What I Eat - Day Twenty-Three

Breakfast - Avocado Toast and Mango

For some reason, the tint turned out quite odd on this picture.   Anyway, Alphonso mangos are in season!!!   If you've never had this type of mango before, it is absolutely delicious!  I bought a box at Freshco for a very reasonable price.   If you've never eaten them before, the pit is very thin, so you can slice lengthwise down either side of the pit, and then segment each side.   I also had sliced avocado on toasted gluten-free bread (made from the Bob's Red Mill mix) 

Lunch - Black Bean Salad

Made with:
-organic baby arugula
-chopped fresh cilantro
-halved organic grape tomatoes
-sliced cucumber
-black beans
-sliced Kalmata olives
-Daiya shredded mozzarella 'cheese'

Dinner - Turkish Lamb Pilaf with Brown Rice, Black Beans, and Asparagus

My latest guest chef is my Dad, a very talented chef!  I'm incredibly lucky to have parents who prepare meals for me that not only meet all my restrictions, but are also delicious!  My parents cook with what my family has taken to calling 'happy meat.'   By this I mean that we strive to eat meat from local, grass-fed animals we hope led a happier life than an animal might experience in a factory farm, along with being a better quality of food.

Ingredients (Meatballs)
2 tbsp vegan margarine (this is a widely available choice) 
1 to 2 kg ground lamb (my Dad used Ontario lamb available at Bay Meats)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (gluten-free)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine
2 eggs
1 tbsp. Garlic Powder 
Heaping tsp. Herbs de Provence Seasoning Mix 
1/3 tsp. Dried Basil 
3/4 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper

Ingredients (Rice) 
2 cups brown Basmati rice
4 1/2 cups water (boiling right before added to rice) 
2 medium yellow onions, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 large tomato, chopped 
3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning Mix 
1/2 tsp. turmeric

Instructions (Please note, this recipe makes a lot of meatballs!)
1. Form meatballs with meat, flour, eggs, chopped onion, and spices (golf ball size, or a little larger).
2.  Melt margarine in a Dutch oven kettle or large pot suitable for frying.
3.  Cook meat balls, using spatula to lift, and tongs to turn.
4. Remove meatballs, skim fat as necessary, and brown garlic and remaining onion.
5. Add rice (may include 1/4 cup pine nuts) and cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring steadily.  
6. Add everything else, except tomato, and cook approximately 35 minutes.
7.  Add chopped tomato for last 10 minutes.   Meatballs may be returned to the dish now, or reheated and served on the rice. 
8. Let dish stand for 10-15 minutes.
9. Serve with vegetables (in this case, steamed asparagus). 

Note:  Meatballs can be mashed into a usable consistency with a spoon or your fingers such that they will stay together without eggs or flour, it just takes a bit more work! 

Dessert - Fruit Salad and Double Chocolate Muffins

My parents pick strawberries in season, process them as minimally as possible, freeze them so that they're not touching (either on cookie sheets or in freezer bags laid flat) and then eat them throughout the winter.   These strawberries came from Becker's in Nipissing.

The chocolate muffins are one of the new gluten-free offerings from President's Choice.