Three Easy Gluten-Free Dinners When All You Have Is An Hour
What’s the quickest dinner I can make that’s healthy, easy, and gluten-free? That’s usually what I am asking myself on my way home from work every day, or I get a call from my kids asking, “what’s for dinner Mom?” Ugh…better think of something quick! Well, here are three easy gluten-free dinners when all you have is an hour.
I suppose I should start with a little more info about me. I have gluten intolerance and have been eating gluten-free for 11 years. I was tested for celiac disease when I first figured out that gluten was the reason I was feeling so bad, but the gastroenterologist could not definitely tell me one way or the other because I had already started my gluten-free diet and I finally felt better, so needless to say, I wasn’t going back to eating gluten just for a test, so I consider myself gluten intolerant and I’m on a strict gluten-free diet. Now, my family does not have to eat gluten-free but because I am the chef in the kitchen, that is what they get normally…quick gluten-free meals.
I look for easy gluten-free dinner ideas that can be completed within an hour or less. I also look for ways that I can shorten the time involved in preparing food to lessen my time in the kitchen every night. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate the kitchen, in fact, it is my favorite place in the house because eating is something I am verrrry good at and love to do. It’s just in my situation, I am gone 10 hours a day for work so when I get home, I need to be as efficient as possible so I can have a little time in the evening to do whatever I want, like drinking a glass of wine and watching a movie…I’m a sucker for any Jane Austen flick – I just can’t help it.
So, without further ado, here are three easy gluten-free dinners I found online that give you a little variety and also can be completed in an hour or less (using only gluten-free foods and products).
#1 – Tilapia with Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Click here to see the original recipe. I use this recipe on the Weightwatchers.com website as a base and then provide ideas and products to offer gluten-free options.
Now before you say anything, yes this recipe is for chicken instead of fish but that is what I had available when I tried it (picture above) and my family didn’t complain one bit so you can use either for this recipe and all will be well.
Shortcuts For This Recipe –
Fresh lime juice – if you don’t have a lime on hand, use lime juice from a bottle. It’s only a few bucks and you can use it for lots of recipes.
Pineapple/pineapple juice – buy a couple of cans of chopped pineapple. That way you don’t have to cut a pineapple (although I have a tool that I use that makes cutting a pineapple super easy – I will show that to you another day) and you can use the pineapple juice for the recipe as well.
Now, this recipe calls for red onion, cilantro, and garlic. I have a quick fix that I use all the time, just buy a container of pre-made pico de gallo. It has all these ingredients, pre-cut, no fuss.
If you particularly like garlic though and want a little more (there is garlic in the pico de gallo), I love this quick shortcut for minced garlic. I use this in so many recipes.
Lastly, just a hint for the avocado. Choose an avocado from the store that is a brownish color, an example is below (not green). These are at the perfect ripeness and cut super easy.
Just cut the avocado lengthways, twist to open, scoop out the nut, and peel back the sides with a spoon or your finger to take off the shell. Then chop for this recipe.
Fish takes about 10-15 minutes to cook (I bought some Kroger frozen tilapia and thawed it for 10 minutes in water) and then it took about 10-15 minutes to make the salsa. I served it with a salad. Definitely under an hour and I love the smell of cilantro and lime in the house!
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