I could have sushi multiple times a week (and, confession!, sometimes I do). It’s flavorful, creative, and satisfying without being heavy. Sushi is also a great meal for sharing — the small, bite-sized items, ordered in small portions, allow you get a variety of items. And, thankfully, sushi is great option for gluten-free dining. Continue reading “Sushi, the Gluten-Free Way”
Gluten-Free Blog
Gluten-Free Pasta to Solve Dining Emergencies
One thing about the gluten-free life: it requires a lot of planning, particularly when it comes to meals. I have friends who think nothing of driving through a fast food restaurant after a long day at work. Others who stop by the grocery store to pick up fried chicken. Some who say “We’ll just order a pizza.”
For me, it’s always about “what am I going to cook tonight?”
This is one reason why I’m big on menu planning; knowing I have a plan makes the end-of-the-day process so much easier! When you’re gluten-free, the fried chicken and pizza are still options, but, unless you are very lucky, you’ll need to make them yourself. Most fast food choices require a lot of work or risk-taking (cross-contamination anyone?). Continue reading “Gluten-Free Pasta to Solve Dining Emergencies”
Falafel
Is there a better food than falafel? No, I say, there is not. Except maybe mashed potatoes. It’s a close call.
Finding gluten-free falafel out in the wild is hard. Making it at home is so easy, you won’t miss going out for this wonderful food at all. As a bonus, falafel makes a great vegan option for those times you need one.
One huge note, that I’ll repeat in the Notes section as well: do not use canned chickpeas when making falafel. They have absorbed too much liquid in the can, and will create a heavy, less fluffy falafel. You will thank yourself for soaking your garbanzo beans the old-fashioned way!
Quinoa Tabbouleh
I’ll be honest: I was never a huge fan of tabbouleh. I think it was my body’s way or warning me away from foods that made me sick because all the components of tabbouleh are delicious on their own. Which makes this gluten-free tabbouleh just about perfect…and a bit addictive.
Serve it with homemade falafel. Or bring as a side salad to a party.
Green Bean Casserole with Crispy Topping
I think gluten-free versions of “cream of anything” soups are like unicorns. Very expensive unicorns. I’ve heard rumors of companies like Progresso making GF cream of mushroom soup, but haven’t found it at my local store. And I use soups like this so infrequently, it doesn’t make sense to order from my usual sources.
Luckily, I stumbled across a great Smitten Kitchen version of a green bean casserole with homemade mushroom sauce that was easily (easily!) converted to gluten-free. Add crispy fried onions, and you’ve got yourself that most traditional of Thanksgiving dishes — one nobody will ever know is GF. Though they will know it’s incredibly delicious!
Crispy Fried Onions
I’m going to warn you up front: if you make these, make a lot. More than you need for whatever recipe you’re making. Trust me on this. You will find yourself “tasting” just one, then another. And another.
Your husband will grab a few, just make sure they do taste all right. Anyone who walks by the pile of fried onions will indulge in a taste test. Before you know it, you will have to lay down the law: no more tasting until you’re sure you have enough for the recipe.
After that, it’s open season for crispy fried onions. No point in having leftovers, right?
This gluten-free version of stuff you traditionally buy in a can during the holidays is so addictive, you’ll discover uses beyond green bean casserole just because you can’t stop eating them!
Specialized Gluten-Free Foods: Expensive or Important
I’ve just spent about an hour reading comments from people about the price and quality of specialized gluten-free foods. Oh yes, they are indeed far more expensive than their non-GF brethren! And, especially when you first go gluten-free, nowhere as tasty as the foods they are mimicking.
Yet, we, the gluten-free community, keep trying to make GF foods that taste just as good as “real” foods. I am of two minds on this point. One, of course, is that sometimes I really do want a grilled cheese sandwich. This means reaching into my frozen stash of Udi’s Whole Grain GF bread.
But mostly, I don’t think too much about what I can’t have — as it turns out, during the years before I went gluten-free, I gravitated almost instinctively toward “safe” foods. Not always successfully, but I found my cravings were for those foods that left me feeling good after a meal.
Continue reading “Specialized Gluten-Free Foods: Expensive or Important”