Tag Archives: celiac

Maker’s Mark bourbon pecan brownies

Posted on December 8, 2011 | Leave a comment

After a healthy dinner of bok choy and tofu, I decided that I needed to make something totally indulgent.

Bourbon.
Pecan.
Brownies.
Amen.

Hello, gorgeous.

I don’t think that my nose has ever smelled something this good. This is a winner and I can’t wait to bring them to work and get other people’s reactions. They’re chocolaty, sweet, nutty, with just that slight after taste of bourbon.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Brownies

adapted from how sweet it is

makes about 16 brownies

for brownies:

1/2 cup gluten free flour (I used C4C)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 cup sugar

10 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 325.

In a small bowl, beat eggs and vanilla and set aside. In a double boiler (or over a very low flame), add butter, cocoa, sugar and salt. Mix until the mixture becomes a batter – this will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg mixture and combine. Stir in flour until batter is smooth, then pour in a baking dish (I used  6 X 10 dish from IKEA). Bake for 20 minutes, then let cool completely.

pecan filling:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/4 cup Splenda mix)

1/2 cup corn syrup

2 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 tablespoons whiskey (Makers Mark is gluten free. Make sure that the bourbon is distilled from corn)

1 1/2 – 2 cups chopped pecans

Whisk syrup and sugar until smooth. Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, then add butter and whiskey. Once mixture is thoroughly combined, fold in chopped pecans, then pour over brownies. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until pecan filling is set.

Let cool completely, then refrigerate for 2 hours before serving (I put them in the freezer for an hour). Top with freshly whipped cream.

Can’t wait to bring these to Christmas!

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Salty almond butter and chocolate rice crispy treats

Posted on November 17, 2011 | 3 comments

Regular rice crispy treats are one of my favorite things. They’re gooey and buttery, and I can eat about 20 of them in a sitting.

This is a dressed up and more decadent version that was inspired by these salted marcona almond bars from spabettie.

Almond butter and chocolate rice crispy treats

2 T butter
1 bag of marshmallows (mine was 7 oz.)
1/2 c. almond butter
5 cups of rice cereal (I estimated this, but so each kernel is just coated)
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
1/2 t. salt (my almond butter wasn’t very salty)
1/2 package chocolate chips (I had semi-sweet on hand)

In a large saucepan on low heat, melt butter, adding almond butter, vanilla, and salt, and stirring until completely melted.

Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and add cereal, one cup at a time until incorporated. Press into prepared pan, let cool.

Melt peanut butter a bit in the microwave and spread over top. Let cool.

Cut bars into squares. Melt chocolate and drizzle or pour on top of each bar.

Try not to eat ten at once.

Enjoy!


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Dino

Posted on November 14, 2011 | Leave a comment

This weekend I finally used my Living Social deal to Dino in Cleveland Park. Even though the outside is unassuming, I’d heard good things about it, and their menu is marked with gluten free/”can be made gluten free” items.

For an appetizer we got the spinach soup and a radicchio/arugula salad.

Shaved grana cheese and hazelnuts.


The spinach soup might not win any food beauty contests, but it was great. Really… spinachy?

Then as an entree I got the Autumn risotto. I love anything with squash in it, but this was really good.

For dessert we got the “Nico”, which I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture of. Probably because I was too busy getting high on chocolate endorphins. It’s basically a fancy gelato layered dessert – bittersweet chocolate gelato with chopped chocolate, hazelnut gelato with toasted hazelnuts, chocolate sauce, and amaretto whipped cream.

I will definitely be back to Dino – the menu is huge and seasonal, they have reasonably priced bottles of wine, and they have the best dessert I’ve had yet in DC. So, win/win/win.

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Snickerdoodle blondies

Posted on November 10, 2011 | Leave a comment

My coworkers are lucky people. I’m bringing them these snickerdoodle blondies today AND they get to work with me on a daily basis 😉

Gluten free snickerdoodle blondies (Adapted from Chocoloate-Covered Katie)

  • 1 1/2 cups chickpeas (1 can, drained and rinsed) (250g)
  • 3 T almond butter
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1-2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • heaping 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar (I used the half Splenda blend, so you can up to 3/4 cup)
  • 1-2 T milk (I used almond)
  • 1/4 cup ground flax (20g)
  • 2 and 1/4 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients except milk in a food processor, then add in milk until it’s very smooth. Scoop into a greased (or tinfoil-lined) 8×8 pan (I used my weird IKEA pan). Bake for 35 minutes.

If I could make these again, I would have never baked them. The dough was so crazy delicious, and no raw eggs. The blondies are good, but the dough – I could eat with a spoon all day. Would be great mixed into vanilla ice cream too I think.

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Five tips for eating gluten free during the holidays

Posted on October 28, 2011 | 6 comments

Around this time of the year, tons of holiday diet tips articles come out. Most of them tell you the same things – don’t stand near the food table, avoid high-calorie drinks like egg nog, have healthy snacks before a party, keep your will power strong.

Well, when you have to eat gluten free, things tend to go a bit differently. So here are the things that I’ve learned about eating during the holidays without getting sick, and still having fun!

1. Focus on the festivity
Sure, a lot of holidays revolve around the food we prepare, serve, and eat during them. However, it’s not everything. Even though you may not be able to eat grandma’s famous Christmas cookies anymore, you can definitely still make grandma a killer Christmas gift, or spend some QT with her while everyone else is in a sugar coma from the cookies. By focusing on the other aspects of holidays, you’ll still get the same amount of enjoyment out of them, maybe even more.

2. Eat what you can, whatever it is
Sure, you could stick to plain veggies and shrimp cocktail. But if you’re not trying to lose weight, then eat whatever is gluten free!

Fattening casserole? Yes!
Cheese platter? I’ll try one of each.
Ice cream? Double scoop please!

I’ve found that I usually can’t eat most of the “bad-for-you” foods at parties like rich desserts, pies, pizza, and appetizers. So, if there are things that I can eat, I’ll go for it even if it’s not something that fits into my usually healthy diet choices. There are enough times I have to say no, so if I can say yes, I will!

3. Bring something and be proud that it’s gluten free
I’ve made the mistake before of bringing something that’s gluten free and letting it sit around incognito. Then I realized that if I didn’t say something about it being gluten free there was a big chance for cross contamination (ie: you bring a dip and corn chips, and someone grabs a hunk of bread and dunks it right in the bowl). It also will help other guest who may have food allergies, and may even spark a discussion that could lead to someone discovering their own gluten intolerance.

Even if it’s not homemade, bringing a box of gluten free crackers, chips and salsa, or a bag of nuts even, will ensure that you have something around to keep you from starving.

4. Scope out the scene before the party
Hopefully you know the host of your party, and can ask them casually what’s on their menu (or ask them if they need help, can bring something, or offer a great recipe you have). If they’re planning on serving turkey pot pie for dinner, cookies for dessert, and beer to drink, then you know that you should probably BYOB and bring something substantial to eat (or eat more ahead of time).

If you don’t know the host well, then don’t bank on them having a full array of gluten free items for you to eat. Have a yummy mid-sized meal beforehand and then you can focus on having a few drinks, socializing, and having a few nibbles. Not every party also needs to be a feast (I have to remind myself of this one sometimes).

5. Be a good sport, but also take control

If someone gives you a cookie tin as a gift, for godsakes just take it! Give it to your mailman or something. There’s no worse feeling than having a gift rejected, so just be thankful. There is so much going on during the holidays that your gluten allergy is probably not high on people’s priority list. So, be a good sport and keep your holiday cheer up.

On that same note though – take control of the holiday season! Have your own gluten free party! Gluten free graham cracker gingerbread house making party? Gluten free cookie swap? Hot chocolate, popcorn, and Christmas movies? Throw a get-together yourself and you can run the show.

Hope you find these tips helpful! Also would love suggestions on anything that you do during the holidays to stay gluten free and also have a merry time!

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Hail Merry almonds and tart review

Posted on October 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

I saw Hail Merry’s tarts at Yes! Organic Market a few weeks ago, but didn’t actually get one. This time I decided I needed to try one, and picked up the Meyer Lemon Miracle Tart.

It was pretty amazing. Like a lemon bar with a big bang of lemon flavor. The filling was creamy, the crust crumbly and flaky. I’m sure that the chocolate tarts are great too, but I feel like it takes more finesse to get a lemon dessert right. I’m saving the rest until I can pick up some whipped cream, since I think that’s the only thing that would make this tart better.

I also picked up a pack of the Vanilla Maple almonds. Unfortunately they were expired, so not as crunchy as they should be, but the flavor was still great. This is one of those things that you should probably make yourself, but it’s nice to have someone make for you.

I love Hail Merry products because they come from a company that really seems to care about the gluten free community. Their blog and attitude toward gluten free products, plus their approachability, makes them a company I feel good giving my money to.

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Gluten free at Grey Market DC

Posted on October 23, 2011 | 2 comments

Yesterday I went to my first Grey Market. It was way-the-heck up in Columbia Heights/Petworth, and also in a small basement of a corner store. It kind of felt like the Dirty Dancing set where all of the workers danced, but filled with food vendors.

There were mostly baked goods up for sale, with adorable mini pop tarts, cupcakes, and Halloween-themed cookies. So, not much for me to sample. On their products page, it looked like there would be a few gluten free vendors there, but I only saw one: Sweet Nuttings. Maybe I missed the other ones in the chaos…


This place has a great bakery concept: focus on nuts, and let them each shine in their own dedicated cookie.

I got one of each.


The pistachio one was my favorite I think, but they were all delicious. They had a rich, buttery texture, and tasted like an amplified version of the nut.

How gorgeous is that cookie? I wish I’d bought a dozen.


Sadly I can’t find a website for them, but they have an email address: sweetnuttings@gmail.com.

After Grey Market, we headed over to The Heights, which I’m only mentioning because they had the most delicious Maple Squash and Sage soup ever.


It’s vegan and gluten free, and tastes like Thanksgiving. I guarantee that this will wet your whistle for Turkey Day. The Heights also has an amazing happy hour with $4.25 glasses of wine (dangerous).

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Polish Kapusta

Posted on October 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

The second there’s a chill in the air, all I want to eat are piping bowls of X, Y, or Z. Oatmeal, soup, chili, thai food, you name it. Last night I had a pregnant-lady strength craving for kapusta.

Kapusta is a traditional Polish dish that my grandma used to make. It’s kind of like golabki (stuffed cabbage), only without the meat. Plus you don’t have to do any of the work of stuffing and rolling the cabbage, it’s a one pot meal. Well, meal for me, probably more of a side dish for others.

There are a ton of different versions of kapusta – some are sauerkraut-based, some have mushrooms, and some have salt pork. Our family’s version is more tomato based, with tons of onions and cabbage.

Polish Kapusta

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 head of green cabbage, cut into chunks
  • Some kind of tomatoes (you could use diced, fresh, stewed, anything but sauce)
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  •  1-2 T. sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 T. butter + 1 T. oil
  • 1 c. water
  1. Saute onion and garlic in butter/oil until transparent
  2. Add in cabbage, water, and tomatoes. Liquid should just about cover the cabbage.
  3. Turn the heat on low, let simmer for about 20 minutes.
  4. Add in sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
  5. Let simmer for another hour or so (until the cabbage is tender and the liquid has thickened)


I served mine with greek yogurt (usually it’s served with kielbasa and sour cream). And I ate about four bowls. And it was amazing. Such a simple recipe, but it’s one of my favorites.

 
The best part about kapusta is that it stays good for at least a few days to a week, and it’s like chili in that it just gets better after sitting in the fridge.

Na zdrowie!

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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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