Another Winner

I went back to the GF store to get the bread that I loved and I found these strawberry shortcake cupcakes. They taste just like the real thing. I had to have two. They are not that big but full of flavor.

Unbelieveable

I purchased this GF bread at a kosher gluten free store. It is called Mezonos Bread. I have never had such a delicious bread in my whole life. It had not been frozen. I ate 2 pieces without toasting them and it was beyond belief good. Then I toasted the two pieces in the photo to eat with my egg and breakfast sausage for dinner. I can't wait for breakfast to eat it again!

burger 'n fries

This was last Friday nights dinner. For me, the best part is the fried onions. I actually find meat a little heavy on my system and do not eat it that often. The french fries were just right. My Wolfgang Puck frying pan is so good I can drain out the oil after they have cooked for a while and then finish cooking them up. I still put them on a paper towel when finished to drain any excess oil. I have to say, I do not miss the bun at all.

Chicken and arugula salad

My son's girlfriend was coming over and I know she likes this salad. I added a kirby cucumber and cilantro. The chicken was marinated with red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, honey mustard dressing and one clove of garlic for 15 minutes. Then I scrape off the garlic and saute the chicken in the oil. After I plate it , I add a tablespoon of the oil to it. A glass of white wine was a perfect accompaniment to this meal. I also made chocolate chip walnut cookies and even the overcooked ones are just to my liking.

Pasteles

I have not posted in a while. I guess I've been relying on quick and easy favorites. And I can't take the credit for these pasteles. My friend, Blondie, makes them and they are a ton of work. They do contain boneless pork and can be made in many varieties. The basis is green bananas and yautia, a root vegetable along with other delicious ingredients (I'm too lazy to name them all since I type with two fingers looking at the keyboard)! However, I did steam the carrots and added cinnamon, salt, pepper and butter. The carrots were actually left over from my salmon dinner. I love how the pasteles glisten, I add a little hot sauce and it is a very satisfying meal.

Hard Shell Tacos

I really enjoy these tacos. Normally, I would add green pepper to saute along with the onion and garlic when I make beans but I didn't have any green pepper in the house. The last one was used for peppers and eggs. However, I did have a zucchini in the fridge. I sliced it and quartered it and added it as a topping along with the salsa and cheese and cilantro. It added a nice crunch, I'd do it again that way.

Steak on a Friday night at home

Well, I forgot to take a picture of another good meal. Rib eye steak marinated in Goya Mojo Criollo and pepper and then cooked on the indoor grill. I sliced up a yellow plantain and cooked it in some extra virgin olive oil with some salt and pepper as well. Then I drained the oil and cooked them again - flattening them some more. I also sliced a zucchini and cooked it with a lot of garlic. I forgot about the avocado, I hope it lasts one more day.

Skirt Steak PR Style

This was actually my son's meal but I did taste it and as usual it was delicious. No wonder this is the 6th year in a row I have gone back to the same resort. The skirt steak was tasty and tender. It has a chimichurri sauce which is garlic-parsley based with carrot, onion, red bell pepper, vegetable stock, extra virgin olive oil, white wine vinegar, dried oregano and salt and pepper (red-pepper flakes optional). The beans are wonderful and I love how they plate the rice. My meal was the shrimp with onions and tostones. Too good.

Fresh lemon-limeade

Well, you do not have to worry about gluten with this one. I had purchased 5 lemons because it was cheaper per lemon than just buying the one I needed for my salmon. So, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. For every 2 tablespoons of lemon juice you use 1/2 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar (of course to taste). I also had a lime lying around so I threw that in and the 3 to 1 ratio of lemon and lime was so nice. I often make limeade using the same recipe from my Puerto Rican Cookbook!

You can see my new food processor in the background. I haven't used it yet. I'll have to check out the french fry slicer!

Betty Crocker cookies

I called Betty Crocker to receive my free coupon for a gluten free mix. The only one in the store was the chocolate chip cookie mix so I went with that. I added walnuts and made them pretty large so I only made a dozen instead of 2 dozen. i just baked them a little longer. I'll give them a B rating, that are rather sugary but not bad. I'd rather use my Pamela's mix any day, not that much more work involved and much more flavor. Still, for free I can't complain but I won't be buying them any time soon. They do look like the real thing however.

Starbucks

I called Starbucks because I had a coupon for a free strawberry banana smoothie and I wanted to make sure it was gluten free. Good news, it is. I'm not a big fan of banana flavor but I do like strawberry a lot. I also inquired about the other drinks and was told that the java chip and vanilla bean are NOT gluten free. I have the gold card and get 10% of all purchases. I enjoy the decaf espresso with foam and caramel drizzle.

Elbows with Clam Sauce

There is nothing like a good home cooked meal. Except I can't take all the credit for this one. The pasta is Tinkayada, of course. The clam sauce is from a place in downtown Brooklyn. They were featured on a CBS food news segment and since my friend lives in that area he went to try it out. We have been eating this once a week for months now. I did used freshly grated cheese, no more of that stuff in the container.

The plate is a Cynthia Rowley. I purchased four of them at a store called Fishes Eddy before they closed the downtown Brooklyn location at a great price. I think they are so cute.

Quinoa

I could not figure out how to rinse the quinoa since it is so small. What a pain in the neck. I cooked it up and then sauteed a green pepper, half a white onion and some garlic. I added some sofrito, fresh pepper and a little tomato sauce. I tossed in the quinoa and it was very good.
I went back to the cardiologist. I had a major rash from the dye they used to perform the angioplasty and I'm not even allergic to shellfish. I am allergic to a lot of metals like silver and nickle. Who knows if that had anything to do with it. So my heart is good but my nerves are not so great.

Endive and avacado bean and corn salad

This is the first time I used endive at home. The original recipe was just an endive and avocado salad with a dressing. However, I wanted beans and corn so I added them in and used cumin along with the lemon and extra virgin olive oil dressing. The avocado looks so nice in my Havana collection dish from Tabletops Unlimited. I bought a few pieces on clearance at Macy's Herald Square. What a great store.

I'm going to the cardiologist this week. I have been having heart palpitations and my EKG was off. I had to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. Plus when I went for a dental cleaning they found a loose filling. Always something.

Blueberry Muffins

What would I do with out Pamela's Products? I had blueberry/walnut pancakes for breakfast. I had a large container of blueberries that only cost $1.99 so I made blueberry/walnut muffins to use up the blueberries. Since I had to clear out the oven I'll make chocolate chip/walnut cookies with Pamela's Mix as well before I put all those pots and pans back in there. The down side to apartment living is a small kitchen. When you like to cook you really appreciate a large kitchen. I especially bemoan the lack of counter space. It can make cooking very difficult.

Waste Not, Want Not

Fortunately, I was still in the mood for bean salad. This time I used black beans and did not have any avocado because the ones in Key Food were not ripe enough. I can usually pick a good one, but once in a while they are not as ripe as I hoped for. This is going to be my back to work salad (I so do not want to even say those words yet) with the dressing on the side. Since the cilantro was only 99 cents I certainly can't complain.

OOPS!

I made this salad again and as I was carrying a bowl of it to my son I dropped it. To add insult to injury, I had just mopped the floor. Fortunately, I am the kind of person who can laugh about things like this (after I curse, which I shouldn't). At least it wasn't the whole big bowl that fell. And I did get to take a picture. I remembered to use the setting for food, it does make the colors more vibrant. Now I have to decide what to make next with the cilantro.

Trader Joes

I went to Trader Joes looking to buy Corn Maiden brand gluten free tamales. I didn't find them but I did come home with gluten free waffles. These are very good. They don't have a funny aftertaste like the Van's blueberry ones seem to. These are plain but very tasty. I went to Trader Joes on a Monday morning and it was not crowded but it is a very busy place usually.

enchiladas

I finally made enchiladas. As usual I put a lot of onion and garlic. I added zucchini and black beans. The recipe called for mozzarella cheese which was annoying to grate. I had a nice avocado with it. But the best part was the plum tomato garnish with fresh cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. I'm not a fan of tomatoes but I definitely enjoyed it prepared this way. And I have left overs for tomorrow.

Enjoy Life?

I ordered Enjoy Life brand cinnamon raisin gluten free bagels on line from Gluten Free Mall but I don't think I'll be ordering them again. I wasn't crazy about them. They do have 300mg omega-3s per serving. I guess that is good and they are free of sulfites and casein. However, I didn't care for the taste and where were the raisins? They are kind of dense, so it is hard to butter them and they are small. That being said, they weren't too bad with my fried egg and breakfast sausage.

zucchini and black bean tacos

Well, I guess I'd better leave my camera in the kitchen if I want to remember to take photos of food. I used soft corn tortillas to make these and I had to go to a Mexican bodega in Coney Island to purchase them because the ones in Met Food had wheat in them. So WHY are they called corn tacos? (a la Jerry Seinfeld) The recipe also called for corn but I only wanted to make enough for today so I left out the corn. I used plenty of onion and garlic and a fresh plum tomato along with the salsa and monterey jack cheese and fresh cilantro. My cilantro looks so pretty in my herb keeper and smells wonderful. Tomorrow is enchiladas, I'd better go put the camera in the kitchen now.

Cool Southwestern Salad

This recipe is from the July/August issue of Health Magazine. I did not use fresh corn, I opened up a can. However, otherwise I followed the recipe. Romaine lettuce, canned pinto beans, corn, avocado and fresh cilantro. I'm finally using my herb keeper. The dressing is extra virgin olive oil, fresh lime juice, salt, pepper and cumin whisked together. I forgot the cumin but it was still really good. I served it with tortilla chips. Again, I forgot to take a picture. Maybe I'll remember for tomorrow's recipe.

Summer Squash

I made summer squash ribbons with oregano,basil and lemon served over flat GF pasta. I used dried herbs because they did not have fresh oregano at the market I went to. It was very good. I don't remember which magazine I got the recipe from.
I still had a headache today. Even though I am eating healthy for the most part, I still eat dairy and sugar. Those two will be hard to give up, everything else was easy. I am not giving up my decaf macchiato, that's for sure. I did not have any meat today, and I rarely do.

Tension

Well, I got a second opinion and the neurologist said that I mainly have tension headaches. I'm sure he is right. I'm still being careful about what I eat and I'm exercising but I think I need a real vacation. Hopefully, it will finally stop raining in New York and I will be able to sit on the beach under my umbrella and read a few good books. Just what the doctor ordered.

Working Out

I have been working out. Two days a week I work out with a friend. We are doing the Walk Off the Pounds DVD as well as weight training. I really like working out and she absolutely hates it. I keep reminding her to breathe and focus on the movements. We have seen progress. She is also doing Nutrisystem. I'm drinking lots of water, no alcohol and only decaf expresso based drinks. I'm eating pretty healthy, for the most part. No more GF sour cream and onion potato chips, they seem to give me a headache.

Going Bananas

Well, my headaches are better and this may be a stretch but I think I'll give bananas some of the credit. I felt a headache coming on, ate a banana, and felt better. Coincidence? Who knows. But bananas are a healthy food and when I had a bad virus my potassium was so low I had to take a potassium supplement. Since bananas are high in potassium, maybe it is something my body needed.
I had a blueberry pancake for breakfast, that was good. I also picked up some of the Foods by George english muffins that I love, they are great with a fried egg or peanut butter and orange marmalade. And I'm making lasagna for dinner. I'll have to go easy on that one. But I bought part skim mozzarella and ricotta. There are so many good foods and I seem to be doing better with my stomach/headache problems for now.

Migraines

I went to the doctor and she said it sounded like I had migraines. I think she is right because it did not go away with Advil, only when I went to sleep did I feel better. She also said my gastritis was acting up. Decaf tomorrow and if I have to go off all coffee for a while I will. I just feel frustrated because I feel like I may have to do an elimination diet to pinpoint triggers and that is really hard. I think when the school year finishes I will be better able to deal with that if necessary. I guess I might lose weight if I'm eating super healthy! Too bad all my pants are already big since I lost 20 pounds recently.

Headache Woes

I have been having a lot of headaches this past week and I'm not quite sure why. I call them my stomach headaches but my stomach wasn't bothering me that much. I'm cutting down on things. I only had one espresso drink each day and if I had another it was decaf. I'm not ready to give up my Starbucks drink that I love so much. I'm thinking maybe dairy is to blame but I can tolerate some dairy. And then there is sugar (like in Starbursts and Skittles). It is so hard to be really, really good but I did lose my taste for alcohol so that is good. I did not realize that wine and vermouth had gluten in them. Bummer.

Taco Salad

I adapted a recipe from Health Magazine. Black bean taco salad. I used Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers ( I shredded it), salsa, iceberg lettuce (instead of the suggested romaine), corn tortilla chips, the juice of 1/2 a lime and drizzled extra virgin olive oil on it. I eliminated the tomatoes since I am not a fan of them. It was very good. I should have taken a photo. However, I'm also having a hard time uploading photos lately. I guess my free trial with Adobe Photo Shop expired.

Mexican Flan

Since I am a big fan of Mexican food, I was sure I would like this flan. I got the recipe from Wheat-Free Recipes & Menus book by Carol Fenster. It said it is an almost foolproof version to make in the microwave. Well, I made it and it was good but I am still laughing because I did so many things wrong and it was still good. I did not have a 2-cup glass measuring cup, so I had to nuke the sugar and water in 2 batches. I did not have large eggs, so I used extra large and jumbo. I think I burned the sugar a little for the first batch. I ended up with a lot of extra mixture so I filled the ramekins all the way and they over flowed in the microwave. Maybe custard cups are bigger. I also was not sure what power level was medium. Anyway, I ate one while it was still warm. Oh, and I added nutmeg (good move on my part). I took a What Celebrity Chef Are You quiz on FaceBook and I am Rachel Ray so my strength is cooking with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, not baking.

gluten-free girl

I just purchased Shauna James Ahern's book gluten-free girl and although I am only on page 45 I feel compelled to comment on it already. She is a teacher of writing and it shows. She is so prolific. Reading her work is such a treat. Even if you are not into cooking, the book is amazing. It is such a good example of good writing, it draws you in and compels you to want to read more. I had thought about purchasing it when it came out but never did and now I was able to use a 40% off coupon at Borders Book Store. Her blog has the same quality of writing as the book. She really puts her "voice" into it as we teach children to do when they are learning to write.

Betty Crocker

Just as I thought, when I went to the Met Food supermarket on my corner, they did not have the GF Betty Crocker mixes. It is a small store, so I expected as much. Next, I'll check my local Key Food but I'm not too hopeful there either. I'll have to go to Stop and Shop or Shop Rite.
I was going to make pancakes with canned sliced pears and melted chocolate this morning but it turns out I had used all the chips for cookies. So I improvised. Since I had already opened the can of pears and just put the pears and a little syrup. It was fine, in fact I find the chocolate a little to sweet lately for my taste buds.
I have been eating Activia yogurt for lunch at work and it is very good. I really do think that it helps my stomach.

Cinco de Mayo

I really do love Mexican food and enchiladas are one of my favorites. However, I have not attempted to make them at home. So I went with tacos. I use Goya pink beans (canned is quick and easy). I cut up a green pepper, white onion and garlic. I saute the pepper, then add onion, last garlic. Next, the sofrito and seasonings. Throw in the beans and tomato sauce and 15 minutes later-done. I use corn tacos, salsa and extra sharp cheddar cheese. It is so good, I enjoy it so much. I did not have a margarita but that would have been a very nice addition. I wish I had remembered to take a picture.
I also bought the Starbucks gluten free orange cake and it was very good. Perfect, in fact.

Lasagna

Today I made lasagna. I did not have to make the sauce, that was already made and it had sausage and fresh basil in it. And it was a homemade sauce, I do not use jar sauce. I used Tinkyada lasagna, and it was good. It will taste even better tomorrow when all the flavors come together even more. It is always a little messy the first day. I can not resist picking while I'm preparing it, so it is a little bit of a dairy overload. I guess I should have thought to take the photo before we ate!

Lunch was chickpea salad with onion and cucumber, salsa and the balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil to taste. Of course, pepper and a little oregano. I was going to serve the salad over arugula but I got my manicure and did not feel like stopping at the store on the way home.
Desert was Pamela's chocolate chip and walnut cookies. Two are more than enough for me.

Stomach Woes

As usual, I have good days and bad days with my stomach. However, this past week was not fun. I notice that if I over eat I feel really, really bad. Also butter bothers me, soy seems to bother me now too and I can not drink much coffee. Alcohol is just about out of the picture too. I suppose it is a combination of my sensitive stomach and being 57 but some people seem to be able to eat like horses and drink like a fish with no problems.
While I'm complaining, I might as well also say that not being exposed to computers until middle age also seems to put one at a disadvantage. My skills do not seem up to par when I go on blogs and see what others are able to do. I still have to learn how to make a tiny photo for Gluten Free Living. It is almost like having a second job to learn new things.

Muffins

I was going to attempt date nut bread sans a recipe but decided to go with date nut muffins using my Pamela's Mix. As usual the results were excellent. The dates made the muffins moist with a very nice flavor. I had 2 after dinner and I'm looking foward to breakfast as well.

GF Tabbouleh

I had never eaten tabbouleh with bulgur wheat but I did try this GF version with brown lentils. I got the recipe from one of Carol Fenster's books. It was very easy to make and I served it over arugula. I've made 3 different recipes from that one bag of lentils and while they were all decent I may not run to make them again very soon. They were certainly healthy and I do not miss the meat at dinner time. I feel good after a meal like this. I also have some clam sauce and pasta on hand so we won't go hungry.

Petit Cafe

I was walking about in lower NYC this afternoon with my aunt and we came upon Petit Cafe. The sign outside said gluten free french toast!. We had just finished lunch at the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station ( cesar salad with shrimp and lump crab meat was $27.99) but we did have room for desert. They had the best chocolate walnut cookies, almost like a brownie. I was in heaven. Petit Cafe was recently blogged about by Celiac Chicks and they have been receiving visitors from all over. It is a very small place and I'm sure it is packed on the weekends. I would love to go back for the french toast, they serve it all day!

In the Kitchen

This is a rice and lentil pilaf with spinach and onions. I am glad it turned out well because I was in the kitchen for a long time. I used fresh spinach so I had to was each and every leaf. I should have purchased the pre washed spinach in the bag. I chopped and sliced a lot of onion as well. It calls for cumin and chicken or vegetable broth. The recipe came from Gluten Free Living Magazine. My son and I enjoyed it and it certainly is healthy but a lot of work. Those onions on top made it all worth while.

Cookies

I made chocolate chip and walnut cookies last night using Pamela's Baking Mix. The recipe called for brown sugar as well as white sugar but I did not have brown sugar and made them anyway. The recipe also calls for vanilla extract. Fortunately, I did have that in the house. They turned out well. I was really on a roll and made muffins this morning with her baking mix as well. I was going to take a picture of them but we ate them all. Sorry.

Vacation

I just booked my trip to Puerto Rico for August. This is one of the reasons I keep going back. Delicious gluten free food like shrimp and plantains with salad. There are many GF foods to be found there. I don't feel limited at all.

Tapioca Revisited

I had a lot of milk in the fridge and I do not drink milk (haven't since about third grade when I got sick and blame the combination of a tuna sandwich and milk for lunch). I buy it for my son to have milk and cookies. I am lactose intolerant and I did not want to waste the milk so I decided to make tapioca pudding. I usually make it on top of the stove stirring it for about 15 minutes (I read as I stir to help pass the time). However, this time I made the tapioca in the microwave. I cooked it for 12 minutes, stirring every three minutes. The end result was the same as the stove top version. I add raisins, cinnamon/nutmeg and vanilla. I forgot the cinnamon but I now add a little orange extract along with the vanilla extract. It adds a nice taste to it-light and sweet. It is so good for my stomach. I definately will be making this again.

Salad prepared tableside

At Phillip's Seafood in Atlantic City I order salad with grilled shrimp often. This tossed salad has some bacon, cheese, red onion, greens and cherry tomatoes. I'm not a big fan of tomatoes but last night I cut these small tomatoes into even smaller pieces so that I would eat them. Since the salad is prepared right before your eyes you know it is gluten free (hold the croutons). The shrimp were translucent and I was hungry so I really enjoyed this meal and my cosmopolitan as well. The price is right. I have now earned VIP status (preferred seating is one perk) but I sit at the bar because I have become friendly with the bartender and the service is great. What more could you want?

Cookies

I have been trying not to purchase packaged cookies but this package caught my eye in Shop Rite. The brand name is Panderos Delights and they are GF Tapioca Cookies (lemon flavor). I also saw the original and chocolate chip versions on the shelf but opted for lemon. They are tiny cookies. 16 make a serving with only 7 grams of sugar. They are not so special but do have a melt in your mouth quality to them. I prefer to bake my own cookies but have been too lazy or busy. These cookies do not have any preservatives, artifical flavors or colors so that is a plus.

Crepes?

I am considering making crepes. I looked on QVC for crepe pans and I saw one that I liked at a clearance price with free shipping. SCORE! You really do not have to use a crepe pan you can use a fry pan. Of course, I will make them with my Pamela's GF baking mix, there is a recipe on the bag. There are so many options for filling. I like frozen strawberries with their juice and I am going to be searching for more ideas. Any thoughts?

Harrah's Buffet

This is not the first time I've eaten at this buffet but WOW was it good! I especially liked the collard greens with the seasoning they used and the meat in it. It was $29.99 per person and I was very satisfied but not stuffed. The sweet platanos were just right as well. Even the peel and eat shrimp was tasty and I was already full when I ate them. I ended the meal with a little rice pudding. There was a fancy gelato that caught my eye but that will have to wait for the next time.