Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Tomato Free Salsa Recipe (naturally gluten free / dairy free / vegan as well)


For years my friends mocked me for how I ate chips and salsa. Since I can’t really tolerate tomatoes, I would just dip the corner of the chip and allow almost all of the salsa to fall off it – mostly getting but a bit of flavor. By adding this tomato free sauce (before adding the Italian seasonings) into the recipe below, I can enjoy salsa normally – by the full chip full!  Like most salsa, this recipe is gluten free, dairy free, and vegan.

Tomato Free Salsa (gluten free/dairy free/vegan)
Ingredients:
½ onion diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced
1 lime (juice)
½ cup cilantro, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

How to prepare:
Dice the onion and bell pepper (your choice of color, I used red). Carefully seed the jalapeños and dice them. (Do not touch the peppers with your bare hands, use gloves or a fork. Immediately wash your hands afterwards and avoid touching your eyes. The seeds can optionally be added into the tomato free salsa if you prefer it to have more heat.)

Add the cup of tomato-free sauce (unseasoned as noted in that recipe), the chopped cilantro, and the juice of one lime. Season with salt and pepper then mix thoroughly. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Prepare in advance and allow to sit so flavors can meld together.

Serve with tortilla chips or use with your favorite Mexican/Southwest dish – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc.

Enjoy!

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Restaurant Review: Chipotle Mexican Grill (Various locations in NJ) - gluten free / dairy free / vegan


I was over helping my brother paint recently and we decided to run out for lunch while the paint dried (before starting our second coat).  Quick lunches aren't the easiest to find for someone following a gluten free diet and when you add in all my other allergens it's a mess.  He asked me where I could eat and my first thoughts were Elevation Burger and Five Guys.  I had GF/DF buns in my freezer but wasn't going to go home to get them so I ruled them out.  (Ok, and the fact that Cheeseburger in Paradise has Gluten Free Buns has me spoiled!)  I then realized that there is a Chipotle Mexican Grill near his new house.
A Gluten Free / Dairy Free / Vegan Burrito Bowl from Chipotle

I've eaten in a number of Chipotle Mexican Grills before and they are always very accommodating.  Most of their menu items are gluten and dairy free. Only the flour tortillas and soft flour tacos contained gluten and only their two obvious dairy items (sour cream and cheese) contained dairy.  (They have a pork item (out for me) and their pinto beans contain bacon.)  My biggest challenge is the guacamole - it is right next to the shredded cheese and sometimes a wayward strand gets in.

When I got to the counter, I mentioned my dietary restrictions and the counter person immediately changed his gloves, wiped down the counter and had the other counter people change their gloves as well.  I'm not that sensitive but it is nice to see them doing this for those that are (note - this was the first time I had seen this so it may not be this way at every Chipotle although their website says they will gladly change their gloves at your request).

The store is set up like a Boston Market where everything is laid out in front of you at the counter. You have a choice of bowl, salad, crispy taco and (if not a celiac) soft tacos and burritos. Add to that your choice of meats (chicken, beef, pork), beans (black or pinto) and rice, as well as sides of chips and three different salsas or guacamole. And since they are making everything in front of you you can watch exactly what they are doing.

I had a vegetarian bowl with guacamole and chips and as always it was terrific!

p.s. his house is also not that far way from qba in Montclair but I had just eaten there a couple of nights earlier.  If you missed that review it is here:  Restaurant Review: qba: a cuban kitchen (Montclair, NJ)

And don't forget to check out my Gluten Free / Dairy Free Restaurant List for NJ and my Gluten Free Fast Food / Chain List!
Chipotle Mexican Grill on Urbanspoon

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Tomato Free Chili Recipe (Gluten Free / Dairy Free as well)


I'm slowly returning to the dishes I had to give up when my tomato intolerance got too severe.  I'm also trying to increase the amount of vegetables I consume so this has quite a bit more bell pepper and beans than other chili recipes.  Up next will be a Tomato Free Salsa Recipe.
Tomato Free / Dairy Free / Gluten Free Chili
Over Tortilla Chips with Melted Vegan Gourmet Cheddar

Chili (with or without tomato) is naturally gluten free and dairy free (depending on whether or not you add cheese and if so, whether or not it is vegan cheese) but you can modify this however it suits your tastes.  This can also be used to make tomato free chili dogs and tomato free nachos!

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 large onion, well chopped
2 green bell peppers, well chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
2 - 15oz cans of dark red kidney beans
2-3 tbsp of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of tomato free sauce (or plain tomato sauce if you can)
¼ cup fresh basil chopped (exclude if nomato/tomato sauce contains basil)

How to prepare no tomato chili:
Sauté the ground beef, onion, green bell pepper, and garlic until onion is tender and beef is beginning to brown. Drain off the fat from the meat.

Add the contents of the cans of beans (if you drain and rinse them then add a ½ cup of water as well, if you don’t drain them, try to avoid the sediment at the bottom of the cans). Add the chili powder, basil, salt, pepper and if using tomato sauce (see directions below if using tomato free sauce). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered for 20 minutes.

[If using tomato free sauce that contains beets, simmer without the sauce for 15 minutes, then add the no tomato sauce, stir it in, and finish simmering for another 5 minutes. Beets will turn brown if cooked too long.]

Serve over plain white rice.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

More NJ Restaurants with Gluten Free Options (20 new restaurants, three chains and one quick serve)


I've found even more NJ restaurants that are offering gluten free (and also dairy free) options.  I've added them to my Giant NJ Gluten Free Restaurant List.

Single Location Restaurants:
Bashful Banana Bakery & Cafe (946 Boardwalk on Ocean Colony Walk (between 9th & 10th), Ocean City, NJ 08226) They’ve got quite a few vegan options and will substitute gluten free bread (other allergens unknown) for $.75 more. They also have gluten free/vegan muffins. I’ve never been.

The Bellevue Tavern (7-9 S. Main Street, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210) They have a gluten friendly menu with directions for modifying dishes to be gluten free (grill chicken instead of breaded, served over rice instead of pasta, etc.)

Bongo Cafe & Grill (1050 Bay Avenue, Ocean City, NJ 08226) – They have Food for Life bread as well as soy cheese. I’ve never been.

Brazzi Brick Oven Pizza (601 Route 72 East, Manahawkin, NJ 08050) – they have gluten free pizza (unknown other allergens) and pasta ($4.95 more). I’ve never been.

The British Chip Shop (146 Kings Hwy East, Haddonfield, NJ 08033) They have GF bread (not sure on other allergens) and they flag both Gluten Free and Vegan on their menu. Sadly, there are no GF or vegan pastries! I haven’t been here yet.

Buckalews (101 North Bay Avenue, Beach Haven, NJ 08008) – they have gluten free pasta and pizza and a couple of vegan options. I have never been.

Buono Bagels (885 Route 17S, Ramsey, NJ 07446) – I stopped by this bagel shop on a tip from my brother. They have a handful of GF snacks (chips, kind bars) and Tate Gluten Free Cookies (contain dairy). They also have Foods by George English Muffins (dairy free), as well as Corn and Blueberry Muffins (both contain dairy). They were out of the English Muffins when I was there and they were busy so we didn’t get into cross contamination. (They also have Foods by George brownies but they only sell them by the full tray!) I don’t know if I’d make a special trip but if everyone else were getting bagels . . .

Calandra’s Mediterranean Grill (Hampton Inn, 118-124 Route 46E, Fairfield, NJ 07044). I haven’t eaten here since going gluten free. They have both GF pasta and GF pizza.

Calandra’s Village / Il Vecchio Cafe (234 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell, NJ 07006). They have both GF pizza and GF pasta. I’ve never eaten here.

Filomena Cucina Rustica Italiana Caffe & Bar (13 Cross Keys Road, West Berlin, NJ 08091) – They have a Gluten Free/Vegetarian menu (both options are on the same menu, not all are both). This includes gluten free pizza, pasta, and ravioli.

Il Vecchio Cafe – see Caladra’s Village/Il Vecchio Café above.

Inde Blue (619 Collings Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08107) – both gluten free (GF) and vegan (V) items are marked as such on their menu, unless the entire section is gluten free in which case it is noted under the category heading. I’d guess 90% of the menu is gluten free. I haven’t been yet.

Los Amigos (461 Rt 73 N, West Berlin, NJ 08091 and 1926 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08400) – both locations have an extensive gluten free menu but sadly their fried gf items are not fried in a dedicated fryer. I haven’t been.

The Mad Batter (19 Jackson Street, Cape May, NJ 08204) – Quite a few of their menu items are flagged gluten free and there are even a couple of vegan options. I haven’t been yet.

The Mad Hatter (10 East Ocean Ave, Sea Bright, NJ 07760) – they have gluten free pizza and gluten free pasta. I’ve never been.

Manna (8409 Ventnor Avenue, Margate, NJ 08402) – GF items are flagged on their menu and there are quite a few of them. Dinner is tapas style (small plates to share) but there is also a small “large plate” menu (the only gf item is paella). [Sadly, nothing on their lunch or dessert menus is marked GF.] I haven’t been here yet.

Plantation Restaurant & Bar (7908 Long Beach Blvd, Harvey Cedars, NJ 08008) – There are a couple of GF options flagged on their dinner menu, but it does appear that dairy free might be a challenge here. Neither their lunch nor their vegetarian menus are flagged but a couple of the same dishes are gluten free on the dinner menu so that shouldn’t be an issue. I’ve never been.

Quahog's Seafood Shack (206 – 97th Street, Stone Harbor, NJ 08247) – A good number of the items on their menu are flagged gluten free. I haven’t been yet.

Stefano’s Ristorante Italiano (3815 Church Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08053) - Has GF pasta and pizza, states on website can make almost anything GF.

Tre Amici (628 Ocean Avenue, Long Branch, NJ 07740) – has gluten free pasta. I’ve never been.

Za Restaurant (147 West Delaware Avenue, Pennington, NJ 08534) – They flag their GF options on their menu as well as their vegetarian dishes. Their soy sauce is not gluten free.

Chains:

Rosa Mexicano (Hackensack, NJ) – quite a sizeable gluten free menu. Varies by location. I haven’t been yet.

Morton's (Atlantic City, NJ and Hackensack, NJ) – They have a gluten friendly menu (order without sauce, without breading, without croutons, etc.) and a soy free menu.

Seasons 52 (Cherry Hill, NJ) – They have a number of alternative menus: gluten free, vegan, dairy/lactose free, vegetarian, garlic free, low sodium. I was actually in this mall this past weekend and am now sorry I didn’t return at dinner time!

Quick Serve:

Deux Au Naturel (Vorhees, NJ) – They have ivory teff wraps as well as a list of gf sauces and toppings on their website. I have never been.


So those are all the new restaurants I found this time.  Remember the full listing here is here: Gluten Free / Dairy Free Restaurant List.  If you think I'm missing a restaurant let me know via the "Contact Me" form on the left.  Keep in mind, they need to have a Gluten Free menu on their website and they need to have options for those of us who need to be dairy free as well.

Updated 8/26/11

Missed these two:

Casa Turano (660 Passaic Avenue, Nutley, NJ 07110) - they don't have a website but their menu is here: http://www.nutleymenus.com/restaurantmenus/casaturano.php They have gluten free pasta for $1 more.

Sweet Avenue Bake Shop (153 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070) - this is an entirely vegan bakeshop that has gluten free cupcakes and occasionally other baked goods. I tried to stop by Sunday morning, but they don't open until 11am.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Restaurant Review: Rutherford Pancake House


I had breakfast again with some Celiac friends - this time at the Rutherford Pancake House (40 Park Avenue, Rutherford, NJ 07070 - open for breakfast and lunch daily, open for dinner Thursday - Saturday).  The restaurant is a large storefront on Park Ave and the menu is a dream for anyone who is gluten free, dairy free, vegan or any combination thereof!   

Gluten Free / Dairy Free / Vegan Belgian Waffle
(w/ Home Fries at Rutherford Pancake House)
I had a Belgian Waffle, made both gluten free and vegan, with vegan 'butter' and a side of home fries (most other restaurants use butter/margarine for their home fries).  The waffle was so good I really wouldn't believe it was gluten and dairy free!  Both my friends had gluten free pancakes (they can both have dairy so these weren't vegan).

The menu over all is quite extensive - gluten free pancakes and waffles, quesadillas (with Daiya cheese if you need dairy free/vegan), pizza (again Daiya available), turkey sausage (I can't be the only person in the world who can't digest pork), lots of vegetarian and vegan options, soups, and my favorite: gluten free french fries (fried in a dedicated fryer)!  [Since it was 8am and there were home fries available, it seemed wrong to order french fries but I was tempted.]  With so many options I didn't get to try this time, I'm looking forward to going back.

I do recommend getting there early however as they can get quite busy!
Rutherford Pancake House on Urbanspoon




Update 5/31/12 - Open daily for breakfast and lunch.  Open for dinner Thursday - Saturday.


Other restaurants you may wish to try:

Restaurant Review: Janice A Bistro (Hohokus, NJ) -they have oatmeal and gf (but not df) bread at breakfast time.

Restaurant Review: Plum on Park


Click here for more Gluten Free NJ Restaurants.

And here for other restaurants serving Gluten Free Fries.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Gluten Free Dairy Free Baked Ziti Recipe (vegan)


This recipe is very similar to my Gluten Free Dairy Free Stuffed Shells (vegan) recipe.  If you'd like it to be a little less vegan you can easily serve it with gluten free meatballs and/or italian sausage!

Ingredients:
Gluten Free / Dairy Free Baked Ziti with Garlic Bread
1 package of gluten free ziti/penne (12-16oz.)
1 block Vegan Gourmet Mozzarella Cheese (enough shredded to cover top, about 1/3 of the block)

Tofu Mixture:
1 package soft tofu (14oz)
1 tbs dried parsley
1 tsp dried basil
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp oregano
1 cup pasta sauce (for tomato free version click here: Tomato Free Pasta Sauce Recipe)
Salt and pepper to taste

How to prepare:
Boil the ziti as directed but remove when still very al dente (they will continue to cook while baking).  Drain and rinse them to stop them from cooking further.  (GF ziti is hard to find, I used Jovial Penne.)

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl combine the tofu, 1 cup of sauce, parsley, basil, garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Hint: crumble the dry spices in the palm of your hand before adding to increase their flavor. Use a whisk to crumble the tofu until it resembles the ricotta cheese used in the dairy version of baked ziti. (Do not use Vegan Gourmet shredded mozzarella in the mixture; it will not melt like real mozzarella unless it is broiled on top at the end.)(If substituting Daiya Shredded Mozzarella, go ahead and add half a cup to the mixture at this point.)

Preheat the oven to 375.



Mix the tofu mixture and drained ziti in an oven safe casserole dish. (Spray the dish first to prevent sticking.)

Bake, covered, for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Remove from the oven and cover with shredded soy mozzarella.  If using Vegan Gourmet, place under the broiler and broil – watching carefully until shredded cheese begins to bubble. (If using Daiya, just bake another 5-10 minutes.)  Remove promptly once the cheese is melted. (Note – Most other non-dairy cheeses will not melt unless it is broiled as noted above.) [Warning, do not bake the ziti with the mozzarella on top or it will dry out and not melt as much when you broil it, it is better to add after baking.]

Alternatively, you can cut the 1/3 of the block of Vegan Gourmet into pieces then microwave in 30 second increments stirring between each until it is fully melted and hasn't separated.  Then drizzle it over the top of the shells at the end.  Allow it to sit for a minute or two before serving.  (I first read about this method here: The GFCF Experience)

Serves three - four.

Monday, August 15, 2011

Restaurant Review: Pandan Room (Hackettstown, NJ)


Saturday night I met an old friend of mine for dinner at the Pandan Room (100 East Moore Street, Hackettstown, NJ 07840).  I had expected your standard Asian restaurant and boy was I wrong. 
Pandan Room in Hackettstown, NJ

I know on their website, that they flag Gluten Free menu items with a G so I asked the the maitre 'd if they had a separate gluten free menu (a la Bonefish) and he told me that all the menus were flagged.  

We were seated and I began to suspect that something was terribly right at this restaurant.  Our waiter arrived seconds later and already knew that I needed a gluten free meal.  I informed him that I was dairy free as well and he assured me that this wouldn't be a problem.  He had barely left with our drink order when the chef arrived and informed me that he didn't have any milk anywhere in the restaurant at all, and that he was happy to swap out oil for butter in the few spots they used it. (That left maybe two dishes with cheese that I couldn't have but on a menu with over 30 entrees that really didn't matter!)

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Pandan Chicken
with Sweet and Sour Cilantro Sauce

The menu does indeed flag all gluten free dishes, as well as any that are "vegetarian suitable".  What the heck does that mean?  It means that they can substitute out the meat and prepare the dish with tofu instead.  It was a little confusing that items that were both gluten free and vegetarian suitable either had a V/G or a VG (or occasionally a VG/G)!  Any item where the level of spice can be altered is flagged with a symbol. 

I began to peruse the menu and this is were I ran into trouble.  You see a third of the appetizers, all four soups, more than half of the salads, most of the sides, and roughly 90% of the entrees were all flagged Gluten Free!  Usually when I go out to eat, between gluten and dairy, there are only one or two items to choose from.  I haven't had a choice of that many entrees since I first began following a gluten free diet six years ago! 

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Masaman Curry Duck at Pandan Room
The cuisine is Thai/Indonesian and I decided on the Masaman Curry Duck (half duck with mixed vegetables and rice in a curry sauce).  My buddy ordered the Vietnamese Pork Chops (marinated with molasses served over a bed of vermicelli rice noodles) which were also gluten free (he doesn't follow a gluten free diet, but since most of the entrees are gluten free it's not surprising).  We also ordered an appetizer of Pandan Chicken (thick chicken breast fingers fried and tied with a Pandan leaf) with sweet and sour cilantro sauce.  They brought us a plate of puffed tapioca 'chips' with a garlic dipping sauce to snack on while we waited.

I was absolutely blown away!  The puffed tapioca was a nice touch, the appetizer was fine, but my entree stole the show.  What a far cry from plain grilled chicken and a baked potato!

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Vietnamese Pork Chops
over Vermicelli Rice Noodles at Pandan Room
Sadly, I can't report on the dessert menu.  By the time we were finished with dinner (for me 1/2 finished, I had the other half Sunday night for dinner) neither of us could even think about having another bite and we left without perusing the dessert menu.  (There are no flags of G on the online dessert menu.)

Hackettstown is a bit of a drive for me but with gluten free food this good it is one I'll be making much more often!  If you've never been to the Pandan Room I highly recommend that you try it, just leave extra time to peruse the menu and all the wonderful gluten free options!

Other Restaurant Reviews:

Restaurant Review: La Riviera Trattoria (Clifton, NJ)

Restaurant Review: Janice A Bistro (Hohokus, NJ)

Pandan Room Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Gluten Free Dairy Free Fettuccine Alfredo Recipe (vegan) with optional Shrimp and Asparagus


A couple of years ago, I was on a kick to duplicate all of the recipes my mother used to make growing up, only this time gluten and dairy free.  One of the toughest was Fettuccine Alfredo.  The recipe below is for making it as a side dish but, I've included instruction at the bottom for adding asparagus and shrimp and expanding it into a full meal.  (This is how I made it last and it was incredible!)

Please note, this recipe makes enough dairy free alfredo sauce for 8oz of pasta however, the recipe easily scales up (by half for 12oz and double for 16oz).

Ingredients:
8oz Gluten Free Fettuccine
1 cup almond milk (you could also use hemp or rice milk but rice milk will take longer to thicken)
2 Tbsp GF flour (any blend should be fine)
3 Tbsp Vegan Parmesan Cheese
3 Tbsp olive oil

How to prepare Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo:
Cook the pasta until al dente.  Unfortunately, I find most manufacturers have an unrealistically long cooking time on the package so you'll have to test for doneness.  Meanwhile in a sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir until it starts to brown.  Add vegan Parmesan and almond (hemp/rice) milk while continuing to stir. Allow to thicken stirring occasionally. If it finishes thickening before the pasta is done, remove from heat until pasta is done (you'll need to reheat it once the pasta is ready). Drain the pasta and cover with sauce.

Makes 3-4 side dish servings.


Alternate Version

1 pound medium asparagus
1/2 pound cleaned and deveined shrimp

Wash the asparagus making sure to rinse any sand from the tips.  Cut (and discard) the woody part off the bottom of the asparagus (about 2") and then cut into roughly 2" pieces keeping the tips separate.  Boil everything in 2 quarts of boiling salted water.  Cooking times are as follows:

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Fettuccine Alfredo
with Shrimp and Asparagus

Asparagus stalks - 6 minutes
Asparagus tips - 4 minutes
Shrimp - 3 minutes

I just added them to the pot one after another according to their cooking times.  When finished, drain and add to the pasta immediately prior to covering with the alfredo sauce.

Makes two main dish servings.

Note: I considered cooking everything (pasta included) in the same pot and simply adding each according to its cooking time.  There were two reasons I didn't: first, I wasn't sure the exact cooking time of the pasta and didn't want to over cook the shrimp if the fettuccine wasn't done in time and second, adding room temperature asparagus and cold shrimp to the pasta water would drop its temperature and I wasn't sure what affect that would have on the boiling time either.

One final thought: Fettuccine is the proper italian spelling of this type of pasta.  According to dictionary.com, in English there are an additional three possible spellings: fettuccini, fettucine, and fettucini.

Other Gluten Free Dairy Free Recipes You May Enjoy:

Gluten Free Dairy Free Vegan Stuffed Shells

Gluten Free Dairy Free Authentic Arroz con Pollo Recipe (Chicken and Rice)

Sunday, August 7, 2011

McDonald's Gluten Free Hamburger Buns (in Spain)


I just read today on Gluten Free Kid Travel that All McDonalds in Spain Now Have GF Buns!  Wow!  They are manufactured in Spain, so I doubt they are the same bun as I had on my Gluten Free Adventure in Oslo in December but hopefully they are just as good.
Gluten Free / Dairy Free Bread in Spain,
sadly it wasn't as crusty as it appears it should be

Spain is super easy to travel to if you are gluten and/or dairy free.  They don't really cook with either (although they eat bread with every meal) and awareness is quite high.  Here in the US I don't really tell waitstaff that I am gluten intolerant (or Celiac which although I'm not, has better awareness) instead I explain all the things I can't eat.  My spanish isn't great, but the first couple of times I tried to explain to a waiter what I couldn't eat, they would interupt me with a "¿Celiaco, no?".  And they knew exactly what that meant!

The village my grandfather was from (population 2-3,000) even has GF products available!  Most of the big supermarket chains carry GF products as well (although I have to be careful as a lot of the non-bread items contain dairy).  The best is Mercadona, but Corte Ingles and Supercor are good as well.

I would highly recommend traveling to Spain (and not just for McDonald's GF hamburger buns)!  Before you go you may want to check out the website http://www.celiacosmadrid.org.  It is mostly in Spanish but there is an English section (and the restaurant and store lists don't really need translating).  You should also read my Guide to Traveling Gluten Free / Dairy Free.

Friday, August 5, 2011

NJ Based Smart Balance Purchases Glutino Food Group


I was intrigued when I first saw this news story begin to pop up, since Smart Balance is my go to butter replacement (for toast) and Earth Balance (same company) is my go to butter replacement when baking. I had never realized that Smart Balance was based in New Jersey. When I looked up their address, I was amazed to find that their corporate head quarters are across the street from where my main support group (The Northern NJ Celiac Disease Support Group Meetup) meets! What a small world.

Glutino Vanilla Creme Dream Cookies, 10.6-Ounce Units (Pack of 6)Before Udi’s, I did used to buy Glutino bread. I have not yet tried their new Genius breads. I do think that Glutino makes the best GF pretzels, I occasionally eat their breakfast bars, and if they are on sale, sometimes I buy their cookies (the lemon flavored wafers are my favorite). Glutino also produces the Gluten Free Pantry line of baking mixes (I used to make their Coffee Cake but I don’t think they produce it anymore).

WARNING: some Glutino products (bagels, frozen meals, etc.) contain dairy. Hopefully, this is something the people who produce dairy-free smart balance spread and dairy-free earth balance can fix!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Karina's Quinoa Salad with Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Basil and Mint



GF/DF Picnic - Karina's Quinoa Salad, Raw Vegetables, Cold Chicken Satay,
and Roasted Red Pepper Bruchette on a piece of Schär  baggette.
I've made this summery salad twice recently (once for a picnic before seeing Shakespeare in the Park and the second time for a cookout) so thought I would share.  I can't really do tomatoes so I substituted chopped roasted red peppers instead.

Karina's full recipe is here: Quinoa Salad Recipe with Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Basil and Mint

I highly recommend checking out some of her other recipes - she is one of my favorite GF bloggers!