Our friend Jack from Atlas in Iowa City recommended this delicious Jamie Oliver recipe for Tender and Crisp Chicken Legs and Sweet Tomatoes. We tried it, and it was so fabulous that we made the dish for my family’s Christmas dinner, which we hosted this year. The flavors are rich, but the dish is fairly light. The thing that bothered me, though, is that none of the vegetables are in season here during the winter and spring. So, I created two other variations of the dish both to accommodate the different seasons and to keep us from getting tired of eating the same thing every week. Yes, I have literally been making a variation on this dish once a week because it’s so easy, tastes amazing, and it makes several servings (4-6). It’s also incredibly healthy because it’s rich with vitamins and fiber. Also, if you prefer white meat, you can substitute chicken breasts for the hind quarters.

Artichoke, Chicken and Olives

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• 4 bone-in chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 can artichokes, drained
• 8-10 roma tomatoes, quartered
• 1 chopped red onion
• 1 chopped jalepeno
• 1 jar pitted Kalamata olives
• ¼ tsp dried thyme (or fresh)
• 1 head of garlic (broken up, leave cloves whole)
• salt and pepper to taste (a generous amount of each)

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Season your chicken pieces all over and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the vegetables and olives, then chuck in your tomatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil. Mix around a bit, pushing the tomatoes underneath. Place in the oven for 1½ hours, turning the tomatoes halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

This recipe makes a lot of broth, so you may want to serve it over pasta or rice.

Seasonal Root Vegetables and Chicken

• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• 4 bone-in chicken drumsticks
• 3 beets, peeled and chopped
• 2-3 sweet potatoes, chunked
• 1 leek, sliced
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 parsnip, chopped
• 1 rutabaga, chopped
• 1 head of garlic (broken up, leave cloves whole)
• salt and pepper to taste (a generous amount of each)

Preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Season your chicken pieces all over and put them into a snug-fitting pan in one layer. Throw in all the vegetables and olives, then chuck in your tomatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves into the pan and drizzle over some olive oil. Mix around a bit, pushing the tomatoes underneath. Place in the oven for 1½ hours, turning the tomatoes halfway through, until the chicken skin is crisp and the meat falls off the bone.

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There is a terrific little Mexican restaurant chain in the Midwest called Panchero’s that makes fantastic burritos. Before I was diagnosed with celiac disease, Drew and I would stop there after work to grab a quick dinner. The restaurant’s slogan is “it’s all about the tortilla” because they hand press a homemade tortilla for each burrito. I really missed the burritos after going on the gluten-free diet, and decided to try to make one myself. I haven’t found a tortilla that compares to the ones at Panchero’s—corn tortillas are more grainy and fall apart very easily, so while they’re great for fajitas and quesadillas, they don’t really hold up to a burrito. So, I decided to skip the tortilla and put all of the burrito toppings into a bowl. The recipe has gone through several iterations, and here is the final one that Drew and I  love.

Gluten-Free Burrito Bowl (makes 3-4 servings)

• ½ C. quinoa (or white or brown rice)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed
• 2 C. lettuce or spinach
• 1/3 jar of your favorite salsa (I recommend Frontera Jalapeno Cilantro Salsa)
• 1 chicken breast (optional)
• 1 red or green pepper
• ½ yellow onion or green onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• ½ C. shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado, halved then sliced
• Juice of ½ a lime
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Start by cooking rice according to the instructions on the package. While the rice is cooking, mince the garlic, and dice the pepper, onion, jalapeño, and chicken. Salt and pepper the chicken and vegetables. Put a skillet on medium heat and drizzle with olive oil. Once the oil is hot, put in the garlic and then the chicken. When chicken is about half done, sprinkle it with the lime juice. When chicken is nearly done, put in the pepper, onion, and jalapeño. Stir occasionally. While chicken and vegetables are cooking, put the black beans in a microwave safe container and cook on high for 1-2 minutes. When the rice is done, gently stir in the black beans and salsa.

Divide the spinach between two plates or large bowls. Place rice mixture on top of the spinach. Add chicken, peppers, onions, and jalapeños. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken, and top with the sliced avocado. Serves 2.

To make the recipe even easier, you could leave the vegetables raw and exclude the chicken. You will get plenty of protein from the quinoa and black beans. To make it into more of a salad, simply leave out the rice or quinoa. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s pretty much foolproof. All of the ingredients taste great together, so you should modify it however you like, and it will still taste great.

Burrito bowls are an easy, healthy gluten-free dinner. They are very filling, and contain a good amount of fiber and nutrients, especially if you use quinoa instead of the rice. We often have enough leftover for lunch the next day.

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Enchiladas have long been one of my favorite items at Mexican restaurants. These are really simple to throw together, as long as you have time to let them bake in the oven. The poblano salsa has really nice flavor and can be made several days in advance.

Roasted Poblano Salsa (makes about 3 cups)

• 4 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 medium onion (about 1/2 cup)
• 2 fresh poblano peppers
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• Salt to taste (~1 tbsp.)

Warm a caste iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic in the skillet, rotating frequently until the onions soften and the tomatoes feel warmed through (8-10 minutes). Seed the poblanos by slicing around the seeds and stem, and core the roma tomatoes. Place ingredients in a blender or food processor (I use a blender for this one) and pulse until smooth. Add the black pepper and salt to taste.

Chicken Enchiladas (serves 4-6)

• 1 lb boneless chicken breasts
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 3 cups shredded Colby jack or Monterrey jack cheese
• 3 cups of the roasted poblano salsa above

Place the raw chicken on a greased sheet pan, season with salt and pepper. Bake the chicken at 350° for 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. (I usually prepare the salsa while the chicken is baking.) When chicken is baked, remove it from the oven and let it sit for 5-10 minutes (this helps keeps the meat moist and brings the temperature down so you can handle the meat). Using two forks, pull the chicken apart into small clumps. This works best if you pull against the grain.

Once all the chicken has been pulled, it is time to prepare the enchiladas. In an 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish, pour a layer of poblano salsa, just enough to thinnly coat the bottom of the dish. Layer 3-4 tortillas so they cover the entire dish. Sprinkle a cup of cheese over the tortillas and place about half the chicken on top. Pour about 3/4 cup of poblano salsa over the chicken. Repeat the process, placing tortillas, 1 cup cheese, remaining chicken and 3/4 cup salsa. Make one final layer of tortillas and top with remaining cheese.

With the oven still heated to 350°, bake the enchiladas for around 40 minutes, or until the cheese on top is browning and the sauce is bubbling at the sides. Remove and let stand for five minutes. Serve with the remaining poblano salsa and sour cream. We also serve it with this simple refried beans recipe from the Food Network.

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The key to making great gluten-free fajitas is simple: be authentic. Now, we’re not saying that you’ll find this recipe in a cantina in Mexico, but we do know that they use far more corn tortillas than flour tortillas. These fajitas are quick to throw together (less than 30 minutes if your chicken is thawed and you’re a quick chopper).

Gluten-Free Chicken Fajitas (serves 4-6 people)

• 1/2 – 1 lb. boneless chicken breast, sliced into strips (we recommend antibiotic-free, organic chicken)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 oz. lime juice (or just juice a fresh lime)
• 1/2 large onion or one smaller onion, quartered and sliced (your onion strips should look like commas or parentheses)
• 1 large green bell pepper or two smaller green bell peppers, seeded and sliced length-wise
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and sliced length-wise (optional, but tasty!)
• 1 15oz. can of gf black beans
• 1 package (about 20) yellow or white corn tortillas (we prefer the yellow)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toppings: gf salsa (you can use our gluten-free salsa recipe), gf sour cream, gf shredded cheese)

Grease a sauté pan with vegetable oil. Over medium-high heat, sauté the chicken, garlic, and 1 oz. of lime juice in the pan, turning the meat frequently. After the lime juice has evaporated and the chicken is browning (3-4 minutes), stir in the remainder of the lime juice and reduce the heat to simmer.

While the chicken is cooking, sauté the onion, peppers, and jalapeños in a separate pan or skillet on medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Let the veggies cook for 6-8 minutes, or until they reach the desired consistency (they should be soft but firm).

Drain and rinse the black beans, then heat them (we use the microwave for this, but a small pot over medium heat will work as well).

Steam the tortillas in the microwave (we just vent the package and microwave them in the plastic, but you can set them on a plate and microwave them next to a moist towel as well).

Serve the veggies, meat, and beans on the tortillas and top with sour cream, shredded cheese, and salsa (again, we highly recommend making our gluten-free salsa in advance … it’s delicious!).

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