Gluten Free at an All-Inclusive (Mexico)

The past 10 days I spent on vacation in Mexico. It was glorious...the sunshine was a well needed break from the rainy winter of Vancouver. This post isn't about my vacation, though, it's about being gluten-free on vacation.

Gluten-free living is hard enough at home. Going out to restaurants can be scary, disappointing, or just awkward. But at least the menus are in english, and you can negotiate with the servers/chefs about your meal.

My boyfriend and I stayed at an All-Inclusive resort (the GR Solaris in Cancun to be exact), and although I didn't completely miss getting hit by gluten, I think I did pretty well, and have lived to tell the tale (and give some advice to others about to do the same!)

Fortunately, the wheat-obsessed diet is pretty much restricted to Canada, USA, and Europe, as far as I've discovered. Mexico is a very corn-heavy diet...and although it's not necessarily the healthiest, it's generally pretty safe for us who are gluten-free! Problem is, the all-inclusives tend to cater to their clients...mostly, Americans. This means there are tons of pasta and bread options at the buffets.

What you CAN count on though, is that authentic mexican tortilla chips, and tortilla shells are made of corn masa. MOST sauces are based in beans or tomatoes, and authentic sauces do not contain wheat.

What I quickly discovered at my resort was that I could eat, and eat well, by making the best educated guesses/decisions about the food I was eating. I have a wide variety of allergies, so as always, breakfast was very limited (no eggs for me...), but that's totally normal back home, too.

Here are some tips for people heading out on vacation:

1. Don't stress. If you're staying at a resort, there is usually PLENTY of options. If you're eating authentic Mexican food, make sure the tortillas are made of corn (HINT: the flour ones stretch if you pull at them...corn ones won't). Mexican food is generally wheat-free anyways.

2. Make SMART choices about what you eat at the buffet.
          For me, breakfast consisted of a TONNE of fresh fruit. and bacon. Fruit and bacon. If they had fresh tortilla chips out I would also have some of those with some refried beans. Load up on that delicious fruit though...it's not often you can get all those delicious melons fresh. They had a fresh omelette station, as they do at many of the hotels. If you can eat eggs, load up! Protein :)

          Lunch. TACOS! Gotta love the authentic Mexican tacos. Corn tortillas with salsa verte (green tomato salsa), lots of cilantro and guacamole. Tacos are a wonderful way to enjoy your lunch while staying safe. Again, just make sure you're eating corn tortillas! I had a slip up when I decided to venture into the "American food" category for lunch...just eat the real Mexican food and you'll be fine!

          Dinner. Start with a big salad. Find what's being grilled, and make sure there's no sauce. Our hotel offered some amazing salmon, prawns, chicken, and other grilled meats every night.

I pretty much stayed away from the soups offered, just in case...but twice I got some wonderful soup that I'm glad I didn't miss out on.

Lime Soup: This is traditional, and absolutely delicious.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup: One day my hotel made a delicious chicken and veggie soup that made me feel right at home. It was very obviously homemade, slow cooked, and delicious. It looked like it was fresh out of my Crock Pot!


I think you just really have to be smart about what you choose to put into your body. Take a look at what you're eating and make smart choices. You know your reactions. Take that into consideration everytime you're tempted to take a risk. It may not be worth it. Stick to the authentic Mexican food, and what you know to be gluten-free.

       

Homemade Maple Caramel Popcorn

This is Canadian popcorn at its best. MAPLE caramel popcorn without the corn syrup!

Maple syrup is honestly a gift to man. It is absolutely glorious in all its forms. Have you ever had frozen maple on a stick? So good. Pick one up at your next Canadian farmer's market.

Recipe:

1-3 tbsp Avocado Oil (Coconut oil would also be a great option)
1 cup popcorn kernels

1/2 cup butter
1 cup maple syrup (the real deal!)
 dash sea salt

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Popcorn time! Add your oil to a large pot at medium/high heat. Cover, and gently shake occasionally until the popping stops.
3. Add your butter, maple syrup , and sea salt to a small saucepan. Stir continuously over medium heat. Once you see bubbles, stir for 5 more minutes.
4. Pour over popcorn immediately and stir.
5. Spread mixture onto baking sheets, and bake in oven for 10 minutes- stirring once halfway through.
6. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Next time...I'll add bacon bits!

Product Review: Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread

So the time may have passed for shortbread...if you only eat cookies during Christmas! I say, cookies all year round!

In my stocking this year I found a box of Lander's Australian Macadamia Shortbread. Boxed gluten-free goods, you say? I'm always skeptical. I waited to open the box for a week or so before one night my sugar craving was so intense I tore open the box hoping to find greatness on the inside.

Sooooooooo yummmmmmmmmy........

I could easily eat 5 of these cookies if I didn't hold myself back. So deliciously buttery, and a texture just like traditional shortbread. They DO contain dairy, so if you're exceptionally allergic to dairy, unfortunately you can't eat them. I'm not sure how much--- I really don't find myself reacting to them at all.

I haven't seen them anywhere except London Drugs. They were sold out at one location, so it appears that others may have discovered the greatness of these cookies. They come in at $4.50 a box. London Drugs carries a fantastic amount of gluten-free goods--from cookies and crackers, to cereal, to flours! It's an awesome place to check out for a little bit of grocery shopping! The London Drugs on Georgia/Granville has a much larger grocery section than the one on Davie/Cardero. I haven't been to others in town.

Panne Rizo-- Vancouver

Panne Rizo is a place I avoided for a long time. It's a rice-based bakery in Kitsilano that is absolutely 100% gluten-free.

The words "rice bakery" just scared me to death. I have had some awful experiences with rice-based goods...I just imagined everything would be dry, dry, dry. I was afraid to go, and be sad with what I found. Isn't it wonderful to have your expectations blown out of the water?!

I'm so sad that it took me so long to go. This place is glorious. The food is WONDERFUL. I've tried a few different products, and am absolutely in love.

They always have a variety of samples available, which is awesome...you get to try before you buy! Who doesn't love samples?!

Products I've tried:

Chia Bread- Absolutely delicious. I eat it lightly toasted, and the taste reminds me of an english muffin/crumpet. It's become a staple in my house. I buy two loaves at a time, and keep them in the freezer. It's vegan, so NO eggs! That's tough to find in gluten-free bread. It's the only vegan bread loaf in the bakery as far as I know.

Multigrain Loaf- This was a good multigrain loaf. I prefer the chia....bread is more of a 'treat' now for me, so I don't really care if there's seeds or different grains in it. It's less moist than the chia bread.

Breadcrumbs- SO GOOD. I need to go buy some more immediately. I made breaded fish, chicken, yam fries, zucchini, and more with this product. Homemade chicken strips....I thought I was dreaming! Definitely something to keep in the house.

Gingerbread Men- I bought these at Christmastime. They were spicy, and delicious. You would never know the difference between these and "normal" gingerbread men. The package was so cute with a family of 4- two big gingerbread men, and two babies!

Pfeffernussen- This is a type of German Christmas cookie that I discovered through Panne Rizo. They are like little snowballs. They're similar to a ginger cookie, but covered with powdered sugar. Lightly spiced, and absolutely delicious. Between my boyfriend and I, we went through about 2 dozen!

Foccaccia- When I first tried this, I said, "It's actually foccaccia". You won't be disappointed in this one. Careful though, it's heavy on the garlic (delicious, but my tummy was unhappy with me...I'm not supposed to do garlic). I couldn't resist.



I'm slowly discovering more and more of their products, and have not yet been disappointed. Everything's been a wonderful discovery, and I will forever be a loyal customer. It looks like you can order their products online- I'm not sure if they ship!

It also looks like a variety of stores also carry their products including:
Whole Foods (Lower Mainland)
Urban Fare
Planet Organic (Victoria, Coquitlam)
Nature's Fare (Langley)
Edible Flours
Tamaringo's Cafe (Langley)
Good Nature Health Foods (North Vancouver)

I haven't seen them there, but would love to know if you have! Leave me a comment below!

BEER!

For those who enjoy an adult beverage every once in a while, becoming gluten-free comes with the sad realization that you can no longer enjoy a cold, icy beer.
BUT NOW THERE ARE OPTIONS!

I was never a big beer drinker before, but I definitely enjoyed one occasionally. It's just something that fits well with a BBQ or a warm evening after a day on the beach.

When I first eliminated gluten, I wrote a post on discovering a gluten-free beer at the liquor store, but being too afraid to try it. There are some terrible replacement products out there on the market- and I feared trying to replicate beer would just end in sadness.

However,
New Grist is pretty good!

It's an American beer that sits at 5.7%. It's quite "light", so I would compare it to something like a Corona. In fact, New Grist is fantastic with a wedge of lime!
It's brewed completely without wheat or barley- so it's definitely, without a doubt, 100% gluten-free.
They've replaced the wheat and barley with sorghum, rice, hops, water, and yeast.

It definitely tastes like beer, but the only difference I found that really didn't bother me that much, is that it's mildly less carbonated than a standard beer.

I've found it at various BC liquor stores in Vancouver- just ask where to find it- it's definitely not sitting along with the regular beers. It's usually with the specialty single beers- the fruit beers, etc.
It's sold in bottled 6-packs- and again- grab yourself a lime.

I've also found it at the following restaurants in Vancouver: (list to be updated as I discover more places!)
- The Irish Heather (Gastown)
- Chill Winston (Gastown)
- The New Oxford (Yaletown)

Chicken Soup for the Soul With a Cold

Last Tuesday I came down with a horrendous cold. They're just so inconvenient, you know? It's putting a serious hamper on my daily activities and production levels!

Since I've been sick, I've been eating Campbell's Chicken and Rice soup like it's going out of style- but I knew there was nothing better for me than homemade.

So tonight- that was my project!
I adapted a recipe from Canadian Living- but it didn't have an essential "get better" ingredient that I wanted to throw in there- GINGER!

Here's my recipe:

Chicken Soup for the Soul With a Cold
*this recipe makes a whole lot of soup- so be ready to put some in the fridge or freezer if you can't finish it all.

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 medium yellow onion
4 ribs celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 small yukon gold potatoes- peeled and diced
1/2 yam, peeled and diced
1 tbsp dried thyme (use fresh if you have it!)
3 sprigs fresh parsley, diced (I had some in my garden-- use dried if you only have that)
salt and pepper to taste
5-6 cups reduced sodium gluten-free chicken broth
1/2 cup rinsed jasmine rice
1.5 inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into very small pieces

Heat olive oil in your largest pot--you will use only this pot for the soup.
Brown chicken thighs over medium heat.
Once browned, remove from pot- chop into small pieces and set aside for later.

Add onion and celery to the pot.
Saute for 2 minutes.
Add carrots, potato, yam, thyme, parsley, ginger, salt, and pepper.
Saute for 3 minutes.
Return chicken to pot.
Stir in broth and 4 cups water.
Bring to a boil- simmer for 5 minutes.

Stir in rice.
Cover, and cook until rice is soft- approximately 15 minutes.

YUMMY!

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie

Get excited.
Right now.

I'm serious.

I made a BRILLIANT gluten-free and dairy-free pumpkin pie that I'm so excited to share. It's nearly Thanksgiving, and you could easily serve this to your guests without them knowing there is anything different about it. I wanted to be able to make a great pie for this occasion, and thought that I'd have to try a few different recipes to find a good one. 

With a few adjustments according to what I had in the fridge- this pie came out absolutely delicious. It might take a few tries to get it cosmetically perfect, because pies can be tricky this way...but I will absolutely be keeping this recipe in my collection.

This is an OVERNIGHT recipe- so plan to start in the evening, and continue the next day.
If you have the chance to chill your flours- this apparently helps, too. I didn't do it, but will try next time to see if it makes a difference.

Gluten-Free Pie Crust

1 cup rice flour

1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch

3 tablespoons millet flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup COLD butter (keep it in the freezer)
1 egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ice-cold water (get a cup of water, throw some ice cubes in it, and put it in the freezer. ICE COLD. Bam!)

Mix together all the dry ingredients. Cut the butter in. When you are finished, the whole mix should look grainy. Butter should be no larger than pea-sized pieces.

Make a well in the dry ingredients, and add the egg and apple cider vinegar. 
Gently stir, and then slowly add the ice cold water. Mixture should not be too wet, but should be able to be pressed into a ball of dough.

Take the dough, and press it onto a large sheet of parchment paper. Place another large piece of parchment on top, and roll the dough outward into a round shape. Dough should extend at least 4 inches past the edges of your pie plate.

Refrigerate this dough (ideally) overnight. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you want to work with it. 

Peel off the top layer of parchment and lay your pie plate on top. This is the scariest part...FLIP it over! Lightly peel the last layer of parchment off.
DON'T WORRY if you butcher your dough at this point. I did, and ended up pressing it all back together- and it still turned out great!

Trim the edges of the pie, and if you'd like, you can crimp the pieces or press a fork into the edges to create a cute little design.  

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. (Mine took 15...watch for it until it's golden brown)

Cool COMPLETELY. 

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Filling:

 2/3 cup coconut milk
(Just less than) 1/2 cup sugar
 2 eggs
 1 (14-ounce) can organic pumpkin puree
 3 tablespoons millet flour
 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the wet ingredients to the mix, and combine well. 
Pour into the cooled pie crust, and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes (again, mine took 55...wait until the middle of the pie is fairly firm.) It's always a good idea to put some tin foil over the edges of the pie- so they don't get burnt during baking!