Summer breeze drifting away...

BS"D

One of the down sides of travelling on a special diet is that you can't just stop at any local cafe on the way for local specialties. You have to plan, plan, plan. Travel for celiacs, food allergic, or anyone else on a special diet, this usually involves a combination of  trolling the internet for gluten free/allergy free friendly restaurants, phone calls to confirm they can accommodate your needs, and a whopping big bag filled with your favorite travelling food to hold you over in between.

I try not to let this get me down when I travel, and instead focus on the place I'm visiting and enjoy the sites and experiences.  Nevertheless, sometimes you just want to try that pain au chocolat in Paris, or soft pretzel on a New York street cart--but you can't. What you can do is find a GF/allergy friendly alternative, or make one at home.

Some foods evoke a place with one bite. The quintessential lobster roll is a Maine summer in one bite. The classic Maine lobster roll consists of generous chunks of lobster mixed with a lightly seasoned mayonnaise sauce on a hoagie roll. Since I don't eat shellfish, and a glutenny roll is out, I created my own in my home kitchen with Dyna-Sea Lobster Bites (made from pollock) on an amazing Udi's baguette.

So the next time you're sitting on a cliff overlooking a lovely beach in Maine, don't let the smells wafting from the lobster roll stand behind you get you down.  Focus on the breeze and the rolling tide and enjoy the moment--you can make your own when you get home!

If you want to try some of the awesome Udi's products, and many other great gluten free products, head on over to the Gluten Free Expo in Secaucus (that's Seh-Caaaw-kus for those of you who don't live in Joisey) from September 6-7, 2014 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center.  Meet up with other GFers, see gluten free cooking demos, and meet some of the people who make the products that make our lives easier--not to mention yummy samples! Follow this link and enter the discount code EXPONJ20 to receive 20% off your ticket purchase. Read on for giveaway info...



I'm giving away 2 sets of 2 tickets free in a random drawing.  Enter by leaving a comment below. Tell me your favorite food you discovered on your travels that you just can't live without. Contest ends at 11:59 p.m. on 8/26/14.

Notta Lobsta' Roll

serves 4

1-16 ounce package Dyna-Sea Lobster Bites, thawed

1/3 cup chopped scallion

1/4 cup minced celery

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

sea salt and white or black pepper to taste

1/2-3/4 cup mayonnaise or Vegenaise

2- Udi's baguettes, cut in half crosswise and lengthwise

4 lemon wedges

In a medium sized mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients except baguettes and lemon wedges. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Wrap baguettes in aluminum foil and heat in a 275F degree oven for 8-10 minutes, or until warm.

Place baguette halves on individual plates, split side up, and fill with a generous amount of the salad mixture.  Serve garnished with a lemon wedge, and if you want to be really authentic, a bag of potato chips!

An InLinkz Link-up

On the road again

BS"D

It seems like in the summer everyone is coming and going, whether it's vacations, camp, or visits to grandma. When you're on a special diet, travel is not as easy as throwing a few things in a suitcase. You have to plan out your meals and anticipate where you can buy provisions, if needed.

Certain standbys have helped me in the past, such as tuna in vacuum sealed packets, cheese sticks, and power bars.  KIND is the only brand I can think of that makes power bars with discernible ingredients. Now they've come out with some great new flavors, as well as a line of granola-- which they call Healthy Grain Clusters--that is gluten free and follows in the tradition of using healthy, real ingredients you can see. It comes in a variety of flavors from the traditional, like Oats and Honey to the temptingly gourmet like Vanilla Blueberry with Flax Seeds.

The Raspberry Clusters with Chia Seed has just the right balance of crunch and chew and is not overly sweet---a mistake many granolas make. One thing I like about the resealable bag the product comes in, is it's very packable, it's much more compact than a regular box of cereal, and it can serve double duty as a breakfast (or any other meal) and a filling snack.

There are new "savory" flavors that KIND is offering in their Strong and KIND bars, which boast a whopping 10 grams of protein, all from whole food sources like nuts and legumes. The bold flavors include Roasted Jalapeno, Honey Smoked BBQ and Honey Mustard. They are a welcome change from the sweet choices of most power bars. When I travel I find sometimes the most portable things are sweet, like power bars and dried fruit---so this is a nice change! The Hickory Smoked flavor tastes a bit like biting into a steak that has a crunchy element, if that makes sense.

I also have the opinion of a "guest blogger" on the new KIND products.

    Hi, it's Lillie.Now that it's summer and I have free time I get to write a post on my Mom's blog.
YAY! I'm going to write about KIND granola clusters. I had the rasberry chia clusters and they are good.Daisie and Posie even asked for more! I had the granola in milk and Daisie had granola in yogurt.You can also eat the clusters right out of the bag. And the chia adds healthy omega-3.
And if you like chocolate throw in some.Chocolate has healthy antioxidants.These tasty clusters contain 5 whole grains, are GF, and are low in sodium. And by the way KIND makes good bars. Well enjoy!                
 Here is a simple yogurt parfait, if you're travelling, it's easy enough to just buy a container of yogurt and sprinkle the KIND granola on top for a simple breakfast or lunch:

The amounts vary depending on the size of your bowl or glass.

KINDly Crunchy Yogurt Parfaits

In a small dessert bowl or clear lowball style glass layer the following:

Yogurt
Fresh Berries
KIND Healthy Grain Clusters

Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.