Noodles and Rice Cafe & Bubbles and Ice - Orlando

Tonight, we had dinner at Noodles and Rice on North Mills Avenue in Orlando.  Earlier this week, I discovered it on the Find Me Gluten Free App.  There were five great reviews, so we decided to give it a try.  

We sat at a hot pot table, but if you don't plan on ordering a hot pot, you can sit at a regular table.  

Sarah, our server, used to be a student at the school I taught at, and she was super knowledgable about gluten free options. She told me that the hot pot is the best choice for people with celiac, because it has the least risk of cross contamination.  I marked all the options I wanted for my hot pot, and wrote gluten free down the side of my paper as Sarah suggested.  

I chose the herbal hot pot because the broth has ginger in it, which I love.  It was super flavorful, and I would have been happy just sipping a whole bowl of this broth.  

I also chose shrimp, broccoli, and rice noodles, which are marked gluten free on the hot pot ordering sheet.  Other gluten free noodle options include the clear noodles and yam noodles.  

I cooked my shrimp and broccoli for a few minutes before adding the rice noodles to the hot pot.  Oddly enough, I liked the broccoli better than the shrimp and noodles, because it really soaked in the flavor of the broth.  I had so many noodles, I was able to share a good amount with my daughter Emma, who loved them.  If I ordered this hot pot again, I might try it with chicken, because I didn't like having to peel my shrimp, and I prefer shrimp drenched in butter, or with a sweet and spicy sauce.  My only complaint about this dinner is that I really do prefer my Asian food to be sweet and spicy, which my hot pot was not.  It's just my own personal preference.  Next time I might ask if the Thai chili sauce my husband was eating is gluten free, because he said it added some sweet and spicy flavor to the noodles, meat and veggies he cooked in his hot pot.  

For dessert, we decided to split an order of Mango snow topped with mango.  My whole family thought it was amazing.  The shaved snow was creamy and flavorful, and I am glad we stuck with mango as a topping.  Sarah told us that the sweetened condensed milk they pour over the top is made with soy, so this dessert is dairy free as well as gluten free.  I was a little sad.....ok, a lot sad, that I had to share our order of mango snow.  Thankfully, it is also available next door at Bubbles and Ice, so I am sure this will be our new favorite dessert spot.  

You can read more about Noodles and Rice and Bubbles and Ice on their website here.  They are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

What are your favorite dishes at Noodles and Rice?  

Cucina & Amore Quinoa Meals

Earlier this week, while shopping at The Fresh Market on Mills Avenue, I discovered Cucina & Amore Quinoa Meals.  

I am not a huge fan of quinoa unless it's inside my spinach & feta quinoa burgers, but I love Cucina & Amore piquillo pepper and mango salsa, so I decided to buy one.  The quinoa meals, like the salsa, are labeled gluten free.  They are also preservative free, vegan and non-GMO.  

My local The Fresh Market carries all four varieties of the quinoa meals - artichoke roasted piquillo, basil pesto, mango jalapeno, and spicy jalapeno & roasted peppers.  

I bought the mango & jalapeno quinoa meal to have for lunch yesterday.  It comes in a microwaveable cup, and can be served hot or cold.  

Inside the package is a large cup of quinoa, and a smaller cup of a chunky salsa-like mix.  I decided to try it at room temperature first, and felt there was no reason to heat it.  The first ingredient in the "salsa" is piquillo peppers, so that is the main flavor, but I could definitely taste the mango as well.  It was a little sweet and a little spicy, just how I like my food.  There was the perfect amount of salsa to go with the quinoa.  I did not mix the two together, but chose to put a little bit of the salsa on top of the quinoa, one spoonful at a time while I ate it.  When I bought this product, I wasn't expecting to like it, but I enjoyed it so much, I will definitely be purchasing it again, and trying the other varieties of quinoa meals as well.  

The mango & jalapeno quinoa meal has 220 calories, and contains quinoa, piquillo pepper, mango, sugar, jalapeno, sunflower oil, salt, cane vinegar, onion, lemon juice, potato starch, lactic acid, parsley, citric acid, garlic, and ascorbic acid.  It is produced in a facility that also uses milk, pine nuts, almonds, chestnuts, and lysozyme.

I enjoyed my Cucina & Amore quinoa meal at home, but they would be great to take to work or on road trips.  A small spoon is even included in the packaging.  Online, all four quinoa meals are available for purchase from Vitacost.com.  

You can read more about Cucina & Amore quinoa meals on their website here.  

Have you tried Cucina & Amore quinoa meals?  What is your favorite flavor, and where did you purchase them?  

Our Favorite Udi's Frozen Meals

Even though I would like to be, I am not super mom.  I don't mind cooking when I don't have to clean up, but when my husband tells me that he won't be home for dinner, I immediately start thinking about what I can make that involves as little cooking and cleanup as possible.   

A couple of months ago, we discovered that our local Target sells a nice variety of Udi's frozen meals.  Our two favorites are their family size mac & cheese bakeable meal, and their sweet potato ravioli.  

My daughters never particularly liked mac & cheese with bread crumbs on top until we discovered Udi's.  We all agree that it is the best gluten free mac & cheese we have tried.  We have purchased and liked several brands, but the bread crumbs take this mac & cheese to the next level.  Sometimes, my girls want to add grated Italian cheese to their frozen mac & cheese meals to add flavor, but this one doesn't need it.  It is perfect as is.  

There are microwave instructions on the box for "when you're in a pinch" (yes, it says that on the box), but set aside the hour and ten minutes it takes to make it in the oven.  It is definitely worth the wait to enjoy those amazing browned bread crumbs on top.  The noodles hold up well, and the cheese sauce is flavorful and creamy.  Udi's mac & cheese has left me wondering why I would ever bother to make homemade mac & cheese again.  It really is that good.  I would say one box serves 3 to 4 people.  

Our other favorite Udi's frozen meal is their sweet potato ravioli.  This meal is available as a single portion that is cooked in the microwave, or a skillet meal in a bag.  

My Target only carries the microwaveable small portion, but I hope to try the larger skillet meal in a bag soon.  I wasn't sure my girls would like this ravioli, but they love it as much as I do.  The sweet potato puree inside the ravioli is delicious, and the pasta itself has a great consistency.  The light sauce of kale, portobellos and red peppers is a little bland for our taste, but that is easily remedied with the addition of some grated Romano or Parmesan cheese.  This meal is ready in less than 5 minutes, and has only 290 calories, a perfect portion for lunch or a small dinner.  

May 19, 2015 Update

I finally found Udi's sweet potato ravioli in a bag at my local Target.  On the bag, it says this DIY meal serves two, but the five of us shared two bags tonight.  I cooked them for about 15 minutes in a stainless steel saute pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Everyone loved them, and with a side of Caprese Salad, we had plenty of food.  Each bag contains about 10 ravioli.  

You can view the ingredients for Udi's gluten free frozen meals here.  What are your favorites?  

Cappello's

For several years, I wanted to try Cappello's pasta, but I could not buy it anywhere in Orlando (Update - Their store locator is saying Cappello's products are available at Earth Origins in Lake Mary, and I have heard they have been seen at Lucky's Market on East Colonial Drive).  I first purchased Cappello's gnocchi and chocolate chip cookie dough from Earth Fare, when visiting my parents in Greenville, South Carolina.  I have also bought Cappello's pasta several times from Grassroots Natural Market in Jacksonville.  If you are lucky enough to live in my hometown of Pittsburgh, Cappello's is sold at Ali's Marketplace by Gluten Free Zone and Naturally Soergel's.  

Artist Point - Disney's Wilderness Lodge

Last night, my daughters and I had dinner with my friend Sarah from Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW at Artist Point, a signature dining restaurant at Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

This month, approximately 120 quick service and table service restaurants at Disney World and Disneyland began adopting new allergy-friendly menus.  The menus were first introduced at signature dining restaurants, like Artist Point.  

Even though the menu listed a large number of gluten free options, it stated that guests can still consult with a chef before placing their order.  It also noted what dishes were safe for people with milk, soy, egg, fish/shellfish, and peanut/tree nut allergies.  Beyond this menu, there were other dishes that could be prepared gluten free, like the filet mignon.  

I was excited to see that Artist Point serves GNI gluten free rolls, but they were not heated very well, so the texture was not as good as it can be.  

I ordered the smokey portobello mushroom bisque with roasted shiitakes and chive oil, because it was highly recommended by my neighbor.  I had to send back my first bowl when I was told that the white drizzle on top was creme fraiche, which I don't eat, and was not mentioned on the menu.  Minus the creme fraiche, I really enjoyed my soup.  It was not overly mushroomy, and was creamy and full of flavor.  I did have occasional bites with roasted shiitakes that added a little texture and a punch of mushroom flavor.  

For my entree, I chose Artist Point's signature dish, the cedar plank roasted King salmon with sweet potato puree, brussels, house-smoked bacon, and a citrus gastrique.  My salmon was cooked to perfection, and seasoned well.  

The sweet potato puree was incredible, and I loved the citrus gastrique, but there wasn't enough of it for my large portion of salmon. The house-smoked bacon was delicious, but it was in large awkward chunks that I wasn't sure what to do with.  I think I would have enjoyed it more cut into very small pieces that were sprinkled on my vegetables.  I also had some beets and purple cauliflower on my plate, which were good, like my brussels, but nothing special.  I think they could have used some additional seasoning.  Overall, I enjoyed the dish and would definitely order it again.  

For dessert, I skipped the Artist Point cobbler, because I avoid no sugar added desserts, and went with the vanilla bean creme brulee with strawberries and Amarena cherries.  The creme brulee was one of the best I have ever had, and was packed with vanilla bean.  Since the menu mentioned strawberries, I was expecting more than just a half a strawberry, and the one I got had a very medicinal taste.  I love Amarena cherries, but the creme brulee was perfection on its own, and didn't need them.  With a couple of fresh strawberries, I would have been 100% satisfied with this dessert.  

The current allergy-friendly menu lists the following dishes as being safe for those who avoid gluten/wheat:

Appetizers - cold water mussels with crispy kale chips and Riesling nage

Soups and Salads - smokey portobello mushroom bisque; land greens salad with peaches, sunflower seed granola, sheep's milk cheese and ice wine vinaigrette

Entrees - Cedar plank roasted King Salmon; 54 Degrees C Buffalo with buffalo sausage, roasted marble potatoes, broccoflower, and blackberry currant demi; applewood-smoked cornish hen with wild rice, lentils, root spinach, brussels and mountain berry marmalade; roasted Berkshire pork tenderloin with chevre-herb polenta, baby carrots, favas, local peaches and stone fruit reduction; vegan lo mein with sweet chili tofu, brown rice, snap peas, shiitakes and lotus root

Desserts - Artist Point cobbler (a no sugar added dessert) with seasonal berries and house-made raspberry sorbet; vanilla bean creme brulee with strawberries and amarena cherries

Currently, allergy-friendly menus are not available on Disney's website, but hopefully this will change in the future.  

Gluten free kids' options include the mixed field greens salad, seasonal fruit, grilled chicken breast, baked salmon, and grilled petit filet mignon. Katie enjoyed her kid's portion of salmon with sweet potato puree and carrots, but Emma was not crazy about her gluten-filled penne pasta with cheese sauce, which my daughters said didn't have much taste, even with added grated cheese.

I loved the theming of Artist Point, which was inspired by the dining rooms of National Park lodges, and I liked the menu, which features Pacific Northwest fare.  I found that some of the ingredients and flavors of my entree and dessert did not seem to mesh really well, which is unusual for a signature dining restaurant, but overall I enjoyed my meal.  

You can read more about Artist Point, view their menu, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.  My friend Sarah's review can be viewed on her blog Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free at WDW.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at Artist Point?  

Pasta e Fagioli

Last night, my plan was to make my Pasta with Roasted Vegetables, then my husband and I decided we wanted to make something easier for dinner.  While I was doing some research on classic Italian dishes yesterday, I ran across a recipe for Pasta e Fagioli, which means pasta and beans.  

Pasta e Fagioli is traditionally a meatless Italian dish with cannellini beans, some type of small pasta like ditalini or elbow macaroni, and a base of extra virgin olive oil, garlic, minced onion, spices, and tomatoes.  Some variations also use pancetta, which I might use instead of bacon the next time I make this dish.  

I decided to stray from tradition and use spinach in my Pasta e Fagioli for some added color and vegetables.  My whole family loved my Pasta e Fagioli last night, and it was great left over for lunch today.

Pasta e Fagioli

Ingredients

4 pieces of bacon - chopped
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion - diced
1 tsp (2 cloves) minced garlic
40 oz chicken broth
2 cans cannellini beans - rinsed
1 can (28 oz) peeled San Marzano tomatoes - drained & chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 C baby spinach - chopped
1/2 lb (8 oz) gluten free pasta - ditalini or elbow macaroni
kosher salt + coarse ground black pepper - to taste
Grated or shaved Parmesan, Romano or Asiago - to taste

Directions

In a soup pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat until it is crisp.  Add the olive oil and onion, cooking until the onion is soft, then add the garlic.  Stir for about a minute, until the garlic begins to brown, then add the chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add about 1/2 the beans to the pot, then use a potato masher to mash them before adding the rest of the beans, tomatoes, and oregano.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Cook the pasta according to package directions until it is al dente.  Drain and set aside.

Remove the soup pot from the heat and add the spinach and pasta.  Stir and let sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve and garnish with Italian cheese.

Serves 6

Recipe Notes

I used a whole box of Le Veneziane gluten free ditalini in this recipe, which is a little over 1/2 a pound.  I purchase it from amazon.com or vitacost.com.  Le Veneziane is currently our favorite brand of gluten free pasta.  My entire gluten-eating family loves it, and says it tastes just like the gluten-filled pasta they eat at restaurants.  While my husband was eating the leftovers today for lunch, he made a point to tell me how well the pasta had held up overnight.  I always cook my pasta with one tablespoon of kosher salt, so that it has some flavor.



Make sure your chicken broth is gluten free.  I used one 32 ounce container, then had to add an 8 ounce container when I realized my Pasta e Fagioli needed a little more broth.

I used my favorite 3 cheese shaved Italian blend from The Fresh Market, which contains Parmesan, Romano and Asiago.



We served our Pasta e Fagioli with Rudi's gluten free ciabatta rolls.

This dish was inspired by a Queen of Green recipe for Pasta e Fagioli.  

Spaghetti with Romano & Black Pepper

After seeing a picture of spaghetti with Pecorino Romano and black pepper on Instagram, and hearing Mario Batali talk about it on The Chew, I knew I had to make it.  

1900 Park Fare Breakfast - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort

This morning, my friend Jennifer and I met at 1900 Park Fare at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort for their Supercalifragilistic Breakfast.



Our server started us off with some juice, which was a mix of orange, guava and passion fruit.  

Chef Christopher came out to talk to us about gluten free options and gave us a tour of the buffet.  

Jennifer and I both have celiac, and we dined towards the end of breakfast service, so we asked Chef Christopher if he could bring us freshly made food from the back, so we wouldn't have to worry about cross contamination.  The only food I ate off the buffet was the Floridian strawberry soup and fresh fruit.  If you enjoy strawberries and strawberry mousse, you will love this soup, which is also served at dinner.  

Chef Christopher brought us gluten free Mickey waffles with a side of bananas foster, sausage, bacon, hash brown casserole, cheese grits and potato puffs (tater tots).  

The Mickey waffles were made with Bob's Red Mill.  They were a little heavy, so I mainly ate the ears and the parts around the edges.  The bananas foster was good, but not as delicious as the bananas foster at Boma.  

I enjoyed a couple pieces of bacon, but ate way too many sausage, because they were so delicious.  Dipped in syrup or eaten with a tater tot, I might have enjoyed the sausage more than anything else I ate this morning.

The tater tots were great, but the hash brown casserole was dry and not worth eating.  The cheese grits were a little bland and unexciting compared to the cheese grits I have had at The Wave.  

Before we left, I cleansed my palate with some fresh fruit from the buffet.  In addition to pineapple and grapes, they had watermelon, strawberries, honeydew and cantaloupe.  There were other gluten free options on the buffet which I did not try, like the smoked salmon, and omelets and eggs made to order.  I did not ask about the hickory-smoked ham at the carving station or gluten free pancakes.  My family dined at 1900 Park Fare for breakfast almost seven years ago when we moved to Orlando, and the only thing I remember eating was gluten free pancakes, so they might be available.  I am sure they would have also brought us a selection of gluten free muffins, donuts and bread if we had asked, but I don't have much interest in eating Udi's muffins and Kinnikinnick donuts when I am eating at an all-you-care-to-enjoy breakfast buffet.  

I definitely prefer the food 1900 Park Fare serves for dinner, but I enjoyed the Disney characters at both meals.  Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Mary Poppins, Alice in Wonderland, and the Mad Hatter paid us a visit while we dined, and they were all quite entertaining.  

Comparing the all-you-care-to enjoy breakfast buffets at Disney, I much prefer the food and atmosphere at Boma and Tusker House Restaurant.



Adult meals were $26.99 and children ages 3-9 were $14.99, but prices can vary depending on the time of year and day of the week.  We were able to use my Tables in Wonderland card to save 20% off our meal, but be aware that 1900 Park Fare has blackout dates for the discount at peak times of the year.

You can read more about 1900 Park Fare, view their menus, and make advance dining reservations on Disney's website here.

What are your favorite gluten free dishes at 1900 Park Fare?

Gluten Free in Bellvue, Washington

Bellevue is the second largest city in Washington, and is located across Lake Washington from Seattle.  When we visited in March, I was really impressed by the beauty of the city, and their wealth of gluten free options.  We could have eaten at some of our favorites from Orlando, like Maggiano's, P.F. Chang's, California Pizza Kitchen, Red Robin, Chipotle, and Red Mango, but we like to choose local restaurants with gluten free options when we travel.  

Using the Find Me Gluten Free app, we discovered Cactus and Din Tai Fung, which are both located in downtown Bellevue.  Cactus offers Seattle innovative Southwestern, Mexican and Spanish cuisine at five locations in Seattle, Bellevue and Kirkland, Washington.  

The tortilla chips are not safe at Cactus, because they don't have a dedicated fryer, but their gluten free menu has plenty of great options.  For our first entree, we chose the Tacos Carne Adovada, which is classic New Mexico braised pork with avocado and Cotija cheese, served with Spanish rice and cumin black beans.  My husband and I agreed that the house-made white corn tortillas were the best tortillas we have ever had.  They were a little thicker and not as dry as corn tortillas usually are.  The braised pork had a nice spicy kick, and was perfectly complimented by the avocado and Cotija cheese.  We also enjoyed the sides of rice and black beans.

For our second entree, we picked the skirt steak Cactus Fajitas served in a sizzling skillet with Spanish rice, cumin black beans and caramelized onion.  The fajitas came with sides of guacamole, sour cream, Jack cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo, and warm corn tortillas.  We loved our fajitas, which were nice and flavorful, but agreed that the Tacos Carne Adovada was our favorite entree.  

Din Tai Fung, like Cactus, is located in Bellevue Square, but also has restaurants in Seattle, Los Angeles, and Orange County, California.  Gluten free options are marked on their regular menu.  To start, we shared an order of sauteed spinach with garlic with our friends.  It was a healthy and delicious way to begin our meal.

While everyone else shared gluten-filled dumplings and buns, I had the shrimp fried rice all to myself.  The portion was extremely generous, and I enjoyed the simplicity of this dish.

The star of my meal though was my dessert, the red bean sticky rice wrap.  I have been a fan of red bean paste since I was a teenager, because of the fish shaped pastries they used to sell at the Japan Pavilion in Epcot.  These pastries stuffed with red bean paste are no longer available at Disney World, and I couldn't eat them anyway, because of my celiac diagnosis, but the dessert I had at Din Tai Fung brought back a great food memory for me.  The red bean paste was just a little bit sweet, and was so incredible combined with the sticky rice.  

After spotting a See's Candies shop in downtown Bellevue, I knew the perfect gift to get my parents for watching our daughters while we were away.  While buying them a box of nuts & chews, I spotted my personal favorite, See's Toffee-ettes.  They are made with crunchy, buttery toffee and whole almonds drenched in milk chocolate and chopped almonds.  They might be the most addictive candy on the planet.  Don't say I didn't warn you.

One of the best things about See's Candies is that everything is gluten free, so I could choose any of the boxed candies, or the individual candies in the display cases.

While in See's, we bought a bag of chocolate lollypops for our daughters, which are definitely the best lollipops we have ever tried.

We also came home with a box of candy from Fran's Chocolates, which is local to Seattle and Bellevue.

Everything we tasted was creamy and delicious, and all of Fran's candies are gluten free.  

Our final gluten free find from Bellevue was Wildflour Gluten-Free Baking Co.  Sadly, because it was closed on the days we were there, we did not get to go to the bakery, but when we arrived, I was greeted with two boxes of baked goods that had been picked up for us the day before.  

I was really impressed with their chocolate chip cookies, molasses ginger cookies, and chocolate-orange hazelnut biscotti, but the blueberry streusel muffins would keep me coming back at least once a week if we were locals.  The muffins, which are made with fresh berries and a hint of lemon, were so delicious with their crunchy cinnamon streusel crumble on top.  They are definitely the best muffins I have had from a gluten free bakery in the seven years since my celiac diagnosis.

Wildflour Gluten-Free Baking Co. is a locally-owned family business that maintains a gluten-free and peanut-free environment, and they do not use any bean, corn or soy flours.  Most of their products are also made without dairy and casein.

What are your favorite gluten free options in Bellevue, Washington?