I’ve always loved smoothies and juices but when my picky pregnancy palette and lack of energy to actually make them came around, my smoothie and juice making, among many other culinary exploits, went on the back burner. Without my oh so favorite smoothies, I’ve had a really hard time so far this pregnancy eating nutritiously or eating period and gaining weight. So lately I’ve been on a mission to track down some gluten free foods/drinks that’ll not only please my palette but also pack a huge punch on the nutritious end. Sounds like fun to add some new gluten free items to my normal everyday diet but eating has become more of a job lately so off to work I go.
So the credit for this find actually needs to be given to my husband Dan. On a trip to BJs he was on a mission to uncover protein packed, gluten free marked foods that would suit his pregnant wife’s needs, no easy task but my Dan is a brave soul that’s for sure. First on his list was to find a potential replacement for my smoothies/juices and that he did. Who would’ve thought that Dannon made yogurt shakes that were perfect in texture and packed full of vitamins and protein, not to mention are beautifully marked “certified gluten free.”
Gluten Free Dannon Light & Fit Protein Shake
These shakes are a great alternative to a homemade smoothie and come in a couple of different flavors including strawberry, mixed berry, banana, and vanilla. At BJs, we snagged a super size pack of the shakes all in strawberry so I haven’t tried the other flavors but the strawberry flavor certainly gets my vote. On top of their delicious taste and smooth and creamy texture, they’re packed with 12 g of protein and 5 g of fiber, making them a perfect addition to my pregnancy gluten free diet. To check out these shakes in all of their deliciousness and find them in a local store near you, check out Dannon’s site and pick out your favorite flavor and location.
These tasty shakes and smoothies have slowly become a permanent part of my breakfast and I couldn’t be happier to report that so far no food aversion has developed to these, fingers crossed. For now, I’ll enjoy their addition to my daily diet and keep hoping that they help restore some of that energy that I miss so much.
Is there any restaurant that you absolutely loved in your pre-gluten free life that you feared you’d never eat at again? I’m sure I’m not alone when I say ABSOLUTELY. I’m pretty sure each and every one of us has a similar anecdote, remembering our life before gluten was discovered as the source of our pain. Sadly, many a restaurant I’ve not been back to since going gluten free. However, there are those restaurants that have come through for us gluten free folk, like one of my all time favorite restaurants, Carmine’s. Carmine’s, which has locations in NYC, Las Vegas, Bahamas, Atlantic City, and Washington D.C., is a family style Italian restaurant that offers delicious food in an environment filled with a love and family atmosphere.
I first met Carmine’s early on in our marriage before I removed gluten from my diet. It was love at first bite. I just loved the family sized style of serving, plastering gigantic sized menus on their walls rather than passing them out at the table (check out the pic below!), and finally my favorite feature is the overwhelming feeling of family that you get just from walking in the door, kind of like a big Sunday dinner at your grandmom’s house.
Thanks to Carmine’s website for this great picture of one of their legendary, wall posted and oversized menu.
It was such a memorable first visit to Carmine’s and I imagined so many more in the years to come in our marriage. Little did I know that my world would change drastically in the next few months. Fast forward a year from then and I was now eating gluten free, scouring the internet to see what my dining out options may or may not be. I couldn’t help but to check Carmine’s, a place that we enjoyed not too long ago as newlyweds. Much to my surprise they offered a gluten free menu, as well as a number of other allergen free menus too! Check out their fantastic gluten free menu here!
I can’t explain how happy I was after I’d found out that Carmine’s had a gluten free menu. Better yet though, their gluten free menu wasn’t just their normal dishes minus sauces and sides, only offering plain pieces of meat or gluten free pasta, but they were their actual, mouthwatering dishes! I have to admit that after finding out this glorious news about Carmine’s we’ve enjoyed many a gluten free dinner since, especially while pregnant. Amazingly, I can still get my favorite dishes from before, just done to be gluten free now. My typical meal when we dine at Carmine’s is the Carmine’s Salad, Vodka Rigatoni, and the Titanic for dessert (this is a massively huge brownie ice cream sundae but so much more than just that, and was certainly a gluten free pregnant woman’s dream come true!), each of these dishes are made to be shared by the entire family but no worries, our comfy twosome make do just fine and always had leftovers for the next day.
Since Carmine’s isn’t a local restaurant that we can go to every weekend (tear), which I know I know makes it even more special when we do go, I purchased their cookbook to make my gluten free versions at home. Now, even though I love each and every part of our Carmine’s meal, I’ve yet to recreate the vodka rigatoni and titanic dessert, but I had to attempt the Carmine’s Salad. This salad is not just a boring, regular salad. Despite it’s intimidating size when it’s plopped down in the center of your table, it is loaded chock full of fix-ins from assorted meats and cheese to loads of veggies and different leafy greens! My favorites in here are the mortadella, provolone, and roasted red peppers!
With recipe in hand, I recreated our favorite starter at Carmine’s but making a gluten free Lindsay version. After some washing and chopping, I throw it together, mixing in lots of the veggies with the leafy greens and laying the meats and cheeses atop to add that pretty presentation factor that Carmine’s is known for. I tend to leave the dressing to add on per plate along with some of the wetter toppings like the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis to prevent any sogginess if we have leftovers, which we always do. This is an amazing appetizer or main course, definitely a crowd pleaser in both presentation and taste!
Note: This recipe is for a family sized salad (feeds about 4-5 people), so feel free to scale down or up according to your needs.
Ingredients:
Head of iceberg lettuce
2-3 handfuls of arugula
2-3 plum tomatoes quartered
1 small cucumber, chopped into bite size pieces
3 tbsp of roasted red peppers
1/2 medium sized red onion sliced
1/4 pound chopped provolone cheese
1/4 pound chopped mortadella
1/4 pound chopped genoa salami
Handful of large green olives
Handful of large black or kalamata olives
Handful of pepperoncini
Vinaigrette or I prefer Olive Garden Italian Dressing
Optional add ins: thinly sliced radicchio and you can even swap out the arugula for watercress but I prefer arugula
Directions:
Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
Chop 1 head of iceberg lettuce and 2-3 handfuls arugula into smaller pieces.
Peel and chop 1 small cucumber into small, bite size chunks
Cut 2-3 plum tomatoes into quarters or smaller slices if you prefer.
Slice 1/2 of a medium red onion into thin slices and separate rings.
To a large mixing bowl (make sure you use a large one so you can mix together the ingredients), add some of the leafy greens and chopped veggies and mix them all together, setting the rest aside to scatter on top to make a very pretty, Carmine’s like presentation.
Next up, roughly chop up a 1/4 lb of the mortadella, genoa salami, and provolone. Make sure you pick out gluten free brands of these. There are a lot of prepackaged salamis and provolone that you can purchase that may mark gluten content on the label, if not you can call the company. As far as the mortadella, I had to order this one at the deli counter, selecting the Black Bear version that I know is gluten free.
Carmine’s Salad with chopped mortadella, provolone, and salami.
What I like to do, similar to the veggies, is mix in some of the meats and cheese into the salad mixture and put the rest aside to layer on top for a pretty presentation.
Once all of the pieces have been washed, chopped, and either mixed in or set aside, add your mixture to a large serving dish. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a larger dish on hand, but if you can, use a shallow, wide and long dish that you can really see all of the different ingredients in the salad!
Scatter the onion and cucumbers on top of the salad.
Add the green olives and black or kalamata olives, scattering them across the top.
Now, layer each of the meats and cheese, along with the tomatoes in sections on the salad, do in whatever order or pattern you’d like.
Now, you can either top the salad with the pepperoncini scattered around and the roasted red peppers placed in the center on top of the meats or you can leave them in separate serving bowls on the side. I recommend keeping them separate if you don’t anticipate eating all of the salad and would like to save for leftovers, it just keeps everything dry without becoming extremely soggy later on. However, if you have a larger family or making this for a party, add those babies on top and it’ll complete a beautiful salad!
As far as dressing, I do the same for this one, keeping it separate. However, for a large party, I would add to the mixing bowl and mix in the desired amount before plating it on the serving dish. As far as what dressing I use, I’ve tried to make the Carmine’s vinaigrette at home but haven’t loved how it’s turned out so I go with one of my favorite dressings that really adds to the salad, Olive Garden’s Signature Italian Dressing. Use whatever dressing you love though, I would recommend to use a vinaigrette or a lighter dressing of some sort.
Homemade Gluten Free Carmine’s Salad.
And voila! Here’s your finished product! I left the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis aside so we could add them on as desired since I knew we’d have leftovers for the next day to enjoy. TIP: Here’s where a shallow but wide and long serving dish is fantastic because you’d be able to see all of the amazing additions underneath the beautifully chopped meats, cheese, and tomatoes on top. No worries though, it all tastes the same, so use whatever dish you have and arrange the ingredients in whatever fashion you’d like!
This is by far one of my favorite salads that I’ve ever enjoyed and I’m a big salad person. The mixture of the meats and cheeses is amazing and I just love the iceberg lettuce with the arugula mixed in as well. This makes for a great summer dinner and can serve as an appetizer or a main course. Also, it’s an incredibly filling meal with all of the special additions. I have to say, although it satisfied my Carmine’s craving, it did make us both eager to return to Carmine’s for another meal in the near future. So I guess we’ll have to get planning, but for now I have my cookbook in hand and the gluten free versions that I’ve created over the years!
Vinaigrette or I prefer Olive Garden Italian Dressing
Optional add ins: thinly sliced radicchio and you can even swap out the arugula for watercress but I prefer arugula
Instructions
Wash all vegetables thoroughly.
Chop 1 head of iceberg lettuce and 2-3 handfuls arugula into smaller pieces.
Peel and chop 1 small cucumber into small, bite size chunks
Cut 2-3 plum tomatoes into quarters or smaller slices if you prefer.
Slice 1/2 of a medium red onion into thin slices and separate rings.
To a large mixing bowl (make sure you use a large one so you can mix together the ingredients), add some of the leafy greens and chopped veggies and mix them all together, setting the rest aside to scatter on top to make a very pretty, Carmine's like presentation.
Next up, roughly chop up a 1/4 lb of the mortadella, genoa salami, and provolone. Make sure you pick out gluten free brands of these. There are a lot of prepackaged salamis and provolone that you can purchase that may mark gluten content on the label, if not you can call the company. As far as the mortadella, I had to order this one at the deli counter, selecting the Black Bear version that I know is gluten free.
What I like to do, similar to the veggies, is mix in some of the meats and cheese into the salad mixture and put the rest aside to layer on top for a pretty presentation.
Once all of the pieces have been washed, chopped, and either mixed in or set aside add your mixture to a large serving dish. I didn't have a larger dish on hand, but if you can use a shallow, wide and long dish that you can really see all of the different ingredients in the salad!
Scatter the onion and cucumbers on top of the salad.
Add the green olives and black or kalamata olives, scattering them across the top.
Now, layer each of the meats and cheese, along with the tomatoes in sections on the salad, do in whatever order or pattern you'd like.
Now, you can either top the salad with the pepperoncini scattered around and the roasted red peppers placed in the center on top of the meats or you can leave them in separate serving bowls on the side. I recommend keeping them separate if you don't anticipate eating all of the salad and would like to save for leftovers, it just keeps everything dry without becoming extremely soggy later on. However, if you have a large party, add those babies on top and it'll complete a beautiful salad!
As far as dressing, I do the same for this one, keeping it separate. However, for a large party, I would add to the mixing bowl and mix in the desired amount before plating it on the serving dish. As far as what dressing I use, I've tried to make the Carmine's vinaigrette at home but haven't loved how it's turned out so I go with one of my favorite dressings that really adds to the salad, Olive Garden's Signature Italian Dressing. Use whatever dressing you love though, I would recommend to use a vinaigrette or a lighter dressing of some sort.
And voila! Here's your finished product! I left the roasted red peppers and pepperoncinis aside for us to add in as desired since I knew we'd have leftovers for the next day to enjoy. TIP: Here's where a shallow but wide and long serving dish is fantastic because you'd be able to see all of the amazing additions underneath the beautifully chopped meats, cheese, and tomatoes on top. No worries though, it all tastes the same, so use whatever dish you have and arranged the ingredients in whatever fashion you'd like!
By Gluten Free Mom To Be
Adapted from Carmine's Cookbook
Adapted from Carmine's Cookbook
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/
If you’re as in love with peanut butter as much as I am, you absolutely must give this smoothie a try. To make this one that much better, it combines bananas and peanut butter; anyone remember those peanut butter and banana sandwiches your mom used to make for you when you were little? I have to admit I still make these for myself from time to time (delicious!). More frequently though, I throw this childhood favorite together for my little girl who happens to LOVE bananas, i.e. she’d eat a banana every meal of the day if she could. This smoothie then has become a real winner in our house, among the adults and toddlers!
It’s so simple and easy to throw together, and uses ingredients that we keep on hand every week. Just add your favorite gluten free peanut butter, bananas, and a milk base and you’re good to go! The best part is that you get to enjoy the healthy benefits of the banana peanut butter sandwich in smoothie form. A great serving of protein from the peanut butter, potassium from the bananas, and calcium from your milk base of choice, can’t go wrong!
Ingredients:
1 cup DREAM Blends Unsweetened Coconut, Almond, & Chia Drink (I also like Silk Unsweetened Coconut & Almond Milk)
1 ripe banana
1 tbsp peanut butter (Smart Balance is gluten free)
This smoothie recipe is a total keeper! Much of making veggie and fruit smoothies is trial and error, figuring out what combinations of things work for you. As I’ve learned, what works for some, may not be so tasty for me. If you happen to love the berry family, including blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, then you will totally fall for this one! Based on my favorite fruit smoothie recipe from Chiquita Bananas, this smoothie has a fantastic combination of berries and banana, but with a few tweaks I boosted the nutritional content drastically without jeopardizing that perfectly sweet flavor. As you’ve probably learned from many of my smoothie recipes I love to add spinach, not only because it’s one of my favorite veggies and has numerous nutritional benefits, but also because it blends in with other ingredients perfectly! My Berry-Banana Flaxseed Smoothie was no exception, I not only added my traditional two cups of fresh spinach, but also used one of my favorite gluten free liquid bases, Dream Blends Unsweetend Rice and Quinoa, along with adding in two tablespoons of gluten free ground flaxseed! This smoothie is incredibly delicious and was gobbled up by myself and my little one in just a few short minutes!
Smoothies are a fantastic start to the day, mid morning or late afternoon snack. While I certainly like my all fruit smoothies, I try to always throw in a handful or two of spinach to sneak in another veggie helping during the day. Adding veggies to smoothies is scary I know but the benefits of adding these to the mix are tremendous. So if you’re on the fence on this one, just give it a try first. Also, for an extra nutritional boost I like to add flaxseed, oatmeal, or chia seeds. In this mixed berry smoothie I decided to add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed which adds a bunch of extra protein and fiber to my daily diet. This mixed berry smoothie was a winner for both myself and my little smoothie buddy so hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 cup mixed berries (ex. frozen Welch’s antioxidant fruit blend: strawberries, blueberries, dark sweet cherries, sour cherries, blackberries)
1/2 cup plain fat free regular or Greek yogurt (Stonyfield or Cabot is gluten free)
1 banana
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 tbsp flaxseed (Bob’s Red Mill is certified gluten free)
1 tsp honey or agave nectar
1 cup fat free milk
1 cup ice
Mixed Berry Gluten Free Smoothie
TIP: If you have any extra smoothie, store it in a sealed glass jar like the one above and enjoy the next day!
During pregnancy, it’s super important to eat plenty of highly nutritious foods that are going to provide you with plenty of energy for an extended period of time. When you’re going through a pregnancy with dietary restrictions accompanied by normal pregnancy cravings and food aversions this task becomes a bit more difficult. Before pregnancy, I always was a huge fan of smoothies but only really drank them for pleasure rather than for purpose. While pregnant though, smoothie drinking had taken on a whole new meaning for me where they not only could be a tasty snack but could also be an essential pick me up, packed full of nutritional goodness from essential vitamins to energizing protein and fiber.
I personally like to put together gluten free smoothies with a whole grain source, fruit, vegetable, and some type of liquid base. I certainly make variations to this formula, adding in dairy and protein from yogurt on occasion and making all fruit smoothies at times. As far as adding in veggies though, one of my favorites to add into almost all of my smoothies is fresh spinach, and believe it or not but you absolutely cannot taste it at all! Some fruits which make their appearance in my smoothies quite often include bananas, peaches, pineapple, and pretty much all berries. When available and economical I like to purchase fresh fruit but I typically purchase frozen in a lot of these fruits.
As far as a liquid base, I typically use either unsweetened coconut milk, Dream Blends unsweetened rice and quinoa drink, or fat free milk. Each of these options have many nutritional benefits boasting high levels of calcium as well vitamins A, B12, D, and E while being low in fat, but with respect to dietary restrictions, are most importantly gluten free and dairy free. As a final addition to my smoothies I like to add a little extra boost of whole grain, protein, or fiber through gluten free peanut butter and avocado as well as certified gluten free oats, ground flaxseed, or chia seeds. These additions, while providing added nutritional benefits, also make for a more sustaining smoothie that’ll keep you going a lot longer.
Smoothie drinking has extended far past pregnancy and branched off into juice making aswell (but that’s a whole other post). Myself and my 15 month old little girl enjoy smoothies almost everyday along with fresh fruit and veggie juices. Right after grocery shopping, I usually divide up whatever fresh or frozen fruits and veggies into freezer bags so they’re all ready to be blended or juiced as desired. Along with the ease of dividing out my fruits and veggies ahead of time, I typically try to make enough smoothie or juice one day to get us through two mornings or lunches of drink. So if you feel hungry shortly after breakfast or lunch add a smoothie to either meal or even as a mid-morning or late-afternoon snack and you and your baby will certainly be grateful in the long run.
Try one of my favorite smoothies combining strawberries, bananas, spinach, and gluten free oats…a perfect version of gluten free oatmeal on the go! (You’ll notice I try to not add sweeteners or additional juices to my smoothies to minimize the sugar content but you certainly can add a little something extra if you desire.)
Ingredients:
16 oz bag frozen or fresh strawberries
2 handfuls of fresh spinach
2 bananas
2 cups Dream Blends Rice and Quinoa
2 tbsp gluten free old fashioned oats (Bob’s Red Mill is certified gluten free)
Ingredients for a gluten free strawberry banana oatmeal smoothie.
Directions:
Add liquid, gluten free oats, and spinach to blender first and blend it up a little before adding the strawberries and bananas.
A strawberry and banana oatmeal smoothie!
TIP: When making smoothies, make sure you put together combinations that you’ll enjoy drinking. Trust me, if you don’t enjoy the taste you’re certainly not going to want to have to choke it down even though it’s healthy for you. So make something that is nutritional, by trying to sneak in a veggie along with one of the additional add ins that I mentioned, but also something that is really tasty.
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Gluten Free Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Smoothie
2014-04-02 08:34:20
Enjoy this gluten free strawberry banana oatmeal smoothie that's packed with calcium, vitamins, and fiber!
