gf update + single-lady recipe: quinoa casserole

It's been freezing here in Chapel Hill—and probably everywhere else—which leads me to a really exciting announcement: I AM LESS COLD!

You guys, this is a BIG DEAL. The entire reason I decided to give up gluten was to experiment with whether or not my eternal state of frozenness was related to my gluten addiction. It's officially been two weeks since I last (knowingly) consumed any gluten, and I HAVE actually begun to notice a difference! I'm hesitant to say it's really linked yet, since it's only been like 2 days since I noticed the difference, but I'm really excited and hopeful that it stays this way.

In other news, I've been trying to find yummy, easy, un-weird gluten-free recipes and I stumbled across http://www.neverhomemaker.com/. I've been following this blog for awhile, but I hadn't been keeping up with it, so it came as quite a pleasant surprise to discover that Ashley, the runner mama behind this great blog, started a gluten-free experiment THE WEEK BEFORE I DID! How neat is that? She has been experimenting with easy, inexpensive gluten free recipes, so finding this blog was basically like stumbling across a gold mine.

Tonight I've got a quinoa casserole waiting for me in the crock pot, and let me tell you I AM PUMPED. I followed the original recipe pretty closely, just halved for single-lady proportions:

tastes a lot yummier than it looks... I promise :)

SINGLE-LADY QUINOA CASSEROLE

3/4 c. quinoa

1 1/2 c. chicken broth (I used stock)

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp salt & cinnamon

1/8 c. almonds (didn't have any of these, but I think they would be INCREDIBLE)

1/6 c. cranberries

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/4 block crumbled feta

Directions: Rinse quinoa & mix with olive oil. Add broth, salt, cinnamon, almonds & cranberries; cook in a crock pot on low 4-6 hours or high 2-4 hours. Lightly fluff with fork, then gently mix in halved or quartered tomatoes and the crumbled cheese. Drop a handful of spinach, cover and cook on high for about 20 more minutes (until spinach is wilted). 

Delicious!

single-lady recipe: sweet potato mac & cheese

I decided I wanted to start posting some recipes specifically for one or two people, since I have had very little luck finding recipes suitable for when I'm just feeding myself. As a college student, that happens a lot, and I wish someone had posted recipes like this for me! So here you go, world: I hereby introduce the Single-Lady Recipe series. You're welcome.

First up: sweet potato whole wheat mac & cheese.

I made macaroni tonight! In a pie tin!

Macaroni is the bomb. If I could survive off of cheesy, pasta-y goodness forever I gladly would. Though actually I'd miss steamed vegetables. And chocolate. I think I could definitely survive off of those three though. Oh and bread. Nevermind, I wouldn't survive.

Anyway, my lovely roommate ate Kraft macaroni & cheese for dinner and it smelled so delicious I decided I was going to eat some too. But I'm currently not eating processed food, so I had to make it myself. One look at the ingredients list made me really glad I did.

Certain kinds of cancer sold separately.

There is a RIDICULOUS amount of artificial preservatives and additives and dyes and chemicals in this, as well as (I'm sure) most boxed or "quick" macaroni meals. Nooo thank you. The only ingredients in this that don't break my unprocessed-food-rules are whey, salt, enzymes & cheese culture - i.e. FOUR out of the ten thousand cheese sauce ingredients. Also I find it pretty amusing (in a kind of depressing way) that they don't even call the noodle concoction in this pasta - it's "enriched macaroni product." What does that even mean? Well, it means it's not real food.

</soap box>

Now, the happy ending. I knew without even looking at the ingredients I couldn't eat this, so I set to work making one of my favorite single-lady recipes, sweet potato mac & cheese. My recipe is adapted from one I found on Pinterest by Erin at Naturally Ella. Her recipe includes spinach, which I keep meaning to try but never seem to have on hand when I decide to make macaroni. One day! Anyway here's my twist:

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato (if it's already cooked, skip step 1)
• 1 cup whole-wheat pasta (I've used macaroni noodles and those crazy spirally ones, whatever they're called)
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp whole-wheat flour
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup milk (you'll need 1/4 and 3/4 cups separate)
• 1 cup shredded cheese (I use white cheddar, gruyere, parmesan... basically whatever's in my fridge), mixed together

Instructions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add cubed sweet potato, and cook until tender (8-12 min.) Remove and let cool slightly.
2. Place cooked sweet potato in a food processor/blender (I use a small, crappy blender and I leave on the skin. Works fine.) with 1/4 cup milk and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
3. Bring pot of water to a boil again (I used the sweet potato water) and cook pasta al-dente (5-6 minutes). Drain and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. In a sauce pan, melt butter & add garlic, cooking for 1 minute on low heat. Whisk in flour and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then whisk in the 3/4 cup milk and cook on medium or med-low until the sauce begins to thicken. Add sweet potato puree; keep cooking until hot. Then remove from heat & stir in about 3/4 of the cheese. 
6. Mix sauce and pasta. This is the step you can add a couple handfuls of spinach if you have it handy. Pour into a casserole dish (or whatever you have available - I used an old aluminum pie pan), sprinkle with remaining cheese, and bake for 25-35 minutes until the cheese on top begins browning.

VOILA! You have the most delicious, healthy macaroni and cheese anywhere. Usually I can't eat much whole wheat pasta but you should have seen me tear this up while I watched the season five finale of Doctor Who. I might just go eat some more after I finish this.

This recipe made about four servings - perfect for a yummy dinner & leftovers for 1-2 people.

That's it for now! If anyone tries this recipe out, let me know the result. I'm curious whether it's actually good or I'm just really proud of myself for cooking it. There may or may not be a difference.

(URGENT UPDATE: I JUST REHEATED THIS WITH SOME DICED MUSHROOM AND IT WAS HEAVEN. THAT IS ALL)