Best Gluten Free Grocery Foods
A friend recently sent me a feature in Cooking Light, one of my favorite mags, on “The Best Gluten Free Foods.” Included in the list are some favorites that I regularly purchase such as Rice Chex, Bell & Evans Chicken Tenders and Kettle Cuisine Soups. But there were others that I’ve never tried, including a Quinoa pasta (I usually get brown rice) that I’m excited to try soon and report on.
You can find the Cooking Light list here.
In addition, here are some of my other favorite supermarket purchases:
- Schar Ciabatta and Sub Rolls
- Canyon Bakehouse 7 Grain Bread
- Baked Lentil Chips – Sea Salt
- FoodShouldTasteGood Multigrain Tortilla Chips
What are your favorite supermarket gf finds?
The Woodshop in Clarkston – Gluten Free at its Best
After reading about restaurant of the year in the Freep a few weeks back, I had to try the bbq at The Woodshop. I called up to see about the gluten free options available to me. To my pleasant surprise, it has a gluten free menu! And what a menu it was…
There are a handful of sides, appetizers, main courses and of course, gluten free beer. Before even trying the food, I love it! Even the bbq sauces are fair game for the gluten intolerant.
I’ve been twice now and I have to say they earned the restaurant of the week title. And the gluten free food is fabulous.
In my first visit I had:
Bard’s Tale beer! Pulled Pork – amazing, Green bean casserole – to die for, beans and rice – so, so, and apple cobbler with homemade ice cream – A-MAZ-ING
On my second visit I had:
Baby back ribs – even better than the pork, green bean casserole – can’t wait to have it again, and the sweet potato mash – could eat a whole meal of it. We also tried the burnt ends appetizer – yummy!
This restaurant is truly a contender for gluten free restaurant of the year in my book. Love, love, love it. And I cannot wait to go back. One tip: the wait can be excruciating. Go on a Sunday at noon when they open for no wait and perfect food.
Here’s the gf menu for your mouth-watering pleasure:
Gluten Free Crackers
I don’t miss regular crackers all that often, except when a great dip comes along that calls for crackers. I’ve tried various types of gf crackers and started using the hazelnut Nutthins as my crackers of choice, but by chance I found crackers that are so delicious and so amazing that I don’t even miss gluten-filled crackers! I had to write a quick post about these things and share to good word – Multi-seed crackers by Crunchmaster are AMAZING. They are the perfect consistency, perfect crunch and perfect dipping cracker – even alone these crackers are so, so good. My friends without Celiac Disease even love these. There are several flavors available, but so far I’ve only sampled the original. Can’t wait to try the others…
Gooey Gluten Free Brownies
As I have mentioned before, one of the most difficult things to get used to after going gluten free was baking. I used to cook some pretty amazing baked goods, if I do say so myself. Then when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease my little baking world came crashing down. I put away my baking items so I wouldn’t have be so sad about never having Christmas cookies or brownies or perfect fluffy cake…until now. Seriously, seriously Gluten Free Baking Classics is the most amazing gluten free baking book I’ve come across (I swear I don’t work for Ms. Roberts). On my baking and cooking binge this weekend, I made these delightfully gooey and think and delicious brownies. My hubby even says they taste like “real” brownies! 
Brownies
(Recipe excerpted from Gluten-Free Baking Classics by Annalise G. Roberts; 2nd ed.; Agate Surrey, 2008.)
Makes 16 brownies.
2/3 cup Brown Rice Flour Mix (see below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 ozs. unsweetened chocolate
4 ozs. semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional*
1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Position rack in lower-middle oven. Line bottom and sides of 8-inch square baking pan with foil and grease with cooking spray.
2. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and xanthan gum in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Melt chocolate and butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, and continue to whisk until mixture is completely smooth and glossy. Add flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Stir in nuts.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan and place in center of oven. Bake about 45 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out with wet crumbs. Cool in pan on rack for 5 minutes. Remove brownies from pan by lifting out foil, and cool completely on rack. Cut into squares or triangles.
Brownies can be stored in refrigerator for up to five days or in freezer for four weeks; wrap in plastic wrap and then in foil.
Brown Rice Flour Mix
My “all-purpose” Brown Rice Flour Mix is a combination of extra finely ground brown rice flour, potato starch (not potato flour), and tapioca flour (also called tapioca starch).
Makes 3 cups total.
Combine 2 cups brown rice flour (extra finely ground), 2/3 cup potato starch (not potato flour) and 1/3 cup tapioca flour.
Gluten Free Baking and Cooking Weekend!
I was so excited to try out some new recipes this weekend that I ended up spending the majority of my Sunday baking and cooking. Definitely not a bad thing! The first of a few posts about my adventures is today – lucky you!
As a big eggplant fan, this recipe caught my eye while Googling gluten-free recipes on Serge the Concierge’s blog. I didn’t have almond flour on hand, so I used the rice flour I had on hand. You can certainly use most gluten free flours and achieve the same results.
Ingredients:
1 medium-sized eggplant
1/2 to 3/4 cup of finely gf flour (I used rice flour)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar of pre-made tomato sauce (I like Neuman’s Own Basil and Tomato)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
fresh basil, minced
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cut off the ends of the eggplant and slice into rounds leaving the skin on, like the photo below.
Then lightly salt the slices. Heat oil over medium heat in large skillet.
Put flour on a large plate for dipping the eggplant. Then beat eggs and put into bowl large enough to dip the eggplant. Dunk each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, followed by the flour mixture.
Immediately after flouring the slice of eggplant, sauté the slice for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown (you should be able to saute about three at a time). Transfer the eggplant to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices.
Pour enough Tomato Sauce to cover the bottom of a 13 by 9-inch baking dish. Layer the cooked eggplant over the sauce; cover the eggplant with 1 cup of the sauce and 1 cup of the mozzarella then repeat the layering process.
Bake for 15 minutes or so, until bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with fresh minced basil.
Gluten Free Baking
In four years, the thing that has bugged me most about going gluten free is that baking is such a challenge now. I used to love baking cookies, cakes and brownies and now I have to admit I have had way more failures than successes when trying to make gluten free goodies – until now!
Gluten Free Baking Classics is the best and I mean seriously best gluten free baking book out there. So far I’ve tried the cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies and sugar cookies and all were absolutely devine! I cannot wait to try even more recipes. I’ve even used the flour suggestions in other family favorite cookies with AMAZING results. Here’s my ultimate favorite cookie converted gluten free via the Gluten Free Baking Classics suggestions:
Photo courtesy of Nicole Lea via All Recipes
Gluten Free Cream Wafers
Wafers
1 cup finely ground brown rice flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/6 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
granulated sugar
Cream Filling
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
Directions:
- In medium bowl, mix flours, xathan gum, 1 cup butter and the whipping cream with an electric mixer on low. Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm.
- Heat oven to 375ºF. Roll part of dough 1/8 inch thick on lightly floured (any gf flour will do) surface. (Keep remaining dough refrigerated until ready to roll.) Cut into desired shapes (I use a shot glass) with 1 1/2-inch cookie cutters. Generously cover large piece of waxed paper with granulated sugar. Transfer cutouts to waxed paper. Turn each cutout to coat both sides. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Prick each cutout with fork about 4 times.
- Bake 7 to 9 minutes or just until set but not brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, mix all filling ingredients until smooth. Add a few drops water if necessary. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling between bottoms of pairs of cookies.
Kona
So Kona Grill in Troy has a great gluten free menu. I highly recommend the Sea Bass gluten free dinner! And, while this won’t be popular with the most pure of pure gluten free eaters, I found out something glorious while there last week. The calamari is actually battered in potato flour!! So technically us celiacs and gluten free eaters can eat their calamari!! The only problem? It is fried in the same fryer as all other fried items, so there definitely is a possibility of cross-contamination. I personally will eat fries if I feel like it occasionally and I know that’s a big no no, but every so often I just need a good french fry. So when I was informed the calamari was gluten free, I jumped on the opportunity to try. It’s been nearly four years since I’ve had calamari and man have I missed it. Kona’s was a little spicy and so, so delicious. Remember: I am not endorsing that you compromise your gluten free diet, but I had to put it out there…I know how much little finds like that mean to me!
Maggiano’s
For one of several birthday celebrations this month, we went to Maggiano’s Little Italy, a restaurant well-known for catering to the gluten-free crowd. I’ve been several times, but this is the first time that I have been while trying to lose weight. I went to the website hoping to find nutrition facts to help me make an informed decision, however no nutritional info was to be found. Then I Googled it. After a bit, I found someone who had posted the nutritional information after dealing with a very accommodating chefs and management at Maggiano’s. What gives? Well Maggiano’s has a reason to be a little sneaky…the nutrition facts are absolutely terrible! After looking menu, I found only about three things that I could even justify eating:
- Half Spinach Salad
- Salmon with lemon & herb sauce
- Filet or NY Strip without added sauce
Maggiano’s is one of the few places here locally that make gluten-free pasta, but with nutrition info like that, it will be a rare occurrence that I head there anymore…
Do you know of good and somewhat healthy gluten-free italian options? Share your experience with me!
I’m back!
Hi there! It’s been such a long time. I had nearly forgotten about this blog!
Something last night reminded me about how important it is to have support and guidance as I navigate my Celiac Disease nearly four years after my diagnosis. As I ran through the grocery store to pick up a few dinner items with a very specific plan in mind, I found that none of the enchilada sauce options were gluten free. Little did I know enchilada sauce was a no no. I’ve been still eating enchiladas since diagnosis! Corn tortilla? Check. Unseasoned chicken? Check. Never, ever have I imagined the sauce would have gluten because so many wonderful Mexican style sauces do not. Silly, silly me. This was just a very quick reminder that I must be steadfast in checking a rechecking what I eat on a daily basis. I may be a few years into my knowledge of the disease, but I still slip up and have the occasional unpleasant surprise.
Anyway, now that I’m back, I promise to post at least once a week and provide recipes and gluten free tips for anyone out there needing a little support. Feel free to shoot me your recipes and tips to post as well.
G. F. Cucina’s
Just checked out the G.F. Cucina’s on Mound at 16 Mile Road in Sterling Heights. I really enjoyed the food, but find myself wishing it was less carryout more restaurant. We had the pizza, a calzone, salad with ranch, breadsticks and eggplant parmaesan with spaghetti. I really enjoyed the calzone, eggplant parm and the pizza. The dough is pretty garlic-y (which I love) and the people are so, so friendly. And its recognized by the CSA and is 100% gluten-free, meaning a safe meal out, without the chance of cross contamination!
