Easy Gluten And Dairy Free Meals For One?

[jdizzle]

Can anyone suggest some easy and affordable gluten and dairy free meals for a poor student who has no experience in the kitchen?

Since I've found out I'm gluten and lactose intolerant, I've decided I have to shop and cook for myself (normally my mother cooks for me).

I've never really cooked before and haven't done very well when I've tried, so I need to start really simple and really affordable. I've never even had to think of my own meals before so I'm just drawing blanks! I've found some good, easy ideas like broccoli soup & croutons, gluten free bruscetta and vegetable kebabs, but that's about it. I'd like to learn how to make a delicious salad or seafood soup, or teriyaki beef and rice! Most gluten free recipes I've found aren't dairy free, so any suggestions would be great, I'm totally clueless.

[MJ-S]

I do a lot of simple comfort foods. I'm not so great with more complicated recipes.

One really easy soup that's easy on a tired stomach: Potato Carrot soup

Saute some onion in olive oil, then add 3 chopped potatoes, 3-4 chopped carrots, water, salt. Boil for 20-25 minutes (until tender). Use a stick blender to puree.

I've also done this with sweet potatoes instead of potatoes, when I feel like changing it up.

One of my laziest dinners is frying potatoes (sliced thin) in olive oil, and when they're browned, beat and add egg. Voila - scrambled eggs with potatoes.

Eggs with any veggies, most soups (except the cream based ones) are going to be naturally gluten and dairy free.

Same goes for rice and protein (chicken, beef, beans, etc.). At least once a week I saute onions, green peppers, tomatoes, garlic, and chicken (or beef), and basically stir fry it all together. I'll add a little water to the pan once everything is browned to create some sauce. Throw over rice - dinner and leftovers for a few days.

[missy'smom]

microwaved sweet potato w/ coconut oil or Earthbalace spread "butter"

turkey burger patty

green veggie

same sweet potato and deli ham slices for breakfast

In a frying pan start some chopped cabbage sauteeing, add in ground beef and onion, seasoning of your choice-oregano or thyme, nutmeg, garlic (not the combo of those) at the very end add in some leftover rice heat just till rice is warmed or it will start sticking. That's it!

[lucia]

When I was first diagnosed and feeling very sick and overwhelmed, I came across "Incredibly Easy Gluten-Free Recipes" on sale at B&Ns. I think you might like it. The recipes are really simple, but offer a good range.

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[Juliebove]

I assume that you have a full kitchen to use?

My daughter loves stuffed baked potatoes. She picks the biggest baking potatoes she can find. I cook these either in the crockpot or microwave until tender. Prick them with a fork several times all over to prevent them from exploding.

Let cool enough so that you can handle. Cut a thin slice off of the top then using a spoon, scrape out the middle of the potato, leaving about a 1/8" shell. Mash the removed potato with a drizzle of olive oil and watever milk you use. We use rice but soy or almond could be used. Season with salt, pepper and plenty of nutritional yeast to give it a cheesy flavor. Just make sure your yeast doesn't have dairy. The yeast isn't necessary but adds a lot of flavor. Also mix in some sliced green onion or chives.

Stuff the mashed potato back into the shell, drizzle with a little more olive oil then a good sprinkle of sweet Hungarian paprika (again not necessary if you don't have it) and bake in the oven until heated through. Top with more chives or onions.

A plain baked potato can be topped with canned chili.

My daughter loves canned chicken. It does cost a little more than cooking chicken from scratch but we use sales and coupons to get it. She likes it mixed with rice or over bagged salad and topped with dressing.

One thing I ate a lot of when I was single was beans and pasta. Any kind of canned beans, drained and mixed with some cooked pasta. You can get some rice pasta that is inexpensive in the Asian food section.

I also ate a lot of popcorn. Still do. It's inexpensive to make if you pop it in a pan with oil (I use coconut but olive is nice too) or with a hot air popper. Popcorn and soup make a nice meal.

I find that soup is hard to make for just one person. I used to make a big pot and eat the same thing all week. Or you could freeze the leftovers. I like to use tomato juice or V8 for the broth and then add all sorts of veggies and maybe a little cooked ground beef.

You could also do a chicken stew. Get a boneless, skinlees chicken breast or two, cut it in bite sized pieces and brown in a bit of olive oil. Then add a can of gluten-free chicken broth, a potato or two cut in bite sized pieces, a handful of celery and carrots cut in slices and also a small chopped onion. Season with some salt, pepper and parsley. Cook for about a half an hour or until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is cooked through. You could also add peas, green beans, corn or whatever other veggies you like to this. If using fresh add with your other veggies. If frozen or canned, add at the end and just heat through.

[MrsVJW]

It'll be painful... but you'll benefit from knowing about cooking all kinds of things, and not just gluten-free recipes. The Joy of Cooking is one of the best overall cookbooks out there... and it's also nice to have as a reference if you really don't know anything about food to check out how other things are made so you know what ingredients are used in things. And as you get more comfortable, you should be able to venture out and try other recipes in the cookbook learning the adaptations you've already learned.

Look into getting a cheap rice cooker with a steamer insert. It makes cooking rice and other grains a no-brainer, and you can use the steamer insert to steam veggies and protiens while the rice is cooking. (And if you look for recipes on the web for a rice cooker risotto, you can even do that with soy-based cheese - this is pretty much my substitute for the old blue box mac & Cheese). The rice cooker also works great for quinoa and millet. And polenta.

My newest favorite thing in the kitchen is flavored olive oils. Not super expensive ones, but some reasonably priced garlic infused or truffle infused oil can make all the difference in learning to live without the dairy (butter). Just used as a drizzle to finish something, they are wonderful.

[Marilyn R]

Can anyone suggest some easy and affordable gluten and dairy free meals for a poor student who has no experience in the kitchen?

Since I've found out I'm gluten and lactose intolerant, I've decided I have to shop and cook for myself (normally my mother cooks for me).

I've never really cooked before and haven't done very well when I've tried, so I need to start really simple and really affordable. I've never even had to think of my own meals before so I'm just drawing blanks! I've found some good, easy ideas like broccoli soup & croutons, gluten free bruscetta and vegetable kebabs, but that's about it. I'd like to learn how to make a delicious salad or seafood soup, or teriyaki beef and rice! Most gluten free recipes I've found aren't dairy free, so any suggestions would be great, I'm totally clueless.

Great suggestions everybody.

I love salads. I make my own dressing, and it's really inexpensive and delicious. I take a recycled jar and pour about 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil in, then add about 1/4 (you may prefer less) balsalmic vinegar, a pinch or two of salt, some fresh ground pepper, and basil (I use lots of fresh, but 1/2 tsp of dried would be good.) Then toss a squirt of honey in there, cover the jar and shake it up. That's good for a week.

For salad ideas, mix up your lettuce, what ever is on sale. If you don't have a salad spinner, you might want to get one because the pre-washed, pre cut stuff is really expensive compared to buying a head of lettuce. (Iceberg is something I don't buy too often because it isn't very nutritional, but it's nice for lettuce wraps, or to mix with other lettuces.)

Once you have your lettuce prepared (I wash, spin, tear it and bag it in gallon sized bags on the weekend and stick them in the veggie crisper drawer in the refrigerator, you're ready to make salad.

Dump a bed of greens on a plate and add protein (options: safe canned tuna, left over chopped roasted chicken, left over cooked fish, garbonzo beans, freshly cooked shrimp (takes like 3 minutes to cook defrosted shrimp). Add veggies and fruit. (Like sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, hearts of palm, olives.) I don't add all of them, just add what I'm in the mood for.

Then add a little fruit. That could be half a peeled, sliced apple or pear or dried cherries or cranberries, even raisins.

Dress the salad with your homemade basil viniagrette, and a few nuts or sunflower seeds, and enjoy! I think you'll be surprised!

Something else that's easy is soft tacos. Shred safe rotesserie chicken (or a chicken you baked or stuck in the crockpot yourself.) Either shred cabbage (really cheap) or purchase coleslaw mix. You can heat black or pinto beans up to if you wish, and mash them a bit with a fork.

Nuke Mission Brand corn tortillias (3-4) under a damp papertowel for 10-15 seconds.

Take a hot tortilla, spread it with the mashed beans, top with chicken (or cooked ground sirloin), salsa and the cabbage. That's also good with cooked shrimp or fish. I like the cabbage and salsa at room temp for that.

Scrambled eggs with a protein and salsa is good in a corn tortillia too.

Red lentils are an inexpensive source of protein and very quick to cook up.

Egg, tuna or salmon salad on a bed of greens is yummy. (Just mix the protein with safe mayo and chopped scallions or onion, or toss in some capers.)

My favorite tuna salad includes minced onion, egg, shredded carrot, mayo. That's how mom always made it.

That on a bed of lettuce is always good.

In a pinch, a can of black beans heated up over a bed of left over rice with a little salsa and minced onion is satisfying and easy on the pocketbook. (Yor can freeze leftovers too.)

[Skylark]

I love my little Foreman grill. I got the smallest size. You can cook burgers with a little worchestshire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten-free), fish with a squeeze of lemon, or chicken marinated in Italian dressing.

I like the veggies in the steamer bags to toss in the microwave and of course a crunchy salad.

You should be able to follow a beef teriyaki recipe and use the San J organic gluten-free tamari. I don't think anything but the soy sauce usually has gluten.

[faithforlife]

Can't go wrong with a rice cooker for rice and a can of beans. I saut

[1974girl]

Hoepfully, once your villi heal, you will be able to handle lactose again. That is what they told me at least! I made this last night and I think it would be dairy free, too. Use a crockpot and this will be very easy since you don't cook much. (ME EITHER!)

chicken breast or tenders

1 can 20 oz pineapple chunks

1/4 cup soy sauce (make sure it is gluten free. I use the Kroger brand but I heard La Choy is, too)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use the Kroger ones for $1) Although you could omit that all together. This will make it spicy and my kids said next time to only use half a teaspoon. Just whatever your taste

Dump all that in a crock pot and cook on low for about 4 hours. Even frozen breasts should get done in that time. Mine were not frozen and done in 3 hours. I served over rice cooked in the microwave but you could serve it over spinach for a salad. Make a double batch for leftovers if you really hate to cook.

I love the 365 days of gluten free crockpot meals at this site. I use at least 2 every week. BOOK MARK THIS!(But some have dairy so watch out)

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[jdizzle]

So many great suggestions, thanks so much everyone! I really need to get my own kitchen, it will really make it easier.