Gluten Free Expedition

Happy Halloween!

The Butterfingers are all gone and I'm not buying any more.  I would just end up hording them all for myself.  I can't fight the temptation! 

I'm not going to post a list of gluten free candy because there are many great lists already out there.  Even a good GF/CF list and a list that contains information about 6 of the 8 "big" allergens for those who need to avoid more than just gluten!

Halloween is going to be really fun this year because for the first time, the Girl is really excited about it.  Last year she only wore her costume because I told her she wouldn't get candy unless she had one on.  And before that she didn't really know what was going on.  This year, after much deliberation, she picked to be Snow White.  Serious deliberation - she knew she was going to be a princess, but she couldn't be just an anonymous run of the mill every day princess, she wanted to be a DISNEY PRINCESS.  First it was Ariel and then Belle and then Barbie Princess (not Disney, I know) and then Tinkerbelle (who is technically not a princess, but she has a fancy dress and SPARKLY WINGS!)  She finally settled on Snow White, which really is perfect as she has dark curly hair and a cute bow shaped mouth.  The only princess she is more suited to be is Jasmine (she has olive toned skin), but she didn't like that costume.  The first thing she wanted to do this morning was put on her Snow White costume.

So what did we do for a great Halloween morning?  Went to the doctor, of course!  The Boy was getting his 1-year checkup so I decided it would be convenient to get them both flu shots too.  I know, I'm mean!  I told the Girl last night that she was going to the doctor to get a shot that will help her stay healthy.  This morning she informed me that she would like me to drop her off at school because she was not going to the doctor.  When that didn't work she said that the Boy should be first to see the doctor and get his shot.  I informed her that she wasn't even going to see a doctor (just the nurse) and that we had to stop at her appointment first.  She grudgingly accepted this and was fine until the nurse called her name and we went back behind the screen.  She promptly freaked out - kicking and screaming and crying.  I don't think she even registered the shot, but was severely pissed about the band-aid.  She didn't want one, but now that it was on, didn't want to take it off (she has a good memory!)  Afterwords she complained that she was mad.  I'm not sure what she was more mad about the fact that mean mommy forced her to have a shot, that she didn't get to see her brother get a shot first, or that the horrible nurse put a BAND-AID (a BAND-AID!!!!) on her leg!

I'm hoping a sugar-induced coma will help her forget about the pain.

The poor Boy got 4 shots, a finger poke and has an ear infection.  He will be in an Infant's Motrin-induced coma tonight! 

Asian Pork Roast

I love using my crockpot.  I love the smell of cooking food when you come home from work - it's like someone cooked for you!  Plus it saves lots of time when I get home at night.

My favorite website for crockpot recipes is A Year of CrockPotting.  Not only does the CrockPot Lady have great recipes (seriously, they make my mouth water!), but she also gives the verdict of how each one turned out and any suggestions of changes AND how the dish was received by her children!  Of course, that is not a guarantee that my children will eat it (especially the Girl!)

(As an aside, I made MissyZ's Pasta, Spinach and 3 Cheese Frittata on Monday night and the Boy couldn't get enough of it.  I was so excited that he ate spinach as he hates green food with the fire of a thousand suns!)

Back to the crockpot.  I use to only use it in the winter for a pot roast every now and then.  But I've discovered (I'm sure I'm not the first) that it is a really great way to have a hot cooked meal anytime without having to turn on the oven!  And there are so many things you can cook - soups, chicken, pork, beef, side dishes...  So I've starting using mine at least once a week, sometimes twice.  It is especially good for nights when I know that I'm going to be home later than normal. 

And the big reason that I have been trying new crockpot recipes - we are putting an addition on our house and the kitchen is expanding, so we will be out of it for about 1-2 weeks (oh please, oh please be closer to 1 week!)  So I'm trying to gather some things I can cook without the oven and the crockpot can be plugged in anywhere! 

This recipe is super easy to put together, which is good for me in the morning.  You could brown the meat before throwing it in the crockpot, but I just don't have time for that! 

Asian Pork Roast

3 lb pork roast
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce (gluten free, of course)
1 Tbls catchup
2 cloves garlic, minced

Mix the orange juice, soy sauce, catchup and garlic.  Pour a small amount in the crockpot, to just cover the bottom.  Place the pork roast in the crockpot and pour the remaining mixture over the top.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

When you are ready to eat, you can make a sauce from the cooking liquid.  Just pour some of the liquid into a sauce pan, add cornstarch dissolved in cold water (or some other thickener).  Heat and stir until desired consistency is reached.  Pour over pork slices.

A Night at the Improv - Gluten Free Version

One night last week the kids and I found ourselves home later than usual.  The Boy had a scheduled haircut after work and then we had to run to the store for milk and a few other necessities like Butterfinger bars.  These are technically for Halloween, but I have serious doubts they will last long enough to be distributed to the neighborhood kids.  Butterfingers are my latest addiction. 

Anyway, we were pressed for time and I was feeling a little lazy.  Luckily I remembered the leftover black beans and rice with chicken dish we had from earlier in the week.   But I didn't want to just reheat that.  I wanted something different and what is always good to make with leftovers?  A casserole!  Of course, I wanted one with a little Mexican flair to go along with the spices already in the rice dish, so I got a package of McCormick Enchilada Sauce Mix and thought I would make an enchilada casserole.  Yes, I used a mix - see "pressed for time" and "lazy".  I really wanted the canned version, but this particular store doesn't carry any gluten free brands.  

When I got home I realized that I forgot to get the can of tomato sauce that was supposed to be added to the mix.  I also didn't have any type of tomato paste or spaghetti/pizza sauce.  What to do?  Oh, I know, use the leftover vegetable juice from when I made beef stew!  That may sound a little strange, but it actually turned out great - I used 1 cup of water instead of 1 1/2 because the juice was a little runnier than sauce would have been.  I think that concentrated the flavors too and made for a spicier sauce.  YUM!

This is all I get?

I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but I am disappointed.  I got a form letter e-mail back from TR in response to my complaint.  Here it is:

"Thank you so much for taking the time to contact us.  We appreciate your thoughts and we value your opinions.  We use feedback such as yours everyday to help make us even better and to provide you with legendary service.

Take a look at our web site to get answers to things like:

Nutritional information
VIP Program
Kids Club
Mailing address
Sponsorship and Donations
Menus
Gluten information
Peanut Crossing
Franchise info
Recipes and ingredients
Career Opportunities
Annual Reports
Real Estate
Investor Relations
Discount Coupon Policy
Gift Cards
On-Line Surveys
Call Ahead Seating

You can also contact us at 1-800-839-7623 if you have a question we might not have thought of, we always love talking to our friends.

Please do not reply to this email address."

I got this the day that I sent my complaint e-mail, so basically anyone with a comment gets this same response.  So do you think they are really reading my e-mail and using my feedback to help make them even better and provide me with legen - wait for it - dary service?  Sorry, I couldn't resist the Barney Stinson joke! 

Just thought I should add this one final tidbit I found on their website.  This is from their "Nutrition" section:

"We have attempted to provide some information in the past, but we pulled back after some guests complained we were not detailed enough. In addition, some enterprising folks tested the food and when it fell outside the guidelines threatened legal action. As such, we stopped providing our special gluten-free menu, for example."

Want S'more Cupcakes

There are times when its fun to be gluten free.  Really!  Like when I can use my "weird" flours to make these delicious cupcakes and it's something my friends love, but cannot replicate with their "normal" all purpose wheat flour!  See - fun!  The first batch (pictured above) I made with the help of the Girl, so the frosting got a pink tint; the Girl loves pink!  For the second batch (below) I kept the frosting the traditional "marshmallow white".

And yes, in the recipe it really is 1 tablespoon of vanilla.  I took a few flavoring ideas from Gluten A Go Go's graham cracker recipe that I love.  For the flour blend I used a millet flour blend because I have an abundance of millet flour at the moment, but I think any blend would work.

By the way, I could eat a whole bowl of the Marshmallow Frosting, it is so yummy!  And would probably make a great filling for graham cracker sandwiches!

Gluten Free S'mores Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbls vanilla
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup gluten free flour blend 
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup chestnut flour
1 bar of Hershey's chocolate - split into 12 sections

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer.  Add the egg, vanilla, milk and nutmeg and mix until combined. 

Whisk together the flours, baking powder and xanthan gum.  Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir on medium speed until combined.

Fill muffin cups about 1/3 full then place a chocolate section on the batter.  Spoon batter on top of the chocolate to fill cups about 2/3 full.  (Note: I actually filled the muffin cups to 2/3 full and then put the chocolate in horizontally, I think this vertical placement would give better chocolate dispersal). 

Bake cupcakes at 350 for 20 minutes, until lightly browned.  Cool on a wire rack then frost with marshmallow frosting.

Marshmallow Frosting

1/4 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 Tbls water
1/2 jar (about 3 1/2 oz) Marshmallow Fluff
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a double broiler (or a mixing bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water) beat the sugar, egg white and water until soft peaks form.  Add the Marshmallow Fluff and beat until stiff peaks form.  Remove from heat and mix in vanilla.  Let cool and then frost your cupcakes.

Complaint

This probably isn't news to anyone, but Texas Roadhouse no longer has a gluten free menu.  It came as a surprise to me because when we were there in August the waiter printed out a menu for me.  On our more recent visit I was informed that they are no longer providing a gluten free menu, but the manager would be happy to help with my selection.  She then proceeded to name things she remembered being on the gluten free menu.  Luckily I had kept my copy from our earlier visit and checked it before we left the house (I like to be prepared because ordering takes me extra time as it is), so I knew most of the precautions.  The manager was very nice, but I don't think she was very educated on gluten free issues.  I think my mom was more indignant than I was at the time, but the more I thought about it I knew that I had to write a letter to corporate; then the longer my complaint letter became the more angry I was. 

Here is what the Texas Roadhouse website says about their decision:

"We are sorry but we no longer offer our gluten-free menu. It was a very difficult decision, but we concluded that due to the multi-use of utensils, supplier changes, substitutions or the possibility of human error, we could not offer our guests a total assurance that the items were indeed 100% gluten-free. As such, we decided that the best approach was for the management team at each restaurant to work with guests individually to ensure that they can make the most informed menu decisions. Please ask to speak to the managing partner, who will be happy to accommodate any requests or provide information about our food and preparation. Thank you for your interest in Texas Roadhouse."

Here is my question, this is the best approach for whom?  There is just as much of a chance that I will get glutened even if the manager is very knowledgeable.  The issues they mention, multi-use of tools, supplier changes, substitutions or human error, don't change just because I consult someone about the regular menu.  Unless I go back to supervise every move of the kitchen staff no one can guarantee me a gluten free dining experience at any restaurant I visit.  But not having to be in the kitchen is one of the reasons I like to go out to eat, so I accept the risk.  So, for whom is this the best approach?  Corporate, of course.  They are shifting the responsibility from themselves to the local restaurant chains and their specific management team.  Is corporate even giving them any training on what gluten free means?  Not that I can tell. 

Here is the letter that I sent via the "Tell us about your recent visit" on their website:

I am very disappointed with my recent visit to our local Texas Roadhouse.  We have been loyal visitors of your restaurant for many years.  I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in July and was very happy to discover that your local location had a gluten free menu when we visited this summer.  However, at our last visit I was informed that they will no longer print out the gluten free menu because they cannot guarantee the gluten free status of any item on the menu because everything is made on site and cross contamination could be an issue. 

 

You should know that as a Celiac I understand that I am always taking a risk going out eat, even at a friend's house.  I know that unless I make the food myself, I cannot be guaranteed that anything I eat will be gluten free.  However, I choose to take the risk because I like to eat out and socialize with friends and family.

 

If everything truly is made fresh at your restaurants that should give you a huge advantage in the gluten free world.  Your chefs should know every ingredient that goes into all the food they prepare and then should be able to communicate that to the patrons.  I did not feel this was the case at all.  I felt like Texas Roadhouse in general did not welcome me to eat there.  The manager came over to inform me that they will no longer print the gluten free menu and then tried to remember what was on the menu as a way of helping me make an "informed decision".  She was trying to be nice, but I don't think she had much of an idea about gluten free issues.  If this is the way Texas Roadhouse has chosen to handle the patrons that need to be gluten free then you need to give your managers and staff better training to accommodate this.  More and more people are being diagnosed with Celiac Disease every day.  It affects 3 million people in the USand 97% of those are undiagnosed.  With the amount of increased awareness and new information about Celiac Disease, it is being estimated that the number of known sufferers will increase world-wide by a factor of 10 in the next few years.  For more information, you can visit these websites: http://www.celiacdisease.net/ and http://www.gluten.net/.

 

I realize that you feel like you have to protect Texas Roadhouse from liabilities, but there are plenty of restaurants that have gluten free menus, including Outback Steakhouse that is just around the corner from our local TR.  The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) even offers a program to help educate restaurants on gluten free issues.  I am asking you to please reconsider your gluten free menu and show that ALL of your guests are important to you.  Having the management team work individually with guests (even a well-trained manager) is not going to change the fact that you cannot guarantee a gluten free dining experience.  The individual chains may still have problems with cross contamination due to shared utensils, supplier changes, human error, etc.  These are not going to change just because you no longer have a gluten free menu.  All that is changing is that you no longer have to corporately take responsibility for what is happening at the local level and this is irresponsible to a growing number of your patrons.

 

I'm really interested to see what kind of response I get.  I'll keep you posted! 

Gluten Free Review: Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup and Melina's Mexican Chips

Today started off as a pretty gloomy day - foggy (or as the Girl says "froggy"), drizzly and chilly.  On past weekend days like this we often had canned soup for an easy lunch.  Unfortunately, a lot of the soups we used to get have gluten in them.  So on a recent trip to the grocery I decided to see what kinds of Amy's Soups I could eat, since I love her frozen enchilada dinners. 

Today was just right to try out the Amy's Organic Black Bean Vegetable Soup.  Especially after I ran to the store with the 2 kids in tow!  As the soup was warming on the stove I tried it to see what it tasted like.  It was good, but not exactly what I was hoping for.  I was thinking more along the lines of spicy southwestern flavors; it was not kicky enough for my taste-buds.  So I added some cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  I also topped it off with green onions and cheddar cheese.  That made it just what I was looking for - spicy and warm with some good veggies in it and very filling. 

I ate the soup with my new favorite tortilla chips - Melina's Mexican Chips.  These are the best chips and they make wonderful salsa too!  The chips are crispy with just the right amount of salt (though they come unsalted too) and they are fried just right without being greasy.  And they say "Gluten Free" right on the bag!  The salsa tastes fresh and spicy - it's seriously spicy, so I would recommend starting with the mild.  The Husband found them one day when they were giving away free samples at our local grocery store.  When he saw the "Gluten Free" label he just had to buy them for me.  Now he eats them just as much as I do!  We make sure that we have both the chips and the salsa in our house at all times. 

Teriyaki Beef and Edamame

This is a super quick and simple dish for those nights when you need something good and fast.  It was inspired by a more involved Rachael Ray dish - yes, this is a "less than 30 minutes meal".  I just pour ingredients out of their bottles, so amounts are estimated here!

Teriyaki Beef and Edamame

1 - 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (make sure it's gluten free!)
1 Tbls soy sauce (again make sure it's gluten free!)
1 Tbls cooking sherry
1 Tbls canola oil
2 tsp cornstarch
water
1/2 package frozen edamame - about 5 oz
salt

In a medium size bowl, mix together the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and sherry.  Toss the beef strips with the sauce mixture. 

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat.  Dump in the beef/sauce mixture and stir-fry until the beef is cooked through.  Warm the edamame in the microwave for 1 minute.  Sprinkle with salt and add to the skillet once the beef is cooked through.  Stir to combine beef and edamame. 

Mix the cornstarch with enough water to dissolve it - about 1-2 Tbls.  Pour into the skillet and heat and stir until the sauce thickens.

Serve over rice.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

I use to make blueberry muffins once a week to eat with dinner and then have leftovers for breakfast, or a snack the next day.  Everyone in our house loves blueberry muffins.  Sometimes they would be homemade and sometimes I cheated and used the Betty Crocker pouch mix (though I didn't just add water - here's a secret: the best way to make them is with 1 egg, 1/3 cup milk and 1 Tbls canola oil).   

I haven't tried to make blueberry muffins since I was diagnosed.  Last night I was really craving them, so I thought I would drag out my old recipe and try to convert it to gluten free.  They turned out wonderful!  I love using sorghum flour in baked goods because it gives them a really good flavor.

Though I am not an expert, here are a few things I've learned about gluten free baking.

• There is no one alternative flour that can do what wheat flour does, so you have to mix them.
• Use gluten free flours (like sorghum, rice, millet, etc) plus starches (cornstarch, tapioca, arrowroot, etc) to get the right consistency - the flours give substance and the starches lighten the product.
• Adding sweet (glutinous) rice flour helps bind the baked good and keep it moist.
• It's easy to sneak in extra fiber with a little flax seed meal.
• Bean flours, in small quantity, can add smoothness to the texture of baked goods.
• Most gluten free baked goods can be frozen for later consumption - this comes in handy when you make bread or cupcakes, you can freeze the leftovers so you don't eat 12 cupcakes in 2 days.

This is a pretty basic recipe.  It is really good just as is, but you could add cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, lemon zest, a struesel topping with brown sugar and nuts - any kind of flavor you like!  Sorry I don't have a picture, I couldn't find the camera as I was running out the door this morning!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

4 Tbls butter - softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup sweet (glutinous) rice flour
1 Tbls flax seed meal (optional)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup milk
1 cup blueberries

Mix the butter and sugar in mixer until well incorporated.  Add the egg and mix.

Whisk together the flours, flax seed meal, baking powder and xanthan gum.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix well.

Fold in the blueberries.  Fill muffin cups about 3/4 full and sprinkle with extra sugar if desired.  Bake at 425 degrees for 18-20 minutes, until muffins are browned on top.  Makes 9 muffins.

Yay for Yoplait!

Look, see it right there?  On the back of Yoplait containers it says "Gluten Free"! 

It's like Rice Chex - I love it when "normal" food has the GF label!