Cauliflower Rice

Back in high school, my mom decided that we should all go on the South Beach Diet as a family. One night, she made Mashed Cauliflower, which was supposed to taste like Mashed Potatoes. Our whole family (including my mom) decided the mushy cauliflower tasted nothing like delicious mashed potatoes, and we never had that recipe again.

I was skeptical when I first saw this recipe for Cauliflower "Rice" on Elana's Pantry. Rice is not something I ate frequently during my grain-eating days, so I did not feel the need to substitute anything else for it. However, I was interested in getting more veggies into my diet, and cauliflower seemed like a good new vegetable to try. This recipe is amazing - it tastes so much like rice and has lots of flavor. It is one of my hubby's favorite side dishes.

It is easy to make, and you can process the cauliflower in a blender in small batches if you do not have a food processor - just be sure to watch it carefully. Elana's recipe serves four; click here to go to the recipe. Enjoy this healthy and delicious side dish!

The Almond Flour Cookbook

Elana Amsterdam's cookbook has been so important for my transition to a grain-free lifestyle. She has so many great and easy recipes. She does not use any processed sugar; everything is sweetened with agave nectar. There are breakfast recipes, main dishes, breads, and tons of desserts. I use this cookbook all the time and can't recommend it enough if you are gluten-free.

Last night, I made the Simple Drop Biscuits from this book to go with Butternut Squash Soup, and they were very yummy. (I usually use half of the agave when making this recipe.)

You can purchase the cookbook on Amazon - it's almost always under $10! Cook your way through this delightful cookbook filled with wonderful, grain-free recipes.

Classic Drop Biscuits from The Almond Flour Cookbook - great with soup!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

I love the winter squash that start appearing in my co-op share at the start of Fall. Acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash. Squash. It is delicious. (And fun to say, too! Squash squash squash!)

What better way to celebrate the beginning of Fall than with soup? Although it is still in the high 80's here in Houston, I am grateful for the cool morning breeze that reminds me the summer heat has past. Welcome, Fall! Please bring some cool weather to Texas!

This Butternut Squash Soup is not only grain-free, but is vegan as well! It has a nice kick from the curry powder and a sweetness from the cinnamon. Hope you enjoy this fall soup!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

2 medium butternut squash

3 Tbs olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 can coconut milk

2 cups vegetable broth

2 tsp curry powder

½ tsp grated fresh ginger

2 Tbs agave nectar

1 tsp salt

Dash cinnamon

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Half squash lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Place on baking sheet cut side up. Poke holes with fork and lightly sprinkle with salt.
3. Bake for 45 – 60 minutes, until squash is very tender.
4. Scoop squash flesh out into large bowl and set aside.
5. Heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent.
6. Add squash, coconut milk, vegetable broth
7. Blend with immersion blender. (You could also do this in small batches in a regular blender)
8. Once the soup is smooth and completely blended, add curry powder, ginger, agave, salt, and cinnamon. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients.
9. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 – 20 minutes.
10. Serve hot, with an extra dash of cinnamon as a garnish.

Food for a day away

What do you do when you have to be out all day, away from your kitchen, with no access to a fridge or a microwave, and no opportunity to eat out? It is very difficult to be gluten-free at all-day events that serve donuts in the morning and sandwiches for lunch, especially when you can't get in your car and go get some safe food during the lunch break. Tomorrow, I will be at a work event all day, and I am planning ahead! This is my go-to stash for situations where I can't eat safely, and also cannot bring my own prepared food such as a salad or soup.

Here are my tips for eating at a conference, workshop, a long day-trip in the car, or event where you do not have access to a fridge or your car:
1. Plan ahead. Stock your pantry with these items so you are prepared in the event you need backup food.
2. Eat a large breakfast that can sustain you well in to the morning. Tomorrow I will be having a hearty smoothie with fruits and veggies.
3. Choose items that have plenty of protein and can carry you through the day.
4. Pack in containers that you can easily carry with you. While it would be nice to bring your jar of almond butter along with a spoon, it's not very practical.

My food choices for tomorrow are:
1. Larabars. Oh my goodness. I. Love. Larabars. They are made from nuts, dried fruits, and spices. THAT'S IT! They are very healthy and are also delicious! My favorite flavor is Gingersnap. I always keep Larabars in my pantry for when I will be out and know it will be a long time between meals. They are a great snack. You can order them online here; they are also available in most grocery stores.
2. An apple with almond butter. This is one of my favorite snacks at home too! I love the Justin's Almond Butter individual packets - they are easy to pack and also easy to put on an apple as you eat. My favorite flavor is Maple Almond Butter - all safe ingredients.
3. Trail Mix. I made this trail mix in the bulk section at Whole Foods. It consists of organic raw pecans, cashews, and almonds, along with dried cranberries and organic chocolate chips.  A word of warning - double check ingredients every time. I have been to one Whole Foods where the banana chips were completely safe, and I happily added them to my mix. However, this time, the banana chips had been processed on the same equipment as wheat and were therefore cross-contaminated. So, no banana chips for me. (I think I might like this trail mix better without them though!)

Tomorrow, I will be a happy, well-fed gal. And I'm always more pleasant to be around when I am well-fed. Leave a comment if you have any other great ideas for on-the-go gluten-free foods!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

The salad dressing aisle is not a safe place for those of us that are gluten intolerant. Almost all dressings have some kind of thickener - wheat or corn starch, many have soybean oil as their first ingredient, and even the organic dressings often contain xanthan gum, a binder that is derived from corn.

This delicious sweet and tangy balsamic vinaigrette is very easy to make, completely grain free, and is great on any salad.

Hope you enjoy!

Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs agave nectar
1/4 tsp celery seed
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients into jar
2. Shake or whisk well
3. Serve over your favorite salad!
4. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator for up to two weeks

Rawfully Organic Co-Op in Houston

One of the biggest and greatest changes of my gluten-free "life prescription" was to eat 8-10 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables per day. This was definitely a challenge for me at first! Recently, I have been trying to get as many raw fruits and veggies as possible into my diet. I joined the Rawfully Organic Co-Op here in Houston, which is all organic produce, a lot of which is also local! I love that there is an option to order whenever I need to; I usually get a half share every other week. The half share is HUGE! The co-op is run by volunteers and everyone is always so nice. I also love that we can trade items out; for instance, one week I received corn in my share (which I am allergic to) and I was able to trade it out for apples! So great! The hubby and I have been making smoothies almost every day with produce from our share; I will be posting some of our favorites in the days and weeks to come.

Check out the Rawfully Organic Co-Op if you are in the Houston area! www.rawfullyorganic.com

All of the produce from my first half-share with Rawfully Organic!

Back Bean and Mango Salad

Tonight, the hubby and I returned home from a wonderful trip to visit family in Dallas. After being away from our kitchen all weekend, we were ready for a super healthy meal! I looked in the fridge and found lots of raw fruits and veggies, along with a very ripe mango. So, I threw together this healthy salad, which we actually ate as tacos on romaine lettuce! It was delicious, and I hope you enjoy it.

Black Bean and Mango Salad

1 can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
1 mango, chopped
1 avocado, diced
8-10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
2-3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 romaine lettuce leaves, chopped
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbs chopped cilantro (optional)
juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in large bowl.
Serve over more romaine, either chopped for a salad, or whole for "tacos."

Ruggles Green - Gluten Free and Organic Dining in Houston, TX!

My very favorite place to eat for a simple night out is Ruggles Green. They are a certified green restaurant, use organic produce and meats whenever possible, and have tons of gluten-free options. The staff (especially management) is very knowledgeable about gluten-free needs, and they are always willing to ask the chef if you have other allergies. I highly recommend this restaurant if you live in the Houston area or will be visiting!

Some of my favorite dishes: (always specify gluten-free when ordering)
Texas Caesar Salad
Goat Cheese Salad
Salmon Salad
Blackened Shrimp Salad
All Natural Beef Burger (NO BUN - the GF buns contain corn)
Gluten Free Pepperoni Pizza (note - the GF crust is corn free but does contain rice. I can only tolerate this pizza on occasion but it is delicious!)

Gluten Free Dessert Options:
Creme Brule (OMG!) - grain free
Hi-Protein Hemp Brownie - grain free
Gluten Free Domino Cake - contains corn (I have not had this, but my hubby says it's great)
Macaroons - completely grain free! These are not listed on the dessert menu, so you have to ask about them! Sometimes they have raspberries or blueberries in the macaroon cookie. Yum.

Visit their website and check out the awesome menu: www.rugglesgreen.com

Homemade Vanilla Extract

One of the things that I had trouble with when I first went gluten free was vanilla extract. You may have noticed that Vanilla Extract packaging always lists "Alcohol" and vanilla bean extractives. It never specifies what kind of alcohol - is it vodka, rum, whisky? What is it? I was surprised to find out that most liquor is derived from grain (usually corn) - including most vodkas, whisky, gin. When I was first experimenting with gluten-free baking, I was using Mexican Vanilla Extract that a friend had brought me as a gift. My lips swelled up twice their normal size. I've also gotten very sick when using certified organic vanilla extract.

With all of this mystery surrounding the alcohol used in Vanilla Extract, I decided to eliminate the risk and make my own. I ordered high quality vanilla beans from Amazon, and purchased some Potato Vodka (made completely from potatoes).

Homemade Vanilla Extract

5-10 Vanilla Beans (I bought these)
1 cup high quality Potato Vodka

1. Slice open vanilla bean pods lengthwise (do not cut completely in half)
2. Cut beans into 1-2'' sections.
3. Place cut vanilla beans into a small mason jar.
4. Pour vodka over vanilla beans and seal jar.
5. Shake well.
6. Store mason jar in a dark cabinet for 3 months, and shake at least every other day.

When your vanilla extract is finished, you can strain the liquid through a cheesecloth in order to remove the vanilla beans. I like to leave mine as it is, though, for the added flavor of the beans.

Welcome to Gratefully Grain-Free

I first designed this blog back in May 2011. Today is October 1, 2011. It is about time for me to start posting! It is my hope to share my experiences, personal recipes, others' recipes, and any other interesting info for other people new to the gluten free world. I love meeting people who are interested in trying the gluten-free lifestyle. The journey can be a tough one, so I am hoping to share any information that may make the transition a little easier. :)

This morning, I wanted to make a simple Saturday breakfast. I only had one egg, so I knew my options would be a little limited. So, I turned to one of my favorite gluten free blogs, Elana's Pantry, for a yummy recipe. The result: gluten free Orange Dark Chocolate Chip Scones. Delicious. 

Here is the link to the recipe:

http://www.elanaspantry.com/orange-dark-chocolate-chip-scones/

The ingredient list is simple, and the preparation was pretty easy. I recommend wetting your spatula before transferring each little triangle to the baking sheet. The perfect baking time for my oven was 12 minutes. 

Enjoy!