Trader Joe’s and Gluten Free….For Me?

I made my first pilgrimage to Trader Joe’s.  Been wanting to go for years.  I was on vacation in the Boston, MA area, and went to one in Brookline near my sister’s condo.  Saturday morning, crazy busy parking lot; we were thrilled to find a space! I was not so thrilled with what I found inside.  No separate gluten free area.  IT was all mixed in all over the place.  Like a treasure hunt but unfortunately I found cross contamination issues with their products and had to put lots of the treasures back on the shelf.  I also was not happy to have gf stuff right next to all purpose wheat flour based products.

tj cookies

Missed these……next time.

I couldn’t accept foods that were “processed on equipment that may also process wheat, etc.”  Nope.  Been there, tried that and got pretty sick: total waste of money to purchase, waste of time to bake with it and not be able to enjoy and so not good for my digestive system.  Yes, the possibility of a small contamination due to shared equipment for processing food is definitely enough to cause a celiac to not buy a food product. Happens all the time to me when I shop; I read the label and then regretfully put the product back on the shelf.

espresso beans

Now, I hear Trader Joe’s has a reputation for gluten free products and after the fact I discovered that you can get a list of gf foods from the service desk and their staff will help you find it.  Frankly I saw no staff around the store but I can say that they were very friendly at the check out and gave me a free TJ’s bag for it being my first ever TJ experience.  Sweet of them.  Would have been sweeter if I had been able to buy some salad dressing and chocolate covered nuts.  Neither of which was safe consider the cross contamination issue, here-to-for referred to as cc.

tj bag

Today I did find a blog posting giving me some direction on what was great at TJ’s; gonna use it next time, check it out: http://dragonflyglutenfree.blogspot.com/2014/05/trader-joes-gluten-free-love.html

Something else bothered me; the shelving of gluten free products.  Two reasons for my dismay; first: when they are blended together it is frighteningly easy to mistake something and take it home and as you are munching on it you realize it was not gf, just looked a lot like the gf product next to it! Secondly, I hate seeing gf products next to or on a lower shelf than regular products that have loose flour in them; bags of wheat flour for instance.  Before you jump to conclusions of me baking with wheat flour by accident; the problem is those wheat flour boxes and bags do leak at times or even burst.  Then a shower of wheat based product sifts down or over onto the gf boxes/bags.  I might touch that gf bag or box to read the ingredients.  I don’t even have to buy it to get sick.  If I get a small amount of flour which contains gluten on my fingers and then touch my face/lips it is shockingly easy for me to get quite sick.  That brief touch of flour is all it takes to make someone with celiac very ill.  tf english muffins

Smart managers of some grocery stores have a dedicated gf baking area for products so they are not next to wheat based mixes: Wegmans does that.  They have the best gf department in general and the don’t spread their gf stuff all over the store.

wegmans gf

Wegman’s GF aisle

Other stores, at least, put the gf stuff on the top shelf so if the flour leaks; it doesn’t get on the gf stuff which is above it.  Giant does this which I applaud.  Sadly, Whole Foods doesn’t nor do most heath food stores. I have told mangers about this issue but unless they know a celiac well enough to realize how easily products get contaminated, they just don’t get it and can’t be bothered to move the arrangement of products around to make it safer for us celiac sufferers.  I would be curious to know what other grocery store chains do in how they shelve gf products.

coconut oil

I did buy a jar of this!

My friend Josh who is a total TJ addict didn’t understand what I meant by cc and suggested I share some of this in my blog so you understand it when your gf family member freaks out about such stuff.

It may seem minor but when your life depends on you eating consistently safely, then you look at all the little stuff.  I hate getting ill from gluten and if I suffer several bouts in a short period of time I feel so terrible I can barely function and spend weeks feeling nauseated all day long as a result of the multiple glutenings.  So I look at all the ways I can get glutened and avoid food with any possibility of cross contamination as well as outside the package contamination.

fig butter

Finally, I also belong to several celiac support groups and have heard serious rumblings about the authenticity of Trader Joe’s gluten free designations on their products.  I take that gf label very seriously and if they are found to be slapping it on unsafe products you will Never find my personage in a Trader Joe’s again. I hope it is not so, I really do.  Meanwhile I am going to go open my fig butter and indulge in a little fig jam party!

Chicken Stir Fry With Rice Noodles

When time is short, the weather is hot and you are hungry for a real meal I find a stir fry can be a lifesaver of an entree.  It allows me to use whatever is in the fridge and pantry to create a fresh wholesome meal very quickly, less then 30 minutes including prep.

For a starch my go to choice is often rice noodles, they come in skinny to very wide size and are so easy to prepare.  They take on the flavor of the rest of the dish which can be handy; no flavor conflicts here.

This version I am sharing today is a chicken stir fry made with those delightful wide rice noodles you can get these days in most grocery stores.  I soak them in very hot water for ten minutes and drain well before stirring them into the completed dish.  Easy for sure!  This batch was marked as extra wide and they were just that.

Notes: the veggie amounts are very fluid; use more if you like a lot of something or skip if you hate.  Best made in a wok; I have a small one I use all the time.  I guess you can use a fry pan; keep it hot and stir constantly.

I actually ate the leftovers the day after for my supper: served it cold as a salad; added a touch more soy sauce and a swig of sesame oil and it was just delightful: refreshingly different.

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Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles

Ingredients:

Wide rice noodles; enough for 2 people

½ lb of chicken breast cut into bite sized bits

1-2 tbsp. cooking oil (I like mild olive oil)

1 medium onion cut down from the top and then into slices top to bottom

1 big carrot; sliced on the diagonal

1 celery stalk sliced on diagonal

1 cup broccoli chunks

1 baby bok choy; about 1 cup of cut up chunks (2 big stalks works too)

2/3 cup pea pods; either snap or sugar peas

1 big garlic clove minced

About ½ a tsp of grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. corn starch dissolved in 1/3 cup water

1-2 tsp. soy sauce (be sure it is gf)

Directions:

Put the noodles in a bowl half full of very hot water; I heat it in the microwave until almost boiling. I break them in half before putting in water; up to you if you like long strands. Let stand ten minutes.  Meanwhile, cut the chicken up into thin slices or chunks; nothing that can’t fit easily into someone’s mouth.  Heat mini wok, add oil.  Add chicken and stir it after a minute; flipping over; brown all over lightly; 3-4 minutes.  Remove to a plate.  Add onion, celery and carrot, stir a minute or two then add broccoli and bok choy, stir 1-2 minutes.  Add the pea pods and garlic.  Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.  You want the veggies to be a touch crisp but mostly cooked.

Add back the chicken and the ginger, stir well for 30 seconds to a minute.  Pour in the cornstarch water slurry and 1 tsp. soy sauce.  Stir as it cooks for one minute; add more water if not enough sauce to your liking. This last minute is critical to make the sauce clear; cooks the cornstarch. Taste and add more soy sauce if you want, also, season with salt and fresh black pepper to your liking.

I often use fruit juice for some or all of the water.  Pineapple is my favorite but orange juice or even lemon juice works well for some of the fluid; adds a lot of flavor. Add the noodles and stir well before serving.  Should serve 2 people easily, maybe 3 if one isn’t too hungry!

This is a naturally gluten free dish.  If you dislike rice noodles serve it over rice. Enjoy!

Hand Pies – Heaven Comes in Small Portions!

Looking for a small snack, something that is fruity and flaky? Look no further than hand pies.  I make them out of leftover dough from pies or tarts.  I’d been making them long before I went gluten free…I’m still creating different versions in my gf life. They are very simple. Basically roll out a circle of pie dough; plop on some filling; fold over, pinch and bake. They are my secret treat when I bake a pie for company!  A hand pie satisfies that pie craving and is fairly portable.  Can take these treats on a picnic, to the beach or on a hike if you put them in a rigid walled container so they don’t get smushed.

I confess that I generally only make one or two from scraps when I bake a pie or tart but you can just make hand pies and it should make about 6 depending on how big you make them. You might get 7 if on the small side or maybe 5 if they are large!

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strawberry rhubarb pie 009

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blueberry filling in this fat hand pie

Angie’s GF Hand Pies

Crust:

1 c plus 2 tbsp brown rice flour mix (at bottom of recipe)

2 tbsp sweet rice flour

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ tsp salt

6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 6 chunks

1 large egg

2 tsp fresh orange or lemon juice

Directions: Mix dry ingredients in bowl of stand electric mixer.  Add butter and mix until crumbly and resembling coarse meal.  Add egg and juice.  Mix until it comes together into big chunks.  Shape into a ball with your hands. Put it on a crust sized piece of wax paper (14 x 14 inches more or less), flatten the crust ball some; put on top of it another piece of wax paper and chill it all in your fridge 15-20 minutes while you do something else.  I use my pie bag; a round piece of plastic connected to another piece of plastic by a zipper; more sturdy than wax paper for rolling out gf dough.

Filling:

½ to 2/3 cup of jam, marmalade or cooked fruit – if you go with cooked fruit; add some sugar; maybe 2 tbsp of it and cook just a few minutes; don’t let it totally break down. Stir it as it cooks on low. I have used blueberries mixed with rhubarb for this fruity filling version; yumm!

I use a tablespoon per hand pie of fruit jam, cooked fruit or marmalade.  I love it with homemade jam or marmalade.  My Meyer lemon marmalade is fantastic in a hand pie.  I sometimes add a tbsp. of almond flour on top of the filling; gives more texture.

Optional: almond flour, cinnamon sugar

Directions: roll out a chunk of dough; about 2-3 tbsp worth; you can divide the big ball of dough into 6 chunks so they are the same size.  Make it a circle or oval shape, try not to get it too thin as it will be very difficult to work with and may break allowing filling to ooze out.  I peel the rolled out dough off the plastic, lay it back down so it will be easy to pick up once filled.  Top it with the jam or cooked fruit on one side; not too close to the edge!  Sprinkle with almond flour or meal if you like. Fold over the crust and pinch it shut all along the edge. You can use a fork to press it shut and make an edging.  If you leave any unsealed the filling will run out and make a mess.  Sometimes I bake them on aluminum foil so I can throw it away and avoid cleaning up the mess of burst out filling that has burnt on the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if you like, which I do.  Lay on a baking sheet that you sprayed with cooking spray to cut down on sticking.  You could use parchment paper on it if you like. Repeat with the rest of the dough and fillings.

Bake in 350 oven for about 20 to 25 minutes; until light brown.  Cool before eating.  Easier said than done; I love them still slightly warm from the oven.  Yummers!

Brown Rice Flour Mix  (it is the same as King Arthur’s gf flour mix)
2 c brown rice flour

2/3 c potato starch

1/3 c tapioca flour

Blueberry Pancakes, GF AND Yet Fat and Sassy!

Who know it would be so difficult to find a really tasty gf pancake recipe?  Tried a few and found some too dry and some too bland.  It took me just about 2.5 years to find ones I really liked.  Fat, tender and flavorful.  I don’t miss my old wheat based pancakes anymore.  Plus these are super easy to make; dump and stir.  Sorry, no ready made box mix used here but I am considering making a dry mix version of this recipe so I can blend them together in a hurry.  Soon, when I can find the time to figure out the way to do it best, then I will be ready to make almost instant pancakes from scratch!They are from Elizabeth Hasselbeck’s cookbook.  I am generally not a fan of celebrity cookbooks but this recipe is worth sharing.

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So try these and you will find them to be fat and utterly yummy.  I put blueberries in mine but they are good plain and would taste fantastic with chocolate chips added on top! My three year old grandson loved them the other week.  We sprinkled a little cinnamon in our batter too.

shrimp bisque 003

I think someone already took a bite out of one of these beauties!

Elizabeth’s GF Pancakes

1 cup sweet sorgum flour

½ cup sweet rice flour

¼ cup tapioca flour

2 tbsp. sugar

2 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. guar gum

¼ tsp. salt

———

1 2/3 cup 2% milk

2 eggs

½ tsp. vanilla

4 tbsp. butter; melted plus more for griddle frying

Topping: ¼ cup fresh blueberries, sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions: Whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix the next three ingredients in a small bowl, whisk well, mix in the melted butter, whisk.  Pour into the dry ingredients, mix with whisk just until no dry shows.  If the batter looks too thick add 1-2 more tablespoons milk and stir up. I heat the griddle while I do the mixing so it is all ready when the batter is mixed; it doesn’t keep well; to get the fattest puffiest pancakes the secret is mix briefly and you have to bake them right away.

Heat griddle until hot, add some butter, I like to use a big kitchen spoon to measure and I do 3 or 4 pancakes on my cast iron griddle at a time. Sprinkle 3-5 berries on top of each pancake and add a sprinkle of cinnamon.  Let them cook until the edges look set; about 2-3 minutes.  Turn with flat spatula turner.  Let cook 1-2 more minutes.  Do not flip again.  Serve with maple or blueberry syrup.

Chocolate Egg Cream, Frothy, Flavorful and Fun

Sometimes I want something chocolaty but I don’t want a brownie, chocolate pudding or ice cream or even a chocolate bar.  I am simply thirsty.  Those are the times I reach for my Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup.  Lickety split I can make an old school drink that is low sugar, low fat and thirst quenching; the venerable chocolate egg cream.  Funny thing is, there is no egg in it and often no cream.  I sometimes do use half and half but you can make this with any sort of milk you like, even one or two percent.  I do discourage the use of skim or non fat milk, at least a little richness is required.

The chocolate egg cream is allegedly from Brooklyn, NYC.  The New York Egg Cream is a variation of the milkshake popular back from the 1880’s which had an egg beaten in it.  The version I have replicated became popular  many decades ago, partially because it was cheaper for soda fountains to make because it had no egg.  I am not a big fan of raw eggs in my drinks so I am happy indeed that this “modern” version is sans egg.  I have been making it for many years, one of my sisters taught me how.

This is such a simple recipe; get a tall glass, squirt about 1-2 tsp. of real Hershey syrup on the bottom, no store brand substitute will do.  I know about other syrups but hey, I am in Pennsylvania so Hershey’s it is!

hersheyI never measure; just enough to cover the bottom.  Then pour in ½ inch depth of some sort of milk, your choice of richness.  Stir them together well with an ice tea spoon.

 choc drink

Add 3-6 ice cubes and fill the glass with well chilled seltzer water. Stir it again. I favor flavored seltzer, the raspberry or cranberry are particularly good for this drink as they add quite a bit of flavor and complexity to this simple little thirst quencher!  A fresh bottle makes the foamiest egg cream so I recommend you splurge and start with a new bottle for your drink preparation.

choco egg cream

Be sure to use a tall glass, it just won’t taste the same in a stubby little one!

So, next time you are longing for a refreshing low sugar soft drink but one with a subtle touch of chocolate, make a chocolate egg cream and smile because it is delicious, has no added sugar and if you use one percent milk it is pretty darn low fat.  Light, refreshing, the egg cream is a wonderful “throw back” drink you can enjoy any day of the week!

PS: I hear U-bets Chocolate Syrup from NY is the bomb in a chocolate egg cream. I have to get some 🙂

Originally posted September 2014 but I know you are thirsty so here it is again!