Pasta

February 2015: Conte’s Spinach & Cheese Ravioli
“If winter come, can spring be far behind?” -Percy Shelley
And here comes Thor with yet another snow day! Stay warm and stay safe as we face one of the worst storms of the season. As we push through the winter weather, there’s nothing like a warm home-cooked meal to pull us through the tail end of the season. It’s been a whole month of ice days and snow days. But not all of us have enough hours in a day to prepare a hot, homemade dinner, so we need another quicker solution. Without compromising the “homemade taste”, you can whip up delicious gluten-free pasta in less than 15 minutes!
Conte’s Spinach & Cheese Ravioli is delicious and easy dinner option. The spinach and feta filling is a family favorite- even my brother, who isn’t restricted to eating gluten-free, said he couldn’t tell the difference between the gluten-free and normal ravioli! Simply add 1 1/2 tbsp. of salt to a pot of boiling water with the gluten-free ravioli for approximately 10-14 minutes. The directions say to boil the pasta for 8-10 minutes, but I find that the pasta is on the undercooked side, so I keep it on the heat for a bit longer. Additionally, you can make numerous variations of this ravioli with little to no meal prep. Top the ravioli with my great homemade Alfredo sauce recipe, fresh pesto, or even red marinara sauce.
So I’ll keep this short and sweet- but I’d just like to say thank you all for your support. This will be my 100th post for The Gluten-Free You- it’s a truly exciting milestone! Please share TGFY on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter with your friends, family, neighbors, and pets. It’s been such a pleasure to be able to share my story, and I look forward to continue sharing the best of the gluten-free world!
Cheers,
Anika

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 2-3 oz cream cheese
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1 cup reduced fat (2%) milk
  • 1/6 cup of white cheddar, grated
  • pinch of ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan on medium-high heat, and then add garlic powder and cream  cheese which continuously stirring. Then, add a little milk at a time while stirring to even out the consistency. Stir in the cheddar cheese and pepper. When the sauce reaches a smooth consistency, turn off the heat. Add in freshly cooked pasta and serve hot. Enjoy!

And you can try this delicious Peppered Alfredo recipe with substituting the store bought alfredo sauce and cheese for this homemade sauce!

The Cheesecake Factory

As much as I love originality, there’s something comforting about falling back onto known territory. Although eccentric french cafes and family-run diners may receive acclaim for their truly distinct tastes and flavors, when it comes to eating gluten-free, chain restaurants are a safe haven like no other. This may seem surprising and of course, there are exceptions, but all in all, I stand by that statement.

They are reliable. Earlier this month in Providence, I rediscovered The Cheesecake Factory. Because of their infamous “no reservations” policy, I had kept my distance these last few years. And prior this gap, I had terrible experience with their gluten-free options, but I suppose that was a different era- when people were in the dark as to what “gluten-free” meant. Anyways, I was delightfully surprised to learn that they have an extensive gluten-free menu. From pastas to salads and tacos to burgers, they have nearly anything and everything you could imagine! They even have a gluten-free cheesecake- Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake, if memory serves me right. It is by far the biggest gluten-free menu I’ve laid eyes on. I suppose I have to account for the fact that their regular menu is nearly a short novel; however, that doesn’t take away from the fact that I was truly impressed. As for specifics, the next time I return, I will be sure to order their pasta- maybe the shrimp and fusilli or the pasta with chicken and sun-dried tomatoes? And we’ll see if it lives up to Maggiano’s wonderful GF pasta. On to the salads, I did in fact have the pleasure of trying the French Country Salad. If beets, candied pecans, asparagus, and fresh goat cheese is your thing, then this salad is you thing. I promise. Last but not least, burgers. Now, I personally don’t eat beef, so I was pleased to learn that they offered a turkey burger as well as a vegetarian burger option. And yes, when I say burger I don’t mean a pattie with condiments sitting on a white plate, I mean the whole package (gluten-free rolls included!). I can’t exactly vouch for them as I have not tried them, but if any of you do try it before I do, please let me know! There are many dishes that are yet to be eaten at this restaurant and fortunately…

They are ubiquitous. Whether you’re in Pennsylvania, Oregon, or Rhode Island, chances are, you’ll cross paths with The Cheesecake Factory. It’s one of the reasons that chain restaurants really make having a gluten-free lifestyle that much easier. You already know what options they offer and if the staff and kitchen have an awareness of cross contamination and what “gluten-free” means. All in all, it means that there is no need for experimenting. Yes, we all like variety, but it’s great to have a safe option in your back pocket.

And with the inevitable end of summer hurtling towards us, keep in mind, it’s always summer somewhere!

Cheers,

Anika

Maggiano’s- Little Italy

And a new month is upon us… happy May, everyone! But more importantly, happy Celiac Awareness month! Now unfortunately, the most distinguished month of the year (at least for a gluten-free blogger with celiac disease) coincides with SAT Subject Tests, AP exams, and finals- the whole shebang. I’m going to try my best to keep it new and fresh through out this month, but you’ll have to bear with me.

A few weeks ago, my family and I enjoyed a lovely dinner at Maggiano’s. Now just based off the name, you may be thinking, ‘Oh no, not Italian!’. I know, Italian restaurants are notorious for their lack of gluten-free options. From the shrimp scampis to brick-oven pizzas and freshly baked bread to manicotti, it’s always a struggle eating gluten-free within this cuisine. So, I have some good news and bad news. Let’s start with the bad news first: there’s no gluten-free menu at the restaurant. Great restaurant, right? But the good news is that, there is no need for a gluten-free menu! The chef can convert many dishes to their gluten-free equivalent, and the waiters are very well informed in those accommodations. And the best news yet… they have gluten-free pasta!! This means that nearly all of their pasta dishes, with a few substitutions, can be made GF! The GF version of the “Famous Rigatoni ‘D'” is fabulous. It has herb-roasted chicken, mushrooms, and caramelized onions in a creamy marsala sauce. So  if that’s your thing, go for it! Hands down the best pasta dish I’ve eaten. However, just a reminder (since you’re probably not very accustomed to having the option of eating Italian foods), the portion sizes are HUGE. I mean enormous. You will have leftovers for the next day and the day after that! And if you’re not feeling the rich and creamy pastas, there are plenty of other choices. For example, when I recently dined at Maggiano’s, I opted for chicken since I had had a homemade chicken and asparagus pesto pasta for lunch that day. The waiter said to pick any chicken that looked most appealing to me, and the chef would cater it for a gluten-free eater. How easy is that?! I had the Chicken Piccata, which was delicious. The Chicken Piccata typically comes with angel hair aglio olio, so that was substituted by GF pasta. And I’m honestly not someone who eats chicken at restaurants- I usually find it too bland. But this is the second time now I’ve voluntarily chosen it. I could quite possibly be turning a new leaf!

Now, dessert can be ever so slightly trickier. They did have vanilla citrus creme brûlée that was GF, but they also had Spumoni (as pictured above) which I couldn’t resist. It was actually my first time eating Spumoni and let me say this: I would never have guessed chocolate, cherry, and pistachio could have tasted so good together! As the Green Machine Naked Juice Bottle says, “Looks weird. Tastes amazing.”

Ciao,

Anika

 

Peppered Alfredo

Ingredients:

  • 6 ounces of GF Penne Pasta
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch of asparagus, cut
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, cut
  • 2 chicken Jalapeño sausages, cut
  • 1/2 jar of GF Alfredo sauce
  • 1/2 grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Sprinkle with parsley, chopped

Boil a large pot of slightly salted water to boil. Add GF pasta and cook for about 8 to 10 minute, then drain. In a separate saucepan, put olive oil and onions on medium heat. Cook until onions are translucent. Stir in garlic, asparagus, and broccoli. Cook for two to three minutes. Then, add in sausage. After sausage is cooked, pour on the Alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese. Bring to a simmer and stir constantly. Stop after five minutes and season the sauce with crushed red pepper, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir drained pasta into the sauce and sprinkle over with parsley.

Starting with the Basics: Pizza and Pasta

Comfort foods. What can I say; they are the staple foods of many American’s diets. And when transitioning into a gluten-free diet, it may be hard to fill the void of those cravings. But I bring to you gluten-free pizza and pasta. So good that you won’t taste the difference. In my eyes, they are almost as important as gluten-free bread. Both dishes are easy to whip up in the kitchen when using the right gluten-free options.

Pasta. Whether it’s pesto, alfredo, or marinara, you shouldn’t be missing out. A great brand to rely on is Schar. They have everything from penne to spaghetti. The pasta never crumbles or gets too soggy. But, if you are located near a Wegmans, I would recommend Wegmans’ gluten-free penne rigate or fusilli. Both are 100% corn pasta, hold together well, and taste great! If you want to try something more creative with your gluten-free cooking, I would suggest making a delicious homemade lasagna from Tinkyada Born Rice Pasta Lasagne. When prepared the lasagna is not mushy, as it should be. This is the only brand of gluten-free lasagna (that I know of) that will not only taste great, but stay intact too!

Onto the much loved dish of pizza. Honestly you can eat it at any meal: warm and freshly baked for dinner, leftovers for lunch, or cold pizza for breakfast- although I’m not one to eat it for breakfast. Anyways, let’s break this down. You can buy prepared pizza crusts, pizza crust mixes, or order out pizza.

Let’s start with the prepared crusts. My favorite (not only for the convenience factor) is Udi’s Gluten-Free Thin and Crispy Pizza Crusts. My go-to Garlic-Spinach Pizza is made from this thin crust. I simply layered my topping, popped it in the oven for a few minutes, and it was ready in no time! Just remember, each pack only contains two crusts, and they must be stored in the freezer. If you would rather opt for a crust that has a moderate shelf life, I would recommend Schar’s Pizza Crusts. Just beware: the crust is thick- at least ‘thick’ in the opinion of a girl who loves thin crust. The package once again contains two crusts, and simply load on the toppings and bake for a couple of minutes.

Onto the gluten-free pizza mixes- or should I say pizza mix? I have tried numerous brands and all have been too dry, easily burned, crumbly, or consistently undercooked. But Chebe’s Gluten-Free Pizza Crust Mix is one I can always rely on. This may be the only product that I continue to use from when I was first diagnosed with Celiac. Everything else, from cereals to crackers, have been replaced by a newer and better tasting brand. But I remain faithful to this one mix. Simply follow the baking instructions on the box, and that perfect pizza is all yours. Of course, this is a little more time consuming than opting for a premade crust, but it’s definitely worth trying!

Last but not least, take out. Whether it’s movie night at a friend’s house or a birthday party, ordering out pizza is almost a given. If you haven’t already looked into it, I would suggest trying to find a local pizzeria that makes and possibly delivers gluten-free pizza. Nowadays, it’s not uncommon to find pizza places catering to the gluten-free community due to the rapidly increasing size. Around the Philly area, I would strongly recommend Jules Thin Crust Pizza, Bake 425°, Crust, Main Line Pizza, and Mom’s Bake at Home Pizza. Hopefully you will take initiative to find some options around your area, but meanwhile, you have plenty of other options in making pizza!

If you have any gluten-free pasta and/or pizza recipes you would like to share, please do! Just go to the Contact tab above.

Thanks for stopping by!

Grazie,

Anika