Restaurants

Tequila Tacos

Ingredients:

Tilapia Mix:

  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup of cilantro leaves
  • 4 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp. tequila
  • 4 tilapia filets
  • 1/4 green cabbage, shredded
  • 4 GF wraps*

Crema Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup light sour cream
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. oregano
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Add the garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and tequila into a food processor and blend until ingredients are mixed – but still chunky. Put the tilapia and the food-processed mixture in a gallon-sized zip lock bag. Move around the filets until each piece is covered and set aside for 15 minutes to allow for marination. Heat a non stick griddle to 375°F. After the 15 minutes, cook the tilapia for 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve as a taco – cut the tilapia into strips, place on a GF wrap, top with crema sauce and shredded cabbage. Eat fresh and enjoy!

*Rudi’s GF Plain Tortilla Wraps and Mission’s GF Tortillas are my go-to wraps, but use your favorite!

Adapted from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/fish-taco-recipe.html

For another great tilapia taco recipe check this out!

Banana Yogurt Muffins

Ingredients

  • 3⁄4 cup GF all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1⁄2 tsp salt
  • 2 large bananas, mashed
  • 1⁄2 vanilla greek yogurt
  • 1 egg
  • 1⁄3 cup brown sugar
  • 1⁄4 cup olive oil
  • 1⁄4 cup honey
  • 1⁄2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1⁄2 cup mini chocolate chips

Prep

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put paper muffin liners in 12-cup muffin tin.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt) to combine.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk in the wet ingredients (bananas, yogurt, egg, brown sugar, oil, and honey) until well combined.
  4. Add wet mixture into the large bowl and gently stir.
  5. Pour the batter evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle walnuts and chocolate chips on top of the muffins.
  6. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes to until a knife inserted into a muffin and comes out cleanly. After allowing tin to cool for 5 minutes, enjoy muffins warm.

Adapted from NYT Cooking’s Whole Grain Banana Yogurt Muffins recipe.

Homemade Guacamole

Ingredients:

  • 2 avocados
  • 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1 tomato (diced)
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Cut avocados in half. Remove seed and scoop fruit out into a bowl. Take a fork and mash the avocado until it reaches the desired consistency. Add in diced tomato, garlic, and lemon juice. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Serve with gluten-free tortilla chips.

Georgetown Cupcakes

Question: What do you think of when you think of Georgetown?

A) A beautiful harbor with cozy restaurants and cafes

B) A spectacular view overlooking the Potomac and the Kennedy Center?

C) Clusters of Hoyas sporting blue and gray near Georgetown University’s campus

D) The award-winning, gourmet cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes

Answer: It’s a no brainer – Georgetown Cupcakes, of course!

You can’t visit Georgetown without stopping by Georgetown Cupcakes. It would nearly be a crime. Scratch that. It would be a crime. Do you remember watching the Food Network on a late summer night and seeing the hit series DC Cupcakes? It made you salivate so much that you wanted to eat half a dozen cupcakes right then and there? Well, hopefully it rings a bell because the stars of the show are none other than the creators of Georgetown Cupcakes!

Alright, let’s get right to it. Hands down some of the best gluten-free cupcakes I’ve ever tasted. Not all the cupcakes are gluten-free, but everyday, Georgetown Cupcakes offers one freshly baked gluten-free cupcake flavor (and one vegan flavor). The gluten-free varieties include lava fudge, chocolate salted caramel, strawberry lava fudge, chocolate birthday, and peanut butter fudge. I’ve had the pleasure of trying the lava fudge, strawberry lava fudge, and peanut butter fudge – and I will vouch for them all! What excites me the most about Georgetown Cupcakes is that just because the cupcakes are gluten-free, the complexity of the flavors are not compromised. In other words, with most cupcakeries, you won’t be so lucky to find gluten-free cupcakes, and if you are lucky, cupcakeries with gluten-free options typically offer a vanilla or chocolate cupcake.You might get cream cheese icing if you’re lucky. Gluten-free flavors tend to be very standard flavors, they aren’t usually the adventurous flavors. And Georgetown Cupcakes truly defies that notion. The strawberry lava fudge has a delicious strawberry icing and a soft chocolate cake base that melt in your mouth with a gooey, rich, chocolatey “lava-like” filling just flowing out of the cupcake. It’s a work of art.

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So, how do you get your hands on these cupcakes? Well, Georgetown Cupcakes can be found in Georgetown, Bethesda, NYC, Boston, LA, and Atlanta. If you can’t make it in person, don’t fret. They deliver all across the country! I once received a dozen gluten-free cupcakes from here via mail as a surprise present to cheer me up – take my word for it, your family and friends will love you forever if you ship them some of these cupcakes!

Cheers,

Anika

Easy Garlicky Spinach Pizza

Ingredients:

  • 1 of Udi’s Gluten-Free Thin and Crispy Pizza Crusts (from the freezer section)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup of Classic Four-Cheese Alfredo Sauce
  • Fresh Baby Spinach Leaves
  • 1/2 cup of Mozzarella Cheese
  • Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Leave the Pizza Crust at room temperature until it defrosts. Evenly spread 1/2 cup of Alfredo Sauce and garlic on the pizza crust. Cover the pizza crust with spinach leaves. Sprinkle the cheese on top of the spinach leaves. Bake for 7-8 minutes, or until cheese is lightly browned. Enjoy!

Note: The pizza crust is roughly nine inches across.

Pecan Pie

theglutenfreeyou's avatarThe Gluten-Free You

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups pecans
  • 1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie crust (we always use GlutenFree Bakehouse Pie Shells)

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Stir the corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Mix in the pecans. Pour this mixture into the pie crust. Bake for 60-65 minutes. Remove pie before it blackens. When tapping the center of the pie lightly, the center should spring back up if the pie is done. Cool for about 2 hours and store in the refrigerator.

Recipe modified from karosyrup.com.

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Snap Custom Pizza

Hello, fellow gluten-free eaters! Things are starting to look up – summer is right around the corner – endless sunshine, Capri’s water ice, and family vacations. As I finish up the tail-end of tests and exams, I’ve discovered some great new eateries around the area. Being a teenager myself, I like to think pizza is a main/the-most-important food group for all teenagers alike (and its not just me, right?).

Snap Custom Pizza is a relatively new pizza place in Ardmore. I can’t say I have actually been in person, however I felt the need to write about it simply after eating their gluten-free pizza. Yes, they have a gluten-free crust option with only a $1 additional charge. I have to say, that is the smallest minimum charge I’ve ever seen – honestly it’s outrageous how much extra items can cost when they are gluten-free. Anyways, during crunch time for exams, I tried a delicious Farmer’s Market Pizza. Garlic, mozzarella, mushrooms, roasted peppers, arugula, cherry tomatoes, ricotta on a thin, crispy, and yummy gluten-free crust– the whole deal. Now that might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and yes, they do have many other prefixed options, however what they are really known for is their custom pizza. It essentially takes six easy steps to create your ideal pizza: choose a foundation, pick a sauce, choose your cheeses, add some protein, throw on your vegetables, and finally garnish with finishing touched. It’s that easy. And for a set price! And we all know we have certain foods we just aren’t a huge fan of and certain toppings that we can’t stand on pizza, hence making a custom pizza sounds a like a dream come true (at least I think it does!).

Going back to the crust for a minute, just a note, I really enjoyed the crust! And it can be hard to find good gluten-free crusts, however if you’re not a fan of thin crusts, I would not recommend this. No, it’s not as thing as the crust from Jules Thin Crust Pizza, however it is quite similar to Udi’s Pizza Crust in thickness. Not necessarily a bad thing or a good thing, but rather something to keep in mind.

Anyways, I’m going to keep this short and sweet, definitely a great place with great pizza!

Cheers,

Anika

New [Artful] Adventures

URBN. A company that comprises of brands such as Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People, BHLDN, and Terrain. Extremely appealing lifestyle-centric shopping experience. Eclectic. Vintage. Global. Bold. Youthful. Creative. Sensuous. Inspiring.

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This past week I had the great pleasure of visiting and touring the Urban Outfitters Headquarters in Philadelphia. As a loyal Anthropologie customer and Free People enthusiast, this was truly an exciting and special experience. Let me start by saying this is not an ordinary business. Overflowing with creativity and filled with passion, each URBN buildings had its own “quirky” personality. From Buddha statues to a coi fish pond, modern art lining the walls to umbrellas with embroidered Indian fabrics, you can’t help but secretly (or not so secretly) wishing you worked there.

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So this is all wonderful, you may be thinking, but what does this have to do with eating gluten-free? Well the truly forward-thinking atmosphere created here at URBN doesn’t end in the workplace- the cafeteria (also open to public) was health-conscious in every aspect (I’m not kidding– there was even a gym in there).

The cafeteria was divided into 6 stations where you can find everything from a black rice rainbow roll to caprese sandwiches to teriyaki stir-fry. There were signs and labels around the cafeteria marking vegan, gluten-free, and vegetarian options, and many of the pre-packaged items were “Whole-Foods-like” products. I had a spicy tuna roll, gluten-free peanut butter cookie, and Lima Lemon Bai. Honestly, what more can a girl want?! In addition to the terrific food, the cafeteria also shared the same eclectic architecture and decor that URBN’s brands promote.

So if you’re in the city and have an urge to check out the Urban Outfitters Headquarters, I’d say you can’t leave without eating a meal there as well!

Cheers,

Anika

Sweet Bakery

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”

2015. A new start, another chance to do or be something great. Taking that mentality in stride, throughout this year, I’ll be blogging about places I have eaten at or traveled to during 2014 that I did not have the chance (or rather time) to blog about. In other words, 2015 will bring #throwbacktravelposts consisting of restaurants, bakeries, and eateries with great gluten-free options when traveling the world! This way, I can share all the wonderful, hidden GF options the world has to offer (see the travel section).

This past summer, I spend the tail end of break road tripping across the east coast with my family. As we traveled from city to city, I was honestly surprised by the visibly growing awareness of celiac disease and eating gluten-free. Early on in the trip, we visited “the Hub”. I hadn’t been since I was five – and my only vivid memories were of “quacking” while on the duck boat tours and buying a jellyfish stuffed animal from the aquarium. So obviously we had no choice but to experience Boston the touristy way this time around. So day one we walked the Freedom Trail from start to finish. And you’ll be surprised by the numerous gluten-free options along the trail. There were a couple Clover food trucks scattered throughout and nearby the trail, but the real treat was the delicious GF cupcakes from Sweet Bakery.

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Sweet Bakery has six locations spread across Boston. As I passed the Downtown cupcakery while walking the Freedom Trail, I spotted a sign on the window saying “we have gluten-free cupcakes!”. Of course we had to pop in and try the cupcakes- it would literally be a crime not to. Since Sweet Bakery does not have a dedicated gluten-free bakery, they get their GF cupcakes from an alternative gluten-free bakeries to prevent cross-contamination. I ordered two mini GF red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. These cupcakes were from a local Boston bakery called “Glutenus minimus”. I might be slightly biased because red velvet is my absolute favorite, but these gourmet cupcakes were exquisite. You can find Glutenus minimus baked goods in their bakery in Belmont, MA or many other bakeries located in Massachusetts. So if you ever find yourself in Boston, enjoy the rich history the city has to offer with a sweet cupcake in yourself hand!

Cheers,

Anika

Time to Give Thanks

 “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.”

It is the season to give thanks. To express your gratitude to the people that surround you for their unwavering and relentless love through your struggles and successes. To feel grateful for waking up each morning with a new day on the horizon. To not take for granted shelter and warmth, your health, and the food on the table before you. It’s time to travel near or far to gather together with friends and family to appreciate what you have in your life.

And of course, to enjoy a feast.

Thanksgiving is a day full of love. Love for the lovely people cooking up a storm in the kitchen. But more so, love for the  storm that is annually cooked up in the kitchen. Who doesn’t love Thanksgiving dinner? It’s filled with carcinogenic turkey, thick homemade gravy, seasonal sweet pumpkin pie, and many other holiday favorites. But what about those of us who are gluten-free? With these recipes and trading out a few ingredients, you can enjoy all your favorite traditional dishes without compromising on the taste and flavor!

Let’s start with the stuffing. It is an integral part of the Thanksgiving meal- and an easy swap to make it gluten-free. Most stuffing recipes call for diced bread, so simply switch the wheat-based bread with a gluten-free option. Udi’s GF White or Multigrain Bread would be substitute. Alternatively, you could make gluten-free cornbread and use cornbread in the stuffing.

What is turkey without gravy? Nearly every gravy recipe out there calls for wheat or all-purpose flour. The flour is what gives the gravy its thick texture. However, every Thanksgiving, I whip up some gluten-free gravy using Simply Organic’s Brown Gravy Seasoning Mix. I swear by it- it’s easy, flavorful, and gluten-free.

A staple part of the Thanksgiving diet, and the most important in my humble opinion, is dessert. Typically, you can find me indulging in a slice of pumpkin, apple, and and/or pecan pie. And it’s easy as pie to make gluten-free. You can make a nut-based crust or just buy Wholes Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse’s Pie Crust. It’s a frozen, remade gluten-free crust that I have used every year for pumpkin and pecan pies! Or if you’re not a big fan of pie, I have a great pumpkin bread pudding recipe that turned out really well last Thanksgiving.

In addition to these swaps, you can try making my cheesy green bean casserole, which always makes an appearance at the Thanksgiving table, or candied sweet potatoes, which is always a family favorite.

And remember, be thankful for the delicious gluten-free meal you’re going to devour on Thursday!

Cheers!

Anika