I'm not going to lie, this hasn't been easy. Just a few days into May, I'm already sick of the few meal options I have come up with for myself. I'm finding myself to be a little irritable and out of sorts. It's probably true for anyone who changes their diet so dramatically.

I remember the early days after we changed our son's diet. He was irritable, too. I thought, "this can't be healthy. He needs to eat." Then, soon after, he began to glow and smile and fill his plate. I don't have celiac, so I won't see such a drastic change, but I hope my body will soon get used to the shift. So far, my daily menu has looked a little like this:

1. Breakfast: 1 egg on gluten-free bread (Kinnikinnick brown rice bread, toasted)
2. Snack: Fruit and yogurt (Stoneyfield Farms French Vanilla)
3. Lunch: Salad with some sort of protein (usually walnuts)
4. Snack: Peanut butter and apple slices or carrots, cheese and gluten-free pretzels, any gluten-free munchies I can get my hands on
5. Well-planned dinner and some gluten-free chocolate (I like the organic dark chocolate bars maybe a little too much.)

I'm pretty good about coming up with some new and fun dinner recipes that will feed our whole family gluten-free, such as the Enchilada Casserole recipe below. But when it comes to breakfast, lunch and especially snacks, I'm at a loss.

So, here's my suggestion:
SEND ME RECIPES.

Here's what I'm offering:
1. I will cook, write about and photograph the best entries in the coming weeks.
2. I will choose the top three to appear in an upcoming OP story at the end of the month
3. The person who submits the winning recipe will get a $25 gift certificate to Hiller's

So, put on your thinking caps. I like easy, healthful recipes and am not afraid to try new ingredients. I am, however, a little afraid of baking, but will even attempt that feat for a fantastic treat. Send in any recipe you have had success with, along with your name and how I can contact you to recipes@oakpress.com. Please make the subject "recipe contest."

Here's a recipe a conjured up for a Mexican treat. I altered it slightly for my little one, who doesn't eat dairy. I also didn't use taco sauce because he's a little sensitive to spicy foods. I just layered the tortillas with scoops of filling mixture in between and added a wedge of vegan cheese on top. I served both recipes with Tofutti sour cream. We all ate huge portions. Ole.

Enchilada Casserole
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 pound ground beef
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Taco sauce (Newman's own is gluten-free)
Shredded cheese
Sour cream
About 8 corn or gluten-free tortillas (I used Sandwich Petals, which I ordered here with free shipping)

Heat oil in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, pepper and saute until soft. Add beef and cook until brown and crumbly. Drain off excess fat. Add can of tomatoes, spices and corn. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat up corn tortillas so they are soft and easy to roll. Put taco sauce in shallow container big enough to fit the tortilla in. Dip tortilla in sauce and set up in 9-by-11 baking dish. Scoop in about 3/4 cup of beef mixture into the tortilla. Roll into skinny burrito shape. Repeat until dish is full of wraps and top with cheese. Cook at 375 F for 15-20 minutes until bubbly. Serve with sour cream.