Cooking gluten free for your family doesn't have to be complicated or a lot of work. The key is to keep your meals simple and your kitchen stocked with gluten-free ingredients. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Eating gluten free means avoiding all foods made with these grains. That means not only bread and pasta, but avoiding most prepared and packaged foods, such as soups, sauces and salad dressings.

Stir-fries are fast and kid friendly. In a medium bowl, marinade thinly sliced flank steak with gluten-free soy or tamari sauce, minced garlic and grated ginger for a half-hour. In a separate bowl mix water, gluten-free soy or tamari sauce, cornstarch, ginger and garlic. In a pan, heat oil on medium to high heat, add beef and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the beef from the pan; add more oil and cut veggies such as carrots, peppers and onions; and cook until firm but tender. Return the beef to the pan, add the sauce and cook until the sauce has thickened. Serve with rice.

Rice and beans are naturally gluten free. Cook rice ahead of time to get a jump-start on dinner. In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat, add chopped onions and cook until soft. Add canned beans, garlic powder and hot sauce to the pan and continue to cook until warm. Add salt and pepper to taste. Fold in cooked rice and serve.

Pasta may be out on your gluten-free diet, but zoodles, thinly sliced zucchini, are in. To make the meatballs, mix ground beef or turkey with quick oats or gluten-free breadcrumbs, minced garlic, oregano, Parmesan cheese, kosher salt, pepper and an egg. Form into meatballs and cook on the stovetop in an oiled pan over medium heat, turning to brown on all sides. Add two cans of diced tomatoes to the meatballs and cook for 20 minutes. In a separate pan, heat oil over medium heat, add zoodles and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Serve meatballs with sauce over cooked zoodles.

Herbs and spices are naturally gluten free and add a lot of flavor to your food. In a large bowl, mix together oil, paprika, rosemary leaves, kosher salt and pepper. Add halved red potatoes and bone-in chicken thighs, and mix to coat. Place potatoes in a foil-lined pan and cook for 15 minutes in a 425F oven. Add chicken and continue cooking for another 30 to 35 minutes.

You don't have to give up taco Tuesday on a gluten-free diet. In an oiled pan over medium heat, cook diced onions until translucent. Add ground meat and cook until brown. Mix in powdered garlic, chili powder, kosher salt and pepper or a gluten-free taco seasoning mix. Serve in a corn tortilla with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and cheese.

Don't limit yourself to eggs only at breakfast. This hearty frittata makes a delicious dinner. Heat an oven-safe skillet over medium heat and add oil, chopped onions and peppers, and cook until soft. Then add sliced grape tomatoes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. In a medium bowl, beat eight eggs and mix in cheddar cheese. Pour beaten eggs over the veggie mixture. Stir the mixture until the egg starts to thicken, and then cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Finish cooking under the broiler for 3 minutes or until top is browned. Serve with roasted potatoes or sweet potato hash.