Easy Gluten Free Brown Rice Crockpot Paella (vegan option)

I love throwing themed dinner parties. For my birthday last year I had a Paris themed party, and this past birthday I did an Enchanted Forest theme. Recently I did a dim sum - themed dinner for a girlfriend's birthday.

But my go-to dinner theme is usually Mediterranean. That's because tapas and mezze are so quick and easy to throw together. Lately, my Mediterranean dinners have centered around this one, simple dish - Paella done in a slow cooker.

Like my Jambalaya, or Ragout, paella is one of those great, one-pot dishes that are so simple to make, and so flexible based on whatever happens to be in the fridge. It's a bit like savoury, gourmet comfort food.

Everyone who's had this recipe loves it, and I love that there's so little to clean up! You can make the paella tomato-free (if you're avoiding nightshades), or make it vegan, pescatarian, or meaty, depending on what you prefer.

Add a side dish like Baked Feta, Olive Tapenade, or Marinated Chickpea Salad and you have a quick and easy feast worthy of the most discerning guests!!

Vegan and Gluten Free Asian Tofu Burgers with Chili-Lime Grilled Peach Salsa

I'm not gonna lie, I like a good burger now and then. But I don't eat red meat and very rarely eat chicken or turkey burgers. Partly for humane and environmental reasons, and partly because meat is just really expensive most of the time.

And while there are some great vegetarian/vegan substitutes for a heavy, meaty burger (like my Vegan Red Lentil and Quinoa Burgers), sometimes you want something you can slap on a grill and get a similar texture and flavour to real burgers.

Well every month my gym posts recipes up on their bulletin board and September's recipes included an Asian tofu burger. The picture looked fabulous so I grabbed a copy and made a few adjustments (of course, because you know I can never do something simple, like just make a recipe the way it's written...) and they turned out fantastic! I've eaten them both as burgers in a gluten free bun, or as lunch on a bed of greens as a sort of salad patty. Both ways are awesome.

They hold together well and they're a solid burger - the texture isn't squishy, like some vegan burgers.

Packed full of protein and organic tofu goodness, these burgers make a really excellent substitute for meat. The grilled peach salsa is delicious addition, and if you happen to be allergic to fresh raw peaches (as I am, thanks to Oral Allergy Syndrome), you might find grilled peaches more palatable, as the heating process helps to destroy allergen proteins. OR, substitute canned peaches for grilled peaches.

Vegan, Gluten Free Chocolate Quinoa Chili - Crockpot or Not (+MeatlessMonday)

It's hard to make chili look pretty. But pretty or not, this healthy, protein-packed Chocolate Chili is pretty darned awesome. Did I mention chocolate? Yeah. Chocolate. Cocoa (or actual dark chocolate, I'm flexible on that. You'll see) gives it a rich, dark flavour that can't be beat. 

And it's also incredibly easy. So easy that if you don't have a crockpot you can do this on the stovetop within 30 minutes (give or take a couple of minutes for chopping). I like it in the crockpot because I can put it in there and walk away for a few hours. Especially in the summertime when I'm craving something hearty, but don't want to turn on the stove.


And the best part? Uhm, did I mention the chocolate?

Easy Gluten Free Mexican Galette with Chili Lime Black Bean Filling (vegan option for +MeatlessMonday)

Free of gluten, nuts, seafood, corn, eggs, vegan / dairy-free options

Holy smokes, guys. This gluten free galette is insanely good. So good that my husband and I both ate waaaay more than we should have and and felt like bloated fish afterwards.

So here's my warning: When you try this, eat slowly - don't gobble - and wait for things to settle before you go for seconds!

Wondering what a galette is? It's usually one of two things. A galette is the French term for either a free-form sort of pastry cake OR it's a buckwheat crepe / pancake filled with savoury stuff, like eggs, meat, or cheese.

So this galette is the free-form pastry that I've stuffed full of Mexican-inspired fillings and I swear this French-Mexican fusion couldn't have turned out better. These chili lime black beans are TO DIE FOR. My husband is not a fan of beans in general, but he ate half the galette in one sitting, and has been asking for more ever since.

And of course, due to my lazy cooking style, this is also very easy, very healthy, and very flexible.

Gluten Free Main Dishes / Entrées

Gluten Free Beet Ravioli

In an effort to clean up and organize the Poor and Gluten Free recipe page, I've decided to put all my main recipes on one page.  Whether you're looking for something that lands in your stomach, like German Potato Dumplings, or something quick and light, like Easy, Versatile GF, Soy Free Stir Fry , there's a little something for everyone. All of the recipes here are wheat and gluten free.  Most are also vegetarian, free of eggs, soy, nuts, sugar and with dairy free alternatives. 

I have tried, whenever possible and to the best of my ability, to include information on Oral Allergy Syndrome related ingredients.  However, it's always a good idea to check with your doctor before trying something you might be allergic to.

Updated October 17, 2013