Spinach & Feta Quinoa Burgers

I really can't believe that I am writing a post about quinoa burgers.  This recipe is not something I would normally consider making, but a friend of mine, who is an excellent cook, told me that the teenagers in her house get super excited when she makes quinoa burgers.  Because I have always loved everything Arlene cooks, I asked her for the recipe.  My first attempt, I deviated slightly from her recipe, changing green onion to sweet onion, and cooking the onion and garlic before adding them to the burgers.  I liked them, but didn't love them.  Tonight was attempt number two.  This time, I made my burgers smaller,cooked the spinach, and added an extra egg.  The result was spinach & feta quinoa burger perfection! 

I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Quinoa.  I boil 2 cups of water in a small pot, add 1 cup of rinsed quinoa, stirring it and bringing it back to a boil before reducing it to low heat.  I then cover the pot and cook it for about 12-14 minutes.  When the water is absorbed, I remove it from the heat, fluff it, and let it sit for about 15 minutes with the lid on. 

I used my new favorite bread crumbs in this recipe -- The Fresh Market Gluten Free Bread Crumbs

Make sure there is a good amount of olive oil on the bottom of your pan so your quinoa burgers don't stick. 

I couldn't wait to try them at this point! 

 

Tonight, I served my quinoa burgers with an avocado and papaya salad -- 1 papaya, 3 avocados, the juice of one lime, 2 T extra virgin olive oil, 1/8 tsp coarse ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/4 + 1/8 tsp of kosher salt.  Stir gently to combine.  

Ingredients

1 C of uncooked quinoa

1 tsp olive oil + more for frying the burgers

1 C of sweet onion -- chopped

2 cloves of garlic -- minced

2 C of fresh baby spinach -- chopped

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1/2 tsp Herbamare seasoning

4 large eggs -- beaten

1 C gluten free breadcrumbs

1/3 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

1/3 C feta crumbles

Directions

Rinse the quinoa in a strainer and cook it according to package directions.  Put it in a large bowl to cool.  

Cook the onion in 1 tsp of olive oil in a stainless steel frying pan on medium heat.  When the onion has begun to soften and brown, take the pan off the heat and add the garlic and spinach.  Stir until the spinach begins to wilt, then add your vegetable mixture to the quinoa bowl.  Allow the quinoa mixture to cool to room temperature before adding the salt, pepper, Herbamare, eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan/Romano, and feta.  Stir well to combine, then form 8 patties.  

Clean your frying pan, add enough oil to coat the bottom, and turn your burner to medium heat.  When your pan has heated up, add 4 quinoa burgers, cooking them for about 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.  Add more oil to your pan and cook the remaining 4 burgers.

Recipe Notes

If you are not sure what Herbamare is, check out my post on Gluten Free Szechuan Wings. You can purchase this seasoning at Whole Foods. 

Thank you Arlene for a great recipe, and inspiring me to try new things!  

Linked to: Vegetarian Mamma's Gluten Free Fridays, Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday, Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Gluten Free Szechuan Wings

If you like spicy food and chicken wings, you will love this recipe.  I first tried this dish at our school's International Student Dinner.  I liked it so much, I asked my friend Arlene for the recipe. Thankfully, she said I could share it with you.  I added a little honey to the recipe because I like my wings to be spicy and sweet.  

I purchased this bottle of San-J Gluten Free Szechuan Hot & Spicy Marinade at Whole Foods.  The bottle suggests shaking it before using. 

When I bought wings in bulk at Costco, I had no clue what I was getting myself into.  All you could see through the packaging was what I think of when I picture chicken wings.  I detest touching raw chicken and now I was confronted with the challenge of cutting up these funky chicken wings with all of their pieces parts! I gave up after trying to cut them with a knife.  Later on, I had the idea to use my kitchen shears, which worked beautifully.  Phew!

In the end, I had nicely separated wings and drumettes, and I learned something new.  This dish was a little too spicy for my daughters, but my husband and I loved our dinner!  

Szechuan Wings

Ingredients

2 to 3 pounds of chicken wings

1/2 C gluten free Szechuan sauce

1 lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons of honey

3 cloves of garlic -- minced

Herbamare seasoning, kosher salt, and coarse ground black pepper -- to taste

Directions

Combine the Szechuan Sauce, juice of one lemon, honey, and garlic in a large glass baking dish.  Add the wings and sprinkle with herbamare, salt, and pepper.  Turn the wings around in the marinade before putting them in the refrigerator.  Marinate the wings for at least 30 minutes, but no more than 4 hours, turning them about half way through.  

Remove the wings from the refrigerator and preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Cook the wings for 25 minutes, then turn them over to cook for another 20 minutes.  Switch your oven to broil, brown the top of the wings, turn them, then brown the other side.  Watch the wings closely to make sure they don't burn. They will only need to be under the broiler for about 3 minutes on each side.  

I had no clue what Herbamare was until I went shopping to make this recipe.  I found it in the herb and spice section at Whole Foods.  Herbamare is an Asian blend of sea salt, eggplant, leek, zucchini, carrots, lemon, onions, chives, parsley, curry, chili, garlic, fennel, bay leaves, and kelp!  The container I purchased says it is gluten and MSG free, non GMO, and organic.  

Gluten Free Baked Pasta

For dinner last night, I made baked rigatoni.  This dish was inspired by my mom's baked orecchiette.  My daughters love orecchiette, or as they like to call it, hat pasta, but I have not found a gluten free version of this noodle. 

My favorite gluten free pasta is BiAglut.  In my opinion, this pasta is as close as it gets to wheat-filled pasta.  It is made in Italy, but the company is owned by Heinz.  I was first introduced to it by the owner of the Gluten Free Zone during a trip back home to Pittsburgh.  I have asked him what his favorite pasta is twice in the last year, and both times, he told me BiAglut.  It is not available for purchase anywhere in Orlando, so I buy it in bulk from amazon or vitacost.com.  BiAglut Rigatoni is gluten, milk, and egg free.  It contains cornstarch, potato flour, lupin flour, lupin proteins, and mono and diglycerides (emulsifier).  It is not recommended for individuals with peanut allergies because they might react to the lupin flour and lupin proteins. 

Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries

One of my favorite fall side dishes is Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries.  My husband and I decided to have this for our main course tonight after eating a large lunch at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  

When I was at Publix this week, I saw these adorable Sweet Dumpling Squash.  They are shaped exactly like acorn squash, and taste-wise, I can't tell the difference.  

The hardest part of this recipe is trying to cut the squash in half to get them ready for roasting. 

The inspiration for this dish comes from a recipe for Acorn Squash with Apples from a Penzys Spices catalog.  

This recipe gave me the chance to use my certified gluten free cranberries from Nuts.com.  I buy all of my dried fruits, nuts, and seeds from them now so I don't have to worry about cross-contamination.  

Eating squash filled with apples, cranberries, cinnamon, and nutmeg made this feel like a fall day, even though our temperatures are still in the high 80s.  

I stuff as much apple mixture in and on top of my squash as I can.  

I usually serve my acorn squash with pork chops or pork tenderloin.  It would also be an excellent side dish for a roasted or rotisserie chicken, or with turkey on Thanksgiving.

Acorn Squash with Apples & Cranberries

Ingredients

2 medium or 3 small acorn or sweet dumpling squash
1/2 C (one stick) butter - divided in half and melted in 2 separate bowls
1/4 C light or dark brown sugar
2 tart apples - peeled, cored, and chopped (we use Granny Smith)
1/4 C + 1T dried cranberries
2 tsp minced orange peel  or 2 T of fresh orange zest
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil.    Cut your squash in half, remove the seeds, and place them face down on your pan.  Bake them for 40 minutes.

Combine 1/4 C of melted butter with the brown sugar, stirring well.  In a separate bowl, combine the other 1/4 C of melted butter with the apples, cranberries, orange peel, cinnamon, and nutmeg. 

When your squash are finished baking, turn them over, prick the flesh all over with a fork, then brush on the butter/brown sugar mixture, pouring any extra into the squash halves.  Fill each squash with the apple mixture before baking for an additional 30 minutes.

Individual Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cakes

Several times over the past year, I have made an Eat Live Paleo recipe for Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cake.  I made some changes to the recipe to sweeten it up so it didn't need a side of ice cream, and wrote a blog post about it back in August.  I am always looking to improve the recipes I make, and I had some inspiration for this one while I was out walking this morning. 

I thought the cake might cook better in small portions, and I am always looking for an excuse to use my Polish pottery muffin pans.  Plus, portion control is always a good thing.  :-)

I recently purchased Guittard Semisweet and Milk Chocolate Chips at The Fresh Market to use in this recipe. They are made in a peanut and gluten free facility. 

I weighed the chocolate in my double boiler before putting it on the stove. 

The amount of batter was perfect for making 12 individual chocolate cakes. 

You will know they are done when they are puffed up and firm to the touch.  My daughters beg me to make these cakes on a regular basis.  They love to take them to school for a lunch treat.  

Individual Flourless Chocolate Cinnamon Banana Cakes

Ingredients

5 ounces semisweet chocolate

5 ounces milk chocolate

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter -- room temperature

1 1/2 C mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas)

4 large eggs

1 T cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray.  

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and set aside to cool slightly.

In a mixer, cream the butter before adding the bananas, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.  Slowly add the melted chocolate and continue to beat the mixture until all ingredients are well incorporated.  Add the batter to your muffin pan and bake for about 22 minutes, until set.  Allow the cakes to cool before removing them.  

Store leftovers in the refrigerator.  These cakes are best served at room temperature or right out of the fridge. 

This recipe makes 12 cakes.  

Recipe Notes

Sometimes I put the wire whisk on my KitchenAid stand mixer for the final mix to better incorporate the ingredients.

I use Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon from Penzys Spices.  It's described as extremely strong, flavorful and sweet.  

We like these cakes served cold, right out of the refrigerator.

Optional -- Use salted butter and decrease salt to 1/4 teaspoon.  I had to do this once when I was out of unsalted butter.  

Calories -- Each cake has about 235 calories with the ingredients I use.  

Linked to: Gluten-Free & DIY Tuesday

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2013

July 2014 Update

Gluten free options at the marketplace booths will be noted in the Marketplace Passport this fall, just like they were for the 2014 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.  The Disney Food Blog has a list of all the gluten free options for 2014 on their blog here.  The Food & Wine Festival starts September 19th!  I will highlight all returning dishes, and list all gluten free options for 2014 at the end of this post.  

Yes, it's that time of the year again in Orlando.  It's officially Fall and the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival started this weekend and will run until November 11th.  

Last year was a Celiac's dream come true, at least for me.  Disney released an official map of gluten free foods.  I had pretty much avoided the Epcot Food & Wine Festival for the previous three years.  It was so tedious to stand in long lines, then wait for a chef to be called over, usually from another location, only to find out nothing was safe for me to eat.  Plus, my husband and I were often being told something was safe one week, then informed it was not gluten free (for me) or nut free (for him) when we asked about the same item on another day.  

In 2012, we were averaging at least one visit a week to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival because my whole family had found foods they loved, and it was fun to drive down after church on Sunday to have an early lunch before it got too crowded.  

One of my favorites was the Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey at the Greece booth.  I have got to find out what kind of cheese this is so I can recreate this dish at home! 

Today, I started at the Canada booth and asked if the Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce was gluten free.  I have eaten this dish in Le Cellier and at the Canada booth last year.  As they were calling a chef, I also inquired about the Greek Cheese, hoping to save myself some time.  I never spoke to the chef in person, but word was passed on to me that the beef was safe, but the Greek Cheese was not.  I was very sad about the cheese, but enjoyed my filet mignon.  

Our next stop was for Fresh Watermelon Juice at the Terra booth.  I was told it was straight up watermelon, so we each sampled a cup.  It was delicious and so refreshing on a near 90 degree day.  

At the Brazil booth, I lucked out that a chef was on site and came out to talk to me in person.  When he pulled out a very small card with allergens marked on it for the various booths, I asked if I could inquire about other booths and mark them on my map.  The chef told me that at the Brazil booth, both the Seared Scallops and the Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado, and Cilantro, which I sampled, were gluten free.  He mentioned the lamb being gluten free at Argentina, but when I got home, I realized that there is no lamb dish there.  I wonder if he meant the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree, which I have been told is safe in previous years.  Other gluten free items I marked on my map include: Garlic Shrimp and Grilled Lamb from Australia, Berbere Style Beef from Africa (cross-contamination issues were mentioned for this one), Shrimp Ceviche from the Florida Local booth, Venison Sausage from New Zealand, the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Bailey's Custard from Ireland, the Rainbow Trout at Canada, and the Greek Cheese at Greece.  Ok, so the chef I talked to in person told me something completely different about the beef and Greek Cheese than the chef that was called at Canada.  I had just consumed Filet Mignon at Canada that was not marked gluten free on the little cheat sheet carried around by the chef I talked to.  Interestingly enough, Disney has no plans to publish a gluten free map this year because of liability, yet here I am with no map to guide me and being told two different things by two different chefs.  The whole situation is very un-Disney and very frustrating because in almost all situations, Disney does such a great job with special diets.  My advice to you is to ask about the gluten free status of the food at every booth before eating anything, and you might want to avoid it all together.  There are many other fabulous dining options at Epcot. 

At the America Pavilion, we stopped in at the Chase VIP Lounge for Disney Visa Card Members. We enjoyed a complimentary cold drink and this great view of Epcot.  

We all enjoyed the AC and a chance to sit down. 

After my girls, who do not need to eat gluten free, enjoyed the ravioli at the Italy booth, we headed to Boulangerie Patisserie in the France Pavilion.  I wanted to see if their new macarons were gluten free.  Sadly, they were not, but I was told that the Parfait Aux Fruits and the Creme Brûlée were both gluten free.

January 11, 2014 Update  -- the macaron are gluten free

I like Creme brûlée, which I have eaten in the France Pavilion before, but I decided on the Parfait Aux Fruits today, and it was just as delicious as the last time I ate it.  

On a side note, I recently read that gluten free pizza is available at the Pizza Window on Disney's BoardWalk.  When I stopped by today, the Disney employee I spoke to enthusiastically told me about the gluten free pizza, which he said is very good.  It is a small individual pizza, made in a separate kitchen to avoid cross contamination, and takes about 20 to 30 minutes to prepare.

Update -- October 4, 2013

First on the list -- I found a recipe for the Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey. I purchased kasseri cheese at Whole Foods and had it for lunch twice already this week.  It's quite tasty!

My friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW visited the Epcot Food & Wine Festival this week.  You can check out her blog post about it here.  Lemongrass Chicken Curry from Singapore can be added to the list of gluten free options, and it is dairy free too. Other gluten free options found by Sarah or her blog readers include the Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree at Argentina, Silk Ice Cream Ribbons (all flavors) at China, the Roast Bratwurst minus the Pretzel Roll at Germany, Creme Brulee au Chocolat au Lait at France, the Orange Dole Whip at the Refreshment Port, and the Chilled Coffee featuring Godiva Chocolate Liquer at Belgium. 

Update -- October 6, 2013

For my husband's birthday, we headed to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival to have lunch after church.  

I headed straight to the Canada booth to try the Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee, and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette.  I also was hoping to get some clarification on whether the Le Cellier Wild Mushroom Beef Filet Mignon with Truffle Butter Sauce was gluten free.  Thankfully, a chef was on site and told me that both dishes are gluten free.  She assured me that the truffle butter sauce is thickened with corn starch. Both of my daughters loved the trout, which was surprising because Emma rarely eats fish. 

Next, I had to go to the Greece booth and find out about the Griddled Greek Cheese with Pistachios and Honey.  A chef was called and it turns out that this dish is gluten free too, like it was last year. 

My daughters and I enjoyed the Grilled Beef Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree at Argentina. (In 2014, this dish can be found at the Patagonia booth)

Last stop for today was the France booth for a tasty Creme Brulee au Chocolat au Lait!

Update -- October 16, 2013

Before attending Chef Tony's culinary demonstration at the Festival Center, I walked over to the Ireland booth to finally try the Warm Chocolate Pudding with Bailey's Custard. (In 2014, the warm chocolate pudding will be served with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard) I spoke to a chef who confirmed that it was gluten free, and dug in.  I highly recommend this dessert.  The cake and sauce were delicious.  I use the word cake because it tasted like a flourless chocolate cake, not like an American pudding.  

Today, I attended my first culinary demonstration at the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  The last time I saw him at Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory, Chef Tony had mentioned that in all of his demonstrations, the food was gluten free. 

Today, he made Salmon "en Papillote" with Asparagus and Cranberry Hollandaise. 

It was incredibly delicious!  I especially liked the addition of the cranberries to the hollandaise sauce.  I can't wait to make this at home!  I can definitely handle cooking the salmon in a foil pouch, and I was glad Chef Tony demonstrated a second, easier sauce than the hollandaise. 

Chef Tony, thanks for the invite!  I'll be sure to stop over at Disney's Port Orleans resort for some gluten free beignets soon.  If you haven't tried them, you really must visit Sassagoula Floatworks & Food Factory at Port Orleans French Quarter.  You can read my blog post about it here.  Chef Tony Marotta has one last demo on Tuesday, October 22nd.  He will be making pork tenderloin with Asian pear-cranberry chutney.  Tickets are $14 and can be purchased by calling 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378).  

Update -- October 20, 2013

My daughters asked to go to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival after church today.  They were already planning all the things they wanted to eat on the car ride down.  I tend to be a creature of habit once I find foods I like, but since I started this blog in May, I have been trying new meals and restaurants at Disney.  Today, I had some of my usual favorites -- the watermelon juice from the Terra booth, the griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey, and the warm chocolate pudding with Bailey's custard from Ireland.  My new choice was the garlic shrimp with roasted tomatoes, lemon myrtle & rapini from Australia.  It was so much better than the Shrimp on the Barbie that was sold at this booth in previous years.   I will definitely be sampling this dish again!  It appears that all of the food offered at the Australia booth is gluten free, but I was told that there is a risk of cross contamination with the Pavlova, a crispy meringue with fresh Driscoll's berries and a vanilla custard.  I still haven't tried the grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies at the Australia booth.  Maybe next time! 

I would really appreciate you commenting on this blog post if you happen to go to the Epcot Food & Wine Festival.  I would love to hear about your experiences, and I am sure my readers would to! 

Gluten Free Options for 2014  

Africa -- South African bobotie with turkey & mushrooms

Australia -- Garlic shrimp with roasted tomatoes, lemon myrtle and rapini; grilled lamb chop with mint pesto and potato crunchies

Brazil -- Regal Springs premium tilapia with coconut lime sauce and steamed rice; crispy pork belly with black beans, tomato and cilantro

Canada -- Seared rainbow trout with bacon, frisee and maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette; "Le Cellier" wild mushroom beef filet mignon with truffle butter sauce

Farm Fresh -- Nueske's Pepper Bacon hash with sweet corn, potatoes, hollandaise and pickled jalapenos; griddled "yard bird" with braised greens

Greece -- Griddled Greek cheese with pistachios and honey

Intermissions Cafe -- Angry Orchard Hard Cider - Crisp Apple

Ireland -- Warm chocolate pudding with Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur Custard

Mexico  -- Rib eye taco with marinated rib eye, roasted chipotle salsa, and grilled scallions on a corn tortilla

New Zealand -- Venison sausage with pickled mushrooms, baby arugula and black currant reduction

Patagonia -- Grilled beef skewer with chimichurri sauce and boniato puree; roasted verlasso salmon with quinoa salad and arugula chimichurri

Puerto Rico -- Slow-braised beef with Puerto Rican grown rice; Caribbean conch salad with onion, tomato and cilantro

Scotland -- Fresh potato pancake with smoked Scottish salmon and herb sour cream; seared sea scallop with spinach-cheddar gratin and crispy bacon

Singapore -- Lemongrass chicken curry with coconut and jasmine rice

Gluten Free Banana Oatmeal Squares

For the past couple of weeks, my daughters and I have been enjoying a Nicole Hunn recipe for Gluten Free Oatmeal Squares.  I finally gathered up the courage today to make major changes to the recipe.  I eliminated 1/2 cup of brown sugar, the honey, and 2 tablespoons of butter.  I added in 3/4 cup of mashed banana and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.  They are just as sweet as they used to be, which my daughters will like, but they are a little healthier, and I loved the addition of the banana and cinnamon.  I made these to freeze for future breakfasts, but we will be enjoying them for dessert tonight as well.  Maybe next time, I will add pumpkin instead of banana and all my favorite pumpkin pie spices. 

My 16 Banana Oatmeal Squares ready to go in the oven. 

After 16 minutes in the oven, they were nicely browned on the bottom and around the edges on top.

My daughters like lots of icing.  I aim to please!

Gluten Free Banana Oatmeal Squares

Ingredients

2 C (280g) all-purpose gluten free flour (I used Better Batter) -- add 1 tsp of xanthan gum if your flour does not contain it
1 C (120g) gluten free oat flour (option -- make your own with gluten free oats in your food processor)
1/2 C (109g) light brown sugar -- packed 
2T flaxseed meal
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 C (75g) gluten free old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 C mashed bananas (about 2 small bananas)
6 T unsalted butter -- melted & cooled
2 extra-large eggs -- beaten, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Melt butter and set aside to cool.  Place eggs in a bowl of warm water to come to room temperature if you did not set them out ahead of time.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the flours, brown sugar, flaxseed, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.  Stir to combine before adding the oats.  Make sure there are no lumps in the brown sugar.

Add the banana, butter, eggs, and vanilla, and stir until everything is well combined.

Place the dough in the middle of your baking sheet.  With your hands, shape the dough into an 8-inch square.  The dough will be slightly sticky.  With a knife, cut your dough into 16 two-inch squares, then spread them around your baking sheet.  Bake for 16 minutes, turning half way through.  Your banana oat squares should be lightly browned on the bottom and top.  Cool completely on the pan before adding the glaze (optional).  

Glaze

Ingredients
1 T unsalted butter -- room temperature
1 C (115g) powdered sugar
1 T lowfat milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions
While the banana oatmeal squares are baking, place the butter in a small bowl to come to room temperature.  After the bars have cooled, add powdered sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt to the butter, stirring vigorously until smooth.  Use a spoon to spread the glaze on top of the bars.

Leftovers can be frozen if not eaten within 24 hours.

This recipe was inspired by a recipe for Oatmeal Squares by Nicole Hunn (Gluten Free on a Shoestring)

Gluten Free Garden Pesto Sauté

When I was at Noodles & Company last weekend in Pittsburgh, I tried their Garden Pesto Sauté and loved it so much, I was determined to recreate it at home.  For pasta, they use Heartland Gluten Free Fusilli, which can be purchased at Walmart.  I was really impressed with Heartland, but I have a ridiculous amount of pasta in my pantry, so I used a bag of BiAglut Rigatoni.

BiAglut can be hard to find in the United States, even though this Italian company is owned by Heinz.  I order BiAglut Penne, Rigatoni, and Shells (Pipes) from amazon in bulk.  It was recommended to me by the owner of Gluten Free Zone in Pittsburgh.  I can see why it's his favorite pasta.  Several of my followers on Facebook have tried it and told me it is the best gluten free pasta they have eaten.  BiAglut is not recommended for individuals with peanut allergies because it contains lupin flour and lupin protein.