Major disappointment

Sigh.I don't even know where to begin with this. When I first received my Celiac diagnosis I immediately was relieved. Seriously. Of all the things that my symptoms could have meant - Celiac was one of the best things to hear. Considering my family history - I expected worse. I came home from the doctor very optimistic and eager to learn all I could about the disease, eager to start my new diet - and super eager to feel better. The last six months have had ups and downs, and epic fails and victories, cravings and food-related adventures.

Through my research, I learned that several big chain restaurants cater to the gluten-free crowd. I was so excited to see Outback Steakhouse on the list of restaurants with a GF menu and educated staff. Blogs raved about the menu  options and I was thrilled. My first Outback GF experience was in NC when Luke and I were on vacation in September. I got sick that night, after dinner...but I had only been on the GF diet for a few weeks and was traveling and any number of other factors may have contributed to that day's "gluten-belly". The next time we dined at Outback was with Luke's mom and her boyfriend. I had a different meal this time. Salad (sans croutons), steak and a baked potato. The first time I had the Alice Springs Chicken and veggies. That night, I also got sick.

Last week - to celebrate my birthday - we attempted to go to my favorite restaurant (Beirut Restaurant in West St. Paul) but they are closed on Sundays, so we decided to go to Outback. Blerg. I opted for a salad and the Alice Springs Chicken. Before we were even out of the parking lot heading home....I knew I had been "glutened". Ugh. I was sicker than I've been in months. I spent the rest of my b-day (observed) in the bathroom whilst my family hung out without me. I am so disappointed, not only in one of my previously favorite restaurants....but in the fact that now I don't know what and where is safe. Outback was supposed to be one of the national places I could go without worry. One of the places that I could confidently go and order from the GF menu, knowing the staff didn't need to be told that my salad must not have croutons. Thinking that the staff understood and was careful about cross-contamination issues. Ugh. I am just disappointed. Now I need to find a new "stand-by" restaurant....one I can tell friends is always "safe" for me. Any suggestions? Any other stories about Outback? Any other GF "safe" places that have burned you?

Sweet and Sour Chicken

One of the things I've been craving the most since going GF is Chinese food. We have the best neighborhood Chinese restaurant ever. The Cleveland Wok. I miss it sooo much. I've learned that La Choy brand sauces are all GF, so I've used some of those. Here is my Sweet and Sour Chicken:

 

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 jar of La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce

1 can of diced pineapple

2 green peppers, chopped in large pieces

1/2 large white onion, chopped in large pieces

cooked white rice

Directions:
Fry the chicken in a little oil until almost cooked through. Add the veggies, pineapple and the sauce. Heat through and cook until veggies are desired consistency (I like them still crunchy).

Serve on top of white rice.

Product Review: Amy's Black Bean Vegetable Soup

This soup is so good. I like to add a little shredded cheese to it....and sometimes I eat it with Fritos. Yumm. I highly recommend this GF soup!

Angus O'brien

Yum. Hotdish. Hotdish time of year is nearing a close...as the weather gets warmer we need less comfort foods....well....maybe not.

This is a simple one, and I've found awesome GF replacements for all ingredients.

Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground beef
1 can (or box of Pacific Brands GF) cream of chicken soup
1 can (or box of Pacific Brands GF) cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1 bag of shredded hash browns (1 1/2 pound)
2 cups shredded colby jack or cheddar jack cheese
1 small can of French fried onions (or a small bag of Funyuns - which are GF)

Directions:
Brown hamburger, season with salt and pepper, drain. Add cream soups and milk. Grease the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Spread the hash browns in the bottom and then top with the meat and soup mixture. Top with the shredded cheese and the fried onions. Cover with foil and back for one hour at 375 degrees.

GF Fried Pickles

Oh. My. God.

I love fried pickles. They were my absolute favorite thing at The Chatterbox Pub.....I thought they were safe there, as they are battered in cornmeal....but when I asked the staff....they informed me they use wheat flour in the mix. Bummer. I found this recipe (I think) in Food Network Magazine. Soooo, so good. Luke and I made these the other night and I can't wait to make them again. So good.

Ingredients:
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
pinch of cayenne
3/4 cup cornstarch (divided into 1/2 cup and 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup cornmeal
dash paprika
s/p
3 dozen cold pickle slices (I used giant pickles and sliced them thick, but you could use jarred slices)
canola oil

Directions:
In a shallow dish, beat egg and milk, add pinch of cayenne. In another shallow dish, mix 1/2 cup cornstarch will 1/2 cup cornmeal, season with paprika and salt and pepper (add dill if you wish as well). Place the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch in a third shallow dish. Heat canola oil in a large pan, should be about 2 inches deep. Heat to frying temp (about 375 degrees). 

Dip the cold pickles in plain cornstarch, then the egg wash, then the cornmeal mixture. Fry in the oil until golden. Drain on paper towels. Serve with ranch dressing.

Product Review: Fahlstrom Farms Light-As-Air-Pancakes

Meh. Gluten-free pancakes are tricky. I've found they are either gritty, runny (and therefore thin), or (in this case) too thick to cook all the way through. The consistency and flavor were good....but as they cooked, they kept rising......and kept rising....and then they weren't cooked through in the middle. Ick.

I would definitely try this brand again (I found it at The Grain Bin in Alex), but I would try to spread out the batter more, and make sure they start out thin....as they do rise quite a bit. The flavor and texture have been the best of all the GF mixes we've tried. They were a little putzy to make, however. As you separate the eggs and whip the whites and then fold them in to the rest of the mix.....but overall, not too bad.

Best part of this breakfast: bacon.

GF Lasagna

Yummmmmmmm. I must say, this was awesome. Probably the best lasagna ever. I had been anxious to try GF lasagna but had a really difficult time finding GF noodles. Whole Foods, Lunds, Trader Joe's and Rainbow were out of the one or two brands they carried for weeks and weeks. I looked weekly for 2 months before I found a box at Whole Foods. I bought several. I used DeBoles for this recipe - which was super easy, as they are the kind you don't have to boil first. I will be making this again - yay!

Ingredients:
1 box DeBoles lasagna noodles
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 package of Hormel (GF) pepperoni (quartered)
1 green pepper, diced
1 small jar sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Newman's Own tomato basil marinara)
1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 cups Italian cheese blend (shredded)
s/p

Directions:
Brown the ground beef, season with salt and pepper (LOTS of freshly ground pepper), drain. Add diced onion, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Saute a few minutes until green peppers get a little soft. Stir in the spaghetti sauce and pepperoni. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and egg. Add some salt and parsley (or any other seasoning you like).

In a greased 9 x 13 baking dish, begin building the layers. Start with some of the meat mixture, then top with noodles. Top noodles with half the ricotta mixture, layer more noodles, then more meat mixture (sprinkle some of the shredded cheese atop the meat) and layer until meat and cheese mixtures are all used.

Top with more shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until noodles are cooked through - according to package directions.

Enjoy!