I love cabbage. Especially raw cabbage. “Eat raw cabbage” isn’t much of a recipe though. I came up with a nice homey casserole instead.

I’m submitting this casserole to My Legume Love Affair, a favorite blog event that features legume-centric recipes. This month it’s hosted at Chez Cayenne.

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 medium head of cabbage (1 pound), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sorghum flour
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 3 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 cup gluten-free fresh bread crumbs (2-3 pieces of sandwich bread)
• sea salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet with tall sides, (preferably oven-safe) over medium heat. Add the onion, cook until softened and just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and a large pinch of sea salt, stir well. Cook another 5-7 minutes, until cabbage is beginning to brown. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter. Once melted, add the flour and stir into the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is a golden-brown color and has a nutty smell, around 5 minutes. Add the vegetable broth and mustard. Whisk until the mixture thickens, 3-4 minutes.
4. Add the beans, parsley, crushed red pepper, and a few cranks of black pepper to the cabbage/onion mixture. Pour the mustard sauce over everything and stir well.
5. Arrange mixture evenly in the skillet (if you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, transfer mixture to a greased casserole dish), then top with the bread crumbs.
6. Bake in the oven for 45 minutes, remove and serve.

(Serves 4-6)

A cast iron skillet is perfect for this recipe. My skillet is 12 inches. If you need to use a casserole dish try an 9×9 or a 7×11.

I used sorghum flour to make the roux because it’s one of my favorite gluten-free flours. An all-purpose gluten-free flour blend would also do the trick.

I processed the sandwich bread in my food processor until there were relatively evenly sized crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor you could always chop it up by hand. Or buy bread crumbs if you can find them.

I pondered adding apples or fennel into the mix. Actually adding both doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Perhaps on the next go-round. Do let me know if you give either a try though. Some grated cheese spread over the top would also be a nice addition. Perhaps a Gouda?

I’m also sharing the recipe in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, and Whole Food Wednesday.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

Do you ever have days where you decide there’s a particular food that you really need to make, right now, for seemingly no reason? Today that happened to be fajitas. These fajitas have lots of tang from the lime juice and a little kick from the tequila. They’re great with refried beans, Spanish rice, and a little guacamole. Margaritas optional.

Fajita Ingredients

• 2 small bell peppers, sliced (12 ounces)
• 1 small onion, sliced in half, then sliced root to tip (4 ounces)
• 3-4 medium portabella mushrooms, sliced (6 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6-8 corn tortillas

Fajita Marinade

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons tequila
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 small jalepeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together. Place in a large casserole dish or plastic bag. Add the bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions. Toss to coat. Let marinate for 1 hour, mixing once or twice.
2. Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat. Add the olive oil. Once hot, add the bell peppers, mushrooms and onions, draining as much of the marinade away as possible.
3. Cook, stirring only a few times, until any marinade has cooked off, and the vegetables are just beginning to sear around the edges, 7-10 minutes. Remove from heat and serve immediately with warmed tortillas.

(Serves 3-4)

I’m also sharing these fajitas in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Full Plate Thursday, and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

In the midst of my holiday hiatus I received the news that Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free and Maggie of She Let Them Eat Cake were teaming up to launch a new site called The Balanced Platter.

The goal for the site is to be your one-stop shop for balanced, healthy, gluten-free living tips and ideas. To celebrate the new site they’re hosting a month-long event called Balanced, Healthy, & Gluten Free. They lined up a different blogger each day to share healthy recipes, healthy foods, or healthy living tips. (Follow the link to see the whole line-up.) You can also keep track of them by following @BalancedPlatter on Twitter or through their Facebook page.

Exercise is one of the top things people resolve to do more of each year. For my contribution to the Balanced, Healthy, & Gluten Free event, I made a lentils and quinoa dish, but first I wanted to share some thoughts on working out.

Take It Slow. Create a Habit.

Mike and I started running about 2 years ago using the Couch to 5K program, and we highly recommend it. You start with walking interspersed with short (30-second) segments of jogging, for a total of 20 minutes. You do that 3 times each week. You gradually switch to more jogging than walking, and you increase the total time bit by bit.

Could we have gone out that first day and run for 20-30 minutes? Probably. [Mike's note: Uh, maybe she could have.] But we likely would have injured ourselves right away. (I ran cross-country in high school and remember constantly having shin splints because I was asked to run more than my body was ready for.) Don’t be afraid to work at your own pace. We even made up some of our own in-between weeks when we felt we couldn’t keep up with what the schedule called for. Work on creating the habit. The results will come as your body gets stronger.

Be Sure to Have Fun

I also wanted to tell you about a new workout we added a month and a half ago: indoor rock climbing. It is serious fun. FUN. It’s probably the only workout I’ve ever done where you keep at it until your body can’t do it anymore — just because you’re having that much fun.

I’d like to encourage you to find an exercise that is fun for you. My vote is for indoor climbing, but I realize that’s not the most widely-accessible activity. I did find this list of indoor climbing gyms and walls. It looks a little old, but it’s a start for those of you who are interested. Climbing aside, I truly do enjoy running. And I love yoga. My mother-in-law enjoys swimming. My dad likes biking. Any exercise is better than none, so find something you like and do it.

Lentils and Quinoa

Now, on to the recipe. With the addition of climbing, we realized we may need to scale back some of our other exercise until our bodies are strong enough to handle it all. We also felt that we needed a little more protein to help build muscle after all the climbing. I always keep lentils and quinoa–both protein powerhouses–on hand. They make it easy to cobble together a one-pot meal. Mixed with other kitchen staples like carrots, celery, and onions, it doesn’t get much more basic than that. And we got our protein hit.

• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 2 ribs of celery, diced
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup lentils
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1. Heat a medium pot with lid over medium heat. Add the oil and allow to heat through. Add the carrots, celery, and onions. Cook until everything has softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, quinoa, tomato sauce, water, and spices. Stir well. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft. Serve.

(Serves 4-6)

I did go a little crazy with the spices, so maybe it’s not quite as “basic” as it could be. I think you could go truly basic with just some salt and pepper and still have a delicious dish. (Maybe substitute some broth for the water.) Eat it plain, spoon over some greens, throw in a wrap — there’s all sorts of ways to mix it up.

If you’re looking for more protein-packed recipes check out my Egyptian Fava Beans (Ful Medames), Tea Eggs, Sweet and Smoky Dry Rub Tofu, Mushroom Nut Roast or the White Bean Millet Mini Casseroles.

Wishing everyone the best of luck with their exercise resolutions.

I’m also sharing this recipe in Full Plate Thursday and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

If there’s one complaint you hear about tofu, it’s that it doesn’t have any taste. To which I say, well whose fault is that? If you want flavored tofu, add some flavor. A dry rub is a great way to do this. Dry rubs are spice mixtures rubbed onto food before it is cooked. Generally you see people use them for grilling, especially BBQ. It’s not exactly grilling weather here, nor do we own a grill, so I went with broiling.

The special ingredient in this rub is lapsang souchong. Lapsang souchong is a type of black tea that has a smoky flavor from being dried over pinewood fires. (A hot mug of lapsang souchong with a shot of Scotch and a smidge of honey is a great winter drink).

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 2 teaspoons lapsang souchong, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 12-ounce block extra firm tofu
• olive oil (to grease pan)

1. Rinse the tofu and pat dry. Slice the tofu widthwise into eight even slices.
2. Mix all the spices together. Rub all the spice mixture onto the tofu slices, covering all sides.
3. If you’re not in a rush, let the tofu to sit for a couple hours (or even overnight) to allow the flavors to penetrate.
4. Move your oven rack to its highest position. Turn the broiler on low.
5. Grease a cookie sheet. Arrange the tofu on the sheet and place under the broiler. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip the tofu. Cook for another 10 minutes. Check the tofu — if it feels firm around the edges remove it from the oven. If not, flip again, place under the broiler, and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Continue flipping and broiling until the edges feel firm. Remove from oven and serve.

(Serves 2-4)

The tofu will firm up as it cools. It should be slightly crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The longer you let it cook, the chewier it gets. Cook it long enough and you end up with tofu jerky.

I’m submitting this recipe to My Legume Love Affair hosted by Kiran at Sumadhura this month. I’m also sharing in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Premeditated Leftovers, and Full Plate Thursday.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

Tapas restaurants rank among my favorite. I come from a family of sharers. We go out to eat, and everyone tries some of everyone else’s food. Tapas is pretty much perfect.

Patatas bravas translates to spicy or fierce potatoes. (I’m partial to fierce.) As you might guess, it’s potatoes in a spicy sauce. It was always a favorite dish until we found out that Mike needed to be gluten-free. (It seems most restaurants put flour in theirs — way to ruin a perfectly good gluten-free vegetarian food guys.)

After some internet searching it appears that many restaurants serve their potatoes with the sauce drizzled over the top or on the side, but our favorite tapas restaurant always served the potatoes in the sauce, so that’s what I did here.

• 1 pound russet potatoes (~3 medium potatoes)
• ~4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise, then cut each half lengthwise again. Slice into 1/2 inch segments.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Once oil is hot, add the potatoes and salt. Stir well, then spread the potatoes out in a single layer.
3. Scrape the pan and give the potatoes a stir every 5-10 minutes. If they look like they’re browning too much on the outside, lower the heat to medium-low. Cook until potatoes are brown and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
4. While the potatoes are cooking, finely mince the garlic. Heat a small saucepan on medium heat. Add the other 2 teaspoons of olive oil; once hot, add the garlic and saute about 1 minute. Then add the tomato sauce, vinegar, and seasonings. Stir and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes to half an hour, then remove from heat.
5. Once the potatoes are finished, top with the sauce and serve immediately.

(Serves 2 as a main, 4 as an appetizer)

The potatoes lose their crispiness the longer they sit in the sauce, so you want to serve them right away. If you’re thinking, “why did I go to all the trouble of making crispy potatoes to sauce them up and make them mushy?” you’re welcome to serve the sauce on the side as a dipping sauce as I noted earlier. As I said, I prepared them this way mainly for nostalgia’s sake.

Apparently it’s pretty common for patatas bravas to be served with allioli, which is a sauce made with olive oil, garlic, and salt. If that sounds tasty to you, check out the dressing from my potato salad. (It does include egg which makes it more of a mayonnaise, but it’s close.)

I’m sharing this recipe in These Chicks Cooked, Full Plate Thursday, and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

A gluten-free vegetarian Thanksgiving–those words make some people pretty nervous. Lucky for you Sea Maiden of Book of Yum decided it’d be nice to have some gluten-free veggie bloggers provide you with some inspiration, so she created The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Thanksgiving. Every day up until Thanksgiving a different blogger will share a Thanksgiving dish idea, and Sea will highlight them all on her site. You’ll have a whole menu waiting for you.

Obviously turkey is a big part of Thanksgiving for many people. Some people even call it the “star.” But you probably don’t think that. So if you’re not going to have the turkey, what do you do? The obvious choices are 1) not worry about it and eat plenty of sides or 2) make your own entree. If you’re in the latter group, here’s a dish you might want to try.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 rib of celery, diced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 pound of mushrooms, diced
• 1/2 cup white wine, vegetable broth, hard cider, or water
• 1 cup gluten-free bread crumbs (~2 sandwich slices if processing yourself)
• 2 cups pecans
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 eggs (or the equivalent amount of egg replacer for vegan)
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Line with parchment paper.
2. Heat a medium-large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onions and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent and just beginning to brown.
3. Clear a spot in the pan and add the garlic. Cook for half a minute. Add the mushrooms, wine, and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Allow the mushrooms to release their juices, then increase heat to medium-high. Simmer until most, but not all of the liquid has cooked off, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. While the mushrooms are cooking, pulse the nuts in a food processor until evenly ground, but not a fine powder. Place in a large mixing bowl and stir in parsley, sage, thyme, and oregano, plus a pinch of salt and a few cranks of pepper. When the mushrooms are finished, add to the mixing bowl. Stir well. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl, then stir into the nut mixture.
5. Spoon mixture into the greased loaf pan. Press down to ensure mixture is solid, and smooth the top.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the edges are browned and a toothpick inserted in the loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Run a knife around the edges if necessary. Place serving platter over the pan, and invert. Remove parchment paper and serve.

[Serves 8]

The pecans really shine through, but they balance nicely with the mushrooms. If you have a gravy recipe you love, whip it up and spoon away. I thought the nuttiness played well with my spiced cranberry sauce.

This certainly packs in the protein if you’re concerned that the other available dishes will be too starchy. (If, on the other hand, you’re in the “Paleo diet be damned, I love my starches” camp, maybe consider a batch of my gluten-free cornbread stuffing?)

Hopefully I got the wheels spinning, and if you’re looking for more make sure to check back into The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Thanksgiving page in the coming days. I’m also sharing this recipe in Wellness Weekend, and Make Your Own Monday.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

This site pretty well documents my love of beans. I’d probably be happy eating them at every meal. Yet you don’t frequently see breakfast recipes that use beans. (Although I suppose I snuck some in to my migas and southwestern omelette).

When I heard about ful medames, I knew that sooner or later they would work their way into my rotation. Ful medames are an Egyptian breakfast dish (or possibly lunch) made of fava beans. Basically the fava beans are cooked, then mashed and served with a variety of accompaniments so everyone gets to season to their liking.

My biggest obstacle was finding the right kind of beans. Ful medames are made with small fava beans, instead of the large ones we more commonly see in the States. Eventually I was able to find some canned at the local import grocery store.

• 2 15-ounce cans small fava beans (3 cups cooked beans)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• juice of one lemon (~3 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, well-packed
• sea salt
• extra virgin olive oil

1. Rinse and drain the fava beans. Place in a small to medium sized pot. Add the water, cumin, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. Add in the garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Mash about half the beans, and make sure everything is well mixed. Transfer to a serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with any of the accompaniments listed below.

• pita bread
• hard boiled eggs
• chopped fresh tomatoes
• lemon wedges
• fresh parsley
• tahini
• chili pepper flakes
• raw onion
• pickled vegetables

(Serves 4)

I couldn’t find any gluten-free pita, so we ate ours with spoons. I don’t think we were missing anything. But I suppose toast could be used.

Seeing as I’ve been raving about my love of beans, it seems fitting that I share this recipe in My Legume Love Affair being hosted by the lovely Simona of Briciole. I’m also sharing in Premeditated Leftovers, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, These Chicks Cooked, Full Plate Thursday, and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

Aloo gobi is a staple on many Indian restaurant menus. Like the title says, this is a dish of potatoes and cauliflower (that’s what the words aloo and gobi mean). Despite the humble ingredients, the dish still packs a flavor punch. And the whole thing can be thrown together in about 30 minutes.

• 1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (~2 cups)
• 2 medium potatoes, cut into small cubes (~2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced (~1 tablespoon)
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, about 1-inch long, finely minced (~1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• sea salt
• 1/4 cup water, divided
• 1-2 tablespoons peanut oil or ghee

1. Place the ginger, garlic, coriander, tumeric, and red pepper in a small bowl and mix with 2 tablespoons of water to make a paste. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the cumin seeds. Heat until the seeds stop sputtering, around 1 minute.
3. Add the spice paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture darkens and the spices begin to release their oils.
4. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, remaining 2 tablespoons of water, and a large pinch of salt. Stir well. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring once or twice, until potatoes and cauliflower are soft. Remove from heat and serve.

(Serves 4)

Be prepared for both the cumin seeds and the spice paste to sputter when added to the pan. If you can’t find whole cumin seeds, ground cumin can be used. Mix it in the rest of the spice paste.

If you feel that the potatoes and cauliflower are sticking or the spices are burning add in a few extra tablespoons of water while they’re cooking.

Unlike many restaurants where I’ve had aloo gobi, this was dry instead of being in a sauce. Some tomato sauce or coconut milk could be added with the potatoes and cauliflower to make a saucier dish.

This recipe is also appearing in Hearth and Soul Hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

The lovely France and Joshua of Beyond the Peel are hosting Wholesome Wholegrain Cooking. For this event the host chooses a whole grain and a meal they want to highlight. This month is Millet for Lunch. Mike and I both work from home, so lunch for us is generally whatever I happen to be cooking that day. (Mmm german chocolate cupcakes for lunch). But I have spent my fair share of time packing lunches, so I set out to make something easily packable. While everyone else seems to be in pumpkin mode, I can’t seem to get enough fresh sage. When I’m trying to figure out how to spice a dish, sage seems to be the first thing that always comes to mind. And sage always seems to pair with white beans in my head.

I figured mini-casseroles would be just the right size for packing. Grab and go, with no need to slice, like you would with full-sized casserole. I originally was trying to make more of a tart with millet as the crust, but it tended to be crumbly which is not easily packable. And honestly, mixing everything together is just easier anyway.

• 2 1/2 cups cooked white beans
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 5-6 fresh sage leaves, torn into pieces
• 1/3 cup stock, water, or cream
• sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 cups cooked millet

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions. Cook for about 5 minutes then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown, 45-50 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
3. Combine the white beans, caramelized onion, fresh sage, stock, and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Process until smooth.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the bean puree with the cooked millet. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
5. Spoon mixture into greased muffin tin. Cover the tin with aluminum foil.
6. Place in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil. Bake for another 5-6 minutes, until edges are just beginning to brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely before removing from the tin.

(Makes 12 mini-casseroles)

You have lots of leeway in deciding how caramelized you’d like your onions. You can cook them much longer than 45 minutes. They’ll keep getting darker and sweeter. It just depends on how much time you have, and how patient you are. I wouldn’t go less that 30 minutes though.

This recipe is also being shared in Slightly Indulgent Tuesday,  Hearth and Soul Hop, These Chicks Cooked, and Wellness Weekends.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)

Shortly before we left Chicago, we had brunch at a cute little cafe near our house. If we’re going to be eating out, Mike prefers eating out for breakfast as he can pretty much count on eggs being on the menu. On this occasion, he had a “Latina Omeletta”, a southwestern-influenced omelette. Nothing ground-breaking, but definitely delicious, so it was filed in my mental “make for the blog” folder. I suppose it slipped my mind for a few months, but it popped back in the other day. Here’s my version.

For the plantains:

• 2 plantains, sliced lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch thick segments
• 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil or olive oil
• ground cinnamon (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Film the pan with oil. Once oil is hot, add the plantains and spread into a single layer. Let sit for about a minute, then stir and spread into a layer again. Repeat for around 5-6 minutes, until plantains are golden-brown on the outside. Remove from pan and keep warm. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon if desired.

For the omelette:

• 3 eggs
• splash of milk or water (optional)
• 1-2 teaspoons finely chopped chipotle chili in adobo sauce
• 1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup cooked black beans
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, chopped in 1/4s or 1/8s depending on size
• 1 green onion, chopped
• olive oil
• sour cream, for garnish
• avocado slices, for garnish

1. Beat the eggs, with milk or water if desired, until fluffy. Set aside.
2. Heat a medium-sized skillet over medium-heat. Film the pan with oil. Once the oil is hot, pour in the eggs. Allow the egg to set on the bottom. Then go around the edge of the skillet, gently lifting up the edge of the cooked egg with a spatula, and allowing uncooked egg to run underneath. Do this until the the egg is mostly cooked.
3. Spread the chopped chipotle across half of the egg, then sprinkle the remaining ingredients on the same half. Using a spatula, fold the unfilled half over the filled half. Loosen up the bottom of the omelette and slide out of the skillet. Garnish and serve with the fried plantains.

(Serves 1-2)

Unlike bananas, when buying plantains, you want them to be blackened.

Omelette making is easiest in a non-stick skillet. We don’t own one, so we know it certainly can be done in other pans, however your omelette might have more browning than an omelette made in a non-stick pan.

Most of the time when we make omelettes, we just throw in fillings until it looks right. I measured this time to give you some general guidelines, but you’re welcome to change up the proportions to suit your needs.

Also featured in Full Plate Thursday and Hearth and Soul Hop.

Looking for More Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes?

I recommend The Gluten-Free Vegetarian Kitchen, by Donna Klein. (Click here to see it on Amazon.)