According to wikipedia Creole jambalaya is traditionally a combination of meat, chicken, sausage, seafood and vegetables. Rice and stock are added to the recipe in equal amounts at the end of cooking and the mixture is brought to a boil and left to simmer until the rice is cooked. We cooked our rice separately and spooned the mixture on top but I love the idea of a one pot dish so we’ll try this method next time!

This dish can easily be made allergy-free by only including foods from your safe list. It’s not an exact science, just throw together what you’ve got on hand and enjoy the simplicity of cooking with very little measuring. Vary the spices according to taste. This combination pleased our palate.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb ground bison or beef
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
15-20 large prawns
8 gluten-free sausages
1 large handful green beans
1/2 can of corn
1 orange bell pepper, sliced
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 stalks of celery, sliced
7-8 medium mushrooms, sliced
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
2 tbsp paprika
pinch of unrefined sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne

Directions:

In a large fry pan, heat a dash of olive oil over medium heat.
Fry the onions for 5-6 minutes, until soft and add the garlic, cooking for another minute or so.
Add the beef, sausage and chicken, until almost cooked through.
Add all the vegetables and spices cooking for an additional few minutes to combine the flavours.
Add the can of diced tomatoes, mix well, cover and simmer for 25-30min. (This is where you could add equal amounts of rice and gf stock or water if you choose, to make it a one pot dish.)

Serve in a bowl over rice.

Before cooking, the seeds must be rinsed well to remove their bitter resin-like coating, which is called saponin. The presence of saponin is obvious by the production of soapy looking suds when the seeds are swished in water. Placing quinoa in a strainer and rinsing thoroughly with water easily washes the saponin from the seeds.

Quinoa’s super grain status comes from it’s nutritional value. Unlike other grains, quinoa is a complete protein because it contains all eight essential amino acids. It is an excellent source of calcium, potassium and zinc as well as iron, magnesium, and B vitamins. Quinoa is gluten-free and contains more calcium than milk!

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 red, orange or green bell peppers
1 lb ground bison
1 tbsp gluten-free worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp gluten-free tamari
1/2 tsp corn or tapioca starch
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp World Food’s Sweet Tamarind Sauce or tomato puree
sprinkle of nutritional yeast (optional, we forgot to add it this time)

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350.

Brown the bison over medium heat. Drain if necessary.
Remove pan from the heat and add remaining ingredients.
Add cooked quinoa and stir until well combined.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and stuff with the prepared mixture.
Place peppers in a baking dish and cook uncovered for 1 hour.
For the last 5 minutes you can turn your oven to broil to brown the tops, careful not to burn!

Serves 6 or provides leftovers for lunch!

As shown in the chart below, bison is leaner than beef, lower in cholesterol and it’s a rich source of bio-available iron. It is important to remember that bison meat is extra lean and will cook faster than other red meats. Bison can be used in place of beef in any recipe, however lower temperatures should be used. Medium rare or rare provide the best results.

source: http://canadianbison.ca

Ginger Bison with Snap Peas

Ingredients:

3 tbsp wheat free tamari
1 tbsp unrefined sugar
2 tbsp white wine
1/2 tsp tapioca starch

1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp minced or grated ginger
1 tbsp minced or diced garlic
1 handful snap peas
1 lb bison steak, thinly sliced

Directions:

Combine tamari, sugar, wine and tapioca starch in a bowl. Mix well so the starch is not lumpy. Set aside.

Heat the coconut oil in a large fry pan or wok over medium heat.
Fry the garlic and ginger for approximately 30 seconds, taking care not to burn the garlic.
Add the snap peas and cook for 1 min.
Add the sliced bison to the pan and cook until lightly browned.
Pour in sauce mixture.
Continue cooking until the sauce thickens a little bit. If needed add more starch mixed with a little bit of water until your desired consistency has been reached.
Careful not to overcook the bison!

We served this dish with jasmine rice and steamed bok choy.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground bison
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/2 bunch spinach, roughly chopped

Directions:

Saute the ground bison and onion in olive oil over medium heat until the meat is browned and the onion is tender. Add the seasonings and mix thoroughly so the meat absorbs the flavour. Add the pinto beans, diced tomatoes and water. Cover and simmer for 45 min, stir occasionally, adding more water if the chili becomes too thick. Stir in the spinach and cook for an additional 10-15 min.

Serve with a green salad and your favourite GF bread or breadsticks.