Great Gluten-Free Finds

Hope everyone had a great week. I, personally, can't believe it's Friday again already!

Today's topic is a follow up post to last week's article, Snack Attack! I realized that I had forgotten a couple of my regular snack items, such as peanuts and raisins (both plain and yogurt covered), and that I wanted to continue to share a few more great gluten-free finds with you. In my search for gluten-free and healthier alternatives to the foods I was used to eating I have actually discovered quite a few new products that are now regulars in my weekly shopping basket. Pictured below are

- Roasted seaweed snacks (which I have mentioned before)

- Single serving bags of trail mix (great for mid-morning pick me ups at work or on the go... You could also make your own portions in snack baggies)

- Crispbread (see recipe later in post)

- Kind plus protein bar (these are delicious alternatives to a granola or candy bar, but are a bit higher in fat and calories that I normally choose for a snack. Alternatively can be used as meal supplement when on the go)

- Lara bars (these are some of my new favs, especially since I can't enjoy cliff bars anymore...)

- Better'n peanut butter (see last week's post for serving suggestions)

- Edamame crackers (only 120 cal and 2g fat for 38 crackers! Great plain or dipped in hummus)

So as you can see, there are plenty of alternatives available if you are willing to do a little searching and spend some time reading labels. A lot of markets are making it even easier by carrying more and more gluten-free items, marking the shelves with easy to spot signage, and sometimes even having a dedicated gluten-free section of an aisle. Many manufacturers are catching on as well and are not just including wheat in the allergy statement, but specifically marking their gluten-free products. I have to imagine with time, shopping gluten-free will only become easier.

Here is a super simple lunch suggestion that is perfect for packing as a lunch for work...

Ingredients:

3-4 slices of Crispbread (made primarily with rice and corn flours, these are more like light, airy crackers than bread)

1 serving, about 2-3 oz, of tuna fish (drained)
[salmon can also be used]

1 small tomato, diced

Diced cucumber (equal parts with tomato)

Lime juice

Ground black pepper


Directions:

Prep the tomato and cucumber and place in small portable storage container, squeeze in lime and add dash of black pepper - shake to mix. In separate container (you can also use single serving pouches) portion out the plain tuna or salmon. Place crispbread slices in ziplock baggie, and pack all together with a spoon and simple as that lunch is ready. All assembly (combining the veggies and fish and using to top crispbread) is finished as you are ready to eat lunch.

Snack Attack!

It seems that a lot of people think that maintaining a gluten-free diet means that I can eat almost nothing. While selecting items to fit a specific diet plan can seem limiting, a little planning and creativity can go a long way towards realizing there are so many options that are available. So, this week I thought I would list several of my favorite snack items – all of which happen to be naturally gluten-free.

• Hummus and Veggies (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, cucumbers, and snow peas are usually my picks)
• Tomato Slices w/dash of sea salt
• Fresh Fruit (I especially enjoy strawberries, peaches, grapes, and apples)
• Natural Applesauce (regular, or cinnamon)
• Yogurt (side-note: Yoplait now makes a lactose free yogurt that I find tastes much better than the soy yogurts I have tried)
• Trail Mix (mixed nuts, dried cranberries or other fruit, sunflower seeds)
• Banana Chips
• Seaweed snackers
• Snap Pea Crisps
• Popcorn

Before we continue, let me introduce you to a great product that I have discovered called Better'n Peanut Butter. Made by Wonder Natural Foods Corp. and available at Trader Joe's, it is an all natural, reduced fat, low calorie peanut butter that makes a great dip or spread. Besides being gluten and dairy free, this product also has zero trans or saturated fats and contains no cholesterol. While the texture is not as light and fluffy as traditional peanut butter, the mere 100 calories and 2g of fat per serving more than make up for this in most cases. I find it to be most similar to the texture of a caramel fruit dip. This is what first led me to try the spread with apples. More recently I have expanded its use in many of my daily snacks and meals. Here are just a few examples of snacks I have paired with Better'n Peanut Butter.

• Apple Slices
• Rice cakes with sliced bananas
• Carrots
• Bananas

I have also used a spoonful of Better'n PB in a smoothie, combining chocolate almond milk, vanilla protein powder, sliced bananas and/or frozen strawberries for a delicious treat.

What are some of your favorite gluten-free snacks? Feel free to leave comments and questions in the forum below.

Quinoa

Today I wanted to share with you a little about one of my favorite gluten-free grains - quinoa!  According to Wikipedia quinoa (pronounced "keen-wah") "... is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds."  Since it is not a member of the grass family it is technically not a true grain or cereal but it is often considered such for it's similar texture and taste.  Called the "mother-grain" by the Incas, this increasingly popular 'super food' is a healthier alternative to white rice or pastas.  Not only is this a great gluten- free substitute, these seeds are packed full of nutrients, protein, and fiber.  Other benefits of quinoa include versatility and reduced cooking time from most grains.

So far I've used quinoa in several of my recipes (including the stuffed Portabella mushrooms I talked about a few weeks ago) but it works equally well as side dish for many more meals - replacing potatoes, rice, pasta, or stuffing.  It is also great in salads, as detailed for you below...

Quinoa Salad:

Ingredients - ¼ cup rice vinegar

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp. Sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced (2 tsp.)

½ tsp. Dried oregano

½ tsp. Dried basil

1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

½ cup fresh corn kernels

1 cup cooked quinoa (rinse before cooking)

1 cup bell pepper, finely chopped (I like to use orange, red and green for color)

½ small red onion, finely chopped (½ cup)

1 2oz can green chili peppers or jalapenos, diced (with liquid)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Directions – Whisk together vinegar, oil, sugar, garlic, oregano and basil in large bowl. Stir in

black and pinto beans, corn, bell peppers, onion, jalapenos, and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Source – Vegetarian Times (I found this recipe re-posted on Face Book and made it for a potluck I attended last Thanksgiving... it was a huge hit!)

Please feel free to share your favorite ways to use quinoa in the comments!

Seven Simple Salads

Hi everyone!

This week I wanted to share some super easy ideas for giving your basic salad a new twist. With Summer upon us, I figured there could be no better time than this to talk about a light and refreshing dinner option, like salad. No one wants to turn on a oven or stand over the heat of a stove on a hot Summer day and salads are a quick, cool solution. In this post I've included one suggestion for each day of the week. Be creative with your ingredients and don't be afraid to try out new combinations. It's easy to get stuck in a routine and make the same thing over and over, but by altering just a few items you can add so much variety to a old classic. For those of you who are a little more adventurous, start experimenting with making your own salad dressings! Also you will notice that a couple of my salads use alternates to dressing altogether (ie. BBQ sauce or salsa). Feel free to share some of your simple Summer salad favorites in the comments below. Enjoy!

1.) Sweet & Spicy Jubilee

Lettuce (of choice)
Purple cabbage
Shredded carrots
Grape tomatoes
Fruit salsa of choice (a favorite of mine is a fire roasted papaya/mango salsa...)

2.) Spinach and Cranberry Salad

Fresh spinach
Romaine lettuce (optional)
Dried cranberries
Shelled sunflower seeds
Thinly sliced apples (optional)
Raspberry vinaigrette dressing


3.) Seafood and Crisp Veggie Salad

Romaine hearts
(or mixed greens of choice)
Spinach
Chopped veggies (tomato, carrots, peppers, mushrooms, cucumbers...)
Canned/packaged chunk light tuna or Pink salmon (if in water, drained... The single serving 2.5 ounce pouches work great)
Ground black pepper
Sweet balsamic dressing

4.) Southwestern Flair

Mixed greens (iceberg or romaine salad mix works well)
Garbanzo beans (drained)
Diced bell peppers
Roasted corn (toss in frying pan with salt, pepper and a splash of Tapatio)
Pico de gallo
Squeeze fresh lime juice

5.) Egg Salad

Simply put a few spoonfuls of egg salad over bed of fresh spinach and sprinkle with dash of black pepper

(if you don't want to spend time making your own or don't have a favorite recipe, Trader Joe's sells a couple varieties of mayo-free, egg white salad that are pretty tasty)

6.) BBQ Chicken or Shrimp Salad

Grilled chicken strips
or pre-cooked salad shrimp
1/2 Spring Mix
1/2 romaine lettuce blend
Sliced Avocado
Diced tomato
Tortilla strips (or crushed corn chips)
BBQ sauce (many varieties are gluten free, but make sure to check the label)

7.) Fruit and Nut Salad

Spring mix
Sliced red grapes
Coarsely chopped walnuts
Homemade tangy vinaigrette dressing

Dressing -
2 parts white wine vinegar
1 part extra virgin olive/canola oil blend
Blue agave nectar (I use equal or a little more than the amount of the vinegar)
Couple splashes of lime juice
Black pepper




Pictured:

- Seafood and Crisp Veggie Salad
(shown with tuna)

- Sweet & Spicy Jubilee

- Spicy Ranchero Egg White Salad
with Spinach

- Spinach and Cranberry Salad

- Tangy homemade dressing w/grape garnish