Ham and Corn Salad

A couple of months ago I unexpectedly had to make a trip home to my parent's in Dayton, Ohio. The trip came up very suddenly, and left me very little time to prepare. It was also my first long road trip since going gluten-free. I know that the options for food are very limited on the various turnpikes, so David and I decided to pack our own food, instead of stopping at a fast food restaurant. I had less than an hour to pack, so I knew that whatever I was going to make with me needed to come out of my fridge, since I didn't have time to go to the store. That's how this ham and corn salad was born. I had all the ingredients on hand, and it was quick and easy. It turned out to be delicious as well.

While we were on the road we ate it as a dip or tortilla chips, but today I decided to use it as a sandwich, with a GF cheddar bay biscuit as the bread. It is also very good served in lettuce leaf cups.

I buy precooked ham steaks, and cook them at 350 degrees for 15 min, because I like this salad warm. You don't have to heat the steak though, it is also very good served cold!

                                       

1 ham steak, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 1/2 cups corn kernels.

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl, and serve!  

Gluten Free Cheddar Bay Biscuits!

I have never really been much of a baker, I prefer cooking. I like throwing things together, and seeing what works. You can't really do that with baking. It's more scientific, and precise, and I always seemed to mess something up.

That changed when I was diagnosed with Celiac's. I found out that what I wanted wasn't always available, so I would have to make it myself. That was the case with these cheddar bay biscuits.

I took a couple of shortcuts, using gluten free Bisquick, and Kerrygold garlic and herb butter. They turned out great, they were light and fluffy, and I didn't really notice that they were gluten free, which is always a plus. There are a lot of really bad gluten free options out there.

2 cups Bisquick
1/3 shortening
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 heaping cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
Pinch of salt

Makes about 10 biscuits.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add Bisquick to large mixing bowl. Cut shortening into mix, until the pieces are about the size of a pea. Add milk, eggs and cheddar, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Heat butter in a small saucepan, until melted. Add garlic, parsley, and salt, and stir.

Drop spoonfuls of dough mixture onto a cookie sheet. Brush the tops with melted butter mixture.

Bake 13-16, or until the biscuits are golden brown.

Cascabel Taqueria

Mexican food is on its way to becoming my best friend, because a good majority of it is gluten free. It is usually a pretty safe bet that I can stop in a Mexican restaurant and be able to eat a normal menu item with no modification. That was the case today at Cascabel Taqueria

Today David and I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and I realized as we were leaving that I forgot to find a place for us to have lunch. I am have always been a planner, and having Celiac's disease has made me more meticulous about what I do. I wanted to kick myself for forgetting, and had a small moment of panic, then my husband whipped out his phone and googled "gluten free dining by Metropolitan Museum of Art" and found a surprising long list of places that advertised themselves as "gluten free friendly." After reading the menu we decided on Cascabel Taqueria, on 80th and 2nd.

I felt comfortable there almost right away, as soon as the waiter reassured me that they are very gluten free friendly, and that 90% of their menu was gluten free. He told me to just pick a few options from the menu, and he would make sure that there was no gluten!

David and I decided to split some tacos, I ordered the tacos camaron (roasted shrimp) he got carnitas (slow roasted pork). Both dishes were wonderful, full of flavor, not to heavy, and perfectly cooked. It smelled so good that we both started eating before I could even get a picture! I can't wait to go back, and I would highly recommend this place!

TT (Tropical Tasty)

My husband loves fruity, girly drinks. The pinker the drink, the better it is. Unfortunately for him, he is a man, so he orders beer or whiskey every time we go out. At home, it is a different story. Since we are on "vacation," David has been asking me to make girly drinks almost every day.

Today's drink is a tropical mango pineapple drink with coconut rum, which David calls a TT (short for a tropical tasty). The drink is a wonderfully refreshing blend of freshly squeezed lime juice, pineapple and mango juices, and coconut rum.

One shot coconut rum

1 lime, juiced

6 oz pineapple juice

8 oz mango juice

A splash of grenadine

Ice

Pineapple wedge (optional for garnish)

Makes 2 drinks

Mix rum, lime, pineapple, and mango juices in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to mix, and pour into a glass over ice. Add a splash of grenadine, and garnish with pineapple wedge. 

Enjoy!!

A Little Staycation...

For the first time in 4 years David and I are on vacation. Kind of. We have time off at the same time, but we decided to stay at home, and take advantage of everything that New York City has to offer. We spent the day playing tourists, going to Time Square, Dylan's Candy Bar, Rockefeller Center, and Roosevelt Island. It was fun to spend some time together, and to relax and wander the city.

While we were out I asked David if he would like to go to lunch at Lilli and Loo, which was near where we happened to be. I have been wanting to try it, ever since I found a list of gluten free NYC restaurants. Lilli and Loo has a full menu of gluten free Asian food, which can be pretty hard to find. I was very excited to try it out, mostly because I have been craving Chinese food for about a month.

I was not disappointed. I ordered the GF Spicy Tangerine Beef, and David got GF crispy shrimp with honey walnuts. I was surprised when David ordered off of the gluten free menu, but he wanted to be able to share with me. I really enjoyed the flavors of both dishes. The tangerine beef could have been a little spicier, but it was my favorite of the two. The shrimp was a bit of a surprise, I thought it was going to be sweeter, but the sauce was peppery.

I appreciated the variety of gluten free options on the menu, and I really enjoyed the food. I will definitely be going back!

Garlicky Mushrooms With Green Onions

Today was supposed to be a lazy Sunday for Husband and me, however, he was told on Friday that he had to work all weekend. I decided to keep my plans for a relaxing day, and spent that day pampering myself. I started out with a manicure and pedicure, then I gave my hair a keratin treatment. I spent the rest of the day with Netflix, and later, a Big Bang Theory marathon on TV. All in all, it was a very successful Sunday for me.

I did find myself feeling a little guilty that Husband was stuck at work, while I was taking advantage of my day off, so I figured that I would pamper him with dinner. I decided to make steaks, garlicky mushrooms with green onions, and carrots.

I find that I have to be creative with mushrooms, since David (my husband) is just learning to like then. I decided to use a ton of garlic, since it's David's favorite, and I had some green onions in the fridge, so I threw it together with a few other ingredients, and it turned into a pretty successful dish! David even told me that I can add it to my rotation of side dishes!

1 pack sliced white mushrooms
1 bunch green onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
I tablespoon butter or margarine (I used margarine)
salt and pepper to taste.

Wipe mushrooms clean with a paper towel, and put in a saute pan. Chop green onions into 1/2 - 1 inch pieces. Add to pan. Add the rest of ingredients, sauteing over medium heat until mushrooms are soft.  

Peach Mozzarella Basil Salad

It's been a long week for my husband. He is a born workaholic, and it's just his nature to work too long and too hard. He is the youngest person to ever hold his position at work, and his job comes with a lot of stress. I try really hard to take some of the pressure off of him, and usually that involves me cooking for him. I usually try to make new things, I like to keep his life interesting, and I get bored of having the same things all the time.

This week has been especially rough on him, full of deadlines, awkward encounters, and lots of yelling. So when Friday night rolled around I decided to plan a nice candlelit dinner for two. On the menu: creamy salami and goat cheese spread with sun dried tomatoes, cold chicken slices marinated in lemon, white wine, garlic and cracked pepper, and peach, mozzarella and basil salad. 

The salad was light and refreshing. The flavors blended together, creating a wonderful side for a very hot summer day.

3 peaches, cut into 6-8 slices, then halved crosswise

8 oz fresh mozzarella. (i used the little balls, but if the are not available cut into 1 in cubes)

1 cup chopped basil

2 tbsp olive oil

1 squeeze fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix peaches, mozzarella, and basil.drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Keep refrigerated.  

Hello, My Name is Clara...

Hello. My Name is Clara, and I have Celiac Disease.

I found out about four months ago. I had never even heard of it until my mother suggested that I get screened for it. (Also know as the incident in which my mother ruined my life).

I have been sick for years, I just didn't know it. At a certain point my body got used to feeling the way it did, and I began to think that all my symptoms were normal. Some of them were just annoying, like the ever present acid reflux, others like my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) were a bit more troublesome.

Reading a list of symptoms was like reading a list of my own complaints. Even my husband, who is half convinced I am a hypochondriac, told me to go to the Dr and get tested.

The strange thing was that even though almost all the symptoms fit, I was convinced it was going to be wrong. There was no way I could give up gluten. No more bread, no more pasta, and no more beer. Ever. I thought at the time that I would rather be sick than give up all those things that I loved. I couldn't.

I was wrong. I could. I'm currently about four months gluten free. And for the first time in a long time I feel great.