Restaurant review: Ciatti's Ristorante

Ciatti's has long been one of Luke's favorite restaurants - we go there occasionally to meet up with his mom for dinner (as it's halfway between us in St. Cloud).

Ciatti's has a GREAT gluten-free menu - I was nervous about eating there for the first time....but have now dined twice without incident. I can honestly recommend this place - the waitstaff was knowledgeable, I didn't have to point out that GF means no croutons on my salad, etc. Refreshing.

The first time we ate there I ordered the chicken Marsala:

The chicken was served with mushrooms,squash, zucchini and onions in a Marsala sauce - delish!

The second time I had the baked mostaccioli:

GF penne pasta with a red sauce with spicy Italian sausage covered with cheese and baked. Very, very good!

Enchilada hotdish

Luke refers to this dish as Mexican Lasagna....because it has layers, sauce, meat, cheese.....he has a point.

Ingredients:

24 small corn tortillas
1 pound ground beef
1 package Old El Paso taco seasoning
1/2 large white onion, diced
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small jar of salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
4 cups of cheese (I used 2 cups pepper jack and 2 cups of colby jack)
1 can refried beans

Directions:
Brown hamburger and mix in taco seasoning according to package directions. Set aside.

In a 9x13 baking dish, layer tortillas to cover the bottom. Spread with refried beans (as thick as you'd like) and sprinkle with 1 cup of pepper jack cheese. Layer with more tortillas. Spread out the diced tomatoes and diced onion and sprinkle with cheese. Layer with more tortillas. Spread on the taco beef and sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Layer with more tortillas. Pour salsa verde or enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle on the last cup of cheese.

Bake until edges of tortillas are crispy and cheese is all melted.

Product review: Udi's Hamburger Buns

 

I waited (somewhat patiently) for months for these! They were worth the wait. I had been craving a burger (a REAL burger - on a bun) for so long. These made me so happy. I hope they are around for the long run....and not a seasonal thing.....I might cry if they disappear.

Chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce

When June's issue of Food Network Magazine arrived, Luke was super excited....as the mini recipe book inside was "50 Condiments". I was already  planning to make breaded chicken, so we looked for a sauce that would compliment the meal. I generally just use ranch dressing for dipping....for everything. So we wanted to do something else. Honey mustard was the obvious choice.

Honey Mustard Ingredients:
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
s/p

Directions:
Mix all ingredients!

For the chicken, I just used my standard recipe. An egg wash, followed by breading in Glutino bread crumbs mixed with seasonings like TS Garlic Garlic and Seasoned Salt.

Product Review: Kim & Scott's Gourmet Pretzels

 

To.Die.For. These are PHENOMENAL! I wish I were rich. I would eat one of these daily.

They are about the size of a standard bagel and there are two per box. One box is $8.99. So, while $4.50 for one soft pretzel might be reasonable at the Xcel Center (where it would be twice the size)...it's not exactly reasonable for a daily snack. Sigh. It's really too bad....because these kick ass. I will just have to settle for them being a splurge item now and then.

 

Spicy chicken fusilli

One of Luke's all time favorite foods is the Spicy Chicken Penne from Ciatti's. This is my GF version of the dish.

 

Ciatti's Ristorante in St. Cloud has a GF menu....but it made me a little nervous to eat there - as they are primarily a pasta-based restaurant.  When we last dined there, I ate the chicken marsala, it was served with roasted vegetables instead of pasta - it was incredible, best of all: I didn't get sick! 

We will definitely return there for more meals, but in the meantime, I can make this replica for Luke.

Ingredients:

1 box GF pasta (like fusilli or penne)

1 small package or jar of sun-dried tomatoes

1 pound of boneless-skinless chicken breasts or thighs

1 small jar of pre-made pesto

1/2 jar of pre-made Alfredo sauce (Bertolli and Classico are GF)

1 Tbsp. EVOO

1/4 cup of seasoning (we used some paprika, cayenne pepper, Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning and some BBQ rub seasoning that I got from a spice shop in CO - use whatever you like to give the chicken a "blackened" look with the right amount of flavor).

Directions:

Heat EVOO in a large fry pan. Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Mix the seasonings in a shallow bowl and lightly coat the chicken in the spices. Place in the warmed oil in the fry pan.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. When finished cooking, drain and keep warm until chicken is done.

When chicken is finished cooking, you can prepare the pasta. Toss cooked pasta with pesto and a small amount of Alfredo sauce, just until coated lightly. Sprinkle with small pieces of sun-dried tomato. Place a sliced chicken breast on top and serve.

 

Product Review: Kinnikinnik Hot Dog Buns

 

Yay!

I am generally skeptical of GF bread products, having spent a lot of money on inedible products....but it is grilling season and I REALLY wanted a hot-dog in a bun (a dog wrapped in a slice of bread is not the same thing). I had been waiting for the Udi buns for weeks and still wasn't able to get them, so last week I bought these on a whim - they were fantastic! They were light (not two-pounders like the nasty Whole Foods Bakehouse hamburger buns), the texture was right, they weren't too dry, and the flavor was perfect. They tasted real!

I have some Udi buns to try tonight - but am glad I have another delicious choice!