Say hello to...Chapman's ice cream.

On the topic of sweetness, Chapman's ice cream now has a gluten-free symbol placed on every item that is gluten-free. Stated on their site, "Chapman’s is proud of the fact that all our Original ice cream products in 2L and 4L line sizes are now gluten free so that the kid in all of us can enjoy a worry-free bowl of delicious ice cream. Look for the Gluten Free symbol." Now I know it's almost winter, but vanilla ice cream on that apple pie sure sounds good :) Look for these symbols:

Say hello to...Made In Nature Organic Raisins.

Finally, delicious, natural raisins, that are labelled allergen and gluten-free. No more worrying about whether raisins are brushed with wheat to prevent sticking in packages. What I love about Made In Nature Organic Raisins is they aren't covered in perservatives and sugar, thus giving a sugary feeling on your teeth. They taste fresh and delicious, especially mixed with nuts!

Say hello to...London Drugs & Walmart.

You may be so used to going to health food stores to buy gf food, that you may not have realized how many mainstream stores actually carry gf products these days. When my friend came back to Korea from the States she bought me a bunch of gf goodies from Walmart. She said there was a whole section dedicated to gf foods...and for a good price! In Canada you can now purchase gf food at Safeway, Superstore, and London Drugs. While Safeway and Superstore carry Kinnikinnick amongst other brands, London Drugs carries Enjoy Life cookies and bars as well as Mary's Organic Crackers. Check out the stores nearest you.

Say hello to...Fantastic rice crackers.

I first experienced Fantastic rice crackers when I was in Australia. I noticed that they were labeled gluten-free, but decided to check the ingredients as usual. I was very shocked to see that it contained soy sauce powder which had hydrolyzed wheat. I thought this was odd since Australia has strict gluten-free labeling laws. After contacting the Fantastic company, I received the following response from Marianne Gan (08/30/09):

As a Quality Assured food manufacturer all our products are produced and labelled in accordance with the requirements of Food Standards Australia & New Zealand. Hydrolysed wheat does not contain gluten. The soy sauce powder used, is made by fermenting soy beans with a small amount of wheat. In the process of fermentation the wheat is hydrolysed and decomposed. Regular testings are conducted by an Accredited laboratory tests to confirm this product is gluten free by scientific analysis.

At the time I had read a post on Celiac.com about a few individuals who were also confused by this label. Although they received a similar response from the company, they still believed that hydrolyzed wheat contained gluten. Now I'm sensitive to the smallest bread crumb and did not get sick from these crackers. I'm interested in knowing about your experiences with hydrolyzed wheat?

Say hello to...eating gf in thailand: tip #3.

Tip #3: Stay near a Carrefour grocery store. At Patong beach there is a large shopping centre called Jungceylon. Not only is Jungceylon a fun shopping centre, but it also has a Carrefour grocery store. Because the tourists are mainly from Europe and Australia, there is a lot of European food at Carrefour. I was in shock when I stumbled upon a variety of labeled gluten-free foods that are imported from Australia. Here's what I found: Fantastic rice crackers, 2 Organic Ville salad dressings, Basco Apricot and Apple cereal, Basco chocolate muffin mix, Basco gluten-free flour, Basco pancake mix, and Basco pizza and pastry mix. There's also a few foreign brands that make Thai packaged food and list all allergens, including gluten. So not only can I use some of these foods to snack on while here, but I can also bring home a whole lot of gluten-free foods back to Seoul with me :)

Say hello to...Hormel deli meats.

Are you ready for a great tasting sandwich? Hormel Natural Choice offers delicious deli meats. They have no preservatives, no artificial colors or flavors, no MSG and are gluten-free. Definitely sounds like a natural choice to me ;) It's a pain having to frequently ask the deli meat workers which meats are gluten-free, so it's nice to have a healthy, unprocessed selection such as this. My absolute favorite is the honey flavored turkey deli meat. Besides in a sandwich, it also tastes great baked like bacon or cut in cubes for a quick salad.

Say hello to...sesame chicken.

I cook a lot with chicken since red meat is cut differently and often expensive here in Korea. I've posted my 2 favorite chicken recipes already: fragrant chicken and mustard lime chicken. Sesame chicken is my third favorite- it's simple and tastes great.


Ingredients
3/4 brown rice
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp gf soy sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 egg whites
1/4 cup cornstarch *
2-3 chicken breasts, cut into cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Handful of broccoli, separated
Salt and pepper to taste


1. Begin cooking the rice.
2. Fill saucepan or pot with 1 inch of water. Put broccoli in it and cook on low for 5-7min.
3. In a small bowl combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside.
4. In a large bowl whisk egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken and season with salt and pepper, toss to coat.
5. In skillet, heat 1 tbsp oil over med/high heat. Add half the chicken, turning occasionally for 8-10min. Repeat with remaining chicken. Return all the chicken to the skillet and add reserved sauce, toss to coat.
6. Serve over with broccoli over brown rice.


*The original recipe called for corn powder, not cornstarch. Although I haven't experimented with other flours yet, I'm sure there's another one that might even work better than cornstarch.

Say hello to...honey nut Chex cereal.

I previously mentioned how Chex now comes in 5 different gluten-free flavors. I didn't think I'd have the chance to try the new flavors until next year when I'd be in North America. But my friend in Seoul who has access to the grocery store on the american army base recently came across the gluten-free honey nut Chex cereal. Since it just came out in the States in June, I was surprised that it had already made it to the army base grocery store here in Seoul! Lucky me, I have now tasted it, and am completely and utterly satisfied :) I definitely recommend it!

Say hello to...Gluten Free Pantry chocolate truffle brownie mix.

Two of my friends went back to the States last winter and each brought me back a gf brownie mix. I already bragged and wrote about how great the Trader Joe's gluten-free brownie mix was, and just recently tried the Glutino chocolate truffle brownie mix. It is easily comparable. Rather than substituting all the butter for applesauce like I did in the Trader Joe's gf brownie mix, I used half butter and half apple sauce. It worked wonderfully. To compare the two I would say that Trader Joe's brownie mix is more chewy while the Glutino chocolate truffle brownie mix is more chocolaty, hence the chocolate truffle. I said before that I wasn't a huge brownie fan, but may be on my way to becoming one ;)

Say hello to...chickpea patties.

Lately I've really enjoyed cooking with chickpeas. I recently found a chickpea patty recipe that tastes great. You can change and add whatever you like to this recipe to make it your own. When I don't have all the spices, I like to try new spices, and adding some veggies like spinach or peas. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cumin

1/8 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp yellow curry powder

1 baked potato, skinned and crumbled

1/4 cup gram/chickpea flour

salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a pot and saute onion and spices until fragrant.

2. Slowly add the crumbled potato and then chickpea flour.

3. Taste, and adjust spices as necessary. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Form into patties and saute with a little olive oil OR place mixture in a lightly oiled glass baking dish and bake at 350 for 15-20min like a casserole. Cut into squares or bite sized pieces.

5. Serve with brown rice, salad, or eat it as a snack on it's own.

Say hello to...Gravox gravy.

When I was in Australia in January, my sister-in-law asked me if there was a meal I wanted to eat that I couldn't get in Korea. I thought about it and decided that I wanted roast beef, potatoes, and gravy! While I was making my gf gravy, my sister-in-law was making her favorite Gravox gravy. Hers looked and smelled MUCH better than mine. After the meal I looked at the Gravox container to find that it was labelled gluten-free! Gravox, an Australian company, has 2 gluten-free flavors; Roast Meat and Traditional. It tastes great, is easy to make, and is nice to have in the cupboards for a quick gravy fix :)

Say hello to...tomato bean soup.

My father is a great chef and makes the tastiest soups. Since we come from German heritage, a lot of his classic recipes are German. This is one of my favorite soups that he makes. I always make a huge batch and eat it all week! All the chopping is worth it :)

Ingredients:
1 bag of mixed beans*
1 lb of sausage, thawed, peeled, and chopped**
2 onions, diced
2 cans of diced tomatoes or 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced
4-6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups celery, diced
2 cups cabbage, sliced
2 potatoes, chopped
1 carrot, diced
handful of fresh dill
salt & pepper to taste

1. Soak beans in water overnight. Rinse and drain before using.

2. Cook sausage on medium heat until brown. Set aside.

3. Bring 2 cups of bean mix to a boil. Simmer for 25 min.

4. Puree the diced tomatoes and add to the soup.

5. Add cooked sausage, garlic, onions, celery, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots.

6. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few hours. Add salt and pepper and stir every 25 min.

7. Add dill before serving.

*I like to buy an already prepared bag of beans that has many varieties. If you do this, make sure it does not include barley (some bean mixtures do include barley). You can also make your own mixture.
**Make sure the sausage is gluten-free. I prefer the taste of pork sausage with this soup since the juices from it add great flavor.

Say hello to...gluten-free oats.

You may be wondering if people with celiacs can have oats, and if so, which ones? Since my last post included a recipe that had oats, I decided that I should talk more about this subject. It took me a while before I really understood that I couldn't eat just any kind of oats. There are several companies who sell 'certified gluten-free oats,' which are oats that are farmed, harvested, processed and packed using special methods to avoid cross-contamination with gluten to make the purest of oats. Since I'm originally from Saskatchewan, I'll have to recommend Only Oats from Saskatchewan, Canada first :) But of course there are other great companies like,
Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Oats, Gluten Free Oats from Wyoming, Cream Hill Estates in Quebec, Canada, and Gifts of Nature in Montana. Click here to read more on oats.

Say hello to...ranger cookies.

My sister adapted this recipe from an old cookbook she had laying around. She surprised me with these cookies the last time that I went to visit her. Although they can be a tad crumbly, they have such a unique taste from other typical cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup margarine

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp gf vanilla extract

1/2 tsp gf baking powder

1 tsp gf baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cups gf flour

2 cups gf rice krispy cereal

2 cups gf oats

1 cup coconut

1 cup raisins

1. Pre-heat oven at 350 F.

2. Cream together first 5 ingredients. Mix and add the remaining ingredients.

3. Form mixture into 1" balls and place on cookie sheet. Cook 12-15 minutes.

For a tasty dessert, serve cookies fresh out of the oven with a scoop of gf vanilla ice cream/ soy ice cream :)

*If you don't have access to gluten-free oats, the recipe should still stay together without them.

Say hello to...Kitchen 88 Tom Yum Soup.

Tom Yum soup is a Thai hot and sour soup that people either love or hate. It's quiet an acquired taste. I love to order this soup at Thai restaurants with prawns. I was surprised to find this soup at Costco here in Seoul, labeled gluten-free on the box. I tend not to buy pre-packaged foods or ready-made meals, but this soup tastes better than some Thai restaurants I've been to! It's filled my tummy and saved me from cooking during hectic schedules. Add shrimp and rice noodles for a more filling meal. While this Thai company does have many other products, I've only tried the soup. If you happen to see it, try it out!

Say hello to...mustard lime chicken.

If you like tangy and sour, you'll sure like this flavourful chicken! I found this recipe at Elana's Pantry. Her website is filled with delicious recipes. The mustard-lime sauce is very strong tasting, so be sure not to put too much all over the chicken!

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/4 cup dijon mustard

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Combine lime juice, cilantro, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt, and pepper in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are combined well.

2. Place chicken in a pyrex baking dish.

3. Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hrs.

4. Place chicken in pre-heated oven or grill.

5. Serve with brown rice and broccoli.

Say hello to...Christie's rice thins.

Last month my parents sent me a gluten-free care package. Not only was I excited to get some gluten-free treats, but I also wanted to see what they included. This time they included Christie's rice thins, which I had never tried before since they aren't listed as gluten-free. Although they aren't labeled gluten-free, there is no gluten included in the ingredients list. I checked them out online and everything seemed fine. Aside from being pretty salty, I was suprised at how tasty these baked crisps were. I tried Sesame, Cheddar, and Multigrain. Very tasty!

Say hello to...chickpea spinach curry.

After boiling too many chickpeas, I wondered what to make with them all. I looked in my fridge and decided that I needed to make something with spinach. I didn't have any curry powder in my cupboards, so I decided to use the Asian Home Gourmet Korma Curry spice packet. It worked wonderfully. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
2 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 yellow onion
1 pack of Korma Curry/masala curry mix/blend of curry and cumin
1 can of crushed tomatoes or 1 1/2 cups of fresh sliced tomatoes
1 cup of mushrooms
1 can of chickpeas or 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas (soaked overnight and boiled)
1 cup of fresh baby spinach
2 tsp of fresh coriander

1. Heat the oil in a large pan or medium pot. Add onions, stirring frequently for 3 minutes.

2. Stir in spices until fragrant. Mix in tomatoes, mushrooms and chickpeas, and cook for 20-25 minutes.

3. Stir in baby spinach and cook until completely wilted. Sprinkle coriander all over.

4. Serve with warm brown rice.

* You can add red pepper flakes if you like it spicy.

Say hello to...Asian Home Gourmet spice pastes.

I LOVE asian food and am so thankful for the variety of asian products here in Seoul. When my schedules too hectic and I don't have time to make an elaborate meal from scratch, I like to use Asian Home Gourmet spice pastes. You don't have to find some odd asian spice, chop it up, or mix it up. All the hard work is done for you, just add meat and vegetables! Although the company doesn't label their packages as gluten-free, the ingredients are clearly listed. My favorites are Butter Chicken, Korma Curry, Lemongrass Chicken, and Green Curry. Check out the full Asian Home Gourmet product list.

Say hello to...Trader Joe's gluten-free brownie mix.

When my friend came back from her vacation in the States, she brought back a gluten-free surprise for me! She surprised me with Trader Joe's gluten-free brownie mix. I'm not a huge fan of brownies but was more than satisfied with these. I substituted apple sauce in place of the vegetable oil, and they were nice and moist! If you live near a Trader Joe's, give them a try!