Gluten-Free Blog

Gluten-Free Product Review: Qrunch Quinoa Burgers

Last week, for reasons known only to my psyche, I was craving veggie burgers. When I announced that we were celebrating Meatless Monday with Qrunch Quinoa Burgers, the green chile with pinto beans version, my husband gave me one of those looks. Seems he much preferred my faux Philly cheesesteaks from the night before.

I made a great sauce, sliced up some perfectly ripe avocado, added a little cheese, and grilled these burgers to perfection. They were served on Udi’s gluten-free hamburger buns. I love a good bean and quinoa combo, so I’m sorry to say these didn’t taste good. At all.

My husband, who is not gluten free, was happy I made them like a real burger, but both of us felt the quinoa burgers were dry. They fell apart very quickly. I might have forgiven this if the flavor had shown up — it didn’t.

While we probably won’t buy these again, I have two left, and I’m thinking of doing them in the style of a huevos ranchero, with the Qrunch burgers taking the place of the corn tortilla. A fried egg will add moisture, and ranchero sauce will kick up the flavor.

Socca: An Easy, Naturally Gluten-Free Flatbread

I have a weakness for all things garbanzo bean. Garbanzos (or chickpeas, if you prefer) are the basis for my beloved falafel. And, of course, the highly addictive hummus. Baked or fried (I prefer baked) garbanzos are, I believe, the snack of the future. Give me a salad with garbanzo beans, and I will leave and extra tip.

As I’ve been thinking about gluten-free breads, I’ve been researching naturally gluten-free breads. And by naturally, I mean breads that don’t require a mix of five different flours before they’re added to a mix of five different flours. Simple, minimal ingredient breads that just happen to be gluten free. Continue reading “Socca: An Easy, Naturally Gluten-Free Flatbread”

Socca (Chickpea Flatbreads)

Socca, and its cousins farinata, cecina, tortillata, or fainá (among others), is probably the best gluten-free bread you’ve never heard of. At its most basic, it consists of three ingredients: chickpea (garbanzo bean0 flour, water, and olive oil. These ingredients are mixed together, the batter is poured into a hot pan or skillet, baked until crisp and brown.

Simple, huh? As you can imagine, any food that simple has be delicious and flexible. Socca (and relatives) takes on different flavors based on how you choose to season it. Want to keep it basic? Fresh rosemary is traditional. Thyme is delicious. Za’atar is unusual — or not, since this dish has a Middle Eastern cousin. Even Indian spices work well here.

Socca is traditionally thin and a bit crisp on the outside, but still flexible. Farinata, or those I’ve encountered, are a bit thicker. Much of the final product depends on how thick your batter is — for the recipe, I’m suggesting a medium-weight batter. Make it thicker or thinner according to your taste.

Hint: since this is a great flatbread, you can also treat it a bit like a pizza, with great toppings!

Gluten-Free Quesadilla Options

One night, I was at my local Mexican joint, and wanting something, well, cheesy. Quesadilla cheesy. Since we’ve been going to this place for about twenty years (we are nothing if not loyal customers!), the staff are accustomed to my modifications to their menu.

Mostly, this means taking the tomatoes out of whatever dish I choose. I’m not much of a raw tomato person. This time, however, I went for the big substitution: corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas in a quesadilla.

My server didn’t even blink. And, I kid you not, that was the best quesadilla I’d had in years. Even my own weren’t that tasty. Well, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but indulge me. I had a quesadilla in a restaurant. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Quesadilla Options”

Gluten-Free Recipe Substitutions and Workarounds

I am a recipe addict, and while I gear up for a piece on organizing your recipes, I’m also thinking about how I approach recipes. When I encounter something that sounds or reads like it will be delicious, I first scour the ingredients list.

The first thing I learned, oh so long ago!, was that so many more recipes are naturally gluten free than I expected. There are months when I rip out pages from Saveur or Food & Wine to save recipes that I can make without worrying about substitutions or workarounds.

Then there are the recipes that require a bit more thought. They require me to think about why the gluteny item is included, what it does, and how I can make the dish gluten free without sacrificing flavor, texture, or appearance. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Recipe Substitutions and Workarounds”

How Allergic Are You?

When the very nice, very helpful server asked me that, after coming back from the kitchen to report on my gluten-free options, I bit back my first response of “Let’s just say I’ll be sick for about a week.” I also resisted my second response, “Technically, it’s an autoimmune disease, not an allergy.”

As much as I’d like to get into *that* discussion, a super-busy lunch hour wasn’t the right place or time. So I looked at her directly and said, “Very.”

The “how allergic?” question is surely the number one pet peeve of all celiac and gluten-intolerant people out there. It shows how little education is being spread to servers and other restaurant staff…and it shows how often these same servers and other staff are subjected to people who simply aren’t truly gluten free. Continue reading “How Allergic Are You?”

GF Pantry: Gluten-Free Panko Crumbs

When it comes to pantry staples, I like to focus on items that are not pricey gluten-free specialty items. Often, there are better substitutes or alternate cooking methods that will save you money and time. One exception, for me, is gluten-free panko bread crumbs.

Traditional panko is made from crustless bread, resulting in light, airy bread crumbs. They are popular in Japanese cooking, and I loved them in my pre-GF life due to their ability to get crispy and stay crispy. I’ve found they don’t require a lot of extra seasoning to taste good. Continue reading “GF Pantry: Gluten-Free Panko Crumbs”