Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix

My family tried Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix when it was first released, and we were all really impressed.  We haven't made pancakes with it yet, but I have made waffles with it at home, and had Mickey waffles made with the mix at Disney's Port Orleans Resort.  

I purchase Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix from Williams-Sonoma.  You can purchase it online, or locally, from their stores in Winter Park or the Mall at Millenia.   

Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle mix contains cornstarch, white rice flour, sugar, brown rice flour, milk powder, tapioca flour, baking powder, potato starch, salt and xanthan gum.  To the mix, I added 1 large egg, 3/4 cup of lowfat milk, 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.  

The batter was nice and thick, and easily came together using a whisk.

Today, I made waffles in the Mickey Mouse waffle maker my friend Shelley gave me for my birthday this week.  

She purchased the waffle iron from amazon.  You can view it here.  The Disney Mickey waffle maker is also available from walmart.com and bestbuy.com. 

The waffle maker comes with sticks to make the waffles on, but I didn't use them.  

The waffles are definitely smaller than the Mickey waffles you would get at Disney, but they were super cute, and very tasty.  

With my Cup4Cup pancake & waffle mix, I was able to make 11 mini Mickey waffles.  Each batch of four cooked up in just three minutes.  My whole family loved them!  Because they are so easy to make, and so delicious, I just ordered 3 more bags of the mix from Williams-Sonoma.  

Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix is also available from Vitacost.com.  

July 20, 2014 Update

This morning, we made mini pancakes with Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix.  It took my husband a couple of batches to perfect his cooking technique, because the pancake batter is really thick, but we both agreed it made the best gluten free pancakes we had ever had.  The key for us was to cook them slowly over low heat, with a lid on our frying pan.

Have you tried Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix?  What is your favorite way to prepare it?

Kona Cafe Dinner - Disney's Polynesian Village Resort

Last night, we met some friends at Kona Cafe at Disney's Polynesian Resort for dinner.  We have been to Kona Cafe twice in the last year for breakfast, but we hadn't been there for dinner in at least 3 or 4 years.

The chef I spoke to said that the only appetizer that could be made gluten free is the Kona Salad, but there were plenty of gluten free entrees and desserts to choose from.  

My gluten free GNI rolls were heated perfectly, and I ate them both, because the macadamia nut honey butter was so delicious on them.   

Our friends both ordered the grilled kona coffee rubbed pork chop with roasted-spiced carrots and mashed potatoes, which is naturally gluten free.  This is their favorite dish at Kona, and the bite I tasted was very good.  

My friend Shelley had recommended the Pan-Asian Noodles, which can be prepared gluten free with rice noodles and gluten free teriyaki sauce.  We chose chicken to go with our noodles and wok-seared vegetables, but tofu and shrimp are also offered on the menu.   This was my favorite entree at Kona.  My daughters and husband loved it as well.  The vegetables, noodles, and chicken were cooked perfectly, and I loved the addition of the slightly sweet teriyaki sauce.  We talked about sharing two bowls of the Pan-Asian Noodles the next time we go back for dinner or lunch.  

For our second entree, I ordered the grilled New York strip steak, mainly because I was intrigued by the idea of the molasses-bacon butter, and it was served with roasted fingerling potatoes, one of my favorite vegetables.  My husband said he liked it, and my girls both seemed to enjoy it, but I wasn't impressed by the steak itself.  It was cooked to our desired temperature, but it was a little tough.  For an entree that costs $29.99, my husband and I expect a better piece of meat.  

For dessert, we had three options to choose from.  My family of four loves any kind of chocolate lava cake, and Kona's version certainly did not disappoint.  It was warm, it had a liquid center, it wasn't too sweet, and it was served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream.  That's chocolate lava cake perfection for me!  

After our chocolate lava cake disappeared, we concentrated on our second dessert, the banana-chocolate creme brulee.  At first glance, this looked like a typical vanilla creme brulee that just happened to have a banana on top.  But underneath, there was a delicious layer of creamy chocolate.  If I wasn't so busy eating and enjoying it, I would have stopped to take a picture of the inside.  Maybe next time!  :-)

The third dessert option we could have chosen was the jasmine tea-infused cheesecake, which is a sugar free option made with Truvia.  Our server said he enjoys this dessert, but we went with the two options recommended by the chef.  

After dinner, we rode the monorail over to the Magic Kingdom and walked around for a while, enjoying the cool evening temperatures and picking up some Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom cards.

November 22, 2014 Update

Kona Cafe now has gluten free menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The new gluten free dinner menu for Kona Cafe lists the following options:

Appetizers - maui onion & white bean soup, Kona salad, cucumber roll, volcano roll, sashimi

Entrees - curry-crusted lamb chops, pan-seared duck breast, grilled Kona coffee-rubbed pork chop, oven-roasted taal chicken, sesame-seared scallops, sustainable fish, Pan-Asian noodles with chicken, tofu or shrimp

Desserts - Kilauea torte chocolate cake, banana & chocolate creme brulee, fresh fruit & chocolate fondue, jasmine tea-infused cheesecake

Kona also has an extensive gluten free kids' menu featuring grilled chicken breast, grilled shrimp skewers, grilled fish of the day, a cheeseburger or hot dog with a gluten free bun, and several gluten free appetizers and desserts.

Tonight, I enjoyed the Pan-Asian noodles with shrimp, but did not order dessert because of how much food I ate at Contempo Cafe for lunch.

July 28, 2015 Update

Yesterday, I wrote a blog post about Disney's new allergy-friendly menus, which you can view here.  I have loved all of the allergy-friendly menus I have seen at quick service restaurants at Disney World, but have been disappointed by the new menus at several table service restaurants.  The new allergy-friendly dinner menu at Kona only lists three gluten/wheat friendly entrees - sesame seared scallops, grilled New York strip steak, and Pan-Asian noodles.  The curry-crusted lamb chops, sustainable fish, pan-seared duck breast, oven-roasted taal chicken, and grilled Kona coffee-rubbed pork chop were all listed on the gluten free menu they adopted last year, but are not listed as gluten/wheat friendly on their new allergy-friendly menu.  That makes no sense to me, especially since we were told on a previous visit that the pork chop was naturally gluten free.  If you are interested in ordering these entrees, I would definitely ask to speak to a chef if you are dining at Kona.

Gluten/wheat friendly appetizers on the new allergy-friendly menu include:  charcuterie and cheese, sashimi, volcano roll, Kona salad, vegetable rainbow roll, and Nigiri.

A big thank you to blog reader Lori for sharing Kona's new allergy-friendly dinner menu.

You can view Kona Cafe's menus, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at Kona Cafe?

Herb Butter & Board Dressings

I come from a family of serious meat eaters, especially red meat.  I love a good New York strip steak, but there is nothing quite like a beef tenderloin cooked out on the grill.  

My parents bought this beauty at The Fresh Market.  My husband and I like to season our meat with kosher salt, garlic salt, and coarse ground black pepper.  

After loving the herb butter that was served on our flat iron steak at the Bistro at Biltmore last week, I knew I wanted to make herb butter tonight for our filet.  

We added our three favorite herbs and some sea salt to as stick of softened butter, then put in the refrigerator to chill until the meat was cooked.  

I can't wait to get home, where I have some candy molds, and start making herb butter in the shape of little hearts.  

Served up, it might not have looked too pretty tonight, but taste-wise, it was amazing!

For the past year, we have been making a lot of board dressings for our steak, but I think I prefer the herb butter.

Herb Butter

Ingredients

1/2 C (1 stick) salted butter -- room temperature
fresh basil -- minced
fresh rosemary -- minced
fresh sage -- minced
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
Optional - pinch of coarse ground black better

Directions

In a small bowl, add a pinch of salt and desired amount of basil, rosemary, and sage to softened butter.  Stir well to combine, then cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Recipe Notes

We used about equal amounts of basil, rosemary, and sage.

You could roll your butter into a log in plastic wrap or parchment paper before refrigerating. 

This herb butter would be great on steak, chicken, fish, bread or vegetables.  With the addition of minced garlic, it would make for some amazing garlic bread!

Board Dressings

If you cannot eat dairy, a board dressing is a great way to add a lot of flavor to your meat.  I bought my husband a bamboo cutting board with a drip groove from amazon for Christmas, just so he could make board dressings, a technique we learned from Adam Perry Lang's Charred & Scruffed.    

My husband minces rosemary, basil, and sage before adding about 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of kosher salt, and a pinch of coarse ground pepper to the cutting board.  Sometimes we also add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic.  As my husband cuts each slice of steak, he rubs it around in the board dressing.  My mom likes to add some fresh lemon juice to her board dressings.  

We used a board dressing at Christmas for our standing rib roast.

On New Year's Day, we made a board dressing out of olive oil, honey, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper for our honey & sage roasted pork.  You can view the recipe here.

How do you dress up your meat?


Linked to: Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday

Black Maize Salsa

I have been a fan of Black Maize Salsa for a couple of years.  I first discovered it at the TD Saturday Market in downtown Greenville.  I buy it every time I am in South Carolina visiting my parents, and they bring me a jar or two when they visit Orlando.  It is my mom's and my favorite salsa.  

I first stopped at the Black Maize Salsa booth because I noticed the words "Gluten Free" on their sign.

The original Black Maize Salsa is available in mild, medium, hot and XX, and they also sell jars with mango or pineapple.

You can view their list of retailers here, but they are all in South Carolina.

Today was the first time I ever tried the mango and the pineapple Black Maize salsas.  

The pineapple was really good, but the mango is my new favorite.  

Since I don't have regular access to Black Maize Salsa, I created a copycat recipe that I named Black & Gold Salsa in honor of my favorite football team, the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Black and Gold Salsa

Ingredients

2 cans of black beans - rinsed

3 ears of corn - cooked and cut off the cob

2/3 container of grape tomatoes - diced

1 large orange or red bell pepper - diced
1/2 sweet onion - diced

1 jalapeño pepper - minced
2 cloves of garlic - minced

1 T white balsamic vinegar

1 T extra virgin olive oil

Juice from 2 limes and 1 lemon

1 tsp of sugar 
Kosher salt - to taste
Coarse ground black pepper - to taste
Optional - add diced mango or pineapple

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stir, cover, and let marinate for several hours in the refrigerator. 

Served with our favorite chips, this salsa is a great appetizer, side dish, or lunch.  My daughters love it! 

What is your favorite store bought salsa or salsa recipe?  

Potato Salad

I really love my Italian Potato Salad recipe, which is super easy to make and includes bacon, but if I had to choose, I would make this potato salad recipe on a holiday.  It's a little more labor intensive, but the outcome is amazing!  Yep, I am saying that about a dish that contains mayonnaise, an ingredient I dislike in almost every other recipe except my husband's egg salad and a recipe I have for black bean dip from Kaya in Pittsburgh.  

Happy Independence Day to you and your family! 

Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 lbs medium size red skin potatoes

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

1/4 C apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 C mayonnaise

8 hard boiled eggs - chopped

3/4 C celery - diced

3 T chives - minced

2 tsp kosher salt 

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper 

Directions

Rinse and scrub the potatoes before placing them in a large pot.  Cover them with cold water, then bring them to a boil. Cook uncovered until the potatoes are easily pierced with a sharp knife.  Drain the potatoes in a colander.  

When the potatoes have cooled enough to touch, peel them and cut them into 1 inch pieces.  Place them in a large serving dish, then add the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper while they are still warm.  Gently stir the potatoes, and allow them to cool.  

When the potatoes have cooled to room temperature, add the mayonnaise, eggs, celery, and chives.  Gently stir, then place the potato salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  

Recipe Notes

I use organic potatoes and Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise in this dish.  

Typically, it takes about 35 minutes to cook the potatoes, but that can vary depending on the size of the potatoes I buy.  

The Bistro at Biltmore - Asheville, NC

Yesterday, my husband and I drove to Asheville, North Carolina to have dinner at Posana Cafe, a 100% gluten free, farm-to-table restaurant.  You can read my review of Posana Cafe here.  We knew the drive from my parents house in Greenville would put us in Asheville around lunch, but we weren't sure where to eat.  I spent some time looking on the Find Me Gluten Free App, but there were so many restaurants to choose from, and so many different suggestions from my blog readers on my Facebook page.

My parents are annual passholder at Biltmore, and it ended up that we were able to get free passes to visit for the day, allowing us to go to my parents' favorite restaurant in Asheville, the Bistro at Biltmore.  The Bistro features fresh ingredients from local producers, and their menu changes to highlight what is currently in season.

Posana Cafe - Asheville, North Carolina

My husband and I took a day trip to Asheville, North Carolina today.  The main reason I wanted to go was to have dinner at Posana Cafe, a 100% gluten free, farm-to-table restaurant that features a locally sourced , seasonal menu.  It isn't often that I have the chance to dine at a restaurant where I can order anything off the menu and not have to worry about cross contamination, so when we visit my parents in Greenville, South Carolina, I love to drive up to Asheville to go to Posana Cafe.

Posana Cafe is located in downtown Asheville, and serves contemporary American cuisine sourced from over 30 local farms.  They are open for dinner between 5pm and 10pm Tuesday to Sunday, and serve brunch on the weekends from 10am to 3pm.

The Wave...of American Flavors Lunch - Disney's Contemporary Resort

Today was my first time dining at The Wave...of American Flavors at Disney's Contemporary Resort.  The Wave, a table service restaurant, is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  

My daughters and I stopped in for lunch today.  The Wave's decor is very modern, and their menus feature healthful dishes that often contain locally sourced or organic ingredients.  

Chef Frank told me that I could pick almost any dish on the lunch menu, except the crab cakes.  I considered ordering The Wave Cobb Salad with chicken, but the build-your-own beef burger sounded so good, I could not pass it up.  

The Build-Your-Own Beef Burger features Florida raised and grass fed beef with your choice of candied bacon, red wine caramelized onions, guacamole, grilled mushrooms & Black Diamond cheese, with your choice of roasted potato wedges or sweet corn salad.  I have to admit they had me hooked when I read candied bacon.  I ended up ordering my burger with all the toppings on Udi's bread.  Chef Frank brought out a box of gluten free buns to show me, but they were GNI rolls, and they were too tiny for a burger.  

I must admit that when I got my first look at my food, I was not impressed.  I was shocked at how slim my burger was. and I was picturing something much different in my head when I chose the roasted potato wedges as my side.  Here's a classic example of never judge a book by its cover.  My burger was amazing!  I even liked it on the Udi's bread, which I am pretty sure was their whole grain loaf.  The marriage of all the flavors in my toppings made for burger perfection.  I can't remember the last time I had a burger that tasted that good.

I usually don't love thick cut fries, but they were seasoned well, and cooked perfectly.  They must have been baked, because our waitress told us they don't fry anything at The Wave.  

For dessert, Chef Frank brought out his allergy binder to check for gluten, and offered me gluten free carrot cake, creme brulee, or a trio of sugar free sherbets.  I don't eat anything with the sugar substitutes maltitol or xylitol, so I ordered a custom dessert trio with carrot cake and creme brulee.  

The classic vanilla bean creme brulee with summer berries was so good!  My daughters reluctantly tried it, but ended up scarfing down the one I gave them pretty quickly, then asked for more.

I enjoyed the carrot cake as well, but the creme brulee was the real star of our dessert trio.

July 23, 2015 Update

Earlier today, my daughters and I had lunch at The Wave, which now has allergy-friendly menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Even though it is not listed on their menu, the gluten free carrot cake is still available. 

I ordered the build-you-own beef burger with candied bacon, red wine-caramelized onions, guacamole, grilled mushrooms, and Black Diamond cheddar.  It is too good to pass up.  My baked fries were so perfectly crispy, I thought they were fried.  

My burger was served on Udi's toasted bread, like I requested, but our server also brought me a gluten free bun, which was heated perfectly, and was great with the burger. 

You can make advance dining reservations for The Wave...of American Flavors, and view their menus here.  Several of my blog readers mentioned loving the reuben sandwich, which is on the lunch menu.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at The Wave?