Best gluten-free sandwich bread
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Eating out with my mom and grandson
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In addition to anticipation, having live-in guests can produce a bit of anxiety in those of us who keep a gluten-free home. But with a little advance preparation, a bit of imagination, and a few prepared foods, it’s relatively easy to cook for yourself and your visitors.
Last month, my son and my mom arrived for overlapping visits that each extended more than one week. So, in advance, I cooked currant scones, banana macadamia muffins (without the chocolate chips), and blueberry pecan muffins. On the day my son arrived, he was happy that I made buckwheat pancakes with blackberries from the farmers’ market. My mother was thrilled that in the freezer, there were still a few of her favorite muffins—the apple walnut raisin ones I’d baked at her house.
One day, for lunch, I fried summer squash latkes (pancakes) that we ate with sour cream and applesauce. Another day, a dinner salad with greens and veggies from the farmers’ market plus gluten-free deli chicken provided a way to customize our plates with the foods we loved. Besides going out for lunch, we ate open-face turkey sandwiches using the best gluten-free sandwich bread from the freezer (toasted), spicy brown mustard, gluten-free deli meat, and Swiss cheese, warmed in a toaster oven on the top brown setting.
We wanted to eat with my daughter and her family, so we took Angus® pre-cooked beef patties, frozen sweet potato fries (as I can’t eat white potatoes), and fresh corn on the cob. Not only was this meal gluten-free, but it was loved by all, including my one-year-old grandson. We did a reprise of this meal a week later, but with a slight variation. This time, I sautéed baby bella mushrooms for my mom, son, and me (the mushroom-lovers), and I caramelized a few onions. Instead of fries, we had sweet potato chips, Fritos® and snap pea crisps, to provide choices. The hamburgers tasted better on the grill at my daughter’s house, but they also came out great by heating in a pan (without grease) and melting cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top in the microwave. I did make an exception and allowed gluten-full hamburger buns to enter the house.
For another dinner, I stir-fried zucchini in olive oil and garlic, served over quinoa pasta with a liberal amount of freshly grated Asiago cheese. A third dinner was a soup I made with fresh amaranth from the market, ground chicken, and black rice, served with sorghum biscuits.
One night, we even had delicious appetizers with wine: crunchy chick peas (from Saffron Road™, falafel flavor); Mary’s Gone Crackers® onion crackers (gluten-free); and Gouda cheese.
So, the next time you’re going to be entertaining guests, stock up on a few prepared foods, find fresh food at your local farmers’ market, and be ready to cook foods that can be customized by your guests as well as foods that they’ll love just as you prepare them. Enjoy the challenge of cooking and eating gluten-free, where everyone can be happy.
Last month, my son and my mom arrived for overlapping visits that each extended more than one week. So, in advance, I cooked currant scones, banana macadamia muffins (without the chocolate chips), and blueberry pecan muffins. On the day my son arrived, he was happy that I made buckwheat pancakes with blackberries from the farmers’ market. My mother was thrilled that in the freezer, there were still a few of her favorite muffins—the apple walnut raisin ones I’d baked at her house.
One day, for lunch, I fried summer squash latkes (pancakes) that we ate with sour cream and applesauce. Another day, a dinner salad with greens and veggies from the farmers’ market plus gluten-free deli chicken provided a way to customize our plates with the foods we loved. Besides going out for lunch, we ate open-face turkey sandwiches using the best gluten-free sandwich bread from the freezer (toasted), spicy brown mustard, gluten-free deli meat, and Swiss cheese, warmed in a toaster oven on the top brown setting.
We wanted to eat with my daughter and her family, so we took Angus® pre-cooked beef patties, frozen sweet potato fries (as I can’t eat white potatoes), and fresh corn on the cob. Not only was this meal gluten-free, but it was loved by all, including my one-year-old grandson. We did a reprise of this meal a week later, but with a slight variation. This time, I sautéed baby bella mushrooms for my mom, son, and me (the mushroom-lovers), and I caramelized a few onions. Instead of fries, we had sweet potato chips, Fritos® and snap pea crisps, to provide choices. The hamburgers tasted better on the grill at my daughter’s house, but they also came out great by heating in a pan (without grease) and melting cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese on top in the microwave. I did make an exception and allowed gluten-full hamburger buns to enter the house.
For another dinner, I stir-fried zucchini in olive oil and garlic, served over quinoa pasta with a liberal amount of freshly grated Asiago cheese. A third dinner was a soup I made with fresh amaranth from the market, ground chicken, and black rice, served with sorghum biscuits.
One night, we even had delicious appetizers with wine: crunchy chick peas (from Saffron Road™, falafel flavor); Mary’s Gone Crackers® onion crackers (gluten-free); and Gouda cheese.
So, the next time you’re going to be entertaining guests, stock up on a few prepared foods, find fresh food at your local farmers’ market, and be ready to cook foods that can be customized by your guests as well as foods that they’ll love just as you prepare them. Enjoy the challenge of cooking and eating gluten-free, where everyone can be happy.
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