Gluten Free Vegan Battered Veggies

These were SO good! You can use just about any pancake mix but I chose to use Bisquick's Gluten Free Pancake Mix.

1. Prepare batter as instructed on box (to make vegan: use Rice milk or Soy milk and use 1/4 cup applesauce for every egg).
2. Set batter aside
3. Cook veggies of your choice until "tender". I used fresh green beans, asparagus, and cut carrots because that is what I had in my fridge (green beans and asparagus cut into pieces about 1 inch long and carrots sliced, not chopped).
4. Dip veggies in batter until they are fully coated.
5.  Put a small amount of oil in a frying pan, enough to coat the bottom.
6. Place battered veggies in frying pan and cook each side over medium-high heat until golden brown. 
7. Eat as is or dip in your favorite sauce such as peanut sauce or duck sauce.

Enjoy!
Let me know if you have any questions  xo

Some New Discoveries

Okay, yea... its been a while again! Sorry about that. I HAVE been busy enjoying some new gluten free discoveries. Some good, some bad, some HORRIBLE!

Here are 3 that are good in a pinch!

Bisquick Gluten Free Pancake and Baking Mix (for vegans: use Rice Milk or Soy Milk and 1/4 cup applesauce for every egg)

This Mac & Cheese is SOOO yummy! It's gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free!

Remember eating Cream of Wheat as a kid on a cold winter day? Now you can enjoy this same yummy comfort food!










Enjoy, all! Happy Holidays!
xo

Gluten Free/Vegan Rice, Kale, Artichoke & Spinach Dish

 

So, I am all about EASY EASY EASY!

This meal is quick, nutritious, and (best of all) ... tasty!

Ingredients:
1. Rice (white or brown)
2. Artichoke Hearts* (I bought artichoke hearts that were already cooked - makes things even easier!)
3. Spinach*
4. Kale*
5. Olive Oil*
6. Black pepper
7. Salt
8. Garlic Powder*
9. Onion Powder*

*Organic

I used brown rice that was left over from the day before (yes, yes... I cheated). Anyway, cook rice ahead of time. In a frying pan, coat the bottom with a bit of your olive oil. Add the rest of the ingredients. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently, until the rice and artichokes are hot. The kale and spinach should be thoroughly sauteed (soft). Season to taste. Enjoy with a glass of wine if you wish. 

Thanks for reading, enjoy!

xo

GF favs!

GF favs!

Hey loves! It’s been a while since I’ve written – sorry bout that! Things have been quite crazy around here. I started a new job- yay! It’s an SLP position at Gnaden (“g” is silent) Huetten (pronounced “hutton”) Memorial Hospital in Lehighton, PA. The name of the hospital is an SLP’s phonetic nightmare but it’s turning out to be a great place to work. Only thing is, I’m waking up earlier and, therefore, going to bed earlier. Makes my already jam-packed day even shorter! Oh well, at least I love the job!

So anyway… don’t want to bore you with the details of my personal life… let’s talk about food!! For all of you who assume (and you know what they say about ASSuming) that gluten free (GF) foods taste like cardboard, this is for you! Also, for those of you looking for some tasty GF options, I’m going to give you my favorite ones to try. I’ll list them by category:

Breakfast: (I’m a carb-o-holic in the morning so I usually have one of these paired with juice or fruit)

1.     Bob’s Redmill Mighty Tasty Hot Cereal is SO yummy. I usually add just a pinch of salt to mine.

2.     Van’s GF waffles and frozen French toast. Easy to pop in the toaster in the morning.

3.     Pancakes: make your own with Bob’s GF Pancake Mix

Lunch/Dinner:

1.     “Schar” pastas. My only advice is to taste-test the pasta to make sure that it is cooked to your liking. I have found that when I trust the time on the box the pasta is not quite done… and no one likes hard pasta!

2.     Bob’s GF Pizza Crust Mix. Okay, so I grew up in an Italian family and the thought of giving up pizza was giving me anxiety. Turns out, I didn’t have to! This YUMMY mix makes a WONDERFUL crust. **WARNINGS** A) When you knead the dough, you will find that it is VERY sticky, this is normal. I just keep wetting my hands. B) Do NOT use a rolling pin. I repeat…. do NOT use a rolling pin. You will spend more time pulling the dough off of the pin than you will prepping it. I just wet my hands, place the dough on my baking sheet,  and smooth it out with my fingers.

3.     For quick, frozen pizza I like Amy’s GF, Dairy/Egg Free Frozen Pizza. This definitely does not compare to homemade pizza, but it’s good if you need something in a pinch.  

Snacks/desserts:

1.     Glutino GF pretzels… by far, best GF pretzels. I actually prefer these to non-GF pretzels.

2.     Enjoy Life Cookies. Trust me, you would NEVER know that these were GF if I hadn’t told you. They are also soy, dairy, egg, and peanut free. These cookies are so soft and have so much flavor. When I buy a box, it usually lasts me only a day or two!

3.     Betty Crocker GF Mixes.  They have jumped on the band wagon with GF cookie, brownie, and cake mixes! YUMMY and convenient!

Beer: Best GF beer that I have tried so far is Redbridge. It’s made by Anheuser-Busch and its awesome. A little less carbonated than non-GF beer but I love the taste.

Also, don’t forget about all of the yummy foods out there that are NATURALLY GF: Rice, potatoes, popcorn, fruits, veggies, coffee, juices, etc…

I encourage you all to go out and try just ONE of the foods that I suggested. Go ahead, what are you waiting for?!

Thanks for reading!

Xo

Soooo, what IS gluten?

So, I've gotten the question a lot recently of - "What IS gluten?" ..... A protein? A sugar? What is it found in? How can I avoid it?

To tell you the truth, I had to do a lot of research myself. I'll share with you what I know, all put in layman's terms.

"Gluten" is...
1. a protein composite
2. found in products such as wheat, barley, rye
3. not a "grain" when it stands alone 
4. not found in potatoes, rice, or soy (when they stand alone)

.... there's a lot of information about gluten not being soluble in water, and its structure is blah blah blah... but, that's not the information that I needed to know, so I'm not going to bore you with it either!

Living in 2011 is WONDERFUL if you have allergies, diet restrictions, etc. Grocery stores now carry a plethora of gluten free (GF) products! It's amazing! Cookies, pastas, desserts, etc can even be found with NO GLUTEN, NO EGGS, NO DAIRY, NO PEANUTS, and NO SOY! One definite way to avoid gluten, is making sure to buy products that are labeled "gluten free".

Fresh fruits, veggies, and rice are naturally gluten free. These are the foods to stick to. You can buy tofu that is GF. Be careful with canned beans, make sure they are labeled "gluten free" or that you  read the ingredient list.

When it doubt, just google "Is ______ gluten free?". Many times, when I google something of that nature, all I have to type is "Is ______ gl ...." and it will pop up as an option.

Have any questions about gluten? Ask away!

Thanks for your time!
Michelle xo

"Creamy" Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Who doesn't love mashed potatoes? Best part.... they are vegan and gluten free - naturally! Why do they have a green tint to them? Secret ingredient.... spinach! Adds a whole lot of nutrients but doesn't change the taste!

One thing you will find with the recipes that I share is that they are REALLY easy...

What you will need:
1. Potatoes - whatever kind you have laying around (its also okay to mix different types of potatoes)
2. Garlic/garlic powder
3. Spinach (use about 1/4 of the amt of potatoes)
4. Vegetable oil
5. Soy milk or rice milk
6. Salt

Directions:
1. Dice potatoes (I leave the skin on because the skin has a lot of nutrients) and boil until soft
2. While the potatoes are boiling, saute garlic in a small sauce pan with just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan (Use as much or little garlic as possible. I tend to use a lot of garlic).
3. Toss spinach in with the garlic and oil and saute all together
4. Once the potatoes are soft, put all ingredients in your food processor and add soy/rice milk until desired creaminess is reached.
5. Add garlic powder and salt to taste

YUM!
xo

Whats up with gluten?

So, the term "gluten free" is all over the place now. In the past, the only people that have gone gluten free (GF) were those with celiac disease. Today, more and more people are exploring this world of gluten free goodness! A few years ago,  a japanese doctor recommended it to me and I completely blew him off -- no bagels?!? no oatmeal?!? pretzels?!? no pasta?!?!?!?! (I come from a large Italian family, where eating pasta is a past-time). But I did some more research and found that it really had some great results for people that suffer from diseases that cause chronic pain. So, I tried it ... and man... was I shocked!

I found some GREAT gluten free options that served as alternatives to my gluten rich carbs. I found restaurants that cater to GF diets. I found websites and books and health food stores that were bursting at the seems with information. More shocking than the wealth of information that I found, was my body's reaction to this change.

My chronic pain had gone from about an 8 down to a 3. My stomach was not bloated anymore. I had more energy. I was no longer CONSTANTLY coughing up phlegm or feeling "like there was something stuck in my throat". It was amazing.

I do,occasionally, have products with gluten. If I eat something like a bagel or roll, I'm in pain for the next few days. However, if I really limit my consumption and space it out, my body does not react to it as much. So, something that is lightly coated in bread crumbs or vegan meat alternatives that include some wheat gluten are all tolerable if they are consumed about once a week or so.

In addition,  I began eating more of a variety of grains, such as millet and quinoa. I began to cook more, and really experiment with food. A whole new world opened up. Plus, there are some really tasty GF cookies, pretzels, waffles, & pastas out there!

I would love to share some of my favorite gluten free products with you... but for now, I think that this post is long enough.

Until next time... 

Thank you for reading. xo.