i just love it when people come together. our local early childhood association does a wonderful job of rallying whenever there is a family in need, as does our own neighborhood which has organized meals while a mama nearby recovers from major surgery. it's a challenge this time because there are a few dietary matters to consider, namely one person who cannot have gluten or dairy, one is vegetarian, and then there are two with absolutely no restrictions.
what to do what to do...
i immediately consulted gluten-free girl, finding such inspiration and creativity in her recipes that i felt comfortable in presenting my own in-house tasting panel with a dish that was immediately declared a winner.
ragout over polenta [inspired by Kathleen Daelemans' in "Cooking Thin"]
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a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a great big dutch oven/soup pot
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add one chopped onion, a few minced cloves of garlic, a few diced carrots + celery, a pint of crimini mushrooms quartered, and any other veggies you would like, such as the bag of julienned broccoli and red cabbage (aka broccoli slaw) that was hiding in the fridge, and cook down over medium heat until soft and the house smells amazing -- about 15 minutes
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at this point, i scooped a hearty portion into a separate saucepan for the vegetarian
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to the main batch, add a few pounds of ground beef, turkey or chicken and allow it to cook down completely
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add 2 large cans of crushed (or diced) tomatoes and a small can of tomato paste (i gave the veg option about 1 cup of the tomatoes and a tablespoon of the tomato paste) and allow to simmer over low heat for at least an hour
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season with salt + pepper as needed and serve over soft polenta
for the family that will get the meal tomorrow, i poured the polenta into a baking dish and once it was cool and firm, i poured on the ragout. veggie gets a separate container, of course. i'm sending along a green salad as well as a baggie of grated romano cheese to sprinkle on top if they wish.
now i need your help - do you have any suggestions for dessert that is gluten + dairy free and vegetarian? i'd love to bake something everyone could enjoy. as would my own panel of taste testers. xoxo
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and how cool is it when modern technology makes putting together a meal schedule for someone in need so easy - foodtidings, you are a very good thing. xoxo
:: edited to add ~ THANK YOU, EVERYONE! you gave such great recommendations. i made jenny's peanut butter cookies (the recipe from whole foods) *and* courtney's namaste brownies. everything was super yummy! xoxo
