat :glare:) Say 2 or 3 cups each. 4 tomatoes, peeled and chopped diced up onion, bell pepper, and cucumber (again maybe 1 cup each) sometimes I also throw in celery spoon of minced garlic lemon juice (1/2 lemon) splash of olive oil smaller splash of pepper sauce (tabasco) salt, pepper, cumin, basil ---- you can leave it chunky or blend it a little with a hand blender. We prefer chunky. If it is too thick add more juice or broth. You can change it up any way you like. My whole family loves this soup in the summer when we have fresh tomatoes and basil in the garden. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleIzumi Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 Thanks for all the ideas. I am unsure about what is gluten free. Are most spices gluten free or do I have to watch for fillers or preservatives that contain gluten? What about corn tortillas? I have some corn tortillas that are Hy-Vee brand and they don't say anything about wheat or flour, but there are several preservatives I don't recognize, so I am not sure if they are gluten free or not. Also, what about cornstarch? Always gluten free? The Mom in this family I am taking the meal to has advanced stage cancer and is undergoing 18 weeks of chemotherapy, so I will most likely be taking several meals over a period of time, so I am trying to get as educated about this as possible. Thanks for your help, Joy Spices are generally gluten-free. http://www.befreeforme.com/blog/?tag=gluten-in-spices (McCormick specifically states all of their single-ingredient spices are gluten-free, but the blog talks more in depth about it.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeekingSimplicity Posted July 9, 2011 Share Posted July 9, 2011 In the US cornstarch should be gf. Be careful of spice mixes (like taco mixes) but just plain spices are usually OK. Roast a whole chicken with some lemons and garlic. Then roast a pan of potatoes, onions, garlic, and what ever other veggies you want. Roasted veggies are really yummy, even my pickiest eaters like them. If you want to add something else, try sauteed mushrooms or a salad on the side. GF yeast rolls aren't hard to make if you feel up to it (I can pm you a recipe if you want), if not, leave them off... no one will miss them. We had moroccan beef tagine served over rice the other night, it was gf and nut free. Last night was fajitas and a salad. I plan to do pork roast and apples one night this week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbgrace Posted July 10, 2011 Share Posted July 10, 2011 (edited) I wouldn't do any baking. Most cross contamination with nuts are going to be in flours and prepared gluten free items (crackers, cereals, deserts, mixes etc.) They don't always list the nut cross contamination on labels because it isn't required. Because of the nut allergy I'd stick with naturally gluten free stuff. There are lots of meals that have no gluten without any adjustments. McCormick single ingredient spices should be safe for both gluten and nut allergies or as safe as spices can be. I use them and my son is nut anaphylactic. Do read labels. Edited July 10, 2011 by sbgrace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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