Tinkyada Gluten Free Pasta! January 5, 2012

My favorite brand of gluten free pasta is Tinkyada. If you haven’t tried Tinkyada Gluten-Free Pasta… you need to.

 

It is BY FAR, the best gluten free pasta I’ve come across. You can actually fool your most hardcore-Italian, pasta-loving, non-GF guests into thinking this is regular gluten-filled pasta… that’s really how good it is! The texture of Tinkyada’s pasta is GREAT (so many GF pastas have weird, tough, unflexible textures), it can withstand a little overcooking, and comes in a variety of pasta types/shapes.

 

Tinkyada also offers five different types of organic pasta too: spaghetti, spirals, elbows, penne, and lasagna.

 

It’s awesome. This is definitely my GF pasta brand of choice; the one I recommend to anyone and everyone who wants to go gluten free and wanting to enjoy pasta again.

 

I recently tried one of the free recipes on the Tinkyada website. It was delicious! It had a sweet and salty taste to it that light, interesting, and super yummy! Give it a try the next time your in the mood for a GF pasta dinner:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: I used Tinkyada’s Brown Rice Pasta Penne. I also used more sun dried tomatoes than was called for in the recipe. It was an easy recipe to follow and turned out lovely.

 

SO TASTY!

 

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Ridiculously Delicious Gluten-Free BBQ Sauce: Daddy Sam’s August 10, 2010

Now that my pregnancy is over and my beautiful baby boy is finally here, those long 9 months were an exciting, but challenging journey. The first half of my pregnancy, I didn’t seem to have many food cravings (I was so ridiculously sick, that pretty much nothing ever sounded good), but even though I was nauseous until my very last day of pregnancy, it seemed like I craved something new every day in my third trimester when I could handle food better. Here are some of the things I’ve craved:

-Pizza with root beer & cream soda

-Nachos with extra cheese sauce

-Mint chocolate chip ice cream

-Anything Banana (bananas with chocolate, mango sorbet with bananas, chunky monkey- banana- ice cream)

-Fresh Oranges

-Celery with peanut butter and raisins (this was the weirdest craving for me, as it reminded me of snacks provided in kindergarten? haha)

-BBQ sauce

Things I used to LOVE but couldn’t eat while pregnant:

-Too much Garlic

-Eggs

-Indian & Thai curry

-Orange Juice (actual oranges were fine, but the juice would always make me sick)

Weird, huh? At least I never craved dirt, or paint chips… Yikes! One of my friends told me that her cousin craved ice cream with sauerkraut on top. That’s so nasty to me- pregnant or not.

Since most of my cravings were not unusual foods, I had no trouble getting them when I needed them. The only one I seemed to struggle with was the BBQ sauce. Obviously, BBQ sauce is not a rarity, but a gluten-free version? That was a challenge. I went to my local grocery store and must have spent 45 minutes reading every single bottle’s label. Even the more upscale and expensive brands seemed to have wheat or gluten in them! And even if the bottle didn’t mention possible allergens, many of the ingredients looked suspicious.

That’s why I was so relieved when I discovered Daddy Sam’s All Natural Bar-B-Que Sawce. This “sawce” is AWESOME- not only is it gluten-free (which would have sold me right there), but there’s no artificial preservatives, no artificial flavors, no artificial thickeners, no corn starch, no MSG, no dairy, no tree nuts, no peanuts, no high fructose corn syrup, no fat, no cholesterol,  no soy… yeah. It’s pretty much PERFECT. 🙂

The Daddy Sam’s Story is so cool too:

Daddy Sam Oglesby wanted to be a cowboy. In 1883, when he was 16, he rode a stagecoach from Virginia to West Texas. He went third class and had to ride on top.

His hat blew off one night while he was sleeping. He got off the stagecoach in Mertzon, Texas to buy a new one. With his last five dollars he bought a cowboy hat from a 14 year old girl at the General store. Two years later they eloped-against her father’s strong and reasonable objections!

He mortgaged his horse to pay for the train tickets to San Angelo Texas. At the courthouse, they interrupted a trial and asked the judge to marry them. The judge stopped the trial and the jury served as witnesses. Then they went home to face the music.

They were married for over 50 years and raised eight children on a ranch with no running water or electricity. Everyone called him Daddy Sam.

Daddy Sam’s Bar-B-Que Sawce was born on his ranch in West Texas. The Oglesby family had a lot of Family picnics and made a lot of Barbeque. Carefully nurtured through the generations, this great sawce is now available to you. We hope you like it.

This sawce story makes me all the more attached to this fabulous GF sawce. I feel like it came from the wild west. Like a cowboy made it for me. Haha. 🙂

And Daddy Sam’s Bar-B-Que Sawce is sooooo good- I’d recommend it to anyone. Gluten-free eaters or not. The Daddy Sam’s Original Bar-B-Que flavor is unbelievably tasty- perfectly sweet & salty with the right amount of tang. It’s $5.50 for a 19 oz jar and the Daddy Sam’s philosophy is: “Good Goods are Never Cheap. Cheap Goods are Never Good.” I couldn’t agree more. This sawce is GOOD and worth every cent.

And they don’t stop at their original sawce flavor. They also offer a Ginger Jalapeño Bar-B-Que (for those that want a little more heat!) and Salmon Glaze flavor. Both fantastic and both gluten-free!!! If you need a gift for a special someone that loves to grill (or just a hungry pregnant lady with hardcore cravings for BBQ sauce), Daddy Sam’s even offers a gift set with all three flavors for $17.95. You can even include some of the recipe ideas they offer on their website using their sawces… Brilliant!

Try Daddy Sam’s ( buy at: www.DaddySams.com ) and use one or all of these delicious gluten-free sawce flavors the next time you decide to use the grill!

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Dinner- Rice August 9, 2010

I often like to make rice as my starch for dinner. Since regular (gluteness) bread is out of the question, rice serves as a good replacement. It’s inexpensive, filling, and a good side choice to pretty much any meat dish.

But I’ll admit it, rice is kind of boring. That’s why I was super excited to find this super tasty rice dish that turns an ordinary side into a full-on fabulous gluten-free main meal. Try it tonight!

Nonna Luna’s Rice

Ingredients

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided, at room temperature
• 2 cups parboiled long-grain rice
• 3 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 cup whipping cream
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.

Fabulous Gluten-Free Frozen Pizza May 20, 2010

I’ve been disappointed by frozen pizza for a while now. I’ve tried a bunch of different brands, and haven’t felt like I could enjoy pizza at home for a while now. I even tried making pizza from a few different GF pizza mixes, without much more success. From yucky gluten-free crusts, to bad texture, to just overall gross taste, I have had a hard time enjoying pizza since going gluten-free!

It hasn’t stopped me from trying, though (believe it or not). I went to my local Kroger the other day and saw a grocery store employee stocking a new gluten-free frozen pizza. Despite all my let downs, I still had to try it. Perhaps it’s the part of me that just wants to support anything and everything that makes gluten-free food for us Celiacs that need it and appreciate it… another part of me JUST WANTED TO EAT SOME GOOD PIZZA, DARNIT! 🙂

I laughed when I read the name of the frozen pizza brand: Gluten Free & Fabulous. It sooo sounds like what I would name my company if I had a gluten-free food line! But with a name like that, I thought, “It better really be fabulous!!!” You can’t name your brand that and have nasty food… I would hope, at least!

Anyway, Gluten-Free & Fabulous is a little pricey- it’s over $7.00 for a small (4-slice) pizza. And I was surprised how thin the crust was when I pulled it out of the packaging. But, let me tell you, this pizza did not disappoint! It truly is fabulous!!! Here’s why:

1. It only took 10 minutes to bake. That is awesome. For a hungry pregnant lady that wants pizza when she wants pizza, that was a cool product bonus.

2. I usually like thick crusts but I was surprisingly just fine with this thin crust. I guess the moral of the story is that if something tastes good, it tastes good- thick crust or not.

3. It was SOOO yummy and satisfying. I think it was something in the sauce. It’s seasoned really well. That, the gooey, delicious cheese & pepperoni and this pizza totally hit the spot and satisfied my craving. …And it’s been a LONG time since frozen pizza did that.

You really gotta try this FABULOUS gluten-free pizza if you have been missing this yummy comfort food on weekends or movie-nights at home.  If you can’t find Gluten-Free and Fabulous at your local grocery store in the all-natural frozen foods section, try going to the Gluten-Free & Fabulous ‘Where to Buy’ page… And request it at your grocery store if they don’t stock it!  They’re SO worth it and totally tasty!

Yay for pizza night again! 🙂

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Ps. What frozen pizza brands do you love? Or do you have a local pizzeria near you that makes AMAZING gluten-free pizza? Give them a shout out and leave a comment on this blog article so that others near you can drop in and eat some yummy GF pizza when their cravings hit too!

Have a Mexican-Inspired Fiesta: Gluten-Free Chicken Quesadillas April 13, 2010

You don’t have to wait until Cinco De Mayo to start your spring fiestas!

On a beautiful sunny day this spring, make it a Mexican-food night and indulge in this ridiculously yummy gluten-free chicken quesadilla dinner with an upgraded, shi-shi version of regular ol’ salsa and guacamole dip!

Trust me, this isn’t your average, everyday quesadilla! You’ll love this recipe! It’s great for dinners outside on the patio and impressive when serving to family and friends during little dinner get-togethers! 🙂

Chicken Quesadillas with Fruit Salsa and Avocado Cream from MyRecipes.com

 

Note: I have modified the original recipe  to a gluten-free version below for my gluten-free foodies! 🙂

Ingredients

• Gluten-free/ all-natural cooking spray or oil
• 1 1/3  cups  shredded carrot
• 1  cup  thinly sliced green onions
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers, divided
• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 2  cups  chopped ready-to-eat roasted skinned, boned chicken breasts (this recipe is great for using your left-over cooked chicken!)
• 1/2  cup  fresh cilantro leaves

Preparation

Place a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat until hot. Add shredded carrot and onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons shredded cheese over each of the tortillas, and divide carrot mixture evenly over tortillas. Top each tortilla with 1/2 cup chicken, 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, and 2 tablespoons cheese, and top with a tortilla.

Place skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add 1 quesadilla, and cook 2 minutes on each side or until quesadilla is browned and crispy. Repeat with the remaining quesadillas. Plate and top each quesadilla with 2/3 cup Fruit Salsa and about 3 tablespoons Avocado Cream.

Fruit Salsa

Ingredients

• 2  cups  coarsely chopped peeled ripe papaya or mango (about 1 large)
• 1 1/2  cups  coarsely chopped peeled kiwifruit (about 3 kiwifruit)
• 3/4  cup  fresh or frozen corn kernels (about 1 ear)
• 1/2  cup  chopped red onion
• 1/2  cup  minced fresh cilantro
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1  tablespoon  minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon salt

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill.

Avocado Cream

 

Ingredients

• 1  peeled medium avocado, pitted and cut into chunks
• 1/2  cup  fat-free sour cream
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 2  tablespoons  minced fresh cilantro

Preparation

Place first 3 ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Spoon pureed mixture into a small bowl; stir in cilantro. Cover and chill.

*AS ALWAYS, USE ORGANIC INGREDIENTS WHEN YOU CAN FOR A YUMMIER, BETTER-FOR-YOU VERSION OF THIS DISH

Happy Fiesta-ing! 🙂

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Fry Up Some Gluten-Free Stir-Fry For Dinner April 6, 2010

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m pregnant with my first child (yay!!!) so I am avoiding seafood. I miss my shrimp and salmon dinners desperately, but luckily have found some awesome chicken dinner dishes that keep things interesting, flavorful, and of course, gluten-free.

Try this super-tasty Ginger Chicken & Veggie Stir-Fry recipe from Shine.com sometime this week:

Ingredients

· 1-1/4 cup sliced zucchini (1 medium)

· 1/2 cup sliced carrot (1 medium)

· 1/2 cup sliced onion (1 medium)

· 1 small red sweet pepper cut into strips (3/4 cup)

· 2-1/2 cups shredded green cabbage (about half of a small cabbage head)

· 1 tablespoon cooking oil or peanut oil

· 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves or turkey tenderloins, cut into 1-inch pieces

· 1/2 cup stir-fry sauce (see my recipe for this below)

· 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

· 3 to 4 cups hot cooked jasmine or brown rice

· 3/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts or cashews

*Use organic ingredients when you can to make a tastier, better-for-you version of this dish!

I forgot the carrots when I tried this recipe for myself (as you can see in the photo), but I wish I hadn’t! They’d make an excellent addition to this dish- taste-wise and visually too!

Directions

1. In a 12-inch skillet or wok cook and stir half of the zucchini, carrot, onion, pepper, and cabbage in hot oil over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove vegetables from the skillet. Repeat with remaining vegetables; remove from the skillet.

2. If necessary, add more oil to the hot skillet. Add chicken to the skillet. Cook and stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Push chicken from center of the skillet. Add stir-fry sauce and ginger to center of the wok. Cook and stir until bubbly. Return the vegetables to the skillet. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until chicken-vegetable mixture is coated and heated through. Serve over rice. Sprinkle servings with chopped peanuts. Makes 6 servings.

Gluten-Free Stir-Fry Sauce

1/4 c. brown sugar
2 lg. cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 c. gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 c. cider vinegar
2 c. gluten-free chicken or beef broth
1/2 c. water

Combine first 3 ingredients. Add soy sauce and vinegar. Shake until blended. Add broth and water. Shake. Store in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. May be frozen.

Ps. Buy and use chopsticks with this dish for a little extra fun! 🙂

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Taylor’s Gluten-Free Italian Chicken March 27, 2010

I’m all about easy-cooking. I like things to look pretty without being difficult. Just call me a low-maintenance cooking diva. 🙂

That’s why I was excited to try Taylor’s Italian Chicken recipe from BetterRecipes.com. This Italian-inspired chicken dish is gluten-free and simply topped with fresh parsley, garlic, tomatoes, lemon juice, mozzarella cheese, and bacon. Yummy!

It’s funny how bacon can seem totally fatty and cheap, yet other dishes make bacon seem totally chic. This is a recipe where bacon seems glamorous and really makes this chicken dish taste good. With only a few ingredients, Taylor’s Italian Chicken is incredibly easy to make and looks divine on a plate.

Taylor’s Italian Chicken

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1/8 cup parsley
• 1 tomato
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 3 strips bacon
• Dash of salt & pepper

* As always, use organic ingredients when you can to create a better-for-you, tastier version of this dish!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken breasts, skin side down, in a 9 X 11 pan. Dice tomato, chop parsley, cut bacon into 1/2 inch squares and add on top of chicken. Chop up garlic and add to top of chicken. Cut lemon in half and squeeze lemon onto chicken. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheese over chicken, cover pan with foil, and bake 45 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked. Uncover foil and bake another 12 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Plate with a fresh, veggie salad and dinner is served!

Coming up next week: Lots of fabulous reviews on exciting new gluten-free goodies and products! Also, planning a vacation or stay-cation this spring? We’ve got must-have gluten-free travel toiletries!

Stay tuned. 🙂

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Gluten-Free Paprika Shrimp and Green Bean Saute March 24, 2010

 

 I tried this DELISH recipe about 7 months ago and it was awesome. Now that I’m pregnant though, I am avoiding seafood (among other pregnancy “no-no” foods) and, obviously, can’t eat shrimp.

Boy, do I miss it.

I’ve heard of pregnant women that crave bad-stuff like paint chips, cigarette butts, and dirt (thankfully, I am NOT one of them!), but I do want the totally off-limits seafood. My mouth starts to water when I think about shrimp nachos, shrimp with cocktail sauce, shrimp sautéed in garlic and butter, or shrimp sprinkled all over a gluten-free pizza.  MMmmmmm….

I’m reminded of “Bubba” from the movie Forrest Gump, and how all he ever talks about is shrimp and the different ways that you can cook it. …Well, with the way I want to eat shrimp, I could listen to Bubba talk about shrimp all day. I wouldn’t mind a bit. I’d probably join in.

So, since I can’t indulge in my shrimp-obsession for, at the very least, another three months, do me a favor and enjoy a shrimp dinner yourself. Try this gluten-free Paprika Shrimp and Green Bean Saute recipe from Eating Well. It’s easy and awesome:

Ingredients

• 4 cups green beans, trimmed (about 12 ounces)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 pound raw shrimp, (21-25 per pound; see Note), peeled and deveined
• 2 16-ounce cans large butter beans, or cannellini beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar, or red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

*Use organic ingredients and spices when you can!

Preparation

1. Bring 1 inch of water to a boil in a large saucepan. Put green beans in a steamer basket, place in the pan, cover and steam until tender-crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and paprika and cook, stirring constantly, until just fragrant but not browned, about 20 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until pink and opaque, about 2 minutes per side. Stir in beans, vinegar and salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley.
3. Divide the green beans among 6 plates. Top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with pepper and the remaining 1/4 cup parsley.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Shrimp is usually sold by the number needed to make one pound. For example, “21-25 count” means there will be 21 to 25 shrimp in a pound. Size names, such as “large” or “extra large,” are not standardized. In recipes calling for a specific count, order by the count (or number) per pound to be sure you’re getting the size you want.
• To peel shrimp, grasp the legs and hold onto the tail while you twist off the shell. Save the shells to make a tasty stock: Simmer, in enough water to cover, for 10 minutes, then strain. The “vein” running along a shrimp’s back (technically the dorsal surface, opposite the legs) under a thin layer of flesh is really its digestive tract.
• To devein shrimp, use a paring knife to make a slit along the length of the shrimp. Under running water, remove the tract with the knife tip.

-Glamour & Green Gluten-Free

Easy Gourmet Gluten-Free Cooking March 18, 2010

I love to cook, but let’s make one thing clear, I am no Julia Child. My take on cooking is that it should be easy to make but look like it was hard to cook (and taste phenomenal, of course!). I like my food to look, feel, and taste glamorous with minimal work. 🙂

So, here is a recipe my mom stumbled upon a few months ago which is ultra-fabulous and gluten-free. Give it a whirl the next time you’re having guests over or want to surprise your hunny with a romantic dinner:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 Tablespoon butter
• ½ cup white wine or chicken broth
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tablespoon minced rosemary
• 2 pressed garlic cloves
• 1 package of sliced mushrooms — I used half pack of white button mushrooms and half pack of baby brown portabella mushrooms

 

NOTE: Use organic ingredients for the freshest, best-tasting version of this dish!

-In large skillet cook chicken 1 tablespoon butter and garlic. Cook chicken until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.

-Add wine to pan and cook stirring to loosen browned bits from pan add mushrooms and cook , add cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat cook and stir till thickens, stir in rosemary and extra butter, put chicken in to warm it up a bit.

-Serve with rice and your favorite veggies lightly drizzled with olive oil, sea salt, & pepper!

Yum!

-Glamour and Green Gluten-Free