Stuffing/Dressing Inspiration

My favorite part of the holidays has always been stuffing. Didn’t matter if it was cornbread, turkey or sage. If it was bread with herbs I was in gluten filled ecstasy, at least till the gluten effects hit. This was a joy I thought was behind me forever. I was so incredibly wrong.

I ran to Trader Joe’s today to pick up a few staples for turkey day. In the produce ailse I heard the siren song of the new stuffing starter blend! It has all of the onions, celery and herbs you need for stuffing! So of course I had to try it.

I sauteed the mix in butter and olive oil while I toasted the torn up bread. (I used all of the ends to my Udi’s and Whole Foods Whole Grain GF Bread)

To add texture and and earthy element I added sauteed mushrooms.

I had some left over roasted chicken from yesterday so I added that as well.

I put it all in a casserole pan and baked at 350 for 35 minutes. The result was a beautiful earthy, rich and slightly salty stuffing. Toasting the bread gave the stuffing chewy bits of crust that I always loved. And the best part…. No Gluten Reaction!!!!

Nando’s Peri-Peri

This week I tried Portuguese food for the first time at Nando’s Peri-Peri. I will never go back to plain old rotisserie chicken again. I don’t like spicy food so I went for the Lemon Herb basting sauce. The heat level in this sauce was perfect for a spice wimp like me.  The Macho Peas are mashed peas with whole peas, parsley, mint and chilli. While the heat level almost pushed past what I like I would happily endure the burn again and again. When I ordered the peas I was expecting a brown mushy dish. I got a vibrant green masterpiece that tasted like the peas were just out of the pod with each herb was individually showcased beautifully.

As far for a Gluten Free Menu I would say that Nando’s surpasses any chain restaurant I have ever been to. Almost everything is gluten free! The only things to avoid are the bread, wrappers and corn bread. Add to that fast service, take out and online ordering with very reasonable prices and you have the perfect recipe for grabbing a gluten free meal on the go.

Forgotten Halloween Post

Had the joy of going to a large Halloween Ball at a very upscale club in DC…

Of course I had to go as the “Queen of Hearts”!

Polenta and Spicy Sauce

1 tube of Trader Joe’s ready to serve Polenta

1 Jar of Spicy Tomato Sauce

Parmesan Cheese

Olive oil

Slice polenta into 1/2 slices and brush each side with olive oil. Broil each side until the edges are golden brown. Heat sauce and ladle 1/2 cup sauce into a bowl.  Top with 3-4 polenta rounds and parmesan cheese. Serve with a salad to balance out the meal.