Product Review - Quinoa/Rice Stuffing

I've noticed several new gluten free products at Williams-Sonoma (WS) lately. Having worked in the Housewares industry for over 8 years, I've always loved this store. It's really too bad that most of the gluten free products they carry, have dairy in them. This includes the French Laundry Chef's new flour mix, C4C, that WS stores are now carrying.

This past weekend, I was able to try out one of their non-dairy, gluten free products for an early Thanksgiving meal with extended family. Along with my cranberry brussel sprouts and butternut squash kale, I brought Williams-Sonoma Herbed Quinoa and Red Rice Stuffing.

The ingredient are free of gluten but it is not a certified gluten free food since it is processed on equipment that prepares and packages gluten/wheat along with many other common allergens including nuts, milk, egg and soy. Nonetheless, I decided to try it out. It was fairly easy to make. The directions called for a diced onion and chopped celery. I used a bag of pre-chopped onion from Sprout's Farmer's Market (in the freezer section) just to save a little time. The directions also called for butter so I used Earth Balance instead.

The box came with a seasoning packet which includes sage, thyme, garlic and marjoram. Needless to say, the dish had a wonderful aroma. Everyone at the table gave it a "thumbs up" but I'm not sure if they were just being nice. I liked it but I eat quinoa all the time. It's high in protein. What I like most about this dish, is that there is nothing on the ingredient list I can't pronounce or identify.

Ingredients:
Quinoa
Red Rice
Dried Cranberries (cranberries, sugar and sunflower)
Garlic
Kosher Salt
Dalmatian Sage
French Thyme
Black Pepper
Mediterranean Marjoram

I think I will make this again for my immediate family's upcoming meal. This time, I think I'll add toasted pecans. I do believe that you could easily add leftover shredded turkey and some veggies (maybe leftover brussel sprouts) and you would have a wonderful quinoa salad for lunch made from leftovers!

Stuffing Cost: $14.95 a box with a small discount for purchasing two at one time.

Proceed with caution unless you're a quinoa lover. I"m sorry I did not think to photograph the final dish since I was in a hurry that day. I'll have to admit, it was not the most attractive dish at the buffet but it is packed with nutrition!

Have a wonderful gluten and dairy free Thanksgiving!

GF Apple Cider Donuts

I grew up in Michigan where apple orchards are abundant. Going to apple cider mills every fall and enjoying fresh steaming hot apple cider donuts right out of the fryer and pressed apple cider is a way of life for "Michiganders." I always loved the fall season. In Michigan, the leaf color change is amazing.

The beautiful colors coupled with the seasonal fall flavors, apple and cinnamon, is intoxicating. It's one of the things I really miss about Michigan (besides my family, of course). A couple years ago I discovered Applehill in Placerville which is a lovely fall getaway but darn those apple cider donuts, they have gluten in them. I did indulge this fall and had a couple of donuts. They were delicious but boy did I pay the price. My whole right side seized up. I had cramping, stomach issues and depression for days afterwards. I'm not saying I wouldn't do it again. :) Those donuts are worth it but it did inspire me to find a possible alternative. This recipe below I found in Special Diets for Special Kids Two by Lisa Lewis, Ph.D. I modified it slightly and tried to make it vegan by substituting the egg with Ener-G egg replacer, applesauce and ground chia seed (because I can't do flax). The donuts came out flat with each egg substitute. Finally I settled for duck egg which we seem to be able to tolerate (I use them only in baking). The donuts turned out perfect. Even though I baked them, they still had a bit of a crunch to them right out of the oven so it seemed as though they had been fried (but without all the grease). I'm going to keep working on this recipe. If you have any suggestions for replacing egg in a donut, please feel free to post them. I am determined to make these vegan.

The GF flour I used is Authentic Foods, Bette's Gourmet Featherlight Rice Flour Blend. I bought it on Amazon.com.

The duck egg (purchased at Ranch 99)

It looks like a normal chicken egg.

I used coconut palm sugar instead of regular sugar. It has a low glycemic index.

Sammy stirring the dry ingredients.

Oiling the donut mold pan.

I piped the donut batter with a pastry bag which made it extremely easy.

The mini donuts.

The big donuts

The taste test. Yummy and gluten free!

Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts by Lisa Lewis

(modified slightly by me)

3 tablespoons sugar (I used coconut palm sugar)

2 cups Bette featherlite flour (or other GF flour combo)

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder (I used aluminum free)

1-1/2 teas. baking soda

1/2 teas. salt

1 teas. cinnamon

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/3 cup organic brown sugar

1/3 cup organic apple butter

1/3 cups pure maple syrup (grade B)

1/3 cup organic apple cider

1/3 cup milk substitute, soured with 1/2 teas cider vinegar

3 tablespoon safflower oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Coat depressions of donut pan with oil (I used safflower).

Mix the dry ingredients together throughly and set aside.

In another bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, apple butter, maple syrup, cider, sour milk alternative and oil. Add dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Put the batter into the piping bag and snip the end being careful to not let the batter ooze out. Squeeze batter into mold and then bake 10-12 minutes until the donuts spring back when lightly touched. You can brush with melted Earth Balance and then dip into cinnamon sugar, if you'd like. We eat ours plain to avoid the extra sugar.

GFCF Living Halloween Party

Our first GFCF Living Halloween Party was a success! Everyone had a great time and ate yummy GFCF food. I actually met several of our members that I had not known before and we gained a few new members. We all feasted on GF, vegan cupcakes from Miglet's Bakery, homemade chocolate rice crispy bars, delicious apple crisp, amazing pumpkin chocolate chip bread, heavenly chocolate truffles, goodies donated by Whole Foods Market - San Ramon, chocolate bunny cookies donated by Kinnikinnick, amazing homemade chocolate donuts and apple cider donuts, among other treats. I felt so happy to see the joy in the children's faces as they got to eat almost anything they wanted from the buffet. I am hoping to do this again next year. Meanwhile, I am look forward to the GFCF Cookie exchange in December and let's not forget dinner at Piatti's in November.

 

OMGoodness!

Every once in a while I'll give a restaurant or product review that will earn an "OMGoodness" rating. Well this is one of them. This was such a yummy treat that I'm headed back this Saturday. I've got to have some more of that vegan cheesecake. Read on for all the yummy details...

The Plant Cafe Organic

I discovered this gem on Pier 3 right down the street from the Ferry Building. It's a cute little cafe on the water with outdoor seating. The modern decor was fresh and clean feeling. It was really delightful to sit by the water and enjoy the sun and lite breeze.

I love the menu here. It is not entirely gluten and dairy free but all wheat free and vegan items are marked. They offer an interesting array of seasonal soups, salads, pizzas, sandwiches, panini's, burgers and pasta (no gluten free bread or pasta though - although I did suggest it). I had the "special seasonal salad of the day," butter lettuce with cherries, almonds and goat cheese (I can tolerate goat's milk) with a side of sauteed "fish of the day." You can also order chicken as well. It was very lovely and I loved the fact that they didn't coat their nuts in sugar.

Other dishes I have planned for the near future are Roasted Red Beet Salad with shaved fennel and roast walnuts, Ginger Miso Quinoa (it's tough to find quinoa on most menus) and then Pistachio and Cornmeal Crusted Tempeh. They also offer a full menu of drinks (spirits included) and fresh juices. I was surprised to see Zevia soda on the menu. I don't think I've ever seen Zevia at a restaurant. It's a soda sweetened with Stevia sweetener (a natural, zero calorie sweetener) but I was most excited about the "green drinks." I've been curious about juicing for some time now. I ventured out on a limb and ordered the "green basic." It is kale, parsley, celery, apple and lemon. It was yummy! I was so inspired that I actually bought a juicer. I'm now juicing and loving it! They also offer a menu of smoothies with non-dairy milk options (almond and soy). I just love this place! Oh, BTW...for coffee drinkers, they offer Blue Bottle! I'm not a big coffee drinker but I think this is really huge for those who do.

The Green Basic

Now on to my favorite part of the feast....dessert! Now let's just face it...on a gluten and dairy free diet, you don't get dessert dining out very often. Well, this restaurant had two options on the menu so we ordered both. I'm so bad. :)

The first thing that caught my eyes was the Raw Raspberry Cashew Cheesecake - both wheat free and vegan! Can you believe? OMGoodness...it was delicious. You know what I'm eating on Saturday.

 

The other dessert was also yummy. Yellow Nectarine Sorbet with Creme Fraiche, Madeleine cookies and berries. All vegan and wheat free!

Here's my little guy, enjoying a dessert at a restaurant - a rare treat for this little GFCF eater! Yes, I did manage to share some of the cheesecake with him...reluctantly.

I've found my new favorite dining spot in SF. If you've been there, share your experience and you're favorite gluten and vegan dish. Happy GFCF eating!

GF Hot Dog Buns

I know this is a little late but I just had to post it. This is my son having a hot dog in a bun at a Giant's game this past summer. This was a special day since he's not had a hot dog in a bun for three years. I brought in my own GFCF, organic, nitrate free hot dogs with Udi's new GF hot dog buns. The lady at the gate was not happy with my stainless steel containers for the food but I pulled the, "my son has serious allergies and cannot eat anything here," line and she let me through the gate. She mumbled something about bringing plastic containers next time so if you do go to a game with your own food, I would bring plastic food containers. You can always line them with foil to protect the food. Happy GF hot dog eating!

GFCF Casserole - Comfort Food

I have to admit that one of the dishes I miss on a gluten and dairy free diet is a nice cheesy casserole. Casseroles are great comfort food. I love them because usually they will last two meals at my house which gives me a night off from cooking (big smiley face). Since I have a "dual household" of both gluten/dairy eaters and non-gluten/dairy eaters, it has been a challenge to accomplish a casserole everyone is happy with. Well, I think I nailed it. This casserole got a "thumbs up" from everyone at our house.


Creamy Beef Casserole (contains soy)


1 package of gluten-free elbow or penne style pasta (I use Jovial, Tinkyada or Andean Dream)
2 lbs of organic ground beef (I use 100% grass fed, if possible)
1 TBL of organic olive oil
3 cloves of minced garlic or 1 TBL of jarred crushed garlic
1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely
1/2 organic red bell pepper, chopped finely
(if your child has texture issues, you can run this through the food processor until it's like "pulp")
You could also add chopped mushrooms if your family likes them (mine does not)
1- 8 ounce can of organic tomato sauce
1- 14 ounce can of organic diced tomatoes; I use a roasted garlic variety but regular will do fine.
(again, if your child had texture issues, you can substitute another can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes)
1/3 container of Tofutti brand non-dairy sour cream
1/3 cup of Tofutti brand non-dairy cream cheese
1 cup of Daiya brand mozzarella type cheese
1 cup of Daiya brand cheddar type cheese
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook pasta according to instructions. Cook to "al dente" so the noodles will not be too soft and become mushy in the casserole.
3. In a large saute pan, begin browning ground beef. When the beef is cooked half way through, add the onions, garlic and bell pepper and continue to saute. If you are using "grass fed" beef, you may have to add a little olive oil during cooking time to prevent premature browning in the pan. This is due to the lean nature of the meat. Cook until meat is thoroughly browned, stirring frequently.
4. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir thoroughly and simmer for about 4-5 minutes.
5. Combine beef mixture, cooked pasta and the sour cream and cream cheese and mix thoroughly.
6. Spread the mixture into a casserole pan and top with Daiya cheeses.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts. Enjoy!

Gluten Free buns at Ruby's Diner!

I was so excited to read on the Udi's Web site that they are selling gluten free (GF) hamburger buns to Ruby's Diners. Imagine eating a hamburger at a restaurant with an actual bun on it. I haven't done this in many, many moons. I was then let down to find out that Ruby's Diners are only in Southern California...a mere 400+ miles away from me.

Well, imagine my delight while driving in Southern California to drop my daughter off at college, I drove by a Ruby's Diner sign. Forget the fact that it was 3:00pm and I wasn't the least bit hungry, I told my daughter, I've got to try one of these. The plan was to order a hamburger with a gluten free bun (no cheese and no mayo) and eat only a few bites of it so I could review it on my blog. Hmmmm....so much for the "few bites." It was complete nirvana. I was on the verge of tears. The hamburger was awesome. The menu says that this "all-natural USDA beef is from hormone and antibiotic free cattle." The cattle are fed a combination of pasture grass, natural grains, legumes and corn so the meat is most likely not GMO free but it was a tasty treat. The bun was good and did have that somewhat "dry" texture that GF bread tends to have but hey, it's been at least four years since I ate a hamburger with a bun. Thanks, Ruby!!  http://www.rubys.com/2-locations/locations.aspx