Out Of The Rut

Do you ever feel like you are in a rut when it comes to cooking.  I do.  I often feel like I cook the same things and fall back on those menu items that are most familiar.  It wasn't always that way.  I was adventurous........once.  Now, especially now that we are gluten free, adventure is often out of the comfort zone and definitely not in the get-dinner-on-the-table-quick realm. 

A couple of months ago, I re-instituted "New Menu Night" at our house each Thursday night.  It has been great!  I have tried some new recipes and found some new favorites, but I have really relied more on adapting old favorites than really diving in and being adventurous.  This month I decided to test some new recipe books out at the library to find my new menu options.

Our library has quite a few gluten-free recipe books, so I brought home an armful and dove in.  I even tried several budget friendly non-gluten-free books thinking that maybe I could adapt them. 

Okay....So Cutting For Stone has nothing to do with cooking, but gosh, a girl has to have a little fun!

There were so many good and delicious sounding recipes that I finally decided to dedicate the month to one particular book to find my new recipes.  Next month, I will try a new book.  It seems a little less overwhelming that way.  So this month I made recipes out of  Roben Ryberg's book You Won't Believe It's Gluten Free.

There are several things I like about this book.  First, it has 500 recipes.  That could keep me busy for a while!  Second, she has more than one recipe for many of the items so that it is more versatile if you have other allergies.  Third, she is not gluten intolerant and even claims to be a "food junkie."  She says her palate is not influenced by eating a restricted diet and so she tastes and bakes accordingly.  Her comments for each recipe reflect her taste as she strives to have recipes taste like the real thing.  I also enjoyed her comparisons of recipes for the same item if it could be made more than one way.

The array of recipes is great!  There are so many I want to try!  The first one I did try was her Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry.  It was absolutely delicious!

It was so good, that I actually ordered the book that night.  Since then, I have spent more time perusing and planning.  Tonight, I must admit I was a little excited when I found her recipe for that Thanksgiving favorite: Green Bean Casserole.  She has the recipe for the onion topper and the cream of mushroom soup.  For all you dairy free people out there like me......the cream of mushroom soup is DAIRY FREE!!!!!  I will be making this one soon!

Tonight I found that sense of adventure I have been missing.  I was excited that tonight was new menu night!  I was eager to try something new.  Tonight we had Pork Chops Smothered with Apples and Onions from  Ryberg's book along with whipped potatoes and peas.  Yum!

Even Cinnamon has been looking at my new book and making plans of her own.  I hear Gluten-Free Fortune Cookies are in the works!