Breakfast Dilemmas

I get so frustrated being g-free at breakfast time. Anyone that has to eat on the go can relate. Most g-free breakfast foods, although delicious, take some serious prep or require a sit down meal. Now, I have the best intentions of waking up early to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, go jogging, etc. but in my 30 years this has happened.. never.  So either I am late or I am a miserable beast because I am hungry. What’s a g-free go getter to do? There are g-free options such as granola bars, breakfast bars and bagels that you can take with you but these foods are not exactly budget friendly. Also, most of these foods are carb heavy which means within an hour you’ll be ready to hit the vending machine.  Always try to eat some form or protein in the am. It will keep you fuller longer. I tend to eat a lot of peanut butter but if you’re not a fan, try almond butter or soy nut butter. Here are a couple of my weekday breakfast on the go tricks. Stay fab and full!

Hot Ham and Cheese – put a corn tortilla on a paper towel, put a slice of cheese and a few slices of ham on top. Microwave for 15-30 seconds, fold in half and eat.

Banana Split- take a banana out of its skin and cut it in half length wise. Spread natural peanut butter on one half, sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Put the two halves together and eat. Try this with Nutella to, crazy good!

Rice Cakes – Take 2 whole grain rice cakes and spread with cream cheese and preserves of your choice. My fav is cream cheese with black berry jam.

Apple wraps- You can use either gluten free sandwich wraps or tortillas for this one. Cut up an apple into thin slices. Smear peanut butter and some honey on your wrap. Put apples on top, fold and eat.

Always warm your corn tortillas in the microwave for 15 seconds wrapped in paper towels to make them soft.

Use any seasonal fruits or raisins in these wraps, the more fiber the fuller you will be!

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Here's a new twist on an old fav!

Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients

5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

I medium sized  jar of salsa (mild if you don’t like spice, I used PACE brand but any gluten free brand will do)

1 can of corn ( 6- 8 oz)

1/4 cup of black beans

5 bell peppers ( top cut off, seeds and ribs removed)

1 packet of sazon seasoning

1 cup of chicken stock or prepared bullion

Directions

1.       Put  chicken, salsa, sazon, and stock into a large pot and allow to cook over low heat until the meat is easily fork separated ( about 1 -2 hours).

2.       Heat oven to 400 degrees and place peppers in a baking tray for approximately 15 minutes or until they become easily pliable.

3.       Once chicken is ready, put corn and ¼ cup of black beans  in pot and stir to combine. Allow to cook on low while peppers are in the oven.

4.      Stuff the chicken mixture inside the peppers and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.

5.       Top with sour cream, or cheese.

Excellent Egyptian Rice

In my early adulthood, I spent almost every weekend in NYC with friends. What ends your night out better than some greasy food? My friends would eat pizza, gyros and other things I couldn't eat,  I was constantly on the quest for something delish at 3am. In NYC, there are food carts on virtually every corner day and night. These carts often carry foods from around the world, many of which use no wheat. This quickly became my favorite part of my nights out (sorry friends!). I found a new cart of street meat one night. It was Egyptian food, it was different and they didn't use wheat so I was down to try it. It was AMAZING! I found myself questioning the cart owner on the rice recipe, wrote it on my hand and made it the next day. Here it is!

Egyptian Cinnamon Rice

Ingredients

2 cups of cooked rice, Brown rice or Jasmine works best

2 TBSP of Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ tsp of cinnamon   

½ tsp of cumin

¼ tsp chili powder

½ salt

Directions

1.     Heat olive oil in a sauce pan until hot and add onion and garlic, cook until browned.

2.     Add cinnamon, cumin, and chili powder into pot and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

3.     Remove pot from heat and add rice and salt, stirring until combined.

Food for Thought

·        Swapping plain white rice with brown, jasmine or basmati is a great way to up the nutritional content of your rice dish.

·        Cinnamon has been cited as helpful to people who are trying to keep their blood sugar stable.