I don't do hungry well.

Traveling with Celiac is always a challenge. We're at my parents this week and though my mom is very mindful of how we need to eat, it's always hard to be away from my own kitchen. I brought a loaf of Ener-G bread, some cereal and Nutella, of course. But in my fervor to pack the Nutella, I forgot a couple things. We're in a small town but thankfully even small-ish stores carry some good replacements these days.

I remember one time I went out of town and was completely unprepared. I didn't bring any gf snacks and found myself hungry a lot of the time. I was staying with a friend and literally ate fruit the entire weekend because I felt like a weirdo asking to go to the store to buy myself some food! I've never let that happen again. I am not someone who handles hungry well.

It turns out that this blog is rewarding in a way I didn't anticipate. My mom reads the blog and when we arrived she said, "I tried to buy Nutella and Berry Kix and they were completely sold out!" I told her it was because everyone here is reading the blog. So next time you're going out of town, drop some hints about your favorite snacks. Thanks, Mom!

Taco Night!

Two fun treats today: I made a pina colada inspired smoothie--coconut milk, pineapple and ice. In the fridge I had some leftover coconut milk from my coconut bread pudding. It had thickened in the cold. I could have eaten it by the spoonful--delicious, thick, creamy, velvety coconut pudding. So I used several tablespoons of the coconut milk (you could also use the light version), a small can of pineapple tidbits and their juice and a handful of ice cubes. Blend it up for smooth, delicious, tropical, gluten free joy. The kids loved it. It would also be wonderful with bananas and oranges.

The other thing I've always thought of as a treat is taco night! We had tacos for dinner--a great gluten-free go-to.

I like to make my own taco seasoning just to make sure I'm not getting any of those starches they put in seasoning packets. First, I heat about a tablespoon of canola oil in a pan over medium high heat. I add one pound of ground turkey breast and get it browning, breaking it up with a spatula. Then I add about a tablespoon of chili powder, a tablespoon of Montreal Steak seasoning (comes in low sodium version now), 1/2 tablespoon of ground cumin, and a sprinkle of ground coriander. When all of the seasonings are incorporated and the turkey is cooked, I add about 1/3 cup of water and turn it down to medium low. Once the water has mostly cooked off, I stir in a couple shakes of hot sauce (Frank's Red Hot Original) to give it a kick.

It's easy to find gf corn tortillas, both soft and hard. I like Mission soft corn tortillas and Ortega and Old El Paso both have hard taco shells which do not contain gluten ingredients. Be sure to read the labels. Toppers: cheese, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, taco sauce (Ortega), sour cream (Daisy Lite).

I like to make enough of the meat mixture that I can use it in taco salads during the week. I add chips (My new fave is On the Border), canned beans, and other taco toppers and dress it with a mix of sour cream and salsa (On the Border Hot). I also sprinkle a few corn chips (Clancy's brand from ALDI) on the top for some crunch. It's so filling and pretty low in calories.

Wash it all down with the aforementioned pina colada smoothie! Perfection!

The Rebellion

I'm feeling rebellious. For dinner so far tonight I've had two plain pancakes, 5 Ener-G flax chips with red pepper hummus (ALDI) and a glass of orange juice--none of which were consumed while sitting down. And I'm not finished. I will eat as many carbs as I please (gluten-free, of course) this evening and I'm not going to look back.

The container of Nutella (my new favorite food which is basically hazelnuts, oil, cocoa and milk mixed together) says, "An example of a tasty yet balanced breakfast is a glass of skim milk, orange juice and Nutella on whole wheat bread." I call it dessert. But if they want to call it breakfast, I'm all for it. I'll just swap out the whole wheat bread and call it good. I can't wait to get up in the morning!

I suppose my rebellion should end when I wake up in the morning, but the lure of Nutella spread on...something gluten free may prove too powerful.

And I'm not working out tonight. So there.

Salty Meat

Is there anything better than salty meat? I don't think so. Enjoying my leftover chipotle burger as I type this...

Double Duty Chipotle

We don't usually have burgers twice in one week, not that I'm against it. However, when I saw that ground chuck was $2.99 a pound at The Fresh Market, how could I resist the lure of having my beef wrapped up in brown paper? I've been doing P90X for four weeks now--I deserve a little red meat.

So then it came to what to make with said beef. I had some leftover chipotle in adobo from the cashew chicken I made last week http://www.glutenfreecauseihavetobe.blogspot.com/2011/06/rachael-rays-park-city-cashew-chicken.html so I googled "chipotle burgers" and out came Rachael Ray once again (Queen of Burgers). She did not disappoint. I just finished mine and could have had another--I held back so I can have one tomorrow!

Chipotle Burger
(derived from Rachael Ray's "Texas Hold-Ums Mini Chipotle Beef Burgers")

1 pound ground chuck or ground sirloin
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins)
1 tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 small onion, grated
1 chipotle in adobo + 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce
Drizzle of olive oil
Slices of cheddar cheese, tomato, onion, lettuce (whatever you like on a burger!)

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Drizzle meat mixture with olive oil and form into four patties.
2. Grill on outdoor grill or grill pan.

I had mine on two toasted slices of Ener-G Light Tapioca bread. I didn't miss the bun! After my husband tasted it, he said, "Wow, beef!" He loved it, too.

The Elusive Thin and Crispy Pizza Crust

I hate it when I go to pizza places and get the "gluten free crust" only to find it's prepackaged and cardboard-like. I feel like the least they could do is use a mix or come up with their own concoction--then they charge us more for our "freak food." Whatever.

I just had a friend ask me for a thin and crispy pizza crust recipe. Sadly, this has been the hardest thing for me to replicate and as you may have read, I'm not a lover of using five different flours in one recipe just so I can eat.

This is the closest I've come to a crispy crust...and I think it's yum.

Follow the recipe for pizza crust on the GF Bisquick box:
1-1/3 GF Bisquick baking mix
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (optional)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs, beaten

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients together and roll or spread out to about 1/4 inch thickness as uniformly as you can. You may need to use two pizza pans as this recipe makes quite a bit of dough and rolling it so thin covers more surface area. FYI: I always cover the pan with parchment paper cause this dough sticks like crazy otherwise.
3. Bake until deep golden brown--you'll have to watch these since they're so thin--they can burn easily.
4. Remove from oven and cover with your choice of toppings.
5. Bake again until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Toasty Cauliflower Goodness

I love to watch Anne Burrell cook--she's on the Food Network. She's a great teacher and makes things look easy. One of my new favorite things is roasted cauliflower, which Ms. Burrell shared on her show. Not only is it delicious, but a cup of raw cauliflower has only 25 calories. So...adding a little bit of olive oil doesn't sabotage your healthy eating plan.

Roasted Cauliflower
One had roasted cauliflower
Olive oil to coat
Salt and pepper

1. Cut cauliflower into florets so they cover a foil lined baking sheet in one layer.
2. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Roast at 375 degrees F for about 45 minutes (stirring periodically), or until tender, brown and delicious.
4. Add a bit more salt to taste if necessary. I add a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes before I roast to give them a little kick.