GF Monday Night Football

You ever wonder what America would be like without Monday Night Football? All my life I have experienced football on Monday nights during the months September to December. If you are not a fanatic or you are just not into the entertainment value of football like so many are, then I guess you wouldn't understand MNF meals. The best part about MNF meals is that you can go out to a sports bar, tailgate, dine out or dine in/bbq at home.

One of my favorite things to eat for football would be anything bbq. The other day Megan and I were in Whole Foods doing our normal shopping and she came across this Thai jasmine rice from Thai Kitchen. She showed it to me and said "you can make this". It was green chili and garlic jasmine rice. I thought about it and convinced myself that if I can create any dish gluten free I can definitely do this.

So a week goes by and I am still trying to figure out what I am going to make with this rice and when would be a good time to make it. Then I came up with the idea of Thai bbq chicken. The simplicity of making your own bbq sauce along with how simple rice is to make made this the perfect MNF meal.

 

Thai BBQ Sauce:

1/2-cup Organicville Ketchup 

2 tbsp Honey

1/8 cup brown sugar

1 pinch of cayenne pepper or red curry powder (I used 1/2 tsp)

1/2 tsp of paprika 

pinch of salt

Thai dipping sauce:

1 Roma tomato finely chopped
2 tbsp fine chopped red onion or scallion
1/4 cup red win vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1 tsp dried cilantro flakes
1 tsp sea salt

Celiac Awareness Day meal...LASAGNA!!!

Today, September 13, 2010 was National Celiac Awareness day. A day we should be educating our neighbors, coworkers, friends and family that suffer from like symptoms of celiac disease. Now don't go diagnosing them and making this a big theatrical scare. Just educate them and encourage them to go get tested. It is a very serious disease that shouldn't be taken lightly.

My girlfriend Megan was diagnosed with celiac in 2003. Since then she has been an advocate to living a gluten free lifestyle. I myself am allergic to gluten and have been gluten free for 2 years.

Since I do majority of the cooking in the house, I always make sure I create something that she wouldn't think was possible to be made gluten free. It's funny how I never cease to amaze her. One of her favorite dishes that I make is gluten free lasagna.

As a kid I hated to eat lasagna. The worst was the Parmesan cheese that didn't melt so you had this crumbled cheese inside this moist noodle with plain tomato sauce.  I can't recall a good experience from childhood to adulthood  pertaining to lasagna. So I avoided it and never even had a thought of making my own until I met Megan. She told me one day that I should make lasagna. (mostly because she was craving it) So in my first attempt I made this mediocre version that she loved.

Megan is not easily impressed so I now had confidence in being able to create this wonderful lasagna that was gluten free and dairy free. Her birthday came and I made lasagna except this time I added some more creativity. Another success!!

Today I have challenged myself to create a lasagna that everyone would enjoy! Sometimes I can be lazy and get a jar of gluten free sauce and boil some water throw some noodles in and presto gluten free lasagna. Where is the fun in that? I wanted to make this meal spectacular!


I start off by making the meat for the sauce. I am using ground turkey meat to make a version of Italian sausage. You can use ground beef or pork I prefer a poultry because of how lean the meat is. I browned the meat using a little EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) add some spices (garlic, paprika, basil, oregano, thyme) After the meat starts to brown I pour about 1/4 cup or Petite Sirah and stir a bit.

While the meat finishes to brown I need to start on the sauce. To me it is the most important part to this dish especially since we aren't using any dairy. Start by pouring 2 tbsp of EVOO into a pan, add about 1/2 cup chopped yellow onions and green bell pepper. After the peppers start to soften and the onions become more of a translucent color add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms, 8 oz of rough chopped black olives, 2 tomatoes diced and 1/8 cup of chopped green onions or scallions.

Once all the ingredients are mixed let them cook for about 5-7 minutes on lo-med heat. While that is cooking start to boil 6 cups of water in a pot.





The lasagna noodles I use are Tinkyada brown rice noodles. In my  experience of cooking I have yet to come across of brand of noodles like Tinkyada.In my opinion there isn't a better brand of gluten free pasta noodles out there. The best part of Tinkyada is that I never feel limited to a type of noodle. They make almost every style of noodle I would want to use for my pasta.


So I look at my stove and I feel overwhelmed with all the pots and pans all cooking at once, now it's time to combine them . The turkey meat is already seasoned, the vegetables already produce a natural salt flavor so when adding the sauce just season with garlic for taste. I used one 16 oz can of organic tomato puree and one 12 oz can of organic tomato sauce.

Why this mixture? Puree doesn't have any additives to it and provides a nice texture. The tomato sauce that I used has no additives to it other than water. I used the tomato sauce to substitute the process of adding just water. This way you are still getting the ingredient that will thin out your sauce without losing any flavor.

Combine the meat, vegetables and sauce into one pot and let simmer until the noodles are fully cooked. While waiting the 8-10 minutes the noodles need to cook in boiling water, pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees, and get an oven safe baking dish out. I used two 8" x 4" x 2" oval dishes to make the serving size easier to measure. Once the noodles are done cooking drain and set aside on cutting board. Most noodles, if not broken :-), are 12" in legnth so be prepared to custom fit your noodles to fit the dish of your choice. Just follow the steps on how to prepare the dish to bake

Steps:

1. Put a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of dish
2. lay a layer of noodles on top then add sauce on top of noodles
3. repeat step 2 twice

Bake in the oven for ten minutes and let cool for five minutes before serving. I personally like to serve red wine with lasagna. We picked up this great 2006 Cabernet from a Napa Valley winery called Sequoia Grove. It's a nice smooth cab that goes well with lasagna. I suggest you go with something you are familiar with if you are not knowledgeable about wines.

This is a great meal to share with anyone. You can serve this at a dinner party or if you are trying to impress a special someone. I would definitely recommend this dish if you are entertaining mixed company (non gluten free).

Gluten Free Spring rolls at the Farmers' market!!!

I woke up this morning to a sunny clear blue sky and thought what a wonderful day to go for a walk. About 2 miles from my house is a small farmers' market located in downtown Santa Clara.  So I ask everyone if they wanted to go and of course it was unanimous.

We left the house mid morning (around 10ish). I wasn't as smart as everyone else since I did not eat anything for breakfast. So here I am going on at least a 4 mile round trip walk on an empty stomach not to smart. The first vendor we see is an assorted fruit stand. They had samples I tried very hard not to attack them. After purchasing some peaches that tasted sweet with a side of tart we walked by a vegetable stand. My stomach started to gurgle then my mind went into what am I making for dinner. So naturally my eyes became huge and I started grabbing. Ended up buying some green chard, green bell peppers, tomatoes and red potatoes.

Now I needed to rest so we took a seat next to a large water fountain for a break. I was very hungry now and being around a bunch of baked goods full of wheat I felt like I didn't have an option.

Megan pointed out that she saw a stand that said rice wraps. I was like they probably contain gluten or just isn't safe. Being as hungry as I was I felt it was worth the effort. As I approached the stand I read on their sign:

NO WHEAT
NO GLUTEN
NO MSG

GREAT! Naturally I asked if ALL the wraps were gluten free the man seemed very educated and explained to me that not all of them were and shared why. It's not everyday you come across a vendor or restaurant that are knowledgeable enough to educate the consumer, especially since most gluten free consumer's are hesitant to purchase pre-made foods. I bought two wraps, one shrimp roll and one spring roll (for me)

 
The shrimp roll had the same ingredients except they substituted the shrimp for the pork. It was delicious the lettuce was fresh, large pieces of the tiger shrimp, rice noodles were cooked to perfection. With the right amount of mint and cilantro it just made this snack so refreshing. I asked for a side of hot sauce. They used Sriracha sauce and Gluten Free soy sauce to make the mixture. 

After I finished I went and asked him where to get the particular wraps they used. He said any "Asian" store. He mentioned that they work well for any wrap including a burrito.



This was a clear winner in my book and even though I will go to this market again, I now know I can go there on an empty stomach.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Apple crumble

So for my birthday my wonderful girlfriend Megan asked me what I wanted. I told her I would love to have apple pie. I know a weird request for a birthday. The 2 1/2 years I have been gluten free I have NOT had apple pie. So we went to Whole Foods bought a pre-made gluten free crust, apples, brown sugar and the rest of the ingredients we didn't already have.

So Friday September 10th two days before the big 3-0 hits, Megan and Nathan (left) prepare for the daunting task of making me an apple pie. Now being gluten free does come with some restrictions and if you are not very creative good luck with enjoying food. Good thing we are very creative or at least think quickly enough for a suitable substitute when needed.

She made the filling with 4 Granny Smith apples, 3/4 cup dried cranberries (Ocean Spray mark theirs Gluten Free on the package), zest of 1 lime (but she used a lemon from our tree), 1tbsp of freshly squeezed lemon juice, 1/8 c of granulated sugar and 1 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. I was shocked to see that she only used 1/8 cup of sugar and it came out so sweet!

The nondairy crisp topping was so good. I will admit I was surprised. I am not a baker, I cook. I don't care for all the prep and waiting around to see how my creation turned out. I just don't have the patience. But this pie made me want to start. She used Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour mix, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vegetable oil (instead of cream) and the surprise of the night Kinnikinnick's graham crackers. If you haven't tried these go to Whole Foods and pick up a package you will not be disappointed.

After eating the pie, we weren't all that impressed with Whole Foods' crust and felt that that the filling could be a little more moist. It was definitely sweet enough. We might use a different fruit other than cranberries to offset the tartness of the apples. Adding orange juice to the filling would help for the moistness we were looking for and maybe brushing some earth balance butter over the crust too. We have some ideas for the next time we make it. (hopefully tomorrow) 

Don't be afraid to cook gluten free!

When it comes to cooking, doing it gluten free is NOT as difficult as one might think. You can create a gluten free meal out of any dish that you love. There is some preparation involved as there is with any other recipe, but ultimately you can cook a meal that won't make you sick. If you are just starting the gluten free diet, you know that there is a lot of research to do. You need to read ingredient labels, watch for cross-contamination, learn about safe handling practices in the kitchen, and all of this new information creates a steep learning curve. Many people who are new to the gluten free diet become frustrated. This blog is an answer for anyone who wants to cook gluten free, from the experimentalist to the idea-seeking connoisseur, to the frustrated newbie.

For three years I worked for a medical center that specializes in gluten intolerance and celiac disease. I helped people who had already taken steps to improve their health through a gluten free diet. Little did I know that the advice I gave them would eventually help me too. Initially I refused to think I was reacting to something in my food. Eventually I realized that I suffered from many symptoms of gluten intolerance. In embracing my condition I learned how to help others beyond the confines of the doctor’s office by sharing my creative approach to gluten free cooking. 

Over a period of six years I noticed that my overall health had decreased significantly. I was calling in sick to work, and was actually sick! In my healthier days “sick” was nothing more than a day off. I suffered from weight gain, but only ballooned up around the midsection. I was informed by one of the doctors that I was probably gluten intolerant. He suggested that I go on a gluten free diet to see if I would feel better. After looking over the list of the things that I COULD NOT eat, I remember thinking, "I don't eat that much gluten". As naive as it sounds I really didn't! I noticed, however, that when I did eat gluten I had a way of making sure that it was ALL gluten. On a gluten-binge I would eat things like flour tortillas, pasta, pizza and desserts made from all-purpose flour. On a normal day, however, I seemed to prefer fresh vegetables, un-breaded meats, and other naturally gluten free choices.

My first attempt at the gluten free lifestyle was very half-hearted. I was afraid to substitute, to research for a gluten free version of the pizza, pasta, cake, etc… I did not experiment. My foods were either naturally gluten free (safe) or off-limits. I was the cook in my household and I didn't want to think of a creation, so I went for comfort. I stayed within the realm of foods that I grew up with, and whatever was familiar to me.

Because I was constantly sick and not getting better I decided to try going gluten free once more. And this time I promised myself to really try. I realized that you can make a naturally gluten free meal, as I had been doing, or you can get creative. For example, you can substitute rice and potatoes for bread crumbs. Once I created a few masterpieces I began to truly appreciate the art of gluten free cooking. When I cooked I didn't just cook a meal, I tried to create an everlasting meal, so that when you were finished it left you completely satisfied yet still yearning for more.

I often hear people complain that they can't eat X, Y, or Z, or they will no longer be able to eat their favorite dish.  It takes me right back to my first attempt at the gluten free diet. I think we all have a tendency to take the "easy" way out by labeling everything as either “safe” or “off-limits.” If you need some inspiration to tackle the challenge of cooking gluten free meals, then this blog is for you. You will find how gratifying it is to create, prepare and cook a safe, gluten free restaurant-quality meal.

 

Mexican foods are quite amenable to the world of gluten free. My version of Gluten Free Beef Tacos with Spanish Rice follows. The spiced organic ground beef mixed with caramelized onions blends well with the spicy zest of the diced green chilies. I top them with fresh tomatoes, lettuce and olives
 

Tacos

1lb. organic ground beef
4 whole green chilis (diced)
1/2 white onion (diced)
4oz diced olives
1/2 head iceburg lettuce (chopped)
1 roma tomato (diced)
1tsp garlic powder
1tsp paprika
1tbsp cumin
1tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1/4 cup of shredded cheese (optional)
6 corn taco shells (make sure to read the indgredients and for cross contamination) I use Trader Joes' brand since they are a gluten free and only $2

Spanish Rice

1 cup brown jasmine rice
1 16oz can of organic peeled diced tomatos
2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsp of Butter ( I use earth balance)
2 tbsp Cumin
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp oregano

In a large pan pre heat to meduim and add ground beef. Cook until brown and then drain excess liquid (fat, oils) add diced onions, diced green chilis, garlic powder, paprika, cumin and cayenne pepper.  Add 3/4 cup of water and stir indgridients together. Turn heat to low and let cook for 10-12 minutes or until water is gone. Heat up shells in oven. Stuff 1/4 of shell with meat then top with lettuce, tomato, olives and cheese (optional)

Pre heat a medium sauce pan add in oil and butter and cook until butter is melted. Turn heat up to med-high then add rice, cook until most of the rice is lightly golden brown. Once rice is golden brown add cumin, oregano and diced tomatos. Pour 1 1/4 cup of water and cook in boil for 1-2 min. Then turn heat down to low-med. Cook for additonal 15-20 minutes or until all liquid has been soaked into rice.  Once done season with salt stir and ready to serve.