Monthly Archives for April 2012

May is Celiac Awareness Month

Photo courtesy of GlutenFreeHub

In celebration of Celiac Awareness Month, I am asking you (my awesome readers) to submit to me a photo of the gluten free section in your local grocery store. Frequent more than one grocery store? Send me photos from each! No dedicated gluten free section? No problem, send me a picture of your favorite gluten free item on its shelf ! Or send me a photo of the gluten free section in your own kitchen!

I will be accepting photos until May 20th — simply send them to me via email at audrey_ana@me.com with Gluten Free Grocery in the subject line, please include the stores name, city & state and a short little blurb about what you like or dislike about their gluten free section. Once all submissions are received, I will create an entire blog post dedicated to your photos!

I am super curious to see what your gluten free section looks like and hope that you will participate!! Also, do not miss my feature on iamjtheblog on May 18th where I will share with you a photographic adventure of my life with gluten intolerance.

Recipe: Thai Style Fried Rice

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When I was a kid, my Mom & I used to got the same Thai restaurant in Lubbock, TX every week. It was one of our favorite places to eat (still is for her) … Alas, I can no longer eat there, but fortunately I can recreate my favorite dish at home — fried rice!
I make mine meatless, instead topping it with an extra fried egg — but it works great with sautéed beef, chicken or shrimp.

You can cook the brown rice ahead of time for a meal that will come together in 20 minutes! Or do as I sometimes do and use a bag or two of the steamed rice from the frozen foods section if you are in a hurry!

Here is what you will need for 3 servings of rice:

  • 2 cups brown rice
  • chicken stock
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 purple onion, diced
  • 1 medium carrot, diced
  • 1 jalapeño, diced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, diced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese five spice
  • 1 tablespoon EVOO (plus 1 teaspoon if roasting tomatoes)
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
  • salt & pepper
  • lime wedges (optional)
  • sprouts (optional)
  • 1 tomato (optional)

To roast tomatoes: preheat oven to 400 degrees; slice one medium sized tomato; place on baking sheet; drizzle with 1 teaspoon EVOO; bake for 20 minutes.

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting chicken stock for water. Set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in EVOO until onion is opaque. Increase heat to medium high, add ginger, jalapeño, carrot & a splash of chicken stock. Cook until liquid is almost dissolved (about a minute). Push mixture to the side, scramble eggs in open area of skillet.

Add rice (and meat, if using) to skillet. Drizzle sesame oil, fish sauce & soy sauce into skillet, sprinkle in Chinese five spice, salt, pepper, sesame seeds and sprouts, mix together. Cook until heated through. Serve topped with roasted tomatoes and a lime wedge on the side, enjoy!

Nutritional Info: 340 calories, 11.6g fat, 49.4g carbs, 8.6g protein … Plus 233.7mg potassium per serving!

Got a favorite Asian inspired dish that you have revamped to be gluten free?? I would love to know what it is! Share it with me in the comments section!

Gearing up for National Celiac Awareness Month

Hi y’all!! I am happy to announce that in May I will be one of 29 bloggers featured on iamjtheblog in honor of National Celiac Awareness Month!!

The challenge is to share a photo (or photos) that depicts my life with gluten intolerance. She is still seeking bloggers, so if you have not done so all ready, sign up PRONTO! (:

Look for my photo on May 18th, but check back all month long to see photos from all the great gluten free bloggers she will feature!

photo courtesy of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

For more information on Celiac Disease, non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity and related conditions, head on over to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness website.

Recipe: Italian Chicken Pasta Surprise

I have developed quite a knack for what I call ‘surprise dishes’ … They are simple really and perhaps not all that unique, but nonetheless this is my dinner strategy some nights. I take stock of what I have on hand, based upon that list — pick a theme (Italian, Asian or Mexican), throw the ingredients together in some creative fashion … and then comes the taste test. One of three outcomes are possible 1) it is going to be bad because  I added something that did not quite work out right flavor or technique wise 2) it is going to be ok, but not great because I was missing that one ingredient (ok, maybe two) that would have ‘made’ the dish or 3) SURPRISE, it is delish–thankfully, this has been my outcome more often than not.

Anyhow, I have recently fallen in love with DeBoles gluten free angel hair pasta, so I decided to try an Italian style  surprise last night. It came out particularly tasty, so I thought I would share! Follows is how I made it with what I had on hand, but use the ingredients you have and be creative — use my recipe as a way to inspire your own!

The directions are for one serving simply because the fiancé does not eat my ‘special’ gluten free foods, so I make ours separate.

  • 1 serving DeBoles angel hair pasta
  • 1 chicken breast, baked
  • ~2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 tablespoons EVOO
  • 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/4 purple onion, small dice
  • 1 cup fresh green beans (frozen will substitute fine)
  • 1/8 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 large red tomato, medium slices
  • Fresh or dried Italian seasonings of your choice
  • Salt & Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roasted your tomato: place tomato slices on baking sheet lined with tin foil; drizzle with 1/2 tablespoon EVOO and balsamic vinegar; top with salt, pepper and garlic (fresh minced or powder), place in oven for approximately 20 minutes — until tomatoes begin to caramelize.

Cook pasta according to package directions, substituting chicken stock for water. Drain & set aside.

Over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in 1/2 tablespoon EVOO, until onion is opaque. Add red bell pepper, green beans and a splash of chicken stock to pan. Cover and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes, until veggies are cooked to desired crispness. Remove lid, reduce heat to medium-low.

Add pasta, chicken (shredded or sliced into strips), remaining EVOO, parmesan cheese, seasonings, salt & pepper to pan — mix and heat through. Serve, topped with roasted tomatoes. Enjoy!

More suggestions for creating a tasty pasta dish after the jump …

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Links of the Week …

Ziggy is enjoying her locally grown collard greens and strawberries!!

Recipe: Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes are a staple around here. I make them about once a week for dinner, take them to family functions and pot lucks and always get rave reviews. They are super easy to make and are one of those things that you almost alway have the ingredients for. You can use just about any variety fresh herbs or dried, suit them to your own tastes and I promise you and your family will love them too!

Here is what you will need for 2 servings:

-2 potatoes (russet, gold or red), cut into small cubes
-1 tablespoon EVOO
-1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
-1/2 purple onion, chopped
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-Fresh or dried herbs of your choice (thyme, parsley, chives, basil and oregano work well — use as many or as few as you like)
-Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a casserole dish or deep pan with foil (the foil is optional, but makes for easier clean up)

Place all ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix together — ensuring that all the potatoes are evenly coated with EVOO and herbs.

Transfer to casserole dish, cover with foil and place in oven for 40-50 minutes. Generally, I will check mine after 30 minutes — if they seem to be drying out, I add a bit more EVOO. For the last 3-5 minutes of baking, remove foil so that the edges crisp up a little.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

What is your go to side dish? Share it in the comments section!!

Product Review: Little Soya Soy Sauce

Love soy sauce, but not a fan of the gluten and sodium found in most brands? Then I bet you’ll love Little Soya.

First off, does it get any cuter than these little fish shaped packets!? What is inside is even better. Since they’re low sodium, the soy sauce flavor really shines through — rather than the overwhelming saltiness you get with the other guys.

Here is what they have to say about their product:

We take our soy sauce very seriously.  Little Soya uses only the freshest, hand-picked ingredients we can find.  Executive chefs from across the country have refined the taste, helping create Little Soya’s unique, smooth yet slightly sweet flavor.  You won’t notice any uncomfortably salty aftertaste that so many traditional soy sauces bombard you with.

Little Soya meets all FDA standards for labeling as a gluten-free product.  Each batch of soy sauce we produce is tested twice by separate labs to ensure our results are accurate.  Currently, Little Soya tests at less than 10ppm gluten, far below the 20ppm FDA standard.

Little Soya also contains 45% less sodium than then leading brand on the market.   Our lower sodium content makes us great to use as a salt substitute in many of your favorite recipes.  You may even be surprised what new flavors you experience in some of your most worn out dishes.

Our fun, fish-shaped containers are re-sealable and recyclable!

I first discovered Little Soya Soy Sauce back in November 2011 at Gluten Free Houston Bakery and have been a fan ever since! They have become a staple in my kitchen, I also keep a few extra in my desk on campus for those days when my lunch needs a little extra flavor! Plus, the fish shaped containers make for great squirt toys used on my unsuspecting cats!

Are you a fan of Little Soya Soy Sauce?