No Cook Tomato Free Ketchup

I've been working on a tomato free ketchup for about a year now. I tried to base this on my tomato free sauce but it was a lot more work and wasn't quite as good as this one. I loosely based this on a couple of other recipes I found that contained pears, carrots and cranberry sauce. Pears have a gritty texture that remained in the final ketchup.

No Cook Tomato Free Ketchup

Originally, I was using corn syrup as I thought the sugar wouldn't dissolve fully. It is much better with the sugar and if you mix it with the vinegar it dissolves. Finally, if you don't want to use beet juice you can use 8-10 drops of red food coloring (but you can't taste the beets).

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

1 14oz can of yams (drained and reserved)
1 14oz can of cranberry sauce3 tsp salt
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8-1/16 tsp ground clove (less than two heads)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp mustard powder

Juice from a 8oz can of beets (or red food coloring) as needed

How to make No Cook Tomato Free Ketchup:

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar.

Drain the yams, reserving the liquid for later.

Place all ingredients except the beets/food coloring in a blender and blend until smooth. If needed add the reserved liquid from the yams in small amounts until you have the correct consistency.

Stir in beet juice in small amounts until you get the color you would like (I use less than half the liquid in an 8oz can). (If not using beet juice, 8-10 drops of food coloring should be about right.)

Chill before using.

Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator. (Each batch of mine lasts for months.)

Make 3.5-4 cups.

Other tomato free recipes you may be interested in:

Tomato Free Chicken Cacciatore Recipe

Mango, Cucumber, Jicama, and Avocado Salad Recipe

All other Tomato Free Recipes

Dairy Free Penne alla Vodka Recipe (Tomato Free/Gluten Free)

Penne alla vodka (or penne a la vodka if you prefer) is the trifecta of food intolerances for me: it's main ingredients are gluten, dairy, and tomato. I had tried making it years ago (when I was just gluten and dairy free) but I used soy milk. Soy milk has a very distinct flavor that is difficult to hide in any dish and my dairy free penne alla vodka was no exception.

Dairy free Penne alla Vodka (gluten free and tomato free)

I recently saw a coconut milk creamer in my local supermarket and decided to try again. Now plain coconut milk creamer (sold in a 16oz carton with the other coffee creamers) has a very slight coconut flavor to it, but that flavor (unlike the soy) was completely undetectable in the final dish.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup of vodka
1 cup plain coconut milk creamer*
1 pound gluten free penne
1 cup tomato free sauce**
1 small bunch fresh chopped basil***
Vegan Parmesan topping

* can also use soy milk creamer but coconut has a less noticeable flavor (both are found with the dairy coffee creamers; be sure they are unflavored/plain)
** substitute 1 cup tomato puree if not tomato free
*** omit if using tomato free sauce that has already been seasoned.

How to make dairy free penne alla vodka:

Saute two chopped cloves of garlic in olive oil in a large saute pan until starting to brown (about 5 minutes)

Measure 1/4 cup of vodka away from the stove. [WARNING: do not pour directly from vodka bottle into the pan as the bottle could catch fire and explode.] Add to the pan bring to a low boil. Boil for about 5 minutes.

Add the cup of coconut milk creamer, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes (sauce should reduce by about half).

While the sauce is simmering prepare the penne according to directions.

After the simmer, add 1 cup of tomato free sauce and the chopped basil. [Note, you can use the un-herbed sauce prior to step 7 or the finished sauce after step 8. If using the finished sauce, there is no need to add more basil here, but you can if you like.]

Cook until heated through (about 5 minutes) being careful to not overcook (the beets in the sauce will brown if you do).

Toss the cooked and drained pasta in the sauce and serve! Garnish with Vegan Parmesan topping if desired.

Other dairy free sauces (gluten and tomato free as well) you may be interested in:

Dairy Free Swedish Meatball Recipe

Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce Recipe

Or check my full list of recipes and the allergens they are free of.

Restaurant Review: River Edge Pizza Kitchen (River Edge, NJ)

My first Meatball Parm Sub in years!

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Meatball Parm Sub

I recently had lunch (and took home dinner) from River Edge Pizza Kitchen (830 Kinderkamack Road, River Edge, NJ 07661) and enjoyed it greatly. I first heard about the restaurant from the Northern NJ Celiac Meetup. I was particularly drawn to the fact that they also offer dairy free / vegan cheese. In addition, they have gluten free pasta, gluten free pizza crust (imported from italy), gluten free fries, gluten free fried calamari (both in a dedicated frier), gluten free heros, gluten free bread crumbs, gluten free wraps, gf garlic bread, and gluten free meatballs.

The restaurant is a store front with a couple of small tables upfront to eat in. The food is some of the best Italian food I've had but a bit expensive. The pizza crust was soft and came in its own foil lined pan. The hero rolls are Schar and the vegan cheese is daiya. There is a $3 surcharge for gluten free items (and a $5 surcharge on the gluten free dinners) [not sure if there was an up-charge for the vegan cheese].

Gluten Free French Fries

The grandchildren of the owners (husband and wife) are gluten free and dairy free and even the husband himself is now finding he has issues with gluten.

If I lived or worked closer this is somewhere I would go back to – especially for gluten free / dairy free meatball parm, gf/df chicken parm or a gf/df pizza!







Here are some other gluten free Italian/Pizza options:

Pizza Fusion for GF/DF pizza

La Riviera Trattoria (no dairy free cheese but amazing food)

All NJ Restaurants with Gluten Free Menus

Restaurant Review: eat healthy deli (Fairfield, NJ)

100% Gluten Free!

Last Friday I had lunch at the recently opened eat healthy deli (24 Little Fals Road, Fairfield, NJ 07004) [Their website may not be up yet, so here's their facebook page]. They offer three brands of gluten free breads (No Way! It's Gluten Free, Get Fresh Bakehouse, and Schär) [not all are dairy free] and Applegate Farms cold cuts. All of their soups are gluten free (one was vegan the day I was there). They have a U shaped 'bar' with seating but no tables if you want to eat in.

When was the last time you saw a sign this welcoming?!?!

They also have a 100% gluten free bakery onsite and full lists of ingredients for each of the baked good. Only some of the baked goods the day I was there were also dairy free but the baker will accommodate any request she can with advanced notice.

eat healthy is open for breakfast and lunch six days a week (closed Sundays). A lot of the breakfast items can be made dairy free and they even have vegan butter! They are looking to expand eventually to offer dinner and offer grab and go dinners as well.

Both owners (who are brothers) are gluten free which is why the entire deli is gluten free! [They both limit their dairy but aren't dairy free themselves. For dairy free they had to double check a number of items but were happy to do so and happy to accommodate however they could.]

Gluten Free Panini and GF/Vegan Cookie
at eat healthy deli in Fairfield, NJ

In addition to gluten free the owners are big on non-GMO, offer organic where they can, and even have compostable flatware and plates. There are a number of gluten free products for sale (Ancient Harvest, Bob's Red Mill, Canyon Bakehouse, Contes, Feel Good Foods, Get Fresh Bakehouse, Gratify, Jovial, Kind, Namaste, No Way It's Gluten Free, and Schär) as well as a number of grocery items.

So, how was the food? Amazing! I had 'The Butcher' a grilled ribeye steak on a No Way! It's Gluten Free sub roll. They pressed the sandwich in their panini press and the roll held together through the whole lunch. And that is the nice thing about a 100% Gf restaurant, the panini press is dedicated gf, the toaster is dedicated gf, the prep area is dedicated gf, etc, etc! This is definitely somewhere I'm hoping to go back to quite often.




Looking for other gluten free sandwich options? (None of these are 100% GF)

Try Pascarella Bros in Summit

or the Bologna Deli in Sparta

or Plum on Park in Montclair

And of course, check out the full list of restaurants with gluten free menus.

Restaurant Review: Cinders Wood Fire Grill (Mine Hill, NJ)

I had a great all around experience at Cinders Wood Fire Grill (319 Route 46W, Mine Hill, NJ 07803) last night. For starters, Cinders flags the gluten free items on their menu with a small green diamond. There were nine tapas (appetizers), eight entrees, and six sides. There is also a note that any item without the sauce or without bread would be gluten free.

Woodgrilled Half Chicken in a Cilantro Lime Marinade

Their specials list wasn't flagged but I figured I'd ask about an interesting sounding swordfish with peaches and sweet barbeque glaze since I needed to inquire about dairy free anyway. The waiter was very helpful and offered to check with the kitchen without being asked (always a good sign). They couldn't make the dish both gluten and dairy free as written but the chef offered to prepare the swordfish with a gf/df garlic wine sauce instead!

In the end, I decided to try the Woodgrilled Half Chicken (naturally both gf/df), with a side of grill asparagus and gluten free shoestring fries!

Overall a great time and somewhere with enough gluten free variety on the menu that I'm sure to go back!




Other restaurants you may like:

Opa Greek Cuisine (Wayne, NJ)

Pandan Room (Hackettstown, NJ)

Or search my full gluten free restaurant list!

Restaurant Review: China Sea of Absecon (Absecon, NJ)

On a recent day trip to Atlantic City, I decided to stop for dinner at China Sea of Absecon (662 White Horse Pike, Absecon, NJ 08201). It is fairly rare to find a chinese restaurant that has a gluten free menu and even rarer to find one as extensive as theirs. (The full gf menu is on their website.)

Gluten Free Sesame Chicken at China Sea Absecon

One of my favorite meals at a chinese restaurant is Sesame Chicken so I had to try their and I wasn't disappointed. It was just as good as I remember from before I gave up gluten. The food was so good I ended up ordering another two dinners to take home and eat over the following nights. Even as left overs, the gluten free chicken and broccoli and the gluten free beef with asparagus were terrific.

China Sea has a large eat in dining room and also does a brisk take out business. It is located in the Marketplace of Absecon strip mall (right past the Arby's). There's even a note on their website that for orders of $50 or more, they will deliver to AC casinos!

It's a bit far of a drive for me, but this is definitely somewhere I would return if I were in the area.



There are a couple of other chinese restaurants offering gluten free food:

Lo Fatt Chow (Lebenon, NJ)

Panda Asian Fusion (Freehold, NJ)

Pei Wei (Cherry Hill, Moorestown, Paramus)


As well as other asian cuisines:

A Taste of Asia II (Chatham, NJ)

Bangkok Kitchen (Caldwell, NJ)

Pandan Room / Pandan Asian Fusion (Hackettstown, NJ and Long Valley, NJ)

Restaurant Review: Bologna Deli (Sparta, NJ)

Who knew Sparta was so Celiac friendly?

I recently found myself in the Sparta area for lunch and was surprised to find I had a number of restaurants to choose from! I ended up selecting the Bologna Deli and Cafe (8 White Deer Plaza, Sparta, NJ 07871). It is what you'd expect from a deli, with a cold cut display case, and a handful of small tables. What you wouldn't expect is the number of gluten free options.

Sandwich on gluten free dairy free flat bread at Bologna Deli

Most of the cold cuts are gluten free and they offer a flat bread by NJ's own Sogni Dolci. The owner knew that the flat bread was dairy free but she brought me the ingredients to double check. There are also a number of gluten free snacks but these weren't all dairy free.

I had an amazing roast beef sandwich with roasted red peppers and avocado. Since I couldn't have any of the other snacks, they even included a side of seedless red grapes to round out the meal. The owner selected Sogni Dolci's flat bread as she hates gluten free bread that falls apart. The flat bread held together quite nicely and was a welcome change from most 'standard' gluten free breads.

This is definite somewhere I would go back the next time I find myself in the Sparta area!

Looking for other great lunch options in NJ?

Try gluten free burgers and more at Little Shanty

or a gluten free sandwich at The Fine Grind Coffee Bar.

And, don't forget to check out my full list of NJ Restaurants with Gluten Free Menus or my list of Gluten Free Fast Food and Chain Restaurant options!

Restaurant Review: Little Shanty (Warren, NJ)

They don't have a dedicated fryer . . . they have three!



Gluten Free Burger, Gluten Free Onion Rings, and
Gluten Free Fries at Little Shanty in Warren NJ

I had heard a rumor that Little Shanty (14 Mt. Bethel Road, Warren, NJ 07059) offered gluten free fries but needed to check it out for myself. I called them and they told me that they had four separate fryers in the restaurant and that three of them were for gluten free items, including . . . . gluten free onion rings! Of course I had to try them for myself (ah, the things I do in the name of research) so on a recent Saturday I took a drive to Warren.

The restaurant is a quick serve burger place where you order at the counter and they bring your food to the table. When I got to the counter and placed my order, as I always do I started by announcing that I have to be both gluten and dairy free.  The owner quickly rattled off everything that could be gluten free and even mentioned that their three gluten free fryers are dedicated and safe.

They offer Udi's gluten free hamburger buns for  any sandwich, gluten free wings, chicken nuggets, and three types of GF fries (only the sweet potato fries aren't gluten free)! As you can see I had a burger (on a bun!) and both gluten free fries as well as gluten free onion rings!

Other articles you may be interested in:

Full list of restaurants with gluten free fries

Full list of gluten free fast food and chain restaurants

Full list of NJ gluten free restaurants

Restaurant Review: PositiviTea (Verona, NJ)

A quirky little vegan cafe!

Gluten Free / Dairy Free Big WAC wrap

Warning: this review is mostly for my dairy free / vegan followers. PositiviTea does offer a number of gluten free options as well but they are a small tea shop with shared prep space and a shared panini press. They do offer to clean both, but caution that there still may be cross contamination.

I've eaten at PositiviTea (550 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044) twice already and since it is right around the corner from me, I hope to eat here quite a bit more as well. They offer a full menu of assorted teas (most of the herbals they mix themselves), smoothies (all gloriously dairy free), burgers, wraps, and waffles.  The wraps can be made gluten free, the waffles are gluten free, and I've had them make a burger on a wrap instead as well (sometimes they have portabello mushrooms as buns for the burgers).

Gluten Free Waffles with Dairy Free Ice Cream

The first time I went I had the Big WAC as a wrap. This is their take of a McDonalds Big Mac and the taste is pretty spot-on. Two vegan patties, special sauce (vegan of course), vegan mayo, vegan cheese, lettuce, pickles and onions. All with a side of gluten free chips. For those of you who recall how much I raved about the vegan burger I got from the Green Radish (review) this certainly gives it a run for the money!

The second time I had the Apple Pie Waffles - three apple cinnamon gluten free waffles (I suspect Van's) with raw agave nectar, vegan soft serve ice cream and a side of bananas and apples.

If you go, say hi to Abe and do be sure to take a look at the ceiling!

Other vegan / vegetarian restaurants you might be interested in:

Nectar Cafe (Glen Rock, NJ)

Loving Hut (Ledgewood, NJ)

And my full list of Restaurants with Gluten Free menus is flagged with vegan/vegetarian options as well.

Restaurant Review: The Fine Grind: A Coffee Bar (Little Falls, NJ)

I've been attending the monthly Celiac Support Group called the GF Club at the Fine Grind: A Coffee Bar (101 Newark Pompton Tpk [Rt23S], Little Falls, NJ 07424) for a couple of years now. In that time, they've expanded their Gluten Free offerings from a couple of Get Fresh Bakehouse [contain dairy] individually wrapped brownies to a full gluten free menu. A good number of these items are already dairy free or can be made dairy free. Since owners Rhonda and Jon are dairy free as well, the Fine Grind even has vegan butter on hand.

Gluten Free Bagel and Gluten Free Oatmeal
at the Fine Grind in Little Falls, NJ

I stopped in for breakfast recently and had a toasted gluten free bagel with peanut butter and a bowl of gluten free oatmeal [made dairy free with almond milk]. The staff is well versed in avoiding cc [they have a dedicated prep area] and knew which items were dairy free or how best to modify them. This is one of the few places I can get a truly gluten free / dairy free breakfast but I've also been for lunch (turkey on GF/DF roll with GF chips) as well.

As mentioned above, The Fine Grind hosts a Gluten Free Support group called the GF Club [currently the second Tuesday of each month]. It is a great way to connect with others in the area who are living gluten free, share the latest gf finds, and keep up with what is coming next at the Fine Grind (we've gotten to sample most of their GF items before they've been added to the gf menu!). [This month we tried their Thanksgiving special – turkey on GF bread (or gf/df roll) with cranberry sauce and GF/DF stuffing!] There is a $10 admission but this includes a beverage and a wide array of GF snacks/treats.

Hopefully you'll check out the Fine Grind either for the food, the GF club, or both!  If you can't make their meetings, click here for more advice on finding a Gluten Free Support Group.

Restaurant Review: From Seed to Sprout

Finally, a brunch where I can eat almost anything I want!

Gluten Free Vegan French Toast at From Seed to Sprout

Recently, I met one of my Celiac Support Groups at From Seed to Sprout (410 Main Street, Avon-By-The-Sea, NJ 07717) for brunch. They're closed Monday, open for breakfast/lunch during the week, and brunch on the weekends (although they do some dinner nights by reservation only). The brunch menu is a bit different from the weekday menu so some of the items we had may not be available during the week.

The restaurant is entirely vegan and has quite a few gluten free options as well (although not all of them are marked on the menu so you'll have to ask). [Only the pancakes couldn't be done gluten free, their only other gluten items were sandwich bread, rolls and english muffins, but they have a delicious gluten free millet and flax seed bread that can be substituted in (and our non-gf waitress stated the gf bread tasted better anyway)!] The juices / smoothies were all vegan (so no worries about cc with milk) although they did offer wheat grass (which if grown/harvested correctly is gluten free).

Grilled Avocado Sandwich on Gluten Free Bread

We ordered a variety of gluten free / vegan meals as well as some freshly prepared juices / smoothies. The gluten free / vegan french toast was amazing (since I can't handle a lot of egg, I haven't had real french toast in years)! Those who ordered it, raved about the grill avocado sandwich. And everyone was enamored with the coconut bacon!

From Seed to Sprout also has two dessert cases, one is for gluten containing baked goods and the other is for their raw vegan desserts which are all gluten free! Since our entire group was gluten free we decided to order one (or two) of every dessert and sample them all. The desserts were all great but the real standout for me was the lemon goji macaroon!

Our Line of Raw, Vegan,
Gluten Free Desserts

This is definitely somewhere I plan on returning to (especially to try that grilled avocado sandwich!)

If you're looking for some other shore area restaurants try:

Via Roma

Good Karma Cafe

Papa Ganache

Or check my full NJ GF Restaurant List!

Are Burger King's New Satisfries Gluten Free?

So what if they're lower fat, are they gluten free?

No gluten ingredient Burger King Fries and Satisfries

Burger King announced today new lower fat french fries or Satisfries. According to the press release the new fries have 40% less fat and 30% fewer calories than the leading (McDonald's) french fries. [Note: this is based on weight, not menu size - small, medium, large, King, etc.] [A little back-of-the-envelope math from the BK nutrition page leads me to believe the Satisfries contain 20% less fat and 20% less calories than BK's regular fries.]

But lets face reality, we're much less concerned about fat and much more concerned about gluten. For that, it mostly comes down to cross contamination. Just like Burger King's regular fries the new Satisfries contain no gluten ingredients. If your local restaurant has a separate fryer and safe handling procedures then the fries should be gluten free. Here are the ingredients from the BK website:

SATISFRIES™: Potatoes, vegetable oil (contains one or more of the following oils: canola, soybean, cottonseed, sunflower, corn), tapioca starch-modifies, contains 2% or less of corn starch-modified, paprika extract (color), rice flour, salt, sodium acid pyrophosphate (to maintain natural color), turmeric extract (color), xantham gum.

I stopped at a Burger King on the way home tonight and purchased a small regular fries and a small Satisfries (pictured above). [The satisfries were $.30 more by the way.]  Personally, I thought the new Satisfries tasted better and were fluffier on the inside.

In the end it really comes down to the cross contamination in the fryer and after they are fried (the BK I stopped at didn't but most share a warming bin for the onion rings and fries with just a metal divider between them). With so many other dining options now, I don't often risk a stop at Burger King.


For more thoughts on gluten free french fries, including a list of which restaurants and chains offer them click here: Gluten Free Fries!

And click here for more Gluten Free Fast Food / Chain Restaurants!

Bakery Review: Pink Frosting Bakery (Verona, NJ)

Last year a vegan cupcake shop opened up next to the barber I go to.  They had decorated their front window long before opening and announced that not only would they be totally vegan but that they would cater to gluten free customers as well.  I have had cupcakes from Pink Frosting (534 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044) a number of times since then and have been quite pleased (even though it has taken me way too long to finally review them).

Vegan / Gluten Free Cupcakes (Vanilla Spice / Banana Split)
from Pink Frosting Bakery in Verona, NJ

Their shop is a store front on Bloomfield Avenue directly across from Verona Park.  [There is no street parking directly in front of their shop but a large municipal lot down Park Place around the corner.] They have display cases of pre-made vegan cupcakes including two to four gluten free varieties (flavors vary). They are not just a cupcake shop however, they offer to make any of their cupcake flavors as cakes with advanced notice and they do special orders on flavors of cupcakes as well.  Their menu lists a dozen different cupcake flavors and states that nine of them can be gluten free!

Over the past year, I've noticed that both the number of daily gluten free offerings and the variety of flavors has increased quite a bit.  Their frosting is surprisingly light and airy / fluffy.  Truth be told, I'm not really sure how to describe it other than to say it is the best dairy free frosting I've had.

The entire shop is vegan and although they charge slightly more for vegan/gluten free cupcakes it is still a reasonable price compared to other gf bakeries.


Other bakeries you may want to try:

Papa Ganache Vegan Bakery

Or any of the others on my New Jersey Gluten Free Bakery List.

Food Truck Review: The Green Radish (vegan with gluten free options)

A vegan burger so good, I'd consider giving up meat!

The weekend before last, I attended the annual summer Montclair Jazz Festival in Nishuane Park.  I had found out about the Festival from a press release announcing a new vegan food truck: The Green Radish. Being dairy free and mostly egg free, vegan food can often be quite safe (unless there is a lot of wheat gluten used as a meat replacer).  

Vegan Black Bean Burger on Gluten Free bread
from The Green Radish

When I arrived at the truck, I was a little concerned that the menu doesn't mention gluten free at all.  A quick inquiry revealed that not only were a number of their menu items already naturally gluten free, they offered gluten free bread for all of their sandwiches as well!

[Just a quick note, since I'm not vegan and my issue with eggs is minor, I only confirmed the bread was gluten and dairy free, I did not confirm it was egg free as well.]

For lunch, I had the Black Bean Burger.  This was by far the best burger (beef or vegan) I have had in years (and possibly ever)!  The bread held together nicely and the vegan chipotle mayo was incredible (I can't handle mayo made from egg so this was a nice change).  I was actually too full afterwards to immediately go back for dessert.

Being both dairy and gluten free means I almost never get dessert.  There are two gluten free / vegan desserts at The Green Radish: Grilled Seasonal Fruit in a Vanilla Sauce and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunchy Quinoa Cup (which I did get to try later in the day). It is a vegan chocolate candy about the size of a large marshmallow with a hard outer chocolate shell studded with quinoa and a soft peanut butter and mint center [no not mint flavor, actual fresh mint leaves].  Their other two desserts currently contain gluten but they have trialed them using gluten free flours and hope to change over at some point in the future.

Diners lining up for some amazing
vegan fare from The Green Radish!

And now for the downside - the Green Radish is a brand new food truck and they are still working out the details of where and when you can catch up with them.  From their facebook page it appears they've been out and about for a couple of weeks now.  Hopefully their website/facebook/twitter will be filled with appearances soon!  

I'm already stalking them here: The Green Radish on Facebook and here The Green Radish on Twitter and hope to eat from them again soon!



If you're looking for some other great take-away vegan / vegetarian food in NJ try the Nectar Cafe (review) in Glen Rock. For sit down dining I've flagged the vegan friendly options on my list of NJ Restaurants with Gluten Free Menus as well.

Mango, Cucumber, Jicama, and Avocado Salad Recipe (vegan / gluten free)

I've made this salad a couple of times this summer for various cookouts and barbecues and it has been a hit at each. Jicama might be a little harder to find but a number of local supermarkets have had it for me.

Jicama, Mango, Cucumber, and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

1 mango
1 medium cucumber
1 jicama
1 avocado

Dressing:

1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2" piece of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

How to prepare Mango, Cucumber, and Jicama Salad:

Peel, pit and dice the mango.  (Keep dice size the same for all four fruits/veggies - somewhere between 1/4" and 1/2" should be fine.)

Peel and dice the cucumber.

Peel and dice the jicama.(sometimes jicama skin is too tough for my potato peeler if so, use a knife instead)

Pit, remove from skin and dice the avocado.

Combine mango, cucumber, jicama, avocado in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl combine grated ginger, minced garlic, chopped cilanto, olive oil, juice of one lemon, salt and pepper.  Mix until combined being careful not to over mix.  [As a time saver I like to add my dressing ingredients to my magic bullet to both chop the herbs/spices and combine.  If you do this, don't add the lemon juice until after or it will emulsify and you'll have a mayonnaise more than a dressing!]

Pour over salad and toss.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Makes 4-6 side dish servings

Enjoy!



If you're looking for another great cookout recipe, you may want to try my Black Bean Quinoa Salad!

And don't forget to check my full list of Recipes (Gluten Free / Dairy Free / Allergens listed).

Restaurant Review: Nectar Cafe (Glen Rock, NJ)

Best Cinnabun I've ever had!

Vegan Watermelon Cucumber Gazpacho from Nectar Cafe

I usually bring my own lunch to work.  It is a rare day the cafeteria hasn't added wheat or dairy to at least part of the two lunch options and the GF/DF options around the office can be a bit of a drive.  20 minutes is at the far end of what I'll drive for lunch, but it turns out that the Nectar Cafe (175 Rock Road, Glen Rock, NJ 07452 [behind the CVS in the far back of their parking lot]) is well worth it!  [My GPS took me to their address which is on Rock Road, I parked across the street and walked.  However, they are a good block off of Rock Road at the far end of the parking lot.]

I want to start by pointing out that Nectar Cafe is in the middle of an expansion so I'll have to re-review them once their addition is finished.  They are expanding into the store front next to them so the location will remain the same, only be bigger, with an expanded menu and even some seating.  Not sure if their hours will change but for now they are 8am-6pm weekdays and 7:30am-1pm on the weekends.

Vegan / Gluten Free Crabcakes at Nectar Cafe

Right now, it is a small juice / smoothie bar with some pre-prepared items and made to order wraps.  Sadly, the wraps are all wheat based but they are hoping to add a gluten free wrap once the expansion is complete.  Other than the wraps, the only other wheat I saw was wheat grass for the juices (which if grown and harvested correctly can be gluten free although I didn't confirm).  All of the desserts were both gluten and dairy free including surprisingly enough the one that contained oats (I asked and it turns out they used gluten free oats)!  They listed rice, cashew and almond milk for the smoothies but some also contained yogurt.

The only other dairy item I saw was goat cheese on their pizza but they are looking to offer a vegan pizza as well.  However, what they offer in their display case changes from day-to-day so double check.

Vegan Raw Gluten Free YUMM CinnaBUN! from Nectar Cafe

I ended up having the watermelon and cucumber gazpacho and vegan crabcakes (gluten free as well).  The soup was outstanding and the 'crab' cakes were quite good as well.  The tartar sauce for the crab cakes was the highlight of the dish.

Finally, I was going to have the vegan 'snickers' cup but then I asked about the oats and found out they were gluten free.  So I switched to the YUMM CinnaBUN! and am glad I did.  It was delicious and easily better (both tastier and obviously healthier) than the fat, gluten, and calorie laden mess one can get in the mall!  [The label doesn't specify gf oats so double check when you go.]

I'm already looking forward to going back and trying their other offerings (ok, ok, mostly their other desserts)!

If you're looking for other gluten free / vegan restaurants try:

Good Karma Café (Red Bank, NJ)

Papa Ganache (Matawan, NJ)

Loving Hut (Ledgewood, NJ)

Restaurant Review: Lo Fatt Chow (Lebanon, NJ)

A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with a gluten free friend at Lo Fatt Chow (56 Payne Road, Lebanon, NJ 08833). Lo Fatt bills themselves as healthy Chinese cuisine and they have added gluten free sauces to their kitchen so that they can accommodate everyone. [They strive to be low fat and low sodium as well but I’m way too concerned about being dairy free and gluten free to worry about salt and fat!] The restaurant is a takeout store front with a decent about of seating if you choose to stay in.

Black Bean Prawns from Lo Fatt Chow in Lebabon, NJ

Their menu is quite extensive with over 200 items. The menu flags items that are vegetarian, items that are hot and spicy and items that contain nuts/peanuts. The bottom of the menu notes that they have gluten free sauces available but it was trial and error to find the dishes that could be gluten free. We each picked out a couple of options and then had to run them past the woman at the counter until we found dishes that we both wanted and she was confident could be made gluten free. (As with most Chinese restaurants, dairy free was quite simple here.)

I ended up having a rice noodle dish I had never tried before, Chicken Chow Feng (it was good but just not my thing). My friend had a much more interesting Black Beans and Prawns that was quite good (and much more photogenic!).  Both items were listed as gluten free on the receipt.

While I would prefer a pre-made list of what can be gluten free the food was quite good and reasonably priced. There aren't a lot of other gluten free options out in that area and the next time I am out that way, I could definitely see myself heading back to Lo Fatt Chow!



If you're looking for some other Asian restaurants to try, there's:

A Taste of Asia II in Chatham, NJ

Pei Wei in Paramus, Cherry Hill and Moorsetown, NJ

And as always, check out the full list for dining gluten free in New Jersey!

Gluten Free Bakery List Updates

I've been quite behind on updating the gluten free bakery list but here are the latest 11 additions.  Click here for the full list of Gluten Free Bakeries, the updates are listed below:


Bashful Banana Bakery and 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.

CakeOver (79 N Beverwyck Road, Lake Hiawatha, NJ 07034)(Lake Hiawatha may appear as Parsippany on your GPS) – dedicated gluten free bakery. A number of GF items are / can be made dairy free as well. Entire facility is peanut free. I’ve gotten some desserts from here and they are quite good.

Just D’sserts in Elmwood Park has closed.

My Little Kupcake (685 Haddon Avenue, Collingswood, NJ 08108) – this regular bakery offers GF and Vegan cupcakes as well as GF and Vegan special orders.

Vegan / Gluten Free Cupcakes
from Pink Frosting in Verona, NJ

Pink Cake Box [Specialty Bake Shop] – this specialty bake shop will do unique gluten free specialty cakes / cupcakes as well for events/weddings. (The owner is gluten free.) This is not a retail location; items are available by special order only. (18 East Main Street #101, Denville, NJ 07834)

Pink Frosting Bakery (534 Bloomfield Avenue, Verona, NJ 07044) – a dedicated vegan cupcakery with 2-4 gluten free options as well. I’ve gotten cupcakes from here a number of times and highly recommend them. (Review coming soon.)

Posh Pop Bakery (86 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701) – I just ate here recently. This dedicated gluten free cake pop shop has a limited number of dairy free items. They will make dairy free / gluten free soft pretzels on special order in a choice of salted or with cinnamon and sugar.

SugarFlake Bakery has added a third location in Wyckoff, NJ. (397 Franklin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481)

Sweet Note Bagels – is a food service provider of gluten free bagels (also dairy free). You can't buy directly from them, but they are available at eight NJ locations so far: http://www.sweetnotebakery.com/locations.html and many other locations in and around Philadelphia, PA. I got to try them at the Appetite for Awareness last year in Philly and they are the closest to a real NY style bagel I’ve ever had gluten free!

Wildflour Bakery / Cafe (2691 Main Street, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648) – new dedicated gluten free bakery and cafe. They have limited dairy free options but these include vegan crepes, coconut macarons and some other cafe items (soup, salad, smoothie). Only open for breakfast and lunch (brunch on weekends). Closed Mondays. I haven't been yet.


NY:

Flourbuds (116A Main Street, Nyack, NY 10960) – dedicated gluten free bakery with dairy free / vegan options.

Wild Flours Bake Shop (11 New Street, Huntington, NY 11743) – I just ate here a couple of weeks ago and greatly enjoyed it. They are a dedicated gluten free bake shop with a very limited number of items that are not also dairy free (95% are both GF/DF).


If I'm missing any bakeries please use the contact me form at the left and send them my way!

Restaurant Review: Maud’s Tavern (Hastings-on-Hudson, New York)

On a recent trip to Nyack, NY (see By The Way Bakery review for details) we may have ‘missed’ and ended up in Westchester County. The kind staff of By The Way Bakery recommended Maud’s Tavern (149 Southside Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706) which ended up being just around the corner.

Gluten Free Lamb Chops at Maud's Tavern
in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

Maud’s has had a gluten friendly menu for a very long time. I can remember seeing the on the list of restaurants I might want to try after the Colin Leslie Walk each year. It was nice to finally get to try them out.

Maud’s gf menu is quite long and while they have gluten free pasta, it is mostly gluten friendly (i.e. items that are naturally gluten free). Dairy free took some work, but our waitress was right on it and triple checked everything! I had the grilled lamb with steamed vegetables which was quite good (the potatoes either already had butter on them or were fried in a shared fryer). I hear the chili was spicy but also quite good!

If you happened to go and are not from the area, there are some great views of the Hudson from out their front window and down the end of the block by the train station.

Due to the distance I doubt I’ll be back, but if they were closer this is definitely somewhere I would go again!



Looking for other NY gluten free restaurants? Try . . .

97lake in West Harrison

or check the handful at the bottom of my Gluten Free NJ Restaurant list!

Bakery Review: By The Way Bakery (Hastings-on-Hudson, New York)

I first encountered the By The Way Bakery (574 Warburton Avenue, Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706) two years ago at the Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease Awareness (review). They were sampling some amazing gluten free / dairy free baked goods and I took a card hoping to visit their bakery some day. That day finally arrived!

On a recent trip to Nyack, NY, I may have been too busy chatting with my passenger to miss both the sign that said: “Nyack” and it’s partner sign “Last Exit before Bridge”! For those unfamiliar with NY geography, Nyack is on the west shore of the Hudson river at the western end of the Tappan Zee Bridge. If you miss the exit, you’re heading over the bridge into Westchester county.

Assorted Gluten Free bakery items at By The Way Bakery

Since we were already in Westchester (and it seemed a waste to pay the bridge toll just to turn around and try again) we checked online to see what was nearby. 97lake (review) wasn’t too far, and neither were the Golden Wok Cafe, or the By The Way Bakery. The friend I was with is very gluten sensitive and also has a lesser issue with tapioca so we decided Golden Wok might involve a language barrier that would be more than she was willing to risk (especially with an hour drive home).

We headed to By The Way Bakery and figured we could ask them for a lunch recommendation (and if not, we could still head back to Nyack). The bakery was amazing! Everything is dedicated Gluten and Dairy free. There were two full shelved of GF/DF cupcakes – red velvet, lemon, vanilla vanilla, chocolate with vanilla icing, carrot, and a couple of others I’m forgetting. There were cookies, brownies, tarts and cakes as well.

Gluten Free Cupcakes from By The Way Bakery
in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY

I ended up with two dairy free / gluten free cupcakes – a vanilla with vanilla icing and a carrot cake. They both handled the trip home (as you can see the icing on the vanilla banged around a bit, but it was still delicious)! I also found their prices to be reasonable, especially for a dedicated bakery.

Sadly, Hastings-on-Hudson is about an hour away (and across the Tappan Zee Bridge) so I don’t think I’ll be heading back here often, but if I’m in the area, I do plan on trying more gluten free cupcakes!

Oh, and the staff was able to recommend a great restaurant for us: Maud’s Tavern (review) which is about two blocks away!