Shake N Bake...

It's shake n bake time and I found the breadcrumbs to do it with- Aleia's "a world without gluten" does them right! Aleia's products can be found at various locations, click the link to see more, but I was able to purchase at my local Whole Foods. Another great reason why you should try these products is because they are as local as local gets. Aleia's is right out of Connecticut!
Back to the chops- I was turned onto this breaded pork chop phenomenon by a dear friend, and have been trying to find a way to cook pork chops another way ever since I was diagnosed with Celiac- but lets be honest: it's just not the same! It might not be the most elegant fine dining idea- but to heck with elegant, its GOOD, and thats all that matters.PERIOD. Paired with a side of whole kernel corn and mashers... and your all set to go for a cheap meal. As an added bonus, a great gluten free quick side of mashed potatoes can be found in you local grocery isle: Idahoan- for a "homemade taste in 4 minutes". I have to hand it to them they are all really good, and we can eat all but the loaded baked potatoes kind. 4 out of 5 ain't bad!

Look out pork chop number two- I'm diving in!

Stir Fry the GF way...

So a challenge I find many places is that soy sauce is hidden in MANY dishes. Luckily Organic Tamari makes a wheat free soy sauce that does not lack in any flavor- in fact I can't tell the difference and Tommy down at Kazu likes it even better! So I found myself cooking up a lunch today that would make GF's and non GF's alike mouths water...

In a wok:
a small spoon full of bacon fat
2 tbs butter
1 onion quartered and then quartered again
10 asparagus stalks, tips and first cut
1 handful haricot beans halfed
10 grape tomatoes cut in half
2 garlic cloves- Fresh Market in Westport has marinated garlic in cherry peppers- YUM
4 dashs of Tamari Wheat Free Soy Sauce
and a dash of salt

Once this is cooked, move to a separate plate. In the wok add 1 package of steak tips and cook, toss often, until medium rare, or however you prefer. Once the meat is cooked through, add the vegetables and stock back to the pan, let sit for 2 minutes more, and serve. You can use any meat or fish you like, rice would even complete this meal for a dinner too! Feel free to add more or less vegetables- water chestnuts would add some extra flare- thats for next time! It's simple and easy and most of all delish!

LEFTOVERS... what to do???

I swear every time I open my fridge I have way to much food, but I am sick to my stomach with the amount of leftovers staring back at me, or the little things- how often can I use cream cheese? Today I went to grab for the leftovers and I thought to myself- what am I going to do with all this stuff in here? Why is my fridge always cluttered but I have nothing I want? On the menu I had lined up chicken from Costco ($4.99, you just can't beat it for the price) and broccoli with some cheese on top. All of the sudden the light went off above my head... I will go back to the days of my mom's cooking, or let's be realistic someone's mom's cooking and throw together a casserole. Is there an easier way to eat through a fridge of leftovers or miscellaneous items?  I think not...

I started by cutting up the chicken, and steaming up the broccoli and getting out the leftover rice. Next, I turned to the stove to start my first concoction which would ultimately be my favorite casserole I ever made- and my first!

Here goes:
throw together the following (add, substitute- it's really up to you!)
1/2 a package of creamcheese- I prefer the full fat kind, but you can use light... fat free does not really work for cooking
1 8oz container of sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese- prefer the block and grating it then
1/2 cup English Cheddar Cheese- again, prefer the block and grating it then
a good heaping of Penzy's crushed jalapeños
a good heaping of Penzy's Cheese sprinkle
aka... if you haven't been, put Penzy's spices on your Christmas list!

After heated thoroughly, toss the sauce over the cooked rice, broccoli and chicken. Stir until well mixed. Bake covered in the oven at 350* until bubbly and brown, about a half hour. Uncover, sprinkle a bit more cheese sprinkle, a few more jalapeños and top with shredded cheddar cheese, return to the oven uncovered until it is melted through.

Most of all enjoy. Next time you're looking at a whole lot of nothing in your fridge... I bet with a bit of creativity you can create a whole lot of something in no time! Channel your inner Grandmother :)

An Italian Treat for any pasta lover!

WHOA! delish... need I say more? Meat Lasagna!!! Found this at Balducci's in Westport and it is fantastic.... I did however choose the meat lasagna over the cheese hoping for more flavor, but I am excited to go back and get more! The flavor reminds me of homemade lasagna from when I was little- and I bet the cheese one is fantastic as well! This was pleasently priced around $6 for 2 servings- which that alone makes it worth it! After googling Conte's Gluten Free Lasagna's, I also found that Conte's makes a varitey of pastas (which was dense and with NO trace that this was GF- take it from a pasta lover), pizzas and frozen dinners! They also have a list of retailers on there site as well. What a treat... so if you can find them, grab them! You will not regret this tasty treat! :)

Bagels...

I found it- well the closest thing to it! I finally have a place to join the forces of melted butter and cream cheese again. Ok, so it's been awhile since I have been able to find that one morning treat that I can feel a little bit bad about eating :) to hell with eggs and bacon, or grits... finally I can have a bagel again. Against the Grain has done it again! You can find them in the frozen section of your local whole foods stores, bagels, baguettes, rolls. In fact I like the original roll the best! For best results, take one out of your freezer the night before to defrost. After slicing the next morning toast in the oven, unlike most GF food- you can actually eat this with out even toasting too! So welcome to the joy of a carb loading breakfast again!

Macaroni and Cheese... to top them all!

Thank you Claire for the initial recipe at BubbleFest last year (a way that girls can enjoy the Superbowl too), I almost got out of my non-sleep last night to make this, but decided to wait till dinner tonight! A girls gotta eat! With not to much of a twist, this meal is now GF! Comfort food to top them all... So here goes...

Cook: 1 bag pasta- I only like bionaturae's... you can not tell its gluten free!

In a skillet: cook for 5 mins together

4 tbs butter- and don't shy on the butter!

4 oz thin sliced pancetta (bacon also works) sliced and pan crisped

1 cup thin white onion

add one at a time:

2-3 clove garlic

1tbs chili flakes ( I prefer penzy's jalapeno California crushed, and I double)

add 4 more tbs of butter :)

1/4 cup flour (gluten free for me)

3 1/2 cups milk, stirring till slightly thick coating a spoon

wisk in:

8 oz mascarpone

1cup parmesan

2 1/2cup shredded chedder

Combine pasta and cheese sauce in a baking dish. In a separate dish combine 3/4cup gluten free bread crumbs (for non GF, panko works best!), 4 tbs butter :), 1/2cup parsley (again, I prefer more jalapenos from Penzys) . Toss these three ingredients and top  macaroni and cheese. Bake on 350* until medium golden brown!

MOST OF ALL- enjoy... Tish, this pictures for you! XOXO

Straight From the Farm...

Lately I have been obsessed with farmers markets, who isn't these days? With all the hormones and chemicals in our plants and meats- unless you are growing it or raising it... it ain't that good for you. That being said, my favorite farmers market has to be that of Westports. It is open on Thursdays 10-2 on Imperial Ave. (you have to get there early for the best picks!!!) Vegetables are amazing- of course- but they have EVERYTHING... not just the same thing you see weekly at each and every farmers market. From meats, to lettuce to cheese, these farmers know a good thing when they have it!

Last week one particular farm stuck out in my mind... Not only did they have all types of potatoes and eggplants that were red- I mean!!- they also sold soups. Riverbank Farm out of Roxbury, CT is as local and organic as they come. I treated myself to a container of their Potato and Celeriac Bisque with Parmesan, and I was very happy I did- even if it was $7... I kid you not when I say I am going back tomorrow for the bigger container (sold for $12). When I got to there booth everyone was buying there soups, already some were wiped off the board from being sold out, obviously I did not get there early enough... If everyone was buying it it had to be something great (the whispers about the butternut squash lead me to believe there might not be something better!!!). When I got home from the market, of course I was hungry, so I poured myself half a bowl. That bowl did not have seconds to cool down before the rest of the soup was in it. Creamy, flavorful, fresh- I can't put just words to what I put in my mouth.

If you have not been, this booth is reason enough to go... all the soups are made fresh, so go early, just not too early... I want some too!

Oprah is dishing out...

Gluten Free is now such a previlent diet (and I use that not in the fad way...) that even Oprah is talking about it! Finally some well needed attention, and from whom? Dr. Oz's daughter no less...  In the article Gluten Free: Is That For Me Daphne Oz speaks out about the growing need for people to be on this diet in society- 15%... 1 in 132 people have Celiac and 15% of the population have gluten related issues. I liked that she attacked that wheat and the way we grow our crops may be a very BIG reason for why it is becoming more and more pronounced... a theory my dad gave me once he started to believe that- heck there might be a thing called Celiac. It doesn't define a person, it just helps to know that elimination of a few things, makes our lives a bit easier! So read up, it's not that long, but it's nice to hear people talking about it, as it's only going to help we whom are effected!

Better Than Your Mom's Spaghetti and Meatballs...

This recipie comes from Gluten Free Mom, Jamie Eppenauer... Some advice: Yes, they are time consuming. Anytime you put the words homemade and meatballs together, you are in for a couple of hours. So put on some good music and roll up your sleeves.

For the Meatballs
1 pound sausage (we love Beelers breakfast sausage) or for a milder meatball use ½ pound veal and ½ pound pork
1 pound ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs (make your own by taking stale bread and whirling it in the food processor or use Ener-G crackers or Hol-Grain Brown Rice Bread Crumbs)
1 t parsley flakes (or 2 T chopped fresh)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (use Vegan Grated Topping for CF)
2 t kosher salt
½ t pepper
1 egg beaten
½ cup warm water
Vegetable oil
Olive oil

For the Sauce
1 T good olive oil
1 chopped yellow onion
1 ½ t minced garlic
½ cup red wine such as Chianti
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
½ t parsley flakes (or 1 T chopped fresh)
1 ½ t kosher salt
½ t pepper
Of course, 1 ½ pounds GF spaghetti

Mix the ground meats, bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg and ½ cup warm water in a bowl.With your hands, lightly form 2-inch meatballs. Yields 14-16 meatballs.Pour equal amounts of vegetable and olive oil in a large skillet to ¼ inch depth. Heat the oil. Brown the meatballs on medium-low heat in batches (it took me 3 batches). Carefully turn them to brown all sides – tongs work well for this. It takes about 10 minutes for each batch. Remove the meatballs to a plate and discard the oil, but do not clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, 5 – 10 minutes.Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates – about 3 minutes.Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt and pepper. At this point I set aside a little of the sauce for the vegetarian in the family.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover and simmer on low for about 30 minutes, until meatballs are cooked through. Serve over cooked spaghetti with grated Parmesan cheese,Caesar salad and Chebe bread sticks.

It's getting to be chilly....

Manhattan Chili Company may be in Grand Central Station, but it's also locally found in our Whole Foods Market. And of course... we love it because it's GF. Although I am not really impressed with their website, I am impressed with what they have to offer- and really, that's what counts (at least when I am hungry!!) It's deliciously chock full of flavors, fresh herbs, and spices- and can jump kick any fall day. Chili's range from poultry, vegitarian, beef and even lamb... so there is something for everyone. I first found out about this company through a my friend Kristin as her boyfriend Todd is an avid fan!  Two thumbs up for friends who let me know ANY time I can eat something delicious and new! Knowing that I have gluten problems, Todd let me know right away when he found a great product.Now, every time I pass through Grand Central, I have to stop... just for a small size though- be careful- it's VERY filling! I definitely did not pass it up before going to catch a show the last time I was in the city and today was no different! I had to be fast as I had to meet Kristin to help pack up her clothing line she was showing at Moda this week- K Madison-  but I had to fill my tummy and Manhattan is no place to be running around with a hungry tummy! So next time you are hopping on the train out of the city (the express I hope!), enjoy your commute and get a dish!

"Sprinkles Make Anything That Much Better..."

Sheffa- Salad Sprinkles...

I have always been a HUGE fan of sprinkles and now that I an GF I have found a new way to eat sprinkles.... Salad Sprinkles. While in Stew's last week I met a lovely lady Leslie whose product is Sheffa, Salad Sprinkles. We got to chatting and of course- Leslie just found out that she too has Celiac! What a small world.

I was asking her about her product, and I will admit- I sampled- but who doesn't in Stews???? And fell in love- and so will you... funny enough I fell in love a year ago when I first sampled too, but I didn't know then that it was Gluten Free, because I didn't need to know! I did know that it was labeled as "wheat free, gluten free, kosher, vegan, non gmo (whatever that is) and no trans fat" all natural whole food ingredients, aka healthy. Now that I covered that basis- we are all set, and all set to make delicious salads, pastas and meals with just a bit more flare! Salad Sprinkles are a nut and seed sprinkle- so not for people with diverticulitis- watch out... but for us lovers of seeds- we can add on an extra spoonful! So enjoy... and remember... "Sprinkles Make Anything That Much Better..."

"Take Me Out To The Ball Game" cause Citifield now has Gluten Free Beer

A few months back I was thrilled to go to my first game at Citifield- the new home of the Met's. I had been to Shea many times, but this was a new field- does it get any better? Unfortunately the last game I remembered going to I was able to enjoy a game the American way- with hot dogs and beers... in fact, that might have been part of the reason I went to the game at all. But now I was faced with going to the game and not having the full experience- at least in my mind.... and I was finally a designated driver- my friend  Chris could not have been happier.

Citifield was great, don't get me wrong- I still want to call it Shea- but it is beautiful. Every seat I have been in, and I have been in a few this season, has a great view of the field. I was able to find something other than a hot dog as Blue Smoke had non-cross contaminated pulled pork (and a pickle to boot!)  Although Chris knew it was not the same for me. Behind my back he wrote an email to Anheuser Bush and told them about my "unamerican experience" and asked them if they could put Redbridge (their product, they are the beer sponsors) in a section. Not only did they email him back- they called him, and followed up. They told him that Citifield would surely put it in a section because they are there for the customer -unlike another NY team... I giggled when I heard that part! So now- low and behold- there is something even better about Citifield- they now have REDBRIDGE- gluten free beer.

I have been back twice, and both times had to ask about the sales. The first time the women at the beer garden told us that people were definitely drinking it, but more out of curiosity. Recently when I went back for my birthday with my dad and friends- where the picture above was taken (4th Row Seats I might add- Great Job Chris! and thank you Goldie!!!). It was amazing to go with my friends and my dad, since he was a bat boy growing up and has baseball in his family blood... but better yet was that I could drink a beer with him while watching baseball. So we went looking for Redbridge- to cheers to my birthday and to cheers to beers again, and baseball too! The first club we went to was sold out, the second told us that she has regulars who come to every game and only drink that, and the women at the beer garden said- I remember you two!!!! Who knew it would be such a hit!

So thank you Citifield, thank you Chris Hickey, thank you women at the beer garden.... and to all those who have Celiac or a Gluten problem- Go catch a game, meet the Met's and drink a beer.... cause I am not sure we can do much about the hot dogs!

Nut Crunch

Here is my first Gluten Free Recipe: NUT CRUNCH. This recipe was my first GF one given to me by our Pastry Chef at Becky the Schoolhouse at Cannondale- it's delish so make up a batch and dig in!

2 1/2 cups rice flower
(3/4 cup of oats) Substitute at local Whole Foods or specialty stores
3/4 cups pecans & 3/4 cup almonds- toast and grind 1/2
1/2 cup veg oil or canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider or orange juice
cinnamon
vanilla extract
almond extract

- combine liquid ingredients in one bowl
- combine dry ingredients in another bowl
- mix wet into dry
- spread on sheet pan and bake at 300*F oven
- when mixture is toasted on surface, use metal spatula to toss
- continure to bake till evenly toasted and break up any large chunks!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

Gluten Free food is hit or miss, so I will let you in on some of my absolute FAVORITE products ( in no particular order)

1. AGAINST THE GRAIN - http://www.againstthegraingourmet.com/

any and all of these products. Most of them can be found in Whole Foods stores. There baguettes, rolls and pizza shells are to die for. They have a bit of a croissant flavor... and my favorite pizza place Fat Cat, in Norwalk, CT uses there product for there pizza!

2. DEPUMA PASTA- http://www.depumaspasta.com/

you will absolutely not know it was gluten free... in fact I like them better than the old raviolis I used to get. They can be found in Whole Foods too, or can be directly overnights to your house!

3. WASABI RICE CRACKERS-

there are a few different brands that make these, and for the most part you can't go wrong with any of them... my favorite are the wasabi crackers but there are many other varieties, BBQ, Sesame, Plain, etc

4. AMY's- www.amys.com

for a quick fix her enchiladas and tamales are delish! check your frozen section. Note- I did not care for her pizza

5. LUCY's COOKIES- www.drlucys.com

My father found these in the Village Market in Wilton for me. They are amazing- and I have tried all the flavors. If fact I feel like I sometimes am in competition to get a box or two against my friends mom whom also has the same problems!

6. YUMNUTS- www.yumnutsnaturals.com

These are slow dry roasted cashews that they sell many varieties too! I love them! I am still exploring all the flavors but they are "mouthwatering". Plus they are local and I can't say no to that!

7. NUT-THINS www.bluediamond.com

These are great crackers for cheese or any spreads! Even alone they are a good munch! I am partial to the Natural Almond ones but I did just pick up a few other ones to try!

8. GLUTINO CANDY BARS- Chocolate Peanut Butter- www.glutino.com

Now, first off, snicker is gluten free and so are some of my favorite candies... so don't let me mislead you that you can't eat what you see in a store. These are just a really nice treat that a friend brought over and I happened to exceptionally like!

Libations are also important!

Since I just found out that I can drink wine- check out Delight Magazine this month!- I have had a few glasses lately, particularly Rose, which is made in Steel Vats. But other favorites include:

Tito's Vodka- corn based

FireFly Vodka- tastes like Ice Tea

Tequila- reposada please- and on the rocks!

Redbridge Beer- LOVE, and as I will post in the near future... CITIFIELD carries this! Let's go Mets!!

I am sure I have more, and feel free to ask! These were just off the top of my head!~

Blogs...

I have never been one to blog- I am not really sure how to do it. BUT- in my favorite Pizza Restaurant Last night- FAT CAT PIE COMPANY http://www.fatcatpie.com/- Thats right GLUTEN FREE pizza I might add, and the BEST I have had (I have had my share of cardboard) ... I sat there with a friend who has a Gluten Allergy celebrating her birthday. As the story goes, I tend to reasearch a lot about Celieac Disease, I have a Gluten Intolerance, and her friends were asking many a question... many a question that I could answer. It was then that Dina said you should start a blog.

A Blog? I don't know much about this internet thing, so I thought it was crazy. Crazy until I thought about how much disgusting "GF" (gluten free) food that I have thrown out in trial and error. So I thought what the heck. I live in Fairfield County and I probably know any chef that will help talk you through there menu, many hidden gems- ie you can actually eat the french fries at BJ Ryans in Norwalk, CT.  http://www.bjryans.com/

So here it goes.... I'll Blog about what I know best, FOOD, and GOOD FOOD. I don't stand to eat cardboard, or complain about how I have to eat differently. It's my lifestyle, not someone else's... that's the first step. Take hold and you will find a whole new world of GOOD FOOD.