Tamale Co. Food Truck

I first read about the Tamale Co. food truck on my friend Amanda's blog, Eating Out...Without.  

Two Sundays ago, we headed down to the Food Truck Bazaar at Fashion Square Mall to check them out.  

The words "gluten free" appear prominently on their truck, because their whole menu is gluten free.  

A tamale is a Mexican dish made of masa (a dough made of corn flour), that is filled with meat or vegetables, wrapped in a corn husk, and topped with various sauces, pico de gallo, cheese, etc.  

I don't eat sour cream or mayonnaise, so I asked for my tamales without any kind of aioli or crema.  

The ladies at the food truck were so extremely patient and kind as I tried to figure out what I wanted to eat, and how it could be modified.  They suggested I try the chicken verde and the chicken rojo, minus the cream sauces, crema, aioli, and cilantro.  Both of my tamales, which were covered in lots of queso fresco, were delicious.  My husband and I enjoyed their slightly spicy kick.  My kids gave them a thumbs up as well.

I look forward to visiting the Tamale Co. food truck again soon to sample some more tamales.  Here's their full menu:

Verde (chicken or pork) -- meat is seasoned and cooked in our signature Chile Verde sauce, served with tomatillo cream sauce topped with cilantro Aioli, queso fresco, and cilantro leaves

Rojo (chicken or pork) -- meat is seasoned and cooked in our signature Chile Rojo sauce, served with chipotle cream sauce topped with queso fresco, crema and chopped cilantro

Ropa Vieja -- succulent shredded brisket braised with tomatoes and spices, served in it's own tomato sauce, topped with Aji Amarillo Aioli and sweet plantains

Buffalo Chicken -- pulled chicken, marinated in our special cholula buffalo sauce, served with our signature creamy blue cheese sauce and topped with buffalo sauce, carrots and celery

Rajas con Queso -- strips of fresh jalapeno with chihuahua cheese served with our tomatillo cream sauce, topped with crema and cilantro leaves

Choriqueso -- chorizo Mexican sausage and chihuahua cheese served with our Tamale Co. special Huajillo Sauce and topped with queso fresco and crema

Name unknown (this tamale was sold out and a sign was covering the name) -- homemade black beans seasoned with special herbs and spices, served with chipotle cream, topped with crema

Caribbean Pork -- slow-cooked savory pulled pork smothered in our sweet piloncillo glaze, served with pina pastor cream, topped with our tropical pico de gallo

You can pick any two tamales for $8.50.  For $10.50, you get two tamales, rice and beans.  A side of rice and beans can be added to any order for $3.00, and they were also selling homemade horchata.

You can follow the Tamale Co. food truck on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Truck Email: info@tamaleco.com
Truck Phone: (407) 455-1580

January 17, 2015 Update

The Tamale Co Food Truck will now be at the Winter Park Farmers Market every Saturday from 7:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Have you visited the Tamale Co. food truck?  What are your favorite tamales?

Gluten Free Chicken & Mickey Waffles

Last night, I had dinner at Boatwright's Dining Hall at Disney's Port Orleans Resort Riverside with my friends Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW, and Amanda from Eating Out...Without.  

Chef Tony started us off with this lovely seasonal spinach salad with strawberries, almonds, and a house-made vinaigrette.  It was the perfect start to an amazing meal.

Earlier this week, when I had mentioned to Chef Tony that gluten free chicken & waffles were on my bucket list, he said he would make me fried chicken with Mickey waffles for my birthday.  I was beyond excited!  I didn't even know about the existence of chicken & waffles until I moved to Florida, and by then, I had been diagnosed with celiac, so I wasn't too hopeful that I would ever be able to enjoy them at a restaurant.  

I love fried chicken and I love waffles, so I knew I was going to like this dish.  When I asked Chef Tony what they would be served with, he said his plan was to serve the chicken and waffles with redeye gravy and a light drizzle of syrup.  Not being a fan of gravy, I decided to just go with a drizzle of 100% pure maple syrup.  

I dug two of my Mickey waffles out from under the fried chicken so you could get a look at them.  They were made with Cup4Cup Pancake & Waffle Mix, a favorite in our house.  The combination of fried chicken with waffles and syrup was divine!  The breading was super crispy and flavorful, and the chicken was perfectly tender and moist.  I loved everything about this dish!  I can't imagine having a more perfect version of chicken & waffles. 

After eating every single bite of my gluten free chicken & waffles, I ordered one of my favorite desserts at Disney, bananas foster served with vanilla bean ice cream.  I was so full after my meal, I didn't even order any gluten free beignets when we walked over to Sassagoula at Port Orleans French Quarter.

Chef Tony's recipe for gluten free fried chicken was inspired by a recipe from Posana Cafe in Asheville, North Carolina, where my husband and I dined a few weeks ago.  He dipped the chicken in buttermilk before coating it in a mixture of corn starch, corn flour, Namaste flour, cajun seasoning, and other spices.  The breading was was so substantial because the chicken was double coated, meaning it was soaked in buttermilk, then coated with the breading, then put back in the buttermilk before being dredged in the breading again.



The gluten free chicken & Mickey waffles Chef Tony made for me at Boatwright's are one of the the best birthday presents I have ever received!

August 18, 2015 Update

Boatwright's has adopted a new allergy-friendly menu.  You can view the gluten free options on this menu in my blog post Disney's Port Orleans Resort Allergy-Friendly Menus.  Advance notice is not needed for the chicken and Mickey waffles, which is on the menu as Voodoo Chicken.  You used to have to contact special diets ahead of time, but that is no longer necessary.

Boatwright's allergy-friendly menu lists the Voodoo Chicken as being safe for people with gluten/wheat, egg, soy, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.  Milk is not listed, but my friend friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW has had a gluten free and dairy free version of the fried chicken and Mickey waffles at Boatwright's.

May 31, 2017 Update 

Voodoo Chicken is no longer on the menu at Boatwright's.  I have heard that the chefs at Riverside Mill Food Court next door will make gluten free Mickey waffles with breaded chicken tenders if you go at a time Mickey waffles are available.  You can view Boatwright's new allergy-friendly menu here, on Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW's website.  After I posted about the change on Facebook, one of my blog readers said that the chefs at Boatwright's still made her gluten free chicken and Mickey waffles, even though it was not on the menu.  She did not contact special diets ahead of time, but she was told that it would add to her wait time for her meal.

You can read my previous review of Boatwright's here, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at Boatwright's Dining Hall?

Best Restaurants for Gluten Free Dining in Orlando

I recently wrote several blog posts about my favorite restaurants at Disney World, so continuing along those lines, I thought it might be nice to put together a list of the best restaurants for gluten free dining outside of Disney.  This post will cover both chain and independent restaurants in Orlando, and some less-pricey fast casual options.



Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant

The Dana's Parmesan-Crusted Chicken I had at Cooper's Hawk was one of the best entrees I have had at a restaurant this year.  The gluten free menu is huge, the kitchen takes proper precautions, and the food is really incredible.  Locally, you can dine at Cooper's Hawk in Waterford Lakes and on International Drive, and they have a restaurant in Tampa as well.  You can check out my full review of Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant here.



Maggiano's Little Italy

If you love Italian food as much as we do, you have to visit Maggiano's on International Drive, a location that is convenient to all the theme parks.  Their gluten free pasta could fool any gluten eater, and all of their pasta sauces are gluten free.  Another thing I love about Maggiano's is that a chef will visit your table to discuss your food allergies and special dietary needs.  Gluten free options are plentiful, and the portions are large.  You can read about the delicious gluten free pastas we had at Maggiano's here.



Bonefish Grill

Bonefish Grill was the first restaurant I ate at after my celiac diagnosis six years ago.  Whether we are dining at a Bonefish in Hilton Head, Greenville, or Orlando, I always have consistently good meals.  I love their tilapia and salmon, and the Florida cobb salad is another favorite of mine.  There are plenty of gluten free appetizers, entrees, desserts, and brunch options to choose from at the eight Bonefish Grill locations in Orlando.  You can read my review, and view their store locator here.



California Pizza Kitchen

In my opinion, California Pizza Kitchen has the best gluten free pizzas and salads in Orlando.  My favorites at CPK are the BBQ chicken pizza, Moroccan-spiced chicken salad, and white corn guacamole and chips.  Locally, they have restaurants at Waterford Lakes and in the Mall at Millenia.  You can read my full review here.  My family often has a hard time agreeing on where to dine, but we all love eating at CPK.
Update - the last couple of times I visited CPK, I thought the pizza crust was dry, and didn't enjoy it as much, but I love other dishes there enough to keep California Pizza Kitchen on this list.



Bosphorous Turkish Cuisine

Bosphorous doesn't have a gluten free menu, but I have found their servers to be extremely knowledgeable about gluten free options.  My whole family loves their hummus, and chicken and lamb adana.  We always dine at Bosphorous in Winter Park, but they also have a restaurant on Dr. Phillips Boulevard, which is close to the theme parks.  You can check out my full review here.



Orchid Thai Cuisine

If you love Thai food as much as we do, you have to visit Orchid Thai Cuisine in Winter Park.  They have all of our Thai favorites, like massaman curry, pad thai, summer rolls, and the most amazing peanut dressing.  Their short ribs in massaman are just heavenly.  You can read my review of Orchid Thai here.



Toasted

Moving on to fast casual restaurants, Toasted definitely deserves a spot on my list of best restaurants for gluten free dining in Orlando.  If you're in the mood for a gourmet cheese sandwich on gluten free bread, with a side of truffle oil and rosemary fries, get in your car and head to Winter Park or Lake Nona.  The staff at Toasted is well trained to deal with special diets.  They have a dedicated fryer, a separate cooktop & utensils for gluten free orders, and almost all of their sandwiches can be made gluten free.  You can read more about Toasted here.



Dandelion Communitea Cafe 

Dandelion Communitea Cafe is located in an adorable little green house on North Thornton Avenue in Orlando.  If you are looking for vegetarian, locally grown, organic, gluten free food, you need to pay Dandelion Cafe a visit.  My personal favorites are the Happy Hempy Hummus and their Bean There, Done That.  All of their gluten free and soy free options are clearly labeled on their menu.  You can check out my full review of Dandelion Communitea Cafe here.



Pei Wei Asian Diner

Moving on to fast casual chains, one of my favorites is Pei Wei Asian Diner, which is owned by P.F. Chang's China Bistro.  Pei Wei is a counter service restaurant with a more limited menu and cheaper prices.  Their gluten free options might not be as numerous as P.F. Chang's, but their food is consistently good.  My favorite dishes are their Pei Wei spicy shrimp and chicken.  Pei Wei has five locations in the Orlando area, including their restaurants on Colonial Drive, right below Baldwin Park, and Turkey Lake Road, next to Whole Foods.  You can read my review of Pei Wei here.



Burger 21

Burger 21 is my top pick for gluten free burgers and fries in Orlando.  There are 7 different burger options, 5 salads, french fries & sweet potato fries, shakes, floats, Woodchuck Hard Cider, coffee & espresso, and kids' options on their gluten free menu.  Locally, they have restaurants near UCF and the Mall at Millenia.  You can read more about Burger 21 here.



Chipotle Mexican Grill 

The final fast casual restaurant on my list is Chipotle Mexican Grill.  I always order a burrito bowl with brown rice, pinto beans, corn salsa, cheese, and guacamole.  It's so yummy!  I like that Chipotle is committed to serving food with integrity.  They try to find the best ingredients raised with respect for the animals, the environment, and the farmers.  Plus, they have locations scattered around the country, so it's a great spot to stop at for lunch or dinner when we are traveling.  You can check out my review of Chipotle here.



Le Macaron

This list wouldn't be complete without my favorite dessert spot in Orlando, Le Macaron.  My personal favorites are their caramel salted butter and pistachio macarons.  All of the macarons are gluten free, and there are a couple of dairy free options as well.  Le Macaron has locations throughout Florida, and can be found locally in Winter Park and the Altamonte Mall.  You can read my review of Le Macaron here.

When I asked my blog readers what their favorites were in Orlando, restaurants like P.F. Chang's, Cantina Laredo, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Margaritaville were mentioned more than once, along with some of the choices on my list.

What are your favorite restaurants for gluten free dining in Orlando?

Cookies & Cream Popsicles

I ventured into the world of popsicle making earlier this summer when I bought some traditional pop molds and made Mexican Chocolate Popsicles.  

Yesterday, my daughters gave me a Zoku Quick Pop Maker for my birthday.  After looking through the Zoku Quick Pops recipe book, my girls and I decided we had to make cookies & cream popsicles.  The problem was that the recipe in the book called for using ingredients like vanilla pudding, which didn't interest me, so I made up my own recipe after doing some research online.  

We were able to make 7 whole pops and a partial pop with the mix I put together tonight. 

I haven't had cookies & cream ice cream since my celiac diagnosis over six years ago, so these popsicles were a much welcomed treat.  I ended up eating two of them, and could have easily eaten three!

Cookies & Cream Popsicles (Zoku Version)

Ingredients

1 1/2 C half and half
4 gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies
3 T sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a blender or NutriBullet, and blend until well combined.  Chill the mixture for at least 30 minutes.

Whisk the pop mixture before filling your pop molds.  If using a Zoku Quick Pop Maker, follow the directions included with the pop maker.

Recipe Notes

This recipe should make 4 to 8 popsicles, depending upon the size of your pop molds.

I used Gluten Free Joe-Joe's from Trader Joe's.

My Zoku Quick Pop Maker was purchased from Williams-Sonoma.  It took about 10 minutes to freeze the first batch of popsicles.  The other two batches took a minute or two longer.

August 26, 2014 Update

Today, I made cookies & cream popsicles in my 4 ounce traditional pop molds from Tovolo.  This recipe makes 6 popsicles.

Cookies & Cream Popsicles (Traditional Pop Molds Version)

Ingredients

2 C half & half
1/4 C heavy cream
6 gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies
1/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a blender or NutriBullet, and blend until well combined.  Fill your pop molds, and freeze your popsicles for at least 4 to 6 hours.

Recipe Notes

The first time I made cookies & cream popsicles in my traditional pop molds, I just used half & half, but they were a little bit icy, so I added some heavy cream to make them creamier like the pops I make quickly in my Zoku.

Linked to:  Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Raglan Road Dinner - Downtown Disney

We celebrated my birthday yesterday by having dinner at Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant in Downtown Disney.  I have recently dined at Raglan Road twice for lunch, but we hadn't been there for dinner in several years.  You can read my lunch review here.  

The dinner menu and lunch menu have a lot of dishes in common, and the large majority of them can be made gluten free.  As is common practice, our server asked if we had any food allergies when he came to the table.  Raglan Road states on their website that, "we do our best to accommodate special dietary needs, and most menu items can be modified to meet your nutritional requirements.  Just check with your server or Manager."  Unlike other restaurants at Disney, a chef will not visit your table, but the servers are all very knowledgeable about what dishes can be made gluten free.  

Brazi Bites Giveaway

I was first introduced to Brazi Bites at the Gluten-Free Living Conference in Orlando this past April.  I have always been a fan of Brazilian cheese bread, and I had heard great things about Brazi Bites, so I was excited to see that they were one of the vendors.   

After sampling all three types of Brazi Bites at the conference, I headed to the Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Road to purchase some.  I ended up buying three bags of the original Brazi Bites, even though I also enjoyed the cheese bread snacks with bacon.  If you are a fan of jalapenos, I am sure you will love the Brazi Bites with fire-roasted jalapenos.  

What I love about Brazi Bites, is that they go straight from the freezer to the oven, and take just 20 minutes to cook.  

They were the perfect side dish to go with our Palm Sunday Frittata, and cucumber & tomato salad.  My husband, daughters, and in-laws all really enjoyed them. I love how they are a little bit crispy on the outside, and nice and soft on the inside.  Everyone rubbed them around in the dressing from our tomato salad.  

You can check out the Brazi Bites store locator here.  In Orlando, they are available in the freezer section at the Whole Foods on Turkey Lake Road.  

The Original Brazi Bites contain tapioca starch, eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, safflower oil and/or soybean oil, cheddar cheese, water and salt.  You can read more about Brazi Bites on their website here.

So, would you like to win three bags of Brazi Bites (one of each flavor)?

How it works:   

Each person can be entered into this contest 9 different ways via Rafflecopter.   

One winner will be picked randomly, via Rafflecopter, based on valid entries. 

This giveaway is only open to people living in the continental United States.   

The winner will appear here when the giveaway ends and will be contacted by me.  If the winner does not respond within 48 hours, a new winner will be chosen.  Winner -- Martha E

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The opinions contained within this review are entirely my own.

Boma Breakfast - Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

My daughters and I met one of my former students for breakfast at Boma - Flavors of Africa this morning.  We eat dinner at Boma at least once or twice a year, but I haven't been to Boma for breakfast since my celiac diagnosis 6 years ago.  You can read my dinner review here.  

Our server brought us Jungle Juice, a combination of passion fruit, guava, and orange juices.  I am not much of a juice person, but I enjoyed it.  

The chef arrived pretty quickly to take me on a tour of the buffet.  He asked if I wanted gluten free Mickey waffles, and offered to bring them with bananas foster instead of syrup.  

When I returned from the buffet with my food, a plate of Mickey waffles and gluten free baked goods had already been delivered.  The Mickey waffles at Boma were the best I have ever had.  I would never have thought to put bananas foster on Mickey waffles, but it is the most amazing combination.  

As far as the gluten free baked goods go, I will be skipping all of them on our next visit.  The donuts and blueberry muffin were overly sweet, and I didn't really want to eat cookies that early in the morning, though my daughters ate and enjoyed the chocolate chip.  

The one thing I remember from my previous visit to Boma for breakfast was the quinoa with brown sugar.  It was good, but a little watery this morning.  

I enjoyed the turkey and ham from the carving station, and was able to eat the bacon, sausage, tater tots, and pap (white cornmeal).  I liked everything on this plate, but my favorite item was probably the tater tots, which were so delightfully crispy.  One of my blog readers mentioned that Boma has turkey bacon, which I would have loved to have tried, but forgot to ask the chef for.  

I was excited to see one of my dinner favorites on the breakfast buffet, the avocado, grapefruit & papaya salad.  I ended up eating two bowls.  

Besides the create-your-own omelet, other gluten free options at Boma include grilled asparagus and tomatoes, chakalaka (spicy stewed tomatoes & onions), hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, goat cheese & chive scrambled eggs, assorted fruit, spinach & quinoa salad, watermelon rind salad, and assorted meats like hard salami, pastrami, and bresaola.  

I rarely dine at Disney buffets for breakfast, because I prefer to eat my biggest meal of the day around lunch or dinner time, but the Mickey waffles with bananas foster were so amazing, I might have to make a return visit to Boma very soon.  

September 10, 2014

This morning, I had breakfast at Boma with Jennifer from Celiac in Orlando.  

Most of the items on the buffet were the same, but I didn't see any of my beloved tater tots or papaya.  I did get to sample their breakfast potatoes on this visit, which are a favorite of mine at The Mara next door.  They weren't seasoned or cooked as well as the potatoes I had earlier this summer at The Mara, so I was missing the tater tots this morning.  

Underneath my pineapple and watermelon is Boma's watermelon rind salad, which packs a gingery punch.  

Chef Frank brought us a plate of gluten free Mickey waffles with a side of bananas foster, which was not on the buffet today, and a side of pecan praline sauce.  

Both the pecan praline sauce and the bananas foster were absolutely amazing on Boma's gluten free, dairy free Mickey waffles.  These sauces are the reason why Boma is my favorite restaurant at Disney World for gluten free Mickey waffles.

Instead of a plate of gluten free donuts and muffins, I asked if we could have gluten free zebra domes, my daughters' favorite dessert at Boma.  Chef Frank also included two mini cheesecakes, which I did not eat because they are sugar free, and I avoid all sugar substitutes.

January 31, 2014 Update

This morning, I had breakfast at Boma with my husband and daughters.  Chef Frank quickly arrived at our table to give me a tour of the buffet, where I chose some breakfast potatoes, bacon, sausage, pap, carved ham, and turkey bobotie.  The bobotie at both breakfast and dinner is now gluten free, because the chefs at Boma removed the bread from the recipe last year.  The turkey bobotie was good, but I prefer the beef and lamb bobotie that is served at dinner.

On my one and only trip to the buffet, I dished myself a large bowl of avocado, grapefruit & papaya salad.  This stuff is so good, I could eat it every day.   

Chef Frank told me that they rotate the pecan praline and the bananas foster sides daily, but he was kind enough to make us both, along with two plates of gluten free waffles.

He brought us a big bowl of the bananas foster, because it wasn't on the buffet today, and my girls love it on top of their waffles.  

After I turned down the usual selection of gluten free donuts, muffins, and cookies, Chef Frank offered to bring me some BabyCakes brownie cupcakes from The Mara next door.  Chef Frank is quickly becoming one of my favorite chefs at Disney!  :-)

My husband and I ate the brownie cupcakes after we got home from the Animal Kingdom.  We both agreed that they were really delicious.  They are gluten free, dairy free, egg free, vegan, and kosher.  Did you notice the name change on the package?  BabyCakes is reopening under a new name in Disney Springs (Downtown Disney), hopefully within the next month.

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

Have you ever been to Boma for breakfast or dinner?  What are your favorite gluten free dishes?