Is anyone as surprised as I am that we’re only a few days away from Thanksgiving? This Fall seems to have just flown by, but I for one am super excited for all of the holiday festivities. For us the holiday family get togethers really commence with the November birthdays, these are only the start of what will be a number of family events of the season. This past weekend we rang in my dad’s belated 60th birthday and my nephew’s 8th birthday, a number I’m still having a hard time grasping. It’s like I blinked and he become an eight year old, much like how I’m in the midst of planning my daughter’s 2nd birthday party that’s rapidly approaching right behind Thanksgiving. Stay tuned to learn more about her Snow White 2nd Birthday!
For now, our holiday celebrations continue with the big Thanksgiving dinner this week. With only a few days to go, I have yet to even go buy my ingredients, so needless to say I’m not quite ready yet. This year is a bit different than the past few since we’re celebrating with my family rather than Dan’s. Unfortunately my severe cat allergy gets in the way of joining in with their fun. As much as I’m a lover of all of God’s creatures, these darn cats make it really tough by making breathing an impossible task. So needless to say in an attempt to enjoy a Thanksgiving full of clean air and breathing and free of cat dander, it’s onto my cat-free family’s house this year. But even though we’re not sharing the dinner table with Dan’s side, I’ll still try to bring a little of their family love to our table too. So do you want to see what’s in store for our gluten free, and really dairy free too thanks to my nephew, Thanksgiving dinner?
Main Dishes:
Turkey and Gravy
Gluten Free Stuffing
Sides:
Mashed Potatoes
Canned Asparagus (I love how soft the asparagus gets like this, even though I do enjoy fresh asparagus too this is a staple for our Thanksgiving dinner)
Pies galore, gluten free and non-gluten free thanks to my Dad
Chocolate Pudding
Thanks to Katz, tons of gluten free/dairy free/nut free/soy free Pumpkin Pie
So that’s what our menu is shaping up to look like so far, what about yours? Share any of your favorite gluten free family recipes, I’m always looking to add to my gluten free table!
Does anybody remember when I raved about the gluten free gnocchi that I had while eating a little while back? Okay, so I had them again recently from Palermos and they were just as delicious as they were the first time and reminded of the amazing gluten free gnocchis that I bought to try at home not too long ago. These gluten free gnocchis are made for us courtesy of DeLallo Italian Foods, who have put together a number of other standout gluten free Italian products but for me the star are their unique gnocchis. It’s extremely rare to be able to find gluten free gnocchi, let alone authentically Italian ones that haven’t been coated in gluten filled flour. However, thanks to DeLallo, you can now get your hands on some gluten free gnocchi straight from Italy and taste every bit of it. They’re light and airy just like little pillows and absorb any sauce flavor spectacularly. They really are little bites of heaven! You ready to try them yet? Okay, well not yet because you can save a little on your gluten free Delallo purchase with this $1/1 coupon on their site. So hurry up, print this coupon and head out to your local grocer, I found mine at Wegmans, and pick up some of these fo rdinner tonight!
A month and a half ago we spent a short weekend in Washington D.C. visiting the National Zoo, my favorite gluten free dinner restaurant, Carmine’s, and one of my good friends from college. Our first day was a jam packed, mini adventure which on an unseasonably warm day in September. After our drive from New Jersey to Washington D.C., we spent the entire late morning and afternoon trekking around the National Zoo, followed by an amazing couple of hours stuffing our faces full of family style gluten free goodness, courtesy of Carmine’s. Make sure you check out the rest of the details from that day along with the impressive gluten free dining experience that we had at Carmine’s in my previous post here. While we always enjoy spending time in our nation’s capital, that day was filled with so much fun and excitement making it another one of our extra special family adventures, especially one that tuckered us out.
After a full day of showing Washington D.C. to our little girl we headed back to Hotel Palomer, a boutique Kimpton hotel chain that we love staying at, and bunkered down for the night. And I must say, oh what a night it was! Keep in mind our little one never sleeps with us unless we’re on vacation without any other option of sleeping arrangements. So when she does have the rare treat to sleep with Mommy and Daddy she has a ball. She’s already a mover and groover at night time, so her kicking and rolling on top of you every 5 minutes is to be expected. But the cutest little quirks of our sleepovers that my little one is known for is out of no where, you find her sitting on top of you and saying “Mommy, hi” or “Daddy, hi.” Whether it be 7 am or 2 am, it never fails we’ll get at least a handful of those wide awake greetings at least a few times at night. And even though we never get a restful night of sleep as a family of three in one bed, they definitely are special nights that we share with our little girl that we look forward to each vacation.
So after a long night of tossing and turning and middle of the night greetings and cuddles, as the sun peaked through the curtain, our little girl began flipping and flopping between us, making sure that we both were wide awake before she was. We decided to take our time getting ready and take a nice morning walk around the area before we snatched some breakfast and headed back to New Jersey. Little did we know that breakfast time in D.C. means a late brunch on the weekends, about 10 am or so, which is completely not our normal everyday schedule, nor our little girl’s. In comparison to the D.C. schedule, we’re definitely early birds, with breakfast between 7 and 8 am each day; so to buy us some time on that day we took a very long walk and got a quick bagel for our little one to nibble on for breakfast.
Finally, after we spent 2 hours sightseeing the Dupont area of Washington D.C. the restaurant that we had picked out for breakfast finally had opened for brunch. Breakfast really is one of my most dreaded times of day to find something to eat that is gluten free. I’ve found that no matter we go, oddly enough, breakfast seems to be one of the meals that restaurants most rarely take extra strides to accommodate for. So I was super excited to find that the restaurant that was right across from our hotel, had a great breakfast menu for my husband along with conveniently marked gluten free offerings for me as well.
So as 10 am rolled around, we made our way over to Scion Restaurant. They had some great outdoor seating options which we couldn’t help but take advantage of since we rarely have this option at home, even though it was excruciatingly hot even at 10 am already. After we were seated, our waitress took our orders, I went with an omelet with bacon, tomatoes, and cheese along with a Mimosa; I love Mimosas and only ever get them on the rare occasion on vacation so it was a nice little treat for this Mommy. While we waited for our meals to arrive, Dan and I alternated helping ourselves to some fresh fruit from their buffet inside, a nice little appetizer to hold off our very hungry bellies along with keeping our little girl happy. Just as I was taking my turn inside getting some fruit, our meals had arrived and I had a huge omelet with some delicious looking breakfast potatoes waiting for me when I got back.
The omelet was delicious, loaded full of fresh tomatoes, pieces of bacon, and cheese. But the real highlight on the plate for me were the breakfast potatoes. As a gluten free diner, many of you probably would agree when I’d say that we rarely can enjoy fries, hashbrowns, or many other types of potato concoctions when we dine out since very rarely are they ever fried in a separate fryer or cooked sans gluten. So I was definitely pleasantly surprised to see half a plate of delicious, thin cut breakfast potatoes staring back at me just screaming to be tried. They were a little crispy but still soft enough so they weren’t like potato chips. And the seasoning on them was perfect, not too spicy or bland, just right!
All together, I’m very happy that we hung around for a late breakfast before our drive home. While we love living in the suburbs, we really do enjoy some of the perks of living in a city, especially the accessibility of restaurants, great ones too that are nestled one after another along the main streets. We especially love the outdoor seating perk too where you can sit and watch the hustle and bustle of the city around you, which is really only an option at a few local chains around us like Uno’s or Red Robin, not quite the same as city dining though.
It was a great miniature weekend away. Ever since our little girl was born we’ve always tried to take the time for fun adventures like this one, no matter how big or small, we just want to show our little girl the world. It makes me so happy that at only 1 1/2 we’ve exposed her to so many of the fun things that Dan and I loved to share and enjoy pre-baby. We always agreed that we wanted to show the world to our little one, a little bit at a time, and introduce her to the beauty, fun, and history that exists outside of our tiny home state of New Jersey. Little by little we’re ticking off our list of must sees for her and have years more of fun and exciting sights to see ahead of us.
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Check out Scion’s full breakfast menu along with their dinner menu which also has some gluten free options highlighted.
As Fall has rolled in, so has the season of colds, flus, and apparently millions of new kinds of viruses too. Unfortunately my little family, freshly vaccinated for the flu I’d like to add, passed around one of those bugs for a week. Little one and my husband seemed to shake theirs but I haven’t been so lucky. Just so happens that I have a lovely case of pneumonia from that nasty bug. Such a downer, especially seeing as Fall is one of my favorite seasons with all of the fun festivals and activities that my little one would just love. So despite the beautiful crisp Fall air that rolled in this past weekend in the Northeast, I spent the majority of it inside trying to get better.
Along with a sicky Mommy, come mediocre half home-cooked meals and lots of indoor play time. As far as play time is considered, little one has been a real trooper, but I can certainly tell her patience is beginning to wear thin so I’m going to have to be pretty creative with this week’s indoor activities since I’m still under the weather. Food wise though, she’s always my biggest fan so we haven’t had too many disagreements on my quick meal choices. A few weeks ago, while we were at BJs picking up some family sized items, I spotted a two pack of the Freschetta gluten free pizzas for only $13.99, a great deal compared to the single pie price of $10.99 at Shop Rite. At that price I was sold, so we grabbed one package and stashed them in the freezer for a rainy day. Well, with me being so down and out lately I decided to whip out these pizzas and give them a try. Any meal that would save me a half hour on my feat of prep was a winner in my book, so it was pizza night over the weekend for our family.
After about 15 minutes of cooking, the pizzas were ready and boy did they smell delicious! First, I have to mention how big they are. These pizzas are easily the same full size of any other frozen pizza out there, a huge change from the other frozen, premade gluten free pizzas that are available only in a personal pan size. Now onto the pizza itself. The crust is super thin, soft and chewy in the middle and browned and crispy on the outside. And the sauce and cheese that tops it all is perfectly tasty, just as good as a pie from a restaurant I must say. Overall, this pizza is phenomenal! I still prefer making my own pizzas but for the price for the two pack and how delicious these are, it certainly does make me think twice.
I highly recommend snagging these Gluten Free Freschetta Pizzas! And if you can, grab them in a family size pack from your local BJs, Costco, or Sams Club to save yourself some money. Great job Freschetta and thank you for your fantastically tasty contribution to the gluten free community!
Anytime Dan and I eat out I’m always on the lookout for new dishes that I can recreate easily at home. Without the recipes, I can’t replicate very many verbatim but using the same core ingredients I can get pretty close on my own. Early in September we attended my father-in-law’s birthday dinner at a restaurant nearby. The menu offered tons of different dishes, many of which weren’t gluten free for one reason or another but one in particular was right up my alley and I knew would be a dish that I’d try on my own later on. A plate full of roasted red peppers topped with steaming melted sharp provolone cheese was placed at our table and couldn’t have looked more appetizing. One taste and I was hooked, this dish was next on my list of at home recreations.
First up was roasting red peppers, a task I’d never done on my own despite my love for roasted red peppers themselves. To be honest, red peppers are quite expensive so to spare myself the extra money and job itself, buying the jarred version is much easier. But for this dish, it was freshly cooked roasted red peppers all the way and I’m telling you these couldn’t have been easier to do. Once the red peppers were underway, putting together the rest of this dish was so simple. This is a perfect addition to any meal or dinner party, making a great appetizer or side dish. My husband and little one enjoyed these just as much as I did, which means that these Gluten Free Roasted Red Peppers With Provolone Cheese will definitely be appearing again at a future dinner or maybe upcoming holiday meal?
Note: This recipe is big enough for a family of three, so adjust as necessary for the number of people in your party.
Ingredients:
2 large red peppers
Shredded Sharp Provolone Cheese (Belgioioso is gluten free)
Oregano
Salt or Garlic Salt
Directions:
Wash and dry your red peppers before placing them on the hottest part of your grill for roasting.
Using tongs, turn your red peppers over periodically until all sides are black.
Once your red peppers are black, remove them from the grill and add them to a glass bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let them sit for 10 minutes, this loosens the skins so they can be removed easily.
Meanwhile shred some sharp provolone cheese for sprinkling on top of your red peppers and turn on the oven to 350.
Once 10 minutes have passed, carefully remove your red peppers and begin to peel off the charred skin with your fingers. I cut off the tops and slice down one side to make this easier. Also be sure to remove the seeds inside too.
Once all skins and seeds have been removed, add your roasted red peppers to a baking dish. Feel free to leave your red peppers as whole slices or cut up into sections like I did, these sizes were just a little better for our little diner.
Sprinkle some sharp provolone cheese on top.
Finish with some oregano and a little salt or garlic salt.
Cook your red peppers in the oven for about 10 minutes or until your cheese has melted.
Enjoy!
These were such a hit at that birthday dinner I knew that they would be a new family favorite at home too. The flavor of the freshly roasted red pepper mixed with the melted sharp provolone cheese was delicious! This dish is definitely a crowd pleaser not only in taste but also appearance, it looks beautifully tasty doesn’t it? This is such a winner that it may even make an appearance at our next holiday dinner!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
Gluten Free Roasted Red Peppers With Provolone Cheese
Shredded Sharp Provolone Cheese (Belgioioso is gluten free)
Oregano
Salt or Garlic Salt
Instructions
Wash and dry your red peppers before placing them on the hottest part of your grill for roasting.
Using tongs, turn your red peppers over periodically until all sides are black.
Once your red peppers are black, remove them from the grill and add them to a glass bowl, cover with saran wrap, and let them sit for 10 minutes, this loosens the skins so they can be removed easily.
Meanwhile shred some sharp provolone cheese for sprinkling on top of your red peppers and turn on the oven to 350.
Once 10 minutes have passed, carefully remove your red peppers and begin to peel off the charred skin with your fingers. I cut off the tops and slice down one side to make this easier. Also be sure to remove the seeds inside too.
Once all skins and seeds have been removed, add your roasted red peppers to a baking dish. Feel free to leave your red peppers as whole pieces or slice up into sections like I did, these were just a better size for our little diner.
Sprinkle some sharp provolone cheese on top.
Finish with some oregano and a little salt or garlic salt.
Cook your red peppers in the oven for about 10 minutes or until your cheese has melted.
Enjoy!
By Gluten Free Mom To Be
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/
I know I know, it’s been awhile since I’ve treated you to Disney dining from our vacations. Sorry to leave you hanging on the rest of our last Disney vacation but there were a couple of other non-Disney blogging items that needed to be checked off the list. So without further delay I’ll fill you in on the events and meals that filled our last few days in Disney.
This vacation we decided to treat ourselves for a day at Blizzard Beach and thank goodness we did. The August Florida heat was kicking our butts, okay mainly mine, and we were in desperate need for a cool down day. Our little girl is definitely a water baby, she loves taking baths, going in swimming pools, and splashing in knee deep ocean water so we knew that she’d be a huge fan of the water park. So when day 6 rolled around we donned ourselves in our bathing suits, water shoes, and plenty of sun tan lotion to enjoy Blizzard Beach.
If you haven’t been to Blizzard Beach I highly recommend it. No not necessarily for all of the delicious gluten free eats and treats, which are kind of few and far between aside from your usual snacks, but rather for the family fun that can be had. They have a wonderful toddler/little kid zone equipped with a toddler deep pool with floating ice sculptures, squirters, and some really cool slides that even my little one could partake in. Even though we squished her little butt into one of those life vest swim suits we were still hesitant to send her on her way down a water slide. Following her lead though, she was ready and raring to go and scooted her way down the big slide with Dan at the top to send her off and me at the bottom to catch her safely. She loved every bit of it, especially the independence factor, and would’ve been content to spend the rest of the day in her area but we decided to check out the rest of Blizzard Beach.
We headed over to the older kid play area filled with tube slides, an obstacle course of floating ice caps to walk on, and a zip line, not really a play area for our little girl so Dan and I hopped in the pool and bopped around with her for a bit while the rest of her cousins explored their attractions. We did send her down a bigger version of the little kid slides and she loved every second of it. It was a little scary watching our tiny little girl do these big kid things but seeing as she had her life vest on and a once competitive swimmer for a Mommy waiting at the bottom we decided to let her give it a try. Afterwards it was onto the lazy river and wave pool, both of which were big hits for our little girl. All in all, a day with nothing but water is a winner for our family. Our little girl was a happy little clam and would’ve probably enjoyed a whole vacation just at Blizzard Beach.
We called it a day early- to mid-afternoon so we could head back to our resort, eat something little, get cleaned up, and head out for dinner at Hoop Dee Doo Revue. After reading some pretty good gluten free reviews we decided to give it a try. With an early dinner/show reservation at 4:00 and a less than direct route to Fort Wilderness we headed out early to make our way to Magic Kingdom to get a boat over to Fort Wilderness. Soon enough we had arrived at the restaurant and waited to be let in for our dinner time. Our group of 9 were escorted to our table, which had a great view of the stage. The waiter brought the chef over shortly after we were seated and he reviewed all of the gluten free options with me. On the menu that evening was a garden salad, gluten free corn bread, grilled chicken, baked beans, corn, mashed potatoes, and ribs, sounded good to me! And let me add that you get bottomless sangria too, yay!
While we waited for our food to arrive the show had started which turned out to be a real blessing for our little one. Between nibbling on corn bread, coloring in and out of the coloring book, and watching the endless song and dance up on the stage, our little one was a happy camper. She would laugh and clap along with songs and even got the spotlight put on her, mid- corn bread bite I’d like to add, as the cutest little princess at the show.
Our little girl was certainly a fan of the dinner and show but I had yet to taste any of the gluten free food to be a judge. While everyone else’s food had arrived, I anxiously awaited mine while I cut up a plate full for little one. Just as I was finishing, an overflowing plate of barbecue heaven was plopped down in front of me. I didn’t take a picture of my food at this dinner, mainly because it was so dark, but also because we had a major distraction during our meal which I’ll tell you about in just a minute. So back to the food, the ribs were delicious, fell right off the bone, and were definitely one of my favorites along with the mashed potatoes. The chicken was just grilled chicken, nothing fancy here, and the other accompaniments were okay as well. The gluten free cornbread was pretty good, a little dense for me, but tasty nonetheless.
I barely had begun to enjoy my food when one of the performers was next to our table asking Dan to join them up on stage. Now, if this were me I would say no so fast but my husband is definitely a team player and took one for the team here. So up he went and my dinner was put on hold as I had to capture these moments on video. I couldn’t stop laughing at my poor husband’s impromptu acting debut that lasted for a good 20 minutes. Our little girl was ecstatic watching her daddy perform and just kept pointing at him. He was definitely a trooper, more specifically a brave little Indian, and gave us a memory that we’ll be able to share with our little girl for years to come.
When the star of the show returned to our table our dessert was waiting for him. Strawberry shortcake greeted everyone else and I had a plate of fresh strawberries and whipped cream. The strawberry shortcake got rave reviews, especially from our little one who couldn’t get enough of the super sweet strawberries and cake combo. My dessert was tasty, nothing to write home about, but that was okay since I was planning on a gluten free Dole Whip later that night anyway.
All together, our dinner at Hoop-Dee-Doo was a night to remember, thanks mainly to my husband’s performance. The food was pretty good and the show was so-so but it was nice to have some entertainment that kept our little one’s attention, allowing us some time to ourselves. It was a great experience and we’ll definitely be back there one day but we have lots of other new restaurants to try before we return.
Stay tuned for our last full day of gluten free meals from Kona Cafe’s noodle dish to a Lefou’s Brew!
A huge pot of simmering sauce and meatballs filled the house with the most delicious smells on a Sunday; it’s like it was yesterday how vivid that food memory is for me, probably because sauce and meatballs were a family staple growing up. In retrospect, it’s kind of funny how that’s one of my most prominent food memories from my childhood, especially since my pickiness as a little girl kept me from ever eating the meatballs. They looked delicious of course, but to be honest, I refused to touch anything with ground beef, the texture was a huge deterrent for me. My poor parents, I must have really been a joy to cook for when I was younger! Thank goodness the gluten free challenge came later.
Now that I’ve become a tad bit more experimental with food I’ve really grown to enjoy ground beef, which is a huge relief to my husband who LOVES hamburgers, tacos, meatballs, and beyond. And while I wish that I had at least tried the meatballs that my parents spent all Sunday working on, I’ve now found my own meatball recipe, gluten free of course, that makes our Meatball Sundays just as memorably fragrant. Since I have no way of telling if they’re just as tasty as our family’s version, you can be sure that I put my parents to the taste test and I’m happy to report that these have received their stamp of approval, which means a lot in my book.
Seeing as I come from the wonderful Italian family tradition of not writing recipes down, it was tough finding a place to begin to come up with a gluten free meatball recipe. I wanted something authentically Italian and full of flavor, but full of flavors that would fit my picky palette. You probably all know by now how much my family loves Carmine’s. Each and every dish that we’ve gotten there has been divine and we’re so fortunate that they offer a cookbook with all of their recipes. The Christmas shortly after my gluten free diagnosis I spotted this cookbook at my local BJs and thought it would be a great gift for my husband, especially since at that point we thought we’d never be able to actually dine there again. Since then I’ve created gluten free versions of a few of the recipes from the cookbook, mainly their meatballs. Their recipe gave me a great place to start, and with some changes here and there I’ve really made it my own. I’ve created a family recipe that we’ll enjoy for years to come and will hopefully give my little girl a familiar food memory too! Check out my Carmine’s inspired recipe for Gluten Free Meatballs For The Family!
1 cup Grated Parmesan/Romano cheese, I sometimes use Colonna brand
3 tbsp Parsley
2 tbsp Basil
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 heaping tsp Chopped Garlic
10-12 cups Marinara Sauce, I like to use Tutturosso tomato sauce to start and season from there
Ingredients for Tomato Sauce:
3 (28) oz cans Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
3 tsp dried basil for tomato sauce
3 tsp dried oregano for tomato sauce
3 tsp dried parsley for tomato sauce
6 tbsp minced garlic for tomato sauce
6 tbsp olive oil for tomato sauce
Directions:
To a small mixing bowl, tear 4 slices of gluten free bread, without their crusts, into small pieces. Then add 1 cup of skim milk to the bread and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes or until all of the milk has nearly absorbed.
Meanwhile, add two eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk.
Using your hands, mix in 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef with your eggs
Continue mixing with your hands and add 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs, 3 tbsp parsley, 2 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp salt, 1 heaping tsp chopped garlic, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.
Once you’ve added your seasonings to your ground beef, add in your softened bread and mix with your hands.
Finally, mix in 1 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese.
Cover your bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes or until meat mixture has firmed up a bit.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once chilled, using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, roll out small meatballs between the palms of your hands to about the size of a golf ball.
Add the meatballs to a plate and refrigerate for an additional 10 minutes to firm up.
Once firmed, carefully add your meatballs to a slotted baking sheet or those cookie drying racks on top of deeper baking sheets so they don’t bake in all of their fat. Make sure you spray these with a non-stick spray.
Bake meatballs for about 30 minutes until they’ve browned. I always check the largest one by cutting down the middle and making sure it’s browned all the way through.
While your meatballs are cooking, prepare and heat your tomato sauce. Feel free to use your go to recipe, favorite jarred tomato sauce, or my tomato sauce recipe that I added to this post.
Once your meatballs have finished, using tongs, carefully remove them from the baking sheet and add them to your sauce.
Carefully cover your meatballs with sauce and heat on low for an additional 20-30 minutes uncovered to allow the flavors of the sauce and meat to intermingle.
Serve your meatballs on gluten free spaghetti or with some toasted gluten free baguettes and melted provolone cheese!
As the chilly fall days are rolling in, these meatballs are going to make so many appearances in our house. Just the other day I made these for some meatball sandwiches and they were mouthwatering, a little messy, but delicious nonetheless. I just toasted up some gluten free bread while my meatballs were simmering with the sauce, I prefer a baguette but only had these dinner rolls, but they were a great substitute. Then I added a few meatballs and sauce to the roll and melted some mozzarella or provolone cheese on top. It was such a tasty dinner, and hit the spot for a warm and nostalgic meal. And for lunch the next day, we were lucky enough to enjoy nice warm bowls of meatballs too!
Depending on how many you’ll have dining with you, you can adjust this recipe as needed. Without any changes, it usually makes about 30-35 meatballs, depending on how large you make them. For a big family dinner I’ll follow the recipe exactly, but for our family of three I usually half the recipe which makes plenty of meatballs for firsts, seconds, and not to mention leftovers too. We always have enough meatballs for leftover lunch or dinner the next day. I just add them, with the sauce too, to a tightly closed plastic container and rewarm them in a sauce pan or microwave. Be creative too for your leftover meatballs, I’ve even used our extra meatballs for lasagna, and I must say they were a perfect addition!
So just because you’re gluten free, doesn’t mean your weekly Italian family dinner has to be missing meatballs. Throw these together and serve them by themselves, on rolls, or on your favorite gluten free spaghetti and enjoy!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
TIP: I’ve also made these dairy free too just by omitting the cheese, or adding a diary free grated cheese, and they came out just as flavorful and delicious!
Carmine's Inspired Gluten Free Meatballs For The Family
1/2 cup Seasoned Gluten Free Bread Crumbs, I like Schar and then I make my own Seasoned Gluten Free Bread Crumbs by adding the breadcrumbs to the container first, then adding about one heaping tablespoon of dried basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, and garlic salt, capping the container, and shaking them to mix!
4 slices Gluten Free Bread, no crusts
1 cup Milk
1 cup Grated Parmesan/Romano Cheese, I sometimes use Colonna brand
3 tbsp Parsley
2 tbsp Basil
1 tbsp Salt
1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 heaping tsp Chopped Garlic
10-12 cups Marinara Sauce, try my Tomato Sauce
Gluten Free Mom To Be Tomato Sauce
3 28 oz cans Tuttorosso Tomato Sauce
3 tsp dried basil for tomato sauce
3 tsp dried oregano for tomato sauce
3 tsp dried parsley for tomato sauce
6 tbsp minced garlic for tomato sauce
6 tbsp olive oil for tomato sauce
Add 6 tbsp olive oil and 6 tbsp minced garlic to sauce pan. Cook garlic on low-medium heat until slightly browned. Add 3 28 oz cans of tomato sauce (I like Tutturosso). Stir sauce and heat on low-medium. Add 3 tsp of dried basil, oregano, and parsley and stir to combine. Taste sauce and add a bit of garlic salt if you’d like. Heat sauce for about 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and set sauce aside.
Instructions
To a small mixing bowl, tear 4 slices of gluten free bread, without their crusts, into small pieces. Then add 1 cup of skim milk to the bread and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes or until all of the milk has nearly absorbed.
Meanwhile, add two eggs to a large mixing bowl and whisk.
Using your hands, mix in 1 1/2 lb lean ground beef with your eggs
Continue mixing with your hands and add 1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs, 3 tbsp parsley, 2 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp salt, 1 heaping tsp chopped garlic, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper.
Once you've added your seasonings to your ground beef, add in your softened bread and mix with your hands.
Finally, mix in 1 cup grated parmesan/romano cheese.
Cover your bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate for about 45 minutes or until meat mixture has firmed up a bit.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Once chilled, using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, roll out small meatballs between the palms of your hands to about the size of a golf ball.
Add the meatballs to a plate and refrigerate for an additional 10 minutes to firm up.
Once firmed, carefully add your meatballs to a slotted baking sheet or those cookie drying racks on top of deeper baking sheets so they don't bake in all of their fat. Make sure you spray these with a non-stick spray.
Bake meatballs for about 30 minutes until they've browned. I always check the largest one by cutting down the middle and making sure it's browned all the way through.
While your meatballs are cooking, prepare and heat your tomato sauce. Feel free to use your go to recipe, favorite jarred tomato sauce, or my tomato sauce recipe that I added to this post.
Once your meatballs have finished, using tongs, carefully remove them from the baking sheet and add them to your sauce.
Carefully cover your meatballs with sauce and heat on low for an additional 20-30 minutes uncovered to allow the flavors of the sauce and meat to intermingle.
Serve your meatballs over gluten free spaghetti or with some toasted gluten free baguettes (or whatever gluten free bread you have on hand) and melted provolone cheese!
By Gluten Free Mom To Be
Adapted from Carmine's
Adapted from Carmine's
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/
Growing up, I went on some pretty memorable family vacations, but one that really stands out is our cross country adventure. For a whole month one summer, my parents hitched a trailer to our suburban and drove us from New Jersey out to California and back again. We saw so much of the countryside traveling this way and got to stop at some pretty cool places too like Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone National Park, Alcatraz, Muir Woods, and the Grand Canyon. Not to mention visiting some quirky sights too like the Corn Palace, a place made entirely of corn, riding the trolley cars, and walking the crooked street of San Francisco. It was a jam packed vacation that took us to places we may have never been to otherwise. Thanks to my parents I’m able to tell my little girl more about this country than I ever dreamed I could.
Some of my favorite times on our cross country vacation were spent in California where I met a whole other half of our family for the first time, where we went to Disneyland, and where we walked the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco, taking in all of the sights, sounds, and tastes these cities had to offer. I still remember like it was yesterday, spending a morning seeing San Francisco’s Alcatraz and then walking along Fisherman’s Wharf, picking out a place for lunch. We decided on soups and/or sandwiches from a delicious restaurant nestled right in the wharf, offering authentic San Francisco sourdough. It was so chilly and windy, a perfect San Francisco day for soup and sourdough bread. I remember my mom and dad’s huge sourdough bread bowl, overflowing with piping hot soup inside, it was a sight to see for sure and apparently tasted even better than it looked. Never being a huge soup fan, I had a sandwich on sourdough bread and I can still taste the delicious flavor. The crust was so crunchy on the outside and the inside was light and filled with wholes, but chewy too, just how a perfect sourdough roll should be. Years later, and we haven’t been back to San Francisco but the flavors and textures of that lunch have not been forgotten.
Since going gluten free, my diet has been left with many holes in it, without gluten free substitutions to fill them in. As the hype and popularity of this diet/lifestyle grows, there seems to be more and more unique gluten free options out there. We’re far from where I hope we’ll end up one day but just being able to find new items like this gluten free sourdough is really encouraging. Which brings me to the beauty of Twitter. I was blogging not too long ago and stumbled upon a gluten free sourdough bread company in San Francisco, Bread SRSLY. Just after one glimpse, I was instantly transported back to my family’s time in San Francisco and couldn’t help but crave a taste of that crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside sourdough bread. But would these gluten free rolls and loaves of bread compare to the ones that stood out in my memory? Well there was only one way to find out.
A little chat later, and the generous gluten free folks at Bread SRSLY in San Francisco were sending along a couple of samples of their gluten free sourdough bread. I couldn’t have been more excited for their arrival and thankfully didn’t have to wait too long. I opened the box like it was Christmas morning and found three brown paper packages of gluten free sourdough in a few varieties, including rolls, a loaf of regular bread, and a loaf of kale bread. I couldn’t wait to dive into one of them, so that day for lunch I decided on a warm sandwich of fresh mozzarella and sliced tomatoes between two halves of a sourdough roll.
Looks tasty doesn’t it? Well, I’m happy to report that these rolls taste just as good as they look. After unrolling the top of the paper package you get a whiff of sourdough. The rolls are bit darker than your classic white sourdough rolls but texture and flavor are right on point. You can enjoy them with or without toasting, both ways they taste good. The crust on the outside is crispy and the inside is chewy and light, just like the sourdough deliciousness I enjoyed years ago. Of course you can enjoy these anyway you’d like, but I highly recommend heating up a couple of slices of mozzarella and tomatoes on a toasted gluten free sourdough roll. You end up with a warm, gluten free sandwich, with all of the fantastic flavor and texture of the sourdough roll, that would be perfect being served in Fisherman’s Wharf for a breezy and cool San Francisco day.
Bread SRSLY has joined the ranks of companies that have seemed to accomplish the impossible. They’ve produced a gluten free product that is 100% unique to the gluten free world that resembles it’s regular version remarkably well. We all know that perfecting taste and texture of gluten free products, especially those in the bread family, is incredibly difficult but seems to be done flawlessly by some of these smaller companies. My favorite feature of these sourdough rolls is that you can taste the love that’s baked into them. You can just tell that so much thought, trial and error, and passion has been put into making a great product, which just makes them taste that much better.
Take a look at the Bread SRSLY site to see the entire list of gluten free products that they offer. And if you’re not in the Bay area it’s not a problem, neither am I, but I can still order some of their sourdough products on their site and get them sent right to my front door. These rolls are yet another fantastic addition to the gluten free world and one that I’ll add to my pantry whenever I can. Congratulations Bread SRSLY on your gluten free success!
A couple of years ago, pre-gluten free, my husband and I first dined at Carmine’s in New York City, Times Square. We’d heard fantastic things from family and friends who had visited there in the past, so we were definitely excited to experience the Carmine’s deliciousness ourselves. And that we did, we left there full and satisfied, even planning our grand return in the future. We never did get back there to have our pick of the menu but we have triumphantly returned thanks to their massive gluten free selection taken right off of their regular menu with only a few adjustments.
Carmine’s has only a few locations, two of which we’ve visited in the gluten free phase of life. Just recently, we decided to take little one to the National Zoo in Washington D.C., which also meant a trip to Carmine’s too! While I’m always excited for a trip to the zoo with my family, it’s equally as exciting to go to Carmine’s again. We don’t get to go too often since we aren’t right around the corner, but whenever we’re in the area of one we’re sure to take advantage. We just love the family style serving theme of their delicious Italian food, not to mention the family and friend vibe that we always get dining here. After a couple of weeks in anticipation of the Carmine’s/D.C. day it had finally arrived and we were headed out for a little road trip. Even though it was early September, the weather lent itself more to a hot, summery day which was more than welcomed seeing as the weather forecast predicted rain instead of the sun that appeared. With a long drive behind us, we were raring to go to explore the gorgeous National Zoo. This zoo is phenomenal, home to all kinds of different animals, but perfectly set into nature with hilly paths and trees all around. If you haven’t been and are in the metro area, you absolutely must go and enjoy this day’s worth of adventure. Our little one surely loved it, even took to exploring a lot of the zoo on foot. Some of our favorites were the seals who made our little girl burst out in belly laughs when they starting talking to each other, the elephants, which she now calls by name and imitates all of the time, and the cheetahs, who she greeted with a growl! It was a great day in D.C. and made our little one’s weekend for sure.
A little tired and a lot hungry, we were ready to drop our stuff off at our hotel and head over to our dinner destination. While the food at Carmine’s is always a huge perk for me, I was also super excited this time to share our family style dinner with one of my good friends Sara, who lives in the metro area now. So after a quick drive to our hotel, we dropped our stuff off and headed out to catch the metro. A short ride later and we had finally arrived at our Gallery Place stop. As we made our way to the familiar red awning, I could just smell the gluten free Carmine’s Salad, Vodka Rigatoni, and Titanic soon to be coming our way.
Inside, our party of four was escorted to our table and we were set up with a gluten free menu, while the regular menu was displayed in their signature fashion, largely on the wall. Whenever we go to Carmine’s, my husband is always on board to partake in my gluten free choice since the portions are intended for an entire family, but always, per my encouragement, is sure to get a dish of his choice too though, gluten free or not. For dinner that night, Sara was more than happy to enjoy the gluten free Carmine experience with me, along with anything else Dan might choose.
On our menu that evening, we decided to go with the gluten free Carmine’s Salad and Scarpariello Chicken Wings to start, the gluten free Vodka Rigatoni and non-gluten free Chicken Parmesan for our entrees, and for dessert, the gluten free Tugboat, a miniature version of the Titanic, their signature dessert. Within just moments of placing our order, a basket filled with all types of non-gluten free breads were placed on the table. Some focaccia pieces were just seasoned while others seemed to be topped with a tomato sauce of sorts, I hate to say it but they looked incredible, but a no go for us gluten free folk. A great start to the meal though for my little girl, especially since she was chomping at the bit for some dinner.
Not long after though, the gluten free Carmine’s Salad had arrived and should have really come with a trumpet fanfare too, that’s how fantastic this opening dish is. The salad unfortunately did not survive for a picture (sorry) but no worries I was able to capture pictures of each of the other gluten free dishes before they were disturbed. Before we get there though, I have to tell you how delicious their salad is. I know I’ve mentioned it to you before when I made my own Carmine’s Salad at home, but it’s just so good. When the waiter placed down the masterpiece of salad in front of us the table fell silent in amazement. Their signature salad is a huge plate with a mountain of mixed greens, tomatoes, pepperoncinis, cucumbers, onions, roasted red peppers, celery, radishes, olives and assorted meats and cheese mixed throughout, including provolone, mortadella, salami, all slathered with their house vinaigrette. This salad is by far the best salad that I’ve ever had and is a meal in itself!
Now, our second appetizer were the Chicken Scarpariello wings, courtesy of my husband. These wings are one of Dan’s favorite Carmine’s dishes and actually happen to be gluten free without any changes. With their arrival, Dan’s face lit up and you could just see his excitement as he glanced over the heaping plate, piled high with beautifully glazed, crispy wings. The wings are cooked to perfection, with a crispy outside and juicy inside. On the flavor side of things, these wings are seasoned with a variety of herbs, most potent though is rosemary, making them incredibly tasty with a little zip on the end. These are amazingly flavorful wings I have to say but a little too zippy for me, but we all know I find a hint of pepper to be spicy so don’t use me as a judge of spiciness. My husband LOVES these wings which is absolutely fine with me, more Carmine’s salad on my plate and my little girl’s too who seemed to be a big fan like her Mommy!
And, after much anticipation, Carmine’s family sized portion of Gluten Free Vodka Penne had arrived, made gluten free only with a substitution of the normal rigatoni with gluten free penne. I just love their vodka sauce, creamy with prosciutto bits mixed throughout, complementing the perfectly cooked gluten free pasta, amazingly. While this plate was placed down at my end of the table, the huge plate of massive Chicken Parmesan was placed at the gluten eaters end. I didn’t take a picture of this dish since it’s not gluten free but it was very drool worthy, as pretty much everything at Carmine’s is. Don’t worry though, at Carmine’s the deliciousness of their gluten free dishes more than makes up for the absences of those that you can’t eat.
While the chicken parmesan was plated, I couldn’t help but snag the first taste of the vodka penne. It was PHENOMENAL! Gluten free pasta cooked perfectly al dente and the sauce, one of the best vodka sauces I’ve ever had; mind you, vodka rigatoni was and still is one of my favorite pasta dishes, so I’ve had a lot to compare it to in my gluten and gluten free days. After my sneaky bite, I went on to ladle some pasta and cut up some chicken for our little Carmine’s diner to enjoy, and that she did. She gobbled up every last bite of both and even had a little bit of seconds of Mommy’s gluten free favorite.
A little while later, the aftermath of our meal fit for royalty was a sight to be seen. Some stuffed bellies all around with satisfied grins on all of our faces. It was an amazing meal shared with even more fantastic company. It’s been awhile since we’d been to D.C. and since my little girl had seen her honorary Aunt Sara, so a reunion was definitely in order. And for us what better place to reunite with a friend, who might as well be family, than at this family oriented, family style Italian restaurant. Carmine’s gave each of us a meal to remember and even some leftovers too!
While we chatted some more and little one colored, played with her souvenir bucket of animals, and was chatting and making animal sounds, the waiter had rejoined us and inquired about dessert. Okay, so you’ll by no means really have room for dessert when you dine here, but with the temptation of a gluten free behemoth of a dessert dangling in front of you like a carrot, you’ll more than likely need to try it. You’ll have trust me on this one, I highly recommend that you make a little room for it! Carmine’s offers a dessert called the Titanic, a mountainous sundae built to feed about 10 people, as are most of Carmine’s dishes, that can be slightly altered to be gluten free. Dan and I have both enjoyed this in the past and couldn’t let our little one and Sara get away without seeing and tasting this concoction. So for our smaller group of 4 the waiter recommended the miniature version called the Tugboat, made to feed half the number of people and for the half the cost too. We were sold, and soon enough little one and Sara would meet the miniature version of the Titanic dessert for the first time.
This dessert is enormous! It’s hard to picture what a family style ice cream and brownie sundae may look like but trust me, it is huge, and this is just the tugboat so picture a doubled version of this one for the Titanic. Okay, so what’s in this sweet treat exactly? Well you start off with a flourless chocolate torte on the bottom (great gluten free start, yay!), then some scoops of vanilla and chocolate ice cream are placed on top of the brownie, tons of fresh whipped cream are next, sliced bananas and strawberries decorate the sundae throughout, roasted cinnamon pineapples are placed on it’s sides, and chocolate syrup and chopped hazelnuts dress the top, and all of this is 100% gluten free! The only adjustment that is needed to make the regular version from here is to add those chocolate swirl cookie sticks to the top for the smoke stacks, which are not gluten free, but believe me they are not missed at all with all of the sweetness going on.
After the photographer was finished, this perfectly artful creation was demolished, divided onto four plates, and the first taster, who was the smallest one at the table, was busy taking the first bite. With her signature “mmm” in approval and plea for “more please mommy” we took it that our little girl was a huge fan of Carmine’s monstrous dessert, while the rest of us adults agreed completely with her praise. The gluten free torte was divine, but with the additions of the fruit and ice cream, this is what really stole the show! It was a delicious finish to a meal that couldn’t have been better in the gluten free department.
Years ago, when I experienced Carmine’s the regular way I thought then that it was amazing, but now, with gluten free glasses on, I’ve realized just how fantastic they truly are. Their gluten free selection is above and beyond what many other Italian restaurants are able to do. They offer countless gluten free options that are flavorful and just as delicious as their regular counterparts, which in my opinion is how gluten free restaurant dishes should be; their gluten free dishes never make you miss a gluten filled dish adjacent to you at the table but rather allowing you to enjoy your very own gluten free version just as much, hold the sickness.
If you’re local or visiting any of Carmine’s locations, two in New York City and one in Washington D.C., Atlantic City N.J., Las Vegas, or Atlantis in the Bahamas, you absolutely must try them out. Embrace their family style dining and go with your whole family or invite some friends along too! If it’s just you and your own little family, do as we do and don’t be afraid to treat yourselves, you’ll just have lots of leftovers later on, there are worse things. Do keep in mind their menus are priced for dishes that can feed a large number of people and everything is meant to be shared among your group. And even more good news, I’ve already mentioned that they offer a huge list of options on their gluten free menu, and I do mean huge so take a look, but they also cater to countless other food allergies, making them even better in my book!
So, we had yet another fantastic Carmine’s experience, to top off our little weekend away. You can’t get much better than a gluten free meal fit for your dreams and your little girl giggling and laughing with family all around. While I don’t know when we’ll be back to Carmine’s, I do know that we’ll always make it a point to get there when we’re in the neighborhood. I also know that Carmine’s has surely won a few more fans with that meal who will definitely be lifelong guests from here on. All of this reminiscing about that meal is tough but certainly gives me something to look forward to in the future, which makes our meals at Carmine’s that much more special. But until we return, it’s homemade Carmine’s salad for us and back to dreaming of those massively tasty plates of gluten free food.
I’m personally not a huge meat eater, but I certainly have my favorite dishes with my go to proteins. Chicken definitely is at the top of the list and something that we eat very often in our house. It’s our go to protein for salads, stir frys, and baked dishes, either in pre-made, time saving form of Perdue’s Shortcuts and Gluten Free Tenders, which we love, or made from scratch by yours truly. I’ve posted plenty of dishes in the chicken department that’s for sure, which you can check out on the blog here, but who doesn’t like adding parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs to chicken.
I was food shopping one day and spotted one of those little pamphlets with recipe ideas by the Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and spotted one that was too good to pass up. Of course the recipe in the pamphlet was not gluten free,, so I tweaked it a little to work for our family and there you have it, deliciously moist and crunchy Gluten Free Breaded Parmesan Chicken. This recipe is fantastically easy with only four ingredients that certainly do chicken proud. Ready to try it yet? Without further ado, here’s Gluten Free Breaded Parmesan Chicken that has become a favorite in the Gluten Free Mom To Be’s house and will surely become one in yours as well.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise (Most varieties are gluten free which is stated on the label)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lb skinless chicken breasts
Seasoned gluten free bread crumbs, about 4-5 tbsp (I season my own Schar bread crumbs like this, but you can also purchase already seasoned gluten free bread crumbs like Gillian’s too.)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Clean and trim 1 1/2 lb skinless chicken breasts before adding them to a baking dish.
Combine 1/2 cup of any gluten free variety of Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I do this right in my measuring cup, measuring the mayo first and guesstimating the parmesan cheese on top. Less dishes=happy mommy). As far as the mayo, I really like the Olive Oil version, but I usually use either the regular or light options, all of which state gluten free on the label.
After mayo and cheese have been mixed together, spoon mixture on top of chicken breasts and spread evenly across each piece of chicken (I just use the back of the spoon for this part).
Once each piece has been coated with the mayo/parmesan mixture, sprinkle seasoned gluten free bread crumbs on top of chicken, making sure that all pieces are fully coated in bread crumbs.
Bake chicken for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees until chicken is cooked all the way through.
Enjoy!
Easy right? Just four ingredients, 10 minutes of prep, and 20 minutes to bake and you have a tasty and healthy dinner on the table. And let me promise you, it’s just as tasty as it looks. The bread crumbs on the outside crisp up just a little while the inside of the chicken gets really flavorful and juicy. A favorite for us for sure! Thanks so much to Hellmann’s for this idea because this makes some amazing gluten free chicken!
1/2 cup Hellmann's Mayonnaise (Most varieties are gluten free which is stated on the label)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 lb skinless chicken breasts
Seasoned gluten free bread crumbs, about 4-5 tbsp (I season my own Schar bread crumbs, but you can also purchase already seasoned gluten free bread crumbs like Gillian's too.)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Clean and trim 1 1/2 lb skinless chicken breasts before adding them to a baking dish.
Combine 1/2 cup of any gluten free variety of Hellmann's Mayonnaise and 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I do this right in my measuring cup, measuring the mayo first and guesstimating the parmesan cheese on top. Less dishes=happy mommy). As far as the mayo, I really like the Olive Oil version, but I usually use either the regular or light options, all of which state gluten free on the label.
After mayo and cheese have been mixed together, spoon mixture on top of chicken breasts and spread evenly across each piece of chicken (I just use the back of the spoon for this part.
Once each piece has been coated with the mayo/parmesan mixture, sprinkle seasoned gluten free bread crumbs on top of chicken, making sure that all pieces are fully coated in bread crumbs.
Bake chicken for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees until chicken is cooked all the way through.
Enjoy!
By Gluten Free Mom To Be
Adapted from Hellmann's
Adapted from Hellmann's
Gluten Free Mom To Be http://www.glutenfreemomtobe.com/