New to Me: Trader Joe’s All Purpose Gluten-Free Flour

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Tayler

On a recent trip to Trader Joe’s, I came across one of their newest items: an all-purpose gluten-free flour. I’m always excited to see brands coming out with new gluten-free products, especially in the baking department, so I was particularly happy to have this new option at one of my favorite grocers. And bakers on a budget will appreciate that the flour is only $3.99 per bag, which is relatively inexpensive for a g-free flour mix.

The back of the flour bag contains two recipes, one for apple-cinnamon muffins (pictured above) and one for pancakes. I tried both of the recipes over the past few weeks, and though I still have lots of experimenting to do with this new mix, I can say that my experience so far has been great. I even tried it in the oatmeal cookie recipe I recently posted, and liked the taste better than Bob’s Red Mill (sorry, Bob!). So stay tuned for more recipes using this new gluten-free flour!

Love making these pancakes for breakfast!

P.S. – I recently read an interesting article about how Trader Joe’s sells other companies’ name-brand foods at a lower price. And when I asked one gluten-free friend what they thought about the TJ’s g-free flour, they said it seemed very similar to King Arthur’s all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (which sells for nearly $8 per box). This blog thinks so, too. I’ve never had the King Arthur flour, but now I’m definitely curious to test for a comparison.

Have you had the chance to try this flour yet? Let me know what you think so far!

Snowquester Gluten-Free + Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Tayler

With all of the snowquester hype earlier this week, I wanted nothing more than to put on my pj’s, brew up some tea, and bake a batch of cookies. I mean, what else is a girl to do on a cold night with an impending snowstorm?! So on Tuesday night, I decided to try something new: gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies.

I can already hear some folks saying, “But wait a hot minute, I thought oats weren’t gluten-free!” Well, the story there is a bit complicated, but the short answer is that oats are gluten-free, so long as they are certified to not be cross-contaminated with other glutinous foods.

These cookies were also an interesting experiment for me because it was one of my first times eating oats after I cut out gluten several years ago. I’ve had some cookies with gluten-free oats in the past, but never to the quantity of this batch. Though I’ve tried to exercise some will power and introduce new foods like this slowly into my diet, I have to admit that I scarfed down a few cookies as soon as they came out of the oven. I ended up not getting sick from the oats (yay!) but I definitely plan to be less ravenous with future food introductions. Continue reading →

Happy Valentine’s Day 2013!

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Tayler

More to come on these tasty Trader Joe’s gluten-free pancakes soon!

xoxo

A Gluten-Free in DC Gem: Cat Lady Cookies by Brett Gerson

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Tayler

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Brett Gerson, the genius behind Cat Lady Cookies. Brett is a DC-based, gluten-free baker who dedicates her kitchen to making delicious homemade treats that are free of gluten and other common allergens including nuts and soy.

When I first met Brett, I was so excited to chat with someone who could relate to my experiences as a gluten-free girl in DC. We had so much common in everything from exploring the gluten-free restaurant scene, to navigating the health issues surrounding food sensitivity, to trying to find new ways to enjoy cooking with a restricted diet. It was so great to have this reminder that I’m never alone on the gluten-free foodie journey – and it was an all-around fun conversation filled with laughs and exchanges of new recipe ideas!

Besides being an awesome person, I can also say that Brett’s baked goods are simply amazing. Case in point: When we met up, Brett and I shared a laugh over how difficult it can be for our friends (boyfriends included) to appreciate good gluten-free baking…except the occasional time when it tastes like “normal” food. Well, Brett was kind enough to give me a generous sample of her chocolate chip cookies after we met, and I admit that I couldn’t resist having one (or maybe two…) on my trip home. Let me tell you guys: these cookies were unreal. They really tasted like “normal” chocolate chip cookies! They were rich, buttery, and didn’t fall apart like so many gluten-free cookies do. All I could do was enjoy each bite and wonder “how does she do it?!” – because my cookies are never this good! Continue reading →

Getting Ready for Summer with Gluten-Free Key Lime Pie

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tayler

This past Saturday, I was able to escape the Inaugural craziness in DC and visit with some friends in Annapolis. It was a great chance to relax enjoy some of the amenities of suburban life – including a spacious kitchen. That night, we had a wonderful meal of steamed mussels, grilled salmon, and roasted vegetables, followed by key lime pie for dessert. I had never made a key lime pie before but had been craving it all week, so I was glad everyone let me indulge and try it out!

The pie itself is lactose, soy, refined sugar, and gluten free – yet still reminded me very much of the key lime pies we would eat on vacation in Florida when I was younger. I will say that this pie was definitely better cold the next day as opposed to hot out of the oven, but I suppose that’s typical for key lime pie. The citrus flavor had me thinking about the warm months ahead, and made me excited to make key lime pie again soon (maybe with some meringue?!).

So without further ado, here’s the recipe:

Continue reading →

Restaurants, Recipes, and Updates!

Posted on January 14, 2013 by Tayler

Happy New Year! I hope you all have had a lovely start to 2013. The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for me between my birthday, Christmas, and holiday travels, so I have lots of updates I want to share with you:

OUTINGS

The day before Thanksgiving, Pete and I had a great time at Medium Rare in Cleveland Park with some of our good friends. If you’ve never heard of the restaurant before, it features a pre fixe menu of salad, steak, and french fries. I learned about Medium Rare in a blog post from rockstar diaries, and though I was a little let down that the meal wasn’t all you can eat, the two portions of delicious steak and perfectly crispy fries is enough to keep me coming back. I can’t wait to take my family here when they visit from out of town!

Also in Cleveland Park, Ripple is sure to become one of my favorite new bars. They have a great drink menu and some of the nicest, most knowledgeable bartenders and wait staff I have ever met (shout out to the waiter with the gluten-free girlfriend!) – and the lemony tequila drink they made up for me was quite tasty. Looking forward to getting back there soon!

And have I ever mentioned how much I love Chix? It’s my go-to restaurant in the U Street area and they’re soon opening up a location downtown, which will make it my new favorite lunch spot while I’m at work. Also in the U Street Area TCB (The Coffee Bar) which could very well become my new go-to place to drink tea and get some work done on the weekends.

Continue reading →

Three Thanksgivings!

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Tayler

This year, I was lucky enough to have three Thanksgivings to attend: an early one in St. Louis with Pete’s family, one on Thursday here in DC (featuring my first experience cooking a turkey!), and then another on Saturday with my family in Virginia. Below is a slideshow from the events, along with links to some of the allergen-friendly recipes I enjoyed!

What did you have for Thanksgiving this year?

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Recipes

Turkey: we had a pre-brined (15 lb!) turkey from Trader Joe’s, though I want to try my own brine next year. Also, Alton Brown’s instructions and videos on cooking a turkey were a huge help.

Gravy: For gluten-free gravy, I simply whisked 1-2 tablespoons of brown rice flour with about 1/2 c. drippings until it began to thicken, and then sprinkled in some salt and pepper.

Green beans with bacon – yum!

Spiced Lemony Brussles Sprouts – for something a little different.

Dairy-free mashed potatoes: After peeling and boiling the potatoes, I combined them with plain rice milk, olive oil, salt, and pepper with a hand mixer until I reached the perfect texture.

Tayler-proof Pumpkin Pie

Allie’s Fabulous Gluten-free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free Pumpkin Pie

Posted on November 14, 2012 by Tayler

Have I ever mentioned to you that I have amazing friends? I am reminded of this quite often, but a recent dinner party with our friends Allie and Michael was a definite standout. Like so many of the awesome people who have cooked for me over the years, they went above and beyond to make sure that the meal was delicious yet “Tayler-proof” – free from gluten, dairy, soy, and all of those other pesky things my sensitive self can’t handle.

But what made this meal truly special (in addition to the great wine and conversation, of course!) was the fact that Allie and Michael made me dessert – a pumpkin pie, no less! I’m not sure if I have ever mentioned this on the blog before, but pie was my absolute favorite dessert as a kid, and I hadn’t a bite of pie in nearly seven years before that night. So, yes, I was very excited to try it.

Needless to say, the pie tasted amazing. The crust tasted just like a graham cracker crust, and I think the coconut oil went a long way to give the crust a buttery flavor and pleasantly crunchy texture. As Allie described it, the filling tasted “just like fall” Continue reading →

Ina Garten Lemon Baked Chicken Recipe

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Tayler

Now that grilling season is coming to a close, I have been looking for new recipes that can be done indoors and have different flavors than my usual go-to dinners. One of my new favorites is lemon baked chicken from Ina Garten, which includes a tasty combination of white wine, lemon, and garlic. Even though I’m typically not a fan of citrus-y entrees, this has become both a weekday staple and something I enjoy cooking for guests.

My advice here is to not skimp on the garlic, and to zest and juice the lemons ahead of time so you’re not scrambling to do so when you’re mixing the ingredients together. Also, something I love about this recipe is that you can use pretty much any part of the chicken, depending what you’re in the mood for or what’s on sale at the grocery store. Continue reading →

We outdid ourselves: Smoky and Fiery Skirt Steak With Avocado-Oregano Relish

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Tayler

Over the weekend, Pete and I had some friends over for dinner to celebrate their recent engagement. For this special meal, we decided to break out a recipe that is a favorite of Pete’s family in Texas. The recipe, which you can view here or at the bottom of the post, comes from Bobby Flay’s Grilling for Life cookbook.

The recipe title itself, “Smoky and Fiery Skirt Steak With Avocado-Oregano Relish” had me sold when we first tried making it for ourselves a few months ago. I mean, really, what could be better than something that involves steak, smokiness, and avocado? But after my first bite, I knew for sure this was a recipe to be repeated and shared.

One of the best parts of this meal is the “Smoky and Fiery Dressing,” which really brings everything together. The flavor is rich and smoky without being too spicy or overpowering, and since the recipe makes more sauce than you will use on your steak, you can keep the leftovers to put on burgers, grilled chicken, or even eggs. Continue reading →

Since I’m big fan of NPR, I was excited to see that their food blog, The Salt, covered a story about testing for food allergies. As I discussed in a recent post, food allergy testing can be a tricky task. Blood tests are often unreliable and are not always the most effective method for getting to the source of a patient’s symptoms. In fact, allergies aren’t always the problem, since intolerances and other digestive issues can produce similar reactions to food.

So what should you do if you suspect food allergies? According to my allergist, as well as the experts cited in this story, the best method is trial an error. Here’s what the NPR post had to say:

“A lot of people think they have food allergies, but they’re likely wrong.

That’s partly because it’s easy to confuse common food-related problems like lactose intolerance or celiac disease with an allergy. But it’s also because there are a lot of tests promoted for food allergies that don’t measure up.

That includes a blood test called IgG analysis, which is often promoted on the Internet as a way to identify problem foods. It sounds almost exactly like an IgE test, which is used by allergists to measures the immune system’s response. (A true allergy is when the immune system reacts to something that’s not a real threat.)

An article in the current Canadian Medical Association Journal reminds doctors that IgG tests aren’t reliable tests of food allergies.

It follows the guidelines on diagnosing food allergies from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease in 2010, which lumped IgG testing with more than a dozen “nonstandardized and unproven procedures” that should be avoided. A positive IgG test, the expert panel said, could cause people to avoid foods that they can safely eat.

That got us here at The Salt wondering what does work.

To find out, we called up Scott Sicherer, a professor of pediatrics at the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The NAIAD guidelines say that a “food challenge test” is the gold standard for food allergies, and Sicherer agrees. To do one, he feeds patients small amounts of a suspect food over the course of an hour, in his office (for safety reasons). “Ultimately the proof is in the pudding. If someone is able to eat a food and not get sick from it, they don’t have a problem with it,” he says.”

“To Find Out About Food Allergies, First Use The Right Test”

Tayler Made