Eating Gluten Free in Phoenix...Part 2

Lake along Apache Trail

Thankfully the second part of our trip was spent at a much slower pace, as we spent our time lounging by the pool, wine tasting at Kokopelli winery, exploring the campus of ASU, and driving through the winding roads of the Apache Trail.  I even got an extensive tour of the retirement community in which my great aunt lives.  Don’t laugh, it was actually a pretty nice little community with five golf courses, community pools, their own grocery stores, and walking trails.  Anyways…

Blue Adobe Grille:

After visiting my great aunt we headed out in search of a Mexican restaurant.  Although I am not necessarily tech savvy, I am thankful for smart phones’ ability to locate and navigate to desired destinations.  With very few Mexican restaurants showing up in my search, I was pleased to find the restaurant Blue Adobe Grille in Tempe with a 93% approval rating.  The gluten free directory website stated that Blue Adobe offered a variety of gluten free options, but was unable to give a specific gluten free menu.  Upon arriving, I began to question if we should choose another place for dinner.   The outside appeared a little run down, but the inside, lit candles on each table and New Mexican décor created an inviting atmosphere.  While there was no gluten free menu, our server was adamant that any of their dishes could be created using corn tortillas.  Not having any cravings for a typical New Mexican dish I opted for the blackened salmon lettuce wraps with mango salsa and avocado.  The salmon was cooked perfectly and the flavor of the seasonings accompanied with the mango and avocado was a refreshing treat.  I would most definitely recommend visiting this local restaurant.  My only warning is to be careful when ordering your dish, as our waiter was unaware that some sour creams contain gluten.  If you ever question whether an ingredient in a dish is actually gluten free, be sure and ask to see a food label. 

Creation Café and Bakery:

For those of you who also suffer from a gluten intolerance or allergy, I cannot stress enough the importance of planning ahead when traveling.  If you are like me and do not enjoy eating out every single meal while traveling, you will want to locate a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, or another grocer that carries a variety of gluten free options.  Although our hotel offered a daily cook-to-order breakfast of omelets, fried potatoes, pancakes, oatmeal, baked goods, yogurt, and fruit, the only think I could safely consume was the fruit.  Unfortunately, all of other products either contained gluten ingredients or were prepared on the same griddle as the pancakes.  Without allowing myself to become too discouraged, we decided to visit Trader Joe’s in order to pick up some breakfast and lunch options.  Luckily, I was also able to track down an excellent gluten free baking facility specializing in breads for people with allergies. 

When talking with the vendor at Chase Field she recommended that I visit Creations Café and Bakery in downtown Phoenix.  With Thursday being the first day without prior arrangements, we decided to visit the bakery and see what they had to offer.  Luckily, the bakery was less than half a mile down the road. Without any windows, this bright yellow, rectangular concrete building was far from the open café type of establishment I had expected.  Just inside the doorway was an 8X8 room with a variety of baking mixes, breads, bagels, and sweet treats for sale.  Come to find out, this building is actually the main baking facility for the company.  Without the ability to store more than a couple items I decided to stick with the Jalapeno Cheddar Bagels, to be used for making sandwiches, and a package of travel sized gluten free soy sauces.  While most people may not get excited about individual packets of soy sauce, I considered this to be a great find.  I love sushi, and am thankful that ordering gluten free rolls is somewhat easy, as long as you bypass tempura, eel (as it is usually marinated in soy sauce), and some cream cheeses.  The only problem is that very few restaurants offer gluten free soy sauce to accompany their rolls.  Thus, I have been known to “smuggle” in my own bottle of soy sauce!  

The bagels were packaged in a bag of four and cost $7.99.  Yes, this is quite expensive for regular bagels, but is fairly normal for gluten free products.  With bagel sandwiches being one of my favorite lunch options I was thrilled at the opportunity to try my first one in at least six months.  The bagels were light and airy, unlike many gluten free products, and had a soft, springy texture.  Overall, the bagels had a great cheesy taste, but I could not detect any jalapeno flavor.  They tasted wonderful as a bagel sandwich and would be great toasted with cream cheese (GF of course) as well.  While in the bakery I actually signed up for a frequent buyer discount card and plan on using it here in the near future to order some of the bakery’s other products.  The company will ship anywhere in the US and all bread products are shipped on dry ice to maintain freshness.  If you are interested, you can locate and order their products on the web at www.glutenfreecreations.com.

In closing, I’d like to leave you with the top five things I learned about Arizona throughout my visit…

Kokopelli Winery/Bistro

5.  The Kokopelli is everywhere!  In years past I have used the novel Kokopelli’s Flute with my higher reading groups and was surprised to see it displayed throughout the state on wall murals, as souvenirs, and even inside gas station restrooms!

4.  Running in 90-degree dry heat is much different than a 90-degree run back home in Indiana.  Instead of feeling like your running through a hot water sprinkler, it feels like your running in an oven.  I don’t know which is better.

3.  The flowers are gorgeous.  I never knew that such beauty could be produced without as much as a drop of rain for weeks at a time.

2.  About half of the population wear pants on days where temperatures peak in the low hundreds.  I was shocked!  As I was drenched in my shorts and tank top walking around Arizona State University, students were in pants and jackets.

1.  Sedona is worth the two-hour drive.  The beauty of the landscape is breathtaking.

Eating Gluten Free in Phoenix...Part 1

Sedona

Traveling is by far one of my favorite hobbies.  Whether strolling through the 18^th century cobblestone streets of Charleston, or basking of the beauty of a setting sun behind the hills surrounding Napa, scenery has a way of capturing both my heart and mind.  It draws me in and produces a desire to learn more about the local culture, people, food, and history.  While most people want to “escape” to a crowded beach, where they can spend their days baking in the sun or gulping large amounts of salt water, I have little desire for the seemingly popular beach trip.  (Who knows, maybe I should attribute my distaste for the beach to memories of wearing Dad’s t-shirt to cover my porcelain skin and STILL burning to a crisp.)  All I know is that I find being immersed in an unfamiliar city much more rejuvenating. Thus, when deciding upon this year’s location, Phoenix was the obvious choice. 

Like all of my vacations I was excited to escape the daily responsibilities, but this trip was different.  It was my first true vacation after discovering by body fights against gluten.  Instead of researching the best local eateries, I spent my time creating a list of restaurants offering gluten free menus.  Not exactly my idea of a Monday evening, but it was necessary.  How many restaurants did I find with true gluten-free menus, you ask?  12!!!  While 12 may not seem like an exuberant amount for a city as large as Phoenix, I was pleased with my findings.  And the best part, our first stop, Chase Field, actually has a gluten free vendor.  Now that is amazing!   

So how did I fare?

The last three days we have watched the Diamondbacks lose to the White Sox, strolled in and around Sedona, and taken a Pink Jeep tour to the Grand Canyon.  Actually, I think I should pause here to rest just thinking about what all we have done in the last 144 hours!

Chase Field:

After being up since 1:30 in the morning and only having my gluten free protein bar and snack on the plane, Phoenix time, I about jumped for joy when I found the gluten-free vendor at Chase Field.  Just this year food management decided to add a gluten-free vendor in the walkway behind section 106.  The stand sells hot dogs, chili-cheese dogs, nachos, gluten-free snack bars, chips, candy, and the best part, Redbridge beer.  In talking with the lady she told me the hot dog buns were made by Kinnkinnick, and she let me taste the chili and cheese before making my choice.  In the end I decided upon a hot dog with cheese drizzled overtop, jalapeños, and a Redbridge to wash it all down.  When the lady handed me my order I about dropped it right there and kissed her on both cheeks like as an Italian might have done.  The hotdog and bun were amazing!  Having never before tried Kinnkinnick bread products, I was pleasantly surprised.  It tasted and had the same consistency of a soft pretzel, without the salt of course.  Thank you Chase Field for accommodating for my food allergy, and thank you concession lady for your kindness and generosity. 

Picazzo’s:

I love the flavor of pesto pizza.

The second two days of our trip were spent mostly in a city north of Phoenix called Sedona.  Here, amber and choral colored rocks jut up into the sky forming beautiful peaks and plateaus.  After eating a packed lunch of gluten free tortilla sandwiches we picked up at Trader Joe’s the night before, we stumbled upon a quaint ice cream shop.  Of course I had to try a couple before deciding, but I eventually decided upon a scoop of Cactus ice cream.  The ice cream was extremely creamy and had a subtle taste of strawberries.  I would definitely recommend it.  Then, after doing some hiking and shopping, we ventured off to the only restaurant in Sedona with a certified gluten-free menu, Picazzo’s.  The menu at Picazzo’s is expansive as they offer a variety of gluten-free appetizers, salads, pizzas, desserts, drinks, and ONLY gluten free pastas.  The first night in Sedona I ordered a pizza with pesto, mushrooms, and Italian sausage, and it was some of the best pizza I have ever had.  Gluten or no gluten, it was amazing.  The servers were very knowledgeable about menu items and how the food should be handled.

The landscaping and design of
Picazzo's nicely coincide with the
natural menu options.

Given the expansive list we decided to dine at Picazzo’s again our second evening in Sedona.  This time we tried the salad and pasta.  My mom and I split a spinach salad with feta, tomatoes, and pine nuts to start.  Then, for the main course I ordered a broccoli, pea, carrot, shrimp, and spicy peanut sauce pasta dish that was garnished with a slice of homemade gluten-free bread.  Both were superb!  On the menu it clearly states that the quinoa pasta is the base of all pasta dishes and brown rice can be substituted if desired.  If I were you, I would stick with the quinoa as it is much higher in protein than regular whole-grain pasta and has a great texture.  Also, given that I like a little spice kick in all of my dishes, I loved the sauce.  I will warn you though that it was a little spicy.  If you ever visit Sedona, be sure to visit this restaurant.  It is by far one of the best gluten-free restaurants upon which I have stumbled.  Hmm…maybe they would think about relocating to Indy.  Just a thought.

A list of Gluten-Free Do's and Don'ts

Living with gluten freedom is most definitely a learning experience.  You no longer can enjoy “normal” pastas and breads, are extremely limited on safe gluten-free restaurants, discover gluten is found in a variety of foods from soy sauce to Twizzlers, is the base of all good beers, and find yourself wondering why you have been “blessed” with this wonderful abnormality.  Well, maybe this was just my experience, but I find that highly unlikely.  Through failures and successes I have created a list of “do’s” and “don’ts” when living without gluten.

Do’s…

1.    Take a daily gluten-free multivitamin.

Wheat contains a variety of essential nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, D, K, E, and PP.  Without wheat you can become deficient in such nutrients.  Currently, I am taking New Chapter Organics: Every Woman’s One Daily, which clearly lists that the vitamin as free of gluten.

2.  Consume prebiotics and probiotics on a daily basis.

            This combination will help to prevent symptoms of IBS, as it will nourish your body with good bacteria needed for digestion.  I use a combination of yogurt and kefir, but you can also use a supplement.  My warning:  if using a supplement, ensure it is enteric coated.  Until the villas in a gluten intolerant/celiac stomach are healed, pre and probiotics without enteric coating may cause sever abdominal pains.

3.  Plan ahead.

When going out of town, to a restaurant, or a friend’s get-together look into menu or restaurant options.  This may mean you need to bring something to help supplement what is being offered.  Always carry a gluten free snack in your car or purse, because you never know when you might need it.

4.  Keep ginger chews or peppermints on hand.

I have found these two things to be lifesavers!  Naturally, ginger and peppermint oil help to relieve gastrointestinal pains such as motion sickness and upset stomach.  Like me, many people suffering with the inability to digest gluten find that they have a finicky stomach, easily upset by a variety of foods.  What’s even better is that ginger has also been suggested to help prevent the growth of certain cancer cells!  I keep a stock of The Ginger People: Ginger Chews (found at Georgetown Market and Trader Joe’s) in my purse and use ginger in some of my salmon marinades.

5.  Treat yourself.

While cravings for things I cannot consume have decrease, I still find myself craving things like Penn Station and ballpark hot dogs every once in a while.  When these cravings occur I encourage you to treat yourself.  If you are craving fast food, grab a gluten-free rice bowl from Qudoba or pad-thai from Noodles and Company.  By doing this you will find your attitude of “what I can’t have” will shift to what you can, and I will ensure you having a positive mindset is the key to success.

Don’ts…

1.  Share a mayonnaise, peanut butter, or jelly jar with someone who does not follow a gluten-free diet.

This will most likely contaminate the condiment with bread pieces that might end up on your own sandwich or dish.  A simple mistake that many people with celiac make once….and let me tell you, once is enough to learn from your mistake!

2.  Assume gluten a-typical foods are actually gluten-free.

Read EVERY food label!  Gluten is found everywhere.  I learned this rule the hard way by consuming dry roasted peanuts, which I assumed were safe.  They were just peanuts, right??  Well, they had been dry roasted a sprinkling of wheat.  Always check the label!  Even if a product does not contain gluten it does not mean that it was made on safe equipment.  For example, all Brach’s candy runs on a conveyer belt sprinkled with wheat.  Crazy!

3.  Finally, do not let frustration overcome you when making a mistake.

Sorry to be the barer of bad news, but I guarantee you that you will make mistakes!  Consider each mistake a learning experience.  That is life, isn’t it?  Smile, laugh, and move on.

Trader's Point Creamery



Eat your meal or devour your ice cream outdoor
on the deck.

 Possibly one of the best little gems in Indianapolis is Trader’s Point Creamery.  The creamery is located in Zionsville and boasts of its organic approach to eating well.    All dairy products produced at the creamery are created using milk from 100% grassfed cattle and are free of synthetic hormones.  While the creamery is most well known for its amazing ice cream, they also produce a variety of milks, yogurts, and cheeses.   If you visit the creamery be sure to stop in for a relaxing lunch, dinner, or even the weekly farmers markets.  Summer farmer's markets are held on Fridays from 4-8 pm and host a variety of venders from the local community.  Actually, during the farmer's market you can dine outside on the deck.  What a great way to grab a glass of vino and relax after a busy week!

 

The Loft Eatery

The Loft is located inside one of the truly unique bars and offer dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch menus.  As with their dairy products, all dishes are prepared using  organic ingredients.  Those of you like me, who cannot consume gluten, be sure to talk to your waiter, the manager, or a chef about gluten free options.  While the restaurants offers salads and eggs, they do not specify gluten free options or substitutes.  All of the staff is very knowledgeable about the ingredients and are more than willing to help.  But, all of the ice cream flavors are GLUTEN FREE! :)  The creamery is actually thinking of adding that information onto the label of the ice cream.  


One of my favorite products the creamery offers is their pourable yogurt.  Since stumbling upon it a few months ago, I have not used any other yogurt.  Although I choose to visit the creamery in order to pick up my yogurt, you can find it at a variety of different stores around the city.  Actually, you can even select the yogurt as an item through the Green B.E.A.N organic produce and natural grocery delivery program.  (I will post later on this…love it!)  I mix this yogurt with kefir daily in order to get my daily dose of prebiotics and probiotics.  One of the natural benefits of wheat are prebiotics necessary for digestion, and I have found this yogurt mixture to be a great alternative!  You can pour it over fruit, mix it in a smoothie, or top it off with some gluten-free granola.  Personally, I am a huge smoothy fan.  The combination of Trader's Point Creamery yogurt, knifer, ripe banana, and frozen strawberries or blueberries blended together is the perfect way to start the day.  Yummy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Regular fries are good, but sweet potato fries are simply amazing!  Thus, when I realized that the sweet potato fries at Trader Joe's were coated in wheat flour, I decided to try making my own.   I've added a bit of cayenne pepper to my recipe, but this could always be omitted.  I love my food a little spicy.

4 medium sized sweet potatoes
2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tbs. gluten free taco seasoning (My favorite is Trader Joe's)
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Peal the sweet potatoes and slice into strips about 1/2 inch thick.  Place the sliced sweet potatoes in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the salt, taco seasoning, pepper, cayenne pepper, and olive oil over the potatoes.  Mix with your hands until all the pieces are evenly coated.  Place on a large baking sheet in a single layer.  Bake for 35-40 minutes flipping the fries half-way through.

Now, these fries would be great with a variety of dipping sauces.  Honestly, when Grant and I made them we dipped them in mustard and ranch.  You could try an aioli sauce (a flavored mayonnaise) or ketchup as well.  Make sure you check your dipping sauce's ingredients list.  Annie's offers a variety of dressings that are gluten free, which is where I buy my ranch dressing.

I love these fries!

Plant Fusion: Gluten Free Protein Powder

Just this week I was introduced to Plant Fusion: Multi Source Plant Protein Powder, and let me tell you, it is tasty!  Plant Fusion is made from a combination of pea isolate, artichoke protein, and brown rice concentrate, and one serving contains 21 grams of protein.   The best thing about this powder is that it contains no dairy, wheat, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, or shellfish.  While you may not think some of these ingredients would be found in a protein powder, you would be surprised at what is actually on a typical ingredients list.  Not only is this protein powder hypoallergenic, but it also tastes great.

The powders come in chocolate, vanilla (my favorite), and plain.  Simply add a scoop of the powder, ice, milk, and "extras" of your choosing.  My favorite "extras" are peanut butter, bananas, frozen berries, almond milk, and peaches.  Actually, you could add the plain protein powder to a variety of sauces or casseroles to add extra protein to your dish.

Silvana's Gluten-Free Spinach Gnocchi Parmesan

I first fell in love with Gnocchi while visiting Boston.  Knowing how much I love potatoes I was sure a potato pasta just had to be amazing!  Well, I was right.  Gnocchi is a small dumpling pasta usually made with potatoes, flour, eggs, and cheese.  Until just recently I had not been able to find a gluten-free version of the pasta, but thanks to Silvana's Kitchen, I can now make my own.  Her original recipe is as follows, but I have tweaked a few things.

Silvan's Original Recipe

Here are the ingredients that I used:
1¼ cups water
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1/3 cup white bean flour
2 teaspoons dijon mustard (yes...this is necessary!)
2 tsp. italian seasoning
1/2-1 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
2 cups tomato puree
Handful of basil, torn


Gnocchi:
Blend together the three flours and parmesan; set aside.  Be sure to sift the flours so that your pasta is not too dense.  In a small pot heat 1 cup water, butter, nutmeg, and salt until it comes to a boil and then reduce to low heat.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture slowly so that it mixes in evenly.  Take the pasta off heat and add the dijon mustard and chopped spinach.  Beat in the eggs with a hand-held electric mixer (one by one) into the pasta mixture.  Place the pasta into a ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator.  Let sit a few hours.  After the pasta mixture has cooled and hardened cut off one corner on the end of the ziplock bag.  The cut should be the size of a nickel when rounded.  Boil a large pot of salted water on the stove and drop one-inch strips out the corner of the bag until all pasta mixture is in the pot.  Gnocchi should rise to the top.  Let it simmer at the top for about 3 minutes and then ladle out onto a towel or paper towels.  


Layering:
Mix together the ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup water, italian seasoning, cayenne pepper in a separate bowl.  In the bottom of a baking dish layer one cup of the tomato sauce.  Then place 1/2 cooked gnocchi on top of the sauce with the ricotta mixture following.  Place a few basil pieces on top of the ricotta and then add on one more layer of each.  Finish the dish off by sprinkling the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on the top.  Cook at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes.  This dish is amazing! :)

You have to know who you are, to make sense of where you're going...

For years I had struggled with continual stomach pains. My doctors tried numerous ultra-sounds, blood tests, and a colonoscopy by the age of 21. Without any conclusive results I lived through and grew accustomed to the pain. Several years after the tests my mom attended a medical seminar and come home insisting that I get tested for Celiac. With her medical background and God-given intuition, I was afraid of the results and put the test off for nearly a year. When the blood results came back it was clear that I had been living with the enemy for years: gluten.
 While I am intolerant to gluten, I choose to not let it define who I am. For three years now I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in a metropolitan school district in Indianapolis. Each day I wear a variety of many hats: educator, counselor, mom, nurse, judge, social worker, and mind reader (this of course is my favorite).  All I know is that I hope my students have learned as much from me as I have learned from them.  Through them God continually molds me to the person he wants to be.  I am the clay and he is the potter. 
Although teaching is my strongest passion, I also love times when I can go for runs, cook, read a good "adult" book, travel, visit wineries, and spend time with my family. I am lucky enough to come from a loving family and have the most wonderful boyfriend, Grant.  He has been a strong support in my gluten-free endeavor.  I consider myself extremely blessed, and am ready to tackle this  journey of gluten freedom.