A Gluten Free Guide

Gluten-Free Recipes – Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce

Tomorrow is the last official day of summer.  I enjoy the change to a fall wardrobe and that crispness in the air before it gets truly cold.  But the one thing I will truly miss as the seasons change is the abundant fresh summer produce.  Luckily the tomatoes are still plentiful so I will do my best to make myself sick of them before they are replaced with their flavorless distant cousins.

This gluten-free pasta recipe is light and fresh – a perfect summer meal.
I hope you have a chance to try this recipe at least once before the tomatoes and basil leave the farmer’s markets.  Enjoy the last day of summer!

Gluten-Free Pasta with Fresh Tomato and Basil Sauce Recipe
4 Servings

Ingredients
1 package (10 oz.) gluten-free pasta (tinkyada is widely available and recommended)
1 large bunch fresh basil, cleaned well, stripped from stems and chopped
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
4-6 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 lbs), coarsely chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook gluten-free pasta according to package instructions.  Drain thoroughly.

Put the tomatoes, basil and garlic in a large bowl and stir in the olive oil in a thin, steady stream.  Add salt and pepper.

Add the pasta and stir.

Serve warm, topped with freshly grated cheese. 

Remember when working with gluten-free pasta that while it may take longer to cook, it moves from al dente to mushy very quickly.  Just watch it and test it before letting it go too soft.  While my favorite gluten-free pastas are the rather pricey BiAglut (currently unvailable in the U.S.) or Dr Schar. Le Veneziane corn pasta and the more widely available Glutino or Tinkyada brown rice pastas are all quite tasty.  And after all of my time in Italy, I am not one to accept sub-par pasta merely because it’s gluten-free.

For more gluten-free recipes to make use of your fresh tomatoes, try:

Katie’s Favorite Avocado and Cilantro Salad Recipe

Santa Fe-Style Quinoa Salad Recipe

Fig and Avocado Salsa Recipe

In Memorium: David Marc Fischer, Gluten-Free NYC

I’m greatly saddened to share the news that one of the forerunners in the online gluten-free community passed away this summer. After battling an aggressive form of cancer, David Marc Fischer was taken from us abruptly in August.

I have struggled to write about it as sadness begins to overwhelm me. David was a dear friend and support. The loss hit me in a profound way, and I know I must be experiencing only a glimmer of the pain his family is feeling.

I first met David at the Gluten-Free Cooking Spree in 2007, though we knew each other ‘virtually’ before that. We became fast friends once we crossed over from digital to real life. David and I both went to college at the University of Virginia. We shared tales of Charlottesville in years past and were constantly exchanging tips on restaurants and gluten-free products. David came to my apartment for gluten-free tastings – he introduced me to a variety of gluten-free beers and always knew the best sources for gluten-free breads and pastas.  Who else could understand the funny stories that come about when dating gluten-free?  He was such a positive person, I felt truly lucky to count him among my friends.

In addition to authoring Gluten-Free NYC, he also wrote Blog About Town and was remembered at Emdashes for his dedication to the New Yorker cartoon contest. While his memorial was in August, the Celiac Meetup Group in NYC is having a dinner in his honor Monday, September 14th . The dinner will begin at 7pm at Lilli and Loo’s, one of David’s favorite restaurants. After spending time in China after college, David LOVED Asian cuisine. Since he only ate at restaurants that were part of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program, the arrival of Lilli and Loo’s was truly a gift for him. I realize many of you are too far away to make it to dinner, but we are lucky to be able to use the Internet to connect and share.

It feels like yesterday that David and I were making risotto together at a gluten-free cooking class he invited me to. I am so grateful for his friendship, thoughtfulness, conversation, intelligence and cheer. My life is richer and the world is a better place because he was a part of it.

Congratulations to the Winners of the Gluten-Free Cereal Giveaway

Congratulations to the FIVE winners of the Erewhon Gluten-Free Cereal Giveaway.  Keegan, who mixes a few different types of gluten-free cereal together with soy yogurt and peanut butter or almond milk; Gabrielle, who likes to eat her cereal dry as she’s watching the news in the morning; Christine, who makes gluten-free crispy rice treats; Katrina – she and her husband enjoy 4 bowls of cereal a day! and finally Katie, who’s favorite way to enjoy gluten-free cereal is as a late night snack while watching TV.

Thanks to everyone for entering and stay tuned for our next giveaway!

Gluten-Free Recipes – Stuffed Zucchini Flowers

I am back from California, where I enjoyed quality time with friends and family.  I recharged and did lots of cooking (yes for me that’s a vacation).  My family loved the Chicken with Crispy Bacon and Grapes recipe so much I made it twice.

All of the fresh produce in California is almost temptation enough to lure me back to the West. However, this delicious creation was made in New York.  As walking through the Union Square Farmer’s Market a few weeks ago I saw a stand with a box of zucchini flowers.  I decided it was the perfect excuse to try the recipe for Stuffed Zucchini Flowers I first tasted during my gluten-free trip to Italy last year.  My plating wasn’t nearly as lovely as Dania’s but since I used her recipe, they were almost as delectable.


Gluten-Free Stuffed Zucchini Flower Recipe (adapted from La Cucina Toscana Della Chiusa by Dania Lucherini)
2 Appetizer Servings

Ingredients:
4 zucchini flowers, stems, green leaves and inner stamens removed
5 oz fresh whole milk ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 bunch of parsley, finely chopped
4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon of butter
1 pinch sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash the flowers very carefully and fpace on a cloth to dry.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta and egg with a fork.  Add salt, pepper and chopped parsley and mix well.  Carefully fill the zucchini flowers with the mixture.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat, add the diced tomatoes and the pinch of sugar.  Season with salt and pepper and sauté for about 10 minutes.  Then add the stuffed zucchini flowers to the sauce and sauté on low heat for another 10 minutes.  Turn the stuffed flowers over gently with a spoon two or three times throughout cooking until they are thoroughly coated in the sauce.

Serve on a warmed plate. 

Congratulations to the Udi’s Gluten-Free Sampler Pack Winner

Congratulations to Molly who wished for “a wonderful, light, airy, and toasted to perfection, flavored [gluten-free] bagel” from Udi’s. She is going to receive the gluten-free sampler pack.  But really we are all winners because Udi’s has read all of our comments/suggestions and is working on a whole new batch of gluten-free products.

The most requested items were:

#1 – gluten-free bagels

#2 – gluten-free english muffins

#3 – gluten-free  soft pretzels

#4 – gluten-free flour tortillas (that is my request, how was it only number four people???)

#5 – a tie between gluten-free croissants and donuts

The good news is that Udi’s already has gluten-free bagels in the works, and they are scheduled to launch before the end of the year.  Gluten-free english muffins and soft pretzels are also in development along with different versions of gluten-free breads, bun, granola, pie crust, cinnamon rolls and more. (hmmph, still don’t see gluten-free flour tortillas on that list….) They are hoping to launch 4-5 new gluten-free products in the next few months.  Hooray!  Now if I can just get my local store to start carrying them, then all would be right with the world.

As always with a giveaway, an excuse to post a picture of my nephew.

Gluten-Free Recipes – Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad

I hope everyone is having an incredible summer. My summer has been full of gluten-free food and travel adventures, keeping me from blogging on a regular basis. I have been amassing a collection of restaurant finds, new gluten-free products and delicious recipes to share. I just haven’t had a chance to actually write about them yet. I knew I had neglected ‘A Gluten-Free Guide’ for far too long when my best friend chastised me recently. I am back to bring you a recipe before my vacation to CA, where I promise to try out some new restaurants and recipes and report back.

Healthy Mediterranean Tuna Salad (from Eat Food Nutrition)

Ingredients
2 – 6.5 ounce cans water-packed tuna, drained
1 – 15 ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed well
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions (you can sub shallots or onions)
1 1/2 cups peeled, finely diced cucumber
4 cups chopped spinach leaves (you can sub arugula, mesculun or the green of your choice)
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons grainy Dijon Mustard
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Coarsely ground pepper to taste
1 heaping tablespoon small capers
Chunks of avocado (optional)

In a large mixing bowl, combine tuna, beans onion, cucumber and spinach. Toss ingredients. Stir in oil, mustard and lemon juice; mix well. Season with pepper and add capers. Mix evenly and serve with avocado garnish.

While I have been on a summer blogging vacation, the rest of the gluten-free blog community has been busy – Sea’s “Adopt A Gluten-Free Bloggger” event, highlights some of the best gluten-free cooking on the Web this summer.

A Gluten-Free Giveaway – FREE Triumph Dining Cards

Triumph Dining is giving away FREE American Dining Cards until the end of August. There’s absolutely no purchase necessary. You can simply visit Triumph Dining’s Web site to participate and get a free dining card.

The purpose of this give-away is to raise money for Celiac Disease Awareness. If they get 15,000 people to sign up for free dining cards, Triumph Dining will make a $10,000 donation in support of a national celiac disease awareness campaign. When they hit their goal, they’ll let us decide which non-profit(s) receives the donation.

They’re trying to build awareness on two fronts: With 15,000 more dining cards on the street, we’ll be educating more restaurants about the gluten free diet faster. And, with $10,000 funding behind a national campaign, we can diagnose and educate more Celiacs.

I highly recommend getting the free cards AND buying the full set. It’s by far the most useful gluten-free purchase I have made. I used my ‘Mexican Cuisine’ card to get this incredible and safe gluten-free meal at Rosa Mexicano restaurant in NYC.

Congratulations to the Gluten-Free Cookies and Granola Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Kathy, winner of the “Made to Crave” prize pack of gluten-free grahams and gluten-free granola.

Kathy suggested something lemony for gluten-free granola bars and would love to see a honey almond granola.

As always, announcing a winner gives me an excuse to post a picture of my nephew. This is a picture of Cam with his best friend Kaden in Houston. Cam just moved from Texas back to CA and already misses Kaden like crazy. I just love the way they would hold hands; it breaks my heart that they won’t be near each other any more! (though selfishly I am excited that I will get to see him more now….)

Winner selected by random.org – don’t worry if you didn’t win this time, another great prize is coming this week.

Congratulations to the Winner of the Free Betty Crocker Gluten-Free Mix Pack

And the Betty Crocker Gluten-Free prize pack goes to Andrea – who would like to see a gluten-free version of the Warm Delights mixes.  Thanks to everyone for your suggestions, hopefully Betty Crocker will listen and add more!

As always, announcing the winner gives me an excuse to post a picture of my nephew – this is from his second birthday party. He will have a little brother later this year so I may have to start rotating between nephews next year….

(number selected by random.org)

Recipe for a Gluten-Free Summer Picnic

After a seemingly endless winter, the cold has left us and summer weather is in full effect. A great way to take advantage of the lovely days, is a picnic.

Hopefully many of you are grilling on this 4th of July holiday, but before the summer is over a picnic should be on your ‘to-do’ list. While for most people, sandwiches may be the first thing that comes to mind for ‘picnic food,’ I put together a perfectly palatable offering without ever considering great gluten-free bread.

A few of the items in our ‘basket’:

Assorted cured and smoked meats – Speck, Salsiccia and Hickory Smoked Turkey Breast

Antipasti – Marinated Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts (try wrapping a sun-dried tomato in a piece of turkey – yum!)

Cheese and Gluten-Free Crackers – Cypress Grove’s Truffle Tremor and Midnight Moon cheeses were perfect with a Roman Cacio cheese and Blue Diamond Almond Thins

Fresh Fruit – Apples and Strawberries

Yogurt – plain greek yogurt was great as a dessert with the strawberries

Beverages – Water and White Wine were our choices for this gluten-free dining adventure

Mix and match – it’s not difficult once you get past the idea that you have to have a sandwich.

And just because you may not like camping, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a great meal outdoors. Happy Independence Day!