Vegetarian, gluten-free recipes!

September 8, 2011 3:12 PM

Non-complicated or exotic gluten-free, vegetarian recipes?

Cooking dinner with one of my good friends tomorrow--wouldn't be a problem. BUT! She found out its the gluten that's been making her miserable! So now shes better. YAY. But I have no idea what to make that's gluten free besides something with rice? We have a ton of gluten free things at our on-campus grocery store, such as pasta and bread, but that seems so boring. Ideas? Links? Gracias!

posted by fuzzysoft to Food & Drink (13 answers total)

Polenta (cornmeal with butter and cheese, basically) with a red sauce with greens in it.

Quinoa with black beans (mash about 1/2 the beans), lime juice, chili powder, cumin, chopped onion, garlic and tomato paste to taste - cook the quinoa, chop about 1/2 onion and 2-4 cloves garlic, add 1 T lime or lemon juice, 1 T tomato paste, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp chili powder

Pad thai - uses rice noodles - google up the vegan black metal chef version; you don't need to fry the tofu if you don't want to

Vegetarian shepherd's pie

Spinach salad with nuts and/or cheese - feta is good in salads if you're not vegan

Omelets, strata, similar egg dishes

The recipes I leave to you, since they're all pretty standard.
posted by Frowner at 3:21 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

(Maybe go with omelets if you're stuck on campus, since you can make a very taste one with eggs, cheese, butter, veggies. Make some roasted potatoes to go with.)

Also, poached fruit with ice cream/sorbet is a great, easy gluten free dessert.
posted by Frowner at 3:23 PM on September 8, 2011

I just found this recipe for Cauliflower Pizza Crust. It uses eggs and cheese so it isn't vegan but it's supposed to be really tasty.
posted by TooFewShoes at 3:27 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

Here's a good site for ideas. Those people make good food.
posted by something something at 3:34 PM on September 8, 2011 [1 favorite]

Black bean chili: Chop an onion and a clove of garlic and saute in olive oil until transluscent. Add two cans of black beans and a jar of salsa, and chili powder/chipotle powder to taste. The juice of one lime will make it even better, but isn't required. Cook for at least an hour (if you don't have that long, crushing the beans with a potato masher will improve matters).

I personally serve it with naan for dipping (they might have gluten-free naan), but it could work fine over rice.
posted by pie ninja at 3:45 PM on September 8, 2011

Pesto Potato Salad!
Basic ingredients: waxy potatoes, garlic, fresh basil, olive oil, some hard cheese like parmesan or asiago, nuts. The nuts are optional; pine nuts are traditional, but walnuts and cashews work well, too,and I imagine that raw pumpkin seeds would be delicious.
Dice the potatoes and cook in boiling water for about ten minutes. Meanwhile, blend up the other ingredients until it looks like you've got enough to lightly coat however many potatoes you started with. You can adjust the proportions to taste - just make sure there's enough oil for things to be about the consistency of salad dressing. When the potatoes are tender and smell delicious, drain them of water and toss them with the pesto dressing. Serve hot or cold as weather and patience dictate.

Also, see if the grocery has buckwheat (possibly labeled kasha). It's a gluten-free grain which has a good flavor; if you're lucky enough to find some buckwheat flour, try making pasta with it.
posted by VelveteenBabbitt at 4:36 PM on September 8, 2011

Anything from gluten-free girl.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:29 PM on September 8, 2011

Plantains can be cooked in so many ways. If you buy them green you can make tostones. Or just boil them in water (after peeling). If you boil them drizzle a little olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt. Or you can boil them in chunks and then mash them like mashed potatoes.

If you wait until they ripen you can fry them in a little oil and they are super sweet and mushy. You can even just put the whole ripe plantain in the microwave with the skin split down the middle and zap it for about 4 min and eat it just like that. It will be sweet and soft and delicious.

If you have a Mexican or Puerto Rican grocer they will have them but Whole Foods carries them also. I need to go now...I'm getting a little hungry.
posted by yfatah at 6:19 PM on September 8, 2011

I have Celiac's and for easy, non-exotic tastiness I like to have jacket potato night. Basically, baked potatoes, and then I provide dishes of toppings--steamed broccoli, shredded or crumbled cheese, salsa, chili, sour cream or Greek yogurt, chives, sauteed mushrooms, scrambled and seasoned tofu, etc. Then, each person can 'build their own.' I love Gluten-Free Girl's blog and cookbooks, too, but more for when I am in the mood for a lot of cookery. Otherwise, I like simple dinners that are gluten-free in their own right without having to buy up a bunch of GF packaged goods. Jacket potatoes, though pretty humble, fit the bill and are fun (and you don't have to make a ton of each of the toppings, and they're the kind of things I have around). For dessert, like others have mentioned, ice cream or sorbet; but to keep with the topping theme, provide some choices of fruit/jam/nuts.
posted by rumposinc at 6:32 PM on September 8, 2011

A couple of things I've made this week:

Lentil / cheese loaf
- Cook 1c red lentils in a bit less water than usual so they end up quite dry.
- When done, stir in chopped onion (fry first if preferred), some parsley or dried herbs, seasonings, and about 2c grated cheese (strong cheddar is good)
- Beat one egg. Mix with about 3tbsp yogurt, cream or ricotta. Stir into the lentil/cheese mix.
- Oil or butter a loaf tin and pour in the mixture. To make it more interesting, pour in half, add a layer of tomatoes (fresh or sundried both work) then add the rest of the mix.
- Bake at about 350 for 50-60min. And let sit for at least 10min out of the oven. It needs to be quite firm to serve so cook longer if it still seems soft. Good hot or cold as leftovers. Serve with salad and a nice bread.

Rice/Bean casserole
- Chop 1 onion and 1 large green pepper then fry.
- Add garlic when almost done.
- Stir in 2tsp cumin and as much cayenne as you want for a bit of heat
- Add one tin diced tomatoes with all liquid, tin of black beans (drained and rinsed) and 1cup basmati rice. A bit of salt and pepper.
- Cover and cook until the rice is almost done - 15-20min.
- Stir in 1/2cup grated cheese - monterey or cheddar or a mix.
- Oil a 9x13 pan and pour in the mix. Top with another 1/2cup of cheese. Bake at 350 for 15-20min. Serve with salad or veg and tortilla chips.
posted by valleys at 6:52 PM on September 8, 2011 [2 favorites]

chickpea and spinach stew - easy and foolproof, though has some spice ingredients you might not have. It's extra-great with the saffron, but is good without it too.
posted by LobsterMitten at 7:06 PM on September 8, 2011

I adore this potato and kale salad, but it takes a while.

Other than that, think Mexican food - lots of beans and corn, not too much obligitory wheat.

There are many soups you could do as well.
posted by maryr at 9:56 PM on September 8, 2011

My MIL has gone gluten free and this quick zucchini saute recipe I pulled off Smitten Kitchen was a winner. It is super easy and delicious. Even my picky FIL had seconds. The kids like it and my husband has since declared this is his favorite zucchini preparation. I've also used yellow squash with great results.
posted by onhazier at 7:00 AM on September 9, 2011