For When G-Free People Go Out

Any gluten-free peeps/people allergic to life like I am ever get down that they can’t always go out to dinner with their friends? If you do, you’ve got to check menus, call restaurants, and go online to check and see which places are safe for our bellies and which aren’t.  When I first learned I was gluten and lactose intolerant and restricted to a very low glycemic index diet, I didn’t eat out anywhere for months in fear that I would get “glutened.” Eventually I came to learn that there are so many places that offer gluten free alternatives on the menu. Here is a compilation of some of my favorites.

1. P.F. Chang’s 

Before I was told I had my food allergies, I used to date someone that was pretty allergic to most nuts and we’d go to P.F.’s for special occasions because of how lovely they were. P.F. Chang’s not only has amazing food, they also cater very much to their allergen cliental. They have a separate menu for every food allergy and if you have multiple allergies, the chef comes out and talks to you about what they can make you that evening. If that’s not incredibly accommodating, I don’t know what is. 

2. Bonefish Grill

Bonefish actually offers many gluten free options ranging from fish to chicken to veggies. Like P.F.’s, they are so accommodating to any type of allergy need. They have multiple menus for various allergies and are incredibly helpful if you’d like to talk to the chef. A must for gluten free peeps. 

3. Chipotle

Yeah, I know- shocker. But seriously, Chipotle bowls are gluten free heaven. You’ve got rice and beans which make up your complex carbs, tomato salsa, corn, and meat (they even offer tofu now which I prefer over the chicken!). I stay away from the veggies because I can’t tell if they’re cooked with butter or not. Add some guac and you’ve got a pretty nice g-free meal!

4. Jimmy Johns

Jimmy Johns offers lettuce wraps instead of bread! Add your favorite sandwich ingredients (minus cheese for me) and you’ve got a nice sammy on the go. 

The fact is, so many establishments are starting to cater to those with allergies. Obviously, there are some foods that gluten free people must stay away from unless made themselves (like Chinese food and Italian) but even those types of restaurants are starting to look into alternative ingredients. Don’t be afraid to go out and have some dinner with friends anymore. Just do a little homework and breathe because we’ve got some options. 

 

 

Finals Have Me Feelin’: Egg Salad

Hey everyone! It’s around that finals time and I’m definitely feeling the pressure. I unfortunately, haven’t made any cool treats the past week because of all the papers I’ve had to write to finish up my semester, but I did make a pretty baller egg salad sandwich today.

I was never really a picky eater when I was younger, which is rather ironic because I was forced into picky eating (thanks food allergies! cue shaking fists).  I was always down for whatever was for dinner, but egg salad I never really acquired the taste for until I was in high school. I don’t eat it too often, but when I do it’s a real treat!

The way I make egg salad is:

• 2 slices of gluten-free bread
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of low fat mayonnaise (or to preference)
• a lil’ bit of spicy dijon mustard (optional)
• paprika

Like I said, egg salad is a super easy recipe for on the go or finals crunch time. First, if you haven’t, hard boil some eggs. Once you’ve done that, peel off the shell and chop up the two eggs. Throw them in a bowl along with the mayo and dijon. I like to add the dijon mustard because it gives the salad a little kick along with the paprika. Add the dijon after you’ve mixed the mayo and eggs. After you’ve mixed those together sprinkle a little paprika on top! Toast some gluten-free bread, slather it on and enjoy! I sure know I did!

 This recipe was: gluten free, dairy free, soy free, vegetarian, peanut free, tree nut free. 

More from Seeds of Change

I made too much brown rice this week, so I made a whole new dish. I’m a huge spinach fan- like everyone that keeps up with my blog knows. So I made a hearty lil’ spinach dish that I packed up for later this week. You ready for some spinach?! Time to channel your inner Popeye and get to cookin’! Here’s a great gluten-free recipe for you to try!

Get ahold of some:

• Seeds of Change Brown Rice and Quinoa
• spinach
• chopped tomatos
• olive oil
• salt

Not that many ingredients, but really full of flavor! That’s why I love veggies- they always are packed with so much flavor especially when sautéed! First what I did is a added the olive oil to the pan and add the spinach. As soon as the spinach starts to wilt, add the chopped tomatoes and brown rice and quinoa mix. Add a little salt and you’re good to go!

Pardon the bananas. They snuck in there when no one was looking.

This recipe was: gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free, and vegan. 

Dat Shrimp Doe

I don’t normally crave seafood (which is weird, I know, because of the whole Greek thing…) but I was really in the mood for shrimp  today. I used to survive almost solely on shrimp when I was younger, but as I’ve gotten older it’s definitely become an occasional kind of meal. This shrimp/brown rice combo is a recipe for a quick gluten-free recipe for the summer!

What you’ll need:

• shrimp
• brown rice (I used Seeds of Change’s Brown Rice and Quinoa microwavable bag for convenience)
• tomato paste
• yellow and orange peppers
• basil
• olive oil

First things first, pour some olive oil in a pan and place the shrimp in. As the shrimp are cooking, chop up the yellow and orange peppers and add them to the pan. I added some tomato paste to give it a thicker feel, but I think it could stand alone without it. Chop some basil (fresh if possible) and add a little to the dish. Once it’s done cooking, pour it over the microwaved brown rice and mix it up.

Quick, easy, yummy- my kind of meal! Enjoy this gluten-free recipe! 🙂

This recipe was: gluten free, dairy free, egg free, and soy free.

Red Velvet Delight

First of all Happy Easter to all those who celebrate! My family has been a huge help to me since I found out that I have so many food allergies. They’ve sent me recipes, helped me cook, and even made special things for me for large family get togethers. For desert this Easter my family made mostly gluten free deserts which really warmed my heart (we’re a very strong homemade cookie family). I mentioned a few weeks ago that Red Velvet Cupcakes were my favorite; low and behold I found one waiting for me to devour after dinner.

The recipe for the cake calls for:

• any gluten free flour (I really like Bob’s Redmill Gluten Free Flour. It holds together really well unlike some gluten free flours.)
• vegetable oil
• water
• 3 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups of sugar
• red food coloring
• 2 tbsp of dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract

The Icing is made with:

• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• tsp of vanilla
• 2 tbsp of almond milk
• 1 1/4 soy butter
• 3 1/4 cups of sugar
• a little bit of salt

Make the cake like any other “normal” cake: crack the eggs in a large bowl, pour in the gluten free flour, water, vanilla extract, veggie oil (for moisture), and cocoa powder and mix mix mix. During the mixing process add the desired amount of red food dye to get the color desired. Pour the mixture into cupcake trays and bake in the over for 15 minutes at 375.

While the cake is cooking, place all the ingredients for the frosting in a large bowl and mix together until there is a fluffy consistency. Cover the bowl with a towel and place in the fridge until the cakes are ready. Wait until after the cupcakes have mostly cooled and then have fun decorating!

This recipe is: gluten and dairy free. 

 

Leftover Pasta? No Problem: Liveblogging Bake

You ever get super hungry pre-boiling pasta and end up accidentally spilling the whole box into the pot? Oh, no? Just me? For me extra pasta used to be annoying because I don’t like to eat the same thing twice in a row, but my mom taught me how to make spaghetti pie this weekend when I was home. So here we go: I’m going to live blog this with you. Get ready: turn on Game of Thrones (yeah I’m still trying to catch up. I’m currently on season 1 episode 8). I’m going to apologize right now for my tidbits of GoT. GO.

Okay so this baby needs 8 eggs. Das a lotta eggs. Also I hope you made a ton of leftover pasta because you’re going to need a pound. Luckily I actually do have a ton of pasta thanks to this Easter weekend. No meat, all pasta: leggo. Also sundried tomato pesto: I bought it because as we all know I’m getting over my cooking intolerance and I’m not at that level yet…. some day.

Alllllrighty. GoT hour long credits is beginning and I’m setting the oven to 375. I’m whisking all the eggs. They always look really bizarre to me- like blobs, really, but I really enjoy cracking eggs as weird as that sounds. I guess it reminds me of helping my grandma make Greek cookies. Okay, eggs: done. I’m pouring it into a dish and also adding the pasta now! Gotta mix that gently and while I’m doing that I’m adding the sun dried tomato pesto. AWWWWW YEAH.

I just popped that puppy in the oven and am freaking out over this GoT episode. Why did I choose finals time to start marathoning this? What a poor decision.

 

 

Dill and Lemon

Yesterday was such a gorgeous 67 degree day. My family and I decided that we weren’t going to let the weather go to waste, so we broke out the BBQ for the first time this season! We made hot dogs and hamburgers and, for me, they popped on a bean burger. I couldn’t tell you how happy I was. I loves me some BBQ in the spring/summa time.

My mom is notorious for making really yummy salads so she decided to make her dill and lemon vinegar salad that I consume in bulk during the summer.

You’ll need:
– romaine lettuce
– scallions
– dill
– chopped cucumbers
– Sicilian Lemon White Vinegar (Carter and Cavero has one that’s so amazing I could actually drink it.)
– for all those you CAN eat cheese Feta Cheese.

It’s pretty self explanatory, but chop up the romaine lettuce, scallions, dill and cucumbers. Toss it up and drizzle some of the vinegar on top. Like I said, before I found out I was dairy intolerant my family would put a pound (not really) of feta in the salad. As a Greek, goat cheese runs through out veins and I often miss it when I see my parents add it to theirs.

It’s simple but really delicious! Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken Will Have You Finger Lickin’

I’m so happy to have received this scrumptious looking recipe from guest blogger Nicole Vacca! This chicken looks to die for and I can’t wait to try it myself! 

There is a very simple dish my dad makes me all the time! When I am feeling in the mood for protein and veggies, my dad always prepares me a nice meal of grilled chicken and sauteed spinach. It only takes 25 minutes and it’s absolutely delicious!

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves or chicken legs (1 pound)

SAUTEED SPINACH:

• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package (10 ounces) fresh spinach, torn

This recipe is very simple! In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, the cider vinegar, the minced garlic, the thyme, the dried oregano and the salt all in one bowl. Mix it all together and then spoon it over the chicken. Then proceed to grill the chicken over medium heat for 7 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear. After you or while grill the chicken, in a skillet, saute the onion and garlic in the oil for 1 minute, or until it is crisp-tender. Then add the spinach and saute for another 2 minutes, or until it is wilted. You can then serve the spinach on a plate and top the spinach with the chicken. It is ready for eating!

Serving size: 4

The following recipe is: gluten free, dairy free, peanut free and tree nut free. 

Check out Nicole’s blog Worldly Dance Passion! It’s a great blog about dance around the world! Go get jiggy after gettin figgy!

 

Chili’s Last Hurrah

As we near the end of this bitter winter, it’s time to retire chili (which is one of my favorite wintertime staples). I figured today’s 46 degree weather was perfect enough for the final goodbye. A little while back I talked about Explore Asian’s new product Black Bean Spaghetti Shape and decided that the two would make a lovely couple.

What you’ll need

• Chili (obviously- I used can chili but if you can make your own EVEN. BETTER.)
• some dairy free cheese
• Black Bean Spaghetti Shape

Real simple. Real Easy. Boom.

Open up the can of chili and microwave it for 3 minutes. Cook the spaghetti shape like you would pasta and boil until tender. (It’s a really easy cook- 5 minutes MAX once the water is boiled. Seriously.) Once that’s done place the Spaghetti Shape in a bowl and add the chili on top. Sprinkle a little dairy free cheese on top and you’ve got a quick and easy protein-packed meal perfect for marathoning the last few episodes of Game of Throne’s season three before the premier. Just me?

Gluten-free chili for your eating pleasure! Enjoy!

This recipe was: gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, and tree nut free. 

Let it be noted that this was not the last time I ate chili this season. 

Mexican-Style Omelet

This is really sad to admit, but I’ve never successfully been able to make an omelet before. I’m the number one champion of the scrambled egg, but my omelets always broke in the pan when I was trying to flip them (I told you I’m not the most savvy cook). I thought I’d try my luck again and I actually succeeded- it may not look all that wow, but it sure tasted good!

I made a Mexican style omelet of which you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• dairy-free mozzarella cheese (I used Daiya Mozzarella Shreds)
• tomato
• green peppers
• salsa of your choosing
• lime
• a dash of olive oil to cover the pan with

Crack the eggs in a bowl and whip them until the yolks are broken. Place a dash of olive oil in a pan and pour the eggs into the pan at about 4. Let the egg sit for a few minutes until the egg can be carefully lifted up on one side.  Dice up a little tomato and green pepper and place that onto the egg along with some shredded dairy free cheese. Once a spatula can be gently eased underneath one side of the egg, flip half of it over to create a taco-looking shell. Let sit for a minute or so and flip. Once finished cooking, I drizzled some salsa and lime juice over the omelet.

I know cheese and lime juice seems odd, but the tanginess of the lime and the little bit of the sweet undertones on the cheese made for really bold flavors!

The following recipe is: gluten free, dairy free, peanut free, tree nut free, and vegetarian.