Gluten-Free Easy Mini Manicotti

1 tablespoon olive oil or oil of choice
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 clove garlic minced or ¼ teaspoon gluten-free asafoetida powder
1 small onion, finely chopped, or 1 small green pepper, chopped (5 ounces)
1 zucchini, chopped into ½-inch pieces (1½ cup or 8 ounces)
1 cup (7.5 ounces) frozen spinach, thawed and rinsed
1 (16-ounce) container ricotta cheese or dairy-free ricotta cheese substitute 1 (10-ounce) package of 12 gluten-free rice lasagna noodles (not ‘oven ready’ or ‘no boil’)
1 (32-ounce) jar pasta sauce or 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce 
¼ cup Parmesan or mozzarella cheese or dairy-free cheese substitute, optional for topping

1. Heat oil in a skillet and add spices, garlic and onion. Add chopped zucchini and cook until tender.

2. Toss in spinach and cook with zucchini for 10 minutes on high heat, hot enough to keep mixture dry. Remove from heat and let cool.

3. When mixture is cool, stir in ricotta cheese to blend well. Set aside.

4. Bring large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles as directed on package or just until you are able to cut with a knife. Drain and run under cold water.

5. Separate noodles and lay flat on a clean dish towel. (If they aren’t separated, they will stick together.) Cut each noodle in half cross-wise, creating 24 square pieces.

6. Pour half the pasta sauce into a greased 9x13-inch baking dish or covered casserole.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

8. Drop 1 heaping tablespoon ricotta mixture onto a pasta square. Roll the pasta up and place it in the sauce in the baking dish. Repeat, placing pasta rolls in neat rows. When all are rolled and placed in pan, cover them with remaining tomato sauce.

9. Sprinkle manicotti with grated or thinly sliced cheese, if using. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 30 to 35 minutes in preheated oven. Uncover during the final 2 minutes to brown cheese, if using. Makes 24 mini-manicotti.

Each Serving Contains 397 calories, 12g total fat, 56 carbs, 5 g fiber, 1 g protein

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Black Bean Corn Chili

3 cups water
2¾ cups black beans, soaked in water overnight, then drained
10 ounces fresh or frozen corn
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes or homemade tomato sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil or oil of choice
add ½ cup chopped onion and 2 cloves garlic, chopped, and sauté in oil until translucent.
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2-4 fresh tomatoes, chopped, optional
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon honey
Salt, to taste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1½ tablespoons chili powder  more to taste
1. Pour 3 cups water into a large saucepan and add beans. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium and cook until tender.
2. Add frozen corn and diced tomatoes. Simmer on low heat.
3. In a frying pan, heat oil until it sizzles. Throw in celery and cook until celery is translucent. Add green pepper and chopped tomatoes, if desired. Add lemon juice to maintain color of tomatoes. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook until green peppers are soft. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, combine molasses, honey, salt, apple cider vinegar, and chili powder Mix well and add to pot of beans. Stir in celery, green pepper and chopped tomatoes until ingredients are combined.

 Each serving contains 438 calories, 7g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg

cholesterol, 127mg sodium, 78g carbohydrate, 17g fiber, 22g protein.