Gluten Free Fall Ratatouille Recipe

Ratatouille Recipe IngredientsBest Ratatouille Recipe

Ratatouille Recipe Ingredients How To Layer

When I look at the seasonal veggies in my fridge this week, eggplant and zuchinni included, I knew there was only one savory gluten free dish that I wanted to make: Ratatouille.

I made my ratatouille with the modern presentation twist (inspired by the ratatouille made in Disney’s Ratatouille)! It’s such a fun and colorful dish to serve to family and friends–healthy too! (Just remember to go easy on the cheese…)

This Gluten Free Fall Ratatouille recipe goes great with chicken, rice, couscous, pasta or even steak!

Ingredients for Ratatouille

  • olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 medium green pepper (optional)
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • Small can tomato sauce
  • 1 small eggplant.
  • 1 medium-large zucchini.
  • 4 vine tomatoes

*Try to find eggplant, squash and tomatoes in roughly the same diameter if available*

  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • Mozzarella cheese

How to make Cheesy Gluten Free Ratatouille 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400° and heat 4 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet
  2. Cut onion (and optional green pepper) into slivers. Sautee in oil with ½ of your garlic for a few minutes and add pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Once onions are translucent, add your tomato sauce to the pan and lower heat.
  3. To prepare the eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes, cut off stems and slide each vegetable about ¼ inch thick.
  4. Once your vegetables are prepped, transfer the onions and sauce into the bottom of a glass pan.
  5. Arrange your sliced vegetables in rows on top of the sauce. Drizzling with olive oil and seasoning with salt and pepper as you go.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining garlic on top of the rows of vegetables and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
  7. Cook 40 min to 1 hour. Remove the disk when vegetables are tender and sprinkle cheese on top. Return to the oven uncovered for an additional 15 minutes.


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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Pork Chops with Garlic Cauliflower Mash and Roasted Summer Squash

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This is an incredibly easy and fun meal to make! You need a food processor (I used a magic bullet) for the cauliflower, but everything else it pretty basic. If you are trying to time your meal, start with the summer squash and cauliflower mash and then move on to the pork chops when once the cauliflower is cooked.

 

Recipe for Roasted Summer Sqauash

1. Preheat your oven to 400.

2. Prep your summer squash one of two ways: spears or disks. Place in a zip lock bag and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and any other seasoning you desire (I used cayenne and minced garlic).

3. Place squash in a single layer on a baking sheet or in a glass baking dish

4. Bake on top shelf for for 35-40 minutes.

 

Recipe for Garlic Cauliflower Mash

1. Boil a pot of water over high heat.

2. Cook cauliflower for about 5 minutes or until soft.

3. Drain the cauliflower and add to your food processor or immersion blender.

4. Puree your mash with freshly minced garlic, 2 tbsp of margarine, 2 tbsp of  cream cheese and a little milk if you have in on hand.

5. Place in serving bowl and mix in salt and pepper to taste. Top with a little grated Parmesan or  chives for extra taste and flair!

 

Recipe for Pan-seared Pork Chop;

1. Preheat oven to 400 with an oven safe pan inside.

2. Once oven is preheated, carefully remove the pan and place on your burner on medium high heat. Spray pan with no-stick spray and place salt-and-pepper-seasoned pork chops in the pan. Let sit for approximately 3 minutes. (The meat will sizzle and turn a nice golden brown.)

3. Flip the pork chops and place in oven and cook for 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees.

**IMPORTANT STEP COMING UP**

4. Rest your pork chops! Place the porkchops on your serving platter and pour juices over. Let sit for 3-5 minutes.

 

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Gluten Free Personal Care Products – Celiac Awareness Month

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Happy Celiac Awareness month, everyone! In honor of the month and the amazing work done by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, I decided to go the extra gluten-free-mile and swap out my normal line of personal care products for two new gluten-free personal care lines–one from JĀSÖN and the other from Avalon Organics!

JĀSÖN

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 JĀSÖN has quite an extensive line of personal care products that are certified gluten-free. I’ve only tried four, but what I really like about these products is that they are not only gluten free, but also organic, artificial color and fragrance free, hypoallergenic and work for all skin types (including oily)!

This brings me to my favorite Gluten-Free JĀSÖN product: Gluten Free Facial Scrub

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I LOVE this facial scrub. It reminds me of a salt or oatmeal scrub in texture, but is just gentle enough to use every day! It took off all of my makeup and left my face feeling incredibly smooth. You can also use it on other parts of your body in need of exfoliation!

(Items shown above: Gluten Free Facial LotionGluten Free Hand SoapGluten Free Facial Crème and Gluten Free Facial Scrub!)

Avalon Organics

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As you may be able guess based on the name of the company, Avalon Organics has a commitment and dedication to using organic ingredients in their personal care lines.

Luckily for us, they recently extended their line to include an organic, biodegradable and fragrance free “Gluten Free Body Collection,” which features cucumber shampoo, conditioner, bath and shower gel, and hand and body lotion.

My favorite product from this trial was, no question, the GLUTEN FREE CUCUMBER Bath & Shower Gel.

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I love how much the gel “suds up” when I put it on my loufa. I was a little skeptical about the fragrance free experience, but I actually really enjoyed it! I think I’m going to swap out my normal fruity body wash for this fragrance free one permanently….

(Items shown above: GLUTEN FREE CUCUMBER Bath & Shower GelGLUTEN FREE CUCUMBER Hand & Body LotionGLUTEN FREE CUCUMBER Replenishing ShampooGLUTEN FREE CUCUMBER Replenishing Conditioner!)

Summary

Overall I had a great experience swapping out my personal care line! I truly believe that all of the products above are amazing options for those who would like to extend their gluten free lifestyle, especially for those who have DH or fragrance sensitivities.

 

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Happy Celiac Awareness Month!

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Check out these Celiac Disease “Fun Facts,” from the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

  • Celiac disease is a genetically based autoimmune disease that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
  • An estimated 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, yet 83% are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.
  • 6-10 years is the average time a person waits to be diagnosed.
  • Celiac disease is a hereditary condition, meaning that it runs in families.
  • 5-22% of people with celiac disease have an immediate family member who also has the autoimmune disease.
  • When a person with celiac disease eats gluten, it sets off an immune reaction that damages the villi (fingerlike projections) in the intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients.
  • There is no pharmaceutical cure for celiac disease. The only treatment is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet.

**Bonus**

  • There is a topical form of Celiac Disease known as Dermatitis Herpetiformis DH, which can cause an itchy rash.

(Alternative Eating post coming soon with reviews of two lines of gluten-free personal care products!)

 

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

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I stumbled upon this recipe on Instagram and instantly high-tailed it to the nearest grocery store to buy ingredients.

…And let me just say, yes, it does taste as good as it looks.

This gluten-free alternative to cheesy garlic breadsticks is absolutely delicious and I’m so happy to share it with you! Enjoy the Cheesy Cauliflower Breadstick goodness and let me know what you think!

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Ingredients for Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

  • 2 C cauliflower, “riced”
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 C mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt and pepper

How to Make Gluten-Free Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks

1) Preheat oven to 425 and prep 1 large baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.

2) Chop your cauliflower into florets and add to your food processor. Pulse until it resembles rice.

3) Put your cauliflower in a microwave safe dish with a lid, and microwave for 5 minutes.

4) In a large bowl, combine cooked cauliflower, 2 eggs, 1 c mozzarella, fresh minced garlic and oregano. Mix well.

5) Place mixture on baking sheet and form into a rectangle.

6) Bake the crust (no toppings!) for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

7) Drizzle a little olive oil (if desired) and sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

8) Serve by itself or with warm marinara sauce for dipping!

See below for the 4 stages of cheesy, galic-y, wheat-free delicious cauliflower breadsticks!

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

The Best Homemade Lemonade Recipe

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It seems like we may just skip over Spring this May, so in honor of the impending summer, I decided to make homemade lemonade! I like to make my lemonade “fair style,” so it’s quick, sweet, clean and delicious. Here is my simple homemade lemonade recipe!

Ingredients for Homemade Lemonade

  • 5-6 lemons
  • Simple Syrup (1 C of sugar+ 1 C water)
  • 3-4 C Water

The great thing about homemade lemonade is that you can adjust the sugar and lemons to create your personal  perfect lemonade–whether that’s sweet or tart!

How to Make Homemade Lemonade

1. Make your simple syrup by heating the sugar and water in a saucepan.

2. Juice 4-5 lemons while you wait for the sugar to dissolve.

3. Combine the simple syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher over ice.

4.  Add 3 to 4 cups of additional cold water and more sugar or lemon juice to taste (if desired).

5. Garnish with a lemon slice!

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

 

Roasted Vegetables Recipe

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Roasted vegetables are not only a great compliment to any gluten free meal, but also a healthy side choice, packed with natural nutrients! Making roasted vegetables at home provides fun chance to explore flavor combinations on a small scale.

One of my favorite things about roasted veggies is that you can select and season them to perfectly pair with whatever dish you are serving. Below I have included ingredients and “how to make” directions for this naturally gluten-free side dish. Enjoy!

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Ingredients for Roasted Vegetables:

  • Select a mix of roast-able veggies that you like. Options include, onions, carrots, zucchini, eggplant, potato, tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms.
  • Olive or coconut oil
  • The flavor-enhancers of your choice: fresh garlic, sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, rosemary, wild fennel… All depends on your mood and what you decide to serve the roast vegetables with! 

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How to Make Roasted Vegetables

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Chop up your favorites vegetables in even pieces.

3. Toss or drizzle vegetables with olive oil and arrange on a cookie sheet.

4. Add any other seasoning you may desire, like salt, pepper or red pepper flakes.

5) Roast your vegetables at the top of the oven. After 15 minutes, check and turn your veggies over. Once they are brown and tender, they are ready to eat!

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

 

Gluten-Free Roasted Red Pepper and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

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A good morning is often made great with a delicious breakfast sandwich. I made this open-faced gluten free delight this morning and I have no doubt that it will leave you salivating.

Ingredients for Gluten-Free Roasted Red Pepper and Egg Breakfast Sandwich:

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This gorgeous GF breakfast is easy to assemble, but one element can leave people baffled: the tricky sunny side up egg.

How can you make a perfect sunny side up egg? Here’s how I make mine!

How to make the Perfect Egg for a Gluten-Free Roasted Red Pepper and Egg Breakfast Sandwich:

1)  Leave your skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then add the oil of your preference (I usually use olive oil or coconut).

2) Crack two eggs and let sit for 2-3 minutes until the translucent egg white gains color.

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3) Cover eggs with lid and reduce heat. Let steam.

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4) Once the top of the egg turns white, you’re ready to go! (Shouldn’t take long!)

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Valentine’s Day Gluten-Free Gift Giveaway

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**Give-away details at the bottom!**

Many local and national bakeries are adapting to consumer needs and catering to the growing gluten sensitive population. 

I was recently approached by Dancing Deer Baking Co, who decided to try their hand at gluten free baking, to review a new, gluten-free product. Dancing Deer creates all-natural baked goods by using high quality ingredients and omitting any artificial preservatives.

After trying their Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Brownies, I was excited to learn more about the process leading up to the final product.

Master Baker Jennifer Shelley shared, “Amazingly enough, gluten free baking faces completely different challenges than traditional baking.  The lack of binding agents and moisture retention from flour needs to be replaced while maintaining the same texture. It was months of trial and error and tastings to achieve the delicious, moist brownie that our customers expect from Dancing Deer.”

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The Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk BrownieI taste-tested were moist, delicious and jam-packed with chocolate chunks. Definitely a winner for the gluten intolerant chocohollic in your life!

The brownies also kept very well, which surprised me considering there were no artificial preservative used. I would suggest refrigerating or freezing them though if you don’t plan to eat them within a few days! (Then you can spread out that chocolatey goodness.)

You can find this product at one of these stores, or order it online at dancingdeer.com.

Now for  VALENTINE’S DAY GLUTEN-FREE GIFT GIVEAWAY!!!…

The GIVE-AWAY! Dancing Deer is offering one of my Alternative Eating readers a  free Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Brownie Gift! To enter to win, just comment on this post or comment on my Instagram photo (including @_LoMartinez_ and #DancingDeerCo) answering the question: “What’s your favorite gluten-free treat?”

The Give-away will be open until Wednesday, February 5 and unfortunately is only open to US-based readers.

Dancing Deer is also offering EVERYONE a special 20% off offer using the promo code GOODIE!

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating

Homemade Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan Recipe

Homemade Chicken Parmesean

I spent last weekend visiting my younger sister who attends Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Though many would expect, in such a situation, to be served mac n’ cheese or ramen for dinner, I was greeted with the opposite kind of meal: A well-planned, gluten-free version of a family favorite, Chicken Parmesan. I’m happy to share her recipe below and hope you enjoy learning how to make Homemade Gluten Free Chicken Parmesan!

Ingredients For Homemade Chicken Parmesan:

  • 1 Box of gluten-free pasta
  • 3 Roman tomatoes, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • Half a cup of onions, chopped
  • 4 chicken breasts, pounded
  • 1-2 eggs, scrambled
  • Panko bread crumbs (we used Ian’s GF brand)
  • Shredded Italian cheese (optional)
  • 4 slices of provolone cheese
  • 1 jar of tomato sauce
  • Red wine
  • Olive oil
  • Pesto
  • Salt and Pepper

How to make Homemade Chicken Parmesan (4 servings)

**Note, you will want to have the chicken and the pasta/sauce going at the same time. An extra set of hands in very helpful!**

How to Make the Chicken for Chicken Parmesan

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Flatten out chicken and add salt & pepper.
  3. Dip each flattened breast or half breast in egg and them dip in panko crumbs. Make sure each side is coated.
  4. Place breasts on a greased baking sheet and spray top of breasts with cooking spray (this will allow the panko to get nice and crisp).
  5. Bake for 25 minutes
  6. Remove breasts from the oven and place store-bought sauce on top of each breast, add shredded Italian cheese and half slice of provolone on top, and place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes. Homemade Chicken Parmesan Recipe

How to Make the Pasta & Homemade Sauce

  1. For pasta, follow directions as recommended.
  2. Heat stove top to medium high with olive oil, 2 tbsp.
  3. Combine and sauté onions and garlic for a few minutes before adding the tomatoes.
  4. Add some red wine and simmer covered for 10 mins
  5. Add pasta to sauce mixture. Toss in extra olive oil and pesto to taste.Homemade Chicken Parmesan Sauce Recipe

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Alternative Eating | Lo Martinez
exploring gluten-free, paleo & clean eating