Long Time, No Blog

I’ve been slacking off big time by not blogging. That’s about to change!

Sorry I’ve been MIA – in the meantime, check out an awesome photo of my dog, Yogi.

The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen

When I joined Google+ , I added “gluten-free” as a topic to read about in my Sparks feed. I came across an article about a new cookbook coming out called “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More” from Laura B. Russel.

I was really intrigued because I knew how hard it is to follow a gluten-free and dairy-free diet when scoping out Asian food. I could not wait to check out the cookbook so I pre-ordered it on Amazon.

I’m still not able to test out any recipes since I’ve been so swamped with marathon training, new job, and a lot more new activities going on in my life – but I’m determined to test out these yummy looking recipes! The cookbook has recipes for Gingery Pork Pot Stickers, Korean Green Onion Pancakes, Soba Noodles with Stir-Fried Shiitake Mushrooms, and 97 other tasty recipes.

I went to Laura’s book signing at Crave Bake Shop, a delicious bakery that has gluten-free and dairy free treats. I got to meet the author and she really knows her Asian food! We talked about some of her favorite recipes and how she got involved with gluten-free Asian cooking. It’s awesome to meet a Oregon author who is not only passionate about Asian food, but making them delicious with gluten-free ingredients!

Here’s a photo of Laura and I below at the book signing.

Once I get a chance to test one of her recipes, I’ll post it! To learn more about Laura and her book, pleas visit her site: http://www.laurabrussell.com.

Kiss Me Garlic Rosemary

I’m always looking out for new gluten-free bread, so I was stoked to come across Happy Campers Gluten Free Baking. I went to my naturopath’s open house at Oswego Progressive Medicine and met the owners of Happy Campers, Lacy and Jan. The very friendly owners introduced me to a few samples including the Classy Grains Loaf, Dark Seedy Loaf, and Kiss Me Garlic Rosemary. All of their bread are gluten free, and are vegan and have no nuts or no soy!

I fell in love with the Rosemary bread sample! I dipped a little bit in olive oil and also tried it by itself, it had so much flavor for gluten-free bread. It smelled fresh, and the garlic and rosemary flavor was strong but in the best possible way. I would not know the difference if it was gluten-free or not.

Here are the ingredients for the Kiss Me Garlic Rosemary bread:

INGREDIENTS: Water, Tapioca flour, Potato starch, Whole sorghum flour, Brown rice flour, Potato, Safflower Oil, Organic agave, Organic brown rice, Flaxseed, Garlic, Apple cider vinegar, Yeast, Sea Salt, Spices, Rosemary, Xanthan gum

I was so happy I got to take a loaf home! I ate a little bit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bread is great to have as toast or just fresh by itself. I highly recommend it! You can read about the Rosemary bread and the other breads here.

If you’re in the Portland area, you can find Happy Campers:
Hollywood Saturday Farmers Market, Woodstock, Hillsboro and Montavilla Sunday Farmers Markets – (check Facebook feed on the Base Camp page), Beaverton and Hillsboro Wednesday Markets (rotating also – check Facebook feed for updates), Food Front Coop (both NW and Hillsdale locations), People’s Coop, Dave’s Killer Bread’s Healthy Bread Store.

If you’re not in Portland, don’t get discouraged – Happy Campers will ship it to you! Read more info here.

Truly Yummy Gluten-Free Pancakes

My sister got a Google Offer for Lili Patisserie, a local family-owned, neighborhood cafe located in the Sellwood neighborhood in Portland.

I was very excited to try their gluten-free pancakes! My sister and I both ordered the pancakes with a side of veggie sausage (sorry this does have gluten – I thought I ordered regular sausage) and eggs (hey, a girl has to cheat from time to time).

I highly recommend the gluten-free pancakes – they were so delicious I devoured them in a few seconds. My only complaint is that we waited for 1.5 hours for our food. The service is not the best but their food is top notch!

Gluten-Free White Bread – Low Calorie and Yummy

My sister recommended this gluten-free white bread, something we can eat with peanut butter prior to a long run. I immediately bought this after finding out it was 60 calories per sliced bread, which means this is probably the first low calorie, gluten-free bread I’ve seen in awhile. You can find this at a local Albertson’s!

The Classic White Bread from Schar is soft, yummy, and made with rice flour. In comparison to Udi’s white bread, I like this slightly more. It was great to eat this toast before my 16 mile run and I can’t wait to eat this throughout the week!

You can check out Schar’s other gluten-free products here.

Dick’s Kitchen: Every Gluten-Free/Paleo Person’s Dream!

I visited Dick’s Kitchen a couple times in August and fell in love. A restaurant, that is described as “perhaps the country’s first Stone Age Diner, embraces these challenges by offering modestly priced and delicious fare that will leave you feeling nourished and happy.” And that’s exactly how I felt after leaving Dick’s!

Dick’s Kitchen has a great selection of healthy diner food including: burgers with 100% grass fed beef, gluten-free and non-gluten-free potato buns, non-beef burgers (salmon, turkey burgers), sliders, sausages and dogs, veggie plates, air-baked fries and yams, vegan shakes and dairy shakes, and much more. You can check out the entire menu here.

I ordered the Classic Burger which includes a 5.5 oz patty made from 100% grass-fed beef from Carman Ranch in Eastern Oregon, with gluten-free bun from Jensen’s Bakery along with a side of sauteed mushrooms and onions. I also got the Yam “Not-Fries” on the side. I felt very fulfilled and nourished after I ate this meal – not sluggish and bloated like I usually do with most burgers. Check out my photo below.

My twin sister ordered the vanilla Coconut Bliss Vegan Shake which was absolutely delicious! If you are a vegan or going dairy-free, you must try this!

Dick’s Kitchen is located on 3312 SE Belmont St., Portland OR. Do yourself a favor and check them out!

Gluten-Free Donut Holes

I had a terrible Saturday morning. After running what I thought was a great 14 mile long run for my marathon training, I thought I would be productive and go to the Nike Employee Store. There was a line this long:

I didn’t eat after my run, and driving to Nike Employee Store, then waiting in line to get in, then to shop, and then to purchase my Nike gear, took a 2 hour process. This is when I became real cranky and hungry.

After burning 1500 something calories and only eating a banana pre-long run, I drove straight home to meet up with my boyfriend so we can get ready to go camping for the weekend. But before I could drive home (which took another 45 minutes), I needed something in my tummy.

My last stop before home? New Seasons Market. I was craving donut holes so I picked up some Ener-G Gluten-Free Plain Donut Holes.

Just microwave for few seconds and dip in sugar – delish!

After eating about 6 of them, I was a very satisfied and happy girl!

Olive Garden’s Gluten-Free Pasta

I don’t discriminate against chain restaurants…I have been going to fewer chain restaurants even though I live in the burbs, but I was ecstatic to hear that Olive Garden has a gluten-free option. During my marathon training I need my fair share of carbs to keep me fueling, so the night prior to my long run, I ordered the Penne Rigate Pomodoro.

This pasta dish includes roma tomatoes, garlic, fresh basil, extra-virgin olive oil and marinara sauce tossed with gluten free penne pasta. For being yummy, filling, and only 490 calories, I was very satisfied.

You can check out Olive Garden’s gluten-free menu here.

Verde Cocina

Now that I work in downtown Portland, I’m always trying out new food carts and restaurants. One of my favorite vendors that have their cart in Pioneer Courthouse Square during the summer is Verde Cocina.

A little about Verde Cocina from their website:
Verde Cocina is a Pacific NW farm-to-fork food company. We are proud farmers market hot food vendors, wholesale food product makers and now Verde Cocina has its first cafe.

Verde Cocina is paleo friendly and gluten-free menu items. My favorite dish is their Buenos Dias Breakfast which includes:
Two Egg It On Farms free-range, non-GMO eggs, scrambled with veggies, topped with salsa ranchera and a little cheese, more veggies, and fresh, locally sourced, great big chunks of BACON! Oh, and two handmade fresh corn tortillas on the side. (I skip out on the cheese).

I LOVE watching them grill their veggies and make their food! Here are photos from my food stalking:

Here is a photo of the Buenos Dias Breakfast

You can check out their full market menu here and market and store locations here.

Petunia’s Pies & Pastries – More Goodies

I stopped by the PSU Farmer’s Market a couple times in the past month to try out Petunia’s Pies & Pastries‘ other yummy goods. I was super stoked to find out Lisa Clark created the Cowgirl Cookie (my favorite GF cookie) dough ice cream sundae! Petunia’s makes delicious gluten-free and vegan treats, so the ice cream was made out of a blend of coconut milk and almond milk. Combine that with the Cowgirl Cookie and I’m sold!

Here’s a few photos of the sundae:

I also met Petunia’s owner, Lisa Clark! Please excuse my sweaty self, I just finished running 8 miles in this photo

This past weekend, I tried Petunia’s Peachy Pecan Sticky Buns. LOVE IT!! I ate half and saved the other one after I run a few miles It tastes like the “real thing” if you know what I mean. Highly recommend this item!

It’s so convenient that my weekly marathon training takes place close to downtown. So I’ll be coming here probably every Saturday after my long runs – can’t find a better way to treat myself!