Andean Dream pasta available at Whole Foods Buckhead

Many moons ago, I found Andean Dream pasta.  It's a quinoa/rice blend which is not only edible - but delicious - COLD.  I don't like mayo-based pasta salads so none of the gluten-free pastas I tried worked for my favorite summertime pasta.  I went without cold pasta for a few years since most gluten-free pasta (at that time) was pretty much like a brick when cold.

Anyway, after finding, and faithfully using, Andean Dream pasta for years, I started having a hard time finding it locally. Then I couldn't find it anywhere.  And so for another year or so, I did without pasta salad.  Then, several weeks ago, my husband spotted the Andean Dream macaroni pasta on the bottom shelf at the Whole Foods in Buckhead.  I was so excited that I bought four boxes, leaving one on the shelf.  Maybe this brand is back at the WF near us, but at last check it wasn't.  And this pasta is definitely good enough to swing by WF, when in town, to stock up!

This pasta is vegan, corn free and Kosher, and made with non-GMO ingredients 

Below is my favorite cold pasta recipe...please make it your own - and enjoy!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Cooked gluten-free pasta (that is EDIBLE when cold)
EVOO
green scallions
crumbled feta cheese
minced roasted red peppers
sliced kalamata olives
sea salt

DIRECTIONS:

Coat cooked, drained pasta with olive oil (to taste)
Toss in all other ingredients (change them up to suit your personal taste!)
sprinkle with sea salt (to taste)
Cover and refrigerate for two hours or more (to let flavors percolate)
Remove from fridge and uncover about an hour prior to serving (it's very good straight out of fridge, but I like it less chilly)

**To make this pasta into a meal, add cooked chicken or shrimp, or even canned tuna fish.  Just don't set it out for an hour with any meat in it.

ENJOY! 




     

Bloomfield Farms expands distribution!

Several years ago, someone told me about a great gluten-free cornbread mix they picked up in Kentucky.  It was the Bloomfield Farms mix which I hadn't seen in Atlanta at the time - and I still haven't found it here.  The good news is that the brand is rolling out to Kroger stores which means we should find it locally soon!

In the meantime, the company was nice enough to send me a few things to try.  I recently made some golden brown pancakes for a lovely weekend breakfast.  The mix was super easy to use and what was really exciting is that you don't have to use a whole box to make pancakes!  Many gluten-free pancake mixes only give you instructions to use the whole package and in our case, that leaves us with way too many pancakes for a meal for two.

I'm really picky about pancakes and literally could not eat some offered at a local restaurant because they came out 'light beige' and not 'golden brown' like pancakes most certainly should be.  The Bloomfield Farms pancakes are the perfect color and texture and just taste like regular pancakes!  While I kept it basic with no add-ins, the batter should lend it self to blueberries or chocolate chips - whatever your favorite type is.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Simple Papaya Salsa

With the overwhelming heat the ATL has experienced lately, I'm on a mission to cook as little as possible.  Thankfully, my husband is a wonderful "grill master" and doesn't mind the heat associated with grilling in the early evening sun.

One of the easiest things to make without cooking is homemade salsa.  You can make it any way you like with whatever ingredients you have on hand - it's a win-win situation! When looking for a papaya salsa recipe the other day, I realized I didn't have all the ingredients to make any of them exactly as written.  Therefore, I mixed it up and came up with my own recipe.

Papaya Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 ripe papaya - diced
• 1/2 cup jicama - peeled and diced**
• 1/4 cup roasted (or fresh) red bell peppers 
• 1/2 bunch green onions
• 2 t. dried cilantro (fresh is better - use 1/4 cup)
• 2 t. fresh lime juice
• salt and pepper to taste

**Jicama peel is not edible

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Put diced papaya and jicama in mixing bowl and toss with lime juice (this prevents jicama from browning).
• Put red peppers and green onion into small food processor - pulse to mince.
• Add minced veggies and cilantro to papaya mixture and mix well.
• Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired.  
• Chill for at least 30 minutes so all the flavors meld well.      

We used this fabulous, summery salsa to top grilled Mahi-Mahi, but it also works well with grilled chicken.

Left over recipe ideas: add fresh (or canned) pineapple and some ginger to salsa.  Puree to make fruity gazpacho.  This twist on an old favorite is amazingly refreshing!

Fruit salsa also makes an excellent taco topping in the warmer months! 

 

       

Easy peasy guacamole

Until recently, I'd never made homemade guacamole.  I'm not sure why that is, but I do know I've been missing out on having delicious guacamole any time I have a hankering for it...for no good reason other than laziness!  So far I've made two versions, this one from Delight Gluten-Free and my own version which is a basic guacamole recipe with a small twist.

Since there are only two people in our house, this is a small batch which we can eat before it turns brown.  It should be at least doubled for a 'normal' sized recipe.  This is good enough to eat with a spoon, but I try to refrain from doing that...honestly, I do!  It's great to use as a dip for chips, in a taco salad or as a topping for turkey burgers and grilled chicken.  Because I've seen so many positive reviews of 'guacamole' deviled eggs, I used it that way as well. And I learned that I don't care for boiled eggs and guacamole together - at all.

Homemade Guacamole

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Haas avocados. peeled and seed removed
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 small white (or yellow) onion
• 6 strips of roasted red pepper (I used the jar variety)
• minced green chilies (or jalapenos) to taste
• 1 lime 
• pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Lightly mash avocado with wooden spoon and squeeze the juice from half the lime over it to prevent browning 
2. In mini food chopper (or processor), add all other ingredients except red pepper and salt
3. Pulse several times until the cilantro and onion are the texture you prefer
4. Add the red pepper strips and pulse a few more times
5. Taste dip and if needed, add optional salt to taste (I use lime salt sometimes)

This stuff is so good that I find myself thinking of ways I can use it in other dishes.  And I thought the stuff at Chipotle was tops up until now....yea for easy homemade recipes!   

Pineapple salsa recipe

This summer, it's been as hot in the ATL and as in previous years.  (The past two summers were very temperate here for whatever reason)  The month of August is usually extra muggy and that makes it feel even warmer than it actually is.  UGH!!!

In looking at some ingredients I had on hand the other day, I was inspired to make something refreshing.  Pineapple salsa seemed to fit the bill perfectly and though I've made it before, this recipe is different and most definitely more delicious than any other version I've made or had!

Pineapple Salsa

INGREDIENTS:  

• 1 cup cubed pineapple, drained (canned [in water] or fresh)
• 1/4 white or yellow onion (green onion will work)
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• dash of coconut aminos (or gf soy sauce)
• dash of lime juice
• 4-5 strips of roasted red pepper
• pinch of salt (optional) 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. put all ingredients except peppers and salt into a food processor (3-cup bowl works great!) 
2. with lid on tight, pulse a few times to get the consistency you prefer
3. when unit is not running, remove lid and throw in red pepper strips
4. secure lid and pulse a few more times, enough to incorporate peppers well
5. remove lid to taste, add a pinch of salt (if desired) and pulse a few more times to finish the salsa prep 

We used this salsa on top of grilled fish for dinner.  The light, fresh and slightly tropical flavor reminds me of fresh salsas often used in seafood dishes in the Caribbean.  Yes - it's really that flavorful!  Even though I was tempted to eat the delightful leftover salsa with a spoon for dessert, I decided to think of a way to use it in another meal instead.  

While contemplating making Mediterranean tuna salad (similar to the version at Zoe's Kitchen) the next day for lunch, I remembered the salsa and changed gears.  I simply mixed up the packet of tuna with the rest of the salsa and then served it over a fresh spinach salad.  It was definitely different for tuna salad, but in a very tasty way!  The next time I make this it will be a topping for grilled fish tacos....or sliced marinated grilled chicken...oh yeah!

*This recipe is obviously gluten-free, but it also happens to be free of dairy, soy (sub coconut aminos) and added sugar, too!   

Gluten-free pie crust - easy as pie

Making a traditional tasting pie crust made without gluten ingredients isn't particularly easy in my opinion.  For a ready-made crust, the Kinnikinnick product is very good, but the crusts are fairly small.  To get one regular 9" crust, you need to defrost and roll out the two KK crusts and roll them out into one large crust.  That is kind of a lot of work as well.

For the easiest gluten-free pie crust ever, the cookie crumb crust can not be beat!  For chocolate & peanut butter pie or chocolate cream pies, use gluten-free Oreo type cookies.  For lemon bars, use graham style crackers or gingersnap cookies.  For a more traditional crust, sugar cookies can be used, but you might need to add a pinch of salt to counter balance the sweetness factor.

The cookies should be crunchy - not soft - in order to make the best crust.  Cookie crust recipes are bountiful on food.com - just remember to use GLUTEN-FREE cookies if using a regular cookie crust recipe.  All the recipes I've found and used require butter so I don't know how non-dairy butter substitutes works in cookie pie crust recipes.

I recently made lemon bars using Three Bakers graham crackers for the crust and the glutenoids we served them to wanted seconds.  They don't eat gluten-free and, truth be told, might go out of their way to avoid gluten-free replacement foods.  I've also used crunchy ginger cookies from Trader Joe's and Pamela's for the lemon bar crust.  The result is always the same - most people want more than one bar and many ask for the recipe.  And isn't that why we bake to share with others in the first place?!

Whole Foods gluten-free holiday recipes

The latest Whole Foods Market newsletter was very thoughtful. It includes a plethora of gluten-free holiday recipes. From apps to salads to soups to entrees to sides to desserts to beverages - this list of recipes contains something for everyone! Though neither is something I've had during the holidays before, the crab stuffed deviled eggs and salmon dip both sound amazing!

There are a couple of pie crust recipes on the list and I've not made either of them. However, I can vouch for the basic pie crust recipe on the Pamela's Products website. It's a no-fail crust, but since the Pamela's mix contains dairy, it's not an option for the gluten/dairy-free set. For a great gluten/dairy-free crust, check out the version from Jules Gluten Free.

No one is going to accuse me of being an exceptional cook or baker, but I do pretty well for someone who didn't do much in the kitchen except buy pretty things for it until after she was forty and diagnosed with celiac disease...lol! Below are the dishes (not recipes) we've always made in my family for Thanksgiving.

• Roasted Turkey (Butterball brand is gluten-free and as of 2009, so is the gravy packet!)

• Cornbread dressing (I make the cornbread from the Pamela's website using the pancake mix, not the cornbread mix from that line)

• Green Bean Casserole (I prefer homemade fried onions made with Jules Gluten Free flour and am excited to use the new condensed Cream of Mushroom soup from Pacific Natural Foods for the first time this year)

• Candied Yams *this dish is naturally gluten-free

• Cranberry Sauce (both the jellied and whole berry versions from Ocean Spray are gluten-free)

• Pecan Pie (I use the Pamela's mix for the pie crust as noted above)   

For a complete list of wonderful gluten-free Thanksgiving recipes, visit Teri's page at About.com! Also, we have many Thanksgiving and Fall recipes over at Celiac-Disease.com.


Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!