Trav's Gone Gluten Free!

Gluten Free Banana Oat Coconut Muffins

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 01:57:00 +0000

I forgot just how easy it is to make muffins. And how rewarding! Not only do you get warm fluffy treats... your house smells comforting and delicious! Making muffins is basically as easy as mixing the dry with the wet ingredients, filling up some cupcake pans, and throwing them into an oven for 15 or so minutes... then poof! It's off to muffin munchin land!

There's so many muffin making possibilities that it's hard to imagine running out of tasty combinations to experiment with. For example, take a base flavor like banana. I've had many variations of banana walnut muffins, but there are many more flavor combinations available to play with. These banana muffins include gluten free oats and coconut chips, a little ground cloves and nutmeg, and a topping of sprinkled pecan pieces. You could leave out the coconut, add chocolate chips or something else, maybe mango chunks... whatever sounds good to you, I say go for it. With muffins, the worst case scenario is rarely less than yum.

Makes 12 regular size muffins

Total Prep Time: Less than 1 hour

Ingredients

cooking spray
1 1/2 cups GF Flour (I use Bobs Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
4 over-ripe bananas (smashed)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup canola/vegetable oil
2 eggs (room temp)
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cups gluten free oats (I use Bobs Red Mill GF Certified Oats)
1/2 cup coconut flakes
Pecan pieces for topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (175 degrees C.). Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg & cloves in a large bowl.
Mix the bananas, white and brown sugar, oats, coconut flakes, canola oil and eggs together in a separate large bowl.
Fold the banana mixture into flour mixture until just incorporated.
Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan.
Top the mixture in the muffin pan with a coating of pecan pieces.
Bake until muffins spring back a little when you tap them on the top with a spoon (about 14-16 minutes).
Let cool for a little while and then ENJOY!

Gluten Free SemiSweet Fruity Chocolates

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 14:48:00 +0000

Here's another candy making experiment of mine. My first try at being a Chocolateur used white chocolate, mixed nuts and a handful of cranberries. This one steers clear of nuts and focuses on being nice-n-fruity. All you need is a bag of semisweet chocolate chips and around 2 cups of chopped dried berries. I used a combination of dried strawberries, blueberries, cherries and cranberries.

These chocolates were much more popular than the white chocolate candies I made. I could tell how good they were by the way people tried to hoard them, or how they would force themselves to eat only a few a day in order to savor them:). Regarding proportions... use about 1/2 cup more chocolate chips than fruity bits, and you can't go wrong.

Ingredients

1 bag of semisweet chocolate chips (about 2-2/12 cups)
2 cups of mixed dried berries
Cocoa powder (for dusting)
Non-stick baking sheet or wax-paper

Directions

Chop your dried berries up as fine as you're able. These chocolates work best if filled with lots of tiny fruity bits, and not large chewy chunks.
Melt and stir your semisweet chocolate chips in a double boiler, or in 30-second microwave bursts, until nice and creamy.
Add the chopped berries and stir until completely incorporated.
Let cool until the consistency of thick molasses.
Spread some wax-paper out, or use a non-stick baking sheet, and spoon small globs of fruity-chocolate about 1-inch apart.
Let the chocolate cool for a while before dusting your chocolates off with cocoa powder.
Once completely cool, dig in and smile big:)

Gluten Free Cheesy Broiled Polenta with Mushrooms

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 17:17:00 +0000

With half of my family living in the deep south, grits and polenta have always been among my favorite side dishes. In this recipe corn meal takes the main stage in a delicious meal that can be served hot or cold, although bubbling hot is the best! You can use any kind of mushroom you wish; experimentation is best when tasty. When using the broiler, make sure to keep a close eye on your polenta, since it can quickly go from a beautiful golden brown to a charred black in a matter of seconds. Try not to like this one:)

Total Prep Time = 30 minutes
Serves = 6

Ingredients

3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup cornmeal (I used Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Meal)
3 tblsp. olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mushrooms (diced)
1 large garlic clove (minced or pressed)
1 tblsp. dry white wine (or water, but wine is better)
1/8 tsp. salt (in addition to the salt needed for the boiling water above)
1/2 cup smoked cheddar or provolone cheese (shredded)
ground black pepper (to taste)
dash of marjoram, basil, or tarragon (optional)

Cooking Directions

Bring 3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp. of salt to a boil. When the water is rapidly boiling, add the cornmeal slowly while stirring constantly to avoid creating lumps.
Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, making sure to stir often to avoid sticking, until the polenta is nice an thick.
While the polenta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the mushrooms and garlic over medium heat until the oil is absorbed.
Stir in the wine (or water), and 1/8 tsp. salt. Simmer gently for a couple minutes.
Preheat the broiler.
Spread the polenta evenly in a buttered or oiled flameproof casserole dish. Sprinkle the shredded cheese on the polenta. Spoon the sauteed mushrooms over the cheese, and top off with another layer of shredded cheese. Add ground pepper according to your taste.
Broil for 3 to 5 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown.
Remove from broiler and top with a sprinkling of marjoram, basil or tarragon if you wish.
Serve bubbling hot and pull up the blanket of comfort food you're about to enjoy!

Gluten Free Nutty White Chocolate Cranberry Candies

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 16:23:00 +0000

I've never made chocolate candies before, so you'll have to forgive me for how chunky these are. These were a mouthful to say the least! Next time I make them I'm going to chop up the nuts real nice before mixing them with the melted chocolate. You can be all professional and use a double boiler to melt the chocolate, or... you can simply use a microwave to quickly and easily melt the chocolate. All you have to do is put your chocolate chips in a glass bowl (or any other microwave-safe bowl), and heat for 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each round, until the chocolate is melted and creamy. I'll probably work with a double boiler in the future, even if only to see if there is any difference at all in taste and texture of the chocolate I'm working with. But for now, as a novice chocolateur, I'm going to keep my sweet experiments as easy to execute as possible:)

Ingredients

White Chocolate Chips (2 bags)
Dried Cranberries (about 1 cup)
Mixed Nuts (1 to 1 1/2 cups) - chopping them up would be good:)

Directions

Chop up your mixed nuts, stir in the dried cranberries and set aside.
Use a double-boiler to melt your chocolate, or... place your white chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir. Return to microwave for another 30 seconds. Remove and stir. By your 3rd round of 30-second nuking and stirring, your chocolate should be ready.
Mix your nuts and dried cranberries into the melted chocolate.
Let sit for a couple minutes and then use a spoon or a small 1/2 inch ice cream scooper to form small mounds of chocolate goodness on a non-stick surface (I used cupcake papers).
Allow candy to cool for 1/2 an hour.
Devour and share!

Gluten Free Spicy Potatoes and Cauliflower

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:49:00 +0000

Besides holiday meals, I still plan on keeping things vegetarian and gluten free for the foreseeable future. I was once a vegetarian... back in the day. My vegetarian diet lasted for 5 of my adolescent years; until I went away to college, had to rely on a meal plan, and would've starved for lack of vegetarian options. Now, at 36, I'm getting back into it. Back then it was all about living a kill-free, chill lifestyle, and now it's more about staying healthy (not that a kill-free diet isn't still a nice rationale for being vegetarian).

This cauliflower and potato dish recipe is enough to feed 4 as a main meal, or 8 as an appetizer. There's a bit more prep than I like, but the finished product is just too good to cut corners and miss out. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb potatoes
10 tblsp. peanut or coconut oil
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground tumeric
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 fresh green chilli (the hot ones), seeded and finely chopped (WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER)
1 large cauliflower, broken into small florets
2 tsp. ground cumin (or cumin seeds)
4 garlic cloves, diced or cut into shreds
4 tblsp. fresh coriander (or parsley), finely chopped
salt

Cooking Directions

Cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water for about 20 minutes, or until just tender (which means you can put a fork in them easily, but the potato won't fall off the fork). Drain and let cool. When cool enough to handle, peel and cut into 1 inch cubes.
Heat 6 tblsp. of the oil in a frying pan or wok. When hot, add the ground cumin, coriander, tumeric, cayenne pepper and chilli. Let the spices sizzle for a few seconds.
Add the cauliflower bits and about 8 tblsp. water. Cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, for 6-8 minutes.
Add the potatoes and stir-fry for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and remove from heat.
Heat the remaining 4 tblsp. of oil in a small frying pan. When hot, add the cumin and garlic and cook until lightly browned. Pour the mixture over the vegetables.
Sprinkle with the chopped coriander or parsley and serve immediately.

Gluten Free Peruvian Quinoa Stew

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Thu, 27 Dec 2012 00:10:00 +0000

I've cooked up a few nice dishes using quinoa in the past. Once for a cold and fruity salad, and another as an accompaniment for baked fish. This vegetarian gluten free meal calls for a bit of prep and chopping, but in the end it's all worth it:)

It's the day after x-mas and New Years 2013 is right around the corner. Make sure to add this to your New Year's Resolution healthy eating meal list; it's a keeper!

Ingredients

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
2 tblsp. oil (vegetable or coconut)
2 cups onions (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 celery stalk (chopped)
1 carrot (cut diagonally into 1/4 inch slices)
1 bell pepper (chopped)
1 cup zucchini (cubed)
2 cups undrained canned diced tomatoes
1 cup water or GF vegetable stock
2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. fresh or 1 tsp. dried oregano
pinch of cayenne (or more if it's what you like)
salt
fresh cilantro (optional)
grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Cooking Directions

Using a fine strainer, rinse your quinoa well. Place it in a pot with the water (1 cup) and cook, covered, on medium-low heat for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
Take out a covered pot. As the quinoa is cooking, saute the onions and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
Add the celery and carrots to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the bell pepper, zucchini, tomatoes, and water or GF stock. Stir in the cumin, chili powder, coriander, cayenne, and oregano, and simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes (until the vegetables are tender).
Stir the cooked quinoa into the stew and add salt to taste. Top with cilantro and grated cheese if you like.
Serve up and enjoy!

Gluten Free Red Fried Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 01:15:00 +0000

It's the end of the academic semester, I have about a week and a half left of grading papers and tests, going to meetings, and organizing the mess in my office that has accumulated over the past 4 months. And then my winter break begins! I'm seriously looking forward to having some free time to fill. I plan to get on the mountains to hike and snowboard as much as the weather allows, finish up a few lingering home projects, and spend some time visiting friends I've neglected during the school semester. I also plan on learning how to create some memorable vegetarian meals and a few new desserts to add to my culinary repertoire; something I've already begun.

This healthy vegetarian dish is very easy to prepare and cook. It's quite tasty and can be eaten for any meal of the day. Although I made this a main meal, this is a great side dish as well. Feel free to add some diced hot pepper and experiment with the amounts of salt and pepper you add. Although the directions call on you to add the salt and pepper at the end of the process, you may want to season throughout. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
4 tblsp coconut oil
1 large red onion (chopped)
2 red peppers (seeded & chopped)
1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes (halved)
4 eggs (beaten)
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Cooking Directions

Either combine 3 cups of water and the rice in a rice cooker and press the "on" button, or... wash the rice under cold water. Drain. Bring a large pan of water to a boil, add rice and cook for 10-12 minutes.
While your rice is cooking, heat the coconut oil in a wok (or deep pan/pot) until very hot (medium/high heat). Add the chopped onions and red pepper and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
Add the halved cherry or grape tomatoes and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes.
Pour the beaten eggs in all at once and let cook on top for 30 seconds before you stir it all together.
Drain the cooked rice (if not using a rice cooker) and add to the wok. Toss the rice over the heat with the vegetable/egg mixture for another 3 minutes.
Season generously with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Gluten Free Brunch at REX 1516 Philadelphia!

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sun, 18 Nov 2012 00:53:00 +0000

The food and service at REX is seriously good! The first time Mindy and I experienced REX was after we cashed in our "Romantic Night Out" change jar and decided to try out a restaurant we'd never been to before. I had read about REX 1516 on another gluten free food blog. It's located right across the street from Bob and Barbara's, a great little dive bar that has free live jazz and soul every Friday and Saturday night. You can catch a meal at Rex, and then enjoy a night getting liquored up on their $5 PBR & Jim Beam shot special, while jamming out with some local music legends. However, our first night there, we simply enjoyed the great service, amazing food, and chill atmosphere. I was more than happy with the range of options on their gluten free dinner menu.

Rex has a bit of a southern twang in appearance, with a wrap-around bar in the back, completed by a large TV screen with non-stop classics in black and white. Brunch at REX starts at 11am. They had plenty of creative drink specials, and a great GF brunch menu. I had a hard time deciding between the Huevos Rancheros and the Shrimp and Grits. I went with the Shrimp and Grits and was very happy I did! The Shrimp and Grits came with Fried Egg, Roasted Tomatoes, Crispy Pork Belly and Blackened Shrimp. It was ridiculously good; every bite a little taste of heaven:)

If you have to eat gluten free, and you're anywhere Philadelphia, go to REX 1516 - trust me, you'll be glad you did.

REX
1516 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146

Links
REX 1516 Philadelphia
Bob & Barbara's Facebook Page

Gluten Free Chicken Fiorentina

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 20:18:00 +0000

Nothing exemplifies comfort food more than an aromatic herbed chicken dish like the one I'm about to share with you. This recipe takes a little more than an hour from start to finish, but is worth every second of your time. When you rub the salt and pepper into the chicken skin and flesh, make sure to cover every bit of chicken. Don't be lazy during this step, for your attention to detail in spicing it up will pay happy dividends when the fork finally meets your mouth:)

Feel free to boil up your own potatoes and mash them up as you see fit. I, on the other hand, went the easy route by using Idahoan Four Cheese Instant Mashed Potatoes. They state "gluten free" and are super easy and fast to make, and actually taste pretty good. Also, cook using the same white wine that you'll enjoy drinking with your meal. In other words, pick a tasty white wine that's made for drinking, not cooking.

You're going to love the way this dish fills your house with the warming scent of rosemary and chicken. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1-2 pounds of Chicken; enough chicken pieces to individually cover the bottom of the big pot you'll be cooking with
4-5 thick sliced spring (green) onions
1 cup white wine
enough olive oil to cover the bottom of your cooking pot
1 tblsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/2 cup gluten free vegetable, chicken or beef broth
salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

Cut off any loose, hanging fat from chicken. Rub chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Really get the salt and pepper all over the skin, flesh, and into every crevice.
Heat the olive oil in your cooking pot (medium-high heat). Once hot, add the chicken and arrange so that each piece has one side completely cooking in the oil. Saute the chicken until golden brown and turn over.
Add the chopped spring onions and rosemary, and saute for another 4 minutes.
Pour in your white wine, let it cook and reduce for 3 or so minutes. Add the broth, reduce the flame to medium-low, cover and gently cook for about 35 minutes.
Add the grated lemon rind, cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Serve it up hot with some mashed potatoes and get down to business!

Omission Gluten Free Beer Review

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sat, 29 Sep 2012 22:52:00 +0000

This summer was great for gluten free beer options. It seemed like my list of options literally doubled, and that's a very good thing. Maybe not such a great thing for the size of my beer belly, but coming from a time, not so long ago, that my only choice was Redbridge (which I'll happily drink if there are no other options), having a lot of options regarding gluten free beer has been great for my soul:)

Omission Beer is another company doing what I wish all beer companies would do; they remove the gluten from a classic barley based beer and make it available to everyone, including those of us who are gluten intolerant. I'm happy trying all kinds of beers, whether they're made from sorghum, millet, buckwheat, millet, fermented fruits, etc. but I've missed the taste of a traditionally brewed pale ale, lager and stout. Could it be possible? Could my days of enjoying a dark pint of gluten-removed Guinness be in my future? Oh, I hope so. I truly do.

Both Omission's Lager and Pale ale were great. They were tasty, refreshing, and although they tasted like beers full of delicious gluten, had none. Keep em coming beer companies! I'm loving it!!

Here's Omission Beer's Website: http://omissionbeer.com/

Gluten Free Spicy Shredded Chicken and Plantains

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 23:07:00 +0000

This is one of those typical weeknight creations I can easily throw together to enjoy a meal with my partner, or solo. It's not fancy, not expensive, and not a lot of work. The only real work is shredding up the chicken (which is kind of cathartic to be honest) and cutting up some veggies. The hot sauce you use is totally up to you. There are tons of hot sauces out there to choose from. Some state that they are gluten free, some do not. But in general, hot sauces are naturally gluten free products. When in doubt, read the ingredients and if you're super sensitive to gluten, contact the company and ask them about cross-contamination issues.

This was the first time I've ever cooked plantains. I was first introduced to the versatile plantain via a Mofongo dish in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. Since then I've wanted to cook with them, so I looked up some youtube videos of people cooking all sorts of plantains, and I figured I'd start with the absolute easiest way to do it.

Feel free to change up the meat, or even fry up some tofu strips if you like. The amount of hot-ness really depends on what you're into. Add more, make things saucier, but also more deadly for tomorrow. Choose wisely.

Ingredients
1 pound chicken
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onions
4 or 5 chopped garlic cloves
butter
oil (olive, vegetable, whatever...)
2 or 3 yellow plantains
Salt & Pepper
cooked rice (optional)

Cooking Directions

Bring a pot (big enough to fit your plantains) of salty water to a boil
Bring a smaller pot (big enough to fit your chicken breasts) of salty, water to a boil. Add a small pat of butter
If cooking rice, throw 1 cup rice and 2 cups water in a rice cooker and turn on. If you don't have a rice cooker, just do the same in a small covered pot. You'll want to bring the water to boil, add the rice and a little salt, cover, and reduce to simmer for 20 minutes
Cut off the ends of the plantains and throw them in the boiling water
Throw the chicken breasts in the boiling water
Set the timer for 20 minutes
Chop up a 1/2 to 1 cup of mushrooms and onions
Chop up 4 or 5 large garlic cloves
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil up (Medium/High) in a small pan and then throw in the onions, mushrooms and garlic. Stir frequently while cooking until the onions are translucent, then cover, turn off and set aside
Around 15 minutes, your chicken should be cooked thoroughly. Turn off heat and remove chicken with tongs and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred up the chicken. If the chicken cools down enough you can rip the chicken to shreds with your fingers (my preference)
Throw the shredded chicken in a bowl and add your hot sauce. Keep going until you either 1) feel that it's hot enough! or 2) it's the creamy texture you need for optimum eating pleasure
Add the spicy shredded chicken to the pan of cooked onions, garlic and mushrooms and mix well over low heat
Remove the plantains when the timer goes off. Split down the middle and peal. Serve sliced, buttered and dusted with salt.
Throw everything together on a plate (rice or no rice), grab a drink and get ready to enjoy yourself:)

Nutella Oatmeal No-Bake Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 17:39:00 +0000

This recipe is a modification of my aunt Vicki's no-bake PB Oatmeal cookies. Here's the link to that: PB No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies. Instead of peanut butter, I decided to use Nutella, added a bit of instant coffee crystals, topped them with white chocolate chips, and viola! Awesomeness!

Here's a link to the Nutella Q&A webpage that states Nutella is GF: NUTELLA Q & A

Now, I've got to be honest. Unless you keep these in the fridge overnight, these cookies will not become even close to being solid. However, they're still ridiculously good, kinda like truffles, and chocolatey fingers and smiles never hurt anyone. This recipe is still a work in progress, so if you want to ensure that you'll have solid cookies, add half peanut butter and half Nutella, or add 1/2 cup ground almonds to the mix. And you could always throw them in the freezer for a chocolatey cold summer treat:)

However you make these is irrelevant to how much you're going to love them!

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp instant coffee
3 tblsp cocoa
3 cups certified GF oatmeal
1/2 cup Nutella (or 1/4 cup Nutella / 1/4 cup peanut butter)
white chocolate chips for adornment

Directions

Put all the ingredients, except for the Nutella and Oatmeal in a saucepan.
Heat over Medium-Low heat, stirring frequently until all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
Add the Nutella (or Nutella/peanut butter combo) and stir around until mixed.
Remove from heat and add the oatmeal, mix well and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
Using a one-inch ice cream scooper (or spoon), drop cookies onto a non-stick cookie sheet or on wax paper.
Place cookies in refrigerator (or freezer) until cooled.
Devour and enjoy!

Fox Tail Gluten Free Beer... in a can!

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 13:50:00 +0000

The Foodery at the corner of Poplar and 2nd street in Philadelphia has done it again; offering up another choice in a steadily growing list of beer options for us, the Celiac sufferers of the world. Heading to The Foodery on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, after leaving sweat and blood on the concrete and asphalt of Philly's skate-parks and street obstacles, has become a bit of a pilgrimage for my brother and I. Sitting down in front of a gluten free sandwich and a couple gluten free beers is always a fitting capstone to our weekend, stunt-wood urban assault bro-time ritual.

When I noticed the neon green cans at the tail end of the gluten free beer shelf, at first, I didn't assume they were gluten free. I mean, I've never seen a gluten free beer in a can before. But when I read the words "Gluten Free" on the can, I immediately grabbed a few, swiped an empty pint glass and got down to business! Fox Tail Gluten Free Ale is made by the Joseph James Brewing Company, and is, as I expected, the world's first gluten free beer in a can. I could taste the sorghum, but it didn't have that syrupy aftertaste you get with Redbridge, it was very crisp and light; a bit tart, but perfect on a hot summer day. As I'm writing this a fantasy bubble has formed above my head, full of images of ice filled coolers packed with frosty cans of Fox Tail GF beer, beaches and boogie boards and doing stupid things.

Here's the Link: Joseph James Brewing Company Fox Tail GF Ale

When first dealing with a gluten free diet, keep things simple and delicious!

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:16:00 +0000

When first switching to a gluten free diet, it can be tough to see your new world through "cup half full" lenses. Most people initially obsess over all the things they will now miss out on, especially things like beer, pizza and baked goods. So they try to replace all they lost by baking a lot of GF breads and pastries, searching in vain for local distributors of gluten free beer, and researching all the local restaurants with GF menus. All of which are great things to do to make one's new dietary reality more tolerable, but what people often overlook is the ease of making and eating great food that is naturally gluten free.

Having a range of quick and easy-to-make meals is a must for everyone suffering from gluten sensitivity issues. I've accumulated quite a few over the years, but this is one of my frequent flyers. There are so many ways to use 100% corn tortilla, and this is absolutely my favorite! I can whip this meal up in 5 minutes flat! Try it you'll love it:)

Ingredients:

Corn Tortillas
Eggs
Diced Tomatoes
Spray-Oil (canola or olive)
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Dried Basil
Cheese (your choice)
Hot sauce (most brands are naturally gluten free)

Directions:

Have one large and one small frying pan over medium high heat.
Spray the small frying pan with olive oil or any other spray-on oil (making sure that it's GF).
Dice up some tomato and dust with dried basil
Once hot, crack two or three eggs onto the small frying pan. Add some salt, pepper and garlic powder.
Spray each side of your corn tortillas and throw onto large frying pan. Once the tortilla begins to look a bit bubbly, turn over and throw some cheese on them. Turn the heat down to low.
Once the eggs are cooked (whole or scrambled, it doesn't matter), remove the tortilla from the pan and place on a large plate.
Add some tomato, hot sauce, and then your eggs.
Eat and love it!

Green's GF Beer at UNO Chicago Grill!

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:41:00 +0000

As if being able to order a delicious gluten free pizza from UNO Chicago Grill wasn't enough, now you get to enjoy your pizza with a tall bottle of Green's Gluten Free Beer! Mindy and I recently visited UNO to enjoy some pizza after a long day-hike at Ridley State Park outside of Philadelphia PA. After ordering a pepperoni and cheese gluten free pizza, I asked what their GF beer option was; to which they replied: Redbridge and Green's. I couldn't believe I was given options, and happily ordered the Green's Dubbel Dark Ale. Pizza and dark beer... I was in heaven:)

I also found a link to all of UNO's GF options.
Check it out here: http://www.unos.com/nutrition.php

The on-line menu only lists Redbridge for GF beer, so I suspect that different locations offer different GF beer options. Regardless, this is just another promising sign that living GF will continue to get easier!

Here's the location that had Green's Dubbel Dark Ale:

UNO Chicago Grill

3910 West Chester Pike
Newtown Square, PA 19073

610-353-8667
Fax: 610-353-8661

Lamb or Pork Pilaf with Apricots and Raisins

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 18:13:00 +0000

When I first thought of putting this dish together, I wondered how well the flavor of the apricots, raisins and pork would complement (or not) each other. I went with the pork instead of the lamb, not because I preferred using pork, but because Acme was completely out of lamb:( This dish came out delicious, so no loss at all, but next time I'm definitely going for the lamb.

I decided to use dried apricot halves. You might want to cut up the dried apricot into small bits, but if you're cool with big bite-fulls of sweet and plump apricot throughout your Pilaf (like I am), don't change anything. Although golden raisins would be ideal, dark raisins work just as nicely. This dish is a unique amalgamation of flavors, but they're all yummy! Prepare to surprise your palate with something very different:)

Enjoy!

Prep Time = 20 minutes
Cooking Time = 50 minutes
Servings = 4+

Ingredients

2 tblsp butter or margarine
1 cup long or short-grain brown rice
1 large yellow onion (finely chopped)
2 tblsp fresh ginger (minced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups gluten free beef or vegetable stock
3 tblsp vegetable or olive oil
1 pound pork loin or boneless leg of lamb, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 small zucchini (diced)
4 oz small mushrooms (halved)
1/2 cup dried apricots (chopped or whole)
1/2 cup dark or golden raisins
1/2 cup minced parsley

Directions

Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan over moderate heat. Add the rice, onion, 1 tblsp of the ginger, and the garlic. Saute until the rice is pale gold... about 3-4 minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover it, and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile... heat 1 tblsp of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over moderately high heat for 1 minute. Sprinkle the pork or lamb with salt and pepper, and then add to the skillet... brown the meat on all sides (about 10 minutes).
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the skillet, reduce the heat to moderate and heat for 1 minute. Add the zucchini and the remaining ginger and saute until the zucchini is softened (about 3 minutes). Add the mushrooms and saute until tender (3 to 4 minutes more). Set aside.
Add the apricots and raisins to the rice, cover and continue cooking until all the liquid is absorbed (about 10 minutes more).
Return the meat to the skillet, add the rice mixture, toss well to mix, and heat just to serving temperature (uncovered), over medium heat.
Stir in the minced parsley.
Serve and enjoy!

Gluten Free at Shoo Mama's near West Chester PA

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 20:49:00 +0000

It seems as if our options just keep piling up! I don't care if it's the result of trendiness or people looking for a new diet fad, or the fact that more and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease; the proliferation of gluten free products and restaurants offering GF options is simply awesome!

It's never been easier to live gluten free than it is right now. These days, when people hear about my dietary restrictions they often say things like, "That must be so hard for you" or "I can't imagine being so limited" or "How do you even find something to eat?" To which I reply, "Nope, it's not hard, I'm not that limited, and it's actually very easy to find good food to eat" :)

Case in point, Shoo Mama's Farm Fresh Cafe in West Chester PA. I'm a professor at West Chester University, so having Shoo Mama's as a near-by lunch destination is sweet! Shoo Mama's specializes in farm fresh, local, organic foods. They also offer a variety of gluten free options including soups, salads, and Panini sandwiches. If you're in the area, I highly recommend you stop by and get a bite to eat. Their GF options are local, organic and delicious! Pictured is a gluten free panini sandwich with sweet potato chips fried in a separate GF designated fryer:)

Here's their website: http://shoomamascafe.com/

Shoo Mama's Far Fresh Cafe
66 E. Street Rd.
West Chester, PA 19382
(484) 315-8431

Gluten Free Soup Options at Fabio & Danny's Station Cafe: Media PA

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:33:00 +0000

As I'm writing this entry, I'm sitting at a wooden table within the Wayne, PA train station. Within this rennovated station operates a little coffee shop offering baked goods, fresh sandwiches and soups. Fabio & Danny's always has a few gluten free soup options to choose from. Today's options are Clam Chowder and Lentil Soup. I chose the Chowder and couldn't be happier! It's thick and creamy, and is loaded with potato chuncks and sand-free clams. Yum!

Although there isn't too many GF options on their menu, the staff at Fabio & Danny's are always willing to modify their food options for their GF clients. For instance, they can easily omit the bun on their Angus Cheese Burgers, and if you bring in your own GF bread, they'd be happy to use it to make their signature sandwiches.

Fabio & Danny's also transforms into a BYOB every Friday night, when live music is offered for free. If you're ever in Wayne, stop by for an expresso and a bowl of gluten free soup. You'll be happy you did:)

Fabio & Danny's Station Cafe
135 North Wayne Avenue
Wayne, PA 19087

Gluten Free Beer Review: New Planet

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 02:12:00 +0000

The last few years have been good to us gluten free beer drinkers. I'll be perfectly honest, I miss the ability to drink a freshly poured Guinness stout at the local pub. I miss it each and every time I sip on any gluten free beer anywhere I am. It sucks that my options for beer drinking pleasure are severely limited. But it would suck even more if I couldn't drink beer at all. Thankfully, there are a growing number of breweries that are cooking up some fine GF brewski.

Take New Planet Gluten Free Beers for example. I stopped by Pinocchio's Beer Garden in Media PA. I heard that they had a pretty good GF beer selection. And they did. They even have a separate cooler just for gluten free beers and ciders! I immediately noticed two new GF beer brands; New Planet and Dogfish Head (which I'll get to later). New Planet had three options: Raspberry Ale, Off Grid Pale Ale, and Tread Lightly Ale. I picked them all up. Let me start with the Raspberry Ale...

The Raspberry Ale was interesting. Made with sorghum and corn, it was like a Redbridge without the syrupy sweetness, with the additional tarty tang of a raspberry aftertaste. It wasn't bad, but I don't think I'll be stocking my fridge with it.

On to Off Grid Pale Ale...

New Planet's Off Grid Pale Ale is made with sorghum and brown rice. It has a complex taste yet went down smoothly. A bit darker than the Tread Lightly Ale, I found this beer to full bodied and satisfying.

The Tread Lightly Ale was my favorite of the three; very light and refreshing. Like the Raspberry Ale, it was made from sorghum and corn. I really enjoyed this beer! I can see myself loading up a cooler of this brew; kicking back in the summertime, relaxing next to water skipping stones... Yeah, that'll be nice.

Philadelphia's Gluten Free Bread Paradise - Tote Gluten Free Bakery & Store

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 21:34:00 +0000

I was recently playing tour guide with my visiting mom. We were enjoying the brisk weather as we wandered in and out of the small delicatessens, butchers, spice dealers and cafes that line 9th street in Philadelphia's Italian Market. As we were nearly about half-way through our walking loop I noticed a sign at a place called "Tote" (pronounced "totay") that stated "Gluten Free Bread." I walked in and noticed a table loaded with samples of baked goodies. I asked the proprietor if I could see his gluten free breads, to which he replied, "everything here is gluten free!" Talk about music to my ears! I immediately turned around and headed straight back to the sample table to sample absolutely everything... all really good!

Before leaving I asked a lot of questions and left giddy with a freshly baked loaf of Quinoa bread, a crispy on the outside yet soft on the inside baguette, and a beautifully bronzed role. On the way back to our car I found myself in bready bliss as I tore bite-sized chunks of buttery, rosemary kissed GF baguette goodness! Yum:)

Seriously, you have to check this place out. The breads are so good! And there's a lot more than just bread to choose from. The owner/baker has Celiac Disease himself, so he makes sure everything he does is strictly GF-certified. I found it completely worth the cheddar at about $8 a loaf, and $3.50 a baguette. Store bought GF bread, which costs nearly the same, doesn't hold a candle to the quality you get at Tote! The place has only been around less than a month so far, so support it in order to make sure it's here to stay.

Here's the Website: totebakery.com

1024 South 9th Street
215-551-5511
Open Tuesday - Sunday
10am - 6pm

Gluten Free Ginger Curried Cabbage

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 23:52:00 +0000

This weekend was all fun in the sun:) It was bright, cool, and the sun illuminated the foliage beautifully. Looking across the colorful autumn landscape I immediately imagined all the leaves gone, snow on the ground and flakes lazily meandering down from their places of birth high over my head. But not yet. Now is the time to enjoy the colors, smells and foods of the Fall.

This dish is the perfect thing for a crisp autumn night. I went a little overboard on this one by adding a cup of chopped bacon to my version the first time, but rest assured, bacon or no bacon, this is an excellent dish! It has just the right level of spiciness, is super easy to make, and is actually quite healthy (that is if you use olive oil and not butter, and of course no bacon!:). The ginger gives this dish its defining flavor, so feel free to increase its amount to taste. Remember when slicing and dicing hot peppers to wash your hands thoroughly after, or even better, wear disposable latex gloves. Nothing is worse than rubbing your eyes or nose with jalapeno juice all over your hands!

Ingredients

1/2 large head of cabbage (chopped)
3/4 cups peas (or carrots, or corn)
1 to 1 1/2 inch ginger (pealed and diced)
1/2 green chili (finely diced)
1/4 cup butter, olive oil, or ghee
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
(1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon = optional)

Cooking Directions

Heat up your oil, butter or ghee over medium high heat.
Add the diced ginger and stir frequently for 30 seconds.
Add the diced chili pepper and stir frequently for 30 seconds.
Add cumin and stir to incorporate.
Add coriander, turmeric and chili powder. Mix well.
Add the chopped cabbage, the peas, (bacon = optional), and the salt. Mix together everything, keep the heat on medium-high, put a lid on the pot and set the timer for 10 minutes.
When the 10 minute timer goes off, take the lid off the pot and stir everything up thoroughly.
Lower heat to low and cook longer if you feel the cabbage is still too hard. Otherwise, serve it up an enjoy!

Gluten Free at Taco Loco Philadelphia

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 03:27:00 +0000

I can't tell you how many times I drove past the generator powered culinary hot-spot known as Taco Loco, without even knowing it existed! Located near the intersection of 4th street and Washington Avenue in South Philadelphia, Taco Loco operates out of a camper parked on the side of the road. Tables are set up on the nearby sidewalk, but most people seem to just use the fold-down counter-tops or take their food to go.

I hear that Taco Loco is not located in the safest of areas. So just to be safe, the earlier you go, the better. Regardless, you shouldn't let anything stop you from sampling this little Mexican-American foodie gem! There were lots of options, but I kept it simple and asked for the tacos with shredded pork. Don't get the fried pork, since cross-contamination will be likely. Actually, go with the chicken to be extra safe. I asked to read the corn-tortilla package to assure myself that there were no "gluten" ingredients included. None found!

The smell of the cilantro, and the spices, and the pork were too much for me to stand. I took a few bites a bit too early, and burned the top of my mouth. Soooo worth it:) My take-away meal included sides of green and red chili sauce, which were both excellent. So when you're in Philadelphia, and you're looking for some great Mexican-American cuisine, stop by Taco Loco and be prepare for some good eats!

Gluten Free Tuscan Bean Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 02:08:00 +0000

Not that I'm a big fan of slush and sleet, recently shoveled parking spots blocked off with lawn chairs or milk crates, or those frigid winter days where it hurts to be outside, but I am happy things are cooling off. Being a northern-blooded human, I'm most comfortable in temperatures between 45 and 75 d. F., so when the heat is 80s and up I feel like I'm made of soft molasses; I have no energy and I travel from one air-conditioned bubble to the next, silently wishing a cold front would move in so that I could pull my hoodies out of the "winter clothes" box, slap on a beanie cap and go tromping through multi-colored drifts of fallen leaves. Well, the fall seems upon us:) This whole week is in the 60s and 70s. I love it. I could even see my breath the other morning. Weather like this gets me into a soup and stew mood for sure. A little colder and I'll be experimenting with chili again:)~

This bean soup can easily be made vegetarian by switching the chicken stock with vegetable stock and leaving out the diced ham. Meat in or meat out, you're going to enjoy every single steaming spoon of this dish. I guarantee it!

Ingredients

2x 14 ounce cans of chopped tomatoes with herbs
2 cups roughly chopped savoy cabbage (or Cavolo Nero Leaves if you can find them)
2x 14 ounce cans of cannelloni beans
2 cups diced ham (pre-cooked)
2 cups GF chicken broth (or GF vegetable broth) or plain ol' water
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper (to your taste)
1/4 tsp. garlic salt

Cooking Directions

Pour the chopped tomatoes into a large pan and add the chicken broth. Season with the garlic salt, sea salt and pepper. Stir and bring to a boil.
Add the cabbage to the pan, stir in, and then partially cover the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender.
Drain and rinse the cannelloni beans and add them to the pan along with the diced ham. Stir together and heat for another 5 minutes.
Check to see if the soup is seasoned right, if not, add more salt and pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the top.
Enjoy!

Gluten Free Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Ceasar Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 02:19:00 +0000

Not too long ago I was sitting in Hobbs Coffee Shop in Swarthmore, PA, working on dissertation revisions and feeling hungry and over-caffeinated. There wasn't much on the menu that was naturally gluten free, but they were having a lunch special on Chicken Caesar Salad that looked good. I told them about my gluten-issues and they assured me that their dressing was home-made and gluten free, and that they'd simply omit the croutons. The Romaine was served whole, but cut in half. I loved it! I had never eaten a salad like that before and found it fun to cut into it like a big piece of meat:)

As I was munching away I thought to myself, "I bet I can make it even better at home." And so I did. This version gets an extra kick from sun-dried tomatoes and a healthy dose of Parmesan cheese and grated black peppercorns. To add some smokey undertones, I used my gas-burning stove top to slightly char the halved Romaine. You can seriously come up with a hundred alternate versions of this one. Just think about all the different meats, seafood, cheeses, and vegetarian combinations:)

Make sure you completely rinse out your Romaine to get any bits of soil out (or bugs for that matter). You'll also want to shake the heads out a bit before you halve them. You don't want your salad being too wet and runny.

I made my croutons from the two end pieces of an Udi's gluten free bread loaf I had. All I did was toast them up and cut them into small squares.

Ingredients

As many halved heads of Romaine lettuce as you need (1 half per person)
1 small jar of sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil (any brand = whatever is on sale)
Parmesan cheese (grated)
1-2 pounds of skinless/boneless chicken (chopped)
Gluten Free Caesar dressing (I used Ken's Light Options Caesar Dressing - because it said "Gluten Free" on the back )
Fresh Ground Pepper

Directions

Rinse out your heads of lettuce. Shake the water out of them and cut them in half; so that both halves are held together by the root.
Chop up your chicken.
Toast and then dice up some gluten free bread.
Drain the olive oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes into a deep pan.
Chop up the sun-dried tomatoes.
Heat your oil over med-high heat and add the chicken when the oil is hot. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until no pink remains.
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and reduce to medium heat. Stir often, and cook until the chicken is slightly browned.
Using either a skillet or an open gas-stove top flame, and a pair of tongs, slightly char the inside of each halved Romaine head.
Place each halved Romaine head on its own large plate. First top with a generous portion of the chicken/sun-dried tomato mixture, then lightly cover the whole head with grated Parmesan cheese, grate some fresh-pepper over everything, throw on the GF croutons, and then drizzle your Caesar dressing over the top.
Chow down and thank me silently in your head:)

Product Review: King Arthur's Gluten Free Pancake Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Trav's Gone Gluten Free!) — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 13:07:00 +0000

A few weekends ago Mindy and I spent the night at our friends, Joy and Jason's house. When we arrived, Jason began to show off all the gluten free goodies he purchased in preparation for our visit (what a good friend!!). Over the years I have tested out a variety of gluten free pancake mixes. Some of my favorites have been Bob's Red Mill, Pamela's, and Trader Joe's GF pancake mixes. However, Jason had picked up a box of King Arthur's Gluten Free Pancake Mix, and when I took my first bite on the morning after our sleep-over, I fell in love!

King Arthur's GF Pancake mix, by far, makes the moistest, fluffiest, most delicious GF pancakes I've had thus far. Both Joy and Jason, neither of whom have Celiac Disease, thought they were excellent and couldn't tell that they were gluten free. I decided to top mine with blueberry and peach preserves, and add a side of bacon. It was pure breakfasty heaven!

Jason purchased the mix at his local natural food store, but I'm sure you can find this mix at Whole Foods, Wegmans, or if you'd like, check out their website and order directly. You'll love these!

Click Here: King Arthur's Gluten Free Pancake Mix