Gluten Free Dining – Page 3 – Holly's Gluten Free Home

Sunday afternoon project & a quick delicious gluten free lunch! Amy’s Tomato Soup and Gluten free Cheese Bread

On August 2, 2015

In Gluten free, Gluten Free Dining, Home organization

A year ago, I redid my pool deck tiles (they were so slippery that it was just a hazard) and saved 2 of the wood pallets, with the idea that I would do something AMAZING with them….but…..I never did. Last week they fell over with thunderstorms twice… And they are quite heavy…so back to a dangerous situation, I decided it was time to do something with them. I looked at so many amazing vertical gardens on Pinterest, but the shape of the pallets, and the need for chicken coop further delayed progress. Then…came a near fatal hit to my idea of reclaim, reuse, beautify….my fiancé said “they are really ugly, and heavy, and that’s my opinion”. True… They are plain Jane, and heavy…. So, in their place a bought 3 planters and stuck in some lime and lemon trees and was about to call it a day when I remembered the exterior paint samples I got last year to paint the patio wall.

last years project! aftee we finished, Queiro construction added tile to the floor and a cool wood slab atop this wall.

You can buy these little samples at Home Depot and have them colored to your liking. I have used these little sample bottles so many times on projects inside and out of my home!

I decided, before throwing them away, to try one last thing. So while our delicious lunch was cooking, I got out the paints! First lunch!

I needed a fast, east, yummy lunch…something like soup and sandwich, but yummier and gluten free. I decided to mix up a modified pão de queijo and serve it with Amy’s Tomato Soup. That soup is so good that even my tomato hating so loves it!

For the cheese bread, I blended

2 cups tapioca flour

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup oil

Once well blended, I added 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, the remaining mozzarella (?1/4 cup), and 1 cup of shredded Italian blend cheese. I blended some more and then baked in muffin pans (greased) at 350 for 40 mins.

Lunch is served!

let’s eat!

While the cheese bread was cooking, a painted a base coat of blue and turquoise on the boards and moved them to the ugliest outdoor are of our house… Right by the front door. I chose this for the reasons 1. This wall cannot look worse…2. it’s close to the trash pile if I’m unhappy with the result.

the ugliest area… also used for tennis… note the poor light

My yard has a section entitled “the graveyard”. It is where all the plants that I have killed go, along with their containers…One year, I took all the dying orchids and strapped them to the trees, leaving their maintenance to nature (wise move… They’ve done great). This left a pile of hanging orchid baskets in the graveyard. I gathered these up, plus a trough basket recently purchased at Home Depot and got started.
First the base layer was painted. Next, my daughter, Anna (a wonderful au pair from Germany), and I painted some designs on the wood.

painting away

ready for the next step

The next step was to fasten the old hanging baskets and the trough basket to the pallets. We lines them with black plastic and filled them with potting soil.

the baskets could be hung by cutting the hangar off and twisting the wire behind the frame, or by nailing it to the frame

I found it easier to nail them in

The baskets were then filled with heat tolerant plants…. At this point I was wishing I was heat (and mosquito) tolerant (bienvenidos a Miami) and epiphytes that we found after yesterday’s horrible thunderstorms were placed in the natural nooks and crannies of the pallet.

finished!

So, what do you think? Keep or toss? Send your ideas for reusing pallets… Would love some inspiration!

Easy, cheesy, beautiful… Tostadas! Meatless Monday is Here!

By GlutenFreeHolly

On July 13, 2015

In Gluten free, Gluten Free Dining

On call all weekend and now I want to have a nice family dinner. I have avocados that are ready to go… I’m pretending that I need a reason to cook Mexican….

Well, I don’t – and so its rice and beans and tostadas and sopes and Key Lime Pie! That’s right, Baby!

I know… I’m pretty psyched for dinner too… My daughter’s friend, who was here for a play date, took one look and asked if she can stay for dinner. Yep… That makes me feel good!

So, this is too easy! Get your beans and rice on auto pilot. I bought vegetarian old El Paso refried beans, some premade tostadas and I’m halfway done with dinner!

What you need and how-to!

(See prior posts for rice and beans, key lime pie, and sopes)

dinner prep in action! sangria, beans, sopes, tostadas & key lime pie! oh YES!

Tostadas- fry your own, or pre- made.

Old El Paso refried beans

1c shredded Monterey Jack Cheese

2 avocados

1 tomato

1 green onion

Cilantro

Warm tostadas in the oven on a cookie sheet, heat beans, spread beans on each tostada, sprinkle with cheese and then garnish with tomato, green onion and avocado.

Enjoy the easiest dinner EVER!!

i just had to take a pic… now i can take a BITE!

looks good! easy, cheesy, beautiful… super cheesy, right?!

Chilaquiles! Brunch, Dinner, Lunch… This is a quick easy & super delicious glutenfree dish that you and your kids will love!

By GlutenFreeHolly

On June 15, 2015

In Gluten free, Gluten Free Dining

There has been a lot in the news about food waste. Truly tragic with the high food cost, hunger and malnutrition. Chilaquiles is a dish designed to use leftovers! Leftover or aging corn tortillas, a variety of veggies… I looked through my fridge and I have 2 older half bags of corn tortillas, zip lock bags of half white and red onions, half a bag of sweet peppers….yep! I know what I can use these for! The only thing I needed to buy was tomatillos!

For chilaquiles, you just need salsa verde and tortilla chips. Both are best for this recipe when made fresh.

Step 1- Salsa Verde

12 tomatillos, husked & rinsed

1 jalapeño

3-5 small sweet peppers

1/2-1 onion

You can also add in tomatoes if you have some in their last days

Add all the above to boiling water

Boil 10 minutes

this is a great, tasty, fresh way to get in lots of veggies

Drain quickly and with still a little water, add to blender with

1 tsp salt

1 1/2c cilantro

Blend until smooth

Step 2- sauce for Chilaquiles

In sauce pan, melt 1T butter ( or olive oil), add:

1/2 cup chopped onion( I used red)

Pour in 1/2 of salsa verde (put remaining half in bowl and place On table for extra sauce!)

Stir occasionally, allow to thicken

Step 3- chips

Chop tortillas into strips or wedges

I used all my leftovers (around 20 small corn tortillas)

mission corn tortillas! yum!

Fry lightly, drain and place in casserole

go ahead… eat a few. warm fresh crispy chips are the BEST

Step 4- Assemble!

Toss with salsa verde gently, top with cheese ( I used queso blanco)

Serve!

Have a great day!!

❤️

Mango Smoothie Madness

By GlutenFreeHolly

On May 31, 2015

In Gluten Free Dining

Summertime in Miami is marked by these sticky sweet smell of mangos. They are everywhere… Front yards, back yards, sold on the street corners and in huge crates at publix 2 for $1.

I have beautiful tree in my front yard and it’s loaded with fruit… And the yard is covered… And the cars… And the sidewalks and driveway.

Today I gathered them up and gloved up for the prep! And while at it, I made the family mango smoothie. Mango is super healthy and rich with fiber, vitamins and nutrients.

mangos, mangos everywhere

Mango Smoothie (makes 4)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1 T agave syrup

3 cups ice

1T chia seeds

2 cups mangos

Blend until smooth

blend it up!

drink up! healthy & delicious!

Have a great day!

❤️

Pinch Me…. You’re not dreaming! Coral Gables

By GlutenFreeHolly

On May 30, 2015

In Gluten Free Dining

We decided on a new place tonight…Gastrobar “pinch me”. Basically, quiet, great atmosphere, super attentive (but not at all annoying) service, great food and no tummy ache! Its located in a very quiet area of Coral Gables off Palermo.

Happy hour 4-7, unfortunately we had reservations at 8, but happy hour menu looked respectable! There is a beautiful patio area with outdoor lighting and citronella candles… But this is Miami… So, we opted for the mosquito free inside seating area.

We started with Sangria- me red, date white… Both yummy!

someone is checking out the sangria goodness!

Next we got the provoleta… Ok… All I can say is YUM.

Admittedly, there was a sudden look of panic when I said “I can’t eat gluten… Really”. But this was followed by detailed knowledge of the menu and suggestions on what I could eat. Of course, I had already checked out the menu and knew what I wanted… Either a delicious sounding beet salad or the “española” plate of cheese, meats (generously donated to my date), olives, figs, almonds and more! My date had pasta with pear and ricotta cheese… It looked wonderful… And I chose the española! Delicious.

For dessert, I had an espresso…mans my date had the crepes with dulce de Leche, which were exquisite.

So thats it!

Check it out!❤️

Mango Mint Madness – you’re going to love this summer salad!

By GlutenFreeHolly

On May 3, 2015

In Gluten Free Dining

Mango Mint Salad! get your summer on!

I’m allergic to mango. I have the most beautiful, fertile, productive mango tree in my front yard. Mangos hang over the sidewalk and fall over the cars. They are delicious, big, sweet and juicy and I have no idea of the name of the variety. In the summer, I give away mangos by the bag full, make mango bread, mango ice cream, mango salsa, mango margaritas and chop and freeze bags full of mango for friends. I can’t eat it, but these do not go to waste!

Its the first weekend of May, and after a nasty storm, the yard was littered with mangos, and suprisingly, they are ripe! The kids have polished off a few, but tonight I’m making them their favorite dinner… Tacos… And also, a side of Mango Mint Salad!

You need:

Juice from 1 lime

2 mangos, chopped

1 t red onion chopped in fine slices

2T mint, chopped

To chop a mango- quarter the peel, pull back the peel one quarter at a time, if it’s not ripe enough, use a sharp knife to peel it. Once the peel is off, cut from top to bottom just in front and in back of pit, then each side, chop fruit.

Tree to Table! How’s that for trendy?

quarter, peel, chop….

it almost turned into a mojito…

Mix it all together, double, triple or quintuple the recipe as needed and enjoy! This salad was gone before I blinked!

Have a great night!

❤️

Great Gluten Free Eats in Miami! Deli Lane & Misha’s Cupcake’s Cookies for Dessert! (Yes. That’s Right…GlutenFree)

By GlutenFreeHolly

On April 22, 2015

In Gluten Free Dining

I usually eat out 1-2 times per week, and of course, have some degree of anxiety over what I may accidentally ingest. I have really found that well written menus with simple fresh ingredients are more reliable than “gluten free”. There are some great, reliable gluten free places in Miami, but I like to find somewhere that my friends don’t make the “gluten free face”….. Yeah… It’s true, right? So I choose places that don’t have complicated sauces or salad dressings, and have delicious fresh foods!

Deli Lane is a Miami favorite… Especially for brunch… Weeknights and weekend evenings, the wait is non existence, the service great, the atmosphere chill and the menu casual, and varied…. As a bonus… They always have a gluten free item of the day (which in fairness, I have never ordered because their salads and omelets are just too good).

This time, we grabbed an outdoor table on Saturday evening, and I ordered a Strongbow Cider at the recommendation of our waiter and it was GREAT!

cold, crisp, light and delicious

For dinner (brunch is served all day) I ordered the brunch enchilada. Corn tortillas layered with refried beans, eggs, cheese and tomato…. Just great & with a side of cheese grits! The gluten free special of the day was pancakes with berries…yum.

brunch enchilada at Deli Lane

I have been dining here for years. The staff knows what gluten is and can tell you if the dish you would like is safe, the food is consistently good, the happy hour is fab and I have never gotten so much as a stomach ache… Although once I ordered potato skins for dinner and I had to be rolled home…

Dessert?

Now… If you come to Miami, or you live in Miami, you’ve got to try Misha’s Cupcakes. There are stores throughout Miami and Misha recently began selling gluten free foods. High quality ingredients with high flavor desserts. If you need a sugar fix, this should be it. I don’t eat too many sweets, but tonight I tried her new ginger cookies… Soft, right texture and ginger snap taste inside and out. I ate 3… Yes, I did and don’t judge.. One word, Yum.

Misha’s Cupcake’s Gluten Free Ginger Cookies

Gluten Free Travel Tips! Nashville Here I Come!

By GlutenFreeHolly

On April 14, 2015

In Gluten free, Gluten Free Dining, Uncategorized

I love, love, love to travel… But there have certainly been times when I have made errors and had to worship the porcelain goddess of gluten hatred… And she is vindictive!! All you have to do is select from the menu carefully, and select gluten free restaurants even more carefully! And then.. Have FUN and see the world!! Here are my top tips for a tip-top trip!

Tip1- In the airport, stick with brand name gluten free bars, like KIND or Odwalla, or stick to fruits, nuts and pre packaged smoothies, like Naked juice. For a more filling meal, go to a sit down restaurant and go for something like a salad (Caprese is my on the road go-to), making sure not to get dressing unless verified to be gluten free! Other options are chips and salsa, rice and beans, or a sandwich or burger- sans the bread (just make sure they are not just peeling the bread off)!

320 calories.. with a bag of nuts, I’m powered up for my morning!

Tip 2- Avoid frozen mixed drinks! If you’re on vacay and you want to have a nice drink (or 2..), go for a yummy glass of wine, a gluten free beer, Apple cider, or a handmade high quality mixed drink on the rocks!

yum… nice evening reprieve!

Tip 3- KISS … Keep it Simple… Seriously!!! Don’t order the entree with 3 creamy dreamy sauces…gluten based thickeners abound! Go for a balsamic or balsalmic vinegrette! Yum!! Even molé is often made with flour and roux is as well. All of these can be prepared gluten free, but if not specified in the menu, steer clear!

edamame… cold… hot… LOVE IT! my snack!

Tip 4- Dare to try new things! Check the ingredients & dig in!!! There are so many beautiful, wonderful foods that are gluten free!!!

Today, at the Gaylord Opryland resort, I ordered a roasted sweet potato sandwich with olive tampenade and arugula… Sans bun… delish!!!!

THIS was a delicious treat! sweet potatos, olives & arugula with a fig jam! Shut the front door!!! excellent!

Definitely going to try that in the home kitchen!

Book that flight! Don’t have food fear! Just have food RESPECT!

Make it a great night! I’ve got an grand ole opry show to catch

Date Night! Talavera- Coral Gables

By GlutenFreeHolly

On April 12, 2015

In Gluten Free Dining

Night out & we are going to one of my favorite restaurants, Talavera www.jaguarhg.com ! This restaurant has reliable food & service, a great location & reservations on Open Table. Perfect! I really enjoy Mexican food because there are so many vegan, vegetarian and gluten free choices. And for dinner with friends who eat meat….that’s always there as well. On arrival, the place was packed, but still no wait! The only bad thing about Talavera is that I have never, ever had room for dessert… In fact I usually order appetizers and an entree to share! If you are a big eater, you will definitely love it!

We started with Margaritas (can you say über?). I got the “ambitious” margarita (yes! I did!) and my date got the “flor de pasion” margarita.

flor de pasion margarita

the ambitious margarita

We ordered the queso fundido poblano as appetizer #1 which comes with handmade flour tortillas that they happily switch for corn. This is so good…just order 2 and skip dinner!

queso fundido

queso fundido on fresh homemade corn tortilla

Next we got the jicama & cucumbers with chili piquin. So fresh and crispy, if it wasn’t so spicy I could eat it all night!

Finally, we order the vegetarian Huarache, or sandal. These have a masa base and then are filled with a variety of toppings. They have many choices, but the veggie Huarache is full of fresh roasted zucchini, onions, black beans, cheese & a lot of guacamole. Divine!