Vanilla Yogurt Pancakes

It's been pretty quite around these parts, I know. It's not that I haven't eaten well. It's not that I haven't cooked a up a few good things. It's well.

I moved.

I know. I know! I moved and I was too afraid to tell you. Too scared you'd be sad, or hurt, or maybe you wouldn't even care at all. That would be kinda bad too. So, like a little sulking kid, I gave my 'ol blog the silent treatment.

But moving out and moving on is a good thing for me, I swear. So let me tell you again, not just "I moved", but I moved!

It was a sudden and quick turn around. An "okay we're offering you this job and you've got 12 days to move here" kinda quick. The kind of move that makes your head spin, the kind of move that makes you pack only your essentials and makes you hound UPS for the arrival of the rest of your stuff, and the kind of move that doesn't involve bringing measuring spoons, or muffin tins, or even mixing bowls. Seriously.

But I've been here nearly a month now, and this morning, I woke up with a serious craving. So despite not having legit measuring equipment, despite my teeny-tiny kitchen (I prefer to think of it as "darling"), and despite not having milk, I was bound and determined to make pancakes.

And pancakes I shall have.

With my last remaining baby cup of Trade Joe's vanilla and cream yogurt, I made the most curious, gummy, spongy pancakes. I love 'em. I don't know if I can go back to regular pancakes again...even if I have milk.

(PS: Get out your datebooks, blackberries, and open those gmail calendars, next meeting of the Greater Cleveland Celiac Society will be in Solon, Sunday September 13)

Vanilla Yogurt Pancakes

as inspired by those POM Wonderful pancakes, which were inspired by Joy the Baker

1 cup all purpose GF flour w/ xanthum gum mix (as measured by a ziplock storage container)

1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of sugar

1 Tablespoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt (or like 8 grinds from the salt grinder, for those who have no table salt or teaspoons)

2 Tablespoons earth balance butter, melted and cooled.

1/2 cup cold brewed orange spice tea (water would work okay, too)

1 egg

4 oz (1 container) Trader Joe's Vanilla & Cream Yogurt

Additional cooking spray or butter for frying

If you have berries, cinnamon, vanilla, almond extract, chocolate chips, nutmeg, etc,

by all means, add some or all in. This kitchen has ziplock containers; I'm lucky I had the tea.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar) in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, mix the egg into the cooled butter (or temper, slowly, if the butter is still warm), followed by the yogurt and the tea. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet, in three parts, letting all of the flour get incorporated into the batter.

This batter will be thick. I mean thick. If you need to, pour in additional tea until the batter becomes workable again. Remember though, this is yogurt based, yogurt is thick, these pancakes are thick.

Let the batter rest as you heat up your pan and grease it with your desired spray, butter, or butter substitute. Make sure not to pour out too much batter into each pancake (remember that whole thick thing?) and cook about 3 minutes before flipping (check for bubbles, you know the drill pancake people).

Makes about 12 small, chewy, delicious, filling, can't believe I never made 'em this way before pancakes. Cover with jam, fruit, or syrup and devour.

Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Salad

A little new business. You might've noticed this site has been through a little revamping. The layout has literally had a 180 degree swap, making it more readable and there's even a search bar to make ingredient / recipe / eatery inquires that much easier for you.

Course, that's not the exciting part. Okay, it's one of the exciting parts, but it's not the most exciting part. You see, I get lots of emails from people asking me where they can eat when they visit Cleveland. Which is very cool by me (thanks people!), and I always do my best to toss out some new ideas (or give them directions to one of those cross country, gluten-free friendly chains) in addition to sending them a direct link to the restaurant label on the this site. Admittedly, I feel a little silly doing this, but as my best source, most consolidated form of information, it's the most helpful...right? That plus the fact that sometime life intercedes and I miss responding to some of the nice people who want to know where to get a bite to eat made me realize this site was in need of a bit of an overhaul to be even more of a user friendly resource.

Ta da! The "Essential Gluten Free In Cleveland" was born (ie, that nifty list of links on your left). Hope this helps streamline things, folks, though don't think this is closing the door on emails, I'm still just a mouse click away.

Anyway, back to the food....

I know there's been a lot of talk of baking 'round here, but I eat actual food, really I do. Vegetable filled, good for you, savory dishes. In fact, in some circles, I'm known for 'em. ....And by circles, I mean anyone whose showed up to the same holiday pot luck I have, wrinkled their nose at my surprisingly unattractive dish, only to ask for the recipe by the time I catch them scraping the remnants from the emptied bowl.

With the perfect blend of lemony acidic tang, sharp garlic, and smooth olive oil complementing beautiful summer veggies, this roasted vegetable and chickpea salad is a crowd pleaser - even if those crowds include people who don't particularly love vegetables or chickpeas.

I came across it two Christmases ago - apparently trying to make the most Sephardic Jewish dish I could possibly bring to a decidedly non-Jewish occasion - while flipping through my favorite cookbook, the now out of print Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook. While, sadly, this book evaporated somewhere between post college pack up and moving back to Cleveland, this recipe, at least survived the move. Good thing, too, because from Christmases, Passovers, and Fourth of July barbecues, this recipe has served me in serving up a yummy dish. (There are used version of the book available on Amazon, and buying one is always on the bottom on my to do list. ...Though I suppose singing the virtues of this book and directing you all where to get it ought to inspire me to get my copy while I can....)

Because it yields so very much food, it really is a perfect bring-it-to-a-party dish. This salad is so good, you certainly don't need a special occasion to make it. Plus, it keeps in the fridge for a good three days. Besides, with it finally just now getting warm this summer, who couldn't use another amazing summer salad in their repertoire?

Roasted Vegetable & Chickpea Salad

From The Ultimate Vegetarian Cookbook

1 lb butternut squash cubed
2 red pepper, halved

4 slender eggplant cut in half, lengthwise
4 zucchini cut in half, lengthwise
4 onions, quartered
1 Tablespoon olive oil (for brushing)

2 10 oz cans of chickpeas
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, divided
1/3rd cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice, more or less as desired
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 425. Spray a baking tray with baking spray and arrange the vegetables evenly over the surface. Brush evenly with olive oil and bake for 40 minutes or until they are tender.
Brush baking tray w/ oil and arrange vegetables brushed with oil evenly. Bake 40min or until Remove from the oven and let them cool until you can handle them.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/3rd cup olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, and half of the parsley. Set dressing aside.

Remove the skin of the peppers and chop; chop remaining vegetables into bite-sized chunks. Mix into the chickpeas, toss with dressing, and let sit for 30 minutes. (This is actually super important, do not skimp on the time!) If bland, season to taste with an additional tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of salt and pepper; the acidic zing will quickly spark your salad, honest. Sprinkle remaining parsley over the top before serving.

Eat as is, or enjoy over toast. (I prefer Whole Foods Gluten Free Bake House's Prairie Bread, how 'bout you?)

Gluten Free PSA #10: April Celiac Events, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bob's Red Mill GF Pizza Crust...And News Thrown In For Good Measure

If there ever were a time for indecision, it's April. 

Not quite spring, yet not quite winter, April is a month brimming with ambiguity. If you need further proof, look only to the fact that temperatures soared to nearly 60 degrees earlier in the week, later there was a nose dive in temperature and an accompanying unexpectedly picturesque blanket of snow covering my lawn, and then today rain, so much so, opening day at Jacob's Field (or what "progressive field? are we really supposed to call it that?) was rained out.

Oh April. You do enjoy playing rough, don't you? 

And speaking of rough, I don't talk about it much, but for me, celiac disease has always been my "fun" autoimmune disease. Those five other autoimmune conditions that have constant turf wars in my body? Yeah, they don't really lend themselves to clever blogging or excuses for baking, and as such, they rarely have any reason to be written about here. (At least not yet, and when there's a way to treat connective tissue disease with muffins, believe you me, my blog will be the very first place in the world to report it!) 

I guess I bring these other illnesses to say, I apologize for the slow down in posts. All this screwy weather has screwed with my rheumatism and when I don't feel well, all of my cooking senses melt away faster than the snow we had last week. While I continue to make attempts at greatness in the kitchen, I'm sorry to say that the brownies and muffins I made left something to be desired, good, but not great, and so aren't quite reading for generally blogging consumption. 

Till my cooking karma returns, I give you April Celiac Updates and a few yummy things that have been taking up space on my digital camera: 

Gluten-Free Things to Do This April

April 13 - Gluten Free Pasta Class at the Loretta Paganini School of Cooking (click here for registration information) 

Mid April - The Greater Cleveland Celiac Association meets at the Solon Public Library, please contact Cindy Koller-Kass for details

April 26 - Celiac Disease Conference and Vendor Fair! Perhaps the most exciting gluten-free event of the spring season, this event will have programs for all ages, speakers, doctors, and of course, a sampling of delicious gluten free food from many great vendors. Click the link for registration information and mark your calenders! 

Carrabba's Italian Grill

Carrabba's gluten-free menu is pretty much common knowledge around celiac circles, and well, if you're savvy enough to use the Internet to find my little piece of gluten-free Internetland, you've probably heard of their GF menu or even made use of it yourself. 

But in case you haven't....

Carrabba's Italian Grill is one of those prefabbed chain restaurants that's about one indoor gondola ride away from being a theme restaurants. Pictures of large Italian families on the wall, fake trellises with faker vines and grapes hanging over head, wine glasses standard on every table - it's like Italy, if Italy came at $15.00 a plate. 

All that said, there's a reason Carrabba's dot the Midwestern countryside. The food is good. The menu is good. The ambiance, though fabricated, is good. (Though I've always thought the shrubbery atop the roof was more than just a little silly.) And they have a gluten free menu, a good one. 

Of course, the only vegetarian celiac thing on are a few salads. But still, they're good salads. I'm really partial to the grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, artichokes, and hazelnut encrusted goat cheese atop mixed greens salad. Oh, it's a good as it sounds. Drizzled in balsamic vinegar and olive oil, it's the kind of salad that actually is a great GF dinner salad, not just some lettuce on a plate. 

Now sure, it's a bummer you can't have pastas (but if you're not vegetarian, you can have your choice of some 10 beef, fish, or chicken dishes), but this salad really wont make you feel like you're going without. 

Bob's Red Mill Pizza Crust

I like pizza. I like it's smell. I like it's texture. I like the sauce, the cheese, and boy to a like a good chewy - but not too chewy - crunchy - but not too crunchy - crust. Yyyyyum. 

But finding a great GF crust is as much of an art as making a perfect topping to cheese to sauce ratio (for the record, I like spinach, garlic, and eggplant, you know, in case anyone is planning some GF pizza fan mail...). I've done the whole foods pizza crust mix (great for thick french bread pizzas, but not quite an every day crust), I've made use of the little 6" glutino crusts (they puffy up beautifully and are wonderfully crunchy, but really don't yield that perfect pizza slice), and I've even recently tried Joan's GF pizza crust (good, pre formed and rolled out makes for incredibly easy use, but the middle took forever to cook, and considering you have to special order it's not something I'd do again). 

But what mix really gets my pizza needs going? Bob's Red Mill. Oh Bobby - or Roberto i guess if we're going to be Italian - you do make a great crust. It doesn't taste like rice, or potatoes, or weird tapioca pudding. It tastes like pizza. It bakes like pizza. It chews like pizza. 

Because the bag comes with it's own package of yeast, when you decide it's pizza night, be aware you're going to have left over dough for another night. Ah well, pizza twice in one week -- yeah, I don't hear any complaining either. 

And finally...

I wanted to take an opportunity to thank wellsphere.com for naming me one of their top health bloggers and adding me to their ranks of featured bloggers. (Look for the new badge, with my picture, on the side bar.) Wellsphere has a wealth of information on a variety of wellness, health preservation, and disease related topics, so it's an honor to be counted among some of the truly great blogs (many of them in the celiac disease community!) who are featured there.

If you still haven't had enough of me and my gluten-free writings, look for my article on Celiac Disease and the Jewish Community in an upcoming issue of the Cleveland Jewish News (it should appear by then end of April) and check out my recipe for gluten-free mandel bread. ...Though you might not want to try it out 'till the end of passover. And let's forget that I posted about pizza during pesach. Oy. 

And finally, finally, if you've had enough of all things celiac disease and gluten free related for one sitting, I invite you to check out my friend Kali's site and her quest to raise enough money to bring her service dog home to her. Kali, a young lady with elhers-danlos syndrome, is a brilliant and determined future lawyer (look only to how forcefully she pushes her way through law school despite her condition) and her love for the dog she has never met is quite touching.  Hers is a great story, an inspiring read, and a worthy cause. Should she be able to raise enough money to bring Hudson, the adorable service dog paired up with her, home, her quality of life will improve dramatically. Best of luck to you, Kali! 

Spinach Ricotta Roll-ups in Pumpkin Sauce with a side of Gluten-Free News

I've watched newly famous actors on late night television marvel at their notoriety. There I was, putting filling up my pick up with unleaded 87 when this woman who'd been eyeing me for the past five minutes got this crazed look in her eye as she recognized me. She let out a big wail as she rushed me, asking for my autograph and if I'd father her next child. That stuff doesn't happen to me, I mean, I'm a regular Joe. And then Jay or Conan reminds them regular Joe's don't make multimillion dollar deals and star in movies with Jessica Alba. The star then laughs humbly, agreeing, but dazed...

My point is, you rarely get to determine if your a success, rather you know based on the opinions and actions of others. 

And while I've far from reached my celiac education and gluten free outreach goals, I'm glowingly proud say: Gluten Free In Cleveland was mentioned in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest newspaper. The article was about celiac disease and, while I was only listed as a resource in the side menu, it's still pretty exciting to be counted as a valid source of information. Even without me, the fact that the Plain Dealer ran an article about celiac disease is pretty darn exciting. You can read about it here, and a special thanks to the reader who emailed me to let me know that such an article had come out and that I was mentioned. 

News item number 2 comes from the North East Ohio Celiac Support Group. Get your aprons and oven mitts ready for their 8th annual Holiday Cookie Exchange, November 30th from 2 - 4 pm in the Independence Public Library. Bring 2 dozen cookies per person attending and multiple copies of your recipe, too. For more information check out their website, and get baking! 

Also, and I know its seriously last minute, but the Mustard Seed Market is having a Gluten-Free Baking & Cooking Class tonight (Monday the 17th) at 6:30. It's $15 and registration is required so call 1-440-519-3663 to register, and call quickly!

And finally, I bring you the latest of my pumpkin crazed kitchen experiments: Spinach Ricotta Roll-Ups in Pumpkin Sauce. A mouthful I know. But lately, due to a new strange but true digestive system issue, my delicate little celiac system isn't tolerating lots of other foods, mainly fats. Now if spending my autumn elbow deep in canned pumpkin has taught me anything, nothing heartys up a meal like my favorite fall squash. As heavy as the name sounds, these little roll ups were surprisingly light. 

(Low Fat) Spinach Ricotta Roll-Ups in Pumpkin Sauce

1 cup low fat ricotta cheese 

1 egg

2 -3 cloves chopped garlic 

several handfuls of fresh spinach

1 box gluten-free lasagna noodles

3/4 cup vegetable stock

1 Tablespoon of cornstarch

1/2 cup skim milk

1/3rd cup canned pumpkin

1/2 tablespoon of butter 

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

salt & pepper to taste

1 tablespoon pumpkin butter (optional, I happened to have it)

1 medium sized casserole dish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large pot, cook the noodles within a minute of being done. Rinse with cold water, drain, set aside. 

Meanwhile, cook the spinach and garlic down in a large pan until the leaves are wilted and the garlic browns. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. In a  food processor, blend the spinach, ricotta cheese, and the egg until just smooth. Over beating will cause the mixture to become runny. 

In a medium sauce pot, combine milk, cornstarch, vegetable broth, and butter. Simmer for 3 - 5 minutes. Stir in pumpkin until it dissolves into the sauce. Add pumpkin butter, nutmeg, salt and pepper to desired sweet or saltiness. 

To assemble the roll ups, wash hands thoroughly and get ready for a bit of a mess. Cut a lasagna noodle in half and, on a separate plate, spread the spinach-ricotta mixture over the noodle. Roll up the noodle and carefully place it in the pan. Repeat, repeat, and repeat until the noodles are gone or you've run out of room. 

Smoother the roll-ups in the pumpkin sauce and bake for 35 - 40 minutes. Serve with shredded Parmesan cheese and an adventurous attitude. 

News! News! News! ...And Apple Pie

Having a blog, a fully functioning blog, requires a lot of work. And updates. And promoting. And cross promoting. And...and...It's enough to make a girl curl up on her couch with a cup of coffee and a gluten free cookie, hiding from her laptop by watching endless marathons of House. 

But hard work pays off, in the kitchen and on the Internet. So I'm pleased to announce the following:

1) Some how the good, good people at foodbuzz.com got a hold of my lowly domain and decided to invite me to be a featured publisher. I'm honored. Foodbuzz is this really awesome clearinghouse of the best food blogs on the web. Whether you're looking for great pictures, searching for food events and restaurants in your area, or trying to find a great recipe, foodbuzz.com is where you need to be. And the fact that being a foodbuzz publisher will give me the opportunity to have my gluten free adventures featured on their front page at times or included in their newsletters is really, really cool. So check the website out, buzz Dana is Gluten Free In Cleveland, be my friend, vote for the this website...and really do checkout the rest of the site, though it's best viewed on a full stomach, lest you get intense cravings for gourmet cuisine. 

2) In addition to the new layout (new banner, new lefty layout, like it? hate it? let me know), you may have noticed the email subscription button. That's right, you can now get updates on all the Gluten Free goings on of Cleveland straight in your inbox. It's never been so easy to stay up to date. 

3) The North East Ohio Celiac Support Group has finalized a date for their Holiday Cookie Exchange. It will be November 30th from 2-4 PM, with the location still TBA. But do pencil it in to your datebook, I know I am. 

Okay, new business aside, I promised Apple Pie and gosh darn it, I will deliver. 

As far as the pie crust goes, I used Gluten Free Pantry's Perfect Pie Crust mix. I really like it. Flakey and light, it's got just the right pie crust texture. Each box makes enough dough for two pies, and the unused dough freezer really well. Not only do I recommend it, I have pumpkin pie plans in my future. 

There are two downsides to the mix. The first is it doesn't quite brown well. It tastes great, but it might not reach that golden brown pie glow. Secondly, it requires a lot of shortening. ...To be fair though, almost all pie crust requires shortening. If you're a trans-fat-a-phobe, like me...and like anyone with heart should be, shortening is not a word you want to hear. Enter the good people at Beyond Organic's Jungle Product's, Inc. and their Jungle Shortening (not listed anywhere one the website, but available in Whole Foods, I swear). Jungle Shortening is non hydrogenated palm oil and, though still fat, is a far, far better option for you and your pie. 

If you don't want to use a mix (and you don't want to buy a premade one from Whole Foods), there's been lots of buzz on gluten free pie crusts in the gluten-free-blogosphere and I encourage you to check it out. Find your favorite completely from scratch pie crust recipe or get inspired and make your own! Ginger Lemon Girl's looks particularly yummy, I must say. 

A final note about the pie. I don't say this a lot, but this is the BEST apple pie filling I have ever made in my life. My taste testers agreed. The. Best. 

Double Crust Amaretto Apple Pie

2 balls of GF pie dough, or a pre made gluten free pie (though, unless you have pie dough lying around, this means you'll end up with a single crust pie) 

6 apples, peeled and sliced - I used three MacIntosh and three JonaMacs

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1/3rd cup of white sugar

1/3rd cup of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of vanilla

2 tablespoons of amaretto liquor 

2 tablespoons of all purpose GF flour

1 teaspoon of cinnamon 

1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon of cream (or half and half or milk)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Roll out one of the balls of pie dough and evenly cover an 8 or 9 inch pie pan with it. 

Combine apples with all of the above ingredients and mix well until all apples are covered in a sticky, cinnamon-y, sugary syrup. Transfer the apple mixture to the pie pan. Roll out the the second ball of pie dough and cover the apples with the dough, pinching the two crusts together where they meet along the edge. 

Beat the egg yolk with the cream and brush (or pour and use your fingers) the mixture over the top pie crust. Vent the top by slitting the top crust in several places. Bake for 50 - 60 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. 

Final note, though when I took the pie out of the oven, and cut into it's apple goodness, I discovered there was about an inch of sugary liquid sitting at the bottom. I don't know why, I don't know how, but it was there. I ended up using a ladle to get some of the liquid out before very carefully pouring some of it out over the sink. And as frustrating as it was, it meant that the cinnamon, amaretto, and sugar soaked through to the bottom crust, making it particularly delicious. 

Same Gluten Free Question, New Gluten Free Answer

"Where do you want to go to eat?"

Few other questions can so easily turn my stomach. Especially when I"m in Cleveland.  Not that there aren't good restaurants in Cleveland - there are, tons. But good, or even decent, places that cater to a celiac or otherwise gluten free population...?

So I shrug at the question and offer a noncommittal, "I don't care. Wherever you want." From there, my dining companions predictably wilt, roll their eyes, and utter the five most difficult words ever heard: "Well, where can you eat?" 

Though I developed the condition at around four years old, I wasn't diagnosed with Celiac disease until I was twenty - a full sixteen years after it's onset, giving the disease ample time to play ding dong ditch with my immune system. But that's the bad news. The good news was that I was lucky enough to get diagnosed in the heart of gluten free living: New York City. There, specialized restaurants stretch as far as the eye can see over a city filled with people that have as many food allergies as they do opinions. 

However, I had very little luck (and a lot of gluten accidents!) when it came to finding a place to eat in my hometown. Eventually, I sucked it up and gave up on trying to find restaurants in Cleveland that would offer me more than dressing-less iceberg lettuce salads and settled for cooking all my meals at home. I figured, I only visit this city for two weeks or so at a time; glorified rabbit-hood isn't so bad. 

At least, that was my attitude before my short stays suddenly turned into a four to six month living situation. Since then, I've googled "Cleveland" + "gluten free" or "celiac" more times than I can count, but I always come back with the same result: other people, on other websites asking "where can I get a good gluten free meal in Cleveland?"

I'm determined to answer that question for myself - and for you, dear Cleveland Celiacs and / or gluten free tourists. I've decided to make it my mission to find and write about local restaurants and chefs that allow us to dine with our friends and families without feeling like second class citizens. I like to think of it as gluten-freeing Cleveland. 

So check back for my adventures, pictures of what I've found, and all things free of gluten in the greater Cleveland area. Above all else, hopefully the next time someone says "well, where can you eat?" we'll all have some answers. 

About This Blog

At the moment, there's not too much to say. I am creating this blog to help clevelands' celiac and otherwise gluten free population connect with greater Cleveland area resturaunts.

My goal is to collect information on local resuraunts who offer gluten free options or who can provide a safe environment for celiacs. Most importantly, my goal is to write about places that a gluten free person can eat with friends and family without feeling like a dining pariah.

Please check back often for my adventures of gluten free dining in Cleveland!