Maybe I’m weird, but I love most veggies, and I’m passionate about making them taste good to everyone. If you haven’t already, making your own dressings and marinades is a great way to embrace vegetables. It’s super easy, you can make them taste however you like, and you avoid unsavory ingredients, like MSG and preservatives, found in many “over the counter” dressings. Why embrace vegetables? Because they represent an absolutely necessary whole, clean source of micronutrients, including antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and trace elements the Standard American Diet (SAD!) commonly lacks. 

Learning to love them and setting a positive example for our kids is a key component to helping our families achieve and maintain overall wellness—especially important for kids as their bodies are building and growing. Fake foods simply don’t fuel that growth at the cellular level. 

I could easily eat spinach for every meal, no lie, breakfast included.  Not recommended for a  #MOREin2014 lifestyle that encourages VARIETY, first and foremost, but I’d be in my own crazy kinda Heaven. Kale I’m still learning to love—it’s a texture thing. Cut the leaves in a chiffonade (remove ribs, stack leaves, roll them into a tube and slice perpendicular to the length of the tube into narrow ribbons), however, and massage this delicious dressing thoroughly into them to help break down the fibers, and I bet it would be delicious. I’ll have to try it. Maybe tomorrow. Right now “I needs to eats me spinach! Toot-toot!”

<--This spinach is sautéed, but I equally enjoy a breakfast salad. Just look at that beautiful farm-fresh egg with its vibrant yolk! 

What you will need:

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 Tablespoon Honey, preferably raw & local

Salt/pepper to taste

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil in a vessel that allows for drizzling

Place all but the olive oil in the bottom of either your immersion blender measuring and mixing container or a regular blender. You might want to double this recipe for a regular blender. And I would start with a few grinds of fresh cracked pepper and ¼ teaspoon salt, you can add more later if you like. Blend these ingredients together, then keep the blender going and sslllooowwwly drizzle in olive oil. Once you’ve added between a quarter- and a half-cup, turn off the motor, allow it to come to a complete stop, taste to adjust for balance of acidity with your particular vinegar (some are more tart and acidic in flavor than others) and your own taste. Keep whizzing and slowly drizzle in more olive oil if needed. Too bland? Add a spash more vinegar, maybe a pinch more salt and pepper.

My favorite kitchen tool is an immersion blender. It makes me feel like anything is possible. With it, I blend soups right in the pot and I make a number of delicious dressings and marinades. 

You can perform any of these tasks in a regular blender, but an immersion blender feels so much "chef-ier!" If you're using a regular blender for this recipe, you'll need one with a removable center port in the lid for drizzling, which is important for proper emulsification. It may work best to make a double recipe if you’re using a regular blender, which is great to do anyway. This is delicious thinned down a bit more and used as salad dressing. 



What you will need:

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove garlic, sliced

Juice of one lemon

Salt/pepper to taste

Extra virgin olive oil in a container that allows for drizzling


To the bottom of your mixing vessel, add the Dijon mustard, the garlic, salt/pepper (start with a few grinds of pepper and ¼ tsp salt), and fresh-squeezed lemon juice. Blend these ingredients together, then keep the blender going and ssllloowwwwly drizzle in olive oil. Once you’ve added between a quarter- and  a half-cup, turn off the motor, allow it to come to a complete stop, taste to adjust for balance of acidity with your particular lemon (for instance, Meyer lemons are milder in flavor and less acidic) and your own taste buds.

My husband is a man of many talents.  Getting him to write them down or talk about them, however, is akin to tugging a toy out of my grand puppy’s ever so cute but yappy little jaws.

Well, FYI, the hubs and I can both pretty much rock it in the kitchen.  He prefers the elbowroom of cooking by himself.  I rather enjoy the process of cooking together, or at least having company in the kitchen while I’m doing so.  True, I maybe interject my “thoughts” from time to time, which he doesn’t always welcome.   In the chili department, however, it’s hands-off for me.  I’ll occasionally venture into white chicken chili territory, but as a former firefighter (and paramedic and police officer, and don’t forget Eagle Scout—basically freaking Captain America) and highly-sought-after-back-in-the-day firehouse cook, traditional Firehouse Chili is all him, all day long. 

I wouldn’t have it any other way.  

Scott’s Firehouse Chili was a consistent favorite when we had our restaurant in downtown Benton Harbor from 1999 to 2002, The Main Street Café.  We served it mild (as written here), medium, Hot Damn, or Somebody Call 911.  It remains beloved among friends and family when he makes it today, and it promises to be a big winner for your Super Bowl or other gathering. 

If you happen to be the sort with venison in your freezer, chili is a super #MOREin2014 way to rotate VARIETY into your diet using a cleaner, leaner meat*.  If you’re not the sort, my apologies, but we’re from Michigan, and we are.  Or my husband is.  And thank goodness, because the meat he was able to put in our freezer has been a welcome and necessary addition this long, frigid, underemployed winter**.

I believe one of the major issues our nation faces in terms of wellness is lack of variety in our diets.  Eating the same few things (which generally include wheat three or more times a day, or rice if you're gluten free) day in and day out, week after week, is extremely stressful and/or over stimulating to the immune system.  So think outside the (processed) box by cooking at home, and outside the chicken, pork, turkey, or beef quadrangle.  Those who choose to eat meat might seek cleaner sources from local farmers who sell shares or sides of the livestock they raise.  Ask questions and be mindful of how they feed, accommodate, and treat their livestock, to make sure their standards align well with your own.

Bottom line, chili is a hearty, healthy, delicious, flexible and naturally gluten free meal that can satisfy anyone, and this recipe is among the best out there, because my hubby is among the best out there, in my humble opinion.  I think I’ll keep him.

Follow my GANEPossible.com board on Pinterest for many #MOREin2014 ideas.  If gluten-free is a particular concern for your family, then you might like my Gluten-Free Moms board.  And do subscribe (right over there --->) to receive my upcoming Quick Minute to GANE Empowered Wellness Newsletter in your inbox!

Wash and dice all the vegetables and combine with all the beans and tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in a large stock pot.  Season with chili powder, pepper, salt, garlic, and black pepper.

In a separate pan, brown the beef/venison, etc. seasoned as above (at approximately half the amounts listed) for the vegetables.  You’ll taste and adjust along the way.  Once browned (you may want to drain off some of the fat), combine in the pot and bring to a slow boil.

Add the mushrooms, continue to cook, and re-season to taste – add some of the chipotle pepper here too.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for up to 2 hours.  Turn off – better refrigerated overnight and eaten the second day if you can wait that long.

Serve hot with fresh raw onion, cilantro, cheese and a dollop of sour cream.  

And you won’t be sorry for making a batch of my Gluten Free Cornbread to go with!

Copyright 2014 (c) Scott R. Gane, All Rights Reserved

LOVE my ladies over at Midlife Boulevard and READ some of the other great Super Bowl Party Posts!!

*If you’re not a hunter or don’t know anyone who is, venison can be purchased at better butchers and supermarkets (although it would be farm-raised and thus not as clean as wild and not considered sustainable unless the farm in question uses sustainable practices).  Bison, lamb, goat, turkey, chicken, or beef, ground or in bite-size chunks, would all work, too.  If you prefer a vegetarian chili, HVP-type (hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which is not considered safe for those that require gluten-free, and let’s face it, is fake) chunks or crumbles or tofu would work equally well.  This is heavy on the beans, so you could opt to serve it over brown rice, which would complete the chain of amino acids necessary to provide a complete protein without any meat or meat substitute. 

**I am proud of my state’s dual concern for conservancy and the wellness of our land, where maintaining the proper balance in the deer population is an ever-changing annual effort and concern. 

Require Gluten Free?  Use Caution with these ingredients:  cheaper store brands or blends of canned beans may contain wheat starch (we like to use organic when we’re able, and BPA free).  Read the label.  Packaged, pre-shredded cheese may contain a separating agent.  Check with the manufacturer to make sure it meets your family’s needs or shred your own from a block using a box grater.    

There are some traditions we can't do without.  At Thanksgiving, without apologies, stuffing is just one of them. And come to think of it, fall chili without cornbread?  That's just wrong, too.  

One of the problems with a gluten-free diet can quickly become too much weight gain if you focus solely on replacing items from the Standard American Diet (SAD!) swap for swap (erm...SADly, that's how I learned to do it over eleven years ago).  Even so, adopting a gluten free diet doesn't have to mean forgoing all your seasonal favorites.  Maybe it just means freezing the leftovers instead of allowing Thanksgiving to last a full week.  Maybe you serve a salad first, or you consciously incorporate more clean vegetable dishes into the meal than you might have done in the past.  It may take a little training, patience and dedication for your palate to come to anticipate and enjoy this type of meal, but here's why it's worth asking yourself and your family to work toward just that.    

My Thai Butternut Bisque would be a great accompaniment or first course to your Thanksgiving spread, for instance.  Or here's a fantastic recipe for roasted Brussels Sprouts with real bacon (um, HELLO!  Who doesn't like the sound of that?! And if you don't have access to the kind of bacon he's talking about, at least go for something like Hormel's Natural Choice or Oscar Meyer Selects brands that contain no nitrates or nitrites--they're bad juju!).  Maybe instead of the canned gluten-ous sodium, I mean, soup version of the usual green bean casserole, you use the freshest beans you can find and experiment with some real diced onions (or shallots) and mushrooms.  A bit of Greek yogurt flavored with thyme, a little garlic powder (or preferably the real thing), salt and pepper and a bit of The Wizard's vegan/wheat-free Worcestershire sauce might not taste exactly how you remember, but it's gluten free and it's much cleaner, and absolutely delicious.  Chopped pecans or walnuts or slivered almonds can lend a satisfying crunch instead of the usual fried onions.  Or if they're an absolute must, slice some onions very thinly, dip them in a little thin #GF pancake batter, and shallow pan fry them to sprinkle sparingly over the dish.  Sure, it's a little more work than opening a can.  But it'll be a much more satisfying holiday when you can enjoy your tryptophan-induced coma on the sofa with everyone else instead of on the bathroom floor, in massive abdominal pain from a gluten reaction.

So, the day or night before the feast, make a double batch of this wonderful, almost cake-like cornbread, let it sit out overnight and use it to make your family's traditional cornbread stuffing, whatever that may be (be mindful of the other components, and ensure ahead of time that things like sausage, broth, and seasonings are all gluten-free--you might need to do a brand switch, so read labels, contact manufacturers, don't just grab, and don't assume the brands you've used in the past are safe).  

I wish I could give you my husband's recipe, but I'm usually up late baking the cornbread and the dessert, and he's up early with the bird, the stuffing, and the potatoes.  When the daughters are around, just like those damn crescenty rolls taunting from the other end of the table, there's a very small dish of old-fashioned syrup and marshmallow covered sweet potatoes (which I have never enjoyed, even as a kid).  Otherwise, we either mash or beautifully roast those, too.  

TONS of options on my Pinterest board, check it out.

I first came across a gluten free cornbread recipe we liked on CanadaBBHosts.com, from Jan and Bob Wheeler of the Chimney Corner Bed & Breakfast and Cottages in Nova Scotia.  Someplace I'd like to visit someday!  If I get the chance, I think I'll stay there, knowing they're celiac-friendly, and thus would easily be able to meet my non-celiac gluten sensitive needs.  ENJOY!  And please know how very thankful I am for all of you who have followed and supported my blog throughout this past year.  I believe that everyone should have enough, and that anything is possible, including a gal like me influencing people's lives and helping to make them better.  It's all I've ever wanted to do, and you help make that Possible!  

Without further ado, here's the wonderful #GF cornbread recipe I've adapted over the years to serve our needs and tastes.   Bless you and yours, and happy holidays!  

1 cup unsweetened original almond milk

1 egg (works great with flax substitute for vegan)

1/4 cup oil

1/4 teaspoon org apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup arrowroot starch 

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon gf baking powder

1 cup organic yellow corn flour

1/2 cup or less organic sugar

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

2 T milled FLAX seed (1 if you use flax sub for egg)

(In an effort to reduce the sugar, I've made this in the past with 3/4 cup almond milk and substituted 1/4 cup of the sugar with a scant 1/4 cup agave nectar [agave is sweeter than sugar, and has become a controversial ingredient--I don't think I would want the flavor of maple syrup, which could also be used, so if you're not opposed to agave, choose raw organic--you could also leave the milk alone, and substitute the granulated sugar for xylitol].  Particularly for a savory purpose like stuffing, just using a bit less sugar works fine, too.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In a large measuring cup, combine milk, egg, oil, and vinegar.  Mix well.  Add all dry ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk together.  Pour the wet mixture over the dry and mix thoroughly.  I use a fork, making sure to scrape down the sides and get all the dry incorporated off the bottom.  Coat or spray a cast-iron skillet with oil.  Cornbread is always best in a cast-iron skillet, and GF is no different, but of course an 8x8 cake pan or muffin tin works, too.  Muffin papers haven't worked so well for this recipe (sticks), so I would just spray or coat the tin.  


Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (may take a bit less time for cast-iron).  The top will be lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.  Serves 8-9.  Double this recipe if you want stuffing leftovers!  We've done the stuffing in a muffin tin, too, which was delicious, with crispy edges for all, and they froze well!


[The cornbread pictured was made with the flax vegan substitute.  Without the yolk for color, and because I was using organic corn flour, which isn't as brilliant yellow as either "Over the Counter" or corn meal, it looked a little pasty.  I added just a bit of natural yellow food coloring to make it more appealing to my family.  And boy, was it!!  ENJOY!]