Vegetarian Irish stew w/ parsnip and cauliflower mash

This is something I used to make in my pre-gluten-free life, and since Guinness is now out, I didn't think I would be able to make it properly anymore. But last week, I met up with some dark gluten-free beer by Green's, which is made in Belgium, and it immediately gave me visions of Irish stew!

I kind of just use whatever veggies I have on hand, but I think it works well with root and/or winter vegtables. And I love Irish stew with mashed potatoes, but since I am trying to be a bit healthier and stay away from evil white carbs, I decided to do a mash of parsnips and cauliflower, and it was delicious, and easier...no potatoes to peel, just a couple of parsnips.

This was a huge hit, and even my daughter who likes to pretend she is becoming picky, gobbled it up!

Irish stew

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

2 tablespoons flour (I used garbanzo bean flour, but I think brown rice flour would work well too)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 cups dark beer, I used Green's
28-oz. of vegetable broth (I used 2 Celifibr bouillon cubes)
1 cup chopped sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup frozen shelled edamame

12 roasted brussels sprouts, cut in quarters

Mash

1 head of cauliflower, cut into large pieces

2 parsnips, peeled and chopped

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

fresh-ground salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of butter and a touch of cream, optional

Heat the oven to 400'F

1. Toss cleaned and quartered brussels sprouts with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and fresh-ground salt and pepper. Roast these for about 20 min or until done, but still a bit crisp (no one likes soggy brussels). Stir about half-way through.

2. While the brussels are roasting, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrot, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 more minutes. Add garlic and thyme and cook another 2 minutes.

2. Pour in beer, and bring mixture to a boil. Cook 3 minutes, stirring and scraping any bits that may be stuck to bottom. Add vegetable broth, sweet potato and parsnips, and bring to a simmer. Readuce heat to a medium-low and cook 20 minutes.

3. Add edamame and cook 10 minutes more.

4. Add the brussels sprouts and combine.

While the stew is cooking, boil water and throw in your cauliflower and parsnips and prepare as you would mashed potatoes. My veggies were ready to mash after boiling about 20 min. I added a bit of butter and touch of cream, 1/4-teaspoon nutmeg, salt and fresh-ground pepper.

Serve the stew next to, or on the mash in a shallow bowl.

Yummy!

I just don't buy it....

It is crazy how common having celiac is, and I feel like I meet people with it everyday. And usually it is a passing encounter like in the gluten-free section of the grocery store, so I don't have time to talk about specifics, just kind of say, "what is your favorite pasta?" and really that is it.

But the other day I met with someone who had it too, and we had some time to spend together so we got a little bit more into it. She has had it for 10 years, so I felt like I was up against a pro. We talked about the obligatory, how long have you had it, what were your symptoms, etc.. But since I had a few hours to sit there, we got a little more into it.

We were talking about what foods we missed, and I said something like it was still possible to make most of those foods with GF flours, and she shocked me by saying that she just gives in and will eat some of her missed items once a week. I was in shock. I was thinking, maybe she is not diagnosed celiac, but she was, 100% celiac with a family history of colon cancer. She went on to tell me how once she got gluten out of her system, she was "able" to reintroduce a little bit at a time. "That is all about reintroduction," she said she will have regular pasta once a week and still buys "whole grain" bread, because at least it is better for her than cheap white bread. I was completely flabbergasted. And it made me feel like a gluten nazi, when I said how I won't even touch the stuff. I asked her if she worried about gluten in shampoos, lotions and soaps and she said that she didn't because she buys organic...what???!!! Organic does ≠ GF, if anything there is probably more gluten in some of those products, because that is what is making it "natural". I was at a loss for words.

Now, some people who know me will think that every time someone tells me they have a symptom I will immediately diagnose them with celiac, that I just think everyone has it these days - ha! And while I know the facts and just how common it is, I am also not going to preach to someone about it. It was interesting, because she was pregnant, and she also told me how she gets really bad eczema...I wanted to be like, "duh, you don't say??!!" But, I kept my mouth shut for the most part.

The only thing I did say was, "you know it still does damage to your body when you don't feel the effects". She answered that she knew, but she just doesn't want to get "all crazy" about it, she doesn't read all labels or use vitamins. But then she went on to say, she has even had to go to the ER because of had bad she has felt when she has had it, but it still doesn't deter her from continuing to eat it.

I was just so in shock with the different outlooks we have. Me, who avoids it like poison down to what shampoo and lotion I use, to this woman who still buys whole grain bread because she feels it is better. I definitely don't want to be in pain or cut my life short because of some easy changes that could be made. I would hate to look back and see how I could have easily changed things. This was honestly my first time meeting another celiac with this laid-back attitude.

In the end, I guess it is not my place to say anything. But wow, it just blew me away!

Flat Top Grill feast and Wild Beasts

Eating at restaurants and being gluten-free is one of the more stressful situations, especially when going somewhere you have never been before. Once you find places that can reliably prepare a gluten-free meal, it is easy to stick to them and not stray too much for fear of eating somewhere and getting ‘glutened’. Fortunately, Flat Top Grill is one place that is not only allergy-aware, they even have it written, literally, on their walls! Last week before heading to Schubas to see the Wild Beasts, we went to Flat Top Grill for dinner.

For those who have not had a chance to visit Flat Top Grill, it is a create-you-own stir-fry restaurant. Basically, you take a bowl, pile it high with a starch and veggies, add a protein, a sauce and hand it off to be cooked, and you have your meal!

I visited their web site beforehand and was pleased to see they have an entire pagededicated to allergens as well as a page for vegetarian/vegans and another with nutritional information.

We went to the location across from Schubas at Belmont and Southport. For a weekday night they were pretty crowded, which could sometimes be a deterrent to someone with gluten-free needs, but they took care of me. Once we were seated, I told them I was gluten-free and they handed me a sheet that listed what sauces were safe for a gluten- and wheat-free diet. In addition to the allergen safe list, it was also clearly written on the wall behind the food stations. For those with specific allergies, you can place a stick in, or next to your bowl to alert the staff and they will cook your meal in a separate wok that has not been used for any of the allergens listed. You can create your dish to be a rice bowl, or used in lettuce wraps. They also serve gluten-free beer.

I started off by choosing brown rice from a rice steamer and adding veggies to my bowl. I could clearly see which sauces were safe for me, as everything is labeled, but was a bit nervous to take one, because they are placed right next to gluten containing sauces, and who knows what has dripped in what, or spoons have been shared, so I asked the manager if he could get me some sauce from an unused container in the back, and he was more than happy to do so. I am not regularly a meat eater, so I stuck with the tofu, but there were plenty of meats and seafood options that are safe. There is also a bottle of wheat-free tamari to use as extra seasoning.

The end result was delicious, warm and satisfying, and I will definitely go back again. I love the variety of fresh veggies and the quick service. For a couple more bucks you can make yours an unlimited bowl, but one bowl seemed to be completely sufficient. This would also be a great place for kids.

Our server and the manager went out of their way to make sure I felt comfortable and had a safe and delicious experience.

After this yummy meal we headed across the street to Schubas and enjoyed the unique sounds of British indie rock band, the Wild Beasts. The music was amazing and tight. The lead singer, Hayden Thorpe’s voice was absolutely beautiful and kept me completely mesmerized during their set. Thorpe’s sound reminded me a bit of Sigur Rós, and had such a wide range from operetta to pop. If you are unable to see them live, check out their latest album, Two Dancers and their previous albumLimbo, Panto, both on Domino Records. You can check out a few of their tracks on their web site. Be sure not to miss "We Still Got the Taste of Dancin’ on Our Tongues" and "The Devil’s Crayon". Schubas did not have gluten-free beer, but they have plenty of liquor and I enjoyed the music with a side of Magners Irish cider.

Flat Top Grill has 14 locations around the Chicago area including Champaign and Normal, Illinois, with two in Wisconsin (Madison and Wauwatosa), and one in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

GFIW (Gluten-free item of the week): Peeps, February 22

I am going to start something new here, where I am going to post a mainstream product, every week, that is gluten-free, called Gluten-free Item of the Week, or GFIW.

This week, is the ever-popular Peeps. Even though the photo is of Valentine Day Peeps, Easter is just around the corner, and all Peeps are gluten-free. This package of Peeps even says so right on the back.

Enjoy!

Why all the music references?

I figured I would explain my reasoning behind my music references with food posts. Like why am I randomly putting in what I am listening to...what the heck is that all about?

Simply, I like music. It seems to be a part of my daily life, as well as cooking, so it makes sense they should go together.

Food. I have loved everything about food from when I was little. I absolutely love cooking and baking and then seeing people enjoy my efforts.

I have also enjoyed music from my early years from when I was obsessed with Rick Springfield and then progressed to Men at Work and Duran Duran. But once I started listening to INXS' Listen Like Thieves in the 80s, I was hooked, and my bedroom walls were wall-papered with INXS members, specifically Michael Hutchence (rip). That first time I saw him in concert, in the 80s, I was even more in love, and it started the beginning of long relationship with music.

I never got into the top 40 music or the big hair bands of the 80s, I never listened to metal, it was the indie alternative music that tempted me, and still does.

In my 20s and early 30s I was going to 2-3 gigs a week. I loved checking out the newest music and seeing a band play at a small venue before they broke out and became trendy.

I married a musician, a former drummer from England, M, who had toured throughout England and Europe in the 90s. After having our daughter, Z, it was definitely more difficult for me to find the time to keep up with what was new, and I was definitely no longer going to 2-3 gigs a week, I was lucky if I was doing that a year! And let's not talk about the drinking...that decreased in mass quantities as well!

We quickly learned that with the warmer weather we could take Z with us to outdoor venues. She went to her first Lollapalooza in 2005 at 4 months old, and since then she has been to countless festivals and concerts, complete with her ear muffs, to protect her young ears. She has seen more bands than most adult, at 4-years old. She has danced to over 40 bands from The Thermals, to Aimee Mann, Broken Social Scene, Fiest, Elvis Costello, Jarvis Cocker, Kaiser Chiefs, Rufus Wainwright, The Stills, Magic Numbers, Shellac, The Streets, The Klaxons, Gogol Bordello, Radiohead and I could go on and on. Once the warmer weather hits, we are ready to check out the schedules to see what we can take her to.

M keeps BBC 6 Music on the radio daily, and issues of NME in stock so I am able to keep current.

It is great to cook to music, or to take a break out of the day and dance to Scissor Sisters with Z. Though, now that she is getting older, she is having more of an opinion as to what she wants to listen or dance to...I am not sure this is a good thing, especially when she has me watching Hannah Montana.

One subject that has really fascinated me since becoming gluten-free and being married to someone who used to tour for a living, is how someone with celiac or a gluten intolerance handles it in such a hectic lifestyle. Being that celiac is so prevalent, it is a no brainer that musicians and the crew that support them would be included in this large group...so how do they deal with it? I have been lucky to be able to talk to several people in the industry to learn more*.

Until then....turn the tunes up and get cooking. Tonight on our menu we are having roasted salmon and asparagus risotto, the ultimate comfort food. I think it is time for some Muse and a chilled bottle of cider and to get myself in the kitchen.

*Here is a recent interview with British production manager, Richard 'Wez' Wearing, and what it is like on the road with celiac. Keep an eye out, I have more coming!