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We Are Longing for Gourmet GF Entrees

My latest pet peeve is boring gluten free restaurant food.  If there is anything gluten free on the menu it is often simplistic and there are very few choices compared with the rest of the menu.  This is a major bummer.

Last weekend I was eating supper at one of the few restaurants where I feel truly safe in eating gf, BigBites BBQ located along Route 309 in Quakertown. Not boring food, just plain delicious!  They make the majority of their food GF, have dedicated areas for GF food assembly and cooking and they specially order their Udie’s GF buns for their sandwiches directly from the factory. The owners have 3 family members with celiac disease so they know what they are doing to make food safe and gf.

pulled pork signbigbites

Plus their BBQ is the best in the entire area.  Love their pulled chicken, their ribs with ruby red sauce and their sides: smoky baked beans, cornbread and coleslaw.  The owners were telling me about their plans to add gf tacos to their menu. They are going to make their own tortillas from scratch. Just hearing the owner describe those tacos made my mouth water. Can’t wait!

What I am getting around to spelling out is that we were also commiserating on why no restaurants make really complex gf foods.  I had been thinking that but it was interesting to hear the owner of a mostly gf restaurant making the same point. The few places that serve gf raviolis or pasta seldom dress the gf food up with fresh herbs or other additions, like the rest of their entrees have.  It is like they think we celiacs don’t like gourmet tasty food; that we just want it bland and plain.  No, no, no! We love fresh basil on our pasta, spices, cheese and all the yummy things that can fancy up a dish to make it delightful and memorable.

The only other place I have gotten some really tasty and well made gf food is Bella’s Restaurant here in Hellertown.  I wrote an entire blog post on their fantastic shrimp with pink vodka sauce, a few months back.  I just wish they would translate more of their incredible entrees into gluten free versions. Same for Nick’s on Main Street in Bethlehem.  Their gf baked ravioli is very nice but I think it could be fantastic with a few added flavor touches. bella sign

Maybe 2015 will be the year more restaurants get that concept and expand their gf menu making dining out gluten free a better experience. I am personally hoping to find somewhere that has gf perogies as their nightly special. Heavenly!

Turkey Posole, A Savory Mexican Stew

I am betting you have some roast turkey in the fridge or freezer, maybe a pint of gravy too?  Well, I have just the recipe for you, courtesy of foodnetwork.com.  It is nothing like most traditional turkey leftover recipes.  It is a Mexican stew.  Posole stew can easily be gluten free. Just use care choosing your chicken broth and your tortilla chips that accompany this savory soup.

I have been making it every fall after Thanksgiving and always look forward to a few bowls of it.  Spicy, crunchy, tangy; unlike any other soup I make.  It is called turkey posole. It can be made with roasted pork and I have done so.  I like it far better with roast turkey.  I have served this stew to many people and it is always well received and enjoyed, even by my elderly mother.  I haven’t made my 2014 batch but it is coming next week to my dinner table.  Can’t wait!

posole stew

Ingredients

2 tbsp mild olive oil or canola oil

2 medium onions chopped

4 cloves garlic chopped fine

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped fine –use two if you like it spicy

1 tbsp. ground cumin

1 GF beer (can use 1 cup water if you want but it gives more flavor)

Coarse salt and pepper

12-16 tomatillos; about 2 lbs, take off the paper cover and chop up.  Can coarsely chop in food processor

5-6 sprigs fresh thyme; chop it up off the stems.

1 15-17 ounce can hominy

1 qt chicken stock (can be part gravy)

1 ½ to 2 lbs chopped turkey meat; can be mixture of light and dark

1 lime juiced

Chopped cilantro leaves to garnish

Tortilla chips; the ones with lime go particularly well with this.

tortilla chips

Cook first six ingredients about 5 min in a large stock pot.  Add beer, cook one minute.  Add chopped tomatillos and cook 5-6 minutes until softened.  Add hominy, thyme and stock and cook 15 minutes.  Taste and add salt and pepper.  Add lime juice, stir well.  I never use cilantro; something I just don’t like, but feel free to add it as the original recipe uses a bunch of it.

We ladle the posole into bowls and serve lots of white tortilla chips to crunch over the top of the hot soup.  As the soup disappears from my bowl I like to add more chips to keep the crunch going.

Notes:

tomatillos

tomatillos

The more jalapeno pepper you add the hotter it will be. I have tried canned tomatillos and they are not really a good substitute.  You can get them fresh (found near the fresh tomatoes) in many stores including Giant and Bottom Dollar.  They are used in Hispanic and Mexican cooking and add a lot of flavor and tartness to the soup. hominy

Hominy is a corn product; whole kernels soaked in lye to swell and soften.  The kernels have a mild corn flavor plus they soak up other flavors quickly and add a certain texture and body to the stew.

The wild turkey is native to North America and another turkey species is originally from Mexico.  So turkey is a natural component in this stew.  The Aztecs revered corn and liked to cook it with meat.  Tomatillos are native to Mexico, related to cape gooseberries.  They are used in salsa verde and other Mexican dishes. So this compilation of turkey, corn, tomatillos and lime is a natural combination that will be easy to make and fun to eat. Go on, be adventurous and enjoy a steaming hot bowl of delicious posole and use up that turkey in a totally different way!

Eggplant Potato Curry Warm Up

Last weekend I picked all my eggplants as I thought the frost would spoil them. So the frost was minimal and I have a huge bag of eggplants from tiny to large. eggplants

What to do with all that eggplant? I am thinking a curry and later an eggplant stew and definitely a fried eggplant tower of some sort; maybe layered up with zuke and tomatoes with some cheese and my homemade tomato sauce.

Anyway, tonight is for curry.  I used Charmaine Solomon’s recipe for this eggplant potato curry from her fantastic cookbook, Indian Cooking for Pleasure.  I have made many curries out of this thin volume, if you can find a copy you won’t be disappointed except for the breads which are, of course, full of wheat flours.

Charmaine Cookbook

It is a subtly flavored yet addictive curry and I have been making it for a long time.  Even if you are just tepid about eggplant this curry may change your mind.  Great to serve to vegetarian friends and it is lovely the second day for lunch.

I subbed in some fresh kale from my garden for the spinach.  It will just need to cook a bit longer than spinach. For potatoes I used red ones from my potato bin, 2 small onions from the bin and a small red pepper from the garden.  So there was nothing to buy.  My version used mild olive oil, the cookbook said mustard oil but I have never used that ingredient.

I didn’t bother to salt my eggplant as it was really fresh and healthy looking.  I cut it up and then the potatoes.  As the potatoes fried I chopped the kale and then tomatoes.  It went together pretty fast once the eggplant was softening.

eggplant curry

Make sure you add the spices when the recipe says to; they have to be fried a minute before you add anything else so the spice flavors are fully developed.  Please, do not use powdered cumin if you want it to taste great; I have a tiny mortar/pestle in which I crushed my cumin seeds just before using them; a gigantic burst of fresh flavor is created when you freshly crust spices like that; super better in curries!

mortor and pestle

You can serve this tasty curry with rice or some form of bread.  I ate mine plain.   It is naturally gluten free; I haven’t figured out how to make any gf Indian bread.  Someday….

I confess to having seconds.  Couldn’t help myself; haven’t made it in a year and it was as good as I remembered.  Even better when made with my own eggplant, pepper and tomatoes!

eggplant potato curry 001

Eggplant and Potato Curry

Makes enough for six, four if really hungry

Ingredients

1 eggplant, decent sized

2 large potatoes

2 large ripe tomatoes

1 large onion chopped

½ a green pepper or mild chili

1 bunch spinach or kale

4 tbsp plus 1 tsp. canola or mild olive oil

1 ½ tsp finely chopped fresh ginger

½ tsp. cumin seeds – crushed

½ tsp. ground turmeric

1 tsp. sea salt

2 tsp. brown sugar

Cut the eggplant into small ½ inch- ¾ inch cubes, Peel and dice the potatoes.  Chop the tomatoes, the onion.  Seed and slice the chili pepper.  Wash the spinach or kale and roughly chop.

Heat 2 tbsp. oil in a big frying pan, until hot.  I used a non-stick 14 inch pan. Add the potato cubes.  Fry turning occasionally, until golden brown, remove from pan.  Add 2 tbsp. oil, when pan is hot again add the eggplant. Stir, cook until it is soft. I add some water after a few minutes and stir occasionally.  Remove from pan.  Add a tsp. more oil and cook the onion bits until softening, add ginger, cumin and turmeric.  Fry one minute and then add pepper bits, tomato, salt, stir up well.  Add back the potatoes and eggplant and the greens. Add a few tbsp. of water to make sure it doesn’t burn.  Cook 3-5 minutes. Stir well. Cook a few minutes until spinach is soft. Add the brown sugar and stir a bit before serving.

Snack-a-lishious, Low Budget & GF

Snacking is something I occasionally do in the evening when I am bored, watching television or am hungry at work.  Going gluten free kinda put a crimp in some of my favorite chomp foods.  Toast with jam has sort of slipped by the wayside.  Ditto for pasta with garlic salt, butter, black pepper, Parmesan cheese and Worcestershire sauce stirred into it.  Well, I have made that one once.  Quite tasty, even made gluten free if you buy decent pasta and don’t overcook it.  Trouble is GF pasta is so pricey I have to make it a rare treat.  If you are new to celiac you might want some suggestions for safe snacking.  Read on!

There are a few low calorie gluten free snacks I particularly like.  Giant Grocery Store has small and large bags of their own brand of Mini Rice Snacks, I like the cheddar flavor.  They are cheesy, crunchy and cheap.  Seven of them are 70 calories.  I find it hard to stop at 7 chips most times.  Hence the small bag so I tend to stop faster than that big one that is three times bigger. Quaker makes a few flavors of the mini rice chips, slightly pricier.  There are big rice cakes too which are good with jam or peanut butter spread on them.

mini rice cakes

GF crackers can be less than yummy, cardboard like and expensive but there is one new one out there I immediately fell in love with: Nabisco’s Rice Thins.  My favorite, hands down, is the Brown Rice, Sea Salt and Pepper cracker which is a little spicy and a lot tasty, crisp and great with cheese or a dip.

rice thins

When I am thirsty I drink things like green tea iced with chia seeds stirred in for extra fiber and fun!  They slide down your throat and make boring green tea a silly fun time.

Another favorite drink is the chocolate egg cream, see my blog post on this yummy drink which has no eggs and usually no cream.  Light, refreshing and an old school treat which originated in Brooklyn, NY.

Fruit is an excellent snack choice.  I haven’t met one yet I didn’t like.  Buy things in season, eat them at peak ripeness and try to vary your fruits.  Don’t be like a good friend of mine who only seems to eat bananas and an occasional apple.  He is missing out on all the trace nutrients, vitamins and fiber fount in a host of fresh fruits.  It is fall so apples and pears are at the top of my list.  I am still eating honeydew melons and watermelons from my gardens.  Melons aren’t that full of nutrition but they are certainly good for you.  Berries of all kinds rank high.  I have ripe raspberries which are very flavorful and very good for you.  Get some fruit at the farmer’s market, grocery store or orchard stand and eat at least three fruits a day.  Most have lots of beneficial stuff in them, they are low calorie and they often have crunch which can be satisfying when you are in that munchy mood.

Another treat is medjool dates, best purchased in the fall.  They are big, soft, sweet, and best of all, their flavor is amazing.  Far tastier than any other variety of date, they are the queen of dates, even if you don’t like dates you might fall in love with the medjool.  I like the really big ones – they come in several sizes. These dates also contain significant amounts of fiber, potassium, copper and several other nutrients.  Good for you and they are addictive.

medjool dates

Popcorn is low calorie especially if you don’t use a microwave bag variety full of fat and salt. I love to whip up a small bowl of it and enjoy it lightly salted while I read a book.

I happen to love muffins and there are many great GF muffin recipes out there. I just baked some carrot muffins this weekend, with walnuts and golden raisin in them.  I also make a mean banana nut muffin that is almost cake like. Muffins are filling, yummy and very portable to take to work.  I freeze most of them as they only stay fresh 2-3 days and let the treat thaw in a baggie until I am hungry.  Mine are made with canola oil, one percent milk, lots of carrots and a low amount of sugar so I think the calorie count is not that extreme.

Then there are cookies; I have blogged on cowboy cookies as well as a few other tasty gf choices you can whip up.  The store ones are kinda pricey and not as delish as ones you make yourself but any port in a storm!

I love Stonyfield Smooth and Creamy Organic Yogurt especially the whole milk, plain, sold in a big 32 ounce container.  I put a few big dollops in a small Tupperware with a spoonful of jam and stir it in just as I eat it for a snack or side dish at lunch.

strawberry and stonyfield yogurt

Celery sticks alone or with peanut butter are satisfying. So are florets of cauliflower with some creamy salad dressing.  Red pepper strips are tasty to munch on too.

See, there are many healthy yet gluten free snack choices available and a few decadent ones too.  Just because you are gluten free doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a snack when you get the munchies!

Gluten Rant 2014….

I just have to rant for a bit and then I will be okay again….so bear with me….. First and worst! I am tired of asking what is in the recipe you are making for me; is there wheat, rye, barley, farro, spelt, flour in it? Or asking about the spice mix, the food starch or the rice mixture you are creating for supper.

Plus, I am exhausted in the grocery store reading every freaking label! But I do, I must, I am the crazy lady reading the tiny print of ever box/can/jar in sight…

I am sick of explaining again and again to waiters what wheat free means.  I get stressed out every time I eat out for my fears of your unsafe (for me) professional kitchen crammed with gluten despite your GF menu options.  I deeply fear your sticky, gluten covered colanders.  Please, please hear me restaurants…….

Colanders just for gf pasta are absolutely necessary!

The flip side of the eating out coin is when my boyfriend says he won’t eat at our old (pre-gf) restaurant because he thinks their kitchen is too small to safely make gf food for me; I then feel like running screaming into the night!  I want what I want and it stinks to not be able to enjoy their amazing food anymore.

One day, I was subbing in a school about 3 months after I went GF and someone asked me about what I was eating and replied they would rather be dead than have to eat GF…that sort of statement does not help us celiacs!

Then, there was the time last year when I went to a social function with a 40 foot long table of baked goods and the only thing I could put in my stomach was plain bottled water; I felt crazed. And depressed for a week or two.

It is emotionally exhausting when I have to go into great detail about how you need to cook for me and what you should never make.  It makes me nearly insane when I arrive for supper and find you did exactly what I begged you not to do…damn that spice rub on those crazy good barbecued ribs!

I despise people who write articles trying to debunk celiac, to make it seem like it is not real.  I find myself grinding my teeth as I read that tripe.  “Idiots” is the word I mutter under my breath.

But then…there are great times: there are the meals I make for my family that are still so yummy and they are all safe for me.  Those are happy moments I treasure.  The cowboy cookies people begs for another to munch on, the apple streusel tart I created from scratch that is banging good, the gf angel food cake my mom still adores and the zucchini yeast bread my goddaughter and her mom gobbled down as though it was the best bread ever!  Which it was!  Good times.  And safe for my consumption.  Yes, very good times.

IMG_0174

Those are memories to hold on to when I am trying to figure out something I can make for lunch in a hurry or when I am faced with a meal for company I have to throw together in an hour from stuff I have on hand.  GF of course and they expect it to be darn tasty, regardless of my requirement to avoid gluten in any tiny amount.

This is the stuff that most people with celiac go through.  So keep that in mind when you have dealings with those who eat gluten free. This is to help you wheat eaters understand us gf peoples!

Nothing I can do but keep trucking on.  Baking my heart out in a safe, gluten free manner.  Making tasty chicken pot pie, fantastic meatloaf with my gf bread crumbs, best ever brownies (wheat or not!) and otherwise preparing food that is delicious and safe.  That keeps me sane….that and this blog which I often find myself writing late at night for your reading pleasure.  There…I do feel better!

Ciao!