Tag Archives: gluten-free meals

G/F Salmon Sandwich

Posted in Food/Cooking, Recipes by

salmon sandwich comp IMG_3860The biggest inconvenience about being gluten-free – to me, anyway – is that “quick and easy” meals are hard to find. Gluten-free snacks are either too spicy for me or really high in sugar. So, this quick and easy lunch makes me very happy.

INGREDIENTS

  • Leftover Salmon or Chicken
  • Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your favorite)
  • Mayonniase
  • Cucumber
  • Smoked Gouda Cheese

Got leftover salmon? Break it up with a fork. Stir in your favorite mayonnaise, or some cream cheese, or even plain yogurt would work. Toast some Udi’s White Sandwich Bread (or your choice). Udi’s bread is a smaller that most breads, so you can probably use 3 cucumber slices and 3/4 of a slice of cheese to fit nicely. Serve with gluten-free chips or sweet potato fries.

Quick, easy, inexpensive, and above all, classy. Come on, cucumbers on a sandwich? That’s classy!

Enjoy.

G/F Pizza Steel Cage Match: Udi’s Brand

Posted in Food/Cooking by

Udi's Gluten Free Cheese PizzaIMG_1701I was so very excited when I saw pizza in the gluten-free freezer case at WalMart. Pizza is one of the foods I really do miss from my gluten-mongering days. So when I saw both Amy’s and Udi’s had gluten-free pizza available, I grabbed them. You can read my Amy’s review here.

A few comparison notes:

Amy’s pizza is about one dollar more than Udi’s. The calories, carbs, and protein are about the same. Amy’s pizza is 12 ounces and they expect you to get 3 servings out of it. Udi’s is 10 ounces and they divide that bad boy into two servings. All-in-all, very close.

Amy’s is non GMO and uses organic rice flour and tomatoes. It does contain soy.

Black Olive Pizza IMG_1704Of course, I couldn’t *just* make a cheese pizza. Continue reading →

Lobster Classic Chunk Style by Trans-Ocean

Posted in Food/Cooking, Recipes by

IMG_0471 lobster 1Over three years ago, I wrote about Crab Classic Chunk Style by Trans-Ocean. That’s still available, and I’m still buying it. You can usually get a package at Wal-Mart for $2.50 each. And, there are about two servings per 8 ounce package which makes it pretty affordable.

What I recently discovered was that I could get the Lobster version for the same price. Again, like the crab, this product does not claim to be gluten-free. There is no gluten added, however, unlike the flake and leg styles. Those actually say “contains wheat” in the allergens. MAKE CERTAIN you do not buy those styles if you have a gluten or wheat allergy. It’s easy to confuse them as they all look nearly identical.

I prepare the lobster the same way as I do the crab – chop up some celery, add some mayonnaise (I use canola-based mayo), and instead of just stirring, I use a fork and a knife to break it up into smaller chunks. Then I serve it over salad for a healthy, cool, summertime meal. No salad dressing needed. Great for lunch or dinner.

From their website: “Lobster Classic is a premium blend of wild caught, sustainable Alaska Pollock and real lobster meat. The product has a unique, chunky texture and crisp flavor profile that is unlike other surimi seafoods. Use Lobster Classic for delicious lobster salads, hot casseroles and as a dip style appetizer with cocktail sauce. Certified by the American Heart Association, Lobster Classic is low in fat and cholesterol. It is also a source of Omega-3 EPA and DHA, providing 100mg per 3 oz. serving. It’s fully cooked, making it easy to enjoy seafood while helping build a healthy heart at the same time.”

It’s nice to eat something that tastes good that’s good for you. For more information on this product, go to http://www.trans-ocean.com/lc_chunkstyle.html

IMG_0478

White Box Pies Bakery and Café Review

Posted in Food/Cooking, Health by

I have two favorite food places in the world:  Lou’s Café on West 52nd Street in New York City, and White Box Pies Bakery and Café in Spokane, Washington.

What constitutes a favorite food place?  Quality of food, knowledge-level and courteousness of the staff, cleanliness and price should all be considerations.  But a favorite food place, just as any favorite anything, should give a person a feeling of comfort and pleasure.  Both restaurants provide those.  However, White Box also provides gluten-free meals and desserts. 

Only a person with food allergies can fully appreciate feeling “safe” in an eatery.  White Box is one of those safe places; everyone on staff knows about gluten.  You won’t find a couple of uninformed, not to mention uncaring, teeny-boppers behind the counter huffing at you when you ask for gluten-free. The staff at White Box is always happy to answer any questions about their creations.

Take feeling safe and add to it amazingly delicious desserts, many of which non-allergic people did not realize were gluten-free, and you’ve got a winning combination.  Cream pies, sugar cookies, brownies, pineapple coconut cake, cheesecakes, chocolate pecan cake, hazelnut cake, cream puffs…and the list goes on.  They are all heavenly.

But that’s not all!  White Box also features gluten-free sandwiches, soups, salads, quiches, and my favorite:  pot pies.  You can eat in or take out, and all these foods are reasonably priced.

Not only is the staff at White Box knowledgeable about gluten-free foods, they are friendly, courteous and all around nice.  It’s a small, family-run business and you can tell they take pride in everything they do.  The ambiance is bright and cheery, with the hum of satisfied patrons at their café-style tables.  And their bathrooms are super clean, too.

Not a Celiac?  Don’t worry, there are plenty of goodies at White Box for you as well.  Pretty much everything they make gluten-free is also available for wheat-eaters.

To top it off, their foods travel and store well.  I am always freezing their cakes and slicing off bits and pieces for snacks or dessert. 

The only problem with White Box Bakery and Café foods is that they are so good, that I usually take a bite out of them before I can get a photo.  When I ate lunch there last week, I did it again; I dove right into the bacon broccoli cheddar quiche without thinking!

And it was during that lunch last Wednesday that I sat at a table in the Café, savoring the piping hot piece of quiche, that the feeling of safety, comfort and pleasure came over me.  I realized I was in a favorite food place.  White Box Bakery and Café is truly one in a million.  Try it out and see if it doesn’t become one of your favorite food places, too.  You can find them at the corner of East Sharp Avenue and Ruby, Spokane, Washington, or on the web at http://www.whiteboxpiesbakery.com.  Check their site for coupons and specials. 

 © 2009  K. S. Brooks