I love, love, love, love pancakes and waffles. No, for real. I make pancakes sometimes in the morning before work and waffles…well, those tend to be my weekend treat. So, finding a good mix in order to make these simple, but delicious breakfast treats is sometimes a challenge. Especially when you have food allergies.
Now, I’m not saying that all gluten-free pancake mixes will fall short of expectations. In fact, most of the ones I have tried have been decent enough to continue using…and…in some cases, purchase again.
Awhile back, I purchased a box of Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix. And, true to form, I used everything else ahead of it while this sat in my pantry…waiting…waiting. I mean, the box is green and white…screaming at me to grab it and make some breakfast magic with it. And…still…it sat.
But, that is no longer the case. You guessed it…the expiration date was drawing close and I needed to use this mix…STAT! This is a habit that I am truly working myself out of. No more stocking up for the zombie apocalypse anymore (okay…not really why I have so much gluten-free goodness in my pantry…but it sounds good). This expiration date, however, was so close that I told my roomie that we’d be having pancakes every day this week for breakfast. Including gym mornings. Reheated pancakes are never as good as fresh of the griddle…but you have to make sacrifices.
And then…as luck would have it…I flipped the box over to look at their directions for making pancakes with this mix…and spotted another recipe. And this one utilized the entire box.
It was for Irish Soda Bread…and I just happened to have every single ingredient for it in my fridge and pantry. Lucky, lucky me. My mind was made up. Irish Soda Bread for breakfast this week. I’d make 12 slices out of it…and we would literally have one piece of it with some fruit for breakfast every day. It would mean only one morning of baking…and the rest, as long as the results were delicious, would be ready for a light reheat on regular mornings and those mornings we hit the gym.
Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread made from a box of Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix
This recipe was super easy. I just used the entire Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix and to it added eggs, melted butter, unsweetened almond milk, raisins, and orange zest. Caraway seeds were an optional ingredient and I chose not to add them. I mixed all the ingredients together and poured the batter into a 8 inch cake pan. Put it in an oven at 375°F for 35 minutes. And when I pulled it out of the oven, just as my roommate was getting up on Monday morning for breakfast, it was golden brown. I brushed the top with some more melted butter, let it cool for only a couple of minutes, and then sliced it up.
My roommate loves her bread with butter, so she gets a schmear of that. I eat my bread plain most of the time and this was no exception.
I was really, really leery about turning a pancake and waffle mix into a loaf of Irish Soda Bread, but this…WORKED! For real. The result was amazing. The wedges of bread were sturdy and dense, just like real Irish Soda Bread. The raisins remained plump and juicy. And the orange zest adds that needed zing to the actual bread itself. The mix baked up beautifully, not becoming dry or brittle in the slightest. This bread was so easy to slice through. And the taste…well, you would never in a million years guess that this bread was gluten-free. Nor would you know that it came from a pancake and waffle mix.
I am very happy with the way this mix created this delicious Irish Soda Bread. If you are having some difficulty locating Gluten Free Pantry items…there’s a reason. It’s Glutino, and they have changed their packaging. So look for Glutino’s Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix and you’ll be finding the same exact product that I used here. Now you know how long I’ve had this mix.
It may have taken me awhile to actually use this mix…but I am so happy that I finally did. And, I am more than pleased to have utilized it in a manner that isn’t just pancakes and waffles. Have a hankering for Irish Soda Bread…or perhaps those pancakes and waffles sound like just what you need in your life. In either case, for an easy, handy mix, I encourage you to get Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix.
Bake or flip your way to gluten-free breakfast goodness.
A wedge of Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread baked from a box of Glutino’s Gluten Free Pantry Brown Rice Pancake & Waffle Mix
It’s amazing how you never realize how much you miss something until you no longer have the option of having it. Like…a dinner roll. Something that simple. And at first, maybe you just say…”I don’t need that anyway. I don’t need those calories…” But after awhile…when everyone else at the table has something to scoop up their sauces with…you sort of miss having the option.
Maybe not to the extent of being jealous. But sometimes…the social binder that is the bread basket at dinner on the holidays or at gatherings does leave a void…when you are a Celiac or gluten intolerant.
But…that’s all about to change.
Awhile back, Udi’s introduced a couple of new bread products to their line-up. Among them were a gluten-free French baguette, classic French dinner rolls and seeded whole grain dinner rolls. All of which I had been dying to try…but never quite allowed myself to purchase when on my strict grocery budget. But…a Groupon happened to come around for a local natural foods store…and I purchased it. As the expiration date was swiftly approaching, my roommate and I ducked in there this past weekend (during the chaos of a Vegetarian Tasting Fair) to get some products we really wanted to try.
One of the first products that was overwhelmingly decided on were…Udi’s Gluten-Free Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Rolls.
My usual mojo is that items end up sitting in my freezer or pantry for awhile as I use up other items that came before it. But I had nothing quite like these…and I really, really, really wanted to test them out. As I was making a pasta dish for dinner the other night, it would be the perfect side dish to accompany the meal.
Udi’s Gluten-Free Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Rolls (toasted and fresh from the oven)
Nothing could be simpler. Open bag of frozen dinner rolls, remove, place on a baking sheet, and warm in an oven at for about 10-15 minutes…and they are ready to serve. Yes…really that easy.
Before I get into the taste, let’s start with the basics. The serving size is one roll. Yep. One roll. These rolls are about 2.5 inches in length and about 2 inches in circumferance, so they are a very good size. You only really need one. Each roll is 100 calories (not bad for bread!), 4 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. It’s pretty much a powerhouse. Where does all that protein come from? Simple. Udi’s makes their Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Rolls with healthy chia, sunflower, and flax seeds. Right there is a healthy combination that you wouldn’t get with regular bread. They are even healthier than Udi’s own Gluten-Free Classic French Dinner Rolls. How about that?!
Now…I’ve utilized these in two ways…
Udi’s Gluten-Free Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Roll (sliced in half with a schmear of vegan butter)
The first two times I ate them, I ate them just as a side dish. This was the perfect side for my pasta dish. And then, last night, my roomie and I each had a roll with my Chickpea Teriyaki over Steamed Spinach. I simply toasted these in the oven, sliced each roll in half, and gave them a light schmear of vegan butter. It was perfect like that for each dish. What was the best part of eating the rolls like that was that I truly got to taste the bread. My pasta didn’t have a sauce with it (I coated it with vegan butter and Parmesan), so again…I could taste the bread.
My roommate found that it tasted a lot like a honey wheat bread. She loved it…and she can have regular rolls!! She isn’t the one that has to eat gluten-free. She does…because I have to. We both agreed…these got a nice crispy crust on the outside in the oven…but were so soft and fluffy on the inside. They aren’t heavy or dense at all. Amazing. I probably could have eaten another one each time…but resistance was futile.
And the reason for that being…tonight I took the last four rolls and made each of us gluten-free and vegetarian “meatball” mini-subs. OH. MY. GLUTEN. FREE. GOODNESS. No…for real. This was probably one of the best ideas I came up with. I simply threw some marinara sauce into a pan on the stove while my oven warmed up. In went the vegetarian meatballs (I used Franklin Farms Veggieballs) to heat through while the sauce simmered. Then, I placed the rolls on the baking sheet and put them in the oven for 5 minutes at 400°F. When 5 minutes were up, my sauce was simmering and the veggieballs were heated through. Perfect timing. I pulled the pan from the oven and turned on the broiler. Then, I sliced each roll down the center, making sure I kept the bottom in tact. I opened it up (sort of like a baked potato) and spooned two veggieballs inside, coating them with some of the remaining sauce. I threw some Daiya vegan mozzarella shreds on top, tossed the mini sub rolls under the broiler for about a minute…just long enough for the cheese to get a good melt on it, and BAM. Dinner was served. And these rolls made the best mini sub rolls I could have asked for. Honestly. Still light with the crusty outside, it made holding them and eating the sandwich easy and less messy. Texture is important and these were spot-on. For real.
I’m already putting these on my grocery list this week because now I can’t imagine not having a bag in my freezer. They are super delicious. Super easy to prepare. And best of all…good for you. Especially where gluten-free breads are concerned.
Hunt these down in your local grocery stores. Find them. And try them. I guarantee you…you’ll fall in love with them too.
Gluten-Free and Vegetarian “Meatball” Mini Subs made with Udi’s Gluten-Free Seeded Whole Grain Dinner Rolls (also used: Franklin Farms Veggieballs and Daiya Mozzarella Shreds)
For the first time in my life…I was excited to be heading to Disney. Yes…I’m in my thirties. No…I’ve never been to a Disney park. No Disneyland. No Disney World. My family could never afford to go when I was growing up…so that was one thing many of my friends had done that I hadn’t yet achieved. It was certainly on my bucket list, and from what I had been told…I’d enjoy it more now that I was older anyway.
That being the case…the perfect opportunity to go there arose with the Disney Princess Half Marathon. Originally, I was going to run this one in 2012, but I didn’t have the money for it. So, the moment registration opened for the 2013 Disney Princess Half Marathon, you better believe I was registered and ready to run. The way I figured it…if I went ahead and registered, I couldn’t talk myself out of it due to financial reasons. No looking back. I signed up the minute registration was opened…and I was locked in.
Disney World.
Trust me…I do not travel without doing some research as to what I might be able to eat. Thankfully, Disney World is pretty much the #1 go-to vacation spot if you have food allergies…especially Celiac or gluten intolerance. Trust me. I was expecting to have to eat many a Go Picnic meal while on vacation, but I only had to break into one of the little packs I brought…and that was at the Atlanta airport on the way home. That definitely speaks very highly of the park and of Disney.
So…here I go with yet another combination blog about my amazing dining experiences while at Disney World. I wanted to be particularly safe in my food choices being that I was there to run a half marathon and being glutenized while on vacation sucks enough…but being glutenized before running 13.1 miles sucks even more.
Safety was key…and I never felt as if I were in any danger of becoming sick at any dining establishment where my roommate and I chose to dine.
I suppose the best place to start…is at the beginning of the trip…
Sanaa – Animal Kingdom Lodge
Restaurant: Sanaa – The Animal Kingdom Lodge
What better way to experience Animal Kingdom, our first park of choice, than by eating at the Animal Kingdom Lodge that night for dinner. What really added to the ambiance of this particular dining attraction was that you could literally gaze out of the window and see exotic animals roaming around the Sunset Savanna as you eat. The cuisine is African-inspired with Indian flavored. Mmmm…I totally dig Indian food.
My roommate and I arrived about 15 minutes ahead of our reservation. As we checked in, the hostess said that she saw that there was one person in the party with a gluten allergy. I nodded and said that it was me. She handed us our little pager thingy and we took a seat to wait for our table. Despite arriving early, we were taken back as soon as something opened up…which was just before our reservation time anyway.
I loved the dimly lit quarters in which diners were seated. All around were decorations from Africa, really adding to the
Hazelnut Rooibos Tea
amazing feel of the restaurant itself. And, once seated, our waiter came over to the table to get our drink order and talk about some specials. I went ahead and ordered a hot tea to go with my dinner, settling on the Hazelnut Rooibos tea ($6.29) with some water.
As he was going over some of the favorites on the menu, he noted that I had the gluten-free menu in front of me and said that a chef would be out to talk to me specifically about the menu, but that if anything on the regular menu looked like it had gluten in it…it was not on mine. Just as he was starting to go over the gluten-free bread option should I want to do the Indian-style bread service, which means I get poppadoms instead of the traditional bread, the chef, Jake, came out to speak to me about the menu.
Chef Jake really did a lot to put my mind to ease. Not only did he promise to watch my ticket carefully as it was prepared, he also went over the poppadoms that I could use for the Indian-style bread service, should I choose to do that. He went over which sauces/chutneys would be okay with that (they were listed on the menu) and said that I could put my mind to ease…as they would take good care of me. I thanked him for his time and he returned to the kitchen, leaving us once again in the capable hands of our server, Chris.
With a little bit of time to decide on what we wanted, my roommate and I placed our orders. Cathy decided on the Chicken Tandoori Pilaf ($17.99). As for me…the Sanaa Vegetarian Sampler ($14.99) sounded awesome. I was able to choose two of the five vegetarian dishes and have them served with basmati rice. I was able to choose between Paneer Tikka; Stewed Lentils; Spicy Peas, Chickpeas, and Potatoes; Mixed Seasonal Greens and Tomatoes; Vindaloo-style Vegetables. I knew for certain I wanted the Vindaloo-style Vegetables, so the difficult part was deciding what the other choice would be. After a little back and forth, I chose the Stewed Lentils as my second option.
Chris went to put in the order and I left my fate in the hands of Chef Jake and his knowledgeable kitchen staff.
Food arrived at our table and I couldn’t wait to try it out. It looked fantastic. Three bowls were placed before me. The middle one held the basmati rice, the one on the left had my tewed lentils, and the one on the right had the vindaloo-style vegetables. It smelled fantastic and I couldn’t wait to dig in.
The basmati rice was perfect with each of these dishes…for one thing. And the rice was cooked to perfection and lightly flavored, so as not to take away from the dishes that accompanied it. I started with the Vindaloo-style Vegetables. This dish included a blend of okra, tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower and onion. It wasn’t packed with flavor…as I was expecting a bit of a spice to accompany it. But, that being said, it wasn’t lacking either. I thought this was going to be the highlight of my sampler…but it was slightly too mild for me and definitely not as full of flavor as I anticipated. That being said, it did taste good. I just was familiar with my last vegetarian vindaloo experience where I had a lot of heat in each bite. This wasn’t at all bad…it just wasn’t as fantastic as I had built it up in my mind.
The stewed lentils, however, are another story. These golden lentils were not only packed with protein (me and my protein!), but also seasoned to perfection. They were creamy and had a hint of spice to them that I enjoyed. I dished some rice into them and it was a perfect combination when mixed together. I loved the texture and taste of these lentils. Nothing grainy…nothing too bland. Perfection. These thrilled me.
Despite being full, Chris talked my roommate and I into dessert. As we were both rather full, we decided to split something. And the dessert menu at Sanaa was not lacking as far as gluten-free options went. As we were splitting, Cathy and I chose to try our waiter’s suggestion, the Banana Kulfi Sundae ($5.49), which he described as a banana split without the banana. Well, I was totally sold!
Sanaa’s Banana Kulfi Sundae
The dessert was brilliant. A cube of banana flavored kulfi (which is sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk that is flavored) is served with a wedge of dried pineapple, warm chocolate sauce, strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and spiced cashews. Kulfi is a bit denser than ice cream and actually takes longer to melt. Pretty awesome. And the dessert…was fantastic. Amazingly tasty. I especially loved the strawberries that came on the side. I tried to mix as many of the components together for a bite and it was magical. I suggest to anyone dining at Sanaa they save room for dessert and give the Banana Kulfi Sundae a try. Trust me…it was worth the extra money and indulgence.
Sanaa was certainly a good way to kick off my week at Disney World. I was put to total ease from the moment I checked in and never felt like I needed to second guess any of the food placed in front of me. Total win.
Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant – Downtown Disney
Well, by now, you know how it is when a pub is in the vicinity with my roommate and I. We definitely love our pub grub. She definitely always has more of a selection because being gluten-free at a pub is definitely not easy and being a vegetarian on top of it…even more difficult. But, I still love the atmosphere of Irish pubs and we chose this one specifically because of how it was rated with gluten-free fare. Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant is located in the bustling, busy, crowded Downtown Disney.
Let me preface this by saying that of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one was my least favorite. There were options on the menu for me…many dishes being labeled as having a gluten-free version of it (and yes…this included the fish and chips). So, that was very calming for me as far as menu choices went. The thing was…beyond a salad, there wasn’t too much for a vegetarian to have…aside from the Raglan Risotto…which I almost settled on. The server said I could also enjoy the Portobello Beauty Sandwich without the bread. But…with all that being said…I decided to stick with something I could pretty much guarantee wouldn’t make me sick.
Let it be known, Cathy cannot enter a pub without getting the Fish and Chips ($19.00) which she always gets with a drink, and since they had Magners ($7.00 – and it’s gluten-free) on tap…she was definitely one happy girl.
I decided to stick with water for my beverage and finally settled on one of the salads on the menu that was vegetarian and gluten-free. My choice…the Vroom Salad ($12.00) with a helping of some gluten-free carbs…a side of their fries (or chips as they say in Ireland) ($5.00), which would be prepared gluten-free for me.
Dinner arrived at our table. My roommate loved how her fish and chips were served traditionally…wrapped in paper and poured out onto her plate. She loved the tartar sauce that came with it. She did enjoy the fish, but the chips lacked.
As for me…the Vroom Salad intrigued me right away. The Vroom Salad is made up of gluten-free quinoa grains with cider vinegar marinated
Raglan Road’s Vroom Salad with a side of Chips
beans, sweet and sour carrots, watercress, and served with a honey mustard dressing. It was presented in the center of a plate in a pile, which I totally destroyed with my fork to scatter things about the plate and mix with the dressing.
As far as a salad goes…this one was actually one of the better offerings I have had at a pub. The addition of the quinoa was a fantastic protein-packed addition to the usual greens and vegetables that I get stuck with at such establishments. The flavors from the beans and carrots only heightened the flavor of the salad. I felt they were a little heavy-handed with the watercress, but it added a nice green throughout the salad, once I mixed it up. The watercress was the most unwieldy part of this salad. It was the best part of this meal.
That being said…my roommate and I were more than disappointed with the chips. These fries were mostly soggy and lacking that firm crunch I love on the outside of fries. I don’t get to eat fries out much, so I was looking forward to these. And they were a huge disappointment in the end. I ate more of them than I intended, but as I was paying for them…it seemed like I had to put some effort into it.
Would I go back to Raglan Road on a follow-up visit? Not likely. Which is too bad…because I do love pubs.
No dessert…instead my roommate and I hit up Downtown Disney Babycakes NYC bakery for a gluten-free cookie sandwich. My favorite thing I ate all night. But I’ll get to Downtown Disney’s brach of Babcakes NYC soon enough…
Sunshine Seasons – Epcot
Restaurant: Sunset Seasons – Epcot
With all the food options available at Epcot…there was very little around the park that I could actually eat. Today was the day before the race and I needed to be very sure about the food I consumed. One bit of cross contamination could be disastrous for me and my race that I paid so much to run and trained hard for in the cold weather of Indiana.
My roommate already knew what she was going to consume at the park – Lamb Schwarma Platter ($12.99) from Tangierine Cafe in Morocco. That plate of food came complete with her protein of choice (lamb) as well as a side of hummus, tabouleh and a Tangierine couscous salad with fresh Moroccan bread. We had met up with our friend Indy, who was also running in the race, and she ventured over to Japan for some sushi. This only left me to find food. And while I hoped for some gluten-free vegetarian sushi, I was informed that only the Tariyaki Salmon was gluten-free in Japan. No good. I left feeling down. Looked like it was back to the original plan for me that day…grabbing something at Sunshine Seasons in the food court at Epcot.
I was told they were famous for their soups…but it was hot outside and I wasn’t feeling soup. I checked out some of the grab-and-go options…including the sushi…but not gluten-free. Of course. *sigh* With no other options, it looked like I was having yet another salad. We spoke to the person at the salad bar to find out if the Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad ($7.89) was gluten-free. She wasn’t certain, so she went to check with the chef. He said that as long as there was no cracker served with it…it would be okay for me.
I wasn’t feeling it…but I was hungry. So…that’s what I ordered.
Sunshine Season’s Roasted Beets and Goat Cheese Salad
The salad was rather small, comparatively speaking. It was basically roasted red and yellow beets, served over lightly dressed spring greens. Generous heaps of goat cheese were served with it. And, on top, cinnamon-roasted pecans to add a bit of texture and flavor. The entire salad was dressed with a mild honey-sherry dressing.
It was…okay. I liked the nuts and goat cheese the best. The beets were, actually, a good choice for the day before the race. But there was nothing really great about this meal. Grab-and-go is not my favorite thing as it is…and food courts are…not always the best option as a go-to for me. But…I had to eat. While all the flavors worked together…this just wasn’t what I really wanted that day, so it paled in comparison to anything else I could have sought out. The problem was…this was all there was. So, while the salad was good…it wasn’t amazing. And I probably wouldn’t order it again even if it were the only option once again.
Meh.
Damn you Epcot and your lack of gluten-free, vegetarian ethnic food throughout your showcases.
Riverside Mill Food Court
Restaurant: Riverside Mill Food Court – Port Orleans Riverside
This…was not a planned food stop on this trip. Not at all. But…here’s the thing. I am an athlete through and through and I have my traditions and my superstitious. And here is the thing…before every big or long race I run…I love to have gluten-free pizza. And if pizza is not available, gluten-free pasta will do in a pinch. But it’s that gluten-free pizza that seems to power me through the following morning. And after spending the day at Epcot and only consuming a small salad…I needed something that would give me some energy for the early morning race (the race kicks off at 5:30 a.m.).
Panic mode. None of the restaurants that have gluten-free pizza were in range of the resort. My roomie and I were staying at Port Orleans Riverside. And we had made it back over that way when I said I needed to have my gluten-free pizza/pasta tradition. Honestly…this isn’t something I take lightly. But with nothing close…I wasn’t sure how to accomplish this.
My roommate went to speak to the concierge on duty. His name was Will and he was fantastic. He said he knew how difficult it was to be a Celiac and said he would see what he could do to help. He picked up the phone and called down to the food court in the resort to see if there was something they could help me with. He was told to send us down and have us ask to see as chef. We thanked him for his help and meandered that way.
Chef Will (from Columbus, Ohio) came out to see us and we explained that I was running in the half marathon the next morning and have a tradition of either gluten-free pizza or pasta prior to the race. He said he could prepare either one of them for me. So, my roommate and I each decided to get one of the gluten-free pizzas. She could have actually gotten anything from the food court, but I think she was just trying to keep it simple. Chef Will went to go prepare two gluten-free cheese pizzas for us (individual size) and I was forever grateful and already feeling better about the run in the morning. He went over to the kitchen at Boatwright’s Dining Hall to actually cook the pizzas. Then, after they were ready, he walked them out himself.
Pre-race, individual size, gluten-free cheese pizza ($8.99) made specifically because I had a dietary need…from the Riverside Mill Food Court. I was impressed.
The pizza was…not one of the better ones I’ve had. The usual rice cracker crust with pasta sauce and some cheese…warmed through and put onto plates. Nothing special. Nothing fantastic. Nothing that made it stand out from some of the other places I have dined on gluten-free pizza. But at the moment…nothing could have tasted better. I appreciate the effort that Port Orleans Riverside put forth for me, specifically the help that both Will and Chef Wes gave to me to help me get the food I needed the night before my reason for being in town.
Huge sigh of relief. Mediocre pizza…but man…that night…it tasted oh, so good!
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Restaurant: Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – Hollywood Studios
Of all the places I ate at Disney World…this one, ironically, was my favorite. Really. I say ironically because it is, after all, an Italian restaurant and for the most part…Italian food is a no-go for the gluten-free diet.
Unless places can accommodate patrons.
And this place was rated high on how they can deal with food allergies…specifically gluten-free dining.
We arrived a little early for our reservation, but they didn’t mind. A short wait and we were still seated ahead of our reservation time. Loved that. Our server, Elizabeth S., came to the table and noted the tag marked “ALLERGY.” She inquired as to what the allergy was and I told her gluten. She said the chef would be out to speak to me about my options.
A few moments later, Chef Michael was coming to the table to talk about the menu. He said that the pastas could be made gluten-free…and he
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
also had gluten-free flatbreads and dinner rolls. And, should there be room for dessert…a gluten-free flourless cake. He asked if I knew what I wanted and I explained that since I was a vegetarian as well, I was really looking at the Spaghetti Marinara ($14.99). He said that he could even throw in some vegetables for me if I would like. I’ve never met a vegetable I didn’t like…so I told him I was totally game for that and he could have some fun with it. He asked if I was interested in the gluten-free dinner rolls, and I had run 13.1 miles that day…so of course I was.
That being decided he returned to the kitchen and Elizabeth returned to the table. Cathy opted for the Spaghetti with Meatballs and a Four Cheese Sauce ($18.99), which came with complimentary bread.
This would also be a great time to mention that my gluten-free dinner rolls…were also complimentary. No charge. Not at all. And I was given 3 in my basket when they came out to the table…warm and ready to eat. I broke one open and took a bite. Delicious. It tasted like what I remember a honey wheat bread to taste like. But…it was completely gluten-free…warm…amazing…soft…and just plain YUMMY!
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Spaghetti Marinara with Chef Michael’s Vegetable Selection
Entrees arrived at the table and I was taken aback by just how much food was in that bowl. Lots of pasta. Lots and lots of pasta. And my favorite part was the plethora of vegetables that Chef Michael added to my dish. I found carrots, broccoli, peppers, spinach, and mushrooms. It was so much fun seeking out those little morsels and mixing them with the rice noodles and the delicious marinara. I fell in love with this meal. So much. And, sadly, there was a lot of it. I couldn’t finish it. But I at least did the chef justice by eating every last vegetable I could find in that bowl. It was a treasure hunt and I enjoyed every single bite of it.
As I had two dinner rolls remaining, I chose to take those with me to have as lunch while out and about in the parks the following day. We were heading back to Epcot and I knew there was little for me to eat there…so now I had something that could quell any hunger pains before dinner that night.
Now…if you will recall…I mentioned that this was my favorite place I dined while in Disney World. And, for me, that meant…I wanted more. I was so intrigued by this gluten-free flatbread that I asked if, perhaps, on our last day there…if we could go back for dinner. We had a big breakfast planned that morning but nothing else, and I figured we’d want something to eat before heading back to the resort to finish packing and turn in for the night.
The problem was…there was no reservations available for us. We checked with the concierge at Port Orleans Riverside the night before…but nothing. We checked again the following morning…still nothing. So, it seemed we were out of luck. On a whim, however, we decided to at least hop down to Hollywood Studios that evening to see if they might be taking walk ins. That…was a negative. However, the hostess did tell us to check back around 6:30 p.m. if we wanted to wait that long (it was just over an hour wait), because some people never turn up for their reservation, opting to go to the Fantasmic! show instead.
I was starving by this point, mind you, and the thought of waiting that long was daunting. However, hopping the bus back to Port Orleans Riverside to dine on Go Picnic meals on our last night in Disney World was less than exciting. Our other option was Sanaa, but online reservations would have us at 6:50. Might as well wait until 6:30 here at Mama Melrose’s and see if something opened up. If not…we’d figure something out…
Luck was with us that night. We turned back up at 6:30 p.m. as instructed. The hostess radioed back to see if they could take a party of two…and they could. It meant a 20 minute wait, but I had already come this far to eat here again, I wasn’t going to stop now. I think our wait was actually less than 20 minutes…but well worth it. We were seated, and the allergy tag was stuck on the table once again. Our waitress tonight was Rose. She said that we might have to wait a little on the chef tonight, as a party of 14 was seated near us and they had kids with multiple food allergies.
The wait was well worth it. Chef Michael came to our table and welcomed us back, already setting a basket of gluten-free dinner rolls down. He remembered us!! Two nights ago he made me a fantastic Spaghetti Marinara. And we told him that we had returned tonight, since he intrigued us by gluten-free flatbread and flourless chocolate cake.
Cathy and I chose to split the Wild Mushroom Flatbread ($12.99). He said he would get right to work on that and would keep in mind the
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Wild Mushroom Flatbread
flourless chocolate cake. YAY! Rose came over to record the order to put it into the system and let us sit and enjoy our hot dinner rolls. Chef Michael returned with some olive oil and spices to dip our rolls in, as well as some fresh butter to spread over it should we choose. We did both. And both were delicious choices. We actually devoured all of the rolls before the flatbread came to the table.
The Wild Mushroom Flatbread is sort of like a pizza. This one is a gluten-free flatbread crust that is topped with roasted cremini and button mushrooms, a garlic-shallot spread, and then finished off with the most amazing balsamic reduction. This was complete love at first bite. The balsamic reduction was the best touch for this, but all of the components worked together. And the gluten-free flatbread was beyond fantastic. Finally…a “pizza” I could really enjoy on this trip. Amazing. We had no trouble splitting this and polishing it off.
Mama Melrose’s Gluten-Free Brownie à la Mode
As for that flourless chocolate cake though…the chef searched high and low…and couldn’t find one. But here is where the magic of Disney happens. Because he had promised it…he instead sent out a gluten-free brownie topped with ice cream and chocolate sauce…free of charge. The brownie was crisp on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. And the cold ice cream sitting on top of it only enhanced the already amazing chocolate flavor of the brownie. Right here is proof enough that gluten-free doesn’t mean tasteless or hard or dense. This brownie was hot, rich, and packed with fudgy chocolate flavor. It was a truly decadent and sinful treat. But it was our last night there…and I was ready to indulge.
A very nice tip was left for our waitress and lots of praise and thanks were shared with the hostess to pass on to Chef Michael.
And I would dine here over and over again…and next time I’m at Disney…I will do just that.
La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Restaurant: La Hacienda de San Angel – Epcot
Epcot…oh, Epcot. Returning to the land of very little food for me. But this was different. This was dinner. And the one place that my roomie researched when it came to gluten-free options was this beautiful Mexican restaurant in the World Showcase of Epcot. The restaurant – La Hacienda de San Angel.
Now…I love authentic Mexican food. I don’t eat much of it anymore because there are just too many factors that go into the food that could lead to cross contamination. But the reviews about this place were a huge help and brought a sense of comfort with the service and the food that would be served.
In fact, it was stated online that La Hacienda de San Angel makes their own gluten-free corn tortillas in house! This was exciting news. My roommate took the time to print off the vegetarian menu from the Internet prior to leaving, so I had an idea of what I was going to get from that. The Enchaladas de Vegetales actually sounded very appetizing to me as that day I was suffering a little from the banana split I had for dessert the night before (too much dairy!). So, with an off stomach…Mexican food was sounding very daunting…but I wanted to give this a go.
We showed up early to the restaurant. Actually, we thought we were right on time, given that there was a huge line that we went to stand in just to reach the hostess outside of the restaurant. But, after a few minutes of standing there, the entire line cleared up. So we were now a good 40 minutes early for our reservation. The hostess looked up our reservation and sent us through the doors to the restaurant to have a seat and wait. I actually anticipated waiting the entire time, but we were actually shown to our seats soon after that.
Our waiter let us slide into our booth and then he settled a napkin on each of our laps. Ooooh….fancy. I suddenly felt under-dressed now. This happens every time I get a napkin placed on my lap. But, you know…they didn’t seem to care about my jeans and t-shirt at all. So, that fleeting moment of fashionista critic passed in a blink. We were handed menus and asked what we would like to drink. I once again stuck to water.
And here…was where a wave of panic settled in. I started to peruse the menu…and save for the Ensalada de la Hacienda…there wasn’t much for me to eat. Upon the return of our server, we were asked if we knew what we wanted to eat. I explained that I was a gluten-free vegetarian and he said that they could easily whip up their Tacos de Vegetales (Vegetable Tacos) for me on corn tortillas. I decided that would be much preferable to yet another salad and gave a nod of approval and said that sounded fantastic.
While we waited on our food, our server brought out the house made (and gluten-free) corn tortilla chips with two different types of salsa. One red. One green. The red one was robust in tomato flavor and had a nice kick to it. But, surprisingly, it was the salsa verde that I fell in love with. I normally go for that heat kick, but the sweet salsa verde blended so well with the corn tortilla chips. I couldn’t stop dipping into it. But I knew I had tacos on the way, so I kept my pre-meal chip snack to a bare minimum.
Cathy ordered the Tacos de Camarones ($23.95). These were basically flour tortilla tacos that were filled with fried shrimp, cabbage, lime, salsa verde, and a chipotle-lime aioli. It was the chipotle-lime aioli that caught her eye. In fact…she said that the description reminded her a lot of the shrimp tempura tacos that she gets at our local eatery, Dragon King’s Daughter (locations in New Albany, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky). And when they arrived, they actually sort of resembled that too, save for the addition of the cabbage.
My Tacos de Vegetales ($19.95) were a similar story. I was so impressed with these…and that was at first glance when they set them down in
La Hacienda de San Angel’s Tacos de Vegetales on corn tortillas (gluten-free)
front of me. These corn tortillas were stuffed full of grilled vegetables, cabbage, roasted corn, black beans, and topped with a little queso fresco. My tacos were also topped off with a bit of the chipotle-lime aioli as well and…yeah…it was magic. A Mexican fiesta in my mouth for sure. The depth of flavor in these simple tacos was astounding. The black beans were awesome and added a nice protein aspect as well as a richness that the tacos really needed. The cabbage gave it some crunch. And the roasted corn and grilled veggies were delicious. The corn was the star of the tacos though. Roasted to perfection and full of flavor. I devoured all three of the tacos on my plate.
La Hacienda de San Angel’s sides of Mexican Rice and Refried Black Beans
Our meals were served with sides of refried black beans and Mexican rice. The rice was fantastically seasoned and spiced. It had a bit of a kick to it, which I enjoyed and appreciated. But the star of the sides that came with our food was definitely the refried black beans. They were rich and full of this depth of flavor that was astounding. I wanted to eat the entire bowl, but the tacos were very filling, so I had a couple of spoonfuls of both the rice and beans and left it at that.
Dessert was offered, but we chose not to indulge tonight as our meal was quite filling on its own. We left completely full and quite happy with the value of the meal and the quality of the food we experienced. I loved how the staff didn’t even bat an eyelash when I said I was a gluten-free vegetarian, immediately having a dish that they could offer me. I enjoyed how they assured me everything was gluten-free and safe for me to eat. And I enjoyed every…filling…bite.
I would have gone back to this restaurant in a heartbeat as well…but they were booked solid the night we were there and not accepting walk-ins at all…so I bid it adios and was thankful for the dining experience.
1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Restaurant: 1900 Park Fare – Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Let it be said that you should never travel to Disney World and not attend one of the character breakfasts. For real. My roommate did all the planning on this one, deciding on a breakfast at 1900 Park Fare, located inside the Grand Floridian Resort. Now, this resort is rather grand on its own…outside and inside.
But the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast was our character breakfast of choice. This is basically a festive, all-you-care-to-eat breakfast buffet, with Disney character guests that make appearances while you eat. We actually arrived earlier than anticipated because our Disney bus driver dropped us off at the resort instead of having us get off at one of the parks to catch a bus to the resort. Awesome. We appreciated that, but it left us with a bunch of extra time.
So, after wandering around the lobby we noticed a line forming at 1900 Park Fare and decided that we could at least check in with the hostess and maybe get seated earlier instead of with the 8:30 a.m. wave. They were happy to accommodate and noticed that there was a food allergy listed on the reservation. They handed me two tickets for the breakfast, both marked “ALLERGY.” When they opened the doors to seat us, we handed over these tickets and were shown to our table. I was informed by the woman who seated us that a chef would come over to talk to me. While Cathy could have gone and loaded up her plate with breakfast goodies, she opted to wait for me to see the chef.
The chef did arrive a little bit later and asked me to walk with him. What he did was take me through the buffet line, pointing out what foods I could safely eat. They were good about keeping things were there would be no cross-contamination. The fruit was okay, the scrambled eggs were safe, the potatoes were safe…etc. And then he said the words that made me the happiest gluten-free girl in Disney that morning. That he could make me gluten-free waffles. Gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. Just. For. Me.
THRILLED! I said that waffles sounded amazing and he said he would get to work on them and bring them to my table…but to go ahead and get anything else from the buffet that he pointed out to me. So, with that said, I joined Cathy at the table and said he was making me some waffles, but we could hit up the buffet now.
From 1900 Park Fare’s Supercalifragilistic Character Breakfast Buffet (Fresh fruit, hash browns, eggs, and strawberry soup)
In the line of the buffet, I went ahead and got a bunch of different fruits…honeydew melon, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, grapes…yummy. In addition, I ladled a little of the strawberry soup into a bowl to try. I decided to give the hash brown potatoes and some of the scrambled eggs a try as they were deemed safe for my consumption. And I was hungry.
As I settled back into my seat and started eating some of the sweet fruit, the chef appeared at my side with a plate of four gluten-free Mickey Mouse waffles. I thanked him and couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I moved one over to my plate, sliced off an ear, and gave it a dip in the real maple syrup he brought out with it.
1900 Park Fare’s Gluten-Free Mickey Mouse Waffles
Waffles never tasted so good. They were sweet and light and fluffy and SHAPED LIKE MICKEY MOUSE! I mean…come on!! It doesn’t get much better than that. And honestly, I’ve eaten quite a few gluten-free waffles at places, as well as made my own, and had the frozen kinds…and none come close to equaling these. Perfection. The fact that they weren’t heavy made it a synch to eat all four of them. And I still went back for more fruit, more eggs, and a few more hash browns. WORTH IT.
And, to top it off…our Disney character guests arrived and made their way around the dining room to greet the guests. At the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast, we had the honor of meeting Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and The Mad Hatter. And all of them were so much fun to talk to, get pictures with, and interact with. I don’t care if I’m in my thirties…I loved every moment of this breakfast and meeting the characters. You’re never too old for Disney characters. Mary Poppins sure was charming and I had been wanting to meet her all weekend. So this was AWESOME!
The Supercalifragilistic Breakfast is $21.95 per person and includes the buffet and a non-alcoholic beverage. The food was really delicious. The company was awesome. And the care was above and beyond expectations. I am already wanting to go back and do another character breakfast!
Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
Restaurant: Babycakes NYC – Downtown Disney
The one place that I was anticipating indulging in as often as possible was Babycakes NYC in Downtown Disney. The most difficult part, at least the first night we were there seeking it out…was locating the place. For the record, it is located in the same building as Pollo Campero and Bodie’s…right next to LEGO Land. So…now you won’t have to log onto the Web site and look it up. You’re welcome.
Cathy and I were seeking this out at night to have breakfast ready in the room, that way we could get an early start and not have to wait for 9 a.m. to roll around to get breakfast…and then eat…and then head out for the day. This way…we were set and could head out after a quick bite in our room. This was a fantastic arrangement, by the way. And the baked goods were just as good the following morning.
I own a Babycakes NYC cookbook and the vegan & gluten-free foods sounded fantastic. I haven’t made it up to New York City yet…but the fact that they have a branch at Disney World was enough for me to tell Cathy that we were eating there every single morning that it was feasible. And, with the exception of two days…we did exactly that.
Being that we were seeking out breakfast…we stuck to the case with the doughnuts and loaves. We each would pick a doughnut and a loaf to enjoy the following morning. And there was quite a selection to choose from too. All of these were both vegan and gluten-free…meaning I had nothing to worry about when it came to my breakfasts. The most difficult part was choosing what I wanted to eat.
So…it went like this:
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Doughnuts and Loaves (Top Right: Day 1; Top Left: Day 2; Bottom Right: Day 3; Bottom Left: Day 4)
Trip #1: Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut ($3.49) and a Blueberry Toastie (Loaf) ($3.49)
Trip #2: Vanilla Glazed Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Chip Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #3: Chocolate Dipped Doughnut ($3.49) and a Pumpkin Loaf ($3.49)
Trip #4: Jam Twist Doughnut ($3.49) and Banana Loaf ($3.49)
And that was just breakfast. In addition…Cathy had a few other options as well that I didn’t get for me, but we sampled each other’s choices. Cathy fell in love with the Lemon Poppyseed Loaf ($3.49), the Chocolate Cookie Crunch Doughnut ($3.49), and her favorite…the Cornbread Loaf ($3.49).
Okay…my most favorite of the doughnuts was the Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut…but cinnamon sugar has always been one of my favorite doughnuts to eat (blueberry being my favorite!). But here was the thing…they were so moist, so light and so very delicious. No one would be able to tell that these were vegan and gluten-free just by eating them. I was in sugar-rush heaven. I’m not big on glazed or dipped doughnuts, but these weren’t too bad. I find glazes and dips to be heavy…and these were…but the doughnuts were light and fluffy and flavorful…and when all is said and done…they worked well together. Everything just worked.
And the loafs…OH. MY. GOD. My favorite had to be the Pumpkin Chip Loaf…but they were all very good. They were sweet enough to satisfy that food craving and filling without being too much…even with the doughnuts. I found each one full of flavor. And my roommate will forever rave about that corn bread loaf. It was her favorite thing…and she only was able to get it one night…so thankfully she took a chance on that when she did. I also really liked the Blueberry Toastie…which had tons of fruity flavor and sweetness with the glaze and all. And of course, pumpkin and banana bread…you can’t go wrong with either of them. So moist. Bite-for-bite…even after sitting overnight in a box on the table in the hotel room…these were still moist and tasted like they were fresh from the bakery. Yeah…beyond impressed.
But we also sampled some other choices from Babycakes NYC as well. For dessert one night, we split one of their Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches ($3.49), which was fantastic. The chocolate chip cookies are thin, and crunchy, and sweet. Honestly…gluten-free cookie perfection. Normally I’m a chewy cookie kind of girl…but these were wafer-thin and had that perfect crumbly, sweet texture that works with chocolate chip cookies. And the frosting was vegan and made with cane sugar. It was moist and very sweet…so I was glad Cathy and I were splitting the cookie sandwich. I actually forgot to take a picture of that…but it was delicious.
Babycakes NYC Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie
So, on our last night there…we picked up our breakfast doughnuts and loaves…and they had a special on their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies ($1.00). So, we got two of them…one for each of us…because they were each discounted by $0.50…and when you’re on vacation and stocking up on sweets…that’s a good deal. We saved these for our last walk around our resort, and happily chewed away at the crunchy, buttery-flavored, amazing cookies. Yeah…heaven in cookie form. It was the right amount of sweetness and really hit the spot. It was the best way to wrap up our stay at Disney World…enjoying a vegan and gluten-free treat from the place we visited the most – Babycakes NYC.
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And there it is…my dining experiences at Disney World. Nothing catastrophic happened. I had my favorite food moments and my favorite food places…and I had meals that amazed me…meals that made me want to go back…meals that made me happy…and only a couple of disappointments. Not bad for this gluten-free vegetarian traveler. I am so thankful that Disney World is trained, prepared, and helpful to people with dietary restrictions. It took a load off my mind…and helped me focus on enjoying myself…and of course…preparing for the half marathon I was there to run.
Which…went so well, despite being high humidity (yes…at 5:30 a.m.)…leading to me shaving 2 minutes off my personal record and setting a new record for myself. I enjoyed the race…I enjoyed Disney World…and I enjoyed eating there and feeling confident in the fact that they truly were looking out for me in those kitchens.
Do you know what has been seriously lacking in my life since I had to go gluten-free? Light, fluffy biscuits. Yes. Light AND fluffy biscuits. They just…don’t seem to be possible either from a mix or from scratch. The closest I have ever come to what i seek was a light and fluffy dinner roll from Sinfully Gluten-Free in Dayton, Ohio. Those were awesome. But I don’t live in Dayton…and, technically, those aren’t really biscuits.
*sigh*
However…the great purge of the gluten-free selection at my local grocery store was going on and one of the items that was on closeout just happened to be 1-2-3 Gluten Free Southern Glory Biscuits. The box lays it all out: Light & Fluffy. Completely gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, casein-free, peanut-free, tree nut free, egg-free, and soy-free. Whew. On the Web site for the company, it might, just might even hint that these biscuits taste better than biscuits that contain gluten.
So…I figured…why not? Since my roomie was craving biscuits and gravy and I had just whipped up a vegetarian mushroom gravy for the occasion…the biscuits were next. Now, the instructions on the back of the box are rather daunting. I will warn you about that. The easiest way to make these would be in a food processor…but mine is so tiny it wasn’t an option. So, for the first part of the process, I used my blender…then did the rest by hand.
But…first things first. I am lactose intolerant…so the rest of the ingredients weren’t going to work for me. Sure, I could use heavy whipping cream and half and half…but my stomach may not like it after I eat a couple of these. However, 1-2-3 Gluten Free has a suggestion on the bottom on how to make non-dairy buttermilk biscuits. So, I poured 1-1/3 cup of warm unsweetened almond milk and added 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to it. I let it sit for about 25 minutes allowing it to thicken. Once it got there…the biscuits were on track to be made.
Into my blender went the package of Southern Glory Biscuit Mix along with the butter, cut up into pieces. I pulsed it until it resembled a coarse meal, then added the ‘buttermilk’ to the mix. This is where my blender stopped being of use, so everything got poured into a bowl and I ended up kneading the dough until it came together into a ball.
The next step was to roll out the dough to about a 1-1/2 inch thickness and cut the biscuits with a biscuit cutter or a glass. I used a biscuit cutter and ended up getting 18 biscuits from the dough. Then, into the refrigerator these went to cool. The box says that the colder the dough, the higher the biscuits would rise. Well, I wanted some really tall biscuits, so I left them to chill for about an hour (the box says to go for at least a half hour). Then, I preheated the oven to 375°F. Each biscuit got a light wash of almond milk and a sprinkling of salt before the pan went into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes. Mine actually took about 30 minutes because my heating element is STILL off.
And when they came out of the oven…they really hadn’t risen all that much. Which…made me sad. My roommate and I decided to go ahead and split one to see how they tasted. They were still a little doughy in the middle, so I put the pan back in the oven for a little longer. But from the half we each were eating…we seemed to like it. It tasted like a real buttermilk biscuit. They weren’t exactly light…or fluffy…but they tasted good. So, that was at least half the battle.
This morning, after a 10 mile run, I came home to assemble breakfast. These biscuits, topped with a homemade vegetarian mushroom gravy and one poached egg. My roommate requested biscuits and gravy…as she has been craving. And in this house, she eats what I cook and I cook what I can eat. So, sometimes allowing the gluten-free vegetarian to be the cook doesn’t always work out to her advantage. Lucky for her…I had a biscuit mix that needed to be used and some gravy that I could make thanks to some fresh produce from my CSA bin.
So, I reheated the gravy, then popped the biscuits into the microwave to warm them back up. With breakfast assembled, I went to settle in to enjoy. And, sadly, the biscuit, while it tasted awesome, was still just heavy and dense. Not light and fluffy. It made me weep a little on the inside because all I really want is to be able to cook up an amazing biscuit to have every once in awhile. While the taste is spot-on with this mix from 1-2-3 Gluten Free…sadly the texture is still not right for me. Still too heavy. Still too dense.
The promise of a light and fluffy biscuit might have fallen…flat…but the flavor…the taste…that is on point. It reminded me of the buttermilk biscuits from restaurants that I used to go to for breakfast. So…at least the taste hit a high-note for this gluten-free girl.
Would I buy these again? Perhaps if they were on sale. My search for the perfect gluten-free biscuit continues. While these delivered on flavor, they completely fell short on texture. Light and fluffy…not so much. I’ll keep on searching…
“Buttermilk” Biscuits from 1-2-3 Gluten Free Southern Glory Biscuit Mix
My friend Julie Sullivan is a saint. A saint, I tell you.
The other day, she posted this picture of her dinner…this amazing pasta-ish casserole, with the caption “Mac & Cheese Broccoli Bake.” Well, I was intrigued. I was drooling. Why? Because it looked absolutely fantastic, that’s why.
And…I did what any good hungry girl would do. I asked for the recipe.
She was kind enough to pass it on…as I wasn’t the only one begging for it. And she even mentioned how I could make it gluten-free. And, amazingly enough, I had everything I needed in my pantry and fridge. Gotta love that. So…after polishing off my Vegan Gumbo last night, I was set to cook up another fantastic meal to get me and my roommate through another couple of days.
12oz uncooked twisted pasta (I used Bi-Aglut Fusilli)
2 1/2 c. uncooked broccoli
1 tsp salted butter (I used Smart Balance)
1/3 c. fresh bread crumbs (I used Katz Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs…because they ROCK!)
3 Tbsp. plus 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
2 1/2 c. skim milk (I substituted unsweetened almond milk)
1/3 c. all purpose flour (I used Hodgson Mills Gluten-Free Multi Purpose Flour)
1/2 c. onion, diced
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a shallow 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray (I used butter to grease it).
Cook pasta, adding broccoli to water for the last 3 minutes of cooking time. Drain and return to pot.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat, add bread crumbs and cook until light golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl, stir in 3 Tbsp of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
In same saucepan (can wipe clean easily) whisk together milk and flour, add onion. Bring to a boil over med-high heat, whisking often. Reduce heat to low and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese, mustard, salt and pepper.
Pour pasta and broccoli into baking dish, cover with cheese mixture, stirring to coat evenly. Top with breadcrumbs.
Bake until edges are bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
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Yes…it really is that easy. And even more…it really is that tasty. I was in love with the flavor and taste of this. Those breadcrumbs add an amazing texture and flavor to the entire dish. And while I didn’t get to use the cheese I had wanted and intended to use on this, the back-up plan worked out better than imagined (I like bold flavors and I had no extra sharp cheese to supplement when I found my original cheese plan had…gone bad). This was easy to throw together and allow to bake. The apartment smelled awesome.
And when my roomie and I sat down to taste…we devoured it. Honestly. It’s a good thing I pre-portion these meals out because I think we could have eaten the entire pan on our own…in one sitting. That is how much we raved about it.
So…again…thank you, Julie!
And now…to the rest of you…I encourage you to get cooking. This one is totally worth it.
Yep. I don’t mess around when it comes to holidays…and after a busy day on the go (with an amazing brunch, coffee, shopping, and a stop off for some crazy-good ice cream)…I came home for a bit to relax. And I knew…that despite the brunch and ice cream treat, my roommate and I were going to need something else for dinner.
And with it being National Pizza Pie Day…I had just the thing in mind.
Please note…I realize this is not actually a pizza “pie” per se…but it is…technically…a form of pizza.
Even better…it’s a form of pizza I can eat.
Now, I’ve done my share of sampling of gluten-free frozen pizzas since going gluten-free. Kind of. Normally, despite craving some gluten-free pizza at times, I don’t like paying an arm and a leg for a frozen gluten-free pizza. I’d rather go spend that money and get one done up right at a restaurant (like Mellow Mushroom or Uncle Madio’s where they take extra precautions with gluten-free pizza preparations). It would end up being about the same amount for the same amount of pizza actually. And if not, the quality is far better.
But, last weekend, my roommate told me she would buy me a gluten-free treat of my choice while we were roaming around Earth Fare, my favorite grocery store…ever. It took me a moment to ponder out what exactly I wanted to get with such a tempting offer. And after struggling with choosing between a sweet treat, gluten-free onion rings, gluten-free vegetable pot stickers…I finally decided to go with Ian’s Allergen-Friendly (no wheat, no gluten, no dairy, no casein, no soy, no eggs, no peanuts, no tree nuts) French Bread Pizza.
This is not a new product. Not at all. In fact, I’ve seen this product in the freezer section of my local grocery store since I had to go gluten-free…and always said I was going to try it. Unfortunately…the price just never was right and I couldn’t justify it in the end with my tight food budget. But…as a treat…it might be worth it. Especially if I needed a quick hit of pizza sometime.
Well, what better day to eat it than National Pizza Pie Day?
The box comes complete with two slices of gluten-free French bread that is topped off with a tomato sauce and Galaxy’s vegan mozzarella rice cheese. I wasn’t sure what to make of the product upon opening it. The frozen bread looked like any normal frozen pizza would have done. I wasn’t sure how well the “cheese” would do in the oven, but I preheated it to the 400°F the box suggested and placed each slice of bread onto a baking sheet. Into the oven it went for 23 minutes…but since my oven is a bit off…I let it go for 25 minutes before removing it.
Much to my surprise, the “cheese” melted beautifully over the slices of French bread. The tomato sauce was bubbly and the cheese was piping hot and gooey. In fact, some of it had even stuck to the pan. So, that was a nice surprise. Vegan cheese never melts this well lately (and trust me…I eat it all the time). The French bread crisped up to a beautiful golden color. That was a nice surprise!
So, I plated each slice, handed my roommate hers and went to retrieve mine. She was already digging in when I returned so I inquired as to what she thought. I mean, after all, she can eat any pizza whenever she wants. It’s me with the dietary restrictions.
“It’s yummy!” she said. So…I went ahead and took my first bite.
Despite the fact that I burned the roof of my mouth on the molten vegan cheese…I had to agree with her. This was a delicious bite of pizza. And so easy. I mean…for something frozen and out of a package…the flavor was amazing. I loved the crispy crunch the crust of the French bread gave each bite. And the the inner parts were soft and chewy, like a good pizza crust would be…without being doughy or overly chewy. The sauce was a non-entity and the “cheese” just gave it that pizza topping that was necessary for it to be a pizza. But…it was good. It was really good.
Each slice of bread contains 250 calories and 10 grams of fat. The sodium content is quite low, at only 220 mg per serving. And each slice offers up no cholesterol, no trans fat, and 3 grams of protein. Nice!
And despite being rather small in size, these slices of French bread pizza are definitely filling. I didn’t even need a salad or anything to eat with it. Perfect as a meal on its own and rather safe for basically any food allergy. It was only recently that Ian’s moved away from soy cheese, which was a fantastic choice in the end, opening this one up for people who have soy allergies. All the products Ian’s puts out contain no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives…ever!
I would definitely buy these again in a heartbeat. The crust was awesome…loving the crispy outside and soft inside. It wasn’t overwhelming with the amount of bread. The sauce and cheese were a great topping. And these were so easy to prepare and so delicious to devour.
Which is exactly what happened…while watching Moonraker on Blu-Ray.
Don’t judge.
There is no better way to spend Naitonal Pizza Pie Day than enjoying a gluten-free and vegan French Bread Pizza…from Ian’s.
Find it in your grocer’s freezer section…and give it a try yourself.
Ian’s Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free Cheesy Vegan French Bread Pizza (baked)
XO Baking Company Gluten-Free Banana Bread Mix – $7.99+
It happened once upon a time…back a couple years ago when I was instructed by my doctor to adopt a gluten-free diet. I attempted, from scratch, to make banana bread. And…it failed. Miserably. It was dense, heavy, and…WET! And I disliked it enough to throw it away. And from that moment on…I never attempted it again. Never. I designated any over-ripe bananas to another cause.
And then, while out shopping one afternoon and randomly stopping into a Home Goods store, I stumbled across their gourmet food section. Danger, Gluten-Free Will Robinson, Danger!! They actually had quite a good selection of gluten-free foods and products. And I…just had to try them. The one that seriously caught my eye, however, was the XO Baking Co’s Banana Bread Mix.
I mean…it had been forever since I had had good banana bread. I was craving. For real!
So, it and a few other items made their way into a basket I ran back to the door to get and soon I was checking out with a plethora of new gluten-free goodness. Or…at least I hoped.
And then, because my pantry is overflowing with gluten-free goodies…this had to sit and wait…and wait…and wait…and wait…
…and then I realized that the expiration date was approaching…so I dug it out and intended to make it over the weekend. Without reading the back for ingredients, I went grocery shopping for my regular items…and then came home to get to work on my bread (which would serve as breakfast for the entire week!)
It was only then that I realized that I required three large overly-ripe bananas for the bread mix. DUH! I don’t know why I assumed this would magically taste like banana on its own. So, my roomie and I dashed back out to the grocery store. And NONE of the stores had any overly ripe bananas. In fact…they were all very green. I mean…GREEN!
What to do? We finally discovered a couple at Target…but needed one more. So, we grabbed on that wasn’t quite as green as the rest and decided to just run with it. When you are handed under-ripe bananas…you attempt to do your best to make banana bread.
Back at home, mixing this together was easy. I mashed the bananas then put them into my Kitchenaid mixer. To that, I added eggs, oil, and almond milk. That got beat together until just combined. Then, in went the bread mix straight from the package. A little more mixing and it was done. As I’m working on shrinking the amount of items in my pantry, I added the rest of the chopped pecans (about 1/2 cup) and then put in 1/4 cup of Reeses peanut butter chips and 1/4 cup chocolate chips. I folded these into the batter, poured them into the pan and baked for about an hour.
The entire time it baked, I couldn’t help but return to the kitchen to steal another whiff of the bread. It smelled fantastic as it cooked up. And when it emerged, it was a beautiful golden color on the outside. I allowed it to cool in the pan before turning it out and setting it to cool the rest of the way.
The big test came the following morning when I sliced it up to make some French toast with it. O.M.G. No…for real.
I didn’t do anything fancy to the French toast batter. Just egg, a little light coconut milk, vanilla and cinnamon…dunked the bread and put it on my skillet. Flipped it once it got golden, then served it with a bit of hot maple syrup (homemade and delicious from my friend Erica).
This bread is packed with flavor. Even done up as though it were French toast (which definitely was preferred to the usual gluten-free sandwich bread I use). The nuts, the peanut butter chips, and the chocolate chips really compliment that banana flavor. The texture isn’t too dense or heavy. In fact, it seemed perfect for this kind of loaf of bread. I was enamored with the variety of flavor that hit my palate. BUT…to be fair, I needed to taste it without dressing it up too much. So, the following morning, I just gave the bread a light toasting in the oven to warm it. Then a small schmear of vegan butter and a drizzle of honey…and BAM. Banana bread perfection. The sweet honey worked well with the nuts and different flavor chips that were baked in.
Oh…this is a definite must have for your gluten-free pantry. If you can’t make a good banana bread from scratch, then you should totally give this mix a try. The guess work when it comes to what flour to use and how long to bake is taken out of the equation.
This mix is created using a gluten-free flour blend (which includes cassava flour, unmodified potato starch, organic coconut flour, and xanthan gum). Brown sugar adds a nice hint of sweetness to it. Baking powder gives it that necessary lightness to rise, baking soda, sea salt, and organic vanilla flavor. That’s it.
As for the nutrition standing…the mix contains 110 calories for 1/12 of the loaf. I went ahead and sliced mine into 12 slices so that I was certain of the servings when I began carving into it. That’s not bad. Not bad at all. This mix is also completely all natural, rice-free, trans fat free, gluten-free, wheat-free, and soy-free.
And in the end, you are left with a delicious, moist, banana-flavored bread that you can dress up however you like or just leave with simply bananas. Any way you slice it…it is AMAZING! XO Baking Co. is off to a good start and winning me over already.
That was all it took to fall in love with Annie May’s Sweet Café.
And that was just based off a birthday cake my roommate got for me back in September. Since then…this little bakery/café has become one of my favorite places to stop in for something to eat. Especially on Saturday’s…because breakfast is being served! And yes…we all know how much of a breakfast fiend I am.
For a few blogs now, I have mentioned my breakfast adventures there. From the gluten-free waffles (now discontinued) to the gluten-free French toast to the delicious gluten-free donuts…cookies…cupcakes…you name it…it’s allergen-free/gluten-free…heaven. Especially for someone like me who developed food allergies as an adult and has to sometimes make do with things that are just not as good as the ‘real’ thing. Add to that the extra challenge of being a vegetarian first…and it makes up a recipe for culinary problems everywhere.
Not at Annie May’s Sweet Café in Louisville, Kentucky.
Very recently, Annie May’s added a new item to their breakfast menu. Breakfast sandwiches. Yep. You read that right. These breakfast sandwiches are composed of your choice of a protein on their own vegan/allergen-free bun and served with that day’s fresh fruit.
When I went in today, after a long 8 mile run, I was hungry. So, along with my usual gluten-free donut ($2.49), I ordered up one of the breakfast sandwiches. My choice: the Allergen-Free/Vegan “Sausage” and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich ($6.99). This sandwich is composed of a vegan sausage patty that is also gluten-free, created by a local gourmet burger truck called Grind. These vegan sausage patties are a housemade blend of spaghetti squash, chickpeas, lentils, onions, sage, and a red pepper spice blend. It’s perfect for these breakfast sandwiches. And they are GOOD!
My roommate decided to give the Bacon, Egg and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich ($7.99) a go this morning. So, we placed our orders, settled in at one of the tables and devoured our donuts while we anticipated the breakfast sandwiches.
Let me preface this by saying that this vegetarian hasn’t had a vegan/veggie sausage in a LONG time. Not since having to go gluten-free. Every single one in the freezer section of the grocery store has gluten ingredients in them. So, the fact that I was just about to enjoy my first vegan sausage patty in a long, long time made me stupidly excited. The “cheese” portion of this breakfast sandwich was Daiya Vegan cheese…one of my favorite brands. And the bun…is Annie May’s creation…delicious, golden, and soft on the inside with that crisp golden crust on the outside.
Breakfast heaven.
When this sandwich arrived at the table, I had to restrain myself from diving right in and devouring it. The donut had helped with the hunger…it just looked so amazing. I wanted to try it immediately. But, photos had to be taken first…so I did that as quickly as I could. Then, after eating the grapes that came with the breakfast sandwich, I reached the point of breakfast I had been looking forward to the most…
Allergen-Free/Vegan Breakfast “Sausage” and Cheese Sandwich time.
I lifted the sandwich up to my mouth and took my first bite. The vegan sausage is fantastic. All of those ingredients blend really well and you totally get a sausage-like flavor from it. I loved it. Honestly. The spaghetti squash does sometimes get stringy, but that happens sometimes with real sausage too. It was the perfect blend of vegetables, spices, and proteins. I loved it. The Daiya cheese was melted on top…a simple amount, nothing too overwhelming. It didn’t take away from the vegan sausage at all.
And that vegan/allergen-free bun…was the icing on the cake. Metaphorically speaking, of course. It was a gorgeous golden color, soft on the inside, a little flaky, and crusty on the outside. It was my favorite part of the breakfast sandwich to be honest. And coming from the girl who missed vegan sausage patties so much…that’s saying something. Think of the most perfect biscuit you have ever eaten. THAT…is what THIS tasted like. Kudos to you, Annie May’s Sweet Café, for this delicious bread for your Saturday morning breakfast menu. Let me tell you…I’m totally addicted to those rolls. I’d eat them with a schmear of Earth Balance, all hot and toasted and…mouth-watering good.
I’m so lucky to have Annie May’s Sweet Café in my backyard. Louisville, Kentucky is lucky to have them. As Kentucky’s only allergen-free bakery…they offer a lot of allergen-free/vegan treats for everyone. And you don’t have to be a vegan or gluten-free to enjoy these products. My roommate is neither and she loves coming here for breakfast and the occasional treat as much as I do.
I hope Annie May’s remains in business for a very long time. This place is a real gem and a much needed place for me, the allergic girl, here in Louisville, Kentucky.
Thanks for your delicious Saturday breakfasts, Annie May’s. Maybe one of these days…I’ll skip breakfast and come in for your Saturday pizza. Yeah…that’s next on the list.
Annie May’s Sweet Café Allergen-Free/Vegan “Sausage” and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
I don’t know what I did before Pinterest. Honestly.
Last week, I was surfing around on my favorite time-suck and came across a delightful recipe for sliders…but instead of meat, these were portobello mushroom sliders. Oooooh. They looked absolutely fantastic too. Seasoned, covered in melted cheese, caramelized onion, avocado…and dripping with barbeque sauce.
*mouth waters*
So, when the crimini mushrooms I received in my CSA bin turned out to be freakishly large…I thought to myself, “Hey…I bet I can make those sliders out of these.”
The only thing I lacked would be gluten-free slider-sized buns, which I solved by baking up my own from a bread mix I had in my pantry. WINNING!
With that taken care of…I set out to make this recipe up for a light dinner after a very busy day out and about. And the results…were epic. Delicious. And I wish I had made more than just two sliders each for myself and my roommate because these were beyond super yummy. They were mushroom slider epic wonders of culinary proportions.
The original recipe came from the blog How Sweet It Is. I just adapted it to fit my dietary needs and the ingredients I had on hand.
6 baby portobello stuffing mushrooms (I used really large crimini mushrooms)
6 slider buns (I made my own, gluten-free, using Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2-3 ounces Gouda, sliced into squares (I used Veggie Slices Pepper Jack Flavored)
1 avocado, sliced
1/2 cup BBQ sauce, for drizzling and dipping (I used Stubbs Original BBQ Sauce)
Directions:
Heat a skillet on medium-low heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.
Add sliced onions with a pinch of salt and let caramelize, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 8-10 minutes, then turn off heat and set aside.
While onions are caramelizing, brush mushrooms with remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with pepper, paprika, onion and chili powder. Heat a skillet ( or a grill) on medium heat and cook until mushrooms are juicy and tender – about 5 minutes on each side. With 1-2 minutes remaining, add a slice of cheese on top to melt.
Assemble sliders by placing the mushroom on the bun, then top with onions, avocado, and a hefty drizzle of bbq sauce.
~*~*~
Yeah…it doesn’t get much easier than that. And the fact of the matter is…these are super-delicious. Honestly. I was blown away by how amazing these were. They were that perfect level of balance in flavor and the mushroom was definitely the star of the dish. The avocado was a nice addition and when mixed with the caramelized onions, the cheese, and the sauce…it made for one of the best vegetarian sandwiches I have had to date. And…this was definitely my first vegetarian and gluten-free slider dish.
I’d make this again in a heartbeat. No questions asked. Packed with flavor and not heavy like regular sliders can be. That’s the joy of using mushrooms. Delicious, light, and just filling enough.
Product: Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix – $3.29+
You know…I raved once, almost two years ago, I believe, about Chebe Cheese Bread Mix. I had made up the little breaded balls of goodness to accompany a pasta dinner I was preparing for a friend who was coming for the weekend. Much to my delight…Greg (the guest), my roommate, and I all loved the taste, texture, and fluffiness these had.
So, Chebe rose to the top of my gluten-free go-to’s. Even though I didn’t really purchase anything further of the brand until my local grocery store put their entire gluten-free section on closeout. Picture me in panic mode as I grabbed a huge shopping cart and began tossing items I had wanted to try, but never got the chance to, into my cart for the reduced price.
One such product was Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix.
The great thing about Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix is how allergen friendly it is. Not only is it gluten-free, but it is also soy free, corn free, rice free, potato free, yeast free, peanut free, tree nut free, egg free (unless you use it in the mix instead of egg substitute), lactose/casein free, iodine free, and sugar free. This mix is also non-GMO and certified kosher!
Well, my pantry is quite full of numerous mixes and delicious things to try. So, this just sort of sat. But with the expiration date fast approaching…it was time to give them a shot. And, I was thinking something light and savory for dinner. So, I hit up Pinterest and found a recipe for BBQ Portobello Sliders. Now, I didn’t have portobello mushrooms, but had rather large crimini ones in my fridge from my CSA bin. I had the rest of the ingredients too. What I lacked was the most obvious part of the slider…the slider buns.
Then…it dawned on me that I had this mix in my pantry…and it was getting close to the time it needed to be used up. So, out it came and I got to work on making up my own little gluten-free slider buns.
Slider buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
This was a simple process. Following the instructions on the box, I simply poured the bread mix into a bowl, added two eggs and 2 tablespoons of olive oil…mixed that together…then slowly added exactly 1/4 cup of water. Once that was all incorporated and blended, I kneaded the dough with my hands until it was smooth and all one large lump of bread dough.
And here is where I went off script. The rest of the recipe created 4 sandwich buns…but I wanted slider buns. So I made 10 little rolls out of the lump of bread, flattened them down into little round disks like the recipe said, and brushed each one with olive oil. I then put it in my oven at 375° F for about 25 minutes and allowed them to bake.
When time was up, I removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool on the baking sheet while I prepared the mushrooms, caramelized the onions, and sliced an avocado.
First of all, I was hoping these would crisp into a beautiful golden-brown…but they never quite did. They looked anemically pale. It was a bit off-putting, but…that was the last of my problems. The mix, prior to putting everything together was a very white, very thin powder. That being said, this Chebe mix is made up simply of tapioca powder, modified tapioca starch, cream of tartar, sea salt, and sodium bicarbonate. You can add cheese to the mix, but I didn’t…as the sliders were going to have cheese on them. Still, with the brushing of olive oil…one would think there would still be some golden crust forming.
That was the first disappointment. The second disappointment was that they really didn’t puff up much. The flat little disks of dough rose only slightly in the heat of the oven. So…these made for very flat slider buns.
Finally…the third disappointment was…the taste. Not that these tasted bad…they just weren’t light and soft like the Cheese Bread that I made from Chebe. This dough wasn’t too dense, but it was definitely not soft and squishy like a slider bun should be. It just felt…wrong. The flavor was fine…but it was the texture that was just all wrong for me this time. It just didn’t work.
But…I went ahead and sliced the flat rolls in half (as best I could) and filled them up with my mushroom caps, vegan cheese slices, caramelized onions, avocados and a drizzle of barbeque sauce and used them for the purpose I baked them up for. It wasn’t bad. I just wish they had been softer and a bit fluffier.
That being said, I have six more rolls in my fridge that I’ll use up tomorrow by making breakfast slider sandwiches. I am kind of sad about the way this mix turned out, because I have raved about Chebe in the past and was really hoping for that trend to continue. Sadly…this one failed to win me over.
Maybe, with some convincing, I’ll give another mix a try. But this one…won’t find it’s way into my pantry again any time soon.
BBQ Mushroom Sliders sandwiched between buns made from Chebe Gluten-Free All Purpose Bread Mix
The Celiathlete 