Gluten-free and vegan delicious Italian night!

Going gluten-free or having allergies has never been easier! There are so many GOOD GF (gluten-free) choices out there now. If you are in the mood for some pasta, go to the pasta section at your grocery store of choice. I find the most selection at speciality stores like Trader Joe’s, PCC, or Whole Foods. They have brown rice, corn, or even quinoa pasta choices. They do a great job of labeling it “gluten-free” at those stores either on the price tag sticker as well as on the packaging. If you are not sure, just ask a staff member and they can point you in the right direction!

For this gluten-free recipe, I tried the Cadia brand of brown rice pasta and sauce (sauce was very basic- only like 5 ingredients). I found that this pasta cooked pretty fast and did not get “mushy” but stayed firm and really tasted “normal.”

Ingredients:

1 package (1 lb). ground meat (can use ground turkey, chicken, lamb)

1 package gluten-free pasta of choice

1 jar of pasta sauce

1 yellow onion: cut and diced

For salad:

1 package of mixed lettuce

1 cut avocado

1 tomato cut in cubes for salad

Olive oil or basalmic vinaigrette for dressing

Gluten-free Recipe Instructions:

1. In a large skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and brown ground meat in medium heat (about 10-12 minutes, should not be “pink” in the middle)
2. While meat is cooking, boil a medium sized pot of water, once boiled reduce heat to medium and add 1-2 cups (depending on portions you would like to make, 1 cup per person) of pasta, cook until al dente.  (continue to step 3). Once pasta is cooked, drain and place back in pot mixed with some olive oil to prevent pasta from sticking together.
3. Chop onion and add to browning meat
   
4. Add pasta sauce to meat/onions, and cook until warm throughout, about 5-10 minutes
5. Add 1 cup cooked pasta to serving dish and add 1/3 cup of pasta and meat sauce, and serve!

For simple salad:

1. Add 1 cup lettuce to serving dish
2. Add 2-3 avocado slices and cut tomatoes
3. For dressing, use 1-2 tsp of dressing of choice

Give me a call today (425) 686-4498 to learn about how you can have healthy digestion today!

Dr. Ellie Heintze, ND, LAc, is a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist specializing in IBS, Migraine relief, and digestive health. For more information about the clinic, visit: startingpointacupuncture.com