Season's Greetings and Happy New Year!

While 2012 did not have much in store for bMoreGlutenFree, our New Year's resolution is to be more active on our facebook page.

We also hope to update our list of gluten-free friendly places in the Baltimore area.

To this still following, thank you so much for all your support :-)

Love,
Jen

Hiatus.

Due to past and recent unforseen circumstances, the bMoreGlutenFree blog is on indefinite hiatus.  In the meantime, please peruse the archives for restaurant and product reviews and recipes.

Thank you to all our supporters!  We hope to be back soon.

Love,
Jen (Editor-at-large)

February Guest Blogger Recipe: Lazy Man's Sushi

This month's guest blogger recipe--the first of the new year--comes to us from Brian M., a local engineer and product designer.  Brian also helps run Baltimore Food Makers, a group of people who thrive on having a close connection with where their food comes from. Read on as he describes a simple and customizable dish for those of us craving sushi, but too lazy/busy to make it! 

Lazy Man’s Sushi  

How is it that sushi elevates rice to such a higher level of sophistication?  Even if you’re not using raw fish, a simple cucumber roll would at first glance seem much more decadent than just a bowl full of rice.  True the ceremony of grasping singular slices of a sushi roll, each optimally dipped only momentarily into a tiny dish of ink dark soy sauce before resting gently on your tongue via chop sticks does cause the eater to appreciate the subtle flavors and textures more.  But when I’m throwing together lunch at the office, I rarely have the time for such eating extravagances.  Rather, I’m looking for some good, quick wholesome fuel for the rest of the day - something that satisfies all categories of carbs, protein, acidic and salty.  

Enter Lazy Man’s Sushi.  It’s all of the ingredients in an average sushi roll, but just mixed together in a big bowl.  The short grain brown rice mitigates the blood sugar bomb that is often associated with large amounts of white rice and the heavy amount of toasted sesame seeds adds some much needed crunch to an otherwise soft dish.

Ingredients*:

• Short grain brown rice, 3/4 cup
• Sesame seeds, 1/3 cup
• Rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons
• Nori seaweed, 2 sheets
• Canned tuna or sardines (optional), ½ can
• Olive or sesame oil (optional), 2 tablespoons
• Tamari, gluten free (optional), to taste

*quantities listed makes 1 meal for 1 person – scale as needed

Directions:

1. Pour rice into a pan, add 1 ¼ cups of water, & bring to a boil.
2. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a very low simmer.
3. Simmer the rice for 45 minutes. 
4. While the rice is cooking, toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan on the stove top or in the oven.  Turn the seeds frequently so that they are evenly toasted--nicely browned but not burnt. 
5. When the rice has cooked for 45 minutes, turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. 
6. Mix the vinegar into the rice until evenly distributed. 
7. Add toasted sesame seeds to the rice, and stir to distribute. 
8. If using fish, place the fish in a small bowl and mix with the oil until well coated.
9. Stir fish into the rice and sesame seeds.  (Note: if not using canned fish, a small amount of tamari/soy sauce can be mixed in as a substitute to supply salt to the dish)
10. Crumble the sheets of nori with your hands until in small pieces and add to the mixture. 
11. Enjoy!

Blog Spotlight

Every once and while, we'll be featuring other blogs & bloggers who offer great gluten-free information.  Tonight I'd like to share with you the 'My New Roots' blog*:

Written by a holistic nutritionist and vegetarian chef, the blog contains stunning images of the author's recipes--many of which are labeled gluten free.

Case in point?

Gluten-Free Banana Bread Pancakes

I don't even like bananas, and I want to eat these babies up.  Furthermore, the post this came from contains a detailed ingredients list and directions.

When asked: "Why do I create gluten-free recipes on My New Roots?" the author, Sarah B., writes...

'For the same reason I try to make as many of the dishes vegan, sugar-free, soy-free etc. - so that everyone can make them. I want to create all-inclusive meals that all people can enjoy, even if they’ve chosen a particular diet or they have some kind of allergy or insensitivity. And I feel it’s important for others to know that eating with ‘restrictions’ is not all that restrictive.'

 Click the links above [underlined] to be taken to the My New Roots blog!


*I am in no way related to this blog or blogger.  Simply a fan who found her posts inspiring.

We're Back!

Hello loyal readers,

Thanks for sticking with us through our hiatus.  We're bummed there wasn't a January Guest Blogger--but that just means February's will have to be super awesome!  In the meantime, here's a product review to wet your appetite (pun intended):

We finally got to try Woodchuck Hard Cider's Winter seasonal/limited release!  It's currently available by the 12 oz. bottle at Max's Taphouse in Fells Point.  This naturally gluten-free beverage is described by the company as follows:

"Somewhere between a delicate snowflake drifting down to your tongue and a hard-packed snowball to the teeth, the power of this winter Cider is a balanced culmination of Premium French and Traditional American Oak, giving the cider great complexity and broad characteristics that neither style could produce on its own."

So what'd we think?

It was good, but not great.  I can't quite put my finger on the flavor, but it went down smoothly.  Since it's on the drier side, it's easier to have several of these than of, say, the Amber.  I must admit, I thought it was supposed to taste like blueberries...turns out that's the Summer edition, so that was a let down.  I want to try it again without the expectation of fruit!

Overall: B+

If you want to try this flavor--hurry to your local bar or beer distributor!  The Winter edition is only available Nov, Dec, & Jan.  The locator on the Woodchuck website lists 58 places in the Baltimore area where the Winter Ltd. can be found: click here to find the location nearest you.

On a side note, Max's carries several varieties of Woodchuck; I saw at least 4 varieties in the fridge.  I believe they have a cider on tap, but I forget the brand.  Also, the bartender was knowledgable about gluten-free! I made a comment about being 'allergic to beer' and he automatically said, "Oh, gluten?" [and then allowed me to sub grilled-chicken for the beer beef chilli on the nachos :-)].

Hello, internet friends!  Just a quick update.

Lately I've been:

• Cooking more often! 
• Celebrating the holidays.  We co-threw a party, made stuff*, gifted & was gifted to, etc.
• Using pinterest...on which I have a board dedicated to Gluten-free Food & Drink
• Adding reviews to Yelp

*The bMoreGlutenFree team made homemade holiday gifts for our friends this year: Peppermint Bark in cute packages.  They were easy to make and a big hit!  The rough recipe is:

1. melt white chocolate chips in a make-shift double-boiler (large bowl on top of pot)
2. add in crushed candy canes
3. pour and spread onto trays
4. refrigerate

Phew, so glad I've caught you up!  However, we had a family emergency before the holidays that has taken me away from Baltimore for an indefinite period of time.  I'm not sure how much attention I'll be able to put to this blog and its auxillary sites as we deal with these difficulties.  But I did not want to leave ya'll hanging, and I will certainly be back!

Have a Safe, Happy, & Healthy New Year!

'Til next time . . .

December Guest Blogger recipe: Tortilla Española

Claire S., a recent graduate of Johns Hopkins University, brings us this month's guest recipe!  Claire spent a semester in Madrid, where [I like to believe] she perfected the art of Spanish tapas.  Her version of the popular 'Spanish Omelet' certainly brings me back to my own days abroad, when I first tried the dish.  Yummy yum yum.  (As usual, if you have questions for our guest blogger, please leave them in the comments section.)  ¡Buen provecho!

Tortilla Española

My undying love of the Spanish tortilla came about while studying abroad in Madrid.  It was my staple food there--not only because it’s delicious, but also because it’s affordable and you can purchase it pretty much anywhere in Spain. Very attractive for someone on a student’s budget!  The scrumptious tortilla is also incredibly versatile: it can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and is super portable for those on-the-go.  A naturally gluten-free dish, there are only five simple ingredients: potatoes, eggs, onion, olive oil, and salt.  Once you have mastered it, this dish will become your go-to meal!

Prep Time: 20 minutes 

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• approx. 7 medium potatoes -- peeled, quartered, & thinly sliced
• 5 large eggs
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium onion -- minced
• Extra virgin olive oil 
• Cutlery: 10" non-stick pan; mixing bowl; strainer; 12-inch [or larger] plate

Directions:

1. Fill a 10” non-stick frying pan with a half-inch of olive oil and place over medium-high heat. 
2. Once the oil is hot, add potatoes + onion.  Allow to cook until potatoes are golden brown and soft (≈20 minutes).   
3. While the potatoes are cooking, in a separate bowl beat eggs + salt, until fluffy.   
4. Using a strainer, remove the potatoes from the frying pan, allowing the olive oil to drain into a bowl.   
5. Add the potatoes to the egg mixture and stir until combined.   
6. Drizzle some of the excess oil back into the frying pan and place over medium heat. 
7. When the pan is hot, add the potato and egg mixture.   Cook for about 5 minutes, constantly making sure that the sides of the tortilla are not sticking to the pan.   
8. Take a plate that is larger than the pan and place it upside down over the pan.  
9. Flip the tortilla onto the plate (commitment is key, don’t hesitate!).  
10. Add more olive oil to the pan and slide the tortilla back into the pan. The uncooked side should be faced down.  
11. Cook for about 5 more minutes, then slide from pan onto a serving plate.  Enjoy!