JUST BECAUSE IT'S SPRING...

GLUTEN FREE VEGETARIAN AT FLATBUSH FARM BROOKLYN

How can I be so enthusiastic about a restaurant where there was so little to suit a gluten-free vegetarian? As Spencer Tracy said of Katherine Hepburn, "Not much meat on her, but what's there is choice," but in this case, of course, I am not referring to all the meat on the menu but rather, the extraordinary salad I was served at Flatbush Farm last night.

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN MUSTARD-SPIKED KOHLRABI CARROT SLAW

Above, Root Vegetables: Beets, Turnips and Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi Carrot Slaw with Creamy Mustard Dressing:

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN ROASTED VEGETABLES

Whenever I roast vegetables, I can't figure out why I don't do it more often. Roasting is

OLD FAVE: GLUTEN FREE VEGAN PISTACHIO LIME COOKIES FOR ST PATRICK'S

Have a St Patrick's Day cup of Irish Breakfast Tea and pair it with several of these pistachio lime sugar cookies.

Pistachio Lime Cookies

Heat oven to 325 degrees

2/3 c sugar

6T oil

1 t lemon extract

2T lime juice

1T lemon zest

1/4 c pistachios, chopped fine

1 1/3 c soy flour

2/3 c white rice flour

4 t baking powder

1/2 t salt

6T water, if needed

Instructions:

Cream oil and sugar. Add lemon extract, water and lemon rind. Whisk together soy flour, white rice flour, salt and baking powder. Add dry ingredients slowly to creamed sugar, etc. When thoroughly blended, add chopped nuts. If dough is not coming together in a ball, add water by tablespoonful as needed. Make 3/4" balls, a dozen per oiled cookie sheet or Silpat sheet.

Prepare two shallow dishes, one with oil, one with sugar. Dip bottom of large glass in oil, then in sugar.

For thin wafer-like cookies (see above), press hard. For thicker cookies (see below), use a lighter touch.

Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes Makes 4 dozen.

ST PATRICK'S DAY GREEN GARBANZO SALAD: GLUTEN FREE, VEGAN

RECIPE HERE

GLUTEN-FREE ST PATRICK'S DAY KIWI LIME JEL (OLD FAVE!)

Here's a simple green food for St Patrick's Day and every day. It's an old favorite with a twist.

It's made with Kojel, a Kosher substitute for gelatin desserts made mostly of carrageenan, which is a thickener derived from seaweed.

Composed of sliced kiwi fruit (green grapes would also be beautiful in this dish) suspended in a lime-flavored jel, this dessert is totally vegetarian as well as gluten free.

Served with a bit of whipped cream on a pretty dish and you're as festive as can be!

GLUTENFREE NUTFREE ENJOY LIFE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE COOKIES

SHORT VERSION: These gluten-free cookies are great!

Note: My potter friend Cheryl made the beautiful plate. Here's more of her work.

LONG VERSION: I'm not even a chocolate fan, and I couldn't keep my hands off them!

(I think it was the moistness and double-chocolate-ness of the little guys.)

FRIEDMAN'S LUNCH FOR GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN DINNER

When wheatlessandmeatless.com is seen for the first time, I hope my blog's topics are clear without a lengthy explanation. Bloggers tend to agonize over names of their blogs...is the name clever enough? too clever? too long? so short you can't tell what the blog is about? Taken to extremes (and how would you know where exactly that point is?) it can seem a massive waste of brain activity. But then, something happens to prove the time was well-spent.

I love Friedman's Lunch (great gluten-free sandwiches!), even though I'm a vegetarian and there are many dishes on their menu that I ignore. One night, a friend and I planned to have dinner at another Chelsea restaurant with healthy food and gluten-free options, only to find they had shut down. Friedman's was the only similar spot I could come up with that was nearby, but I was convinced they'd be closed for the evening, since I was positive they served only lunch!

Of course the joke was on me.... My lovely dinner at Friedman's Lunch was the following: three sides and a soda. Each item memorable.

This was the star of the show: perfectly-made sweet potato fries, cooked in a dedicated fryer for gluten-free folks like me. So delicious naked that I ignored the accompanying blue cheese aioli.
Center: broccoli rabe, whose slight bitterness was the perfect match to the sweet fries. And, at right, for heft, shaved brussels sprouts generously topped with grated cheese. Varied, satisfying, and safe. What better dinner could there be?
My drink was lychee soda. Hmnn. Very delicate. Or tasteless, depending on your personality, I suppose. Although it did improve with a sprinkle of Splenda. Next time, back to iced tea. But all in all, SO happy Friedman's Lunch turned out to be more than just its name states!

GLUTEN FREE VEGAN CURRIED ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH CASHEWS

This gluten-free vegan dish began with a longing for roasted cauliflower, which I knew I would roast. I'd bought a couple of bags of frozen pearl onions at Trader Joe several weeks ago, and had one left. I used half to roast and then mix with roasted brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper. But I digress.

This recipe was almost as simple to execute even if the result was a tad more exotic. First, the side dish version, pictured above:

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Ingredients:

(in one roasting pan)

1 medium head cauliflower, cored and sliced

1 tsp - 1T curry powder of your choice (I used 1T garam masala)

1 tsp ginger

1 tsp turmeric

2-3 T oil

(in a second baking dish)

2 cups frozen pearl onions

1/2 cup diced frozen butternut squash, if available (but not necessary)

1/2 tsp salt

1 T oil

Toss vegetables every 15 minutes or so until lightly browned. I preferred the onions almost blackened, you may not. Having them in a separate dish gives you more control. When both pans are done to your liking, toss the vegetables together for a tasty side dish.

For a main dish version, place a handful of raw cashews in a dry frying pan on low/medium heat and toss them until both sides are nicely browned. Mix with vegetables. Serve on rice (traditional) or steamed broccoli (the low-carb version I usually go for). If I wanted to treat myself to extra carbs, I would do it by adding a couple of tablespoons of plumped golden raisins to the mix--delicious!

GLUTEN FREE MARSHMALLOW MISCHIEF TREATS

Do you long for marshmallows? If you are not vegetarian, you probably don't, since you can eat them whenever the mood strikes. Lucky you! Marshmallows are usually made with gelatin, which is made from animal hooves, which vegetarians avoid. Whenever I see marshmallows I can safely eat, I am very, very happy!

The sweets pictured above are not marshmallows, but marshmallow treats, also one of the pleasures of my former, non-celiac, life. I was sent this Mischievous Sampler by Marshmallow Mischief. All the opinions that follow are mine, and I was not paid for this post. Here goes:

If you are expecting something similar to a traditional crisped rice marshmallow treat, you will not find it here. The flavorings are subtle and the texture, although there was a range, is much crisper and less sticky than the old-school treats. One friend felt overwhelmed by the sweetness, but I didn't feel that way and enjoyed it--they're little indulgences, after all! I loved the variety, and if I had one suggestion, it might be make the flavorings a bit more bold. The balance of flavors seemed perfect (amount of ginger to cinnamon, for example), but the rice mutes them too much at times. I'm being VERY picky here.You should try these and you might like them just as they are (another friend felt they were perfect!).

Here's a quick run-down of the flavors:

Tall Dark & Crispy: Dark chocolate intensity (though I wish there were a bit more) and crunchy texture.

gingerlicious: Hints of cinnamon and ginger.

One, Two, Chai, Chai, Chai: If you like nutmeg, I think you'll like this masala spice tea flavor.

Lava Aloha: Made with coconut and milk chocolate. A sophisticated Almond Joy with rice.

Plain Jane: Clear and strong vanilla.

Big Kapuna: White chocolate and macadamia nut. Rich.

Peace, Love & Peanut Butter: Mild crunch, cinnamon and pureed peanut is a great combo.

Italian Kiss: Made of hazelnut and milk chocolate, as are the famous Italian Perugina Baci, but with the rice element muting the flavors. Think Nestle's Crunch, with lots of crunch.

One other note: the packaging is LOVELY and gift-ready for any grownup with a sweet tooth!

GLUTINO GLUTEN-FREE TABLE CRACKERS

I'm embarrassed to say how quickly these delicious gluten-free crackers disappeared. So I won't say. But these are some amazing snacks! Richer than (my memory of) Carr's table crackers, but useful in all the same settings as Carr's would be, and without any dangerous gluten. Hard to believe!

They're not low in fat, or high in fiber, and probably shouldn't be eaten by the box-ful (ahem!) but wow will you enjoy them. They have that slightly-sweet, slightly-salty neutral flavor that will suit jam or cheese, or, if you become as fond of them as I did, being eaten with absolutely nothing on them. Interesting note: these are very thin crackers, and at least as far as the box I tried, only two crackers were not entirely whole. Well-made, well-packed, worth every penny!

GIVEAWAY WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL FIFTEEN WINNERS!

Please send the address to which you would like your gift sent to glutenfreeveg@gmail.com. THANKS!

EREWHON STRAWBERRY CRISP CEREAL: ufg8trj

THE COOKING LIGHT GLUTEN-FREE COOKBOOK: louielou

GIVEAWAY: GLUTEN-FREE VEGAN COMFORT FOOD Lauren>>>>>PLEASE SEND EMAIL ADDRESS

THE GLUTEN-FREE ASIAN KITCHEN COOKBOOK louielou92

THE DAIRY-FREE GLUTEN-FREE KITCHEN michele rooney>>>>>PLEASE SEND EMAIL ADDRESS

EREWHON CRISPY BROWN RICE CEREAL AND RECIPE racblom

EREWHON GLUTEN FREE CORN FLAKES howjsob >>>>>PLEASE SEND EMAIL ADDRESS

OXO FIGHTS PEDIATRIC CANCER WITH GOOD GRIPS SPATULA racblom aunteegem

EREWHON COCOA BROWN RICE CEREAL AND COOKIE RECIPE ufg8trj

SIMPLY GLUTEN-FREE DESSERTS COOKBK BY CAROL KICINSKI Jahuebsch

You CAN Trust a Skinny Cook by Allison Fishman ipmrnurse

THE FUTURE OF FOOD DVD SET SKHSimmons Jahuebsch

GLUTEN-FREE CUPCAKES COOKBOOK BY ELANA AMSTERDAM sodell

GLUTEN-FREE VEGETARIAN PIZZA AT PIE BY THE POUND NYC

I was introduced to buying pizza by weight when I lived in Italy as a student, so I thought it would be fun to try the same thing here in New York City.

Unfortunately, this concept did not apply to the gluten-free pizza at Pie by the Pound, but then, it would have been difficult to keep so many varieties ready to serve, so I was OK with that minor disappointment.

Although I don't consider myself a stickler for upscale surroundings when heading out for some pizza, while waiting for the pie to be served, it was hard not to notice what an unattractive hodgepodge the decor at Pie is.

Trying to keep an open mind, though, I waited for my garden vegetable pizza (called Fresh Cubed) to arrive. This variety was one of the more attractive toppings of the long counter's worth of (glutenous) pizzas for regular eaters to choose from.

The pizza arrived looking bright and cheerful. The crust was crispy. But the pizza, although we were the only customers ordering, wasn't hot. The cubes of mozzarella were not melted. The tomatoes were cold. When I asked the server, she said, "Oh, that's the fresh mozzarella. The other mozzarella is melted." And she was correct.

There was a layer of mozzarella and (good-tasting) sauce UNDER the cold greens, tomato and fresh mozzarella. This idea that several cold toppings would be served on a hot pizza, thereby rendering it cool or lukewarm at best, was something it was impossible to determine from examining the toppings lineup behind the glass. Although she offered to heat it to melting, I declined, wondering what would happen to the chopped salad tomatoes and delicate leaves of basil.

One online reviewer called this gluten-free pizza the worst ever. I've had some incredibly bad gluten-free pizza, so, no, I definitely wouldn't say that, especially since it wasn't the gluten-free aspect that let me down here (surprise!) but the topping that would have left even a gluten-eater unhappy. Next time, I will specify a hot pizza (strange as that might be to need to!), and I will take it home to my comfortable, if hardly luxurious, apartment, which would still be an improvement over Pie by the Pound's uninviting ambience.

WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED MARCH 2

and thanks so much to all who participated!