Gluten-Free Tucson

Impossible cacti, blazing heat, mountains ... and great gluten-free food. Mike and I hopped down to Tucson for a weekend to celebrate a friend's wedding. After stepping off the plane, we headed over to Piezano's for a gluten-free pizza. We were the only ones in the restaurant, so the guy running the show was more than happy to make us a half "big and meaty" and half Hawaiian pizza. We inhaled it, and didn't regret it one bit.

Then it was time for the rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner at the Old Pueblo Grille, where we had a lovely cocktail hour and sat down to dinner. I had the Avocado Chicken, which they made specially gluten-free for me, and it was mighty tasty.

When we booked our hotel, the Hacienda del Sol, I knew it would be nice, not just because of the price tag, but because they made a note that I'm gluten-free for their in-house restaurants, "just in case" I decided to dine with them. I did - while Mike was out with the groom before the wedding, I ordered myself room service - my very first room service ever.

It was a salmon salad, and the hostess made sure to check with the chef before even placing the order, just to make sure it was totally gluten-free. It was, and I was so glad. The salmon was delicous - grilled to a crisp on the outside, but still moist and tender on the inside. The dressing was good too - light and creamy and just right. At first, I thought the corn was raw, it was so sweet and crisp, but it was actually charred a bit on the grill, then chilled. Yum!

Finally it was time for the main event, which was absolutely beautiful. After the ceremony, we headed back to the hotel, where the reception was, for a wonderful party. We checked with the servers, who checked and assured us that all the menu items for the evening were gluten-free! We had steak and salmon, and both were amazing.

The next morning, we trudged over to the airport to go home. I didn't expect to find much, so I was pleasantly surprised to find Cibo Express Market at the Tucson airport. They had a range of gluten-free snacks, and some were even nut-free. My favorites were these gluten-free cookies that tasted just like Pepperidge Farms Milano cookies. They even had healthier options, like red pepper-artichoke spread, and cut fruit.

I'm sure we'll be heading back to Tucson soon. Have you eaten gluten-free there?

$20 Restaurant-Style Caesar Salad ... for about $5

Does it drive you crazy how much restaurant food is marked up? Not me, usually. I'm paying for somebody else to be doin' the cooking, and more importantly, the dishes. But when it comes to salad...I usually just don't see the point.

I made the mistake once. Mike and I ordered a Caesar Salad that cost about $12-$15. We were going to split it. When it came out, there were three pieces of lettuce smeared with dressing. I relished every last bite (and it was good), but ever since then, we've joked about expensive salads in fancy restaurants.

The thing is, salads are easy. Even when you've made the dressing from scratch. And the cleanup is pretty simple, too. So go out to eat. Pay top dollar for somebody else to shuck your oysters, and do the cleanup, but skip the salad. It's overpriced, and you can do a better job at home!


Caesar Salad

Don't let the multiple parts of this recipe daunt you. If you already have crutons, you can use those, or leave them off entirely. If you have pre-shredded parmesan cheese, you can use that. Just try the dressing. Just once. The whole recipe, including the homemade crutons, takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. 

Dressing

• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• Juice of half a lemon
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
• Pinch ancho chile powder (Optional - you could also use just a dash of cayenne)
• Pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

Use a blender or an immersion blender to combine all ingredients until they come together in a thick dressing. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired.

Makes enough dressing for about 4 salads.


Crutons

• Crusty bread, torn into 1-inch pieces (I used this bread)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

Heat the butter in a skillet. When it is just beginning to brown, toss in the paprika, then the bread. Saute, stirring gently, until the bread just begins to brown. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

Salad

• Dressing
• Crutons
• Romaine Lettuce
• Parmesan Cheese

Tear and wash the lettuce. Drain and pat dry, or use a salad spinner to remove excess water. Toss with the dressing. Shave the parmesan cheese onto the salad using a vegetable peeler (you can also use a cheese grater for smaller shavings). Top with crutons. Enjoy!

Happy Desk Salad - Arugula Salad with Proscuitto, Basil, and Goat Cheese

Maybe you've heard of Sad Desk Salad. I'm reading it now. Luckily, I don't work (or blog) in such a charged environment, but the concept of being stuck at your desk for lunch definitely resonates. Also in the news of eating lunch at your desk, you should only do it if you make the conscious decision to do so. 

If you find yourself at your desk for lunch, one way or the other, a great salad can go a long way in making the experience a decent one. It's just as easy (if not easier) than walking across the street to the bodega for a  limp salad - just throw some great tasting greens in a container, roll the meat into some plastic wrap, and put the dressing in a separate container. Mix it all together at your desk, and voila - a happy desk salad. It's crisp, satisfying, and totally free from despair.

This salad just so happens to have some kale and chive sprouts from my garden - a lucky coincidence of needing to thin out veggies. But it would be equally delicious with just the arugula and mesclun mix.

Arugula Salad with Prosciutto, Basil and Goat Cheese 

 

Okra Fritter and Goat Cheese Salad

 Remember my Jail Kale Stew? It was made with kale grown as a part of a program for inmates at the local jail. On a later trip to the farmer's market, I picked up some okra at the jail's produce stand. Okra's not something that's easy to find out here, so I jumped at the chance to get some. And of course, it has to be fried.

I made these fritters (using gluten-free flour, of course), and they came out wonderfully. I may or may not have eaten a couple right out of the pan. But just to be sort-of healthy and offset the deep-fried okra, I made a salad with extra goat cheese for good measure. Eaten out on the porch, it was just the right combination of hot and cool, greasy and leafy. Yum!

Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette

Mike and I went to a horrible restaurant for his birthday. We were starving and exhausted from moving all day long. We chose the restaurant because it had a gluten free menu and because we wouldn't have to go to far to get there.

We pulled up to the restaurant and saw an empty parking lot. Not a good sign. "It is Sunday," Mike said. "Most people eat in." I could hear the doubt in his voice, mingled with the hope that he was dead wrong about the place. Still, exhausted and hungry as we were, there was no going hunting for another restaurant. We slid out of the truck and trudged to the door.

The inside was better than expected. It was clean at least, but there was only one other table occupied. To her credit, the waitress knew exactly what to do when I asked for the gluten free menu.

We ordered a caprese salad to share. It came out with a great big slab of garlic toast on it. I cringed, but rather than send it back, I took a deep breath and picked up the cheese, tomatoes, olives, and onions farthest away from the bread and put them on my plate, leaving the rest for Mike. Besides the tomatoes that tasted like tomatoes in early May, the salad was pretty good. It was just the bread that had me on edge.

Mike and I both ordered pasta dishes-me from the gluten free menu and him from the regular one. My pasta was undercooked and the meat incredibly tough. Mike's pasta was fine, though he nearly gagged on the tough meatballs.

What a meal. I thought a hard day's work could make just about anything taste satisfying, but I was clearly wrong. It was awful.

And yet, this awful meal inspired a new favorite dressing. Our caprese salad came with a honey-balsamic dressing that was just the right balance of tart and sweet, and it mingled beautifully with all the ingredients in the salad.

I've been using this dressing all week, trying to recreate that salad and make it better. That means no bread, of course, and it also means no tomatoes, since fresh ones are still months away. I've also learned there's a balance between letting the cheese soak up some of the dressing and letting it sit so long it becomes leathery.

Slice up some red onions if you like. Make sure they're very thin.

Mix a tablespoon of good quality balsamic vinegar with a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the onions, if using, some olives, and a chiffonade of a couple of fresh basil leaves.

Slice a few rounds of mozzarella, then tear them into bite-size pieces. Mix lightly into the dressing, but don't let it stand too long. A few minutes is perfect.

Put some lettuce on a plate if you'd like to eat it as a traditional salad, or eat straight out of the bowl for something that tastes really decadent and delicious.

Cranberry Orange Salad

This one's not really much of a recipe:

Saute some bacon until it's crispy. Remove the bacon. Add to the bacon fat some sliced onions, and saute until soft.

Toss salad greens with fresh-squeezed orange juice and olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper, and some herbs. Sprinkle the bacon and onions over the salad, add some cranberries and pieces of orange.

Not much of a recipe, perhaps, but an excellent way to spend lunchtime.

Quick Tuna Salad

I had an excellent tuna salad last fall. It probably hit the spot because I was absolutely starving for protein at the time, but since then I've started to reach for tuna salad a little more often. This guy is quick to whip together and a delight to eat. 

Tuna Salad with Grapes

Serves four

• 2 cans tuna, drained
• 1 small shallot, chopped fine
• Juice from one lemon, divided
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 8 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup grapes, rinsed
• 2 tablespoons roasted pumpkin seeds

Combine the tuna, shallot, half the lemon juice, mayonnaise, and capers.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Divide the spinach evenly among four plates. Scatter the grapes over the spinach, then drizzle the dressing over the salads. Use a large spoon or ice cream scoop to spoon the tuna mixture in the center of the salad. Scatter the pumpkin seeds over the top and enjoy!

Smitten Salad

The other night at dinner, Mike was quiet as he ate. Then he said, "You make a really good salad." Oh, be still my heart.

It was this salad, but with sausage instead of bacon, lemon juice instead of vinegar, plus some corn, chili flakes, and paprika.

Sometimes I make it according to the actual recipe, which has become a favorite on its own, but just as often I add my own twists to it. That's what cooking is really about. Pouring yourself into dinner for the pure joy of it.

We don't usually do "diet" salads in our house, mostly because if I'm just looking at greens and salad dressing I'm not very interested in eating it. And when we eat salads like this, with the dressing made from pan drippings, we're always satisfied. They're meals unto themselves, and then we fall in love all over again.

Fancypants Lamb, Acts One and Two

Remember that lamb that cost me the contents of my piggy bank? Well here it is, the star of two meals. 

First Act: A Dinner's Dinner

The first go-round, I just panfried it all in some bacon fat. That's salt, pepper, and some herbs on plain-ol lambchops. 

 Seared on medium-high heat until they were just right. Deglazed the pan with some red wine, added in some cooked shallots, and served with baked mac-and-cheese and broccoli.

Definitely worth the price.

Second Act: Salad. 

I used to eat this dish made with couscous, spinach, lemon, chicken, and feta cheese. It was one of my favorites. No more couscous for me (at least not wheat couscous), and for some reason I can't really digest chicken anymore either. No worries. 

This is a rice couscous, cooked up with some onions and red pepper flakes. And butter, there's always butter. Throw in some shredded cheese (or feta would be amazing with this) and lemon zest when you fluff the couscous, and then top with more cheese. 

Slice and reheat the lamb in a skillet over low heat. Be careful not to overcook, you just want it reheated.

Spoon the rice couscous over a bed of lettuce, then top with the lamb. Drizzle everything with a tiny bit of olive oil and some lemon juice.

Again, definitely worth the price.

Charred Corn and Bacon Salad

How have I not shared this salad with you yet? It's easily one of our favorites. Whenever I make this salad for dinner, Mike's eyes light up and he says something like, "Awesome! I really like this salad!"

Even though it is technically a salad, it's a hearty and satisfying meal for two. Even better, I usually have all the ingredients in the fridge or freezer, if you don't count the avocado. Avocado is a little pricey, but this recipe only takes one, and it really has a chance to shine in this salad. It could be easily doubled to feed more people as a meal, or stretched to feed more folks as an appetizer.

Charred Corn and Bacon Salad

• 4-6 slices bacon
• 1/2 medium or 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup corn
• 1/2 jarred roasted red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Juice of one lime
• 2 tablespoons dried or 1/4 fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 avocado
• 4-6 cups mixed greens
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the cilantro and lime juice. Set aside.

Fry the bacon in a medium-large skillet. Remove from pan and dry on paper towels. Reserve several tablespoons of the bacon grease, and pour the rest into a glass jar, storing it in the fridge for later use.

(You could also use several slices of pre-cooked bacon and bacon grease from your grease jar, if you have one. Just make sure to re-heat the bacon in the skillet so it gets nice and crispy. If you don't have a grease jar, just use a tablespoon of butter and tablespoon of olive oil for the next part.)

Add the onions and the reserved bacon grease to the skillet and saute until soft and beginning to turn golden. Next add the peppers, saute about a minute, then add the corn, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. Saute 2-3 minutes, then remove from heat.

Put greens on each plate. Chop the bacon and scatter on top of the greens. Peel and dice the avocado and scatter on the greens. Scatter the corn mixture over the salad. Pour the cilantro-lime dressing over the salad, then sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.

The Country Cooking of France, by Anne Willan

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star.

-Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Physiology of Taste

This cookbook is far more than a new dish, or a new star. It's a little bit of both. If I could sum it up in a nutshell, I would call this cookbook a modern and slightly condensed take on Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  (In fact, Willan is known for starting a cooking school with Julia Child and James Beard.) Besides the recipes and techniques, which focus on country cooking (as opposed to Parisian cuisine), The Country Cooking of France is complete with breathtakingly mouthwatering photographs of many of the recipes contained within its pages, as well as scenes of life in the French countryside.

Besides gorgeous photographs, this cookbook has several vignettes in each chapter - about types of food, chefs, locations, and agriculture in the French countryside. I learned a lot from these little accounts, like the reason cheese gets stringy - the protein and fat get too hot.  Or that some cheeses have AOC status - just like wine - and the requirements for the prestigious labels are stringent, like requiring the cows' diet to consist entirely of summer grass and no grain-feed. No wonder the French are obsessed with cheese!

Starting on Sunday, and with the exception of Monday, we've eaten one new recipe from this cookbook every day this week. I was even inspired to have French-style fruit and cheese plates for lunch, complete with a single square of dark chocolate. I haven't fixed tonight's meal yet (Tian de Courgettes), but so far every single meal has been nothing short of spectacular.

How do you follow a recipe when you cannot eat one of the main ingredients (wheat) the cookbook celebrates? Well, first of all you choose recipes carefully, unless you're an expert. I picked recipes where I knew I could make substitutions, or where none were required at all because all of the ingredients were naturally gluten free. The Boeuf Bourguignon, for example, used flour as a thickener. Instead, I used an all-purpose gluten free flour blend, which did the trick just fine. Just to get in the mood for the week, I made gluten free French rolls, which I used for bread whenever it was called for in a recipe.  And for the Quiche Lorraine, I found a recipe for a gluten free pie tart elsewhere. It may be a little bit of extra work, but in my mind it's well worth it. 

Here's a recipe I made which is loosely based on a recipe in the cookbook. Give it a shot! It's excellent for a light meal, or as a first course.

My French Cooking Week Bonus  -  Salade au Gambas Grilles (Salad with Seared Shrimp) 

Adapted from The Country Cooking of France by Anne Willem

Let me make a confession: somewhere along the way, I lost my love of shrimp. When I was a kid, I lived for steamed shrimp, fried, shrimp, shrimp scampi, shrimp salad ... you know, I just loved shrimp. At some point though, shrimp lost their magic. So when I stumbled across a recipe for seared shrimp, I hesitated. But the pictures were so tantalizing, and there was shrimp in the freezer, so what did I have to lose?

Oh, boy, am I glad I gave this recipe a try. As I'm wont to do, I made up some twists along the way, turning simple shrimp into a whole salad for dinner.  Try your hand at it, and let me know how it goes for you! 

2 tablespoons butter, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, more if needed

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

10 baby onions, peeled

2 cloves garlic, crushed

5 ounces lettuce

Juice of half a lemon

1 pound jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on

1/4 cup cornstarch (Argo is gluten free, but be sure to double check)

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt

1/2 ounce Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomatoes, peppers, onions, and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Toss with one tablespoon olive oil. Cut one tablespoon of butter into quarters, and tuck in to the dish. Cook for an hour, or until the tomatoes are bursting and the onions and garlic are soft. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Divide the lettuce among four plates. Spoon the tomato mixture evenly among the plates, reserving any cooking oil in the bottom of the pan. Whisk the reserved cooking oil with the lemon juice. 

Add the remaining butter and oil to a large skillet. Combine the sea salt and cornstarch in a bowl, and toss in the shrimp to coat. Heat the skillet over medium heat until nearly smoking, then add the shrimp in a single layer. Weight the shrimp with a heavy pan and cook for a minute or two. Remove the weight, turn the shrimp, reweight, and cook another one or two minutes. Remove from heat.

Divide the shrimp equally among the four plates. Top with shavings of Parmesan cheese, the lemon vinaigrette, and the pepper.

Serve immediately.