Recently (and by recently, I mean a little over 2 weeks ago), my husband and I decided to go "gluten free". We're both over 30 and just felt like we'd gotten lax in the nutrition area. We weren't terrible by most people's standards, but driving an hour back and forth to church, we started hitting up the fast food places a little more often than normal. On top of that, being a travelling musician often means eating in airports, truck stops, or whatever else is open after your show. Being the wife of a travelling musician means not cooking healthy meals for myself because I don't want a bunch of dirty dishes and left-overs. Over time, you just don't feel healthy, so we decided to make a change. Andy had been reading up on gluten and what effects it can have on your health and thought we both could benefit from eliminating it from our diet for a while, if not permanently.
What does that mean, you might ask? Well, there are all sorts of resources and information to be found on gluten intolerance. Here are just a couple of small informative things I found:
In some ways, it's much easier than I thought, but...like any southern girl, I love me a good biscuit! I'm not saying I'll never eat one again, but I really want to give this way of eating/living a try and see what effects it has on my overall health and well-being. That said, I thought it would be fun to share recipes that I try and love. Maybe it will keep me accountable to at least post something here on a weekly/regular basis! So! Here's the first one...
It has been ridiculously cold here over the last few days. When it gets cold, I want chili. However, in my research, I've found that most pre-packaged seasoning mixes contain gluten. There went my old stand-by McCormick's chili seasoning! I don't like "fancy chili" that you have to cook all day and I don't like super spicy chili. I just want something I can throw some Fritos in (They're gluten free, y'all!) and call it a day. Pinterest is the best! I love that I can search it right there in the grocery store and find a solution. I adapted a recipe I found there to fit what we like and this was the end result:
30 Minute Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
1-1.5 lbs ground turkey (or beef)
chopped onion (fresh or frozen)
28 oz can diced tomatoes
28 oz can tomato sauce
3 (15 oz) cans chili beans
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp sugar
salt
*The seasoning combo I found on Pinterest actually had double the amount of spices listed here. I cut it back to suit our taste.
In a Dutch oven, brown meat and onion; season with salt, to taste. Drain and return to the pot. Add beans, tomatoes, sauce and seasonings. Mix well. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy. :)
It really was that simple and it was delicious! We even left out the cheese and sour cream because we didn't need it. The best part was that, for once, we enjoyed a warm bowl of chili without feeling miserable afterward. I was really surprised that it made such a difference. This is one dish I won't mind eating on for several days while my husband travels.
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