Tuesday To Do List: Celiac Disease Awareness Month

Tuesday To Do List is my newest attempt at bringing you tidbits from the gluten-free world each week. This will continue until my mind-that-doesn’t-rest comes up with another way to entertain you guys. You can read my very first to-do list here. Cross your fingers I am back here next Tuesday with another list.

HAPPY CELIAC DISEASE AWARENESS MONTH!

Here’s what you should do to celebrate…

• Come join OUR CELEBRATION at our May Gluten Free Get Together dinner at Jose’s Blue Sombrero on Monday, May 23rd. RSVP via the Facebook invite. We’ll be trying tasty treats from Bread SRSLY, (sourdough anyone?!) American Gluten Free, and MORE!

• Celiac Disease Awareness Month AND Cinco de Mayo? Yahoo. Let’s have 4 Ingredient Margaritas, Jalawhoppers, (my fave item at Jose’s Blue Sombrero!) Easy Peasy Taco Dip,  and Mexican Lasagna!

• Make these coffee cake muffins to celebrate being a super celiac and Mother’s Day all in the same month!

• Go check out all the GF goodies at Aldi — friends have been posting about it all week. (the CHEESECAKE platter is baaaaaack!)

UPDATE 5/4/16: Thanks to Johnna from In Johnna’s Kitchen for posting photos from Aldi that show that cheesecake (labeled CERTIFIED GLUTEN FREE) also has a “may contain traces of wheat” warning. This makes no sense to me. Certified should actually mean something. Another reminder to check and recheck and check again on those labels every single time. 😦

• Stop over at Pacific Bistro in Delafield for GF options galore!

• Take a trip. A gluten free adventure somewhere new. We have several trips coming up: Denver, DC, Charlotte. Shout out any “must see” places with GF goodies or otherwise. And take a peek at this list of gluten-free bloggers who do some traveling. (honored to have made the list!)

• Cupcakes. Let’s celebrate with cupcakes! I’ve been trying out different options for healthier treats — not to say I’m not going to have treats sometimes, but I’m on day 33 of real food and my body just seems to do better eating this way so I’d like to find more ideas for coconut and almond flour and use up all those dates in the freezer!

• Make this (or anything from the book!) Kung Pao Chicken from Laura B. Russel’s book, The Gluten Free Asian Kitchen — the dumplings are divine! You can also read my review of the book HERE first, and there’s actually a link to that chicken recipe in the post.

I’d love to hear YOUR celiac story — if you’d like to share in the comments below, that would be swell.

As much as I wish I were getting paid big bucks to add these links to my page, I’m not. They are not affiliate links. I’m just sharing to share.

{Gluten-Free Mexican Lasagna}

You know you’re behind on blog posts when your mama is sending you a photo from her phone of a recipe you made, told her about, gave her the recipe for, but had yet to post.

Thanks for the kick in the pants, Mamasita!

This is an easy weeknight meal that you can throw together in no time. Play with the ingredients — if you have something in the fridge that would go good in a taco, throw it in!

GLUTEN-FREE MEXICAN LASAGNA

(adapted from Slow Cooker Revolution)

1 lb taco meat — ground beef, chicken, or pork (cooked and seasoned with your favorite taco seasoning mix, prepared according to package directions) 

1 can (15 oz) pinto, black, or refried beans

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained

1 cup corn — frozen is fine, thaw by covering with warm water, then drain

1/4 cup cilantro, minced

Squeeze of fresh lime juice (optional)

9 soft corn tortillas

1 ½ cups shredded cheese of your choice

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine prepared taco meat, beans, (be sure to drain and rinse the beans, if you’re not using refried) tomatoes and corn and heat in the microwave, or heat over medium heat. When heated through, add cilantro and lime juice and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Take the corn tortillas and lightly coat each side with oil and place on baking sheet. Heat in oven for a few minutes to soften them up.

Turn the oven up to 450 degrees and have your filling mixture ready — spoon about a third of the mixture into the bottom of an 8 x 8 baking dish, such as a Pyrex brownie-type pan. Then layer three of the tortillas on top of the mixture (they will have to overlap, of course) and sprinkle ½ cup of the shredded cheese on top.

Then repeat the procedure, just like you would when you make regular lasagna, by spooning another third of the mixture, 3 more of the tortillas, then another ½ cup of cheese.

Spread the remaining meat mixture on top. Take your remaining three tortillas and cut them into quarters and spread all the pieces out as the final, top layer. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. (maybe some extra too)

Bake at 450 until it gets all bubbly and the cheese starts to brown, 20 minutes or so. Allow it to cool, then top with sour cream, cilantro, and some pickled jalapenos.

Mamasita is a big fan, hope you are too.