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Review: Gluten-Free Menu at Rosa Mexicano

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When the Atlanta location of Rosa Mexicano opened several years ago, word quickly spread that the menu there was very gluten-free and friendly.  The gluten-free training of the staff was slightly shaky at first, but servers who couldn’t answer questions about gluten-free options quickly referred to the chef so they could relay accurate information to gluten-free patrons. I’ve enjoyed lunches with gluten-free friends and joined gluten-eating friends for brunch at Rosa Mexicano many times.

For whatever reason, I’ve never been there for dinner, but all my meals there have been both gluten-free and delicious.  When I found out that the company was rolling out a new gluten-free menu, I made a date to meet a friend there for lunch. The regular menu at Rosa Mexicano is very gluten-free friendly.  In fact, there are more items on the menu that are gluten-free than ones that aren’t.  Even so, after checking out the numerous gluten-free choices, I asked the server if I could have something that was not listed as gluten-free.  It appeared from the description of the Quesadilla de Pollo that it could easily be made gluten-free if made with corn tortillas instead of flour.  The server checked with the chef and said they could easily use corn tortillas to make me a gluten-free quesadilla.

While some people might not be comfortable asking for a special request meal when so much on the menu is already gluten-free, I feel that since I often did that when I ate gluten, there is no reason to stop now.  If something can’t be prepared gluten-free, chefs will let you know and you just order something else.  The key is to always have a second or third menu selection to fall back on, just in case what you want can’t be prepared gluten-free.

My chicken quesadilla made with fresh corn tortillas was simply delicious!  The chips with red sauce we noshed on were as fabulous as ever.  I think I could drink the red sauce from a mug – it’s that incredible!  We skipped the guacamole which is prepared tableside, but it’s also incredible if you like fresh guacamole, of course. After we finished lunch, our server brought us out a lovely light dessert, compliments of the chef.  It was a house made watermelon sorbet with fresh fruit in a light sauce and it was absolutely incredible!  This is a seasonal dessert so it’s not always available.  As it turned out, one of the owners of the company in NYC actually treated us to our meal that day.

Without question, lunch at Rosa Mexicano in Atlanta is one of the best values around.  You get creative dishes prepared with fresh ingredients for the same price as many places here charge for over-processed bland meals.  There are locations of Rosa Mexicano in the following cities:

  • NEW YORK, NY (FIRST AVENUE)
  • NEW YORK, NY (LINCOLN CENTER)
  • NEW YORK, NY (UNION SQUARE)
  • HACKENSACK, NJ
  • WASHINGTON, DC
  • NATIONAL HARBOR, MD
  • ATLANTA, GA
  • MIAMI, FL
  • LOS ANGELES, CA
  • SOUTH BEACH, FL

*The meal reviewed above was provided to me free of charge. As always, my opinions are my own and have not been influenced by any outside sources.

Review: Udi’s Gluten-Free Omega-Salba & Millet-Chia Breads

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I finally had a chance to sample Udi’s new bread varieties – Omega-Salba & Millet-Chia. I have been a huge fan of Udi’s since their products first hit the market.  The breads and muffins came first 2 years ago, then the cinnamon rolls, bagels and such.  I think there was a period of time last summer that I was eating at least one of the bagels a day!

Needless to say, I couldn’t wait to taste the new breads!

I got to work right away creating my sandwich for lunch in my head.  Only problem was that I couldn’t decide which bread to try first.  Guess how I solved that?  I used one piece of each!  For the first sandwich, I toasted the bread; for the next one I had the bread at room temperature.  While the bread tastes amazing both ways, it holds together much better when toasted.  It did seem to crumble slightly at room temperature.

I settled on turkey, cheddar, spinach & sweet pickle relish with roasted okra on the side.  (I have a slight obsession with okra.)

Both breads have decent nutritional stats:

Millet-Chia – 2 slices have 160 calories, 5 grams fat (0.5 saturated), 6 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

Ingredients: Filtered water, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, millet seed, resistant corn starch, sunflower oil, egg whites, cane syrup, salba(chia seed), rice bran, evaporated cane juice, citrus fiber, polydextrose, flaxseed meal, yeast (yeast, potato starch), salt, gum (xanthan gum, sodium alginate,guar gum), pea protein molasses (dry molasses and maltodextrin), modified cellulose, mold inhibitor (Cultured corn syrup, citric acid), enzyme (calcium sulfate, enzymes)

Omega-Salba – 2 slices have 150 calories, 6 grams of fat (0.5 saturated), 6 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein.

Ingredients: Filtered water, tapioca starch, brown rice flour, resistant corn starch, sunflower oil, egg whites, certified gluten-free oats, salba (chia seed), cane syrup, flax seed, evaporated cane juice, rice bran, citrus fiber, polydextrose, flax seed meal, yeast (yeast, potato starch), salt, gum (xanthan gum, sodium alginate, guar gum), pea protein, molasses (dry molasses and maltodextrin), modifield cellulose, mold inhibitor (cultured corn syrup, citric acid), enzyme (calcium sulfate, enzymes)

Both varieties have more fiber & protein than the original & whole grain varieties that Udi’s released a couple of years back.  It is nice to have additional options out there!  Udi’s products can be found at many stores across the US and online.  Some of the newer products many not be available in stores yet, but should be soon.

Have you tried the new breads from Udi’s?  What did you think?

Simple Gluten-Free Meals and Snacks

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 5 Comments

When embarking on the gluten-free diet, people often feel the need to rush out & replace the foods they can no longer eat with expensive gluten-free equivalents. I know that is one of the first things that I did. I couldn’t get to Whole Foods or my local health food store fast enough. While there is nothing wrong with trying out many of the great gluten-free products on the market these days, there is a much simpler way to eat.

After cleaning out the refrigerator & pantry of foods that are not gluten-free, get back to basics. When making your grocery list, focus on the outskirts of the grocery store. By staying away from the center of the store,  you are avoiding the processed foods that may contain gluten.

  • Produce
  • Potatoes
  • Brown rice
  • Quinoa
  • Chicken, fish, poultry, pork, beef or tofu
  • Eggs
  • Cheese
  • Yogurt
  • Cottage cheese
  • Milk
  • Corn tortillas
  • Beans
  • Cooking oils (olive, extra virgin olive and canola)
  • Nuts and nut butters
  • Butter
  • Sour cream
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • 100% maple syrup

Example meal plans from the list above:

Breakfast

Veggie omelet

Bowl of berries or seasonal fruit

Skim milk (cow, soy, almond or rice)

Snack

Handful of nuts or string cheese

Apple or pear

Lunch

Grilled chicken breast over a salad topped w/avocado & corn tortilla strips (try serving over a baked potato for more substance)

Skim milk (cow, soy, almond or rice)

Snack

Greek yogurt w/berries

Dinner

Tacos (ground turkey or beef seasoned w/cumin, chili powder, garlic, salt & pepper), corn tortillas, black beans

Top with cheddar cheese, tomatoes, corn, jalapeno peppers, etc

Brown rice made with tomatoes & green chiles

Salad (make your own salad dressing from oil, balsamic vinegar and simple spices)

There are many amazing gluten-free replacement products on the market these days and they certainly have their place.  I am known to have many varieties of breads, bagels & such in my freezer at most times.  I am just hoping to help those just starting out on the diet or those who have to travel see that there are plenty of options out there – you won’t go hungry, I promise.  I didn’t even get into the thousands of products in the grocery store that are found towards the center of the store; they are of the processed variety and happen to be “naturally” gluten-free.  Of course the idea is not to make yourself miserable, I am simply pointing out that it is entirely possible to eat without shopping in special stores or spending a fortune on replacement items.  A diet (and I am not talking necessarily to lose weight) is what you make it.  It can be healthy or unhealthy.

Gluten-Free Deli Products from Publix

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff 6 Comments

Sometimes I don’t have time to make homemade potato salad so I was very happy to learn about the many versions of this summertime staple dish that were on the gluten-free list at our favorite regular grocery store, Publix. In the last five years, we’ve enjoyed Southern Style, New York Style, and Red Potato salads from the deli. Later, I got addicted to the Tarragon Chicken Salad as well. The salads are delicious and convenient and it’s great to be able to pick up safe ready-made dishes when you need to.

Most companies update their gluten-free product lists from time to time. Since I noticed that the disclaimer about some salads being made on lines that also process wheat was no longer on some of the salads at Publix, I decided to check out the most updated list online. Imagine my surprise to find only Chicken Tarragon Salad listed under the Publix Deli Salads header. I’ve purchased and consumed (without issue) at least three containers of various Publix deli potato salads in the last few months.

Because none of the deli items have ever been labeled gluten-free, diligent label reading is needed as always. There are no suspicious ingredients listed in the salads and as mentioned earlier, several of them no longer have a certain disclaimer on them anymore either. The fact that the disclaimer is no longer on the label is what led me to look up the most current gluten-free list on the Publix website. I assumed I might find even more gluten-free deli salads listed – not find only the Chicken Tarragon listed.

Since I’ve had no problems with the potato salads this year (or ever), I’ll just keep reading the label and as long as there are no gluten ingredients listed, I’ll continue to purchase them. The good news is that most of the other deli items that were previously on the Publix gluten-free product list are still there. Below is the current list, dated 4/13/11.

DELI PRODUCTS *

Publix Deli Condiments

  • BBQ Sauce
  • Fresh Ground Peanut Butter

Publix Deli Pre-pack Sliced Lunch Meats

  • Beef Bologna
  • Beef Bottom Round Roast
  • Cooked Ham
  • Corned Beef
  • Extra Thin Sliced Honey Ham
  • Extra Thin Sliced Turkey Breast – Oven Roasted or Smoked
  • German Bologna
  • Hard Salami – Reduced Fat
  • Honey Kut Ham
  • Low Salt Ham
  • Olive Loaf
  • Peppered Beef
  • Pickle & Pimento Loaf
  • Smoked Turkey
  • Spanish Style Pork
  • Sweet Ham Tavern Ham
  • Turkey Breast
  • Virginia Brand Ham
  • Publix Deli Fully Cooked Turkey Whole
  • Publix Deli Fully Cooked Turkey Breast
  • Publix Deli U.S.D.A. Choice Cooked Beef Bottom Round Roast

Publix Deli Rotisserie Chicken

  • Apple Wood Smoked
  • Barbecue Flavored with Barbecue Seasoning
  • Barbecue Flavored with Barbecue Seasoning and Sauce
  • Lemon Pepper Flavored with Lemon & Herb Seasoning

Publix Deli Salads

  • Chicken Tarragon

Publix Deli Snacks

  • Deli Popcorn

The full gluten-free product list from Publix can be viewed by clicking HERE.

Review: Kinnikinnick Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs

Last Updated on by the Celiac-Disease.com Staff Leave a Comment

Back when I ate a regular diet, I never used Panko bread crumbs. In fact, I’d never even heard of them. Keep in mind I didn’t so much cooking until several months after my celiac diagnosis. When shopping at Whole Foods a couple of months ago, I finally found the Kinnikinnick Panko Style bread crumbs I’d read rave reviews about. I decided to give them a try even though I’ve never liked a single prepared gluten-free bread crumb product I’ve purchased in the past five years. Always an optimist (admittedly to my own detriment at times!), I tried not to consider the high (Whole Foods) price of the item, threw the box in the cart and hoped for the best.

When it was warm enough to use the grill burner to fry food out on the deck, I made up some gluten-free chicken fingers. For the flour I used Jules gluten-free with some spices mixed in and for the outer coating, I used the Panko Breadcrumbs from Kinnikinnick. I thought the feel of the crumbs was a little hard and was worried that maybe this experiment would be like all my others with store bought gluten-free breadcrumbs. I liked the fact that there was no odd smell to the product which was the first time that had happened with such a product.

I fried the chicken fingers up and immediately noticed that the coating didn’t start falling off. It stayed on the chicken just as it should have. The coating browned up just perfectly, but what something looks like has little to no bearing on how it actually tastes. Thankfully, the Kinnikinnick product definitely lived up to the hype and the chicken fingers tasted even better than they looked! I mean the fingers were seriously delicious and reminded me of those offered up at restaurants.

While I don’t like to eat a lot of fried foods these days and didn’t do so when I ate gluten, it is nice to have this great option from Kinnikinnick to use every once in a while. Unlike most other ready-made bread crumbs products I’ve tried before, this brand actually tastes like what bread crumbs should taste like. They do not taste like something you’re afraid might damage expensive dental work.

Kinnikinnick is introducing a lot of really great products of late. The Graham Style Crumbs from the line are also fabulous. You can read my review of them here if you missed it. Also, this fall the company is rolling out a gluten-free ready-made pie crust which I’ve already read rave reviews of. It was test tasted at Expo West earlier this year.