Warm yourself with a hearty bowl of authentic American-style gluten free chilli cooked in the slow cooker for 9 hours for a flavourful autumn meal!
 

Yield: 6 to 8
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 9 hours

Gluten-Free 9 Hour American Chilli

It seems the weather has suddenly turned frigid here in Manchester! I've swapped ballerina pumps for suede ankle boots and can't dare leave the house without a wrap or a throw. The leaves are changing on the trees and my Instagram feed (come join me on Instagram & get your fill of gluten-free food porn) is overrun with snaps of pumpkin spice lattes. And even though fall doesn't officially kick off until Friday, I've begun to indulge in it just a little bit early this year.

Autumn was made for hearty meals that cook themselves, leaving you plenty of time to watch the leaves change and curl up with a hot drink. And nothing says autumn in the American south quite like a bowl of hearty chilli, bursting with beans and packed with meat--this is a protein hit that you'll want to indulge in time and time again. Your family will absolutely love this easy gluten free American chilli recipe. Serve it up southwest style with crunchy tortilla chips for dipping and then use the leftovers to fill fluffy baked potatoes the day after; you'll get two meals from the effort of one!

Wrapped in warm Middle Eastern spices, these gluten free lamb koftas are hearty and filling!

Yield: A dozen
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Gluten Free Lamb Koftas & Couscous with Homemade Hummus

These Middle Eastern-inspired lamb koftas are brimming with flavor! They've got a very mild sweetness and the allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg give them a warmth and depth that almost borders on smokiness.  I paired them with simple, out of the pack couscous flavored with spices and peppers and served a hearty homemade hummus to bring everything together to make a quick, gluten free weeknight meal.

Gluten Free Osso Bucco Lamb Shanks Recipe

Tender and succulent, these lamb shanks are slow cooked with the flavors of modern osso bucco and served in a light broth!

Yield 2 to 4 servings

Osso Bucco Lamb Shanks 

First it was the tender meat. Then the soft vegetables. Next, it was the light broth. Then the acidic pop of slow-cooked tomatoes. Every time I took a bite of this dish, I fell in love. Strictly speaking, it's not exactly a traditional osso bucco (usually made with veal, no tomatoes and served with a gremolata). But it is a modern interpretation made with lamb shanks, a cheat's mirepoix and those delicious tomatoes. No gremolata. No baby cows. But it is phenomenal and easy because it's cooked in the slow cooker!

Gluten Free Crock Pot Lamb Shanks with Homemade Pappardelle Recipe

Rich and tender lamb shanks get slow cooked with sweet carrots and tomatoes and served on a bed of soft, buttery freshly made pappardelle noodles in this comforting dish perfect for autumn!

 Feeds 2 adults; 1 toddler with leftovers

This recipe is one of those perfect bung it all in the slow cooker and forget bout it dishes. While I served my lamb shanks with homemade pasta, you wouldn't have to. Shop-bought pappardelle would suffice. I only used one lamb shank to make this entire pot. Granted, it was a fairly large shank, but it fed three of us, twice. If you only want to use one, just bulk up the dish with a few more vegetables and you'll get away with it.

I love lamb when it's been cooked low and slow and falls apart in your mouth. It has such a richness to it, it teeters on the verge of tasting slightly gamey but with a welcomed sweetness that saves it from the harsh metallic taste of venison. I'm still new to lamb, having only tried it back in 2008 when I first moved to Manchester. A group of friends and I were on our way down to London and had stopped at a motorway services (think rest area like they were in the good ol' days with restaurants and people milling about) for lunch. One of the girls in the group, an Aussie named Kate, bought a big serving of lamb shanks and proceeded to educate me on its taste. I was hooked.

Growing up in the American South, lamb wasn't something that we ate. The proteins on loop in my mom's kitchen were beef, pork, chicken and shrimp and the occasional catfish. Not to perpetuate any stereotypes, but in the 70s 80s and 90s in the States, a certain type of person ate lamb. Mostly the Brady Bunch and families of a similar ilk on telly were seen slicing into dainty chops while they schemed or plotted or laughed over some late shenanigan. I certainly didn't know anyone who'd ever eaten it. It's a shame, too, because I've been missing out!