Norwegian Christmas: Gluten Free Krumkake

Something I tend to forget is that my great grandfather was Norwegian. I never met the man but I know he was the epitome of a Norgwegian. He came to the states as a teenager with nothing but a giant truck he carried on his back. I’m reminded of his legacy by my lumberjack of a father, the excitement I get for Thor Hushovd during the Tour de France and the few Norwegian recipes my grandmother taught me.

One of my favorites is krumkake, a Norwegian cookie similar to a waffle cone. My family celebrated this past Christmas by figuring out how to make krumkakes gluten free and dairy free; and they turned out just the same! Here's the recipe my dad created on a whim. 

First one - added too much batter!

Gluten Free Krumkake

Makes:  about 30

2 cups sugar

½ butter alternative (I like using coconut butter)

2 eggs

2 cups milk alternative

1 ½ cup gluten free flour mix – see recipe below

We used what we had available in the house but pre-mixed would work as well

½ teaspoon freshly ground cardamom (freshly ground is key)

¼ teaspoon vanilla

½ cup corn starch

Gluten Free flour mix

·         5 cups sweet rice flour

·         5 cups rice flour

·         1 cup brown rice flour

·         1 cup sorghum flour

Mix all ingredients together until well incorporated. Pre-heat your krumkake iron. Pour about one tablespoon of the mixture onto the iron and slowly close; allowing the mixture to spread evenly. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip the iron. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the iron gently and quickly roll with a rolling cone. 

Stress + Gluten-Free Eating

These past couple months have included the most challenging time in my life along with some of the best. The amount of changes I’ve gone through is safe to say enough to knock anyone on their heels – and the reason why Celiac Eats has been lacking in posts.

Through my life, career and location changes, my eating habits have severely diminished. Shamefully I can count several occasions where I ate French fries as a meal because I was either too busy, too tired to cook or to go to a decent restaurant. Of course my health has started lacking as a result. It’s been a cycle of tiredness, weakness, and achiness from eating poor/processed food. Finally, the other day when a rash appeared on my inner elbow I decided I had enough of eating poorly. I’ve started to get back into the habit of eating well but it’s challenging. I forgot how time consuming it can be to maintain a healthy diet when gluten-free.

Lunch at work is still my biggest challenge – sandwiches aren’t great because the bread needs to be heated and I have been too exhausted to make a big enough meal at dinner to leave leftovers. There aren’t many healthy restaurant options by my office either.

So, how do you maintain a healthy diet during busy times? I must admit I’m in a rut and in need of some help and inspiration!  

Gluten Free Overnight Oats

Today I am a guest blogger on Bob's Red Mill's blog! You can check out the blog here or read the post below along with additional photos.

Gluten Free: Overnight Oats

We all know that eating a breakfast is important to our health– from aiding in weight loss to helping kids stay energized through school. Yet most of us skip it. I try to eat a balanced breakfast but still find it hard sometimes to make a nutritious meal in the short amount of time I have in the morning. I also can get bored with the limited gluten and dairy free breakfast options.   

I love overnight oats because they are so simple to prepare and you can change the flavor profile easily with different mix-ins so you’ll never get bored.

If you have kids, turn them into an experiment after dinner. They’ll be so excited to test them in the morning and you’ll be happy to get them a filling breakfast.

Basic Overnight Oats

Adapted from Kath Eats Real Food

Serving size: 1-2

·  1 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats

·  1 ¼ -1 ½ cups of coconut milk (use 1 ½ if you like your oats milkier)

·  2 tbsp agave syrup

·  1 tsp salt

Place oats and coconut milk into a container. Stir, cover and place in refrigerator. Let sit overnight.

Next morning, warm the oats in the microwave for 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Add in mix-ins.

PB&J Oats

Follow the basic overnight oats recipe. Mix in peanut butter and berries for a protein and fiber packed breakfast.

Cinnamon Blueberry Oats

Follow the basic overnight oats recipe. Sprinkle cinnamon and a few blueberries on top. For an extra treat crumble a blueberry muffin into the oats.

Additional Mix-ins

Fruit – berries, apples, bananas

Jams or jellies

Granola

Trail mix

Nuts and seeds

Honey

Mike’s Hot Honey

Maple syrup

PB&J Oats

Cinnamon Blueberry Oats

Review: Bocado – the burger I never had

I hate writing negative reviews. I like to think everyone is accommodating to those with Celiac disease and other dietary restrictions. Yet this wasn’t the case a few weeks ago.

I have heard Bocado was known for their food but not their service. Yet, I still wanted to try their reputable burger. One night after a social media event at 5 Seasons Brewing Company a group of us headed over for dinner. They happened to be closing the kitchen early but sat us anyway with the request to order very quickly. A pretty easy request since nearly all of us knew we wanted the burger.

When my turn came to order, I told the waiter my dietary restrictions, apologized for the last minute request and asked for the burger without the bun or cheese. The server immediately said I wouldn’t like it. I explained that that’s how I had been eating burgers for years and was sure I’d be happy with it. But still he said that it wouldn’t be good and then suggested I ordered something else. After a second explanation and a third no, I reluctantly ordered the roasted chicken*.

I was immediately annoyed about the denied burger. When eating a burger without the bun you quickly learn about the quality of meat and can easily tell a good burger from a bad one. Bocado, who prides themselves on their unique blend of short rib, beef brisket and organic ground beef, should have been happy to showcase the burger in its simplest form.

I emailed the owner and chef later that week to let them know what the waiter had said and provide them the opportunity to weigh in but neither responded. 

I know chefs can be particular about their food and how it’s presented but I find it sad that some of those are unwilling to compromise and use the opportunity to highlight ingredients in a different form. I wish I could tell you I had one of the best burgers in Atlanta but I can’t. I can only say I had an unmemorable chicken dish and poor service.

*I must note the chicken was extremely overcooked and I ended up just eating fries for my dinner. Once I told the server about the chicken (he hadn’t seemed to notice I barely ate it) they did comp the dish from my bill. It was the one smart thing they did all night. 

Dinner for a Thousand

There we were, one thousand foodies excitedly waiting underneath Atlantic Station, packed into a fenced walkway. More and more people arrived with trays of food, shopping carts filled with chairs went by; even a large silver branch centerpiece appeared. Had you not known it probably looked like a movie set; where all the extras were told to wear black and bring their finest meal. At seven pm on Sunday the first Feast Noir began and quickly we ascended on Atlantic Station, a long thread of people appearing from the escalators below.

It was a wonderful feeling of community. Everyone found a spot, set up their table and sat down for a home-cooked Sunday meal. Not once did I hear an argument or complaint, just strangers sharing their love of food.

In a dinner among a thousand our table of six fit right in, even with all our dietary needs. We were a true testament to community and the versatility of food. Not only was our table gluten free but we had one vegan, one vegetarian/egg free and me who is also dairy free. Yet all six of us worked together to build an amazing menu that you would never guess was full of restrictions. I hadn’t met anyone at my table until that very night but sitting down to eat with them I felt confident in the food. A feeling I don’t often get.

That meal is what I hope to be the first of many with the Atlanta gluten free community. Many thanks to Dr. Sweet’s Cake Emporium, American Gra-Frutti and company, Jennifer Harris and Atlanta Without a Car and company. 

Dr. Sweet's Cakes Blueberry Cake

Feast Noir Gluten Free Table 4 Menu

American Gra-Frutti bread with spreads (GF, DF)

Broccoli and cauliflower salad (GF, DF)

Pork sliders with chow chow (GF, DF)

Potato salad (GF,DF, VN)

Spicy garlic broccoli with pine nuts (GF, DF, VN)

Asian asparagus salad (GF,DF, VN)

Dr. Sweet’s Cakes blueberry cake (GF, DF)

Dr. Sweet’s Cakes brownies (GF)

Dr. Sweet’s Cakes black pepper and wine cake drops (GF)

Recipe: Dairy Free Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cardamom Ice Cream

I don't normally post recipes but after the feedback from the Southern BBQ post I decided to branch out. Here it is - the recipe for dairy free chocolate, chocolate chip cardamom ice cream.

Dairy Free Chocolate, Chocolate Chip Cardamom Ice Cream 

Makes 1 quart

• 4 cups coconut creamer (regular – not flavored)
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 vanilla beans, halved and seeded
• 7 large egg yolks
• ¼ cup dark chocolate syrup (can add more to taste)
• 1 tsp cardamom
• ½ cup dairy free chocolate chips

Combine the coconut creamer, sugar and vanilla seeds and bean in a medium heavy saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.

Beat the egg yolks in a medium bowl until frothy and lemon colored, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1 cup of the hot cream into the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream. Gradually add the egg mixture to the hot cream, whisking constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Mix in cardamom. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface of the mixture to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate until well chilled, about 2 hours.

Remove from refrigerator, add in chocolate syrup and mix thoroughly. Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to an airtight container, mix in chocolate chips and freeze until ready to serve.

I Want a Cupcake

I'm not much of a sweets person but today I was seriously craving a cupcake. Specifically a Babycakes or Tu-Lu's Bakery cupcake. So much so that if I had the money I would have hopped on a plane and headed straight to NYC.

But for now, I'll stare at these pictures until Sunday when I get to try Dr. Sweet's Cake Emporium's cupcakes. I'm pretty excited - I've heard great things!

Babycakes cupcakes and cookie sandwich

Assortment from Tu-Lu's

What's your favorite place for gluten free and/or dairy free cupcakes?