SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

Another new cookbook arrived from Paperback Swap a few weeks ago – The Best Vegetarian Recipes authored by my long time favorite, Martha Rose Shulman.  Studying the recipes during stolen moments led me to craving a richly flavored stew of  swiss chard, chickpeas, leeks, and fennel.

With just 15 minutes to make a grocery stop, I pulled into my favorite store.  Surprisingly, they were out of fennel.  Leaving empty handed and  with no time to shop elsewhere I mentally searched the contents of my pantry.

A Well Stocked Pantry

The art of a well stocked pantry is a relentless pursuit, one that all good cooks pursue with fervor.  Savory meals can be put together with little effort, desserts can be made from scratch with a few key ingredients on hand.

Knowing that I always have several cans of diced tomatoes on hand, I settled on a simple marinara sauce and consulted my new book for some more inspiration.  I’d just cooked a big pot of chickpeas and had a bag of my newest favorite convenience food – frozen organic broccoli florets from Costco.  Adding some gluten-free Tinkyada Pasta Spirals made a nutritious, satisfying meal.

Recipe Notes

Most marinara sauces use some form of sugar to balance the acid in the tomatoes.  Instead of sugar, I used liquid stevia.  If you don’t have any stevia, use any sugar substitute you have on hand.  Start with a little, then taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. The cinnamon helps to make the tomatoes a little sweeter – no one will know it’s there.

Visit The Gluten Free Homemaker for What Can I Eat that’s Gluten-free and find more meal ideas.

What are your favorite in-a-pinch meals?

Printer-friendly recipe

Stovetop Pasta Marinara with Broccoli and Chickpeas
serves 3 -4
adapted from The Best Vegetarian Recipes

3 tablespoons olive, divided
3 large garlic cloves, grated on a microplane
2 (28 ounce) cans of diced tomatoes, drained with juice reserved
10 drops clear liquid stevia (I like NuNatruals)
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 pound frozen broccoli florets
1 pound gluten-free pasta spirals
2 cups cooked chickpeas
fresh grated parmesan cheese, optional

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a pan large enough to accommodate all the tomatoes.  Add garlic and cook, stirring, for a minute until it’s fragrant.  Add tomatoes, 1/2 cup of reserved juice, then stir in stevia, oregano, basil, thyme, and cinnamon.  Simmer, stirring often, until sauce has cooked down is fragrant.  If you want a drier marinara sauce, cook it longer.  Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Add broccoli and stir for one minute.  You just want to start the cooking process.  Remove broccoli and set in a bowl.  Bring water back up to a boil and add pasta with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Stir to coat.  Cook until al dente according to directions on bag.

When pasta is nearly done, add broccoli and chickpeas.  Heat through.  Drain cooked pasta.  Toss pasta and sauce.  Top with parmesan cheese if desired.

Enjoy!

Share:

•