LIST - Gluten Free for a Crowd

This might be a BIT of an exaggeration, but hey, people are gluten free!

It's that time of year in NYC... the time when everyone is finishing their spring cleaning, prepping for summer, and having parties. And since I'm not in college anymore, normally at parties people feed you! It's a great concept. But hosting a party for a crowd, especially if you are gluten free, can be a big challenge. Why? Take a look:

• If you are like me, you are anal about food being cooked properly and being hot when served. This is hard to achieve with a crowd because you usually have to cook food in batches and it may take a while to serve lots of people
• People like variety, so when cooking for a crowd you tend to have more dishes to offer than if you were just cooking for yourself or your family
• People have their own special diets (like you!) only different. There are vegetarians, vegans, people that don't eat fish, people that don't eat red meat, even people that don't eat veggies!
• Groceries. Cooking for a crowd can cost a lot, especially if you serve alcohol in addition to your meal.
• Dishes. Need I say more?

Now, I am certainly NOT trying to be a Martha Stewart or Sandra Lee type and tell you my time-tested tips. These are things that work for me. If it doesn't work for you, or if it doesn't sound "quite right", then don't do it!

What to Make?

• Don't accommodate wheat-eaters - don't feel obligated to make a dish containing wheat if you're the only gluten-free person at the party. They'll live. If it's a pot luck, they can always bring something glutenny.
• Slow cooking - I am a big fan of making a giant hunk of meat for a party. Anything you can put in an oven or crockpot for hours is awesome. You hardly have to touch it the whole day. 
• BBQ - another great way to cook gluten free (who cooks wheat on a grill?!??!) Just throw some meat and veggies on, get some good BBQ Sauce (like Sweet Baby Ray's), and you're good to go.
• Healthy choices - unless you're having a Super Bowl party, it's always a good idea to make your party as healthy as possible. It'll save you time and money.

Saving Time

• The night before - all this can be done the night before your party: chopping veggies, defrosting/trimming meat, making dessert, making spice blends
• The hours before - all this can be done the morning of your party: cooking starchy side dishes like rice and potatoes, putting everything cold in their serving bowls, pre-cooking veggies and meat, setting up your crock pot or roast.

Saving Money

• BYOB - you never get to old to ask guests to bring some wine or other booze. 
• Do it Yourself - instead of buying the pre-sliced carrots or taco mix from a packet, make it yourself. Fresh veggies are cheaper than the pre-sliced ones, and you probably have all the spices you need to make any blend
• Naturally gluten free - especially if there are only a few guests that are gluten free, don't try to impress with gluten free breads or gluten free pasta. First, you'll probably have one guest that insists the wheat version is "so much better' (annoying), and second it's so much cheaper to keep it naturally gluten free.

Sense the inspiration?

Sample Menu
We made this menu last weekend for 25 people. Only took ~3hrs to prep and cook everything, and probably cost ~$75 (included standard stuff not listed, like plates and napkins).

Sangria - made with Trader Joe's red wine, rum, apples, peaches, pears, blueberries.  Oh, and made in our giant plastic cauldron leftover from Halloween. It was a nice touch.

Appetizers - corn chips w/ guacamole and salsa, guests brought a few appetizers as well

Meat - a giant hunk of pot roast cooked in my crock pot with tomatoes, onion, chili pepper, hot sauce, a little water, and spices (garlic, cumin, chili powder, ancho chili powder, salt, pepper, oregano). Cooked for ~6hrs and shredded.

Sides - spanish rice (cooked with tomatoes, onion, garlic, pepper, and same spices as above), black beans (cooked with onion, garlic, and same spices as above), fajita veggies (zucchini, peppers, onion, mushrooms cooked with same spices as above). Also with standard taco toppings: tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, cilantro, lime

Dessert - gluten free chocolate/raspberry cake, guests brought other desserts (including gluten free brownies!)

RECIPE - Pork Chops with Mango Avocado Salsa

I know what I'm making for dinner tonight!!

This kind of naturally gluten free recipe has recently become my go-to. The formula is simple. Meat + spices + vegetable oil + grill + fruit/vegetable on top = yumm. Pork is usually better with fruit, but don't be afraid to try fruit with other proteins!

For a vegetarian version, just replace the meat with black beans and a little cheese. I usually make black beans with chili powder, garlic, and cumin (essentially taco seasoning. Check out Trader Joe's taco seasoning, it's gluten free). They go really well with the fruit and are a satisfying and nutritious meal.

One note. Be careful of packaged spice blends. Some of them may contain fillers that are derived from wheat or barley. Always check the label or do your research ahead of time.

Here are a few different variations:
- pork chops + garlic/herbs + avocado/mango/tomato (this recipe)
- chicken + chili/cumin + zucchini
- steak + garlic/cumin/herbs + broccoli
- pork chops + cilantro/pepper + avocado/pineapple
- chicken + curry + peas

Ingredients (serves 4):
4 pork chops (or 2 giant ones like the picture above). I used boneless, but whatever kind you have available is fine
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp spice blend (garlic powder, salt, pepper, paprika, oregano, thyme, tiny bit of cinnamon)

Salsa:
1 mango, diced (I used the sindhri mango because it was on sale. It's smaller and sweeter than the typical mango)
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced (I was lucky to discover a tomato man at the farmers market in Union Square. Literally best tomato I've ever had. For those of you in NYC they are at the market on Wednesdays and Saturdays)
1 avocado, diced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp lime juice
salt + pepper

Directions:
For the pork, place chops into a big ziploc bag. Add vegetable oil and spices and toss together to coat. Let sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.

Grill pork chops over medium-high heat (I use an indoor grill pan. Works just as well as an outdoor grill. If you are missing the smokey flavor from outdoor grilling, add a few drops of liquid smoke to the marinade). For chops as thick as I used, cook 8-10 minutes per side. For thinner chops, cook for less time. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

For the salsa, dice the mango and tomato and add to a medium size bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper and toss to coat. Then at the LAST MINUTE, dice the avocado and add to the bowl. Add lime juice right on top of avocado and toss very lightly. If you overmix the avocado breaks up too much. Right before serving toss again.

Ta Da!!

What's your favorite gluten free meal to cook on the grill??

RECIPE - Gluten Free Turkey Chili

It's that time of year again. The time where it's just turned to spring, but still feels like winter. Thanks a lot, Punxsutawney Phil. I know you said it would be an early spring, but you forgot to let us know it would only last a WEEK before going back to winter.

To help get through this faux-spring that we're in, here's a simple chili recipe.

My original plan for this meal was to take 2 cans of chili (1 Amy's, 1 Trader Joe's, both gluten free) that I was sure we had in the pantry and just combine the 2. Genius, right? Amy's are always vegan and full of nice vegetables. But the Trader Joe's one has meat and no recognizable vegetables, perfect for Eric. By combining the 2 you get the best of both.

Turns out we only had the Amy's chili left. That definitely wasn't going to be enough for 2 full dinners, so I started poking around the refrigerator. You can pretty much add anything you want to this dish. You can keep it vegetarian and add mushrooms, carrots, tomato, and corn. You can spice it up a ton and add peppers, onion, chili peppers and hot sauce. Or you can take my approach and add turkey and veggies for a sweet and spicy chili. Not to toot my own horn too much, but it was fantastic.

Ingredients

1 can Amy's chili (they have lots of gluten free varieties, all are vegan too)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 lb ground chili
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
1 diced tomato
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt + pepper
hot sauce, as needed
sliced avocado, grated cheddar cheese, sour cream, corn tortilla chips for garnish

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add turkey, stir to break it into little pieces. add the spices and continue stirring until almost fully cooked. add the tomato and frozen corn kernels, continue cooking for a few minutes. Add canned chili and stir until heated. Adjust spices and add hot sauce if needed.

Serve with cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado and some tortilla chips.

RECIPE - Gluten Free Nachos Deluxe

Adding the "e" at the end of "Deluxe" makes it sound more spectacular. Like adding an "e" to "Shoppe".

I never really make nachos unless there's a party or some other festivity. It's impossible to make a small batch of them. But thankfully, the Superbowl this past weekend was the perfect opportunity!

I love the challenge of making something so easy and so well known. Have you ever watched those cooking challenge shows like Top Chef? They always have one challenge where the contestants have to cook a very simple dish perfectly. On Top Chef they once challenged the chefs to cook an egg. Easy, right? You'd think, but there are a million and one different ways to cook eggs. Even if you look at just scrambled eggs, some folks add milk, some add water, some add butter, some add flour (??), some whisk a lot, some whisk a little (when I'm lazy I don't break them up until they're already IN the pan!). The variations are endless.

Well, the same is true for nachos. If you were looking last weekend for Superbowl recipes, I bet you saw tons of different nacho recipes, all trying to be unique and different. But there's really no need when you have a tried and true recipe and a great technique.

Here are my secrets for the perfect nachos:
1. Topping to Chip Ratio - One of my pet peeves is nachos where half the chips have no cheese. It should be illegal. Every chip should contain at least 1, preferably 2, toppings.
2. Great Guac - I'm from Southern California. If I made bad guac there'd be a pack of foodie gangsters at my door poised to take my accent back. Don't buy that premade crap from the grocery store.
3. Cheese Please - To achieve perfect topping to chip ratio, you'll need more cheese than you think. Don't skimp.

Ingredients:
Lots of tortilla chips (make sure they're gluten free! We used a combo of Trader Joe's and Mission)
Combo of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheeses (we used Cabbott for both)
Chili (we used Amy's Medium Southwestern chili; it's vegan but we decided to add a little ground turkey)
Salsa
Sour Cream
Perfect Guacamole (see recipe below)

Directions:
Spread the tortilla chips on a cookie sheet. The thinner the layer, the better. It'll help your topping to chip ratio.

Spoon hot chili over the chips. Then, top with shredded cheeses. Bake or broil for just a few minutes, until all the cheese melts. Create 3 lumps of guac, salsa, and sour cream on top. Enjoy!

Guacamole Recipe:
2 ripe avocados, halved and largely diced
1/2 tomato, chopped
1/4 red onion, very finely diced
juice of 1 lime
salt and pepper

Put the tomatoes and the onion in the bowl first. Then, scoop out the avocado (you should dice the avocado in it's skin, then when you scoop it out it will break into cubes). Then, add the lime juice. Stir together, then add salt and pepper. Stir again and taste for seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic wrap down so it touches the guac. Refrigerate for about an hour, and then let warm to room temperature before serving.

And there you have it! I dare you to find a better, more perfectly simple recipe for nachos.

RECIPE - Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini

Here are some fun facts about zucchini:

- They are naturally gluten free (if they weren't, I'd be very concerned)
- Zucchini can grow up to 3 feet in length!
- It's my favorite vegetable. According to wikipedia, zucchini is an immature fruit (and I to wikipedia: "you're an immature fruit!")
- Eric can't remember eating zucchini before he met me. I pretty much changed his life.

Now that you have some background info, let's cook! This is a great, easy meal. It's kind of like inside-out tacos.

Another reason why this meal is great, it's super cheap! I'd estimate this entire meal costs only $13, and feeds 4-6!! I put the estimated price next to each item so you can see how it adds up.

Ingredients:


4 zucchinis, sliced in half and insides scooped out (to make a boat) ($3)
6 mushrooms, chopped ($1)
1 1/2 cups spanish rice mix, cooked ($1)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey ($5)
1 tomato, chopped ($1)
2 tbsp taco seasoning (Trader Joe's is gluten free)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese ($1)
1/2 cup GF puffed rice cereal, smashed into breadcrumbs (a box costs $4, so ~$1)

Directions:


Preheat the oven to 350. Place your zucchini boats on a sheet pan or in a casserole dish. Make sure the zucchini boats don't overlap.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan and add ground turkey. Cook turkey, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. Once the turkey is mostly cooked, add the chopped mushrooms, tomato, and zucchini insides (squeeze the excess water out). Add taco seasoning and a little salt and pepper. Cook until turkey is fully cooked and vegetables are about halfway cooked (about 3-4 minutes).

Stir spanish rice into the turkey vegetable mix. Mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture into the zucchini boats, pushing down with the spoon to really stuff it in. You may have extra stuffing, don't worry about getting it all in. Top each zucchini boat with some cheddar cheese.

Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and the zucchini boat is starting to soften. Don't overcook the zucchini, otherwise it'll be impossible to remove from the pan. Serves 4-6.

PRODUCT REVIEW - Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake Mix

You can have: breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for dinner, breakfast for brunch, breakfast at midnight. Forget "pizza on a bagel", you can have breakfast anytime!

So yesterday, when I had breakfast at 1pm, I decided to try Trader Joe's gluten free pancake / waffle mix.

It's very easy to make, just as easy as regular pancake mix. Just take your mix, add an egg, some oil, and some milk or water, and stir. You know the drill.

And while these pancakes did turn out nice and fluffy on the inside (which may have been in part to the extra tsp of baking soda I added), the outside was pretty hard and rubbery. The pancakes themselves reminded me of those rubber frisbee things. It was a little odd.

Besides that, the taste was great, very neutral, and the texture on the inside was very nice. Also, a tip, the pancakes didn't bubble in the middle to tell you they were ready to flip, you have to check them.

Overall, this mix cost ~$3, and is definitely worth it for a nice pancake breakfast. They're certainly no Waffle House or IHOP, but they will do just fine.

Have you tried this or other pancake mixes? Let me know!

NEWS - Trader Joe's in Brooklyn Carries Udi's Gluten Free!

This just in! The Trader Joe's on Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn carries Udi's bagels, white bread, and whole wheat bread. This is a very exciting day indeed.

Check out the gluten free list from Trader Joe's. It isn't updated for the Udi's products, but it does contain all the other gluten free products that Trader Joe's carries.

Have you seen Udi's products at other Trader Joe's?

RECIPE - GF Pasta a la Meatballs

I've been working on this pasta recipe for a while now, and I think it's pretty close to perfect! There's a few secrets and tricks I use in this recipe, like using rice cereal in the meatballs (instead of breadcrumbs), using ground turkey instead of beef (makes it lighter), and adding oil to the pasta water (prevents the pasta from sticking together.

This recipe would go great with the GF Focaccia I reviewed earlier this week

Try it and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
For the meatballs:
1 lb ground turkey or beef
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt + black pepper
1/3 cup almond milk
1/3 cup crushed GF puffed rice cereal
2 tbsp olive oil

For the pasta:
1 lb GF spaghetti (TJ rice pasta is just fine...and cheap)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp salt

For the sauce:
1 jar/can crushed tomatoes (I like the TJ plain marinara sauce)
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt + black pepper

Directions:
1. To make the meatballs, mix together ground meet, seasonings, milk and crushed rice cereal. Crush the rice cereal pretty fine, either in your hand or in a plastic bag. Once combined, roll meatballs into ping pong ball-size balls.
2. Fry meatballs in a pan in 2 tbsp olive oil (if using beef, you can use less or no olive oil). Turn meatballs occasionally until browned on all sides. Drain excess oil.
3. Transfer meatballs into a pot. Add tomato sauce ingredients, including garlic, tomatoes, and spices. Cook sauce over low heat, stirring gently every few minutes.

4. To make the pasta, heat a lot of water in a large pot. Once boiling, add 2 tbsp salt, 1 tbsp olive oil and GF spaghetti. The olive oil will help prevent the pasta from sticking together after it is cooked. Stir often until pasta is just cooked through. Drain pasta and return to large pot.
5. Pour meatballs and sauce into pot with cooked pasta. Stir and and heat on medium for about 2 minutes, until sauce boils and the pasta absorbs some of the sauce. Serve with parmesan cheese or parsley.

PRODUCT REVIEW - Battle of the Brownies!

Today's contenders are:

Betty Crocker's GF Brownie mix - ~$4
Trader Joe's GF Brownie mix - ~$3
Cherrybrook Kitchen Fudge Brownie mix - ~$5

Preparation:

Cherrybrook Kitchen wins by a nose. Why? No eggs. All you do is add melted butter, water, and vegetable oil to the mix and blend. In both the TJ's and Betty Crocker mixes you add eggs. But all 3 are still very easy to prep.

Fudge-y-ness:

Betty Crocker wins! The brownie mix comes with chocolate chips in it, and the brownies come out soft, chewy, and with a good corner crust. Cherrybrook Kitchen's mix also includes chocolate chips, but when I made the brownies using the "fudgey" directions, they are too cakey and have no crust.

The TJ brownies have been somewhat of a mystery to me. These brownies were my very first gluten free baking experience, and they came out great! No chocolate chips in the mix, but that didn't matter. The brownies were chewy and delicious. But then, somehow every time after that the brownies are cursed. Now, they come out too chewy (like taffy almost) and they get rock hard the next day. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing in the baking process, but we've tried them 3-4 more times and with the same results. Leave a comment and let me know your experiences with these.

Cake-y-ness:

Cherrybrook Kitchens wins! If you like a cakey brownie, these are for you. They are super moist, soft, and light. These would be great for a birthday cake or ice cream sundae!

Overall:

I'm annoyed at the TJ brownies, so they are out of the running. And when it comes between Betty Crocker and Cherrybrook Kitchens, I'd have to give it to Ms. Crocker! Besides being cheaper (especially when on sale) and more accessible since it's a larger brand, what really sealed the deal for me are those corner pieces. You could just get this pan and have corners all over the place, but save your money and make more brownies!!

Here are some pictures of the 3 contenders:

Cherrybrook Kitchen brownies, freshly made: