Not so sure about Nepali Kitchen in Lincoln City, Oregon...

I have heard great things about this place.  Not sure I should call it Collage Foods, Cyber Gardens or Nepali Kitchen as it has all 3 signs on the front.  Last Tuesday I took my son in there to try the food.  Atmosphere and decor have not really changed since the last few owners, but it's charming either way.  I believe we sat on the Nepali Kitchen side for about 5 minutes before the cook emerged from the swinging kitchen doors.  He hastily handed me a menu and returned to the kitchen.  Now, Lincoln City is full of excellent restaurants that are bustling with servers and customers alike.  This place was dead at noon.  I have to admit, I could already see a few clues as to why.  1. No actual server to greet you and make you feel like they're open for business.  2. Cleanliness (lack of). 3. Diminished atmosphere, no music. I decided to try the food anyway.  Upon referral, I was told they had Gluten Free Soups and menu options and were very knowledgeable about the needs of people on a Gluten Free diet.  My experience was much different.  I don't expect every server and every eatery to know all about this.  However, I do expect some gamesmanship.  If someone is going to be accommodating, us Celiac's can tell right away.   Straight from the look on their face when we drop the G-Free BOMB!  It's most realistic to have low expectations and be met with positives.  Anyway, After looking over the menu....reading every detail....looking at the pictures....and investigating the overall quality of the menu itself, the cook finally emerged.  If I was in a hurry, I would've walked up the street and gotten something else...anything else!  We ordered one breakfast skillet to share, meat and vegetable with toast on the side. Simple.  As he scurried away, I shouted out what we would like to drink....we had already invested 15 minutes and weren't going without!  As we sat and admired all of the adornments on the walls, ceiling, doors, bar etc...we began to wonder how all glass tables and high chairs were thought to be kid friendly?  I mean, I believe what I read on Urban Spoon!  Yet, we sat waiting an unusually long time for our "skillet" which was described as a combination of hashbrowns, eggs, vegetables and meat.  It didn't exactly specify which vegies and which meat...call it adventurous to order breakfast at Nepali Kitchen and have mystery eats!  I wish we had a server that I could've asked more questions of about Gluten Free options because the lunch and dinner menu looked fantastic.  But, breakfast is generally the safest option for me.  However, I will reiterate, I think we were in the wrong place!  Moving on, our food arrives and we were left once again to forage silverware, cream, sugar, napkins, salt & pepper from the next table....because our cook was back in the kitchen!  Luckily, nobody was there to witness our thievery!   The food itself was simply plated on a clear glass plate with the toast piled right on top of the layered shredded hashbrowns, and scrambled up eggs.  Fantastic.  My son said his food was good.  Not that he's asked to go back, but just the same.  I believe I will try again to enter the Cyber Garden Cafe in the adjacent room.  There's no outside entrance now?  If the sliding glass door is locked for customer entry, than I am not sure what else to do but give Nepali Kitchen a big "EH?"

Excellent Gluten Free Breakfast Scramble

My days start with fresh brewed coffee at 6am...and breakfast is sometimes an oversight until mid-morning when my hands start to shake a little.  I think for Celiac's, it is so easy to get caught up not eating or eating prepared foods most of the time.  They are pre-packaged and ready to take along with you.  I am fortunate that I get to eat breakfast at home most days and my 3 year old loves to share.  This scramble is just right for 2 people and hits the spot when I need some protein...and flavor! 

Tools:
Medium size Frying Pan
Cooking Spray
Small Spatula
Medium Kitchen Knife
Cutting Board
1/2 Cup Measure


Ingredients:
1/2 Cup (Insernio's)Chicken Breakfast Sausage
1/4 Red Pepper Diced
2 Slices Yellow Onion Sliced
7 Eggs
Ground Black Pepper
1/4 Cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese or Goat Cheese
Handful of torn Cilantro Leaves

• Preheat your medium frying pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.
• Cut off one end of the chicken sausage pkg and squeeze it into the 1/2 cup measure.
• Dump into the hot pan.  Break it up with your spatula.
• Dice your vegies and add straight to the chicken sausage.
• Stir well, breaking up larger chunks of meat. 

• Turn heat to high, cover with a lid and let steam for about 4 minutes.
• Uncover and let the vegies caramelize over the high heat for about 5 minutes stirring frequently.
• Reduce heat back to Medium and crack eggs straight into meat and vegies. Add Ground Black Pepper & Stir well.
• Keep stirring from bottom to top. Be sure eggs do not get brown and overcooked.
• Turn off heat when they are a little undercooked.
• Shred your cheese and tear your cilantro leaves from the stems.
• Place scramble into your dishes and adorn with cheese and cilantro.

This recipe has lots of vegies...just the way I like it! I toasted some Rudi's Gluten Free Bread with mine! 

Enjoy!!

Is Mustard Gluten Free?

In my line of work, people ask me a lot of questions about what is and what is not gluten free, soy free, dairy free etc.  I do not claim to be an expert.  Although I have studied the products I use for my everyday baking needs.  I have gotten into a debate with one customer that is still convinced that eggs are dairy...even after I explained to her that they do not contain lactose.  The latest however is that mustard seeds contain gluten.  This surprised me because mustard plants and seeds are not part of the wheat (triticum, Poaceae) family which is an edible, non-flowering grain.  Mustard seed originates from rosids (Cruciferae) family of flowering plants.  When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I was told to stay away from it because it contained vinegar.  9 years ago, it was believed that vinegar was unsafe because it is distilled using wheat and there may be traces of wheat in the liquid.  I believe all of this has been proven safe now.  Where I can see the correllation between gluten and mustard is in the manufacturing of mustard sauces in factories.  After conducting my own research, I have concluded that most table mustard sauces do contain gluten as added to mustard seed paste.  Generally, mustard seed is ground into powder and is cut with wheat flour, thus named mustard flour.  Not to be confused with "mustard powder" on the label.  My next conclusion is not to trust labelling of mustard unless it states "gluten free" after the ingredients.  Because, some companies are just not up to par on their labeling and because it's not worth taking the chance.  I have included a list and link for more information.  So, next time anybody tells you something is or isn't G-free, take it from me, do your own research! 

  "All major commercial brands of mustard contain gluten; here is a list of gluten-free mustards:

* Bone Suckin' Mustard
* Mr. Spice Honey Mustard
* 365 Organic German Mustard and Dijon Mustard
* Annie's Organic Honey Mustard
* Atomic Horseradish Creamy White Mustard
* Natural Value Organic Dijon, Horseradish, Stoneground, and Yellow Gluten-Free Mustards.
* Whole Kids Organic Yellow Mustard"

(List credits are from answers.yahoo.com)

Some of my favorites can be found on Amazon.com:



Westbrae Mustard

Nance's Sharp and Creamy Mustard

Annie's Organic Honey Mustard

Annies Naturals 24169 Organic Horseradish Mustard (Google Affiliate Ad)


 

Gluten Free at The Oregon State Fair

Gluten Free at The Oregon State Fair

I started by searching for Gluten Free Oregon State Fair and came up with Minnesota State Fair and a bunch of local Gluten Free Food Fairs....but nothing where I was going?  Like many other people on a Gluten-Free diet, we use search engines and try to map out where we are going to eat ahead of time.  Leaving town is a process!  That's the intention of most of the traffic on my website...to see what's in store when they get here.  Well, lucky for me, this search was just to see if I had any competition.  I was on my way to deliver to Mel's Diner at the Oregon State Fair.  It was a beautiful Summer day.  I had turned out some of the most moist Sandwich Rolls, White Bread and Flatbread.  Packaged, labeled and ready to go, we headed from the beach about an hour East into the Valley.  Travelling into the Valley from the Oregon Coast is a beautifully scenic drive.  Rivers, Mountains, Farms, then the City.  The coastal breeze was cool but I knew we'd be in the Summer heat soon enough.  Arriving to the fair, we were greeted at the gate by a friendly-but-tough guard that lightened up when we told her where our delivery was going.  Everybody knows Mel!

Arriving to Mel's felt like home.  I grew up with her, but she and her staff have a way of making you feel comfortable even if you didn't.  Like they would remember what you ordered last year and every other.  Gluten-Free can be scary for some food vendors and restaurant owners if they do not need it themselves.  Proof's in the puddin.  But this was not a hard sell.  Mel is more than excited, having a network of Gluten-Free friends herself.  She's taken the time to make sure everything is safe and ready to go!

 

Everybody wants to be able to eat...don't they?  Most Celiac's end up just snacking on findings from the grocery store.  It's like torture walking amidst all of the smells of all of the foods you cannot eat!  In lieu of making my way East, I did not eat a large breakfast.  I was anticipating lunch at Mel's.  The menu is pretty simple, and focused on quality.  Nice, fresh ingredients and cooked to perfection.

Mel's friends and family are warm and inviting.  (Mel is not pictured because she was busy running here-and-there).  My order was ready in about 3 minutes flat!

 

 
 With an ice cold lemonade and fresh hot Chicken Fajita in a GF Flatbread Wrap....we sat and enjoyed under the only covered eating area at the whole fair!  This wrap had just the right proportions of meat, cheese, grilled onions and peppers, salsa and sour cream.  Just enough to ooze out the bottom and be sopped up with the flatbread!  Mel really thinks of everything.  She's a seasoned veteran of the Oregon State Fair and it shows.  She's got amazing attention to the details and really knows how to take care of her patrons!

Chicken Fajita in a Gluten Free Flatbread Wrap

 

Gotta love action shots...

 

Spending the day at the Oregon State Fair was wonderful.  The hot sun felt nice.  Cold lemonade galore was refreshing.  The kids and I laughed at the hypnotist show, and ofcourse had to go pet all of the animals.  There's so much more to do that we will be back to deliver later this week....oh darn! 



Lovin the fajita as well...



and has time to stop and smell the petunias...

   

Basic Gluten Free All-Purpose Bean Flour Mixture

It has been brought to my attention that my Gluten Free customers need a really good flour mix.  I guess we all grew up on bleached all-purpose flour.  But now, we have to mix and measure to get the muffins and cakes we actually want to eat!  When I bake bread, muffins, cakes and cookies this is my go-to mix.  It has a ton of protein and nutrients that classic white mixes just lack.  Anytime I post "What's for Dinner" I will specify Bean Flour Mix and expect it's probably on hand!

Bean Flour Mix:
2 Cups Garbanzo Bean Flour
2 Cups Sweet White Sorghum Flour
4 Cups Tapioca Flour
4 Cups Non-GMO Corn Starch

Mix these together in a bowl of into a 2 gallon plastic zip-loc bag. No need to sift.  I store this in a plastic bag and use as needed. I hope you enjoy!

Granny Apples Muffins

Granny Apples Muffins originated while I was pregnant with my third son.  Craving tart or tangy apples, I made my trek to the market.  There I was, indecisive over fresh, dried and chips.  There is nothing like getting exactly what you want to eat!!  Later that day, I was suddenly inclined to take my craving to the next level.  Granny Apples Muffins include Granny Smith's chewy-dried & Crispy dehydrated chips...and even sauce...they are magical!!

Granny Apples Muffins are moist and sweet with hints of cinnamon spice and fresh lemon zest.  Each bite has a bit of creamy frosting, a tangy morsel of dried apple and a bit of sour apple crunch to round it out.


Ingredients:

1 Bag of Granny Smith Crunchy Dried Apple Chips
1lb Butter at room temp

DRY:

Bean Flour Mix = 4c Total:
-1/2c Garbanzo Flour
-1/2c Sweet White Sorghum Flour
-1c Corn Starch
-1c Tapioca Flour
-1c White Rice Flour
1tsp Xanthan Gum
1tsp salt
1tsp Baking Powder
2tsp Baking Soda
2tsp Unflavored Gelatin
1 & 1/2c Evaporated Cane Juice
2tsp Cinnamon

WET:

3 Whole Eggs
3tsp Vanilla Extract
1c Vegetable Oil
1c Gravenstein Applesauce
2tsp Cider Vinegar
1 & 1/2c Hot water (tap is fine)
2c Dried Apple slices (Medium chop)
Zest & Juice of 2 large lemons (Fine grate on cheese grater)


Gather 2 Medium mixing bowls, electric mixer & beaters, Sharp Large Kitchen Knife & Cutting Board, rubber spatula, dry & liquid measuring cups, measuring teaspoon, cheese grater, Wire whisk, paper muffin cups (or none w/ cooking spray) & muffin tins.

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Measure out hot tap water & into that, add chopped-dried apple slices (set aside until wet ingred. are mixed).
• Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl with your wire whisk. 
• Add all wet ingredients (Including Water w/ apples in it) into second mixing bowl & mix w/ electric mixer.
• Pour wet onto dry and begin mixing w/ electric mixer on low speed (for about 2mins).  (Be sure to clean the sides of the bowl w/ spatula to prevent dry flour clumps).
• Insert paper muffin cups into muffin tins or spray tins with cooking spray.
• Using a medium icecream scoop, ladel 1 scoop into each muffin cup.  If you are making mini-muffins, use a smaller scoop.
• Bake for approx. 10-15mins...depending on your oven.  Muffins will turn golden and should feel springy but not squishy to the touch.  Remember that they are better a little less than over because they will continue to cook for a bit while cooling.
• Make Frosting

Basic Frosting:
1lb of butter @ room temp
1tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 to 1lb bag of powdered sugar
Cream Butter & Vanilla
Add in powdered sugar slowly while mixing.
Beat until smooth.
Spatula into a frosting bag fitted with your tip of choice.

• Remove muffins from oven. Extract  each from muffin tin onto a rack or cool, clean surface. Let cool for approx 1 hour.
• Frost from bag and sprinkle the crispy apple chips on top.

Tip: If you plan to eat at a later time, refrigerate cupcakes and wait to adorn with apple chips until just before they are served.  This way, they will remain crunchy and add a lot of texture.


Smile and Enjoy!!!


 

 

Garden Fresh Pizza

     Tonight I was craving BBQ Chicken Pizza.  Last time I bought one from a local restaurant, I ended up spending $18.95 for a meager individual size.  Its soggy thin crust was only worthy of a fork and the ratio of chicken to sauce was disproportionate.  Not doing that again!!  My crust is thicker and sturdy, so you can pick it up to eat it!  Plus, it's as familiar to use as any other crust out there.  
     I began slicing the chicken and found myself utterly inspired by some fresh pickings from my garden.  Cherry Tomatoes, Cilantro, Brussel Sprouts, Purple Garlic...simply nutritious!  This time of year, we eat mostly vegetables.  Even on our pizza!  The crust is an original recipe that has been a top seller in my Gluten Free Bakery.  This pizza turned out chewy, tangy, cheesey and has a kick to it!  I hope you love it as much as I did!

 

 

GARDEN FRESH PIZZA

 

 

1- Family Size GF Pizza Crust
1- Large Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (Sliced thinly & Sautee w/ Potato)
1- Medium Yukon Gold Potato (diced small & Lightly Sautee w/ Chicken)
1/4c GF BBQ Sauce (Spread onto crust)
2-4 Cloves of Garlic (Chopped Finely & Place onto sauced crust)
1 Lg Brussel Sprout (sliced or shredded finely & Place onto sauced crust)
1 Handful of Cilantro (Chopped & Spread onto sauced Crust)
4 Cherry Tomatoes (Quartered & Placed onto Veg Mixture)
1/2c Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Sprinkle on top)

 

 

Step-by-Step: 

 

1. Sautee Chicken & Potato in a small fry pan w/ a touch of olive oil.
2. Place Crust on a Pizza Pan. (No need to oil or dust pan)
3. Sauce Crust & add:
                      Garlic, Brussel Sprout, Cilantro, Tomato
4. Spoon Chicken & Potato onto Crust.
5. Sprinkle Cheese generously to the edges.

  

 

• Set oven to 400 degrees
• Bake until Cheese starts to brown on the peaks
• Remove from oven, let stand for 10 mins.
• Slice and serve!

My stomach is pleasantly full. I ate my vegies too! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did. The pizza crust listed can be found on my website: http://www.lolafoodsglutenfree.com








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