The O-Zone

There is a recipe in my new gluten-free cookbook that has intrigued me since I read it. Today I made a batch and just pulled them from the oven.

They are made with a light rice flour mixture, some garbanzo bean flour added for protein, and instead of shortening the recipe called for a nut butter.  I used a crunchy almond nut butter this time.  These are a yeast bread just like normal English Muffins.  I think they will be very good when they are split and toasted and have some margarine and orange marmelade on them.

Yesterday for dinner I fixed one of my oldest recipes from my collection.

Baked Lentils and Cheese

In a baking dish combine:

1-3/4 cups rinsed lentils
2 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 pound can whole tomatoes, chopped
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/8 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or more if you like it a lot
1 whole bay leaf

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 375F for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and add the following ingredients to the baking dish
and stir them in:

2 carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

Return the baking dish to the oven and bake another 40 minutes,
uncovered.

Remove the baking dish once more and stir in:

2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 whole green pepper, seeded and chopped finely

Then cover the top of the baking dish with 3 cups (10 ounces) shredded
cheddar cheese.

Return to the oven once more for another 8 minutes, until the cheese is
melted and bubbling.

I made this without cheese and it is equally as good.  Yes, I keep telling myself that about recipes which call for cheese and which I now leave out.  Who knows, someday I might even buy into that theory!