Cold Rice Noodle Salad with Spicy Lime Vinaigrette

I adopted this recipe from the one I found on Thai Kitchen’s website. By the way, Thai Kitchen has some great gluten free products.

This salad was a major hit at my friend Molly’s BBQ over the weekend. It was all eaten! This salad has a great kick to it, but no too spicy. The cucumber gives it a nice refreshing feel and crunchy taste. The hot sauce I used had hints of key lime mango and pomegranate give the chili sauce a nice sweet after taste. Plain hot sauce will work fine too, start with only two tablespoons and add more to suite your taste.

Spicy Lime Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice + 2 Tablespoons

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 - 3 Tablespoons sugar

2 - 3 Tablespoons Chili Sweet Sensations Key Lime, Mango, Pomegranate Hot Sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8 ounces Thai Kitchen® Stir-Fry Rice Noodles

1 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise, sliced thinly

1 cup shredded carrots

10 oz Broccoli Slaw

1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai basil (I used regular Basil because that is what I grow in my garden)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro  (also fresh from the garden

Directions:

1. For the Vinaigrette, mix all ingredients in medium bowl. Start with only ¼ cup lime juice and rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons sugar and chili sauce. Add more as need to suite your taste. Set aside. 

2. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add rice noodles; cook 5 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. 

3. Rinse under cold water and  drain well. Place noodles in large bowl and let cool about 5 more minutes. 

4. Add cucumber, carrots, slaw, basil and cilantro and mix well. Mix in the Vinaigrette and toss gently.   

5. Refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors and serve cold or at room temperature.

Legal Sea Foods

I have eaten at several Legal Sea Foods locations in and around Boston – Copley Place, The Prudential Center, Kendall Square, Legal Test Kitchen, Braintree, Long Warf, Chestnut Hill- and they all get my high praises when it comes to serving guests with food allergies. They offer a gluten free menu, their staff is well trained, they have a separate fryer kept gluten free, and all gluten free dishes are brought out by the manager, never nearing the other entrees and potential gluten.

All locations offer Gillian’s Foods rolls. I love these buns! They have a nice texture with a slight crunch on the outside and nice and soft on the inside, and topped with sesame seeds, poppy seeds and I think a little garlic and onion too. 

Four years ago was the first time I was able to order calamari in a restaurant. Legal makes theirs with a chick pea flour, which has since been changed to a brown rice flour and cornmeal mixture. You can also order the Shrimp, Scallops and Haddock – on the Wood Grilled Menu – Crispy Fried instead of grilled. This is next on my list to try! 

One of my favorite dishes is the Shrimp and Garlic with sautéed tomatoes, scallions and mushrooms served with your choice of jasmine or brown rice. I always ask for light on the garlic and it is perfect!

Cousins dinner at Copley

Another dish I have tried is the Wood Grilled Assortment, which comes with the Chef’s selection of three fish, shrimp and scallops and the choice of two sides. This is a great way to sample a little bit of [almost] everything. 

This past winter I tried the Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew (on the lunch menu), served with cornmeal crusted scrod stewed with mussels, clams, and chorizo sausage in a saffron tomato broth. For those ordering on the regular menu it also comes with toasted bread. So make sure to save one – or two! – of the gluten free dinner rolls to dip in the sauce. The Stew is loaded with fish and had great flavors, this is my new favorite dish for the wintertime!

Fisherman's Stew

A few weeks ago my co-worker and I had lunch at the Kendall Square location to celebrate our birthdays. This time I tried the house salad topped with grilled calamari. You can add chicken, crabmeat, shrimp, salmon or lobster salad to any salad. They do not list grilled calamari on the menu anymore, but you can still get it. Some of the pieces were a bit chewy, I think it could have been grilled a little longer, but overall I enjoyed it. Every time I eat there with Liz she orders this and I had been dying to try it.

The seafood here is so fresh, and I highly recommend ordering oysters or something else off the raw bar menu. They offer a great gluten free menu and can accommodate for other food allergies and dietary restrictions - Garlic, Dairy, and Kosher for example.

Wellfleet Oysters

The gluten free dessert menu is limited with only three options, Belgian Chocolate Mousse Parfait, Sorbet and Seasonal Fruit. I haven’t tried the Mousse, I am usually way too full by the end of my meal, but it sure does sound good!

Locations: 18 locations in Massachusetts
website: http://www.legalseafoods.com/

Summer Pasta Salad with Lemon Parsley Dressing

This salad is light and tasty - perfect for summer picnics, cook outs and barbeques. I made this last Saturday for my friends BBQ and nobody knew it was gluten free :)

Ingredients: 

8 oz. gluten free penne or spiral pasta

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

1 cup diced cucumber

2 cups broccoli

4 celery stalks, chopped

1 large tomato, chopped OR about 3-4 cups cheery tomatoes, halved

For the dressing:

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

½ teaspoon white sugar

1 teaspoon onion powder

pepper to taste

 Preparation:

1.     Cook pasta according to the package directions and let cool completely.

2.     In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, yellow pepper, cucumbers, broccoli, celery and tomatoes.

3.     In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, lime juice, sugar, onion powder, and pepper. Mix this dressing with the pasta and then add the parsley.

4.     Cool in the refrigerator, covered for about an hour, or until chilled.   

Fresh City

Fresh City's Gluten Free Menu offers a fair variety of options including salads, burritos in a bowl - hold the wrap -, stir fries, soups and smoothies.

Website: http://www.freshcity.com/
Locations: Landmark Center 201 Brookline Ave., Boston, MA 02215
                  World Trade Center 2 Seaport Lane, Boston, MA 02110
                  Logan Airport

Battery Park

I went to Battery Park with some girl friends on Friday night after work for drinks and appetizers. The outside patio is really fun and much bigger than I had thought. There aren’t many tables; it seats 30 but fits 100, I can only imagine what it’s like at happy hour on a nice night. Inside is smaller but filled with t.v.’s; it seems like a great place to watch a game. Surprisingly, it wasn’t that busy on Friday, we were one of three tables outside. Then again, I have heard this is more of a after work week night happy hour kind of place. 

Anyways, we had a blast and the food was great! The drinks are reasonably priced. We all shared the Battery Park Appetizer Platter. It was a huge platter of 4 appetizers of our choice, not including the nachos or ahi tuna. I was disappointed those two options were not available for the platter, I understand why, but nachos and ahi tuna are two of my favorite things! I’ll just have to go back!

Our waitress was so nice, and was able to substitute corn tortilla chips for the pita chips that come with the spinach and artichoke dish. We also had the hummus and vegetables, calamari and the buffalo chicken rangoon, which is not gluten free; I did not eat it. 

The calamari is battered with a corn based flour and served with banana peppers and it was delicious! It was my favorite appetizer on the platter and I would definitely go back and order it again. The hummus was also delicious and it was such a big portion. The spinach dip was also very good but the corn chips were a bit stale. 

The owner’s wife has celiac so the staff and chefs are very aware and accommodating for those who cannot eat gluten. When I spoke to him he said he hoped to carry gluten free bread soon for the sandwiches and burgers. This is great but I’m tired of hearing everyone say “soon”; just do it already! Our waitress also had a gluten intolerance, and was so knowledgeable about the menu.

Website: http://www.batteryparkboston.com/restaurant.php 

Location: 33 Batterymarch Street Boston, MA 02109. (financial district)

Today's Deal - Groupon Stone Hearth Pizza

Check out this awesome Groupon deal!


Half Off Gourmet Pizza and Italian Food at Stone Hearth Pizza at all 4 locations.
Gluten Free pizza pasta and beer available :)

http://www.groupon.com/deals/stone-hearth-pizza?sd=false&utm_campaign=UserReferral_dp&utm_medium=email&utm_source=uu4422455

Quinoa and Rice Summer Salad

I offered to make a side dish for my friend Lauren’s bbq, and I did not want to make a tradition potato, pasta or egg salad. Quite frankly, I do not like egg salad nor am I a big fan of traditional potato salad (too much mayonnaise). I’m always experimenting in the kitchen, and after deciding I wanted to make a rice and quinoa salad (I made a cumin scented quinoa and black rice salad for my graduation party that turned out great) I made up this recipe. I knew I wanted something light and tasty. Using rice as the main ingredient is a nice departure from the traditional bbq salads, and much lighter too.

Summer is the perfect time for a cool salad. This one is simple to prepare and the ingredients give it a refreshing, cooling and satisfying taste. The flavors mix very nicely together to give this dish great flavor. Often times many summer salads are loaded with mayonnaise and this one is not, also making it a much healthier choice.

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice

2 cups quinoa

1 cup cherries, pitted and sliced

1 medium cucumber, diced

 ⅓ cup walnuts

3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

½ cup chopped parsley

2 teaspoons onion powder

salt (optional) and pepper to taste

1.     The quinoa and rice can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Cook, separately, according to the package directions. To give a little extra flavor use vegetable stock in place of water to cook the quinoa, or use half water and half stock.

2.     Rinse cherries and remove stems. Cut around the pit into slices.

3.     In a large bowl, combine the cucumber, walnuts, rice and quinoa. Mix well.

4.     Add in the parsley, onion powder and paper (and salt if using).

5.     Add in the lime and lemon juices, one tablespoon at a time and mix well in between each one.

6.     Add cherries in last, right before serving or else it could turn the dish red from the juices.

7.     Serve chilled or at room temperature.

I also think adding mint – or replacing the parsley with it – would also make a delicious dish. Next time I am going to try it this way! 

Before the Cherries were added

Newport Beach, CA

Jeremy and I just spent 6 days in Newport Beach. It was so much fun! Not only was it fun, but it was easy to find delicious, healthy gluten free food. 

The Stand Natural Food Restaurant – Laguna Beach

The Stand is a vegan restaurant that serves healthy, fresh, organic products. Everything is made to order. For such a small place, the menu is huge. It includes everything from salads, soups, burritos, to rice bowls, and sandwiches. The lemonade is freshly squeezed and refreshing. 

While not exactly 5-star dining, the food is top quality. I loved it’s cozy outdoor seating area and the staff’s knowledge of gluten free dishes. The soy sauce used is Tamari. Many of the menu items are gluten free – the tortilla chips bowls, rice bowls, salads, etc. Jeremy and I both had brown rice bowls. I had the Oriental Vegetable Bowl with steamed vegetables and brown rice, topped with guacamole and ginger tamari sauce. The Tamari Sauce was delicious. There wasn’t too much, so the rice did not get soggy and it had a little kick to it; I loved it. Jeremy had the Hummus Bowl with brown rice, hummus and guacamole, and seasoned with a sweet and sour bowl. The guacamole was delicious, as was the homemade hummus. This was one of the best meals we had all week. Simple yet incredibly delicious.

Banzai Bowl 

There are several places in California that serve Acai Bowls, but we only went to Banzai Bowl, twice. Acai bowls are made with 100% natural fruit, organic juices, no sugar added, no ice added, no dairy. The best way to describe the unique – and deliciously satisfying and tasty - bowls is that it starts with a smoothie base, topped with gluten free granola, and covered with fruit and honey. Sounds so simple and easy right? It is so delicious. The base is made of acai berries blended with soy milk, apple juice or coconut milk, depending on what you choose. Toppings include fruits (strawberries, blueberries, mango, goji berries, pineapple, coconut flakes), vegetables (celery, spinach) honey, and dark chocolate.

What is Acai {Ah-sigh-ee}? Acai is a small purple “superfruit” that comes from acai palm trees in South America. The purple berry is packed full of antioxidants, omega-3s and amino acids and has many health benefits including weight loss, improved blood circulation, anti-aging effects, healthy skin, helps with digestion…SIGN ME UP!

The reason we went here twice and didn’t even bother trying another was because they had gluten free granola and it was just so delicious, we didn’t want to be disappointed if we went to another and didn’t like it. Each bowl is made to order and it can take up to 15-20 minutes, when they are busy, for your bowl to be ready. But trust me, it is worth the wait. The small is huge, you do not need a large, even if you are starving, a small would be plenty.

We tried two bowls. The first was my favorite: Maui Sunrise. The smoothie blend was made with coconut milk and mango and topped with granola, strawberries, blueberries, coconut flakes, and honey and bananas. I also tried the Sharks Cove (not pictured) with soy milk, acai, bananas, strawberries, goji berries and honey.  Both delicious. The Maui Sunrise is a little sweeter because of the coconut and it was my favorite, I can not wait to have this again. I am hoping my local whole foods sells acai berries. If anyone knows where I can buy acai berries PLEASE tell me!

Fun Fact: Acai berries are frozen because they go bad within 24 hours of being harvested.

Everything is fresh, and you can taste that. The bowls are refreshing, filling and healthy so you feel good after eating them. It breaks my heart that they don’t have anything like this here in Boston.

Mother’s Market

Best. Grocery. Store. Ever. Mother’s Market has the best gluten free product selection I have ever seen in a grocery store.  They cater to a wide variety of special diets – this is what they are known for. Most, if not all products, are organic, natural and local. There is also a restaurant inside and a ‘’to-go’’ bar. We stopped here to pick up some snacks for the beach. I recommend trying FlamousBrands falafel chips. If I lived in Newport Beach I would do all my shopping here.

Mozambique Peri Peri – Newport Beach 

We have a map that we are trying to fill in by dining at different ethnic restaurants. We’ve got the basics done – France, Spain, Italy, Thailand, Japan, China, Mexican, Korean – and some a little more rare – Cambodia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Senegalese. We thought it would be fun to try to find a restaurant with a cuisine we know is not available in Boston and we stumbled upon Mozambique Peri Peri in Newport Beach. (There is another location, the website says “Steakhouse and Lounge”, in Laguna Beach) 

Mozambique cuisine was largely influenced by the Portuguese due of their presence there for nearly 500 years. Various spices and seasonings are used in the food, such as onions, garlic, coriander, paprika, piri piri peppers, and sweet red peppers. Two of the main ingredients used in Mozambique are fish and rice. The food was great. Some of the dishes were very familiar sounding – salmon, roast chicken, French fries, vegetables – but the sauces and seasonings were very different and very tasty. Even the side of beans was different. I actually liked these! (I never eat my side of beans, and whenever I order a dish that comes with it, I substitute it for something else). Well these beans were seasoned with all sorts of spices and I ate almost all of them!

So was is it safe? YES! The menu labeled every dish that was gluten free! I was pleasantly surprised. We shared two dishes. 

 

The first was the Grilled Salmon Maputo Platter served with beans, pineapple slaw and mazavroo fries. The salmon came with a lemon sauce and the fries were seasoned with cilantro and other spices I could not put my finger on, but they were delicious! Some of the best fries I’ve had, but a bit on the spicy side! Everything was delicious. The salmon was not over cooked, the pineapple slaw was sweet and slightly mayo-ed. 

The other dish we ordered was the Peri-Peri Combo Plate with Chicken Sausage and Prawns, and served with Moroccan rice and vegetables. Peri-Peri sauce is made from chili peppers and used as both a marinade and sauce. It is Portuguese in origin and especially prevalent in Mozambique cuisine. His chicken was delicious. It was my favorite part of the meal. The sauce comes in different varieties; I tried the medium. I drank 5 glasses of water during lunch, so you can only imagine was the ‘hot’ sauce tastes like. The rice was a little stale, unfortunately because I love rice, but the vegetables were lightly seasoned and tasty.

Wildfish Seafood Grille

Wildfish also has a gluten free menu and a happy hour menu, that is served all day on Sundays. Can you guess what day we were there? We sat at the bar and the bartender was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, and when he was unsure he checked with the chef. I tried the Salt and Pepper Gulf Shrimp with ginger, red chilli and snap pea pods. Normally this dish is served crispy (fried) but we had it without the flour. It was delicious! I was nervous it would be too salty but I could hardly tell there was any salt on the shrimp. I also ordered the Seared Pacific Ahi Tuna with shitake mushrooms. The soba noodles are not gluten free (I hate when restaurants are cheap and don’t buy the real thing – for those of you who don’t know traditional soba noodles are made with 100% buckwheat flour – American restaurants buy noodles made with wheat flour and buckwheat flour because its mush cheaper). The sauce wasn’t gluten free either but honestly it didn’t need sauce. I could have ordered the Tuna Tartare but I wasn’t in the mood. The entire dish is gluten free, including the curry and sesame oils, sliced avocado, mango and citrus. 

The gluten free menu has a lot of options, but I was limited to the happy hour menu. Ok I wasn’t limited, but I wanted to order off this menu as the regular dinner menu is quite pricey.

Other Gluten Free Restaurants in Newport Beach

Z Pizza

Native Foods Café

P.F. Chang’s

Outback Steakhouse

Gluten Free Beer and Wine Tasting - July 18th

How fun would it be to have a “WORRY FREE" night out with wine and beer along with some delicious gluten-free appetizers from the Red Lentil? 

TerraVino in Coolidge Corner is hosting a Wine and Gluten Free Beer Tasting on July 18th from 8pm to 10pm just for us! 

$20 per person.

If you bring a non-perishable gluten free food item with you that night, you’ll receive 10% off the WHOLE store. It will be donated to Pierce’s Pantry, a gluten-free food bank. 

Please CALL TerraVino (617-232-1180) to RSVP and reserve your spot by Monday July 16th.

Hope to see you all there :)