Green Chile, Egg and Ham Crustless Quiche

This is definitely comfort food. Something to make with leftover ham, or a good dish for Sunday brunch. Make it healthier by serving some fresh fruit or fresh veggies on the side. 

 

Ingredients

1 sm yellow onion, diced

1 tbs olive oil

8 eggs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup low-fat cottage cheese

1 cup chopped ham (use cooked ham or substitute with bacon)

1 cup chopped green chile (roasted and peeled)

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Heat oil in small skillet and saute onion until softened. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. 

In a large bowl, whisk eggs together. Next add shredded cheese, cottage cheese, ham, green chile, pepper and sauteed onion to eggs. Mix well. 

Lightly oil a 8 or 9 inch baking dish and pour egg mixture into baking dish. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until eggs are set and the top is starting to brown. 

Serve with cherry tomatoes and avocado slices. Enjoy! 

a bowl full of ingredients  

ready to bake...

and the finished product! 

A perfect (gluten-free) anniversary

My husband and I have only been married for two years, but quite honestly, these have been the healthiest   two years I've had in a very long time. On our wedding day, I didn't know I had celiac disease (I was diagnosed a few months later), but we served a wonderful meal of new mexican fajitas (on corn tortillas), fresh homemade salsa, a beautiful seasonal green salad, spanish rice and beans. Essentially our wedding was gluten-free...until the cake! I don't remember feeling sick or bad on that special day, thank goodness! Fast forward and here I am eating cake, pizza, waffles etc... just made a little differently than before. I am forever grateful for having an extremely supportive husband who loves everything (so he says) that I cook and is always open to eating gluten-free. I look forward to the many, many meals we will share.

As for a perfect way to celebrate our 2 years together we traveled to the big city...Denver is only a 30 minute drive from our current home, but it's worlds apart from our life in Boulder (this topic could be another post entirely).

First things first, dessert before dinner at Pinkberry! Did you know that ALL Pinkberry flavors are gluten-free? Yes! I love this place. I think it's best to stay away from the toppings because you never know if the oreo-cookie serving spoon accidently fell into the chocolate shavings :( The fruit toppings are more isolated from the other toppings, so those are usually a safe bet, to avoid cross-contamination.

Dinner at Linger. Well,  supposedly I live in the "foodiest town in America" but I fell in love with Linger. Sorry Boulder. Not only did the waiter bring us two glasses of complimentary prosecco,  he was incredibly well versed on the issue of cross-contamination and being a celiac. I was taken more than serious. I was taken care of.

Linger has an amazing view of the Denver skyline from just about any seat in the restaurant. The careful attention to detail was well done, from the food, to the menus, to the bottle of water. Did I mention the food was absolutely incredible. The plates are small and the idea is to share a few dishes and savor the flavors. Linger. Enjoy.

Here's a sampling of what we had...a bowl of corn and poblano soup with Dungeness crab and avocado, sweet-potato waffle fries with chipolte ketchup (fried in a "clean" fyer), seared diver scallops with apple, and watercress salad, and a grilled chicken, grilled corn, avocado, bacon, french feta yumminess cobb salad (with grilled GF bread). Check out the awesome menu here.

The Linger eatuaries sign 

from the LoHi neighborhood

Gardens at the Gregory Inn

Next on the list: a  quaint bed and breakfast in LoDo. The Gregory Inn.  My amazing gluten-free breakfast included a crustless quiche, apple-chicken sausage, fresh fruit, coffee and juice. Lovely. The chef (Todd) was helpful and knew just how to make a safe meal for me! Breakfast on the roof-top patio was a perfect start to the day.

Breakfast at the Gregory Inn

Last, but certainly not least it's important to have dessert (again).  This is one of the easiest cakes you can make! Happy celebrating!

Flourless Chocolate Cake 
(circa 1997, Gourmet Magazine)

Ingredients
4 oz fine-quality, bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for sprinkling

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8inch round baking pan. Line the bottom with a round of wax paper and butter the paper.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double broiler, or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth. Remove top of double broiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well. Sift 1/2 cup cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in the middle of oven for 25 minutes (or until top has formed a thin crust).
Cool cake in pan on a rack for ~5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate. Dust cake with additional cocoa powder and serve with fresh berries, whip cream, sorbet, etc... whatever you like!

 the ingredients

complete! 

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

This recipe comes straight off the bag of Gluten Free Rolled Oats from Trader Joe's. GF oats can be really expensive, but if you have a Trader Joe's in your area pick these up. They are grown in dedicated oat fields, packaged in a gluten free facility and they are cheap! This recipe makes a lot of cookies, store them in the freezer...sometimes they taste even better frozen!

Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
3 cups GF rolled oats
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or sunflower seeds)
1 tsp bourbon vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter (or sunflower butter)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, brown sugar and butter and beat until creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and baking soda and mix well.  Add peanut butter and until well incorporated.

Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts. Place teaspoon full of dough onto a lightly greased (or parchment paper lined) cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly brown around the edges. (makes approximately 40 to 48 cookies depending on size).  Enjoy!

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Good friends, good weather, good food. Thank you Allison and Mo for spending a weekend in Boulder! I must say it feels a little strange to relax at the kitchen table, sipping a glass of wine while my sweet friends cook for me. I spend so much time in the kitchen, that I often forget what it's like to be on the other side...it was wonderful! I am forever grateful to eat so well and be healthy. I didn't help make this meal, but I did devour it. (Recipe inspiration comes from Diabetic Living Magazine)

Ingredients:
8oz beef flank steak
2 yellow or red bell peppers, sliced
8 asparagus stalks, trimmed
2 green onions, trimmed
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and sliced
2-3 cups torn romaine lettuce
fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Cilantro Dressing (recipe follows)


Cilantro Dressing: 
Lime juice
shallot
cilantro
olive oil
honey
garlic clove
red chile powder
water 
salt
ground cumin


Directions:
In a blender or food processor, combine 3 tablespoons lime juice; 2 tablespoons chopped shallot; 2 tablespoons snipped cilantro; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon water; 2 teaspoons honey; 1 large clove garlic, quartered; 1/2 teaspoon red chile powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; and 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin. Cover and blend or process until combined.
Divide Cilantro Dressing into two portions.


Trim fat from steak. Score both sides of steak in a diamond pattern by making shallow diagonal cuts at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in a resealable plastic bag. Pour one portion of the Cilantro Dressing over steak in bag; set remaining dressing portion aside. Seal bag; turn to coat steak. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.


Drizzle peppers, green onions and asparagus with olive oil. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat and, later, vegetables on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill. For steak, allow 17 to 21 minutes for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F). Add pepper and asparagus to the grill for the last 8 minutes of grilling and green onions to the grill for the last 4 minutes grilling, turning frequently. For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place meat and, later, vegetables on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill. 

Thinly slice meat against the grain. Serve meat, vegetables, tomatoes, and, avocado slices over romaine lettuce. Drizzle with the reserved portion of the Cilantro Dressing. Garnish with cilantro sprigs. Makes 2 servings 

Gluten Free in Albuquerque, New Mexico

Having lived in Boulder for the last year, I've become quite accustomed to having numerous gluten-free options at hand. I feel like I can go into almost any restaurant and have something safely prepared for me. When I come back to New Mexico, I don't feel so fortunate. There's a saying in NM that it's the "land of mañana" in other words, what ever needs to get done, can get done tomorrow. Well, I believe this saying exists because New Mexico is a little behind the times. Stuff gets done here just a little slower than in other states. Sometimes thats a good thing, but in the world of  knowledge and accommodating people with food allergies and gluten intolerance, this is not such a good thing. For example, one of my old favorite restaurants, Flying Star put out this statement about gluten: "Our counter staff is happy to comply with your changes, but will not be able to assist you with Gluten issues." Shut down.

****Update**** One year after writing this post, Flying Star has decided to offer some "Gluten Not" options. I don't know if they pay any attention to cross contamination, but they do offer a couple breakfast entrees and muffins that do not contain gluten.

I've decided to pick my battles and Flying Star is one that can be shoved under the rug for the time being... I'm focusing on the restaurants that ARE open to accommodating those with Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance. Thank you Slate Street Cafe, Zinc Wine Bar, Slice Parlor Pizza, The Cube BBQ, O'Neills Irish Pub and Scalo for listening to your customers and offering safe and delicious gluten free meals! My hope is that more and more restaurants will jump on the bandwagon and understand that the individual that has gluten intolerance is the one that makes the decision about where to eat out. Having gluten-free options on your menu will actually increase sales :)

(Please excuse the quality of the photos, they were taken on a camera phone)

On a recent rendezvous to Albuquerque, I had the most wonderful meal at Slate Street Cafe. Many of the staff follow a gluten-free diet and the owner has a family member with Celiac Disease. Yay! The food here is amazing. It is presented well,  it's fresh and full of flavor. Plus a drink in the wine loft before the meal is a nice touch. They have a separate gluten-free menu, just ask the hostess when you take your seat! My meal included a peach glazed seared salmon with sauteed green beans, sugar snap peas, snow peas and a spicy kiwi-mango salsa. Awesome! All the salads are gluten free and the one that caught my eye was the  grilled peach and prosciutto salad with spring greens, asparagus, golden tomatoes and shaved parmesan.

We also ate at Zinc Wine Bar and Bistro- Zinc is an awesome place to listen to music and have a wonderful meal. The hostess, chef and waitress were all knowledgeable about my intolerance and assured me that I would have a safe meal. It was wonderful! I had the New Mexico raised steak and a mixed green salad with homemade champagne vinaigrette. I will be back. 

For more in-depth gluten-free listing, check out Gluten Free Albuquerque.  

The Cube 

talk to the manager or cook on-site. The BBQ sauce and most of the meats and salads are gluten-free,  naturally! 

Slice Parlor Pizza

A relatively new pizza joint in town. Serves a 12" pizza and even has gluten free beer on the menu. It doesn't get much better than that!

El Pinto Restaurant serves up some of Albuquerque's most delicious New Mexican food. You can safely eat chicken tacos, enchiladas and carne adovada. Order from their new gluten free menu and devour the delicious salsa!

If you are traveling to Santa Fe, check out the article published by Living Without Magazine.

My favorites in Santa Fe:

La Choza. You can safely eat the carne adovada (this chile and meat is not made with wheat flour). Pinto beans and Posole. Delish!

Vinaigrette Salad Bistro. Speak to the staff. They are accommodating to those with special dietary needs. I love the Apple Cheddar chop salad. Just make sure your meat is NOT marinated.

Tree House Bakery. All vegetarian and very tasty. Go on Tuesday- it's gluten free special day!

Revolution Bakery. This place is amazing. It's entirely gluten-free. Pick up your bread, cinnamon rolls, hot coffee, scones, pizza etc... and don't worry about gluten-contamination at all! WOO HOO!

Lemon & Pear Bread with Pecans

Lemon & Pear Bread with Pecans 

Ingredients:

1 egg

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup white sugar

1 cup pear sauce (or use applesauce)

1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract

1.5 tsp grated lemon zest

1tbs fresh lemon juice

1.5 cups Bistro Blend Gluten Free Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350° F. Using a standing mixer beat egg slightly, then add sugar and melted butter. Beat until well combined. Add pear sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla and continue to beat on slow-medium speed for about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and then add  into wet mixture. Beat until smooth. Fold in pecans.  Pour into a greased (with butter) and floured (using GF flour) bread loaf pan. Bake for 55 min to 1 hour at 350° F. 

                                                                       the batter...

and the finished product.

I couldn't resist having a taste before it cooled.

Lovely. 

Bolognese Sauce with Pasta

This sauce is adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook. It's hearty, flavorful and could be topped on gluten free pasta, rice, or even a bed of sauteed greens. 

Ingredients:
2 slices of smoked bacon, preferably free-range or organic
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
olive oil
2 heaping tsp dried oregano
1 lb good-quality ground beef, pork or a mixture of the two
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
2, 14 ounce cans of diced tomatoes (no salt added)
1 small can tomato paste
small bunch of fresh basil
4 ounces fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 lb gluten free pasta


Directions:
Finely dice the bacon. Peel and finely chop the onions, garlic, carrots and celery. Place a large pan on medium to high heat.  Add 2 lugs of olive oil, sliced bacon and oregano to your pan. Cook and stir until bacon is lightly golden. Add the chopped veggies to the pan and saute for about 7 minutes until softened. Stir in the ground beef/pork breaking it up with a fork. Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste.
Fill one of the empty cans with water and add to the pan. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. 


Pick the basil leaves off the stalk and store leaves in the fridge for later. Finely dice the basil stalks and stir into the pan. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer with a lid on and slightly askew for 1 hour, stirring every now and again. Take the lid off and cook for another 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the sauce as it cooks, and if you think it's starting to dry out, add a splash of water. 


Remove the Bolognese sauce from heat. Stir in half of the grated parmesan cheese (save remaining for garnish). Tear and stir half of the basil into the sauce (save remaining for garnish). Season with additional salt and pepper. You can now allow it to cool, bag it and freeze or keep it warm while you cook your gluten free pasta!  Enjoy!!!

Gluten Free in Switzerland and Italy

Traveling used to be so incredibly simple for me. I would find food at ease and go to whatever restaurant I wanted to, when I was hungry. Of course I didn't feel well afterwards, but it sure seemed simpler! Today, I google, I call, I feel nervous, I google some more, then it all seems to work out. I had the most awesome vacation a few weeks ago where I spent time on the Italian Riviera (Rapallo, Portofino, Santa Margherita, Camogli and the Cinque Terre) and in Switzerland (Zurich, Bern, Lucern, and Baden).  

Italy is hip to gluten intolerance and celiac disease. It's not hard to find food in most grocery stores and pharmacy's that cater to the gluten free traveler. Switzerland was a bit harder, but in the end totally do-able. I have to admit, when I see a food market, a pharmacy or other food vendor, I always have to check to see what they offer. I am sure my travel companions get tired of me always stopping in to check out the markets! I have found that is is absolutely necessary to have a hotel or apartment with a kitchenette when traveling abroad. Going out to eat should be a treat, not a chore. I cooked everyday while on the trip, but I was never deprived. Everyday I made myself a Nutella rice-cake sandwich to enjoy while others were having chocolate croissants. I packed a lunch with gluten-free Shar bread. I devoured the cheese and yoghurt in Switzerland and I had my fair share of chocolate bars, fresh olives and cappuccinos in Italy. I didn't get sick and I didn't feel hungry...not once.

 

Here are some tips and a list of awesome places to get some good food in Italy and Switzerland. 

Plan your stays in various cities based on the open air food markets. These are delectable and honestly, you wont find better produce. Sweet cherries, peaches, nectarines, strawberries and apples were in abundance and all grown in Italy. It was heaven. We stayed in the Ligurian region. Markets are held daily. http://www.initaly.com/regions/liguria/markets.htm  

Billa Supermarket- Rapallo, Italy

I stocked up on fresh pesto, gluten free penne pasta, fresh mozzarella cheese, veggies and chocolate from this market. Salami and other cured meats are labeled gluten-free (senza glutine)

Ristorante Da Paolo, Camogli, Italy

I've been to this restaurant three times and they always know what to do. I believe the chef has Celiac disease. The meal is pricy, but worth it. I recommend going at lunch, but make a reservation! Fresh grilled calamari with olive oil, herbs and garlic, with a insalata mista was fantastic!

Ristorante Da Paolo, Via S. Fortunato 14, Camogli

Tel: 0185.773595

Restaurant Il Cancello, Portofino, Italy. This restaurant is at the Palace hotel offers gluten free meals.

Kerala Indian Restaurant, Zurich, Switzerland. This restaurant treated me like a queen. They have an incredible amount of gluten free items on the menu and were very proud and sure of providing me a safe meal. On top of all the good service, the food is excellent. Our meal included vegetable pakora (made with chickpea flour), tandoori chicken, malabari chicken curry, aloo gobi vegetables and a indian pudding with cardamom and coconut milk for dessert. Yum. Yum. Yum. 

Muller Vital Shop, Zurich, Switzerland- I was able to buy a selection of breads, rice-cakes, musili, and snacks from here. This is great place to supplement your fruits, veggies and yogurt which are abundant in Zurich. 

The  Drogerie +Reformhaus +Naturheilpraxis in Stein-am-Rhein, Switzerland sells a selection of GF products, including a few gluten free baked goods. 

The Marinello market in Rail City (main Zurich train station) carries a selection of gluten free bratwurst and sausages. They are all delicious! Just read the fine print on the allergen statement. Marinello is even open on Sunday, as everything else seems to be closed! 

Other grocery stores in Switzerland were my lifesaver. I went to either the Coop and Migros daily. They are found in almost every town and you can stock up on the best yogurt you will ever eat plus meats, cheeses, fruits, veggies and nuts. 

GF pasta with pesto, spicy sausage, 

wilted spinach and fresh mozzarella

Homemade Granola with Pineapple and Cranberries

Gluten free granola is extremely expensive to buy and I am often disappointed in what comes out of the teeny tiny bag. I'm on a mission to make a delicious (and more affordable) breakfast granola that the professor and I will both enjoy. Here goes attempt #1!

Ingredients:
3 cups certified gluten free oats
1 cup of chopped nuts (black walnuts, sliced raw almonds and toasted sunflower seeds)
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup light agave syrup
1.5 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried pineapple, chopped finely
1/2 cup dried cranberries, chopped finely

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, combine oats, sunflower seeds, walnuts, almonds and cinnamon. Stir and set aside. In a medium saucepan, set over medium heat, combine oil, agave, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Pour warm agave mixture into oat mixture and stir until well combined.

Spread mixture evenly onto a large rimmed baking sheet. For for about 20 minutes, stirring several times throughout, until the granola is deep golden color. Cool completely before adding dried fruit. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

Enjoy this granola with my new favorite yogurt, Noosa!

Gluten Free in Dallas, TX

I was in Dallas over the weekend for a wedding and was very worried that I would be eating steak and potatoes for the entire three days! First let me say, not surprisingly Dallas is not anything like Boulder. The more I travel as a celiac, the more I realize what a special place I live in and how easy I have it. In Dallas, there were a couple times when a waiter looked at me funny and didn't really understand what I was trying to explain. I was given a salad with croutons, which I returned. Then received a different salad, still with croutons. Eventually, I was give an salad without croutons, but with crumbs all over the place. It was obvious that they had just removed the bread from the salad. Needless to say, I never did get a clean salad and I sure didn't eat one that was contaminated. I had fruit instead.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for my culinary experience... I found LOVE at Kozy Kitchen. This place is awesome. They make their own GF whole grain bread, have grass fed organic buffalo burgers and even have a huge selection of cakes, which are ALL gluten free. Heaven. Heaven. Heaven. This is a restaurant where the food is flavorful, fresh and not only for those on a GF diet.  I wish I would have spent more time at Kozy. Another good thing about Dallas is that you can always hunt down a Whole Foods. Sure this takes planning, but it's well worth the time.  For a quick bite or lunch, Jason's Deli offers a gluten free menu. Nothing spectacular, but when you need fuel, a sandwich does the trick! I had a wonderful weekend, but I am happy to be back in Boulder, the gluten-free mecca.

Kozy Kitchen
Jason's Deli
Whole Foods Market
Wholesome Foods Bakery

The Kozy Kitchen

Grass fed buffalo burger, with sauteed seasonal 

veggies, raw cheddar cheese and mustard

the Oh My God Cake!

(white chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate, etc, etc, etc)

I only had one steak while in TX, but here are a few other restaurants which cater to the gluten free crowd! 

Outback Steakhouse

Texas Land and Cattle

Kona Grill

Fish City Grill