Welcome to this week’s Menu-Swap Monday, hosted by yours truly.  Our ingredient for the week is cornmeal.

Gluten Free Menu Swap Monday - Cornmeal

I know that cornmeal doesn’t sound all that exciting, but the inspiration behind my choice was that I wanted to try making polenta. I’ve never made polenta, although I’ve had it several times in restaurants. And I’ve had my recipe picked out for a while. It’s from Simply Gluten Free - and its a Spanish Mushroom Tapas. 

For other great ideas, check out Shauna’s (Gluten Free Girl) page.  She has a great new post up there about arepas, which are Venezuelan corn cakes.  They look fabulous!  (I might have to try making these too.)  And this post has tons of various ideas about cornmeal in the comment sections.

So everyone, send me your menu at kieferwilson_at_comcast_dot_net, or leave it in the comment sections.

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It’s great to see so many people participating!  And a big WELCOME to the new folks!

 

Terri at Faking It Gluten Free Style has two menus up for the week. First, she has a menu full of yummy recipes using cornmeal, including pork tamales, chicken and cornmeal dumplings, and a cornmeal pizza (not to mention a chocolate polenta cake - yum!). But she decided to be a bit healthier and posted a second, revised menu, featuring grilled meats and vegetables. Sounds just as tasty!

We welcome Aparagus Thin to this week’s menu-swap! She is more organized than the rest of us and manages to plan out breakfast and lunch, as well as dinner — well done! Her menu has an international flare: Mexican - Baked Chile Rellenos; Asian - Tofu Kabobs with Chinese BBQ sauce; and Indian - Okra Dahl with rice and yogurt.

Ginger over at Fresh Ginger is adding a new feature of Appetizer of the Week to go with her cocktail of the week.  She is starting with Buckwheat Blinis with smoked salmon and creme frraiche (cocktail party at Ginger’s house?)  Dinners look just as good with Scallops Provencal, Vietnamese Crepes, Spicy Okra Gumbo, and Tortilla Soup.  I love these international menus. 

Melanie at Gluti Girls is still feeling a bit under the weather, but still managed a menu AND a fabulous looking recipe for Salmon Salad (the photo of which is making my mouth water).  She’s keeping it simple, which we all need to do from time to time.  It still looks great, with favorites like tacos, pizza, steak with baked potatoes, and lamb chops.  Feel better!

Sea from Book of Yum as one of her usual, wonderful-looking international menus up for the week as well as a promise to post a recipe for cornmeal cookies.  She has Italian - Chebe Vegetarian Broccoli Pizza Pockets; Chinese - Szechuan pepper chinese peas; Japanese - Vegetarian Yakisoba (fried noodles); and West African - West African Vegetable Stew.

One Beggar’s Bread joins us again with great ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  She has such great sounding dishes as Red Lentil Stew over Rice; Pot Roast (such a good comfort food!); Pork, Apple and Quinoa Casserole; and Pizza.  (I’m so glad you like my pizza dough recipe.) 

Jacki at Cooking, Illustrated is back for a second week.  Her menu has a Mediterranean flare to it:  Roasted Chicken with vegetables and Tomato Rice with Feta Cheese; Greek Rigatoni (I made this last week and it was really good); and Tuscan Chicken Soup.

We have another newcomer from Meal in Progress.  Not only does she have a great looking menu using cornmeal is its many forms, she has recipes along with them!  Yeah!  Featured are Sweet Corn and Red Pepper Salad with Wild Rice; Gluten-Free Corn Cakes; Tamale Pie; Corncakes with Sliced Oranges; and Super Nachos with Guacamole.  Her menu also takes advantage of using leftovers to cut down prep time and to prevent waste.  Such a great idea.

Esther in her Lilac Kitchen joins in now that her little one is a month old and she can be a little more organized.  (I’m not sure how you parents do it!)  She has some yummy standards this week, such as meatloaf, veggie pasta, Toad in the hole (standard for England, anyway), and tomato and eggs.  (Glad you and the little one are both doing well!)

Sally at Aprovechar is having a Riesling wine-tasting party and serving Thai food - the perfect pairing!  Otherwise, she is focusing on quick and healthy meals, such as grilled pork chops, tuna melts with veggie soup, honey Dijon salmon, and a “sorta Thai veggie stir-fry.” 

Natalie, from Gluten Free Mommy, has been having good success on the South Beach Diet, so her menu continues to follow that plan.  (good job Natalie!)  The diet stresses lean protein and lots of vegetables, so she has on her menu: low-carb burgers with avocado and red pepper; Greek-style shrimp broccoli salad; Pork Tenderloin; Mahi Mahi mixed greens salad; and grilled ginger chicken.

Gluten Free in The Greens is getting ready for Passover, which starts Sunday, and is looking for suggestions for a dessert to take to a Seder.  So let her know if you have any ideas.  This week she is serving up some tasty looking dishes, including chipotle mac & cheese; black bean burgers; and winter squash-chicken tzimmes.

Angela from Angela’s Kitchen joins in with “menu-plan Tuesday”.  lol!  In keeping with the week’s theme, she has a link to her fabulous corn bread recipe.  Sounds perfect to go with her ground beef and bean stew.  She is also making “citrus-kissed” chicken tenders, slow cooker turkey cutlet in mango salsa, and breaded pork chops with asian-style slaw.  Yum.

     

And of course, Organizing Junkie, where hundreds of menu planners post their links. Not all are gluten-free, but fabulous dinner ideas abound! While you are there, check out some of Laura’s great tips on getting organized!

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Here’s my menu:

Monday:
Chicken Enchiladas
(layered/flat style)

Tuesday:
Out to Dinner

Wednesday:
Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Grilled Tomatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

Thursday:
Spanish Mushroom Tapas w/ Polenta
Grilled Shrimp

Friday:
Pizza Night
Cookout at Friends House

I’m also going to be trying to make Carrie’s bagels as well as a chickpea crepe that is a common Italian snack.  I’ll post about that later.  And if I get to it before Friday’s cookout, I’m going to try making Gluten Free Gobsmacked’s Hamburger Buns.

 

The big cats had to wait their turn while the little one hogged the catnip.