Slow Cookin' with Jenni of Spoonful at a Time

I don't know if you've met Jenni yet or not... but she's a new gluten-free blogger in the Triangle area of NC and I think the world of her. 

I had the opportunity to meet Jenni at this year's first Raleigh Gluten-Free Expo. She was representing Triumph Dining (and did a smashing job if I do say so myself, I believe her booth of Triumph Dining books was completely sold out by the end of the day!)

Jenni's keen sense of humor and wicked awesome sense of taste make her a true asset to the gluten-free food blogging community. Jenni loves to share recipes, share gluten-free traveling tips, and write product and restaurant reviews. 

I asked Jenni several months ago if she would like to review my cookbook on her blog and do a giveaway. I was completely thrilled when she agreed. And I truly could not have asked for a more honest and thoughtful reviewer! Jenni tried no less than SIX recipes from my book and shared her successes along with the recipes that didn't turn out quite so well for her... which I LOVED. I'm so glad she was honest in how the recipes worked and what she learned in the process. I really hope it will encourage lots of people to use their slow cookers more often and to see how versatile they can be!

And the best part? Now YOU have ANOTHER chance to win a signed copy of my book! Jenni is having a giveaway RIGHT NOW on her blog that you can enter! I hope you'll head over and enter her contest, tweet it up, and share it on facebook. And while you're at it... subscribe to Jenni's blog for awesome recipes, product reviews, and a great read. 

And after you've done all that make sure to read about each recipe Jenni tried over the past week!

1. Hearty Beef Stew

2. Hawaiian Chicken

3. Balsamic Almonds

4. Salsa Chicken

5. Homemade Barbecue Chicken

6. Maple Pumpkin Spiced Lattes

Jenni, thank you so much for spending so much time with my book and sharing about it on your awesome blog! 

My gluten free kitchen at Celiacs in the House

I'm SO excited today!!

My tiny little kitchen is being featured as a guest post on Wendy's blog, "Celiacs in the House."

Need to figure out how to maximize storage space in a tiny area? Feel like your kitchen's messy... go visit my kitchen, it'll make you feel better! I promise! :-)

Wendy started this series several weeks ago as a way to learn about how other people cook, decorate, and store things in their gluten free kitchens.

If you're nosy as I am, you'll LOVE being able to peek into other people's kitchens through this series! Thank you SO much for featuring my kitchen Wendy!

Gluten Free Roasted Vegetables -- Guest Post by Carol Fenster

I have the honor today to present you with a guest post from none other than the popular gluten free cookbook author Ms. Carol Fenster. Ms. Fenster has written 10 gluten free cookbooks and is a leader in the gluten free community. She recently published her 10th cookbook, "125 Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes." For those of you who follow vegetarian and/or vegan diets or those of you who simply love vegetables and need some new recipe ideas this book would be ideal for you. Stay tuned at the end of this post to learn how you can win a brand new copy of this wonderful gluten free vegetarian cookbook!

Gluten-Free Roasted Vegetables by Carol Fenster 
Written for GingerLemonGirl.com
By Carol Fenster, author of 125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes (Avery, 2011) 
www.CarolFensterCooks.com and www.GfreeCuisine.com

Many of us are coming down from the Thanksgiving high induced by lots of wonderful foods, some of which are not necessarily healthy but certainly tasted good, didn’t they!  If you’re looking for ideas to introduce some healthier whole food options, I have a solution. Try roasted vegetables.

Roasted does wonderful things for vegetables―as I discovered while writing my latest book, 125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes. It transforms them―especially those with strong flavors like asparagus or cauliflower―into sweeter, milder versions making them more appealing to non-vegetable eaters. How does this happen? Technically, roasting caramelizes the natural sugars in vegetables and brings out a pleasant nuttiness that simultaneously mellows the flavors as well. Roasting is perfect for hearty winter meals.

This method is especially good for those who prefer whole, rather than processed foods because the actual vegetable remains intact; it isn’t broken down, pulverized, or peeled. Nothing is lost, but a lot is gained in flavor. And, you don’t need to add many other ingredients―simple is better (and easier).

In addition to cauliflower and asparagus, another of my favorite roasted vegetables is Brussels sprouts. They are usually a good buy in winter when they are harvested. They look like miniature heads of cabbage which is not surprising since they belong to the cruciferous family. They grow on a stalk (see photo) which is so large and sturdy that it could probably serve as a weapon.

But we see them in the produce section of grocery stores as little green balls. Look for firm, dense heads and bright green compact leaves. Avoid yellowed heads or any with holes, which could indicate insect damage. Like other members of the cruciferous family, Brussels sprouts are a good source of vitamins, fiber, iron and disease-fighting compounds.

Try this easy recipe from my new book. I think you’ll agree that it is a winner.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Orange-Nut Sauce
Reprinted with permission from 125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes by Carol Fenster (Avery, 2011)

Blanching the sprouts briefly in boiling water helps preserve their lovely green color. If you don't have time or don’t mind the loss of color, you can skip Step 2.

1 pound Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons orange marmalade (or more to taste)
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9x13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Have a medium bowl of water and ice cubes ready.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Remove any bruised outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts and cut them in half through the stem end. Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and immediately submerge in the ice water for 2 minutes to stop the cooking, then blot dry with paper towels.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil and arrange on the baking sheet, cut side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4. Roast until caramelized, about 25 to 30 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Transfer to a serving bowl. Whisk the marmalade and vinegar together and then toss with Brussels sprouts. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts and serve immediately. Serves 4.

Carol’s Tips

1. Choose Brussels sprouts that are similarly-sized for even roasting.  If yours are all sizes, arrange the smaller heads on one end of the pan and larger ones on the other end. If necessary, remove the smaller heads from the oven first and return the larger ones to finish roasting.
2. Halving the sprouts makes them roast quicker and more thoroughly.
3. Discard any loose leaves; they’ll brown too quickly in the oven and probably burn.
4. To save time, toast the walnuts by sprinkling them around the Brussels sprouts during the final 2 or 3 minutes of roasting.
5. If you don’t have orange marmalade, use the same amount of orange juice concentrate instead and add a little grated orange zest, if you have it. 
6. If you would like to try roasting other vegetables check out the recipes for roasted cauliflower and roasted asparagus in my book. Enjoy!

GLG Disclosure: The Lisa Ekus Group, who represents Ms. Carol Fenster provided me with a free copy of "125 Gluten Free Vegetarian Recipes" for the purpose of providing a review. While this is a post shared by Ms. Carol Fenster, it is not a sponsored post and I did not receive compensation. I am sharing the copy I received of the book with my readers. The opinions in this post are mine. 

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Would you like to win a copy of Ms. Fenster's newest cookbook?

Contest is now over! 

Congrats to Sarah H. comment #32
"Recently I have been eating a lot of sweet potatoes - I get the sweet potato chips and also will bake them like you would regular potatoes and eat them with Earth Balance margarine and honey. For Thanksgiving I made our famous sweet potato casserole topped with pecans - converted to vegan and gluten free of course. -- Sarah H." 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast with Elana's Pantry

It's the last day of my week of "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes." I'm excited to share one last holiday breakfast/brunch recipe with you! Today it's from Elana Amsterdam, the author of one of my favorite gluten free blogs, "Elana's Pantry" and one of the most well-loved cookbooks in my kitchen, "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook."

I bought Elana's cookbook before it was even published. I couldn't wait to open this book and make easy, delicious, and low glycemic recipes with almond flour! Elana introduced me to almond flour and I've been using it for several years now. Most of the recipes I make for myself are made with almond flour. It's easier for me to digest than grains, and it's just such an easy way to bake.

I've cooked my way through Elana's cookbook during the past year. I've made her chocolate chip cookies countless times. Her chocolate cake makes frequent appearances for birthdays and anniversaries. Her vegetable quiche with an almond flour pie crust is a favorite quick dinner. My husband LOVES Elana's simple recipe for chicken fingers, it's one of his most requested main dishes! Her vanilla cupcakes are some of my favorite "sweet" treats! And her bread. Elana's bread is what I use most often if I don't have Udi's at home or don't feel like making a yeast bread. I've had many a sandwich on Elana's gluten free bread. Sandwiches are easy comfort food to me and I'm so thankful for her recipes.

Elana has graciously allowed me to share one of her recipes from "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" today! It's a recipe for her Chocolate Chip Scones! I hope you enjoy them!

Also today is the last day to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook over at my reviews/giveaways page! Please visit: A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast and Brunch Recipes to find out how!

Chocolate Chip Scones
Reprinted with permission of Elana Amsterdam
Published in "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" c. 2009 written by Elana Amsterdam

Makes 16 scones
Sweetness: Medium

"In college, I used to pretend chocolate chip scones were a breakfast food instead of a dessert, devouring one nearly every morning. Using agave nectar to lower the glycemic index of this scone makes my unique categorization less of a stretch. Rich in antioxidents and low in sugar, organic dark chocolate makes these decadent-looking scones a healthy indulgence." - Elana Amsterdam

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
1 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate (73% cacao)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined, then fold in the chocolate. Drop the batter, in scant 1/4 cups 2 - inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-17 minutes, until golden brown or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let the scones cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets, then serve.


*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Elana's cookbook,  "The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes." 

A Gluten Free Holiday: Breakfast with Lori Bakes

Photo courtesy of Jan D'atri

I'm pleased to be able to share another breakfast recipe with you today! This recipe is from Lori Karavolis of LoriBakes.com. Lori has self-published 4 gluten free cookbooks. She's a former bakery owner and she's been baking gluten free since 1999 when her son was diagnosed as being allergic to wheat/gluten.


Lori is an active member of the GFCF Recipes Group on Yahoo and is often sought out for her gluten free baking advice and help.

Lori's cookbooks contain hundreds of original gluten free recipes for breads, breakfasts, baked goods, lunches, main dishes, soups, and salads. Three of Lori's cookbooks focus specifically on different areas of cooking such as gluten free kids favorites, gluten free breakfast & brunch recipes, and gluten free snacks & sweets!

To learn more about LoriBakes gluten free cookbooks and to enter to win a copy of her Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes cookbook, please visit: A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes!


Scrambled French Toast 
Reprinted with permission of Lori Karavolis of LoriBakes.com
(Source: Lori Bakes Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch)

Ingredients:
2 eggs
1 cup milk of milk substitute
6 cups gluten free day old bread of choice, cubed (1/2” cubes)
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup sugar
Fresh blueberries, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, vanilla and spices together. Add bread cubes and toss until well coated. Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet until melted. Add bread cubes; stir until cooked and browned over MEDIUM heat being careful not to break up bread into crumbs. Sprinkle bread with sugar and continue to cook and stir for about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and bread is coated. Stir in blueberries if desired; remove to serving dishes and serve with maple syrup. Yield: 2-3 servings

*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Lori's gluten free cookbook, "Gluten Free Breakfast & Brunch Recipes" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes." 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast with Silvana Nardone

Photo used with permission of Silvana Nardone. 

Today's recipe is from Silvana Nardone, author of "Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten Free & Dairy Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals." Silvana is a former magazine editor and bakery owner. She's a writer, a cook, a wife, and a mom. Silvana learned several years ago that her son was intolerant to gluten. She made it her mission to create & provide healthy and delicious foods for her family that her son could enjoy.

Silvana graciously offered to share one of her breakfast recipes for our series this week "A Gluten Free Holiday." Silvana's cookbook is one our many giveaways this week, you can learn more about the giveaway and enter to win here: A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Hash Brown Waffles with Sausage-Apple Patties and Fried Eggs
This recipe has diner food written all over it—exactly my intention. Instead of classic waffles, I serve up my sausage and eggs with crispy hash brown waffles, which I promise you, taste better than a side of fries. The dried apples in the sausage patties add just the right amount of sweet, caramelized flavor.


Recipe by Silvana Nardone, author of Cooking for Isaiah: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes for Easy, Delicious Meals and founder of DishTowelDiaries.com.

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 25 min

1 pound (500 g) sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1/3 cup dried apples (about 1 ounce), finely chopped
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1½ pounds/750 g)—peeled, grated and wrung dry
½ medium onion, grated
4 large eggs, at room temperature
Ketchup, for serving

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the sausage, apples, brown sugar, mustard, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt and 1/8 pepper; shape into four 4-inch patties, about 1/3 inch thick.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the patties and cook until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the potatoes, onion, 1 tablespoon oil and ¾ teaspoon salt.
4. Preheat a Belgian waffle iron to medium-high heat. Grease the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Mound ½ cup of the potato mixture in each waffle quarter; close and cook until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and season with salt and pepper; cook, turning once, until whites are set and yolks are slightly runny, about 3 minutes.
6. To serve, place a waffle on each of four plates; top with a sausage patty and a fried egg. Serve with ketchup.

*If you'd like to enter to win a copy of Silvana's gluten free cookbook, "Cooking for Isaiah" please visit: "A Gluten Free Holiday - Breakfast & Brunch recipes. 

A Gluten Free Holiday - Alta of Tasty Eats at Home

This week's "A Gluten Free Holiday" is being hosted by Alta of Tasty Eats at Home. Alta chose the theme of Gifts of Good Taste. What are good gluten free food items to share with friends and family over the holidays? 

My personal favorite food gift to make is cookies. Cookies are fun and relatively easy to make. You don't have to be an unusually gifted baker to make good cookies and they can be beautifully presented in any type of little bag along with a ribbon! 

Here are 3 of my favorite gluten free cookie recipes to give away for the holidays!

Gluten Free Double Fudge Walnut Cookies
A cookie I created for a local cookie swap I attended several years ago, it's a rich fudgy cookie, that you don't have to feel too guilty about eating. One of my favorites!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies
Michael's absolute favorite. I think he could live off these cookies. I make these every year on Thanksgiving  for people to munch on throughout the day, they are always gone before dinner!

Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies.
I love making cut out cookies and decorating them. This is one of my very favorite cookies and one we'll be making when my friend Angie comes for our yearly Holiday visit.  We also used this dough to make a gluten free gingerbread house last year. You'll love these cookies!

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As with our previous weeks of "A Gluten Free Holiday" you'll find a spectacular giveaway at Alta's! The books this week are 5 COPIES of  Free For All Cooking by Jules Shepard of Jules Gluten Free and 2 copies of Kelly & Peter Bronski's Artisanal Gluten Free Cooking! 

To find out how to enter for a chance to win one of these great gluten free cookbooks, please make sure to visit Alta of Tasty Eats at Home! 

Next week "A Gluten Free Holiday" will take a break for the Thanksgiving Holidays, the previous posts are listed here:

• A Gluten Free Holiday 1 - Staying Healthy over the Holidays hosted by Diet Dessert and Dogs. 
• A Gluten Free Holiday 2 - Thanksgiving Favorites hosted by gluten free -- easily. 

October: Unprocessed - A Gluten Free Food Challenge!

"Unprocessed food is any food that could be made by a person with reasonable skill in a home kitchen with readily available, whole-food ingredients." -- October Unprocessed website.

How often do you eat whole, real foods? Foods that don't come in a box, bag, can, or plastic wrapper?

If you read this blog, my guess is that you eat unprocessed whole foods on a somewhat regular basis. I like to cook after all.

I'm joining in with my blog friend Heidi, author of Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom  and FB friend Diane Bramos to challenge people to have at least one unprocessed meal a day.

I realize eating NO processed foods for an entire month could be slightly unrealistic. I'm not always great about making sure we have a homemade gluten free meal for dinner. I work full time, as does my husband. We have busy schedules... so this challenge is for me as well.

I'll be blogging about this process and the meals we make for the next 30 days.

I challenge you to join us.

One homemade meal a day with real ingredients for 30 days. Are you in? 

If you would like to join in with a guest post or a recipe to me try, please leave me a comment and let me know or send me an email! 

Here are a few recipes... or "food for thought" ideas in joining this challenge: 

Black Bean and Butternut Squash Chili

Homemade gluten free chicken noodle soup with homemade gluten free noodles

Homemade slow cooked bolognese sauce for pasta -- recipe coming soon!

Homemade fruit smoothies: bananas, strawberries, blueberries, stevia, and water. Blend and enjoy!

Lower glycemic homemade chicken pot pie.

Gluten Free Fall Specials: Rice Pudding for Iris

Today I shared a guest post on Iris' blog, "The Daily Dietribe." Iris has a beautiful website filled with stunning photography, life stories, and gluten free food & recipes.

Iris recently moved and has had guest bloggers help her out for the entire month of September. To see her entire series of guest posts, visit here.

My guest post for Iris today has one of my favorite recipes for rice pudding. Pumpkin, walnut, and cranberries make this the perfect fall breakfast, snack, or lunch. Rice pudding is also naturally gluten free, and I've made a dairy & casein free version as well.

Tomorrow I will announce the winner of Shauna and Danny Ahern's new cookbook: "Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef: a love story with 100 tempting recipes" on the Gingerlemongirl.com facebook page. Please make sure to stop by to see if you'll be receiving a beautiful new gluten free cookbook in the mail!

On Monday I'll also be sharing my newest recipe for a gluten free, vegan crusty bread! I am so very excited about this recipe! I'm looking forward to helping people who can't eat eggs (along with gluten) to finally have a GOOD gluten free yeast bread!

Here's a preview:

Lemon Almond Lavender Cookies by Lauren of Do Not Feed the Editor

Today's guest post & recipe is shared by Lauren of  Do Not Feed the Editor.

I’m not a purely gluten-free baker, but I believe that everyone deserves to eat delicious baked goods. When a friend who hadn’t had a cookie since discovering her wheat allergy came to visit, I created these lemon-lavender-almond cookies for her.

If you’ve never used culinary-grade lavender before but enjoy herbal flavors, I think you’ll become as fast a fan of it as I have. It can be purchased directly from farmers (like North Carolina’s excellent Mountain Farm), from a market with an extensive dry-goods stock (if you’re in the Atlanta area, look in the tea section of Dekalb Farmer's Market), or from Amazon, and it lends a depth of flavor to quickbreads, cookies, brewed tea, and even summery cocktails.

These cookies are buttery & chewy, with a sweet toastiness and added tenderness from the almond meal and lovely hints of bitterness from the lemon zest and lavender flowers. They were a bit crumbly right out of the oven, but firmed up into perfect chewiness the following day – so consider making them ahead. Too delicate for coffee, I think they’d be perfect served with a cup of black tea. Perhaps with a bit of lavender brewed in?

Lemon-Almond-Lavender Cookies
Makes 2 to 3 dozen

1.5 tsp dried culinary-grade lavender buds, minced fine
1 lemon worth of zest (~1 tbsp), minced
1/3 cup almond meal (store-bought or home-ground from blanched almonds)
1 cup rice flour, sifted to remove any large grainy bits
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar (if you don't have this, omit the baking soda and use 1 1/2 tsp baking powder to substitute for both)
1/8 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1 egg, room temperature
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp amaretto, if you happen to have some (a teensy dash of almond extract might not go awry as a substitution for this -- maybe 1/4 tsp? Distilled liquors and extracts are generally gluten-free, but always check your labels!)
1/4 cup granulated white sugar for rolling the cookies in
An extra few pinches of lavender buds for decoration

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and grease your baking sheet, then dust the sheet with a tablespoon of rice flour, tapping to distribute and discard the excess.
Combine the dry ingredients (lavender, zest, almond meal, rice flour, salt, and leavening agent/s) in a medium bowl and whisk to thoroughly combine.
In a larger bowl, measure out your butter and sugar. Using an electric beater on medium speed, cream them together for 2 minutes. Add your egg, lemon juice, and any amaretto/almond extract you're using and beat for another minute to incorporate evenly. Add your dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and mix manually with a spoon to combine.
Place that extra 1/4 cup of sugar in a small dish or on a small plate. Take a rounded teaspoonful of dough from the bowl and roll it into a ball in your hands, then roll it in the sugar to coat. Flatten it slightly by either pressing the ball into a sort of scallop-shaped disk with your fingers, or just put a thumbprint in it once it’s on the baking sheet (a good couple inches apart from its cookie compatriots). Sprinkle two or three lavender buds on top of each cookie and bake for 7–10 minutes. You can tell these are done when they're golden around the edges and look dry on top. Also, they'll be more springy than mushy if you gently poke the top with a finger.
Allow the cookies to cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet, then remove them to a wire rack until they're completely cool and can be removed to your belly a decorative plate that you will obviously share with your friends.
These keep very well in a sealed container for two or three days. If you'd like to make the dough ahead, you could seal it up and refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to 3 months, sans sugar coating, and then coat & bake on demand.

About Lauren:

Lauren wants everyone to eat tasty things, and hopes that her restaurant reviews and recipes at Do Not Feed the Editor encourage people to do just that. When she’s not writing or eating, Lauren is usually editing medical manuscripts, picture books, or strange novels – or failing to convince her dog that really-for-seriously, neither soccer balls nor thunderstorms are out for blood.

Gluten Free Chicken Lettuce Wraps by The Gluten Free Notebook

Today's guest post & recipe is shared by celiac sisters Shelley and Suman of the blog, The Gluten Free Notebook. 


Gluten Free Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I made these on a whim one day, wanting something light and fresh on a very hot summer day. They turned out delicious!

Chicken:

• 1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized strips or pieces
• salt and pepper to taste

Add a drizzle of olive oil in a frying pan and heat on med-high heat and sauté chicken until no longer pink. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Noodles: 

1 package A Taste of Thai Peanut Noodles or any other flavoured gluten free rice noodles of your preference.

Cook as per directions on the package.

Vegetable mixture:

• 1/2 small onion finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk finely diced
• 2 carrots grated (reserve one grated carrot for topping the lettuce wraps at the end)
• 6-7 button mushrooms diced
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon gluten free soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan, heat the olive oil and add all chopped vegetables except mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until onion has softened slightly. Add the mushrooms and the soy sauce and continue to cook until the mushrooms reduce. Remove mixture from heat.

Fresh Toppings:

• 1 grated carrot (reserved from above)
• 5 green onions chopped (green and white parts)
• blanched peanuts-coarsely chopped

You will also need:

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce, washed and carefully separated
• sweet chilli sauce
• gluten free plum sauce (optional)

To assemble: Take one piece of lettuce; add a few spoonfuls of the veggie mixture. Add chicken, and then add noodles, fresh grated carrot and sprinkle with some of the chopped green onions. Sprinkle some chopped peanuts over top. Finish with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce and/or plum sauce. I used both. Just remember that a little of each goes a long way. Wrap and enjoy.  If you are a vegetarian, just leave the chicken out and the recipe tastes just as good.

Serves 3-4

About Shelley & Suman

Shelley and Suman are two celiac sisters discovering the gluten-free way of life in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley! Having been diagnosed since 2004, they are constantly learning about the gluten-free lifestyle and hope to help others through their website (www.glutenfreenotebook.com).

The Gluten Free Notebook is a collaboration of Shelley and Suman’s gluten-free findings in Vancouver, Canada and its surrounding suburb Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. On their website, one can find a compilation of places to shop for GF items, a list of their favourite GF products, their favourite recipe books and websites. In addition, they include any gluten free restaurants they have discovered in the area.  Shelley and Suman love to find great new recipes, healthy alternatives and are passionate about finding new gluten free products and dining options. All this information is shared on their website as a resource in the hopes of helping others find more GF options.

Overwheated by Momnivore's Dilemma

Today's guest post is shared by Momnivore of the gluten free/casein free family living blog, Momnivore's Dilemma.

Overwheated: Living gluten-free in the land of deep dish pizza 

In April, my son Moose bombed his 30 month evaluation from Early Intervention.  His developmental delays in cognition and speech were enough to warrant something drastic. Given that Moose lived for bread and dairy products, I knew something wasn’t right.

Moose’s OT Ms. Michelle mentioned improvements in another one of her client’s families once the child began a GFCF diet.  Several books, consults with doctors, and countless hours on the web later, I removed dairy from Moose’s diet. Next on the docket, gluten.

Here’s Moose enjoying GFCF grilled “cheese”:

Suddenly, new words emerged.  He said “Mom” for the first time in over a year.  He made eye contact.  His dermatitis on his chunky thighs cleared.

A few weeks later, we booted gluten from our house.  His therapy team raved about the changes in his behavior.  My husband and I were thrilled with the changes we were seeing in our son.  Namely, he started taking a nap again.


See, here’s proof:

Earlier this month, some of the small gains we saw began to disappear.  So, I took him in for allergy testing, and voila, soy became the new culprit.

Unfortunately, soy is a primary ingredient in many of our favorite GF products.  Avoiding gluten and dairy (casein) is hard enough, but coupling those restrictions with soy has been challenging.  Also, Moose is a picky eater to being with.  He won’t touch any vegetables, rice, pastas, or eggs.

Once my son began this diet, I decided to support him by doing it as well. Two months later, my chronic migraines disappeared.  My moods improved, and my energy levels rivaled my two toddlers.  In July, I learned I was gluten intolerant.

Growing up in an Italian family in Chicago, I was conditioned to think pasta and bread were “good” for me.  Now, I see those staples in a much different light.

 Momnivore lives in the second city with her husband, The King of Chicago, their wild toddlers Moose and Monkey, and their fur child Doodle.  She blogs about parenting and GFCFSF at www.momnivoresdilemma.blogspot.com.  

International Food Blogger's Conference 2010 - Gluten Free Food & Friends

Shauna James Ahern, author of the blog Gluten Free Girl, standing with her new cookbook "Gluten Free Girl and the Chef," which will be available in bookstores nationwide on September 28, 2010.  

A week before IFBC, Shauna (Gluten Free Girl) and Diane (The WHOLE Gang) arranged a pre-conference impromptu tea for all of the gluten free bloggers who would be attending. We met at "The Flying Apron" a gluten free vegan bakery in Seattle. 

I was a little nervous about this initial meeting. First, I had never taken a cab before in my life. I had no idea how you did that sort of thing. For those of you who are also in my naive shoes... it's really easy. You just call them and they come and pick you up. (I actually had their number memorized by the end of the trip! lol) I'm not sure why I stressed over this... 

I was also nervous about meeting all of these women face to face. Carol of Simply Gluten Free graciously agreed to share the cab with my husband and I over to The Flying Apron. It was a joy to meet Carol. About 3 years ago I started corresponding with Carol when she first began blogging, and now she's a gluten free cookbook author and television chef! 

Shauna and Danny at The Flying Apron

The first person I saw as I walked into the bakery was Shauna. She is every bit as warm, funny, and natural as she appears on her blog. Her voice is calm, her smile genuine, her laughter infectious, and I love her style. I felt very comfortable in her presence. For me, a person who tends to be shy and introverted, this was so welcoming.

And really, the whole group was welcoming. I think we were all a little nervous. We met Diane of The WHOLE Gang, Shirley of gfe--easily, Wendy of Celiacs in the House, Ali of Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen, Kim of Cook It Allergy Free, Karen of Cook 4 Seasons,  Melissa of Gluten Free For Good, Jean of GF Doctor Recipes, Heidi of Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom, Alexa of Lexie's Kitchen, and Jeanne of Four Chickens. There were several other bloggers there (please introduce yourselves if I've left you out -- SO sorry!) and unfortunately I didn't catch their names.

The nut butters were delicious, the icing on that cupcake is just perfect, and I captured Shauna's "yes" on her arm.
Love this!

Marilyn Taylor of Marilyn's Nut Butter's brought a variety of handmade nut butters for everyone to sample. They were naturally gluten free and I loved the Cinnamon Walnut Pecan best. The wooden sampling spoons for the nut butter were super cute. They reminded me of the individual cups of ice-cream we used to get in grade school. And Marilyn? She's a gem. An incredibly sweet lady!

Chocolate cookie from The Flying Apron and nut butter samples.

Michel and I tried 3 different gluten free baked goods at The Flying Apron. I had a big chocolate cupcake. Michael chose a big chocolate cookie (which tasted like an oreo to me) and a chocolate chip cookie. They were a little crumbly, but very good! I also had a big cup of hot white tea. It was so refreshing and I loved that they infused the whole tea leaves with a sterling silver tea strainer. I use a strainer like this at home for individual cups of tea and it always makes me feel very British. I can pretend. :-) 

Little Lu.
Shauna and Danny's sweet daughter sitting with Jean Layton's lovely daughter.
I love Lucy's expression. Those beautiful blue eyes are captivating! 

Another joy from this trip was meeting so many families and children. Jean Layton's children, Ali & Tom's children, and Shauna & Danny's daughter. I'm not sure if it's because I feel like a kid myself or if I just like kids (despite not having any), but they always make me comfortable. Had there been a children's table at Flying Apron that's where I would have been. The giggles, smiles, and laughter were so much fun. These girls were so sweet and it was lovely to see the way they interacted with each other and with all of us. 

Ali & Tom of Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen. What a beautiful family! 

Unfortunately, our time at The Flying Apron was short. I was so thankful to meet everyone. That night the conference began. I participated in the daily events of IFBC, but I spent most afternoons and evenings with Michael. 

We ate at a different restaurant each night we were there. The first night we ate at Sazerac and I forgot my camera. Sazerac had a wonderful atmosphere and I loved that they had a gluten free menu with many options. The food was good, but not exceptional. I felt that it was very overpriced. 

Our second night we had initially planned to have gluten free pizza. Michael had researched the downtown area and tried to find a place with gluten free pizza. No luck. Instead we went to McCormick & Schmicks. They do not specifically have a gluten free menu, but they KNOW gluten free. I was so impressed with every staff member there. 

Photo used with permission of Guy Prince, author of the blog MeatHenge.

It's funny to me that the absolute best dinner I had in Seattle was a seared pork chop with homemade mashed potatoes from McCormick & Schmicks. The restaurant is actually known for their seafood, but Michael and I decided to try their other offerings. Michael had a grilled chicken caesar salad and I had boneless pork chops. The waiter & chef took such care into making sure my boneless pork chop meal was safe and it was truly one of the best tasting meals I've ever had.  The chef knew not to create a gravy, so instead he made me a fresh black bean & corn salad to eat with my meal! I was so impressed with McCormick & Schmicks. Sadly, once again... I forgot my camera and didn't get a picture of that amazing meal. (Thanks for allowing me to borrow yours Guy!) 

Heidi, Shirley, and Wendy sitting behind me during the 2nd full day of IFBC.
Those smiles are contagious! 

Their were many foods available at the conference as well. The chefs that made meals for Saturday took an extra effort to make several gluten free and vegetarian options available. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try many of them. By the time I made it over to the lunch tables, they were gone! I think IFBC didn't take into account how many people needed to be served for the conference.

Heidi, Wendy, Carol, and Lexie. I love Lexie's smile in this picture!
We were awaiting the gluten free lunch that Danny & Shauna were preparing for the gluten free bloggers.

There were SO many food bloggers at this conference! I wish I had introduced myself to more people. LeAnn of BullCityFood (grey scarf) was accompanied by her mom. She's a fellow North Carolina food blogger!
LOVED meeting you LeAnn! (And this was an odd shot, she was really smiling through the conference!)

Alexandra Jamieson, a vegan holistic nutritionist and counselor sat with me on the bus ride to the 2nd full day of IFBC.

Alex was on the first panel of Sunday morning "Food Blogging for Specialized Diets." She's the author of The Great American Detox Diet and Living Vegan for Dummies. She's a full time mom, nutritionist, and counselor. She is one of the nicest people I've ever met and she is also married to filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. We had a wonderful conversation on the bus over to Theo Chocolate. Alex, I put Soylent Green on my Netflix list! 


During the first day, Erin of the Endive Chronicles sat next to me. She was so kind and I was amazed at her iPhone tech skills of tweeting and taking notes all on that little phone! Erin is the food editor for Mutineer Magazine. It was inspiring to talk with her. Thank you for being so friendly Erin! If you ever need a gluten free article for Mutineer, just let me know! 

Lexie, Melissa, and Jeanne patiently waiting for lunch. 

Shauna, Danny and Lu... after working so hard to prepare our lunch! They did an outstanding job. 

The first course prepared for us was an argula salad with fig and bleu cheese.
Don't be fooled, that plate was completely cleaned off by the time I was finished with it!
Have you ever had fresh figs? Try them! They are so soft and sweet.

The main course:
Prosciutto wrapped salmon with capers, lemon, and basil served over corn-quinoa pasta. Yum!

Shauna's fresh homemade gluten free French bread.
Straight from her new cookbook! I can't wait for the recipe! 

I loved these flowers that were thoughtfully placed on the bistro tables under the dining tent at Theo Chocolate. 

Me, Heidi, and Shirley
I'm still kicking myself for not getting more pictures with everybody else!

Our last dinner in Seattle was at Palace Kitchen. 

A small group of gluten free bloggers made plans to eat at Palace Kitchen on Sunday evening. I had decided not to join them, thinking Michael and I would find a neat little (maybe less expensive) place to dine that evening. Funny enough though, after walking for several blocks and not finding a place we wanted to eat... we saw Palace Kitchen on the corner of 5th Avenue. It dawned on me that it was same restaurant that the bloggers had gone to. I had no idea it was so close by. It was 7:30 by then and I wasn't sure if they would still be there, but as one last hurrah we saw them as soon as we walked in the door! We scored a table right behind the group including Carol, Kim, Melissa, Shirley, Heidi, and Diane. It was a treat to get to have one last gluten free meal with them!

Incredible olives served at Palace Kitchen

My favorite thing about Palace Kitchen? They served olives as a starter for people who were gluten free. I've never been to a restaurant that had an alternative to the bread placed on the table at the beginning of the meal. I think my mouth literally fell open when our sweet waitress brought this out as something as I could eat too. It's amazing how the small things mean so much when you live life gluten free!

Sauteed scallops with a cucumber salad

I had salad along with these tasty scallops. They were crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside with tiny hints of lime from the little corn crisps. It was a truly delicious dish.

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Seattle was wonderful. I'm thankful to all of the gluten free bloggers I met and shared the weekend with. Thank you for being so welcoming, warm, and helpful!

• Was IFBC expensive? YES. I don't know that we've ever taken a trip that was as costly. Between the conference itself, the flight, the hotel room, cabs, bus rides, meals, etc... ouch!

• Was IFBC a good experience? Yes and No. There are many things I would have changed about the conference itself. They definitely need better planning and organization. They need to be more aware of food sensitivities and the amounts needed to serve such a large crowd of people. They need more breakfast & drink options (not every food blogger drinks alcohol...) They need more options for transportation. More sessions about the actual art and mechanics of food blogging and less sessions led by sponsors trying to sell a product. 

• Was the trip worth it? Absolutely. I knew it may be one of the few opportunities that I have to meet all of these lovely women and I wanted to see them face to face. I wanted to put their blog names with faces. I wanted real hugs. I wanted to tell them how much I appreciate their blogs and what they do for the gluten free community. 

So to everyone who attended IFBC, especially my gluten free blogging friends, Thank you. Thank you for an experience and a trip that I will never forget! 

And if you're ever headed to North Carolina, you have no excuse not to come and see me. You know you'll have a safe gluten free meal waiting for you in my tiny, but comfortable kitchen.