Katie

Gluten free Bisquick

2010-08-15T10:59:00.004-04:00

General Mills is awesome. Gluten free bisquick has hit the shelves. I hear it's really tasty. Just bought myself two boxes so we will see! Check out the website [HERE] for all sorts of recipes!

Sambuca

2010-05-19T21:01:00.008-04:00

I just got back from a trip to NYC with my good friend Bridget. I was up there for the National Stationery Show but was also able to enjoy the sites and the gluten free goodness the city has to offer. The weather was absolutely beautiful. May is the perfect time to visit.

My favorite restaurant of the entire trip was Sambuca. Located on the upper West side this Italian restaurant was delightful. A gluten free menu accompanied me at my table with out my asking and the first thing the waiter asked was if either my friend and I were gluten free. Upon my answer I was given some delicious gluten free bread. There was so much on the menu it was hard to choose but I went with the cheese ravioli. GREAT choice. It was so good! Afterwards Bridget and I split the gluten free chocolate brownie and icecream. mm!

This place is a must for any gluten free diners in the city!

You'll also notice some photos from Central Park...the restaurant is right across the street.

Location: 20 West 72nd Street

Friedman's

2010-05-19T20:52:00.004-04:00

Friedman's is an restaurant located in the super cute Chelsea Market...which was bustling this past Sunday. Check out the website for the Chelsea Market [HERE] it's full of shopping, bakeries, groceries and restaurants. I could have spent all day in there...it seemed to go on and on. Unfortunatly though, I only had time for brunch.

Friedman's serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. I went with eggs, bacon, toast and a potatoe pancake. SO good!! Especially the potatoe pancake! They even had a "Juice of the Day" which was delicious! (I'm a big juice fan) The photo I took of the food didn't come out so you'll just have to trust me. You must stop by this place if you are in the area.

Check out the Friedman's website [HERE]

Location: 5 9th Avenue

2010-05-19T20:43:00.004-04:00

I finally got to try Babycakes! Babycakes is a vegan bakery on the lower East side of NYC that has a huge selection of gluten free baked goods.

I was so excited that I had two cupcakes, chocolate and vanilla, two donuts also chocolate and vanilla and a mini brownie. All in one sitting! They didn't quite live up to the hype but they were still very very good! mm mm mmm! My favorite was the mini brownie...with the chocolate cupcake coming in as a close second.

Check out their adorable website [HERE]

Location: 248 Broome Street (Btwn Orchard & Ludlow)

Mozzarelli's

2010-05-19T20:28:00.003-04:00

So the last time I was in NYC I tried Risotteria for Pizza...this time I tried Mozzarelli's and next time I'm going to try Pala's. I was impressed with Mozzarelli's. Not only did they have gluten free pizza but they had a whole fridge full of dessert! The above shot only shows four out of the ten or so. The pizza was great. I was too full from Babycakes to try the dessert :-)

Location: 38 E 23rd St New York, NY 10010

Bloom's

2010-05-19T20:16:00.006-04:00

I've blogged about Bloom's before. It's a deli in NYC Midtown East. I was staying in a hotel only a few blocks away so I was able to eat there a few times...breakfast twice and a late dinner. Yum! They have a pretty extensive menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. My favorite was the pancakes!

Location: 350 Lexington Ave. Corner of 40th St. Tel: 212.922.3663

Silver Diner

2010-05-03T20:22:00.005-04:00

Silver Diner has a gluten free menu. Among their items are gluten-free waffles. Yum! You can check out their website [HERE]

Live Gluten Freely

2010-05-03T20:17:00.002-04:00

Everyone should join the Live Gluten Freely newsletter. Lots of great info and updates on gluten free products from General Mills. Also check out this link for product lists by brand.

You can sign up for the newsletter [HERE]

Garlic & Herb Au Gratin Potatoes

2010-04-11T18:44:00.004-04:00

This recipe came from the gluten-free magazine Delight. If you've never heard of this magazine, I suggest checking it out [HERE] Not only do they have great recipes, they have tips on dining out gluten free and saving money when it comes to gluten free shopping. They even have a section in every magazine that highlights the gluten free goodness in a particular city. This magazine showcased all that Chattanooga has to offer for us gluties.

These potatoes were pretty great, too!

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon butter
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup 1% low fat milk
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 cup low-fat shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 bunch scallions, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon thyme, finely chopped Sea salt, to taste Fresh ground black pepper, to taste Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray. Wash, dry, and slice potatoes.
3. Place sliced potatoes in microwave-safe dish and cover with damp paper towel; microwave on high for 5 minutes; flip potatoes and heat for additional 5–8 minutes, until potatoes are softened. Remove from microwave and set aside.
4. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until garlic begins to caramelize, about 1 minute.
5. Add milk and cheddar cheese, stir until cheese is melted, remove from heat, and stir in sour cream, chopped scallions, and herbs. Add sea salt and pepper to taste; pour mixture over potatoes and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mon Ami Gabi

2010-04-04T20:56:00.004-04:00

Happy Easter! and hooray! Mon Ami Gabi has a gluten free menu! Mon Ami Gabi is located in Chicago, Oak Brook, Las Vegas, Bethesda and here at Reston Town Center. Not only did they have a great selection of gluten free items to choose from they also have gluten free bread! I had the steak and frites...it was delicious! Check out the gluten free menu [HERE]

Beef Stroganoff

2010-01-18T12:53:00.007-05:00

This was delicious! You can find the recipe [HERE]. Though, I used ground beef instead of chuck roast and left out the mushrooms :-)

Also...I substituted Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake mix for the flour.

Gluten Free from General Mills

2009-12-15T14:13:00.003-05:00

A friend directed me to this page at General Mills which has a list of all their gluten free products as well as recipes for the Holidays! Check it out [HERE]

Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-12-09T19:39:00.014-05:00

It's been a long time since I've posted anything on here...but I thought this warranted a post. Today at my work we had a cupcake competition..."The Ultimate Cupcake Warrior" We literally had over 100 cupcakes! This was my first attempt at a new chocolate cupcake recipe and it was really good...the cupcakes were moist and fluffy! Check out the pics of my cupcakes, the other entries, and the judges deliberating! I didn't win...but I was the only gluten free one...at least mine were unique! :-)

I used Martha Stewarts Snowman Cupcake idea, which you can find [HERE] and below is the chocolate cupcake recipe, enjoy!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
1 package Bob's Red Mill gluten-free chocolate cake mix
2/3 cup applesauce (you can make you own, if you wish)
1/3 cup milk (this works with soy or rice milk too)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (apple cider vinegar works too)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup hot water (110°)
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preparing for baking. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring all the ingredients to room temperature. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners.

2. Making the batter. In the bowl of the stand mixer, start beating the butter until it is creamy. Add the cake mix, the applesauce, the milk, the lemon juice, and the eggs. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides when necessary. Raise the speed to low-medium and let it run for another moment. Add the hot water and the vanilla extract. Run the mixer for one more minute, scraping down the sides.

3. Baking the cupcakes. Carefully spoon the cupcake batter into the prepared muffin tins. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the cupcakes. (In our oven, the regular-sized cupcakes took 17 minutes, the jumbo ones 20 minutes.) Allow them to cool in the cupcake tin for 10 minutes. Transfer the cupcakes to a cooling rack and let them sit for another 20 minutes before eating.

Cookie Dough Icecream!

2009-08-26T19:22:00.003-04:00

I've found myself very busy after graduation but I had to post about this find. Gluten free cookie dough icecream...how fun! This might be old news but this is the first time I've seen it. It's by a brand called Turtle Mountain–Purely Decadent, and they are also dairy free! You can check out their website [HERE]

I graduated!

2009-06-23T14:08:00.004-04:00

Well, I haven't blogged in over a month! I've been busy trying to graduate, and I finally have! Here are some photos from my portfolio show and graduation.

Also, check out my new website: www.katiedierkes.com

Lemon Chicken

2009-05-10T23:07:00.005-04:00

This was really tasty! I used skinless chicken breast even though the recipe calls for chicken parts with skin. It was good this way too!

Ingredients:

3-4 lbs chicken parts (thighs and legs recommended), skin-on, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat.
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbsp fresh chopped thyme (or teaspoons dried)
1 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2-3 Tbsp melted butter
Lemon slices for garnish

Directions:

1. Place lemon juice, lemon peel, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper in a small bowl, whisk to combine. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut into each chicken piece one or two times by about 1/2 an inch. Place the chicken pieces and the marinade in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Rotate the bag so that all the chicken pieces are coated with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl in the refrigerator. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425. Remove chicken from marinade and place in a single layer in a large baking dish, skin side up. Reserve the marinade. Use a pastry brush to brush a little melted butter on to each piece of chicken.

3. Bake for a total of 50-55 minutes, until the skins are crispy brown and the chicken is cooked through, juices running clear. (Because I used skinless chicken breast mine was done in about 30 minutes) Halfway through the baking, baste the chicken pieces generously with reserved marinade. Let rest, covered in foil, for 10 minutes before serving.

4. Pour the juices from the pan into a serving bowl. Serve the chicken with the juices on the side or a little poured over the top of the chicken.

Home Fries

2009-05-10T23:00:00.004-04:00

These were yummy!! I found the recipe at allrecipes.com, you can either click [HERE] or see below!

Ingredients:

4 large Yukon Gold Potatoes
6 tablespoons butter
1 large sweet onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon Hungarian sweet paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

2. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, green bell pepper and garlic, and cook until tender, 5-10 minutes.

3. Mix potatoes and remaining butter into the saucepan. Season with paprika, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until well mixed and tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Cover while cooking if moist potatoes are preferred.

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Mixes

2009-05-07T20:29:00.003-04:00

I got an email from my cousin with a photo of her with three gluten free Betty Crocker mixes! I can not wait to try these! Looks like I'll be able to really soon! yay!

Check out more info [HERE]

Go Picnic

2009-05-06T16:05:00.008-04:00

I got this Go Picnic at the Gluten Free Cooking Spree the other night. It's pretty neat! Not only is it gluten free, it is also casein free, vegetarian and halal. Go Picnic comes in all different varieties but this one in particular was the Safari Munch and came with chips, salsa, strawberry applesauce, cookies, some other little snackies and even a hand wipe and a temporary tattoo!

You can check out other varieties [HERE]

I really liked the convenience of it! The chips and salsa were my fav! Although, the cookies and temporary tattoo were a close second :-)

The G-Free Diet

2009-05-05T13:39:00.007-04:00

Elizabeth Hasselbeck, one of the hosts of The View who also has celiac disease has been out promoting her new book The G-Free Diet. I have so many books on celiac and the gluten free diet, but I might have to get this one too! Click [HERE] to see her promoting the book on ABC's Good Morning America.

Starbucks Valencia Orange Cake

2009-05-04T14:02:00.004-04:00

Starting tomorrow Starbucks will offer a gluten free pastry and I got a chance to try the Valencia Orange Cake at the Gluten Free Cooking Spree I went to in Bethesda this past Friday. It was yummy, not dry at all! Check out your local Starbucks tomorrow for a taste!

Gluten Free Cooking Spree

2009-05-02T23:12:00.005-04:00

This Friday I went to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness Gluten Free Cooking Spree in Bethesda, Maryland. I've never been to this event before but it was pretty awesome!

The event is held to raise awareness of celiac disease and gives us gluties a chance to eat some yummy gluten free food! Top chefs, doctors and reporters were put on teams of three which included one chef, one doctor and one reporter and each team worked to create the best gluten-free dish.

There were 9 teams with chefs from different restaurants in the DC area which included, Wildfire Restaurant, Jaleo, Zengo, Pete's New HAven Style Apizza, Peacock Grand Cafe, Lilit Cafe, Hyatt Regency Bethesda, Sweet Sin and Legal Sea Foods.

Each of these teams came up with yummy dishes like...bacon wrapped scallops, pizza, crab cakes, lamb chops and paella!

There were also several doctors present that gave some really interesting presentations. Did you know that celiac disease is diagnosed in 1 in 4 people in Australia? We are way behind in the US and the amount of time between onset of symptoms and diagnosis is 9+ years in the US! Hopefully with more events like this, that will change.

I had a great time! I also got to take home a bunch of gluten free products! and I brought my boyfriend so I got two of everything :-) Lucky me!

Grilled Tuscan Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

2009-04-27T10:54:00.005-04:00

This was super delicious. I recommend marinating the chicken overnight, but it's great either way!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tbsp. dried rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves coarse salt and ground pepper
chicken breasts
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Heat the grill to medium.
2. In a small saucepan, bring 1/3 c. water and the rosemary to a boil; remove from the heat, cover, and let steep for 5 minutes.
3. Transfer to a blender. Add the oil and garlic; season with salt and pepper. Puree until smooth; let cool.
4. Combine the chicken and the rosemary oil in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, and turn to coat. Cover, and let marinate for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator, turning the chicken occasionally.
5. Remove the chicken from the marinade; place on the grill. Discard the marinade. Cook, basting frequently with the lemon juice and turning as needed to prevent burning, until cooked throughout, 20-30 minutes.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-04-07T15:25:00.003-04:00

I found the recipe for these cookies on Madison Paper's Blog. They are soooo yummy! I snapped a picture from my phone so they don't look nearly as good as they taste!

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
9 oz. GF chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream together all ingredients except the chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips.
3. Roll the cookies into medium sized balls on a greased cookie sheet. Flatten with fork.
4. Bake 9-10 minutes. Cool about 10 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.
5. Enjoy!

Coastal Flats

2009-04-01T16:17:00.007-04:00

Last night I had dinner and a movie with my two girlfriends. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at Coastal Flats, located in Tysons Corner Mall in Mclean, VA. We had super great service and they even offered a gluten-free menu! I had a grilled chicken breast and some very yummy mashed potatoes (not pictured).

After dinner we headed to Monsters vs. Aliens 3D, it was awesome!

Check out Coastal Flats [HERE] They also have a location in the Fairfax area.

The Bluegrass Grill and Bakery/OkayYellow Party!

2009-03-29T16:56:00.013-04:00

I was in Charlottesville this Friday for my older brother's companies 3 year anniversary party. Okayyellow is an advertising firm my brother started with two of his good friends. They are pretty awesome, you should check out their site by clicking [HERE]

My parents came down for the occasion and this is the whole fam all yellowed out :-) The men got yellow ties and the woman yellow scarves. You can't tell here, but I even painted my nails yellow!

Anyway, Charlottesville is a pretty cool town and we headed out for breakfast at this cute little place the next morning, The Bluegrass Grill and Bakery. While they did not offer anything specifically gluten free, they were very aware of the gluten free diet and able to accommodate it no problem. (they were aware of cross-contamination issues and even brought out our food separately from everyone elses)

I ordered some delicious scrambled eggs, bacon and home fries with a side of fruit and my sister ordered an omlette and fries. We also had some tea that came in an adorable pot :-)

Amy's Kids Meals

2009-03-24T12:46:00.006-04:00

I've been told by my sister that I should blog about how yummy Amy's gluten-free kids meals are! I'll take her word for it. Also...she mentioned they come with a fake tattoo!! ha :-)

UPDATE: Turns out only the Baked Ziti version is gluten free!

Shepherds Pie

2009-03-15T17:06:00.010-04:00

This recipe is delicious...I left out all the vegetables because I'm super picky but feel free to add all sorts of vegetable goodness!

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 lb. sirloin tips
1 Tbsp of shortening or butter
3 cups of GF beef broth (I use Pacific Natural Foods beef broth)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 bay leaf
2 Tbsp GF flour or corn starch
1 small onion

Topping:

4 large potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
milk or heavy cream

Directions:

Filling:

1. Coat the sirloin tips in GF flour, salt and pepper.
2. Brown sirloin tips on medium heat in a 12 inch skillet. Chop onion and add.
3. Add 3 cups GF beef broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until beef is tender.

Topping:

1. Peel, cube and boil potatoes for 15-20 minutes.
2. Drain water and add butter.
3. Mash and add milk until desired consistency.

Combine:

1. Pour stew into a medium sized casserole dish and cover with mashed potatoes.
2. Broil until potatoes begin to brown.

Peanut Butter Bars

2009-02-28T22:21:00.006-05:00

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 cups gluten-free graham cracker crumbs (I used Josef's gluten-free cinnamon graham crackers)
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
4 tablespoons peanut butter

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the butter or margarine, GF graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.

2. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the 4 tablespoons of peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the prepared crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T19:06:00.004-05:00

Cinnamon Toasties

2009-02-14T16:45:00.006-05:00

I've blogged about these before. The recipe comes from Erin McKenna from Babycakes Vegan Bakery in NYC. I altered the recipe a little bit so I didn't have to buy new flour, and it still turned out pretty tasty. A bit spongy, but quite scrumptious!

1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for pan
1 1/4 cup GF flour mixture**
1/2 cup potato starch
1 1/4 cups unrefined sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup store-bought unsweetened applesauce

Gluten Free Flour Mixture**

1.5 cups white rice flour
1.5 cups corn starch
1 cup tapioca flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush a 6 3/4-by-4 1/4-by-2 3/4-inch loaf pan with oil; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, stir together oil, applesauce, and 1 cup hot water. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Measure out 1/3 cup of batter and place in a small bowl. Pour remaining batter into prepared loaf pan. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon into reserved batter. Add to loaf pan, swirling to combine.
Transfer to oven and bake about 20 minutes. Brush top of loaf with oil and continue baking until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before unmolding.

ZPizza

2009-01-27T23:57:00.005-05:00

Looks like gluten-free pizza is becoming more and more popular! Zpizza which has 16 locations in Virginia and many many more all over the US has now started serving gluten-free pizza. I think I'll try out their Arlington or Dulles location. I'll let you know how it goes! :-)

Oh and it looks like they deliver...now that's even more exciting.

For more of their locations click [HERE]

For their website click [HERE]

Uno's Gluten Free Pizza!

2009-01-20T10:32:00.006-05:00

I just read this post over at Gluten Free Fun. Uno's Chicago Grill is now offering gluten free pizza! That is awesome! Of course my main concern is, can it really be gluten free? No cross contamination in a kitchen full of gluten?? I guess I'll have to go to my local Uno's and find out...either way, this is very exciting news! The awareness for Celiac and gluten intolerance is growing...and that makes me happy!

UPDATE:

I tried Uno's pizza tonight and it was AWESOME! It's so cool to know I can get pizza whenever I want and I don't have to make it myself!! I think I might make this a weekly thing :-)

Uno's also has a lot of other gluten free options and even icecream for dessert. I think they should think about having a gluten free brownie dessert next! ;-)

Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole

2009-01-19T09:52:00.005-05:00

This is ridiculously easy, and really tasty. I love the way the rice turns out. I'm a really picky eater so I left out the veggies but I'm sure they make it better :-)

Ingredients:

1 can GF Cream of Chicken Soup (I use Health Valley)
1 1/3 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables
1/2 tsp. onion powder
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Stir soup, water, rice, vegetables and onion powder in 12"x18" shallow baking dish.

2. Top with chicken. Season chicken as desired. Cover.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 min. or until done. Top with cheese. Makes 4 servings.

Baby Shower Cake + Cupcakes

2009-01-10T23:16:00.014-05:00

I had a chance to bake and decorate some cupcakes and a cake for a baby shower. (gluten-free of course!) The colors were pink, brown, beige and gold. I think I managed to cover them all! This was my first experience using fondant for the icing on the cake, it was fun!

Cookies!

2009-01-07T19:54:00.008-05:00

I've been baking a lot for a school project, check out the pics..thanks to my photographer friend John!

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

2009-01-01T18:09:00.005-05:00

I tried this macaroni and cheese for the first time tonight and it was to die for! (and super easy)

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked GF pasta (1 bag)
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons GF all-purpose flour (I use Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix)
1 1/2 cups half and half cream
3/4 pound processed cheese (Velveeta), cubed
pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni according to the package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour until smooth.
3. Gradually add cream; bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat.
4. Stir in cheese until melted.
5. Drain macaroni; add cheese mixture. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until heated through. Add pepper to taste.

Shrimp Pasta with Asiago Cheese

2008-12-28T18:18:00.004-05:00

I'm not a fan of shrimp but my brother is! This is a meal he loves.

Ingredients:

GF Pasta
1 stick butter
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup minced onion
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon GF Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup white wine or GF chicken broth
1 lb shrimp (I buy cooked, peeled and devained)

Topping:

1/2 cup asiago cheese
1 large avocado (peeled, pitted and sliced)

Directions:

1. Bring water to a boil and cook pasta.
2. In a separate pan simmer butter, minced garlic, minced onion, parsley, salt, pepper, GF Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and white wine or chicken broth.
3. Add cooked shrimp and simmer.
4. Serve on top of pasta topped with asiago cheese and avocado.

1000 Gluten-Free Recipes

2008-12-27T15:16:00.004-05:00

One thing I got for Christmas was the cookbook 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes by Carol Fenster. So far the only recipe I've tried is the yellow cake, twice! It didn't turn out either time. I was using an extra large cake pan so this could have contributed to the demise of both cakes but I still think they should have worked....

One great thing about the cookbook is that Carol uses a single gluten-free flour mixture for the entire book. This way you don't need to be mixing and buying different flours. She uses a combination of sorghum flour, potato starch and tapioca flour.

For the first cake I baked I didn't have the sorghum flour so I used white rice flour instead. The second time around I used the sorghum flour and I have to say, the first cake tasted much more moist and delicious while the second cake tasted and had the texture of sponge cake. I'll have to test these out again sometime, but I think I prefer using white rice flour in my flour mixtures :-)

Bravo

2008-12-27T15:10:00.004-05:00

I wrote about Bravo last Christmas when I was in Michigan. They are an Italian Restaurant located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. They are also really great with gluten-free requests. I was able to bring my own pasta and they boiled all new water in a different pot and made me some delicious gluten-free pasta woozie. Bravo has locations all over (none in the DC area though) you can check out their locations [HERE]

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-12-23T22:01:00.007-05:00

I tried these cookies out tonight and they are truly delicious! Nobody could tell they were gluten free :-)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups GF flour mix
1 teaspoon GF baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons GF vanilla
1 package or 2 cups GF semi sweet chocolate chips

*Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
(sift well)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum in a medium bowl.

2. Combine butter, brown sugar and sugar in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Continue beating until well mixed.

3. Reduce speed to low. Beat, gradually adding flour mixture, until well mixed. Stir chips in.

4. Spoon the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Do not over bake!

Christmas Sweets

2008-12-18T18:06:00.007-05:00

My friend Michelle and I made some really yummy Christmas cookies and mini cupcakes last night. We were up until 2:30 am! But it was lots of fun.

I used Namaste cake mix for the cupcakes and made the sugar cookies from scratch.

P.S. Check out Reston Mom's blog for a Holiday cookie recipe exchange!

Sugar Cookies:

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
pinch of salt
2 teaspoons GF vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups GF flour mix

*Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
1 cup white rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
(sift well)

Directions:

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together until fluffy; add sugar and cream well.
2. Add egg, salt, vanilla, and almond extract; mix well.
3. Add flour and mix until incorporated.
4. Chill dough (It works great if you chill the dough over night, but I've also popped it into the freezer for an hour or so and it's good to go)
5. Roll batter out and make fun shapes or scoop small spoon sized balls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 375 degrees. These bake quickly, take them out right before they are starting to brown!

Wendy's

2008-12-14T00:20:00.003-05:00

I often miss the convienence of fast food, especially because I'm always on the go but luckily Wendy's offers some great gluten-free options. Some of my favorite gluten-free options they offer are the chili, baked potato, grilled chicken (plain with no bun) and a frosty (with m&ms!)

For a complete list of Wendy's gluten-free items click [HERE] Follow the link and click on the "Menu items without gluten" pdf.

La Sandia

2008-12-07T19:53:00.008-05:00

I met my sister at La Sandia located at Tysons Corner today. It's a modern Mexican restaurant and my sister had told me they had a gluten-free menu so I was excited to try it out. If you check out their menu online they place a (G) next to all gluten-free items.

Unfortunately the menu at the restaurant did not specify which items were gluten-free. We asked the waiter and he said they just re-printed new menu's and they must have forgotten to add G's...ha!

The waiter didn't seem to know what was gluten-free either. He told me the corn chips were not gluten free bc they were made of corn flour. I assured him corn flour was gluten-free so he told me they were not gluten-free because they were friend in soy oil...which is in fact gluten-free! I think he was a bit confused.

Oh well, I figured out that I could eat the chicken enchillada's and some queso and chips. It was ok. I probably won't go there again :-)

But if you're interested...the address is:

7852 Tysons Corner Center, Mclean, VA

Potato Soup

2008-12-06T17:40:00.009-05:00

Mmmm, I love soup in the winter time! This is a really really yummy potato soup recipe and it's super duper easy! You'll have to forgive me, this photo was taken with my phone...not great quality :-) Looks way more delish in person!

Ingredients:

1 bag Gold Potatoes
2 sticks butter
4 cups milk
4 cups half and half
1 1/3 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix
1 large onion diced (or 2 tablespoons minced onion)
carrots sliced - if desired
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic salt to taste
Shredded cheese

Directions:

For the Potatoes:

1. Peel about 8 medium sized potatoes or 16 baby potatoes.
2. Cut each potato in half and add to a large, deep pot. Add enough water to cover.
3. Add 2 tablespoons minced onion or diced onion.
4. Bring to a boil (about 45 minutes) then turn heat to low.

In a large sauce pan:

1. Melt 2 sticks of butter, then remove pan from heat.
2. Add 1 1/3 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix.
3. Slowly add 8 cups milk (or 4 cups milk, 4 cups half and half), whisk together well.
4. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture thickens.
5. Add this mixture to the pot of potatoes (do not drain potatoes!!)
6. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to desired consistency. (I like mine thick and lumpy) Remove from heat.
7. Add salt, garlic salt and pepper to taste! Top with cheese! Enjoy!!

Chili

2008-12-02T22:23:00.007-05:00

I made some delicious chili for dinner tonight :-)

I am a naturally picky person on top of being gluten free so my chili was sans beans and diced tomatoes...but you could easily add both those ingredients to the recipe and it would taste, I'm sure...even more delish! I also topped it with Glutino crackers, my fav :-)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1 can tomato sauce
1 can V8 vegetable juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef
2. Add tomato sauce and V8 juice
3. Add 2 tablespoons chili powder and 1/4 cup sugar
4. Simmer and top with crackers and cheese

Chocolate Pie

2008-11-27T23:40:00.006-05:00

This is a delicious chocolate pie that I've blogged about before.
You can check it out [HERE] for the recipe.

We made it for Thanksgiving this year with some cool whip and hersheys to top it!

Risotteria

2008-11-26T10:47:00.010-05:00

More from my trip to NYC....Risotteria is a little Italian restaurant located in the West Village. They are known for their Risotto, hence the name...Rissoteria! I was very excited to try this place upon my arrival to NYC but I was a little disappointed.

My friends and I arrived at Risotteria well after the dinner rush, but we still had to wait at least 30 minutes outside in the rain and cold. This place is TINY, there is barely room to wait inside for a table and they can maybe seat 15 people maximum.

Although I was delighted that gluten free bread sticks were served at everyones table, they weren't anything to write home about. The pizza was just ok, it was really thin and crunchy and my friends came out really burned. (It was totally cute that my pizza came out with a Celiac Seal, though) The service was ok...overall, I just wasn't very impressed.

I've been reading other blogs about GF Italian eating in NYC and lots of people recommend Mozzarelli's and Pala's...I think I'll check those two out next time :-)

Risotteria Location: 270 Bleeker St. Btw 6th and 7th

Chips

2008-11-23T19:10:00.005-05:00

I'd say I have a pretty unhealthy obsession with chips. Chips just happen to be my snack of choice...always! I've posted about my love for UTZ before...another favorite of mine are Dorito's Cool Ranch.

For a complete list of Doritos gluten free chips, click [HERE].

2008-11-23T12:08:00.006-05:00

My friend is a photographer and he took this picture of me for a class this weekend. It was freezing!! But the photo turned out cool :-)

Rock the Vote

2008-11-04T07:04:00.003-05:00

Did you vote? I did! Polls opened at 6 am I was there at 5:30 and I was not alone! :-)

Rosa Mexicana

2008-11-01T19:13:00.005-04:00

More from my trip to NYC. Rosa Mexicana is an upscale mexican restaurant with several locations in Manhattan. (and here in DC)

Not gonna lie, the service was terrible, the portions were small and expensive. It wasn't a very pleasant experience. Our waiter was knowledgable about gluten free food though...the one time I saw him to ask him...

Website [HERE]

Halloween Cupcakes

2008-10-29T18:13:00.005-04:00

Happy early Halloween! My friend and I baked some cupcakes and attempted to decorate them for halloween the other night! We did mostly pumpkins because it was the easiest with a green kissable topping! :-) but also a mummy or two! Check out the mess we made in the kitchen! uggh!

We used Namaste mix for the cupcakes...always delish!

New York City

2008-10-21T19:44:00.015-04:00

Just a few (a lot) pics from my trip (non-food related) :-)

My friend Michelle's aunt is friends with the president of CBS late night productions so we were lucky enough to snag tickets to David Letterman.

It was a fun experience...we were given a tour of the entire set, which is pretty awesome and got to see a private performance from Darius Rucker (former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman) The show was pretty cool too, Kate Walsh was the guest that evening and she was, of course, even more gorgeous in person.

The rest are pictures from the Empire State building, botanical garden, the met, time square and brooklyn bridge!

Bloom's

2008-10-21T19:28:00.004-04:00

Bloom's is a deli located in midtown NYC. They had a separate gluten free menu with all sorts of options. I ordered the pizza burger and was pleasantly surprised that it came WITH a bun. It was yuuuuummy!! The fries were to die for too...how come there aren't more places with gluten free fries??? Fries ARE gluten free...so why can't people just separate the friers?!?! Hopefully this will happen in all restaurants in time...

Location: 350 Lexington Ave. Corner of 40th St. Tel: 212.922.3663

Peter's

2008-10-21T18:50:00.008-04:00

I finally have some of my pics from my trip to NYC so I can let you know some yummy GF spots that you must check out if you are in the area.

Peter's is a quaint little diner located in the upper west side. The staff is friendly and when I asked about a gluten free menu they let me know that everything on their menu can be made gluten free unless it has a mark next to it. As I flipped through the menu, which was many many pages long I only noticed a few marks! There menu boasts gluten free options for all times of the day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

They had gluten free pancakes, french toast and sandwiches and the list went on and on. It was so hard to decide! It was lunch time though, so I decided to go with an bacon and egg sandwhich and cheese fries. I'm very happy with my choice, it was delish!

I totally recommend Peter's, I wish they had one near me :( It was awesome!

Location: Peter's Gourmet Diner and Bar 1606 1st Ave, New York 10021 Btwn 83rd and 84th St.
Tel: 212.734.9600

Pumpkin Carving

2008-10-15T21:00:00.004-04:00

The family I work for invited me over to carve pumpkins and I had so much fun! Each of us carved some pretty cute pumpkins. I've never followed a template before and it was pretty tedious but lots of fun! In fact, I think I am going to come up with my own designs this weekend and carve some original pumpkins next week! Happy Fall everyone!

UTZ

2008-10-12T21:11:00.003-04:00

I've always appreciated that UTZ labels their products gluten-free when they are. I was checking out their site and I love how helpful and user friendly it is! They are very knowledgable about celiac disease and gluten....check it out [HERE] Now why can't all companies be like this?

SMAC

2008-10-05T13:09:00.005-04:00

I just got back from NYC and thoroughly enjoyed my stay in the cities gluten free paradise!

My favorite among all the places I went was a little restaurant named SMAC located in the East Village. SMAC is a macaroni & cheese eatery that serves all sorts of mac and cheese variations! From the good 'ol all-american to cajun and mediterrarean. All of which can be made gluten free! They even offer a sampler, where you can try all the different variations!

The mac and cheese is served in a hot skillet and tastes amazing! If you are gluten-free in NYC you must check this place out!

Vanilla Graham Cookies

2008-08-22T22:26:00.004-04:00

These cookies were a really great snack! I kept them in my car for a snack on the go, perfect :-)

Check them out [HERE]

Cinnamon Sugar Donuts

2008-08-22T22:19:00.004-04:00

Wow! I can't believe it has almost been a month since my last post. School and work has me too busy to think about blogging or cooking or anything fun...

but I did get a chance to try some really great donuts! Kinnikinnick cinnamon sugar donuts were so yummy! I bought a pack of six and quickly devoured the entire box. The donuts were tiny so it wasn't difficult. I recommend them to anyone!

Sonic

2008-07-12T15:59:00.005-04:00

One thing I miss about the South and gluten containing food is definitely Sonic. While I see commercials for Sonic all the time back in DC, I have yet to actually see a Sonic. I am assuming they are all in Southern VA.

Sonic does not have any gluten free food options, sadly, but it does have really great slushes! and some great dessert options...so while we wait for them to cater to the gluten free population....we can enjoy their famous slushes!

Chicken Parmesan

2008-07-11T22:12:00.003-04:00

I'm in Atlanta visiting my friend Kimmie and this was a meal that she had planned one night. It just happened to be gluten-free....and delicious...and way easy!

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese
Tomato Sauce (your choice)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Place the chicken breasts into a casserole dish. Cover with tomato sauce and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

2. Place preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and top with Mozzarella cheese. Place back in oven for 10 minutes or when cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Cinco's Mexican Cantina

2008-07-07T22:23:00.003-04:00

Greetings from Georgia! I am in the ATL for the week visiting my best friend Kimmie. While I am here I will try to let you know about anything gluten free in this area.

The other night we went to Cinco's Mexican Cantina in Suwanee, GA.

While the manager nor the wait staff knew anything about gluten free food, they were willing to work with me. Actually, the manager did not speak english and was very hard to communicate with. He kept coming back to me saying that nothing said gluten in the ingredients....I had a hard time explaining that gluten isn't actually listed in the ingredients...(usually) which made no sense to him! But, I did have a much easier time speaking to the waitress who was very sweet to help me. The chips were gluten free, as well as the queso. I ended up ordering enchillada's with corn tortilla's with chicken and cheese. The chicken was plain and they had no problem grilling my food with foil down to make sure there was no cross-contamination.

Pamela's Cupcakes

2008-06-27T20:29:00.004-04:00

It is my roommates Birthday so I baked some gluten free chocolate cupcakes. I used the Pamela's chocolate cake mix and they are delish! Pam never let's me down ;-)

Chocolate Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 stick butter
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
about 1/3 cup milk or water (depending on consistency you would like)

Top with sprinkles and dust with powdered sugar!

Click [HERE] for Pamela's Chocolate Cake Mix

Also, on a side note. Pamela's makes a killer frosting mix and pancake mix. If you haven't tried them, you should!

Uno Chicago Grill

2008-06-24T19:31:00.004-04:00

Uno's has a pretty good amount of gluten free options :-)

UPDATE: They offer gluten free pizza now!! check out my poster [HERE]

Erewhon

2008-06-24T19:25:00.005-04:00

I've only ever had the Crispy Brown Rice cereal by Erewhon but they have all sorts of gluten free cereals. Crunchy Corn and Amaranth, Rice Twice, Corn Flakes and Crispy Brown Rice with Mixed Berries too!

Looks yum. Check them out [HERE]

Amy's Cream of Tomato Soup

2008-06-22T12:33:00.005-04:00

Amy's Cream of Tomato Soup is gluten free and oh so delicious! A great summer treat with grilled cheese (Glutino corn bread) and sour cream and onion chips (Utz)

Moe's Southwest Grill

2008-06-21T19:41:00.003-04:00

I was talking to my bestfriend who lives in GA and she mentioned Moe's which was a huge favorite of mine pre gluten free while I lived in GA. I quickly looked it up and found they have locations here in NOVA but also found out that they don't have anything gluten free! Not even their corn chips and corn tortillas. What gives? They must be frying all of their food in the same oil...

Because I was still on the phone with my friend, I mentioned to her the bad news and she reminded me that post gluten free we went to Moe's and figured I could get chips and queso and be fine. I ended up getting sick that night and we assumed it was because someone got their gluten containing food on my plate. Turns out that it was because I ate a bunch of gluten!

Maybe I'll write a letter to Moe's and they can jump on the gluten free band wagon like Chipotle and Baha Fresh!

Just because...

2008-06-21T19:14:00.004-04:00

It stinks! This isn't going to surprise any of the other gluties out there but those of the later population might be surprised. or might not!

I stopped by my local health food store, Healthway for some staples in my house:

3 loaves of bread (Glutino Corn Bread)
1 box of macaroni (Glutino)
1 box of ravioli (Conte's Pasta)

Grand Total: $31.00

Just for fun, I added up what it would cost me three years ago pre-gluten free:

3 loaves bread (Wonder bread)
1 box macaroni (Kraft)
1 can ravioli (Chef Boyardee)

Grand Total: $9.35

no fair!

Cheese Ravioli

2008-06-20T16:32:00.007-04:00

I tried some Conte's Pasta for the first time today. I made their Cheese Ravioli and it was really really good! I didn't realize that Conte also has sauce that you can buy separate at the time so I ended up making my own.

You can find Conte's products [HERE] They have all sorts of pastas.

And here is the sauce I made...which I totally recommend!

Sauce:

15 ounces of tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon minced onion
2-3 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon sugar

Simmer and pour on top of the yummy ravioli!

Mostacholi

2008-06-16T21:13:00.006-04:00

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef
2 Tbsp. minced onion
Spaghetti sauce (whatever kind you want!)
Gluten Free noodles (penne work good)
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese

1. Brown ground beef and minced onion.

2. Cook noodles.

3. Add red sauce to beef and simmer for 15-20 minutes until bubbly.

4. Take a 9x13 inch baking dish and spray with gf non-stick cooking spray. Layer the sauce, noodles and cheese twice. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

5. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted!

Hamburger buns!

2008-06-11T21:58:00.004-04:00

I have been a terrible terrible blogger lately! But classes just ended for this quarter and I have an entire month off so hopefully I can get back to cooking/baking and blogging! Time will tell!

I just wanted to let you all know about these white rolls from Schar. They are delicious! I bought them reluctantly and tried them as hamburger buns and I was really pleasantly surprised! I haven't had a "real" hamburger in quite sometime but from what I remember, they tasted just the same!

Here is the delicious burger I had with the Schar buns!

Dr. Schar

2008-05-20T12:08:00.003-04:00

Today I was at the Health Food Store when I noticed a new product made by a company named Schar. This company is a German company that is the #1 selling gluten-free brand in Europe. They have been around since 1922, starting out in the Baby Food Industry and created their first gluten free line in 1982. In 2007 they opened their US headquarters in NYC.

If you check out their site, it is pretty impressive! Not only do they provide all the usual information on their company and products, they have tons of recipes to share! As well as tips and tricks for cooking and baking! They also have tips on traveling and eating out and everything you could ask for!

Click [HERE] to check out their website!

Ian's Chicken Nuggets

2008-05-12T18:40:00.002-04:00

No wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no casein, no nuts, no eggs, no soy, no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Organic :-)

Yum!

Uncle Rick

2008-05-11T20:34:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone!

Happy Mother's Day :-) This post has nothing to do with gluten-free food...so bare with me, if you will.

I have a very ill Uncle who is currently hospitalized in Chicago in the process of receiving a bone marrow transplant. He also happens to be a priest and continues to amaze me with his uplifted spirit as he undergoes this grueling process of receiving a BMT.

He has a CarePage which is sort of like a blog, a place where he can document his journey and let everyone know how he is doing.

Anyway, I loved his message today and I thought I would share it with you all.

Thank you, God, for the Gift of your Spirit. Help us truly realize that we are truly one, because it is the same Spirit, same Lord at work in and through each of us, whether Catholic, Methodist or any who are baptized and walk in the ways of the Lord.

How can the Word spread while we continue to be divided?

Well, I guess the Spirit can do anything. The Spirit did so in a divided Church in the first century. However, we'd be better off working with the Spirit if we would recognize we are called to oneness and love one another.

Peace.

Msgr. Rick

I completely agree. Amen!

For those of you who are fellow Christians reading this blog, prayers for my Uncle would be greatly appreciated.

Gluten-Free Checklist

2008-05-09T17:06:00.002-04:00

This is a cool website that provides all sorts of gluten free checklists. Birthday, books, products, pre-prepared meals, restaurants, travel and bakery—checklists. Very useful!!

Check it out [HERE]

Sugar Cookies

2008-05-05T19:44:00.002-04:00

I also had a chance to make my favorite sugar cookies! Click [HERE] for the recipe :-)

* Note - I use this flour mixture instead of using only rice flour.

2 cups white rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

Chocolate Pie

2008-05-05T19:29:00.007-04:00

This is my all-time favorite dessert! If you are a chocolate lover this rich chocolate pie will hit the spot. I was very excited to have a chance to make this for a BBQ I'm going to tomorrow :-) yum!

Ingredients:

Filling:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup sugar
10 oz. chocolate chips (I used a whole bag 12 oz.)
1 tsp. vanilla

Crust:

1 package of chocolate Kinnitoos

Directions:

1. Melt all the ingredients for the filling over the stove or in the microwave.

2. Using 1 entire package of kinnitoos, open each cookie and remove the frosting with a knife. Take the remaining cookies and put in a large plastic sandwich bag. With the entire package of cookies inside the plastic bag, using something heavy like a glass cup crush the cookies.

When the cookies are sufficiently crushed pour them into a pie pan. Pour a 1/4 cup melted butter on top the crushed cookies and to form the crust.

3. Pour the filling on top of the crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until the filling has set.

Polenta

2008-04-22T18:17:00.003-04:00

I was grocery shopping the other day and noticed a tag under some polenta that said GLUTEN FREE. I'm sucker for anything that says gluten free so naturally I bought it....but I have no idea what it is or what to do with it! I checked out the package and I am still a little lost...so does anyone have any good ideas on how to cook it? Any good polenta recipes?

Chicken with Rice Soup

2008-04-20T23:50:00.002-04:00

Speaking of inherently gluten free products....Healthy Choice Chicken with Rice soup is gluten free, and delicious! Everytime I go to the grocery store I buy as many as they have and eat them up quickly through out the week. They are a great snack that is quick and easy. A minute 30 in the microwave and ta da!

Rice Chex Go GF

2008-04-20T23:11:00.003-04:00

Rice Chex are now gluten free!!! and it even says so on the package! how cool is that? They totally redid their recipe to make them gluten free. I don't know about you guys but this was one of my top favorite cereals pre gluten free! Ahh! I can't wait to buy a box!

Speaking of General Mills.....apparently they are starting to label all of their products gluten free, if they are. How very kind! and convenient! I hope all the companies catch on! That would make us gluties lives so much easier!

Oh, and maybe companies will just start making everything gluten free! ahhhh, a girl can dream.

Triumph Dining Joins the Blogosphere

2008-04-16T12:26:00.006-04:00

Triumph Dining is known for their books on Dining gluten-free and their super helpful gluten-free dining cards...and now they have started a blog! They have all sorts of great info on their site...so you might want to add it to your daily blog roll :-)

Shout to the Lord

2008-04-11T16:24:00.003-04:00

So I was really surprised and excited to hear Shout to the Lord on American Idol the other night! Then I was surprised to hear it again the next night!

The first time they changed the word "Jesus" to "Shepherd" but the second time around they kept it to true to the lyrics, which is really awesome. I love seeing anything praising the Lord on television in our secular world!

Scalloped Potatoes

2008-04-03T12:31:00.005-04:00

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 large white onion, diced
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (or rice flour to make the dish gluten-free)
3/4 cup milk
White pepper
Dash salt (be careful because there is salt in the cheese)
3/4 cup shredded white Cheddar
4 to 5 potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1/8 cup finely sliced white parts scallions, for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an oven-to-table baking dish with some of the butter.

2. Melt the rest of the butter in a saucepan or small skillet and saute the onion until it becomes translucent. Gradually add the flour to make blond roux, then slowly add the milk and allow the mixture to thicken. Season with white pepper and just a dash of salt and remove from heat. (Be careful to avoid overdoing the salt, because there is salt in the cheese.)

3. Layer 1/3 of the potatoes in the baking dish, followed by 1/3 of the milk sauce, and 1/4 cup of the shredded white Cheddar. Repeat the sequence twice for a total of 3 layers. You can top with the breadcrumbs before baking, but omit if making the dish gluten-free. Bake covered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, removing the cover for the last 10 minutes. (You can speed up the cooking time by pre-microwaving for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, or even par-boiling the potatoes.) The scalloped potatoes are done when the potatoes are tender. Let rest a few minutes before serving. Garnish with sliced scallions.

The Chewy Gluten-Free

2008-04-03T09:32:00.004-04:00

These cookies got amazing reviews on the Food Network website so I'm going to go ahead without yet trying them....suggest them for everyone! Check out the reviews [HERE]

8 ounces unsalted butter
11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, approximately 1/4 cup
1/2-ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

This makes 2 dozen cookies :-)

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.

3. Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.

4. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour. Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.

Chef's Secret: Baking Substitutes

2008-04-02T16:00:00.004-04:00

1. Instead of eggs, you can use 3 Tablespoons of applesauce for each egg.
2. You can substitute sugar with agave nectar, which comes from a cactus and can be found in your organic supermarket.

**Agave nectar is a natural syrup from a cactus which is low on the glycemia index and often a safe alternative to most non-insulin dependant diabetics.

3. Use 2/3 cup agave nectar per 1 cup of sugar

GF Cinnamon Toasties

2008-04-02T15:55:00.004-04:00

I haven't tried these yet but the founder of Babycakes Bakery, the allergen free bakery in NYC shared the recipe on Martha Stewart...so I'm sure it's wonderful.

It is wheat, gluten, dairy, nuts, casein, soy and eggs free :-)

Check out the video [HERE]

1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for pan
1 cup garbanzo and fava bean flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup arrowroot
1 1/4 cups unrefined sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/3 cup store-bought unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Brush a 6 3/4-by-4 1/4-by-2 3/4-inch loaf pan with oil; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, potato starch, arrowroot, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
In a medium bowl, stir together oil, applesauce, and 1 cup hot water. Add oil mixture to flour mixture; stir until well combined. Measure out 1/3 cup of batter and place in a small bowl. Pour remaining batter into prepared loaf pan. Stir remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon into reserved batter. Add to loaf pan, swirling to combine.
Transfer to oven and bake about 20 minutes. Brush top of loaf with oil and continue baking until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack before unmolding.

Gluten-Free Network

2008-03-31T17:32:00.003-04:00

Just found this site...it looks like it has the potential to be a great resource and another easy way to exchange information among the GF community. Click [HERE] to check out the Gluten-Free Network.

GF Date Nut Muffins

2008-03-27T20:03:00.006-04:00

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 Tbs. shortening or vegetable oil
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup sorghum flour
2/3 cup whole-bean flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Lightly grease 12- cup muffin tin and set aside. In a medium bowl, combin dates, walnuts, shortening, baking soda, and salt. Pour in 1 cup boiling water and set aside for 20 minutes.

2. In a large bowl or plastic bag, combine sorghum flour, whole-bean flour, tapioca starch, sugar and xanthan gum. Mix well and set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs and vanilla until combined. Stir in date mixture. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.

4. Spoon batter evenly into each cup of prepared muffin tin. Let stand for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove form pan immediately and let cool completely on wire rack.

To make this recipe egg free:

Omit eggs from recipe. Combine 1/4 cup flax flour or ground flaxseed with 1/3 cup warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. add with vanilla. Increase baking time by 2-3 minutes for muffins.

GF Cranberry and walnut corn muffins

2008-03-27T19:56:00.005-04:00

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup gluten-free baking mix
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line 12- cup muffin tin with muffin papers. combine cornmeal, GF baking mix, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. Mix well. stir in cranberries and walnuts; set aside.

2. Beat together eggs, honey and oil in separate bowl. Beat in buttermilk. Fod wet igredients into dry, stirring just until mixed.

3. Pour batter into prepared muffin tin cups and bake 15 minutes, or untikl toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

4. You can also sprinkle cranberries and waluts on top of muffins before baking for a gourmet touch. Cool on rack before removing muffins. Serve warm with butter and honey, if desired.

Spring Break

2008-03-27T19:46:00.007-04:00

Well...I went from bright and sunny D.C. to cold and grey Michigan....

The snow is pretty.....as long as I stay inside and enjoy it by the fire :-)

Flourless Chocolate Cake

2008-03-27T19:40:00.003-04:00

Ingredients:

14 tablespoons butter
7 oz bitter sweet dark chcolate
6 eggs, separated
1 cup super fine sugar
powdered sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line the base of a 9 inch springform pan. Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler and stir over gently simmering water until melted. Allow to cool.

2. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until thick, then add the chcolate mixture and stir until fully combined. In a clean glass or metal bowl, using electric eaters, beat the egg whites to stiff peak stage. Place half the egg white into the chocolate mixture and fold into gentil until combined. Repeat with the remaining egg white.

3. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until set in the middle. Allow the cake to cool and firm up in the pan – it will fall bake dramatically, leaving a higher rim around the outside and with a few cracks on the surface but it’s supposed to look like that. When cooled gently turn out, remove the parchment paper and place onto a serving plate right side up. To serve dust with powdered sugar or cocoa powder. Serves 8-10.

Flourless Chocolate Dome

2008-03-21T19:44:00.004-04:00

P.F. Changs not only has a gluten-free menu with a great selection, they also offer this flourless chocolate dome for dessert! It is sooooo delicious! It may be small, but it's the perfect size for this flavor packed dome :-)

No Cussing Club

2008-03-15T15:13:00.007-04:00

Anybody else heard about the 15-year old boy from South Pasadena who started the No Cussing Club? I saw him on Dr. Phil and thought it was a pretty bold move, especially as a 15 year old when cussing can seem "cool". He's a character, check out his website [HERE] and check out his other videos a well. Great idea, hope he sticks with it :-)

The Gluten Free Bakery

2008-03-13T18:34:00.007-04:00

So, this quarter was my first quarter learning Flash. I chose to create a website for my imaginary gluten-free bakery! Depending on your internet speed the site can load pretty slow....or a little faster. Also, it may not work if you do not have a flash plug in....but who knows!

P.S. You can click on the magazine rack, the light switch on the wall and the area below the clock on the back wall for some fun little things. (As well as all the baked goods on the plate....and the links at the top.)

Click [HERE] to view,

Enjoy!

Potatoe and Chicken Casserole

2008-03-09T21:30:00.004-04:00

4 cups sliced raw potatoes
1 cups cooked chicken, cut in chunks
1/4 cups chopped chives
1 can GF cream of chicken soup
1/2 cups milk 1 tbsp. GF flour (I used Pamela's Pancake and Baking Mix)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter
Potato chips

1. Grease 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Arrange alternate layers of potatoes and chicken.

2. Add salt, pepper and flour. Melt butter. Add soup and milk. Heat until blended. Pour soup mixture over other ingredients. Top with crushed potato chips.

3. Bake 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake 15-30 minutes longer. Serves 6.

GF Cinnamon Bread

2008-03-09T12:55:00.007-04:00

After having the muffins I always bake for breakfast the other day I decided to try and turn this recipe into cinnamon bread and I feel I was pretty successful! My mom and sister quite liked it as well.

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 egg
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup silken tofu
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift all dry ingredients: brown rice flour, potato flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and cinnamon into a bowl. Add brown sugar. Using a whisk, mix well.

2. In a separate bowl beat together, vegetable oil, milk, silken tofu, egg and vanilla until smooth.

3. Add to dry ingredients. Mix until combined.

4. Pour half of the batter into a loaf pan and sprinkle brown sugar on top of the batter until covered.

5. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on the batter.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 180ºC (350ºF).

Richmond Auto Show

2008-03-08T20:36:00.009-05:00

Richmond Auto Show with mom, Paul and Jamie!

Pizza Party Part II

2008-03-08T19:58:00.014-05:00

This weekend my mom and I drove to Richmond to see some old friends and I decided to make pizza and bread sticks again! I guess you could say this is one of my favorite things to cook and it's always a crowd pleaser. Heather also made some delicious dessert!

It was a nice little get-away and sooo nice to see long-time friends. I have never been to Richmond before and thought it had some really neat areas. Our friends lived in a place called the Fan District and the houses were very pretty.

My brother Paul also came over from Charlottesville on Saturday with his gf Jamie for the Auto Show. She got us all tickets so we got to check it out. It was pretty neat :-)