Grill

August 2014: Whole Foods Thai Ginger Marinade

“There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart”

These fleeting summer months are coming to an end. So go outside, seize the day, and get a little extra vitamin D! Before you know it, it’ll be Labor Day weekend- the last chance for barbecues and wearing white jeans. These past few months, we have been doing a lot of grilling. From salmon on cedar planks to tandoori spiced chicken to thai peanut veggie skewers.

Now, typically I like to do pizzas or cookies or rolls for the product of the month. Something that’s originally not gluten-free, but I have discovered a great alternative. However, this month, I’m sharing with you a new category of products that you may not have known could contain gluten: sauces, dips, dressings, and marinades. Many sauces use wheat flour as a thickener in addition to or as oppose to cream or butter. Apparently the flour adds “a little something” to the texture. So when browsing for a new red pasta sauce or a new variety of ranch dressing, remember to read the label!

As I’ve had a little more free time on my hands, I’ve actually managed to go to a grocery store! Believe it or not, it’s been months since I’ve been inside one because of my crazy schedule! So at Whole Foods, we recently bought a new thai ginger marinade. We’ve been grilling veggies skewers, chicken kebabs, and even paneer (an Indian cottage cheese like dish) in these marinade. It is finger-licking-ly, lip-smacking-ly delicious. (Yes, I’m going to make up my own vocabulary as we go on.) However, my favorite, by far, was the cedar plank thai ginger salmon. Now, maybe I’m slightly biased because grilled salmon is a treat in my family. We typically bake our salmon- now when I say we bake it, I mean we really bake it. Until the weird whitish yogurty stuff starts seeping out of the pores of the fish- do fish even have pores? So, yes, having grilled, not overdone salmon was wonderful. Simply wonderful. But more importantly, the combination of the thai ginger flavors and the hints of the cedar’s essence were exquisite. So if you do swing by the grocery store, so give this a try before the summer’s up!

Cheers,

Anika

Keating’s River Grill

Hope everyone is staying warm during the snowstorm (and enjoying the many bonus snow days)! Unfortunately, my power went out early Wednesday morning, so we had to pack our bags and camp out at a hotel Wednesday night. We stayed at the Hyatt Regency at Penn’s Landing in Philly. All of the hotels on the mainline were booked or had no power! But lucky for us, while we stayed at the Hyatt, we were in for a treat when we dined at Keating’s River Grill. My family and I enjoyed dinner and breakfast at the restaurant.

The waiter wasn’t particularly knowledgeable as to what foods contained wheat, however, he was very flexible and accommodating and got all the information we needed from the chef. However, if you look at the menu online, the dishes that are gluten-free are marked as “*gluten-free”. It is very helpful! I ordered scallops with “golden” quinoa. This was one of the few occasions that I have opted for scallops, but after this meal, I am completely sold! And quinoa has become a new favorite. I prefer it to brown rice or mashed potatoes any day! This colorful quinoa was topped with butternut squash, dried apricot, and cranberries. As for dessert, I had a refreshing lemon sorbet to cool my palette from the flavorful meal. Although, considering the terrible weather, it probably wasn’t the smartest choice! If I have the opportunity to return to Keating’s soon, I would definitely want to try the White Chocolate Ginger Creme Brûlée and the Chocolate Framboise (a gluten-free chocolate cake with raspberry sauce).

Thursday morning we were fortunate enough to receive the news that our power was back! We enjoyed a relaxing breakfast at Keating’s and then headed back home. With our room, we got breakfast package, so I assumed I would opt for the buffet and get some eggs, cold cuts, cheeses, and fruit. However, I was pleasantly surprised wen I looked at the a la carte menu. I ordered Almond Pancakes that were made from almond flour and yogurt and topped with brown sugar, yogurt, blueberries, and slivered almonds. It was simply divine! They were hands down the best gluten-free pancakes I have ever had. I will attempting to recreate these at home very soon! And I would never have thought to top pancakes with yogurt… it’s definitely a healthy and tastier option (in my opinion!) than maple syrup or butter.

If you’re in the city and looking for a simply yet delicious bite, Keating’s River Grill is your place! And the Hyatt was an excellent hotel as well.

Bundle up and stay safe!

Cheers!

Anika

Gullifty’s

I’ve been looking forward to writing about this restaurant for quite some time now. Gulliftys is one of my favorite go-to sit downs. The service is speedy, and the food never disappoints. This contemporary American joint has a menu filled with great signature dishes and a few surprises too! This originally was your around-the-corner sports bar and grill, but the management decided it was time for change. They changed everything from the wallpaper, to the menu, to the bright LCD Screens, to the layout of the dining. These changes, however, gave the once dingy and crowded grill a more classy and finished feel.

Our waiter was friendly, helpful, and polite. She was quick to bring me a print out that supplemented their menu in finding gluten-free choices. I ordered the French Breton Salad. The salad contained romaine lettuce, roasted beets, grilled asparagus, goat cheese, candied pecans, and to top it off: fresh balsamic vinaigrette. I thoroughly enjoyed the salad, although just a heads up, the portions are huge! So unless you’re coming in with a big appetite, choose your entrée wisely.

As for dessert, I shared a gluten-free Chocolate Ganache Tort and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I have to say this is by far my favorite gluten-free flourless chocolate tort. The flourless chocolate dome from PF Chang’s is great, but can be overpoweringly chocolately. This tort had the right balance between texture and chocolate, and the vanilla ice cream knocked it out of the park. I would strongly recommend ordering this for dessert, but save room!

Cheers,

Anika