Spinach fettuccine with tomatoes, chickpeas, spinach, garlic and basil pesto

Last Sunday at Sowa Market my sister and I bought spinach fettuccine from Valicenti Organico .

They had so many gluten free options I couldn't get over it! Dave kept pulling different kinds out of the fridge - all labeled gluten free - for us to check out. He also told us we could call or e-mail ahead of time and place an order we could pick up at the market (They are located in Hollis, NH so this beats driving all the way there just to buy noodles) . I love this because he didn't have any gluten free ravioli the day I went so I am going t place an order and cannot wait to try it! Ravioli is one food I do truly miss.

The spinach fettuccine is one of the best gluten free noodles I've had. The texture was so smooth and took about 2 minutes to cook and had a great flavor.

Recipe:

8 oz Spinach Fettuccine
1 tomato, chopped
3 cups baby spinach
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
2-3 tablespoons basil pesto
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Bring water to a boil and boil noodles for 2-3 minutes. Drain.

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes, until it begins to brown. Add in baby spinach and tomatoes and cook 4 minutes. Add in chickpeas and 1 more minute to allow chickpeas to get warm. Remove from heat.

Add fettuccine to vegetable mixture and stir. Add in basil pesto 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired amount and taste is acheived.

Enjoy!

Great Deal Today - Estragon Tapas & Gluten Free Menu Options!

Check out this deal at Estragon Tapas Bar in the South End. (*deal ends 11/3/13)


I Love Love Love that the menu is marked to let their customers know which items contain gluten, dairy or nuts, and which are vegan or vegetarian. Don't you wish more restaurants did this? I DO!

VG: Vegan      V: Vegetarian      G: Contains Gluten      N: Contains Nuts      D: Contains Dairy

I have been wanting to try this place for a while, I love Tapas and Spanish food, something I miss so much from studying abroad and living in Spain. So you don't know how excited I was to see this on Groupon today!


I've bolded all menu items that do not contain gluten. So many options!!

PINTXOS (TAPAS ON TOAST)

Not sure why this doesn't have a (G) - maybe they have gluten free bread? Maybe they just figure we'll skip this whole section?

Pan Tumaca con Jamón
Serrano Ham, Tomato-Garlic  7

Queso de Cabra con Tomate (V)
Warm Goats Cheese, Tomato  6

Chorizo
Grilled Spanish Sausage 7

Pato Confitado
House Duck Confit, House Fig-
Balsamic Jam, Marcona Almonds 8

Falda de Buey con Cabrales
Grilled Skirt Steak, Cabrales (Asturian Blue Cheese) Cream 9

Lengua con Mojo Verde
Beef Tongue, Mojo Verde 6.5

Pringá
Beef Shank, Pork Belly, Chorizo,
Bone Marrow 8

Boquerones con Manchego y Tomate
White Anchovies, Manchego Cheese,
Tomato 7

Salmon Ahumado
Smoked Salmon, White Asparagus,
Alioli, Roasted Red Pepper 8

Higaditos de Pollo Salteados (D)
Sautéed Chicken Livers, Golden
Raisins, Sherry, Crème Fraîche 8

Brandada de Judias Blancas y Beicon
Salt Cod –White Bean Purée,
Crispy Bacon 7



VERDURAS (VEGETABLES)

Aceitunas Marinadas (VG)
House-Marinated Olives  6

Tortilla Española (V)
Traditional Spanish Tortilla  6

Garbanzos Fritos (VG)
Crispy Paprika Chickpeas  5

Ensalada con Huevo y Panceta
Artisanal Lettuce, Crispy Pork
Belly, Poached Egg, Dijon
Vinaigrette 10

Patatas Bravas (VG)
Feisty Fried Potatoes  5
   
Ensalada a la Parilla
Charred Romaine Heart, Pickled
Beets, Crispy Serrano Ham,
House Cesar Dressing 10

Coles de Bruselas (D)
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Chorizo,
Golden Raisins  9.5

Papas Arrugadas con Mojo Picon (VG)
Salt-Wrinkled Creamer Potatoes,
Canary Island Smoked Paprika
Vinaigrette 9

Puerros con Romesco (VG) (N) (G)
Grilled Leeks, Romesco  8
Berenjenas Fritas (V) (G)
Eggplant Fries, Salsa Brava 8

Pimientos Shishito (VG)
Blistered Shishito Peppers, Sea Salt 7

Ensalada con Queso a la Plancha (V) (D)
Arugula Salad, Walnuts, Pomegranate,
Seared Spanish Goat Cheese  12   

Espinacas a la Catalana (VG) (N)
Sautéed Spinach, Pine Nuts,
Golden Raisins  8

Alcachofas Fritas (V) (G)
Crispy Fried Artichoke Hearts,
Alioli  9

Esparragos Verdes (VG)
Grilled Green Asparagus, Lemon Oil,
Sea Salt  9.5

Potaje Andaluz (VG) (N)
Sautéed Rainbow Chard, Butternut
Squash, Chickpeas, Almonds,
Golden Raisins 9.5

Patatas Fritas (V)
French Fries, Alioli, Salsa Brava  7

Pisto (V)
Braised Eggplant, Tomato, Peppers, Poached Egg 10



PESCADOS (SEAFOOD)

Gambas al Ajillo
Sautéed Garlic Shrimp  11.5

Vieiras con Albariño y Azafrán (D)
Seared Scallops, Saffron-Albariño
Cream, Fried Leeks      14.5

Pulpito a la Parilla
Marinated, Grilled Baby Octopus     9.5

Mejillones (G)
Steamed Mussels, Chorizo, Tomato,
Tarragon, Spanish White Wine  12

I bet they could omit the flour if you ask

Albondigas de Bacalao
Salt Cod, Potato, Saffron Fritters 10
Calamares Fritos (G)
Fried Calamari, Alioli, Salsa Brava 12

Pez Espada a la Vasca
Basque-Style Seared Swordfish
French Fries  15

Bienmesabe-Pescado en Adobo (G)
Crispy Adobo Marinated Fish of the
Day 11

Almejas a la Sidra
Little Neck Clams, Serrano Ham,
Caramelized Onion, Cider  12

Arroz Negro
Black Rice, Squid, Alioli  22

Paella Mixta
Seafood, Chicken & Vegetable Paella 29

Paella Vegetariana (VG)
Vegetable Paella  22



CARNES (MEAT)

Huevos Rotos con Txistorra
Crispy Potatoes, Two Fried Eggs,
Basque Sausage  9

Pollo en Pepitoria (G) (N)
Braised Chicken, Almond-Saffron-Sherry
Cream, Serrano Ham, Hard-Boiled Egg 12

Flamenquines (G)
Rolled, Fried Pork Loin, Jamón Serrano,
Manchego Cheese  11

Albondigas de Buey (G) (D)
Beef Meatballs, Herbed Brandy Cream  10

Pechuga Villeroy (G) (D)
Goat Cheese stuffed Chicken Breast,
Bechamel, Chili-Peach Coulis  14

Conejo a la Cazadora
Braised Rabbit, “Hunter’s” Stew 14

Revuelto de Morcilla
Scrambled Eggs, Blood Sausage 8

Rabo de Toro
Braised Oxtail, Rioja Reduction  13

Enpanada de Cordero (G)
Lamb Empanada  12

*Hamburguesa de la Casa (G)
8oz Kobe Burger, Manchego, Fried Onion,
French Fries  14 Add Bacon/Fried Egg/
Serrano Ham 1/1/2

*Pincho Moruno (G)
Grilled Moorish Lamb Skewers  14

*Chuletillas de Cordero
4 Grilled Baby Lamb Chops, Garlicky
Cauliflower Mash  21

Croquetas de Jamón o Paella (G)
Choice of Serrano Ham (D) or Paella
Croquettes  10/2.5 each

Panceta (D)
Seared Pork Belly, Calvados Cream  12

Piquillos Rellenos
Braised Goat-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers  12



QUESOS Y EMBUTIDOS (CURED MEATS & CHEESES)

Surtido de Quesos (N) (D)
                         Assorted Artisanal Spanish Cheeses  14                

Jamón Serrano
Serrano Ham  12

Jamón Serrano y Manchego (D)
Serrano Ham & Manchego Cheese  12

Jamón Iberico
Iberian Ham  20

They also have a $1 tapas menu offered at the bar Monday - Thursday (5-7pm), but none of these items are labeled - I will let you know once I go and find out! 

Enjoy and I already bought my deal here: Estragon Deal Hurry because it ends next week!

Gluten Free Expo New England - October 21st

I'm so excited for the Gluten Free Expo next month!!
The Gluten Free Expo will be a day-long event for shopping, sampling and savoring GF goodies from more than 85 vendors! I can't wait to stock up some of my favorite gluten free foods and to discover tasty new items. Check out the list of vendors here: List of Vendors

Click here to register now.

Papagayo

Just a short walk from South Station, Papagayo is relatively easy to get to, which makes it more convenient than some of the other restaurants on the waterfront. 

Papagayo has a great atmosphere. It is really fun, a great spot to go after work with coworkers or friends, or a girl’s night out. The space is pretty big, with high ceilings, brightly colored walls and Mexican themed décor. The bar is quite large and runs along almost the entire length of the restaurant. There is also an impressive display of their remarkable tequila selection. So, if you like tequila, definitely check out Papagayo; they have over 100 kinds of tequila available.

We went for a drink and ended up staying for two plus hours, and two plus drinks. I had the house margarita, which was delicious (and strong). It was served in a pretty big glass too. Some of the other specialty drinks are good but incredibly strong.

We were given complimentary chips and salsa. I asked him if they were corn or flour and his response to me was, “they are flour, are you gluten free? We can absolutely get you some corn chips.” He said all this before I could even say yes! Three minutes later, a waitress arrived with gluten free corn chips and my own bowl of salsa to avoid cross contamination! The chips were good, but the salsa was better, with a definite kick to it. They both seemed to be endless; when we finished a bowl of chips, it was replaced with a new one. This was great, but not so great [for the waistline].

The tableside guacamole was one of the best guacamoles I’ve. Ever. Had. It is a must! It is made fresh right at your table – or bar stool – and you can have it as hot – or mild – as you’d like it! 

We went with medium, Kristen likes it spicy but I don’t think I could have handled that. I was impressed with the amount of avocados they use, the portion was big, not what you usually expect. It was great having it made right in front of us, vastly entertaining and fun to watching. For an extra $1 you can get a side of carrots and celery for dipping, which was great because I was getting sick from too many tortilla chips.  

The gluten free menu is small, but hey it’s better than nothing! Although it's small, there are many options; fajitas, ceviche, tacos, enchiladas and meat.

I wouldn’t say this place is authentic; it’s more of a Tex-Mex/American-Mexican style restaurant. I’ve only tried the guacamole and margaritas, and both were delicious and actually pretty authentic.

I had a great time here, and I will be back again for more guac and margaritas! On my next visit, I also want to try the tableside ceviche, this sounds good too!

Website: http://www.papagayoboston.com/

Location: 283 Summer Street Boston, MA

Hops N Scotch Now Open in Coolidge Corner Brookline

Hops N Scotch is finally open in Coolidge Corner. I have not been yet but they do offer gluten free options. Gluten free - and vegetarian - items are labeled on the menu. I called earlier today about the sandwiches, I had a feeling the "can be made gluten free" meant we can but the burger on a salad and call it your meal, and I was right! They do not offer gluten free bread BUT when I spoke with the manager he said all I had to do was call a few days before I was coming in and ask for him and request gluten free bread and they will get it for me! So please do this if you go! I think the more people who request it, the more likely they will be to carry it all the time.

HNS also offers Greens Gluten Free Beer, Magners, Angry Orchard Cider and JK Scrumpy Organic Cider.

Haru Sushi

I’ve been to Haru twice now. The first time I went with friends we ordered off the Haru Hour Menu. This is great if you are trying to save money and have fresh sushi. From 3-7pm, everyday they offer discounted rolls and appetizers such as Edamame ($4), Tuna Roll ($3), Tuna Avocado Caviar Roll ($5), and a few other gluten free safe rolls. 

I had the Tuna Avocado Caviar Roll and the Salmon Jalapeño Roll ($6.75) from the regular dinner menu. It was hot. I was daring and tried it and I liked it but I needed 5 glasses of water after I ate it. Of course, Erica loved it and it didn’t affect her quite as much. 

Haru also has gluten free soy sauce served in a special container marked on the top with a white Japanese character, which, I’m going out on a limb here, but would guess it means “gluten free”. 

The second time I ate at Haru was last week with my dad and sister. Katie had a $20 Birthday Certificate, which anyone can sign up to receive and I highly recommend you doing it! Sign up here.

Yes, we ate everything!

As an appetizer we had the Ceviche ($12.75). It was delicious, made of citrus-marinated tuna, salmon and whitefish (you can have all three, you don’t have to choose one so don’t let the menu fool you), with grape tomatoes, red onion, avocado and green apples. I really enjoyed this, I loved the citrus flavor.

Strawberry Fin Special Roll ($16.75). Spicy yellowtail (hold the crunchy!), jalapeno peppers and mango topped with scallops, wasabi tobiko and fresh strawberries. This combination really peeked our curiosity.  Strawberries? Jalapenos? I would never have thought of mixing all these ingredients, but it was great. Extremely flavorful and fresh, it had a kick to it from the jalapenos.

My favorite roll, by far, is the Gramercy Park Roll ($18). Spicy super white tuna and jalapenos, wrapped with tuna, yellowtail and salmon and topped with lemon, cilantro and tobiko. Again this roll has a “crunchy” ingredient they left out, as tempura flakes are not gluten free. Our waitress also brought the yuzu miso sauce on the side, also not gluten free, and also not very good. We all tried the sauce and none of us liked it. But the roll was amazing. I couldn’t taste the jalapeno like the first roll, but I could taste the cilantro and loved how fresh it was. 

Sweet Potato roll ($6). Usually it is is fried in tempura, but the waitress offered to make it steamed instead. I’ve had it without tempura before and it was delicious, cooked nicely – soft and tender. This sweet potato roll was not so great, the sweet potato was undercooked and it was a bit hard.

At the end of our meal when our waitress gave us the bill she asked us if we were from Boston. After we said yes she handed each of us a Mystery Envelope. She explained that inside each envelope was a gift certificate to Haru worth anywhere from $5 to $500 and you can’t open it until the next time you come back, and the Manager must be the one to open it. Well of course we are coming back! Even if we only have $5, it would be worth it to get a roll or two from the Haru Hour menu or one of the more expensive rolls, because it would really be $5 off. She told us we could use two during one visit, as long as we had separate checks…um…OK!

The service was good, our waitress was very friendly and attentive. She was so knowledgeable about gluten I really liked that. It can be hard at Japanese or other ethnic restaurants (even American restaurants) to find serves who really know what gluten it is and are that knowledgeable about the menu they can answer every question. Now, if only we could teach the rest of American’s and people in the restaurant industry what gluten is and what it’s in, we would have a much easier dinning experience. 

Website: http://www.harusushi.com/location/boston

Location: 55 Huntington Ave., Boston

Curried Cauliflower with Tomatoes

Over the summer I ate at Trade and had the best side dish, curried cauliflower. I tried to recreate it, but it came out nothing like the one at Trade. It was still good, just very different.  I searched and searched the Internet for recipes and found dozens, all different. So I combined a few and made up my own recipe. This one was a bit drier and much spicier, but made a great side dish to the chicken I made for dinner. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 head cauliflower (about 1 pound) , cut into florets

2 Tablespoons curry powder (recipe follows or use store bought spice)

1 Tablespoon ginger

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

¼ cup raisins (I didn’t have any in the house)

¼ cup Greek yogurt, for dipping (optional)

Curry Powder:

2 tablespoons coriander

1 tablespoon cumin

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon cardamom

1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

1 tablespoon turmeric

1.     Mix the curry powder, ginger, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a small bowl.

2.     Sauté the cauliflower over medium heat in olive oil, for about 10 minutes, until it begins to brown.

3.     Stir in the curry powder, lemon juice and red wine vinegar mixture. Mix well.

4.     Add the tomatoes.

5.     Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

6.     Serve warm or at room temperature with a side of Greek Yogurt. I used the Greek yogurt as a ‘dipping sauce’ because I found this recipe to be extremely spicy. I also added a little more lemon juice to the yogurt and the cauliflower on my plate.