Five Cheap Quick Hearty Low Calorie Meals for Celiac and Grain Free Diets Using Canned Mushrooms

Those of us with Celiac Disease as well as grain allergies don't all have lots of money to pay out for expensive bread substitutes and specially prepared grain-free foods. We are often, however, at odds to create a quick satisfying and inexpensive meal. Without being able to put a quick sandwich together, we often resort to grabbing bits of food here and there to stave off hunger-a piece of cheese, a piece of fruit, a piece of chocolate. But without bread, noodles, or in some cases even rice, one is often at a loss to know what to eat.

I recently re-discovered a versatile, inexpensive and low calorie ingredient that can create a nice base for a quick healthy meal: canned mushrooms. An average can of mushrooms-steams and pieces is about a dollar at most supermarkets. Each can is about 60 calories. As a based for many delicious meals, canned mushrooms are one of the most versatile of ingredients.

As a child of the sixties, I came of age in an anti-canned vegetable era. Why eat over-cooked nutritionally drained vegetables when you cook get them fresh! Though I still generally agree with that premise, I have learned to make exceptions in exceptional cases. In preparing quick meals, canned mushrooms have many advantages over fresh ones. They require no washing or picking over, and are not filled with dirt and grit. And of course, canned mushrooms are not to be compared-in any way-- with delicate and savory varieties of fresh mushrooms. But canned mushrooms have their own pleasant texture and flavor; they are an entity unto themselves.

Here are some of the kinds of quick (five to ten minutes) hearty grain free meals you can make with canned mushrooms.

1) If you are a fan of Pizza with Mushrooms: place a can of mushrooms in a shallow bowl, top with pizza sauce and grated mozzarella cheese and microwave till the cheese is completely melted.

2) Quick Ratatouille: Sautee one can of mushrooms with one small chopped onion, a small mince piece of garlic (optional) and a chopped tomato in olive oil. Top with grated cheese.

3) Quick Mushroom Soup: Sautee a small chopped onion in some olive oil. Add a can of mushrooms, a dash of garlic powder and continue to sauté. Add a teaspoon of tapioca flour and mix in well. Add 1 cup of milk and slowly stir till mixture thickens. Add salt to taste. For an extra bit of flair, remove from heat, add a dash of white wine and stir as mixture cools.

4) Mushroom Stew: Sautee a small onion and a can of mushrooms in olive oil. Add ground beef or ground pork or loose sausage meat and stir till meat is cooked. Add a small jar of your favorite gluten-free marinara or spaghetti sauce. Stir and simmer for as long as feasible (time improves the flavor in this case).

5) Mushrooms, Greens and Cheese: Cook on the stove or in the microwave a bag of frozen greens: collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach will all work. Drain very thoroughly. Add a small amount of olive oil, a can on mushrooms and garlic powder and salt to taste. Add grated Romano cheese and mix while still hot.