Twas the night of my Monday fun run…and instead of doing my usual go-to meals…a Tasty Bite Indian meal or a grilled cheese sandwich…I went off the beaten path. I decided…pasta would be good. Mmmm…pasta.
I love pasta, and being gluten-free sometimes means I don’t get as good pasta as I used to be able to eat. Rice pasta gets mushy and gummy. Corn pasta is fine…but doesn’t always go with what I’m making.
And then…Andean Dream created the solution to my problem. Quinoa pasta. Yes…pasta made from quinoa. I figured…why not give it a try? So, I purchased a box of the spaghetti and took it home with me. I have an overabundance of gluten-free pasta…because I love pasta…like…love, love, love…devour…mmmmm…good…carbs…pasta…kind of love…so this one sat in my pantry until it was it’s turn.
Well, on Monday…for some reason…I decided it would be pasta night. Even though it was a hectic, busy, rushed night. Traffic going to Louisville is bad. I mean…BAD…every Monday and it’s only gotten worse with some of the construction going on…lane closures on the bridge…etc. Why I thought pasta might be a good idea, who knows? Things work out better in my head. Timing works out better in my head. But…that’s how life goes.
Live. Learn. Eat pasta anyway.
I made it home from work and immediately turned on the pot of water I left on the stove all day. It was covered, so I hoped that would bring the water up to a boil faster. I opened up the Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti and pulled out 4 ounces…or two servings. The box says that it serves 4, so this was half of the box. But you know me…I weighed it out.
The color and texture of the dried noodles remind me a lot of when I ate spelt pasta. That was a good sign. I loved my spelt pasta…until I could no longer eat it. While waiting on the water to boil, I did busy work…like get changed, put together lunch and snack for the following day, and chop up some grape tomatoes and get them sauteing in a pan with some olive oil. The water did boil and in went the Quinoa Spaghetti. The box said it would take about 13-15 minutes to cook, so I let it go…stirring occasionally…and hoped that it wasn’t one of those pastas that really took about 20-25 to reach that perfect al dente. It wasn’t. It took all but 13 minutes. I swear to the quinoa gods (which must exist for this to be a reality!).
Time to plate up. I had my tomatoes in a pan, so I drained the pasta, threw it in the pan with the tomatoes, added my chopped fresh basil, and just gave it a toss, warming it all up all the way through, coating everything in the remnants of the olive oil and red wine vinegar. Viola. Dinner was served. And…appropriately devoured…with a little slice of the gluten-free pull-apart bread I made and baked up over the weekend when my sister was in town.
So…how did the pasta stack up in flavor?
I only want to buy quinoa pasta from now on. It is fantastic. It didn’t get gummy or mushy. It held up through the additional cooking with the tomatoes and basil…in the sauce. It didn’t crumble or fall apart. It was so good. The texture reminded me not just of spelt pasta, but when I could eat whole wheat pasta. It just…was wow. Wonderful. Not chewy, not mushy, not disappointing at all. I was thrilled to cook it up again and have it perform equally as well on the second go-round.
Yes…Andean Dream has converted me. Quinoa pasta…FOREVER!
A serving size of Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti is 2 ounces, which dishes up a delightfully tasty 207 calories. Which is about right for a pasta. Just slightly under most other pastas out there. The Quinoa spaghetti has only 1 gram of fat. In addition to all that, not only is this pasta wheat-free and corn-free, but it is also sodium-free. That’s right!! A serving also provides you with a meager 3 grams of sugar and fiber. But, due to this pasta being made from quinoa and rice flour…a serving contains 6 grams of protein. Love that quinoa!!
Looking for a change or just want to step away from the strictly rice and corn based gluten-free pasta out on the market? I highly recommend Andean Dream pasta noodles. The spaghetti worked perfectly with my dinner and I can’t wait to try the other pastas that Andean Dream makes. So happy with this…and wish I had dug it out sooner!!
Gluten-Free Caprese Pasta made with Andean Dream Quinoa Spaghetti
A couple weeks ago…I tried O’Doughs Gluten-Free Original Flavor Bagel Thins and was just…wowed by them. Sure, this bagel-lover enjoys that soft, chewy inside of a bagel as much as the next one…but sometimes, even with gluten-free bagels, it can be a bit much. So, the fact that gluten-free bagel thins existed made me very, very happy.
And my local grocery store just started to carry these little gluten-free gems in their freezer section. You do not know happy until you’ve seen me settle in at breakfast with a fantastic bagel with a schmear of some variety of cream cheese (often vegan). I was raised in New York…the bagel capital of the universe. No exaggeration. New Yorkers love a good bagel.
And when I had to go gluten-free…I feared that the bagel would be out of my life forever. I tried a few varieties out on the market and hated them. I fell in love with Udi’s…but they can be really filling at times. Sometimes…you just want something light…but bagel-y. Yes…that’s a word…now. And thanks to O’Doughs…this has become a reality.
O’Doughs Gluten-Free Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagel Thins are these thin little slabs of bagel, which I actually had to slice in half this time. The original were pre-sliced. I don’t know if this was a fluke or what…but…I managed. Without destroying them in the process too, I might add. God love a good serrated knife. WOOHOO! Anyway, these bagel thins are made up of filtered water, potato starch, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, sprouted flax flour, soya flour, rice flour, evaporated cane juice, cellulose gum, glycerine, sunflower oil, yeast, salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon, algal oil, baking powder, baking soda, sesame seeds, and poppy seeds.
I am wagering a guess that this is really their attempt at an Anything Bagel…which is a definite New York staple.
So…after giving them a toast…and a schmear of a pumpkin spice cream cheese…how did they work out?
Deliciously wonderful. This variety of O’Doughs Gluten-Free Bagel Thins actually have this fantastic rustic and nutty flavor to them. The top of the bagels themselves have this amazing sprinkling of seeds (sesame and poppy). I loved that, as they toasted up with the bagels themselves and really penetrated the dough of the bagel thins…giving them amazing flavor and texture. And…you won’t overfill your stomach with these thin little bagels of awesomeness. Not only does O’Doughs provide these amazing Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagel Thins free of trans-fat and eggs, they are also non-GMO, kosher, and a healthy and delicious source of fiber.
Now comes the point in the blog where I talk about the nutritional value of the product I ate. Well, the O’Doughs Gluten-Free Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagel Thins are made with all-natural ingredients and no preservatives. A serving is 1 bagel thin, which gives you 100 calories and 1.5 grams of at. One of these tasty gluten-free bagel thins provide 300 mg of sodium and 2 grams of sugar. Not too bad at all. And you will also be consuming 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.
As I stated in the blog about the Original Flavor Bagel Thins by O’Doughs…if you spot these…snatch up a bag of them and give them a try. They are some of the best bagels I have ever tasted. All that bagel flavor…not too filling…not too fattening. Just right. And with so many varieties of toppings to choose from with bagels…get creative and put your own spin on them. The Gluten-Free Sprouted Whole Grain Flax Bagel Thins are delicious, fantastic, and healthy. Not to mention…just plain awesome.
So…go and buy some and toast up some gluten-free bagel-y goodness today. Or tomorrow morning. But do it!
Da Luciano – Pizza, Pasta & Catering, River Grove, Illinois
Restaurant: Da Luciano – Pasta, Pizza& Catering, River Grove, Illinois
This…was an important dining choice to make when I was coming to Chicago, Illinois. I mean…for real. This was a big…heap…deal.
Why?
Because I was in town for the Chicago Marathon. I needed a safe meal…one that would guarantee that I would have no stomach issues…and…being that I was running on Sunday morning…this needed to include gluten-free pizza. It HADto be gluten-free pizza. That is my stipulation when it comes to the night before a big run. If it’s a half marathon or marathon…it has to be gluten-free, vegetarian pizza. It just works for me. Some down pasta…not this girl. This girl indulges in a few epic slices of (hopefully) amazing pizza. Gluten-free pizza isn’t tasteless cardboard, you know. When done right…it is a culinary work of art.
And I’ve eaten good and bad gluten-free pizzas…as they are well documented in this blog.
But there was something special about Da Luciano, which is one of the reasons, despite meaning a car ride outside of downtown Chicago, that I felt I needed to eat there the night before the Chicago Marathon.
What was so special about this place?
They understand Celiac Disease. They totally get me. They totally know how to handle and prepare my food so that I won’t get sick from eating there. And how do I know this? Well, as stated on their Web site, the owners, Luciano and Rosalia, were first introduced to the gluten-free world when four of of their seven children were diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Being an Italian family, bread and pasta were daily staples in their diets. Rosalia set out on a mission to find quality gluten-free bread and pasta for her children, but found that her options were limited. So, she began to experiment with her own recipes, succeeding in making gluten-free bread, pasta, pizza, and desserts that satisfied all of her children. When Da Luciano Pizza, Pasta & Catering opened the following year, they decided to offer their customers a gluten-free menu featuring Rosalia’s amazing recipes. The response from the gluten-free community was huge.
So…as you can see…this place won me over right from the start. And, upon arriving at the restaurant, we were immediately asked if anyone needed a gluten-free menu. I didn’t have to request one. I didn’t have to ask if one even existed. The hostess just flat-out asked. And so, when we were seated, I was given their rather extensive (no one sheet of paper here…but a true menu, my friends!) gluten-free menu to peruse.
So many of the dishes sounded awesome. And part of me wanted to do the gluten-free bruschetta for an appetizer…but we had all decided that dessert was happening…so the appetizer went to the wayside…this time. The gluten-free menu at Da Luciano is about as big as the regular menu. So many of the dishes are offered as a gluten-free option. From the dishes with meat (as I’m a vegetarian, I didn’t look at the extensive seafood, chicken, and veal offerings), but there were many amazing sounding pasta dishes. BUT…I never change up the night before a race…and it was one of their individual gluten-free pizzas for me.
When our waitress returned to the table to take our orders…we were all settled on what we wanted. Heather is not big on carbs, so she went with one of the chicken entrees. Her choice – Chicken Scaloppine ($14.95), which was thinly sliced chicken served in what looked like a tomato and mushroom sauce. Cathy opted for the Rigatoni Porcini ($11.95), which was rigatoni pasta cooked with porcini mushrooms in a light cream sauce. Jenn went with the Gnocchi al Pesto ($11.95), which was delicious looking gnocchi served in a creamy (probably) basil pesto sauce. It looked fantastic.
Da Luciano’s Gluten-Free Pizza with Mushrooms, Onions, and Roasted Red Peppers
But for me…I went with the Gluten-Free Pizza ($8.50) topped off with mushrooms, onion, and roasted red pepper ($0.75 each). I couldn’t wait to get a taste of this pizza. And…I wanted to make sure that Heather got a bite as well, because she suffered through the disaster of Pizza Ranch in Minnesota with me…and I wanted her to know good gluten-free pizza was out there. If we had been in Louisville…I’d take her to Annie May’s Sweet Café and split one of those amazing pizzas with her…but when in Chicago…you find a place that works.
We had a little wait, but soon our food was arriving at the table. And it all looked and smelled amazing! I photographed every dish…especially my pizza. And it was time to dig in.
So…
WINNING!! Granted, I still like my local bakery’s crust better…but this definitely is one of the best crusts I’ve had on a gluten-free pizza. Cooked to golden perfection, so it was crispy, without being burnt or overdone. And it still had that nice doughy texture with it as well. The sauce was amazing. The cheese…was more than I would have liked…but…it starts off as a cheese pizza. The other toppings get added. The star of the toppings, however, were the roasted red peppers. OMG…YES! Packed with flavor. Mild…but with that right amount of kick to keep the palate interested. The onions didn’t overpower anything. And the mushrooms were done to perfection. Nothing watery. Nothing disappointing. And, as I cut off pieces for my friends to try, the rest of it was mine. All mine. And yes…I devoured it all. Every slice. I might have licked the plate clean. It was delicious…and I needed to top off the tanks for the marathon the next morning. This was the key.
And, as I mentioned earlier…dessert was going to happen. I had 6 options to choose from on the gluten-free dessert menu. And while they all sounded fantastic, I was down to three choices…the cream puffs, the tiramisu, and the cannoli. It took a lot of pondering, internal debate, and deliberation with myself to pick between them. I rarely have so many options for a dessert…so choosing one was not easy. The cream puffs almost won, but I wasn’t sure how big they were and it came with two on the plate. The tiramisu was SO tempting. I haven’t had tiramisu in a long, long time. I wanted it. But…ultimately…I settled on the Gluten-Free Cannoli ($4.95). Both Jenn and Cathy opted for the regular Cannoli ($3.95) and Heather went with the regular Tiramisu ($3.95).
I was so excited when our desserts emerged from the kitchen and at our table. My cannoli definitely looked different from Cathy & Jenn’s…but it was the color and thickness of the shell. That was the only difference. Heather’s tiramisu looked absolutely amazing. Next time…(and there will be a next time!)…I’ll get the gluten-free tiramisu. It looked fluffy and amazing.
So…how was the gluten-free cannoli? SO SO SO good. SO GOOD!! MMMMMMMM….GOOD! OMG…GOOOOOOOOOD! The cannoli cream was amazing. Sweet, but not overly sweet. Creamy. Amazing. Delicious. It had bits of chocolate chips and fruit. There was a candied orange peel on each end. And the shell…sugary-sweet goodness. The crunch that it had with each bite was satisfying. And it all just blended together. It worked. And I devoured my dessert happily.
With that…I went and purchased a few bags of their gluten-free pasta, available at the register, and we paid our bill. As we were leaving, I overheard the restaurant manager explaining to a customer that the way the manage no cross-contamination is that all the gluten-free dishes are prepared in the kitchen upstairs at the restaurant…and the regular menu items are all done in the kitchen downstairs. Brilliant. And so safe for Celiacs. I loved learning that about Da Luciano’s. It’s nice to know I had nothing to worry about when eating there…which is good because the last thing you want before running 26.2 miles is tummy troubles.
We had to head back downtown…after dropping Heather off at a train station to head back to her hotel. We had plans for when she would arrive at The Hilton Chicago to meet up with us before the the marathon the following morning. We were all satisfied and happy with the meal we ate at Da Luciano. I will be back the next time I find myself in Chicago…which I hope is soon.
Speaking of which…the gluten-free pizza worked its magic as always…I had a fantastic marathon. Thank you, Da Luciano…for giving me my pre-race carbs in my favorite form. I can’t wait to come back and try more of your amazing menu.
So, if you find yourself in the Chicago area, make a point to head to River Grove and eat at the fantastic Da Luciano – Pasta, Pizza & Catering. It’s worth the short drive because the food is simply that amazing.
Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon Friend Toast Sticks
Product: Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks – $4.99+
It was the morning before the biggest race of my life. My first marathon. THE CHICAGO MARATHON.
I had just run an easy 3 miles before showering, getting dressed, and trying to find something a little substantial for breakfast for me, Cathy, and our friend Jenn before the three of us hit the road to Chicago. Lunch was not going to happen…so our food was going to be the snacks I made/packed and then a nice dinner at a restaurant that does gluten-free options out the wazoo for dinner. So, along with a bowl of Chocolate Chex…I reached into the freezer and pulled out the box I had of Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.
I love French toast, and being gluten-free…I don’t get it unless I make it. BUT…that normally means that it’s French toast made with sandwich bread. Not delicious brioche or some other fancy-schmancy bread like all the “regular” people get to eat. Prior to these…I had been spoiled by the gluten-free delicious awesomesauce that is Van’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast Sticks. I mean…those blew me away. So, when I spotted Ian’s own version at my local natural foods, I picked them up for the occasion where I couldn’t cook an elaborate breakfast (which I am known to do…even on weekdays). The morning before a long-ish road trip seemed like the perfect time to break these out and give them a try. I was excited…because the pizza I had from Ian’s was SO amazing and good. I only expect good things now from them.
I noticed that the box indicated these were best cooked in the oven…which is what I intended to do regardless. So, I preheated the oven as directed by the box and then opened up the package to get a look at the contents.
Here is where my first issues with this product fall. Obviously, this product is geared more toward kids, however, I still think that the French toast sticks could be normal bread size. Van’s French Toast Sticks are the size of regular bread. The version by Ian’s…about the length of my thumb…maybe a little longer, but not by much. Strike One. The box also says that there are 5 servings inside. A serving is 4 sticks. I had enough for my friends and I to have 1 serving each and then split one lone stick into thirds to make it even-Stevens. Five servings my marathon-running behind!! So aggravating. So…Strike Two.
What did intrigue me about these miniature French toast sticks is that they had this white crust of sugar on them. Okay…this was new. I figured that would cook up and melt down in the oven and be a delicious part of this, so far disappointing, product. My faith went all to Ian’s here…I trusted them. So…into the oven they went…cooked as directed, and removed when done.
I dished up a serving and 1/3 for each of us, warmed up some maple syrup, and breakfast was served.
I really, really, really wanted these to be good. Two strikes so far…they needed to taste epic. But…they didn’t. That white sugar-like coating did nothing to enhance the flavor of this bland product. In fact, when it cooked, it didn’t melt and give that warm cinnamon-sugar feel I was hoping for. Instead it created this hard crust around each little piece of French toast. Not impressed. The maple syrup, I hoped, would soften it up. I always warm my maple syrup…but that didn’t even help. And the flavor, overall, very, very bland. I hated the fake sugary flavor that these had. I hated the texture…so tough on the outside thanks to that coating of sugar. Yep…Strike Three.
You better believe these will never find their way into my freezer again. So disappointing coming from Ian’s.
Regardless…I still feel I need to discuss the ingredients and the nutritional worth of this product. Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks are made from cinnamon brown rice bread, tapioca starch, cinnamon, yeast, cane sugar, and a batter consisting of water, white rice flour, cane sugar, tapioca flour, potato starch, cinnamon, sea salt, and xantham gum, While I admire and approve of the fact that I recognize every single ingredient on that list (no preservatives, no chemicals, nothing fake), I just wish this product tasted good. Because…it was a rather epic fail on the food scale. This product also contains no wheat or gluten, no milk or casein, no eggs, no nuts, and no soy. It is vegan safe…but not vegan tasty.
As for the nutrition information…as I mentioned earlier, a serving of Ian’s All Natural Allergy Friendly Allergy Friendly Cinnamon French Toast Sticks is 4 of the little mini pieces. These four bites (seriously…bites) will serve you up 170 calories (NOT WORTH IT!) and 6 grams of fat (NOT WORTH IT!). You will also be supplied with 95 mg sodium and 2 grams of sugar. You only receive 2 grams of protein and absolutely no fiber from these. So, these will not leave you feeling full or satisfied for hours. Nope. In fact, we were all reaching for the homemade gluten-free madeleine cookies I baked up about halfway to Chicago. So annoying.
There is absolutely nothing redeeming about this product. It was a total and complete disappointment from the moment I opened the box. I was hoping it would only get better from there…but it was a false hope. And the three of us who ended up eating them despite not really caring for them…were not impressed nor happy with our breakfast that morning. It was a good thing dinner was fantastic. And it’s a good thing I bake a mean gluten-free madeleine!!
Never…ever…again. Sticking with Van’s Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast Sticks forever and always!
Sorry, Ian’s…but you lost me on these. At least your pizza is still good…
They are one of my favorite go-to comfort foods. Seriously. And so easy to make too. Put anything inside with the cheese of your liking and you have yourself a gourmet sandwich good for breakfast, lunch, and yes…even dinner.
Cheese and I don’t always get along though. But that is where vegan and lactose-free cheeses come into play. Granted, most of the time, these cheese alternatives lack in the stretchy, ooey-gooey nature of cheeses. But, over time, it is something you do get used to. Not saying I don’t miss it…but…you work with what you are given.
That being said, not too long ago, Daiya introduced their slices of vegan cheese, perfect for sandwiches. I mean…perfect. Now, it took awhile for these to hit the market around here, but I spotted them at Whole Foods. And, while I had wanted to start with the cheddar flavor, they were out of that one, so I grabbed the Daiya Deliciously Dairy Free Provolone Style Slices to have on my grilled cheese sandwich I intended to make for dinner on…my birthday. Yes…my birthday. This also means you can tell I am about a month behind on my blogging. Trips and a busy training schedule do that. But I’m catching up…kinda.
First of all, I love that these slices come in a resealable package. YES!! No need to dig out a storage bag to ziplock around the container. Nicely done, Daiya. I also love the promise that these slices will stretch and melt like real cheese. And that they taste like real cheese. It was enticing…and I really wanted to try them. So, on my birthday, with no money in the budget to go out and plenty of food in the pantry, fridge and freezer to use, I did up a gourmet grilled cheese sammie (complete with spinach, tomato, and yes…Diaya Provolone Style Slices) with a heaping side of steamed corn from my CSA bin. Hey…no one said that the birthday dinner had to be fancy. And, I have gotten amazing reviews of my grilled cheese sandwiches. I have finally mastered the art of making them without burning one side. The key…I don’t distract myself with too much else in the kitchen while making them.
While I won’t go as far as to say that the Diaya Provolone Style Slices melted and stretched like real cheese (not even close!), the taste had that nice sweetness that provolone provides. I was so incredibly happy with the way it flavored the sandwich itself. A little buttery golden crust on the outside of my gluten-free bread, some sweet cheese, and healthy vegetables sandwiched in between…gourmet grilled cheese it was. The flavor of the cheese itself once again has that distinctive Daiya cheese flavor. It doesn’t taste plastic-y like some vegan cheese, but it does have that distinctiveness to it that if you take a bite, you know at once you are eating Daiya cheese. And I love Daiya. I wish it had really melted and stretched as the packaging promises, but in the end, all I can ask for is a safe and delicious cheese alternative. And that’s exactly what these slices are.
Daiya Deliciously Dairy Free Provolone Style Slices are made up of filtered water, tapioca starch, palm fruit oil, expeller pressed non-GMO canola and/or safflower oil, coconut oil, pea protein isolate, natural vegan flavors, vegetable glycerine, brown rice syrup, sea salt, xanthan gum, lactic acid (for flavor) carrageenan (NOOOOO!!!!), titanium dioxide (naturally occurring mineral), and vegan enzyme. So…again…not a huge chemistry experiment, but not all-natural either. Then again, it’s vegan cheese…how natural can it be?
Nutritionally speaking, a serving of Daiya Deliciously Dairy Free Provolone Style Slices is one slice of cheese. This one slice will serve you up 70 calories and 5 grams of fat. Each slice is also cholesterol-free, sugar-free, and contains only 85 mg of sodium. One slice does not provide any fiber to your diet and only 1 gram of protein.
These are definitely not a bad option for the lactose intolerant or those who are vegan and gluten-free. These Provolone Style Slices are lactose-free, gluten-free, casein-free, and soy free. They do make a great alternative to cheese if you find your system unable to handle the real stuff, as mine sometimes does. Diaya is one of my favorite companies to turn to for allergen-free vegan cheese alternatives. And I appreciate all the effort they put forth to make sure their products remain top-of-the-line. It’s why I continue to return to their variety of cheese-y good products time and time again. Another win, Diaya!
A gluten-free and dairy-free gourmet grilled cheese made with Daiya Provolone Style Slices!
Product: O’Doughs Gluten-Free Original Flavor Bagel Thins – $3.99+
I am a bagel zombie.
Mmmmm…bagel…bagel…mmmmm….nom nom nom.
Seriously. I’m a New York girl and I grew up enjoying the carby awesomeness of bagels. Give it a schmear of cream cheese and happiness could be found in each bite. As I got older…my love for bagels continued…but I started to watch the waistline. Bagel thins came out. And I fell in love with the thin, crispy goodness that these offered. All the taste of bagels without all the bread. Nice.
And then…Celiac.
I sampled so many gluten-free bagels at first, having given up even finding something close to a bagel. Most of the ones I tried were shaped like donuts, not bagels. Small, bready, and just all wrong texture-wise. And then…Udi’s came out with bagels that rocked my world. Seriously…amazing.
And then…while out grocery shopping one day at our local Earth Fare, I spotted O’Doughs Gluten-Free Bagel Thins. I did a double-take. I backed up, snatched them from the cooler, and tossed them into my shopping cart. No questions asked…these were coming home with me. I was so thrilled with this discovery without even having tried them yet. I had a great company for bagels…now maybe it was time to let the bagel thins shine.
I hadn’t had anything from O’Doughs yet. So, this was going to be the first product I sampled from this company. I stored these in my freezer for over week while I was out of town, but then…then it was time to have these for breakfast…because I came back into town with little groceries in my fridge and freezer and was trying to make do with what I did have on hand.
O’Doughs Gluten-Free Original Flavor Bagel Thins
That morning, I turned on my oven and put two bagel thins on the pan and let them toast up gently in the oven. You could totally do this in a toaster, but I got rid of mine when I was diagnosed with Celiac, wanting to eliminate any potential for cross-contamination. Now that my roommate eats only gluten-free bread too (for my sake!) I could totally get a new toaster now. I just have nowhere in my kitchen for one at the moment.
Anyway, these bagel thins toasted up beautifully in the oven. Because these are bagel thins…not bagels…I kept a close eye on them to keep them from burning. After removing the golden toasty bagel thins from the oven, I gave each half a schmear of gluten-free and vegan cream cheese. Served them up with some fruit that morning and VIOLA…breakfast was served.
One bite and I knew O’Doughs got these bagel thins right. I was amazed. The Original Flavour variety tastes just like a regular bagel. The outside gets that nice crispness to it, and the thin innards toast to a beautiful golden color and still maintain a bit of that chewy texture you want with a bagel. What this means is that the thin texture provides a base for any topping you want to top it with. Nothing takes away from anything else. The toppings compliment the bagel and vice versa!
So, now that you know they are amazing…let’s talk shop.
These bagel thins are composed of filtered water, soya flour, tapioca starch, chickpea flour, whole grain rice flour, cellulose fiber, glycerine, yeast, sunflower oil, salt, organic evaporated cane juice, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda.
Not too bad as far as ingredients go. Not exactly clean eating…but…better than some other options out there, yes? Yes!
Nutritionally speaking, a serving is one bagel thin. And one bagel thin only contains 100 calories and 1.5 grams of fat. Consuming one bagel thin also means you will be taking in 300 mg sodium and 1 gram of sugar. These bagel thins contain no cholesterol, no trans-fat, no eggs, are non-GMO, and are kosher. One bagel thin also gives you 2 grams of fiber and 2 grams of protein.
And yeah…they are really amazing. O’Doughs makes three varieties of bagel thins. Original, Sprouted Whole Grain Flax, and Apple Cranberry. I finally have found the Sprouted Whole Grain Flax at my local grocery store…but have yet to find the Apple Cranberry out in the wild.
But, if you should spot O’Doughs Gluten-Free Original Flavor Bagel Thins…grab them. Toast them. Top them. And enjoy them. Trust me…you’d never guess it was gluten-free. They taste like the regular thing. Perhaps even better. I am in love.
O’Doughs Gluten-Free Original Flavor Bagel Thins with Daiya Vegan Cream Cheese
With our California girls needing to return to work…and since we were sort of already out that way…and sort of missed out on our usual journey to Denver, Colorado in April due to my roomie’s teammate…Cathy and I decided that we would take that journey to Colorado. I admit, for much of the planning stages, tacking on the Denver portion was a nightmare…but we got it all worked out. And with that, we got to spend Wednesday through Sunday in beautiful Colorado.
There is so much to do and see in Colorado…and we’ve been here enough times that we have our favorites that we wouldn’t miss out on…ever. But, we also had our sights on some new adventures, both with friends and with food.
So…here’s how a gluten-free vegetarian eats while in Colorado!
Zamparelli’s Italian Bistro – Lafayette, Colorado
Zamparelli’s Italian Bistro, Lafayette, Colorado
It was our first day in Colorado. After landing at the Denver airport and getting our rental car (free upgrade to the Toyota Prius), we hit the road for our drive up to the Boulder, Colorado area. We were staying at the Boulder Twin Lake Inn, where many a famous runner has spent the night. I was thrilled. I was hoping maybe I was in the room Shalane Flanagan stayed in so that I could channel some of her speed. The inn is actually owned by runners, which is why it is popular with runners. Well, after getting checked in, we were starving…so Cathy and I made a short little drive to Lafayette, Colorado. Our Find Me Gluten-Free app had directed us toward a place called Zaparelli’s Italian Bistro…and it had many gluten-free options. Including…gluten-free pizza. Which, mind you, I was thrilled about, as I was doing my long run the following morning around the area the inn was located in…a full 12.5 mile run. Pizza was just the thing I needed.
Wanting to try something we couldn’t get anywhere else, we decided to get a Gluten-Free Johnny V’s Vegan Pie ($15.00). It just sounded intriguing…and, as I said, the toppings were different from anything we’d been able to get out anywhere else. Order in. At Zamparelli’s…the gluten-free crust is a $2.00 upcharge, but when you have to eat gluten-free, what are you going to do? The gluten-free pizza is a 12-inch pizza crust…and in this case…it is topped off with a garlicky white bean spread, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, sauteed spinach, roasted mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and a spicy salsa rosa. Is your mouth watering yet? Mine was just reading the description. I liked that it was vegan…no cheese to upset my delicate stomach as it sometimes does. Also important with that long run looming.
The pizza was delivered and boy…did it look and smell amazing. It tasted just as good as it looked too. The white bean spread acted as the base, instead of a tomato sauce. The roasted red peppers elevated a lot of the flavor, especially when paired with the caramelized onion. Sweet and savory. Very delicious. But the star, believe it or not, were the artichoke hearts. That just brought all the other toppings together. Fantastic. The crust was really good. Not undercooked, but done to perfection. It was a thin crust without being a cracker crust, which I appreciated. I was quite happy with this meal and my roommate and I walked out of there satisfied, full, and quite happy.
The Buff Restaurant – Boulder, Colorado
The Buff Restaurant, Boulder, Colorado
I first heard about The Buff Restaurant on Man vs. Food. They are best known for their “Saddlebags” which are pancakes that are stuffed with either bacon, sausage or ham, and then topped off with two eggs. They are massive, mind you. Like…steering wheel size. So much more of the menu now has a gluten-free option available (including the Saddlebags…except being vegetarian…not for me)…but I had just done a 12.5 mile run and I was wanting some protein.
I ended up getting one of the omelettes. In fact, I went with the Veggie Omelette ($9.50). This thing is, honestly, the size of my head. But…full of delicious veggie goodness. This particular omelette comes packed with broccoli, mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach and onions, with a touch of blended cheddar. Along with this massive egg-splosion of goodness (see what I did there?), you get a side of their potatoes…or you can upgrade to the fruit for just $1.00 more. I wanted my carbs…so I stuck with the potatoes. And, with it came a slice of gluten-free toast. YUM! As I was in need of some caffeine, I ordered a Café Au Lait with almond milk ($3.50). It was just the hit I needed, especially since the cup it came out in was, again, the size of my head. I think I was wired for much the rest of the day. But it was good.
So was the food for that matter, but I already knew that. I’ve been eating at The Buff for three years now. I make a trip to Boulder specifically to eat there and go to the Celestial Seasonings factory. Honestly. I do. It’s the truth. The eggs are always done to perfection. The toast is crispy and never burned. I love it with their homemade jam. SO delicious. And the potatoes…they are my favorite way to consume carbs. Seasoned to perfection. Done with that bit of crisp on the outside and that soft center. I ate mine with hot sauce. The omelette too. HEAVEN…on a plate. Which I demolished, mind you. I ate every last piece. I was full for the rest of the day.
St. Bon’s Café – Highlands Ranch, Colorado
St. Bon’s Café, Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Around 5 p.m. after my massive breakfast, however, the tummy was starting to get a case of the rumblies. And my roommate had researched the perfect solution for said problem. We were now down in Denver for the remainder of our stay and it just so happened that Denver is the home of a 100% gluten-free deli and bakery. Seriously.
St. Bon’s Café was an absolute nightmare to get to. And we were getting hungry and cranky as we made our way through rush hour traffic on a Thursday night. Our GPS got us down to the right area, but had so much trouble actually getting us to the store. I finally looked it up on my iPhone and managed to get us there. But it was about 30 minutes before they were going to close. It was a good thing we already had an idea of what we wanted to eat…because we were cutting it close.
That being said, the owner, Kurt Fulwider, was behind the counter and ready to take our orders. He told us not to worry about it. He had a meeting he needed to get to across town and already called to say it wasn’t happening and that he would be late. So…we ordered…not just dinner…but a dessert to split. More on that after I tell you about our sandwiches.
For me…I wanted The 3 Wisemen Panini on the house made Rosemary Thyme Focaccia ($7.99). The 3 Wisemen is a basic caprese sandwich. It’s freshly sliced tomatoes, basil leaves and mozzarella. Cathy went with her favorite…something cheesy…opting for The Trinity Panini on the house made Basil Garlic Focaccia ($7.99). This sandwich is stuffed full of three different cheeses…creamy havarti, sharp white cheddar, and smooth meunster. We decided we could split a dessert and I had my heart already set on the Blasphemous Bread Pudding ($3.99), which was a gluten-free bread putting with a delicious custard and dark chocolate. With our orders now paid for, we settled at a table until they were ready.
Let me tell you…the wait wasn’t bad…and the food was fantastic. Absolutely FANTASTIC! I fell in love with the rosemary thyme focaccia. The flavors meshed so well with the fixings in my sandwich. The basil was so fresh and so fragrant. The mozarella was melt-in-your sammie good. And the tomatoes were ripe, and didn’t bleed juice all over my bread. The focaccia was toasted in the panini press to perfection, giving that nice golden crispiness to each bite. I was in love with this sandwich. Cathy tried a piece and said while she loved hers…she really loved the bread on mine.
As for that sinful dessert…oh…yeah. It was rich…creamy…and beyond blasphemous. This was a sin to eat. The custard was rich and creamy, but not overly heavy. The dark chocolate…melt my heart to pieces…so good. It paired so well with the custard. I was so happy when eating this. So very happy. I sort of want to recreate it for myself. If possible. It’s worth a try. Yep…that good. Mouth watering…sinfully…satisfyingly…perfect for when you are PMS-ing or any other time because you just need some chocolate dammit…good!! I hope I can get back here when I’m in Denver in May. It must happen.
Coquette’s Bistro and Bakery – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Coquette’s Bistro & Bakery, Colorado Springs, Colorado
I love crepes. LOVE them. With the exception of my local food truck, I normally can’t have them. I don’t have a good crepe pan to do them myself…nor would they come close to what Sweet ‘N’ Savory can cook up for me in their food truck. Normally when I am in Colorado, I would go to La Creperie Cafe in Denver. But…they closed. THEY CLOSED!! I was saddened by this, but started doing some research. What I did run across though was a little cafe that does only 100% gluten-free food. The catch was…it was in Colorado Springs. The best thing is…that doesn’t phase Cathy. We hopped in the car on Friday morning and took a little drive down to Colorado Springs.
Nestled at the foot of Pike’s Peak, Coquette’s Bistro and Bakery has the perfect location to entertain visitors and locals alike. The place and the food has won numerous awards over the four years it has been open. And it claims that the food is so amazing, you’d never guess it was gluten-free. This little restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, espresso, and cocktails. There is a little bit for everyone.
But Cathy and I made the journey for…yep…crepes. None of their savory crepes are vegetarian. That was fine for Cathy, and she ended up ordering the Rise and Dine ($11.00), which is a crepe that is stuffed full (and I mean full) with two scrambled eggs, ham, red onions, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. The crepe is then topped off with hollandaise. It came with a side of fruit or their truffled potatoes. She went potatoes. I swiped one. OMG. Amazing. I swiped more than one after that. I think she welcomed the help as her crepe was HUGE. I would have gone savory had there been a vegetarian option…but I was okay going sweet. Most of the offerings were what I could get from my local gluten-free crepe food truck…so I went with the one that I hadn’t been served by my local go-to gluten-free crepe place. And that was the Bananas Fosters Crepe ($8.50). This dessert crepe (hey…dessert for breakfast is allowed on vacation!) is a delicious crepe that is topped off with banana and a rum brown sugar flambé. The crepe is served with some house made whipped cream on the side. My crepe was definitely the size of my plate, but being a dessert crepe, it is usually dusted with cinnamon and sugar on the inside and then topped off with the goodness on the outside. Much less to navigate through. But…let me tell you…this was one fantastic crepe. I loved the rum brown sugar sauce. The whipped cream was a nice touch. And the banana, being one of my favorite fruits in this world, made it all taste a little like heaven. I devoured it. Like…completely. Cathy had a good portion of her crepe remaining. Not me. I went all vegetarian piggy on that plate. Worth it. YUM! I am making this a required stop from now on. It must happen. It is that good. And I feel safe eating there.
Baker Street Pub & Grill – Denver, Colorado
Baker Street Pub & Grill, Denver, Colorado
It’s no secret…my roommate and I are completely obsessed with Sherlock Holmes. For real. No…seriously. And when we discovered that just a short walk from our hotel room at the Denver DTC was one of Colorado’s four Baker Street Pub & Grill locations, well, you better believe we knew what we were doing for dinner after hiking around Colorado Springs and the Garden of the Gods. Hey…you work up an appetite doing that.
We walked over to Baker Street Pub & Grill from the hotel on Friday evening. I loved how you got to seat yourself. Our server, a bubbly and enthusiastic woman came over to see about drinks. I was sticking with water. But Cathy decided to take in Happy Hour and went with a Baker Street Brown Ale ($4.25). And with that…her usual pub fare…a half portion of the Fish & Chips ($7.99). As for me…I went with the Baby Spinach and Feta Cheese Salad ($9.99), which I added avocado slices to ($1.49) with a side of the Serrano Coleslaw ($1.99). Our waitress put in our order and we sort of geeked out over Sherlock Holmes until it arrived.
My salad was MASSIVE!! And it looked absolutely amazing to top it off. This salad was a blend of baby spinach, feta cheese, gala apples, red onions, candied pecans (they didn’t candy mine), and red grapes. All of this was tossed in a fantastic raspberry vinaigrette dressing. And let’s not forget my deep love of avocado…which topped off my salad nicely and gave it this rich creaminess that I truly love in a salad. The flavors really, really worked together. I loved the way the fruit played well with the vegetables and how the sweet, yet savory vinaigrette just brought it all together. The avocado…if you order a salad…always top it with avocado…trust me!! As for the coleslaw…eh…it was coleslaw. With the wording of Serrano Coleslaw, I expected something with some heat behind it…but it just tasted like your run-of-the-mill coleslaw. Probably my only disappointment. The rest…so good!
Cathy was very impressed with her fish. In fact, we both enjoyed our food so much we came back on Saturday night, our last night in town. The manager on duty rustled up some can coozies for us and let us get in the big phone booth outside and took a picture. It was epic. We ordered the same thing…minus the coleslaw and rounded out the perfect stay in Colorado at one of our new favorite places in Denver…just a short walk from our hotel. Perfection.
Udi’s Café and Bar – Denver Airport – Denver, Colorado
Udi’s Café & Bar, Denver Airport, Denver, Colorado
I had every intention of making it out of Denver without eating at the airport. I figured Cathy and I would grab something in Atlanta. It’s a good thing she talked me out of that because we had no time for food in Atlanta as it turned out. So, her plan to eat something in Denver before heading to our gate for the first leg of our journey back to Louisville was a stroke of sheer genius.
And to our delight, Terminal B at the Denver Airport has an Udi’s Café and Bar. Udi’s is one of the major names in gluten-free breads and other products on the market. And…they are based in Denver. So the fact that the airport has one of these cafés shouldn’t be a surprise. I was so happy they did.
We settled in at a table and a waitress came over to give us menus and let us look them over. We had a vague idea of what we wanted to eat…sandwiches…with fries. Filling. Which is exactly what we needed, honestly.
Cathy went with the BLTA ($9.35), which is a bacon, lettuce, tomato and avocado sandwich with chipotle aioli and served on ciabatta bread. She got hers with the standard fries that come with the sandwich. As for me…I went with the Gluten-Free Caprese Sandwich ($9.95) and substituted the regular fries for Sweet Potato Fries ($2.00). Gluten-free sweet potato fries. Pardon my dance of joy and glee. This was the second time this trip I was getting sweet potato fries. This is me…being happy.
It was a little bit of a wait, but Cathy and I soon received our plates full of food. The sandwiches were huge. The fries…a big portion. But this was our meal for the day…so while we weren’t starving…we dove in.
My fries were FANTASTIC! Better than the ones I waited forever for at Disneyland. They were crispy, fried to perfection. I was in love with them. In fact, I saved them for the last bite because I wanted to remember those fries. As for the sandwich…epic win. Served on Udi’s bread (of course), this sandwich was stuffed with mozzarella cheese, fresh tomatoes, and a pesto aioli. And the flavors just popped. I have been eating a lot of caprese things since going gluten-free and this was one of the best sandwiches put together. Simple flavors…executed perfectly. And served with SWEET POTATO FRIES!! I was thrilled to actually be able to eat something other than a fruit cup, a salad, or some unhealthy snack at the airport. Seriously. This was my happy that day.
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So…there you have it. I find eating gluten-free in Colorado to be so easy. Both Rudi’s Gluten-Free and Udi’s Gluten-Free are based out of Colorado (one in Boulder…the other in Denver). Granted, on Saturday when we went up into the mountains to Rocky Mountain State Park…my lunch was a banana, some yogurt, and some Boulder chips…but…I’m in the mountains. I will cut them some slack.
This was one of my best foodie trips to date. Both California and Colorado offered me so many options and such delicious food. I wasn’t really disappointed with any of the restaurants that we chose to dine in. And that…is amazing!!
Colorado…see you in May. I hope my favorite places to eat will be ready for me again!
I dedicate this entry to, honestly, the best meal I have ever consumed in my life. No joke. Sorry mom…but it’s true. Never before have I been treated to such an exciting and taste-defying tasting menu, all of it done by the chef’s whim. And yes…all of it done to suit any food allergies at the table. For me…being a gluten-free vegetarian. For my friend Tawn…no shrimp.
What am I talking about?
Disneyland.
Napa Rose.
Chef’s Table.
OMGTHEFOODWASAWESOME!
Okay…now that I got that out of my system…kind of…let me explain…
You see, Disneyland has a lot of nice treasures inside its gates. And, after running the Disneyland Half Marathon, Indy wanted to treat all of us, plus her hubby and her dad, to a nice meal out…which would be our Christmas and Birthday gifts. She chose Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa as the scene of this adventure. After a long day, the four ladies got all dressed up and met up with Evan (Indy’s hubby) for a ride over to the restaurant. Her dad was staying there so he’d meet us there.
A few drinks in the lounge and two Joey Fatone (from *NSYNC) sightings later, we were making our way to the Dessert Counter and being seated, napkins placed on our laps, and about to be treated to one of the finest, most epic, amazing meals of our lives…complete with wine tasting. All of this…completely at the whim of the chef.
So…let’s get started:
Amuse-Bouche: Plum with Grape Relish and Gluten-Free Flatbread
Amuse-Bouche: Plum with Grape Relish and Vegan & Gluten-Free Flatbread
The rest of the counter was treated to a Panna Cotta with Great Relish…but not this girl. The chef kept is simple, elegant, and instead of the panna cotta, served me up an amazing warm Plum with Grape Relish on top. The plum was sweet, pairing beautifully with the slightly sour tones of the chopped grapes. It was the perfect way to wake up the palate and prepare it for the rest of what was to come that night.
In addition, while the rest of the counter got to share this large basket of various breads, a basket of vegan and gluten-free flatbread was delivered to me. This bread had a fresh herbiness to it. It was crispy, yet still soft. And when it was fresh and warm…there was nothing like it in the world. It was a nice change from the gluten-free rolls I am so used to getting. It’s not everyday this girl gets to indulge in flatbread. And indulge I did. Because I just couldn’t stop eating it!!
First Course: Cauliflower Tower
Cauliflower Tower
What…you may ask…is a Cauliflower Tower. Simply what it sounds like. Cauliflower…in a tower. But…it is really so much more than that. In fact, while the base of this dish was, in fact, a cauliflower mash, it was blended with couscous, raisins, pistachios, and was drizzled with a blood orange sauce. I love cauliflower, so using it as a base for this meal was sheer brilliance. The couscous gave it a bit more body. Toss in the sweet raisins with the salty nature and crunch of the pistachios and you have a meal made in heaven. Seriously. Angels eat this when they picnic on the clouds. I swear. The blood orange sauce just sealed the deal. It gave this savory dish a little zing. It was fantastic. Down to the very last bite. If this was any indication of what was left to come, I was all in. I didn’t record the type of wine any of my meals were paired with…but I loved them. All of them.
Second Course: Grilled Peach Salad with Green Beans and a Peach Yogurt Sauce
Grilled Peach Salad with Green Beans and a Peach Yogurt Sauce
The usual version of this dish is served with roasted duck. But, being that I was the sole vegetarian at the table, the chef made one with duck, which Indy received, and made mine without it. But this made me want to grill peaches ALL the time. ALL the peaches. And then consume ALL the peaches with ALL the food that I could think would pair well with them. I will say this…I never would have paired peaches with green beans. But…this worked. This worked remarkably well. The peaches had this rich sweetness to them, the green beans were cooked perfectly, so they had that crispiness to them. And that yogurt sauce just tied everything together. This was fantastic. I could have eaten plate after plate of this and been one happy girl. But more goodness was still ahead.
Third Course: Heirloom Tomatoes with Golden Tomato Essence with Fava Beans and Parmesan
Heirloom Tomatoes with Golden Tomato Essence with Fava Beans and Parmesan
I do believe either Tawn or Cathy made the Silence of the Lambs reference when I was served this beautiful, rainbow dish. I mean, the colors on this dish just popped. The sweet tomato essence was what really made this dish so savory. The beautiful heirloom tomatoes were ripe, gorgeous, juicy and the flavors danced across my taste buds with the first bite. The fava beans added a little body…and some texture. And to top it all off…shaved Parmesan cheese, which gave the dish that big of salty seasoning that just brought it all together in the end. Rich, succulent…and fantastic. Each dish was topping the last…
Fourth Course: Chef’s Creation – Vegetarian Mushroom and Tomato Plate
Chef’s Creation – Vegetarian Mushroom and Tomato Plate
Be jealous. Because the chef made this one specifically for me. His gluten-free, vegetarian diner. What exactly was it? Savory goodness, that’s what it was. Honestly…this was fantastic. From the first bite he reigned me in with perfectly cooked mushrooms, beautifully seasoned and topped with gorgeous heirloom tomatoes and greens. I wanted to hoover this dish so much, but I sat there like the lady I am and ate it like the sophisticated foodie I see on television and dream about becoming. No…really. I savored this dish. Every bite of it. And I never wanted it to end. But…my fork fell onto the last slice and soon it too was gone.
Dessert:Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée with Blueberries and Mint
Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée with Blueberries and Mint
Without even knowing anything about me save for my food allergies and preferences, the chef sent out the most perfect dessert for me. It involved lemon and blueberries…and that pairing is, by far, one of my absolute favorites. So, without even knowing it…the chef capped off the perfect evening with the perfect dessert. His Meyer Lemon Crème Brûlée with Blueberries and Mint was a stunning plate to start with. The crust on the crème brûlée was brilliant. And that lemon flavor was just enough without overpowering the entire dessert. Toss in the blueberries (one of my favorite berries) and the hint of mint and I was in a delicious, tasty food coma. Seriously. I dug right into this dessert and savored it as long as I could. I even ate the drizzle of chocolate letters around the plate wishing me an early happy birthday. Yes…I enjoyed it…for real…down to the very last bit. But, I’m a dessert girl…and this was one hell of a dessert.
My hat is off to Indy, for this fantastic food experience. If I were to choose my last meal on Earth…it would be this. I would want to be at Napa Rose…at the Chef’s Counter…once again receiving the dishes of his choosing for me. I loved being surprised and not knowing what to expect when my plate was carried out and placed in front of me. The company was the best I could ever be with at this venue. The food was outstanding. I’ve been spoiled. No other meal has come close to equaling this one…and I am starting to wonder if one ever will.
My food hat is off to the chef of Napa Rose…the food that is served there…the wine it is paired with (SO GOOD!)…and the good friends I shared the experience with. If any of you find yourself at Disneyland…do try to experience this for yourself. It isn’t cheap…I can tell you that…but the food and the experience is worth every dollar you put towards this meal. I promise.
Between Disneyland and the little out-of-the-way places that we ducked into for food and anything else…I was well-fed and felt very safe in my food choices while visiting friends in California. In fact, Indy and her hubby, Evan, even went out to Whole Foods and picked up gluten-free cookies and some gluten-free crackers for me to have while staying with them. They are, honestly, the best. Nice to have people take my food allergies and everything else in stride and not totally panic. Best hosts…EVER!
So, I spent a total of three days at Disneyland and then one full day seeing bits and pieces of California. All the while…taking in food and enjoying every single bite. I’m breaking this posting down into two separate posts because…well…the dinner I had at Napa Rose needs its own little post. Honestly. Because it was the best meal I have ever had. (Sorry, Mom…but it’s true!).
So…I guess we’ll start at the very beginning…
Flo’s V8 Cafe – Cars Land – Disney California Adventure Park
Flo’s V8 Café, Cars Land, Disney’s California Adventure Park
You know…I give Disney props. Both theme parks on each coast do their best to work with people with specific diets and specific food allergies. And this was incredibly clear when I sat down to eat a “light” lunch (I was getting pizza later that evening) while out and about in California Adventure on Saturday. I hadn’t yet made it to the race expo, but I knew I needed a small bite to get through until it was time to eat my required pre-race gluten-free pizza. We were in Cars Land at the moment, so we stepped into Flo’s V8 Café and took a look at the menu board. When we got up to the register, my traveling party (Cathy, Indy & Tawn) all decided they were going to eat elsewhere…which made me not want to eat here…but…I wasn’t sure what there would be outside that would be nutritious and still filling. At the register, I mentioned that I was a gluten-free vegetarian so the cashier went to go and retrieve the chef. The chef came out a couple of moments later and I reiterated that I was a gluten-free vegetarian. She said it wasn’t a problem and mentioned the items I could get, including the Citrus Turkey Salad, sans turkey. Actually, none of it sounded like anything I wanted…the side dishes were just…eh…meh. And the salad was…well…a salad. But, I needed something…so I said I would give the Citrus Turkey Salad ($11.49), no turkey, a go!
I paid the cashier and took the receipt up to the counter. And my salad came up…gluten-free roll…but…UGH…the turkey had been placed on the salad. I mentioned that my salad wasn’t supposed to have turkey on it, so the worker at the counter sent it back to the kitchen and spoke with the chef. It took a few minutes, but my new salad came up, gluten-free roll, little dish of dressing, GODZILLA-sized salad, which was a basic mix of mixed greens, carrots, cucumbers, and yellow peppers. It came with a citrus-tarragon dressing. And trust me…this salad was HUGE. I knew I wouldn’t be able to finish it. But, if anything was certain, I was going to devour that roll. The roll, by the way, looks like the Udi’s gluten-free rolls I can buy at specialty stores around here. I think they were Udi’s. I loved the roll. I loved it to pieces…and pieces…and pieces until it was all gone.
The salad itself was fresh and crisp. And the dressing made a nice flavor addition to the raw vegetables. It was…a general salad, just taken to extreme proportion. I ate about 3/4 of it before I called it quits. It was just a lot of food. The vegetables were fresh and crisp, the dressing was served on the side instead of just being poured over the salad, and perhaps drowning the vegetables. It was good. But…let’s face it…it’s a salad I could have made at home for a lot cheaper.
Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port – Tomorrowland – Disneyland Park
Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port, Tomorrowland, Disneyland Park
It was the evening before the Disneyland Half Marathon, and Indy and I were in desperate need of some carbs. And it is a requirement…I mean one of those dead-set superstitious athlete requirements for me to eat gluten-free pizza the night before a big race. It has to happen. If it doesn’t happen…I make it happen. Somehow.
Indy knew that this was a must coming into the trip, so she asked around at Disneyland about good places to get a gluten-free pizza. She was directed to Redd Rocket’s Pizza Port, which is a cafeteria-style, quick service joint in Tomorrowland. We got there just before a flood of people and we spoke to one of the people manning the counters about gluten-free and vegetarian options. She said she would go and fetch the chef. I ended up standing there for around 10-15 minutes waiting on the chef, long enough for a couple of employees to ask if I needed help. Indy and Tawn had already gotten their pastas and were now waiting with me. Cathy was waiting because we weren’t sure if this was going to be a personal pizza or one we’d need to split. You just never know.
After the wait continued, I told Indy and Tawn to go and pay and eat while their food was still hot. I didn’t want them to settle in with cold pasta. Gross! So, they finally agreed, and just after they walked away…the chef finally emerged to talk to me. I told him that I was a gluten-free vegetarian, and he said I had two options…a gluten-free personal cheese pizza…or gluten-free rice noodles with a tomato marinara. Night before the race…it has to be pizza. So, I put in my order for gluten-free cheese pizza ($8.99). I was told it would take 10 minutes so to go ahead and pay and then come back to the counter in about 10 minutes. I did just that, grabbed some plastic dinnerware, napkins, and some crushed red pepper packets and went to join my friends. Cathy had gotten one of the pizza slices and some breadsticks and joined them in eating. And I watched them eat for about 5 minutes as it took me awhile to pay. When 10 minutes was up, I got up from my table and made my way back to the counter to, hopefully, get my food. But my pizza wasn’t up yet. There was a group of four ahead of me. And that took about 5 minutes for them to get their gluten-free pizzas served to them. Then…it took another 3-5 minutes waiting on mine. By now Indy and Cathy were done eating. When my pizza was sliced and finally put on a plate…I went to rejoin my friends and only Tawn was still nomming on her pasta.
The pizza was nothing to write home about. It was the same gluten-free cheese pizza I ended up getting while at Disney World in February. Just a small, personal-size pizza on a gluten-free crust (at least the crust was fluffy), with tomato sauce and cheese. It was…okay. I mean, I have definitely had worse…but I have most definitely had better. I seasoned it with some red pepper flakes and just wolfed it down. At that point I was starving and we had World of Color Fast Passes and the clock was ticking. Nothing to write home about. Just…pizza. Eh. Not impressed.
Hungry Bear Restaurant – Critter Country – Disneyland Park
Hungry Bear Restaurant, Critter Country, Disneyland Park
It was the afternoon after I ran 13.1 miles through Disneyland and Anaheim, California. It was just three of us. Indy, who also ran, said she needed to rest and recover. Poor thing. So this meant our new guide for the day was the great, the epic, TAWN!! And she knew all the places to hit. We had a busy and very stressful morning…between race logistics, running, cheering, and finishing…then heading out to the park…
We rode rides and soon we knew we needed to eat something small before we hit the hotel early to rotate through showers and start getting ready for the most epic meal of our lives…courtesy of Indy. But…that gets it’s own post. For now…we focus on what I ate for “lunch” the day of the Disneyland Half Marathon.
I had heard tales and rumors that Hungry Bear Restaurant did gluten-free sweet potato fries. Sweet potato fries are one of my most favorite things in the world. Honestly. Sure, fries probably aren’t the best recovery meal…but they were what I wanted. That was it. It was all I needed. Tawn walked me over to Hungry Bear and I headed up to go place my order. I reached the cashier and told her I heard they could do gluten-free sweet potato fries. She confirmed this and said she’d go and get the chef.
The chef emerged a few minutes later and said that fries could certainly be done gluten-free. I said that was all I wanted and went ahead and put in the order – gluten-free sweet potato fries ($3.99). I was sent up to the counter and I passed off the receipt and was told it would be a few minutes. I politely stepped aside, knowing this would be the case. But a few minutes turned into 5. Then 10. Soon the staff was shouting back to the kitchen about the gluten-free sweet potato fries because it had been on order for 15 minutes. The manager came out to apologize to me, saying that there had been a mix-up in the kitchen and it would be a few more minutes. He offered me a free dessert, but none of their desserts were gluten-free so I passed. After just over 20 minutes, my one little serving of sweet potato fries came up and I snagged them, went to grab some ketchup and finally went back down to meet Tawn. She had been waiting a long time. We had left Cathy at a table with her lunch, and it was long gone by the time we returned. Tawn went off to find herself something to eat and I finally dug in.
To their credit…the sweet potato fries were perfect. Crispy on the outside, soft in the center. Warm. Hot. Seasoned well. And just what I wanted. They were phenomenal. Definitely better than the oven baked ones that I make at home. I mean, I love making my own, but there is something so fantastic about sweet potato strips that are literally fried to perfection, seasoned well, and served up piping hot and fresh. So, while I think I aged a little standing in line waiting on an order the kitchen at Hungry Bear Restaurant forgot about…it was well worth the wait.
Tiki Juice Bar – Adventureland – Disneyland Park
Tiki Juice Bar, Adventureland, Disneyland Park
DOLE. WHIP. Need I say more? Let me say it one more time. DOLE WHIP! I love Dole Whip and ended up coming to the Tiki Juice Bar twice during my 3-day stay in Disneyland.
The second time I contemplated getting a Dole Whip Float…but wasn’t sure I had enough money for one. So, both times I ended up getting the standard Soft Serve Dole Whip ($3.69). LOVE.
It’s pineapple goodness in a cup. One that I will always take time to indulge in whenever I roam at Disney. Yeah…Dole Whip is an experience. One that shouldn’t be missed. EVER!
Carnation Café – Main Street, U.S.A. – Disneyland Park
Carnation Café, Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland Park
The only other request that I made for while the four of us were all at Disneyland was simple. I needed gluten-free Mickey waffles in my life. So, Indy, as always being the rockstar, sought out a place that served them. She’s awesome like that. So, after a late night and an early morning (for me…as I went running for 7 miles for my marathon training), we headed into Disneyland for our last meal together as a group of four. Tawn was leaving that afternoon to head back to Fresno.
We arrived at Carnation Café just ahead of our reservation time. We were asked if we wanted to sit outside or inside. It was such a gorgeous morning that day that we chose to sit outside, as long as we were somewhere shady. The hostess found us the perfect spot and we all settled in and started to look at the menu.
When our waitress came over to the table, she explained that we actually had a different server, but he was on his break so she’d be taking care of us until he returned. We went ahead and told her that I couldn’t have gluten, something they were already aware of because Indy mentioned this when she made the reservation. Of course none of this was an issue. She said she’d go to get the chef and he would go over some options with me. He did emerge a few minutes later and asked what I was interested in having for breakfast. I gave him the hopeful eyes…Mickey waffles? He said he wasn’t sure they could make gluten-free Mickey waffles due to the surface they were cooked on…but he might be able to do regular pancakes (not Mickey shaped). But he said he’d go double check. He returned after everyone else placed their orders and said that he could make me gluten-free mini Mickey waffles safely. I was a happy girl, because I really, really wanted Mickey waffles while at Disneyland. Dreams really do come true.
I went ahead and ordered gluten-free Mickey waffles ($10.49) with fresh fruit instead of the sausage or bacon side…since I am vegetarian. They were happy to make that substitution for me. I also had this with fresh brewed Joffrey’s Coffee ($2.99).
The coffee was really good. Not too bitter. I sweetened it with real sugar…as my coconut sugar was left back in Indiana. After a short wait…out came our food. Only Tawn and I kept with the plan to get waffles. Indy ended up getting the Huevos Rancheros and Cathy got the All-American Breakfast.
My mini waffles were…delicious. Definitely not the golden crispy goodness that Tawn got out of her Mickey head waffle. But…the miniature Mickey waffles tasted amazing. I poured a little pure maple syrup over them and dug right in. I was given four Mickey waffle heads and ate all four of them without any shame or guilt. The fruit was gone in a flash. I am a fruit monster. They were able to accommodate me and get me the item on the menu that I truly wanted. Carnation Café was made of win.
So were the waffles…for the record. Epic…gluten-free…WIN!
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar – Disneyland Resort Area – Disneyland Hotel
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, Disneyland Resort Area, Disneyland Hotel
Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar is like no other bar you have ever experienced. The food they serve is unique bar food. The drinks they serve are fun. The manner in which some drinks are served are SUPER fun and invoke chanting and lights flashing, ships going down, all of that. It’s a place you have to go to grab a drink. And, as this was our final day in Disneyland…we chose to do just that.
Food choices, for me, were rather limited. But, Indy was telling me about this amazing Green Papaya Salad ($?.??) that they served. We inquired with the bar tender about the ingredients and he went to check with the chef to see whether it was gluten-free and vegetarian. Turns out…it was. So, while Cathy and Indy split the Panko-Crusted Chinese Long Beans, I was served up a refreshing and quite delicious Green Papaya Salad.
No trip to Trader Sam’s is complete without having one of their famous drinks. As I’m always iffy and careful with alcohol…I decided to go with one of the non-alcoholic beverage specials served at the bar. My choice of Sam’s No Booze Brews was the Jungle River Sunset ($4.49) which is a mix of orange juice, falernum, and hibiscus grenadine, all topped off with soda water. And, yes…I ate my garnish.
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta – Paradise Pier – Disney California Adventure Park
Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta, Paradise Pier, Disney California Adventure Park
It was getting late and our plan to see Fantasmic that night was about to be put into action. That being said, our appetizers from Trader Sam’s were long gone and we were definitely ready to eat some food. We ended up coming to Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta…because we were just really wanting Italian or something. Because originally I was going to get something else, but when they kept mentioning the pizza and pasta place…it just sounded better.
So, we entered Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and it was another counter service sort of thing. I went up and mentioned that I was a gluten-free vegetarian and they sent for the chef. He was out in no time. Honestly. And when I told him I was a gluten-free vegetarian, he immediately mentioned the two standbys that the Italian restaurants have on hand at Disneyland…a personal-size gluten-free cheese pizza or rice noodles with a tomato marinara sauce. I’ve done the pizza. It’s the same as always…and not really worth the repeat. So, I went with the Gluten-Free Rice Pasta with the Tomato Marinara ($9.49). He said it would take about 10 minutes. And when he went back behind the counter, he immediately changed his gloves to start preparing my food. I breathed a sigh of relief. Cathy ordered a regular Spaghetti With Meatballs and Indy went with the Five Cheese Ravioli. They were both made to order, but Cathy’s came up way ahead of ours. We sent her outside to get us a seat. About 5 minutes later, my spaghetti arrived. And this serving was HUGE. We’re talking the King Kong of spaghetti dishes. Holy crap!! I figured I’d get maybe halfway through it and be done. Indy’s was the last to come up…so she was the last to join us at the table. Cathy had already started eating…I was just starting…so we had timing. At least none of us were left without food when all was said and done.
The rice pasta was really al dente. Not bad…but not as soft as normally rice pasta would be. The tomato sauce was rich and delicious and really made the dish, in my opinion. The spaghetti really would have been lackluster and disappointing without it. I sprinkled a bit of crushed red pepper onto the pasta to give it that slight kick that I like. Me and spicy food make for a loving relationship. Honestly. I like it hot. So, the spaghetti, like the quick service pizza, was…just okay. Nothing to really write home about…or go on any longer in this blog.
Indy’s Egg Scramble of Awesome
Indy’s Egg Scramble of Awesome
When you have fresh ingredients in your garden…what happens? You make your husband and your friends one of the most epic egg scrambles ever. Honestly…this was amazing. So delicious. So yummy. I still think about it. That’s why a homemade dish is being put into my blog. None of you, unless you also know Indy, will be able to taste this dish. None of you will get to enjoy it for the low cost of FREE…at her kitchen table…while drinking fresh and really delicious coffee. It’s just not going to happen.
She cooked and diced and sauteed potatoes in coconut oil, added fresh vegetables from her garden, and then scrambled up some eggs. Simple…but highly, highly delicious. One of my favorite breakfasts I’ve ever consumed. And it was filling. Perfect way to start off a day that took us to many glorious sandy locations!
The Local Peasant – Sherman Oaks, California
The Local Peasant, Sherman Oaks, California
This gastropub has no sign hanging up outside. There is no neon flashing the name of the pub. This is one of those places that if you didn’t know it was there, you would walk right on past it. Thankfully, it turned up on Find Me Gluten Free…and it just happens to be one of Indy and Evan’s favorite dining spots in their area. And I picked it. All by myself!
It was our last night in Los Angeles, and it was also Indy’s birthday. So, we went out to eat…although she told me to find somewhere. I was mainly focused on finding Cathy a place to have some fish and chips, so I focused on that first. The menu for The Local Peasant had not only vegan options marked, but also gluten-free options marked. And my requirement to eat something with avocado while in California would definitely be fulfilled.
It was a special night, so I went against my usual abstaining from alcohol for training purposes…mostly because it was Indy’s birthday and we were celebrating. But, they also had Green’s Quest Gluten-Free Triple Ale ($15.00). I’m not a beer drinker…at all…but it was a celebration. And, besides, Micky Dolenz of The Monkees was at the table next to ours. I needed something to take the fangirl edge off.
Where there is beer…there is also food. Our waitress just happened to also be gluten-free (in fact, her entire family is)…so she was a huge help. But…as I said…I had my heart set on something with avocado in it. I had to eat avocado while in California. It had to happen. So, when it came to dinner, my choice was obvious…the Edamame Vegetable Salad ($11.00). Why was that obvious? Because this salad was composed of edamame, corn, jicama, green beans, roasted peppers, avocado, toasted pepitas, and cashews with a rosemary and ginger vinaigrette.
It sounded like no salad I have had anywhere else. It had avocado on it, and really…it just sounded awesome. When it arrived, it was in a huge bowl…and I happily dug in. The vegetables were so fresh and awesome. I loved the texture the cashews and pepitas gave the entire dish. The green beans still had that nice, fresh crispness to them. The edamame is always one of my favorite things…and it was super good. Loved the depth the roasted peppers gave. The avocado, however, gave it this amazing creaminess. It was topped off with that really flavorful vinaigrette that really just brought everything together. It was the meal I needed to have. It was the last thing I would eat in California. It was…fantastic.
I’d go back to this gastropub in a heartbeat. And I hope to…the next time I find myself in California!
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So…there it is. What I ate in California. I didn’t blog about the fries from In-N-Out Burger…because I did that back in 2011. But I did go there…and their frier is dedicated to just potatoes and makes their fries completely safe for me to eat. Part 2 will be all about the fantastic dinner that Indy treated our party to at Napa Rose. Trust me…that was a dining experience I wish I could relive over and over again. But you’ll read about that in the next blog…
Some of you might have heard that in October, I am going to be running in the Chicago Marathon. Shortly after getting registered, I decided that I would go one step further and run in the marathon and raise money for a good cause. I chose a charity and have been fundraising for it ever since. That charity, Action For Healthy Kids, makes it part of their mission to fight childhood obesity, undernourishment and physical inactivity by helping schools become healthier places so that children can live healthier lives. This specific organization engages diverse organizations, leaders and volunteers to take action and help foster sound nutrition and good physical activity in children, youth and schools.
It’s something I think this nation is lacking. Too often we see children sitting in front of game systems, computers, or the television. And their health is getting worse because of it.
But this charity that I am running for isn’t the only organization or company to want to strive to push children into a healthier and more active lifestyle.
In fact, my friends at Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery are excited to be celebrating the upcoming National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day on October 16. This special day was created to allow parents to eat lunch with their children in school and eat a school-provided lunch. The meal they provide will be nutritious and healthy and reflect a lot of action that is taking place throughout the country to provide healthier options for children in lunchrooms.
But Rudi’s excitement doesn’t stop there, my friends! In conjunction with National Take Your Parents To Lunch Day, Rudi’s will be honoring kids by hosting a fun back-to-school contest. The Say Cheese Photo Contest began on August 1 and will run through September 15. Parents are encouraged to submit photos of their children enjoying a yummy sandwich. That’s all. This photo will automatically enter you in the contest in which the grand prize is being featured in a Rudi’s Gluten-Free ad and a $500.00 Whole Foods gift card! In addition to the grand prize, fans can enter for weekly prizes like iPad Minis, Amazon gift cards, and North Face backpacks.
I encourage all you parents, aunts, uncles, and grandparents to give your children a delicious sandwich and then snap a quick picture. Enter it in the contest and you have a good chance of taking home a prize.
I believe in companies that share my commitment to health and nutrition. Rudi’s Gluten-Free believes as strongly as I do that children deserve nutritious and delicious lunches and are very excited to give their fans the chance to celebrate by posting pictures of their children eating yummy (and healthy, delicious) sandwiches.
So get out your favorite sandwich fixings and fire up the flash bulb on your camera! Go to the Say Cheese Photo Contest Web site and enter the photo for a chance to win. And remember…say “CHEESE!”
The Celiathlete 