Black Bean Soup

We have had some lovely cold weather here in Houston! Our week started out quite warm for January, humid and in the 70's. But by Wednesday, cooler weather was here with highs in the mid-40's! Ahhh, it is nice to have at least a little winter weather here. Too bad it won't stay for more than a few days. The only thing predictable about Houston weather is that it is unpredictable. Sunny and warm one day, raining and cold the next. Anyway, the cold weather was just begging for a warm, comforting soup. I looked at the veggies from my co-op share as well as the beans in my pantry, and voila! Black bean soup. Perfect for a cold winter night.

Black Bean Soup
1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 jalapeños (depending on how spicy you want it), de-seeded and finely chopped
1 can organic diced tomatoes
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups vegetable broth (check to make sure it is corn free!)
2-3 tsp chili powder (depending on how spicy you want it)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp coriander
cilantro, for garnish
sour cream, for garnish
lime wedge, for garnish

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and jalapeño and cook until onions are translucent and carrots are tender.
2. Meanwhile, puree tomatoes (with juice) in food processor or blender.
3. Add spices, broth, beans, and tomato puree to stockpot. Cook on medium heat for 15 minutes.
4. Transfer half of soup mixture to blender and puree until smooth.
5. Return puree to pot and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
6. Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and a lime wedge.

Almond Crusted Tilapia

My friend Jamie is pretty awesome. She found this recipe and was nice enough to allow me to share it with all of you! Jamie and her husband are some of our closest friends. They are vegetarians (well, they eat fish, so that makes them pescatarians?), and they have recently gone gluten-free. Jamie knows so much about cooking and about eating organic; she was a huge help to me when I started changing the way I eat. A few months ago, she and her husband had me and the hubby over for dinner. She altered a recipe from the blog Green Lite Bites to be grain-free, and it was delicious! I have made it half a dozen times since that night, and I hope you enjoy it as well. Thank you, Jamie, for this delicious and healthy tilapia recipe!

Almond Crusted Tilapia (adapted from Green Lite Bites)
1/2 cup almond flour
2 Tbs whole flaxseeds
2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional if you are dairy-free)
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch salt and pepper
1 pound tilapia filets (3-6, depending on the size)

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Turn oven to Broil.
2. Combine all ingredients except tilapia in a shallow dish (I use a pie plate).
3. Press each tilapia filet into mixture and coat evenly on all sides.
4. Place tilapia on foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Place baking sheet on rack in middle of the oven. Do not place close to the top.
6. Boil fish for 3-4 minutes per side.

Gluten Free in Fredericksburg, Texas

Happy New Year everyone! My hubby and I just celebrated our 1 year anniversary in Fredericksburg in the Texas Hill Country! We stayed at a beautiful bed and breakfast called Hoffman Haus just off Main Street. Their chef did a wonderful job preparing gluten-free and grain-free breakfasts for us both mornings. I'm so excited to share our gluten-free finds with you!

We dined at Navajo Grill on our first night in Fredericksburg. The staff was very knowledgeable about gluten; they even made a note on our reservation and knew not to serve us bread! Hubby and I ordered the same meal - we both started with the Butternut Squash Soup, and then had the filet with mashed potatoes and zucchini. For dessert, we had the Chocolate Fix, which was a completely flourless cake with pecan crust; what a treat to get gluten-free dessert at a restaurant! Everything was completely grain-free AND delicious. I do not have a picture of the food, because we were both so busy enjoying the experience that documenting with photos was the last thing from either of our minds. Don't worry, we realized this later and all of the other meals have photos! :)

The next day, we had lunch at this adorable cafe called Beat the Wheat (cutest name ever!!!). It is a completely gluten-free kitchen! This was exciting. Not only are they gluten-free, but there is NO corn in their baked goods. Double exciting. Hubby chose chicken salad sandwich, and I chose the turkey panini. (Note: the bread is not grain-free; it does contain rice, which I eat on rare occasions.) We also got a snickerdoodle cookie to share, but I do not have a pic of that as we gobbled it down before the camera had a chance. The triple exciting news about Beat the Wheat? They ship! For information, visit their website.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

Turkey Panini

After our awesome experience at Beat the Wheat, we decided to tour several of the area wineries. We had a great time tasting the different Texas wines. 

Here is a list of the wineries we visited:

• Grape Creek Vineyard - very professional and knowledgeable; great first tasting
• Becker Vineyards - our favorite wines, crowded but beautiful, very friendly and kind staff
• Woodrose Winery - best tasting experience, each tasting is brought to your table, kind and welcoming staff
• William Chris Vineyards - eco-friendly methods used! My hubby's favorite of the day (Artist's blend) was here
• Chisholm Trail Winery - beautiful drive! West of Fredericksburg, off the beaten path

For dinner, we ate at the adorable Sunset Grill. Our waitress was so sweet and helpful with my food allergies. She made sure to check with the chef on anything she was unsure about. I have to admit, I had rice again at this restaurant. The hubby and I both got sushi, and it was very yummy. While I did not get sick, I do know that rice is something my system can only handle every now and then. The restaurant did an excellent job of making sure everything was gluten-free and corn-free. I started with this delicious, completely grain-free salad:

Next, the hubby and I both had sushi (with no soy sauce - it contains wheat!):

his

hers

 And lastly, we finished with homemade ice cream - no corn syrup! Hooray!

peppermint - for me

Peanut Butter - for my hubby

Lastly, I'd like to share a little more about our great bed and breakfast. Our room was beautiful, and the location was so convenient to restaurants and shopping. Our breakfasts both mornings were delicious and completely grain-free. The first morning we had crustless spinach quiche (no pic, sorry), and the second morning we had mushroom omelets. I highly recommend the Hoffman Haus! It's a great place for gluten-free travelers.

They deliver breakfast in a picnic basket!

We had a wonderful time in Fredericksburg; it was the perfect place to celebrate our first anniversary.