Top 8 mainstream gluten-free snacks

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 5 comments

I saw a post about gluten free mainstream products, so I thought I would do my own. My fridge and cupboards are usually about 80% natural/organic and 20% mainstream products, and I usually only buy mainstream products that I LOVE and can’t live without. I did not include things that are obviously gluten free, whole foods, or things that are incredibly healthy really, but things that are truly just snackable.

1. Mini Snickers bars – not that you can call a candy bar a snack, but I love a couple of these in the middle of a rough work day. And don’t get me started on how adorable the Easter pastel colored ones are.

2. Chex cereal – even though the sugar count is high, still great for snacking

3. Archer Farms (Target) fruit strips – Perfect for a hit of sugar before a run, and they’re not too chewy or fake feeling

4. Orville Redenbacher’s kettle corn – this with white chocolate chips is my go-to late night movie or work snack

5. Fritos – horrible for you, but so addictive. On top of veggie chili is so ghettolicious. The flavor twists Honey BBQ flavored ones are also gluten free. And equally awful for you.

6. Skinny Cow truffle bars  – White Mint is my fave, I have one of these pretty much every day.

7. Emerald cocoa roast almonds – my aunt introduced me to these. It’s the closest you can get to dunking almonds in chocolate while still keeping them healthy.

8. Mentos – more of a mint than a snack, but sometimes I eat like five of them. In which case I make them a snack, albeit a bad one.

Any guilty pleasure gluten free snacks to add?

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Breads from Anna pancake mix review

Posted on October 12, 2011 | 3 comments

A while back when I was home in Michigan for the weekend, I picked up a bag of maple pancake mix by Breads From Anna. Yes, mostly because it had my name on the package, but also maple pancakes sounded awesome.

This mix is really unique because it doesn’t have corn, rice, or almond flour in it. It’s first ingredient is tapioca starch, but it also has arrowroot powder, millet flour, chia flour, pinto and navy bean flour, and chickpea flour.


I made the batter as directed, but it was super thick. So I kept adding milk to thin it out, but it seemed to never get to a good pancake batter consistency. I must have added double the milk and it still was like a muffin batter.

They also didn’t get very fluffy, they were more like flatjacks than flapjacks (heehee). Once I put some pumpkin and cinnamon in and topped with maple sugar they were alright.

So sad that my namesake pancake mix didn’t live up to the hype I had built up in my head. Maybe some of their other products are better, but I wasn’t impressed with this one.

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5-minute collard greens

Posted on October 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

Now that I’m living in the semi-South, I feel like I should learn how to cook more Southern food. I always thought that collard greens were something that took a really long time to cook so they weren’t tough, so I hadn’t attempted to put them in anything besides soup.

Then I saw this recipe for “5-minute collard greens” from Whole Foods. It’s meant to bring out the nutrients in the greens. So, while it’s not exactly a classic Southern recipe, at least now I have a way I like to eat them and is super quick to boot!

Ingredients:

  • About 4 cups of collard greens, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • Clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 t. Bragg’s liquid aminos (or soy sauce)
  • 1/2-1 T. olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Dash of cayenne pepper

  1. Chop collard greens and garlic and let sit for 5 minutes while you prepare the dressing (apparently this magically brings out their health-promoting properties?)
  2. Get steamer on the stove to start heating up.
  3. Put all other ingredients in a bowl.

4. Steam greens for 5 minutes.

5. Transfer to bowl and toss with dressing. I served mine topped with an egg.

So simple! Next time I’ll add in some olives or seeds, but this definitely will make it into my “quick meal” repertoire.

Speaking of random greens with dressing – the cilantro dressing from Trader Joe’s is so good! I topped some spinach with it and crumbled blue corn tortillas, and it was addicting.

You should get it.

Now concluding the greenest post ever.

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Gluten free veggie burger review: Amy’s Bistro Burgers

Posted on October 5, 2011 | 1 comment

Good gluten free veggie burgers are something that I’m still on the hunt for, since I can’t seem to find my old stand-by Franklin Farms burgers anywhere in DC.

Usually Amy’s products are reliable, so I was excited to see their “Bistro Burgers” in the freezer at Whole Foods. For $5.49 for a box, they’re not cheap, but also less expensive than some of the other veg burgers in the case. (Note to self: attempt to make veggie burgers in your new food processor).

The burgers had a lot of flavor to them, which is sometimes lacking in veggie burgers. They also crisped up really nicely on the stove. I brought one to work and just microwaved it, and it ended up just falling apart into a kind of floppy patty. That sounds really gross, but it didn’t taste bad, it was just messy to eat. It’s also kind of worth it since the burgers don’t have soy protein in them, but instead have natural ingredients like beans, brown rice, and tofu.

These are best served with some kind of sauce – I made a wrap with hummus and it was super tasty.

Some burgers I’ve had that are not so tasty?

The Yucky List

  1. Dr. Praeger’s California Veggie Burgers – I just don’t get why these products are so popular. I find the veggie burgers to be kind of rubbery? Or gritty? Also, will someone please tell them to update their packaging? It looks like the cover of a nutrition book.
  2. Sunshine falafel burgers – these things are the worst. As dry as the desert. They’re also 230 calories each, which is just stupid.

Do you have any recommendations, or non-recommendations on gluten free veggie burgers? I’m always trying to find a better one!

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36 Hours in NYC – Chinese food and Terri love

Posted on October 1, 2011 | 4 comments

Over the last week I’ve been in and out of NYC for work, and tried to visit as many of my favorite places as I could. I didn’t quite get everywhere that I wanted to go, but here are a few highlights:

Terri Vegetarian – Flatiron

I’ve raved about Terri before, and since it’s right by my office I went there twice. They also recently created a menu that has all of their sandwiches reworked to be gluten free (just ask for it, they have it behind the counter). It’s basically just replacing any other fillings with their soy “chicken” strips, but still helpful to have.
I got the “Chicken” “Cheddar” “Ranch” wrap (so many quotation marks!) one time, and the Buffalo “Chicken” wrap the other.

I know that it weirds some people out, but I love Daiya cheese. It tastes like Velveeta to me, and I don’t see how that’s a bad thing. And the “ranch” dressing is really good, there’s a ton of flavor in it and I think I like it more than the bottled stuff.

Lili’s 57 – Midtown

This was a new one for me – gluten free General Tso’s shrimp! I haven’t eaten Chinese food like this since I was diagnosed, so it was a real treat. I can’t say that I really miss eating food like this, because it’s really heavy, but it was definitely delicious. And a side roll of sushi made it feel a bit healthier. They also carry Redbridge and have a full gluten free Chinese food menu.

Bluedog Cafe – Chelsea/Flatiron

I wouldn’t say that Bluedog caters to gluten free diners really, but they do almost always have a really yummy gluten free salad of some kind. This one was roasted carrots, butternut squash, and chickpeas. Holy Vitamin K.

Not pictured gluten free eats included a piece of cake from Mozzarelli’s, a bag of cookies from Babycakes, and a salad from the Birreria at Eataly, and a surprisingly fabulous bag of gluten free animal cookie from Duane Reade.

Being back in NYC sure did make me miss having all of my favorite gluten free places right around the corner, not to mention skylines like this:

I think that I can manage with my new DC skyline though. Nothing beats looking at this on your way to work every day.

Where would you go with 36 hours in the Big Apple? What are your “must-go” places in NYC?

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DC Veg Fest

Posted on September 26, 2011 | Leave a comment

This Saturday was DC Veg Fest, on the campus of George Washington University. Usually vegetarian/vegan events are gluten free-friendly, plus I love vegetables, so I was pumped.

Right away the tent for Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant caught my eye.

They had spring rolls and tiramisu that were marked gluten free. Unfortunately, by the time I walked around and got back to their tent, they were out of tiramisu. So sad.

Next logical choice? Mung bean pancake from Cafe Green. Just kidding, it was no tiramisu, but it was fine. I wasn’t really expecting mung beans to blow my mind.

Now, not to be a hater, but there were a few things about the VegFest that irked me.

  1. There were hardly any vegetables. There were cupcakes, Indian food, mac and cheese, and nachos. I swear if someone was selling cups of cut up vegetables they would have sold like hot cakes. As my friend Kaitlin says, there’s a difference between vegetarians and people who love vegetables.
  2. Equating vegetarianism with animal-loving. I mean, who doesn’t love animals? But it’s not the sole reason why people are vegetarians. And I wouldn’t really call myself an animal lover – they can do their own animal thing, and I’ll do my human thing, and if we happen to be together we’ll have a good ole time. At one point a speaker said that vegetarians are the “kindest people in the world”. Really? I know many a bitchy vegetarian that would prove otherwise.
  3. No balloon animals or games. It’s a festival people! Aside from one guy dressed up like a giant carrot, it was kind of a serious festival. We missed the cupcake eating contest, but if I’m going to a festival I’m expecting there to be a bean bag toss, or a magician or something. (Also, isn’t a vegan cupcake eating contest a total oxymoron?)

And that concludes my VegFest rant. I think I should stick with my gluten free peeps from now on.

 

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Cookshop: NYC

Posted on September 24, 2011 | 2 comments

One night in NYC, my boss took our team out to dinner at Cookshop in west Chelsea. Their menu looked great online, but I was even more impressed that they had a Meatless Monday special! Even though that menu wasn’t gluten free, I still appreciate the effort. I wish someone would start a Gluten-less Sunday or something.

I split the vegetable salad with my manager (sweet corn, cauliflower, fennel, carrots, radish, cucumber,lemon,mint). I don’t know what those little green things were on top, but I loved them.

The scallops seemed to be the favorite choice for an entree, so I went with them. Long Island sweet corn pudding, cherry tomatoes & arugula salad.

I love that restaurants in NYC can spin “Long Island sweet corn pudding” into being something trendy.

Really delicious. I could eat an ocean of scallops. Cookshop was a great choice for a mixed crowd of dietary restrictions – two of us don’t eat gluten, one doesn’t eat dairy, and there were plenty of choices for everyone.

Cookshop
156 10th Avenue
New York, NY 10011

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Vic’s Bagel Bar: NYC

Posted on September 23, 2011 | 6 comments

This week I was back in NYC for work, and was determined to fit in as many gluten free eats as possible. Even though Vic’s Bagel Bar was out of my way, the idea of being able to pick up a single bagel with cream cheese at a bagel shop, like any other “normal” person, was just too much of a lure to pass up.

And boy was it worth it.

That’s a gluten free everything bagel with about a tubs-worth of cream cheese.

Vic’s has a really cool concept for their shop – you pick a bagel, then pick a spread, then pick mix-ins. They custom make your spread, then make you a sandwich. They also have these neat looking things called “flagels” (flat bagels) that look like giant bagel chips.

I got a Vic’s Special – plain cream cheese mixed with smoked salmon, tomatoes, and scallions.

Talk about splurge. See that oozy cream-cheesy goodness? This bagel was something that I couldn’t believe I could eat. It was just like any other bagel I remember.

The gluten free bagels are kept on the counter in their own special area far from the regular bagels. It seems like their regular bagels are a hit too, since there were a few groups of cops that came in while I was there. And cops know a good bagel when they see one.

I got a plain bagel to take home with me, and it’s nestled safely in my freezer for a special birthday bagel breakfast coming up soon.

All of those varieties are gluten free: sesame, poppyseed, plain, and everything. I wish they had a cinnamon raisin one – que sera sera though. Carbo loading is sometimes necessary.

Vic’s Bagel Bar
544 3rd Avenue (Cross Street 36th St)
New York, NY, 10016

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Mrs. Crimble’s: when gluten free goes wrong

Posted on September 18, 2011 | 3 comments

Last week Mrs. Crimble’s cheese bites were on sale at Whole Foods. And since I’ll buy pretty much anything on sale and gluten free, I figured “what the heck?” and threw them in my basket.

The cheese bites replace wheat flour with cheese, which is cool, and also looked like Bugles on the package. And my heart still beats for Bugles, so I had high hopes for these little cheesy babies.

So, let me start by saying that these, in no way, tasted like sour cream and onion. They tasted like…nothing really. With a slight aftertaste of cheese. They’re also too pointy and thin, so it’s like eating sharp cheese paper.

This video review from GFree TV seems to agree with me – they’re just not good.

They’re not salty, don’t taste like much, and were overpriced (I think about $4 for about a single-serving bag).

I also saw on Mrs. Crimble’s website that they make the chocolate macaroons that I hated. They looked just like the Girl Scout cookies Samoas, which were my favorite. But they were really dense and overly chewy. I ended up throwing out the package. And that’s saying something, considering I’m a cookie monster in training.

I would have been better off making my own gluten free Samoas with this recipe from Gluten Free Betsy.

Is it because Mrs. Crimble’s is a British company? Who knows. Just don’t buy it. Even if it is on sale at Whole Foods 🙂

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DC Celiac Meetup at Finn & Porter

Posted on September 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

After work yesterday I went to the DC Celiac happy hour at Finn and Porter. They had put together a special gluten free happy hour menu which had $5 glasses of wine and $5 Redbridge, Bard’s Tale, and Woodchuck Cider, as well as some great appetizers.

Like chips, hummus, and guacamole…

The head chef at Finn & Porter, chef Aaron Flores, came out and sat with our table and is super knowledgeable about gluten free cooking. He’s actually the National Executive Chef of the Celiac Sprue Association. He will take care of you if you ever eat there. Most of their dinner menu is already gluten free, using arborio rice and potatoes instead of other common side dishes like cous cous or pasta.

I also got the rock shrimp with sweet Thai chili sauce (and fun crunchy noodle things).

Fried goodness. It tasted like sweet and sour chicken, only shrimp. I don’t usually eat fried food, so this was a total treat.

Another benefit of the meetup (besides meeting a bunch of hilarious, nice, gluten free people) was getting some great restaurant recommendations. Now I’ve added Sette Osteria, Lilit Cafe, and Pete’s Apizza to my list of places to try.

Special thanks to Vanessa for hosting! I wish that I could go to the Bite Back at Celiac Gala that she’s a part of, but tickets are just a bit out of my price range 🙂

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