Pumpkin Spice-Walnut Pancakes

The past few days here have been abnormally hot....about in the 90's which is pretty rare around here.  Except yesterday that is...it was slightly chilly, very over cast and almost fall type weather.  I wanted something filling for breakfast, not cereal.  I was  going to try and make a flour blend that I could use for pancakes but realized I needed to order some more flours to do that and saw that I had half a package of Trader Joe's GF Pancake mix left so I decided to make those.

I am not one for plain pancakes.  I love chocolate chips in mine.  I didn't have any yesterday so I looked around to see what I had and could incorporate into my pancakes.  I found some cinnamon, some nutmeg, some pumpkin pie spice and some walnuts.

1/2 package of Trader Joe's GF Pancake mix (follow directions on the back of package)

1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup chopped walnut pieces (Trader Joe's)

Prepare Pancake mix as the package says.  Stir in the pumpkin pie spice.  In a large pre-heated skillet with a little bit of non-stick spray drop in about 3 pancakes (about 1/4 cup each of batter...or however large/small you like them).  Then they start to bubble add walnuts and then flip over to cook on the other side.

Pancakes should only be flipped once.  When you see the bubbles start to form you know that is almost time to flip.  The bottom should then be a nice golden brown.

You can make all of the pancakes at once and either refrigerate or freeze them.  Or you can make what you would like and then save the batter for a day or two in the refrigerator.  I made all of mine at once and just put them in the toaster this morning to have again.  Very tasty.

"Lasagna"

When I was little every year for my birthday we would have lasagna and I loved it so much. Mostly loved it with out meat but on the occasion meat was ok . I haven't had lasagna in such a long time and the other day Lisa was talking to me about a recipe she made with squash instead of noodles. It sounded pretty tasty so I thought I would give it a try.

This recipe is awesome! So tasty and has a little bit of crunch from the squash. I used a Trader Joe's sauce with a little bit of spice to it.

"Lasagna"

2 medium-large yellow squash

1/2 cups ricotta cheese

1 cup frozen spinach (after its been thawed and drained well)

1/2 cups Sauce

Salt and Pepper to taste

Slice the squash in 1/4 inch pieces.  Lay them on a paper towel, salt to draw out the extra water/moisture from the squash.  In a bowl mix the spinach and ricotta, season with salt and pepper. In a baking dish (I used a small 2qt baking dish) layer the bottom of the pan with a small amount of sauce. Place the first player of squash down to cover the bottom of the pan (you may have to cut a few pieces to make it fit), evenly spread out the ricotta and spinach mixture, top with sauce. Repeat. You should get about three layers out of these ingredients. Sprinkle with some grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese or top with sliced/shredded mozzarella. (This cal also be done with eggplant or zucchini, again after slicing place on a paper towel and salt to draw out excess water).

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (or until mozzarella is golden brown)

Thanks Lisa!!!

Sweet Potato Fries

You know those nights where all you want is a cheese burger and fries?? Well tonight was one of them...minus the cheese burger. At last weeks farmer's market I picked up two sweet potatoes and figured, why not make fries out of them tonight.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium - large sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 paprika

enough olive oil to coat the fries

Peel and cut sweet potatoes in 1/4 inch pieces (try to get them as even in size as possible so they cook evenly) In a small bowl combine the garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. In a large bowl coat them with oil, season with the seasoning mixture. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the coated "fries" on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes in a 450 degree oven, turning once.

Let cool and enjoy with your favorite dipping sauce or ketchup.

I've had sweet potato fries before with different kinds of dipping sauces, all different and all very tasty. I've had a few may based sauces, and normally I wouldn't even think to dip a fry in mayo. I actually don't eat much mayo anymore but happened to have some in the fridge so I thought I would try and make one myself:

Sweet Potato Fry Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup fat free mayo

1 tbl spoon fresh lemon juice

1 clove of garlic minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 black pepper

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Gluten Free Eating in Monterey, CA

Its been a little over a year since I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and I'm continually learning new things. I'm always on the hunt for new recipes, ideas, and places to eat. Eating out is by far the hardest part of being Gluten Free. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to cook. I love to experiment and try new things but there are those days where I would much rather just grab something quick to eat.

When I was first diagnosed I did a bunch of research online and found these amazing little cards called Triumph Dining Cards. These are amazing! They come in 10 languages and I always keep the "American Cuisine" in my wallet. I figured these not only would be good with eating out but also for future travel.

I've used these cards quite a bit. I used it last weekend when eating at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco (Khan Toke Thai House). Not only does it help you with picking foods but it also helps the wait staff and chef understand what you can and more importantly can't eat.

Over the past year I have found a few places that are not specifically Gluten Free, however they are very accommodating. I thought I would take a few minutes to share these places with you.

Chinese:

P.F. Changs - Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

They have a specific Gluten Free menu, its small but has a good selection. Their Chang's Spicy Chicken is by far my favorite!

Full Moon - Alvarado Street, Monterey, CA

A small family run restaurant in down town Monterey. They are very accommodating for me. I have brought them large bottles of gluten free soy sauce and they cook all of my food with it. All of their food is cooked to order (except maybe the spareribs which are pre-marinaded). I eat there often (to the point they know me by name and my "usual" orders) so when I first found out they had another customer with Celiac Disease and offered to cook my food with their soy sauce, so I have in turn offered that they can use my soy sauce for any one else with Celiac.

If you have any questions they are very friendly and honest people. I've never had to worry about any cross contamination there either.

Sushi:

Ocean Sushi - Monterey and Pacific Grove, CA

Who doesn't love sushi?! (ok a lot of people, I know) Again, nothing is specifically Gluten Free, however sushi has some great options ... AvoEbi Roll (shrimp, avocado), Philadelphia Roll (salmon, cream cheese and JPN cucumber) and Edamame are great choices. There is not extra sauces or tempura to worry about. They don't provide gluten free soy sauce but I've been known to bring my own and they are fine with that. I've talked with a few of the staff about Celiac and they are very accommodating to Gluten Free eaters.

Mexican:

Chipotle Mexican Grill - Del Monte Center, Monterey, CA

Here you have to be a little more careful of cross contamination, but I've eaten there plenty with out getting sick. On their website you can read all of the ingredients in their marinades, sauces, salsas etc.

As I try more places I'll update on here, but these are some of my favorites...next up Siamese Bay