Chipotle is Gluten Free Heaven

Chipotle Burrito Bowl with all the works!

When I go to visit my family in the U.S., I actually feel normal. I don't feel like I have coeliac disease because I can go to so many restaurants and order food just like a normal person. It is a wonderful feeling and I really and truly enjoy eating out when I visit home (and boy do I become a fatty).  I wish the U.K. were more coeliac friendly. 

One stop I always make at least once when I'm home is Chipotle. Everything on the menu is almost gluten free. Check out their link here, which states which of their products are gluten free. 

EVERYTHING is gluten free except there tortillas and eggs. My last visit to the states I went to Boston and Orlando. I asked staff members at both locations and they all knew what coeliac and gluten free was. The worst is when a staff member has no idea... then you know you're in trouble.

I always eat there when I visit home and don't feel sick. If you haven't been to Chipotle, I highly recommend it.

How can you not look at the picture --> and get a watery mouth. 

Domino's Gluten Free Pizza -- Not Suitable for Coeliacs

                                     

Domino's launched a gluten free pizza crust… woohoo! BUT there's a catch — they don't recommend coeliacs to have it. That line brought my excitement level to nothing. Well why is it that the case? Here is an excerpt from Domino's press release

While Domino's new Gluten Free Crust is appropriate for those with mild gluten sensitivity, Domino's and the NFCA do not recommend it for those with celiac disease. Domino's and the NFCA found that while the crust is certified as gluten free, current store operations at Domino's cannot guarantee that each handcrafted pizza will be completely free from gluten.

Basically, the crust is gluten free but the environment it's made in is not gluten free. Let's hope in the near future Domino's make a gluten free kitchen. With the numbers of coeliacs rising and some just choosing to be gluten free because of gluten sensitivity it would be one booming business. Check out this ABC News Video below to get the facts on Domino's gluten free pizza and the rising number of gluten free products.

Marks & Spencers Gluten Free Breaded Cod Fillets

I've looked high and low for these M&S gluten free breaded cod fillets! I looked in three stores and no luck. A work colleague had told me he found them and actually bought them for himself for dinner! I got so excited and told him I haven't been able to find it at my local M&S. So I came into work the next morning and they were at my desk.

I was so thrilled that I had it for dinner that night. They were delicious. I had baked them in the oven and you could never tell it was gluten free. The breadcrumbs went crumbly and once baked they actually became crispy and not soggy. It was so exciting to see M&S come out with this. They also have Chicken and Mushroom bakes, which I haven't been able to find. Since M&S are doing fresh bread crumb products, I also hope they start doing chicken kievs, if anyone has seen gluten free chicken kievs, please do let me know where! I tried making them with this Tesco Gluten Free Chicken Kiev recipe, but it turned out to be a disaster!

Any spottings of breaded dinner items, please comment and let me know where!

Gluten Free Croutons-Juvela Crostini Bites

Tomato soup and Juvela Crostini Bites

Before I was a coeliac, one of my favorite lunches used to be soup with some croutons. The lunch was healthy and filling. After I was diagnosed, I still craved soup and croutons. I could take GF bread to substitute the croutons, but I'm not a fan of GF bread unless it's toasted. So I went bananas looking for a croutons equivalent in the U.K. I didn't have much luck. Whole Foods' Market in the Boston had amazing croutons, but how much of that can my mom send me every year? Postage does get quite expensive.

When Juvela sends out its news letter every month, they tend to give away products from time to time. Well, one newsletter, they gave away their new product, Juvela Crostini Bites. I was quite excited to see this, but wasn't going to get too excited until I actually tried it. Few days later, I received it in the mail. With soups and salads these crostinis were pure bliss! It was exactly what I was looking for. I use crostinis in my soup, salads and even break them up into a crunchy breadcrumb.

I don't usually order gluten free products online, but these crostinis are one exception. It's only £2.39 for a pack and at times Juvela does offer free shipping.  If you haven't tried them yet, you're missing out!

Mrs Crimble's Oven Baked Corn and Potato Bites -- Coming Soon!

I recently received an email from Mrs. Crimble's to taste test some of their new products. Within minutes of the email, I responded and sent in my details. Who does love free samples of things?!

A week or so later, I received a delicious box of corn and potato bites. The flavors ranged from  from sweet chili, cheese and onion, lightly salted and salt vinegar. They were absolutely delicious! They tasted very light and felt a lot healthier than eating normal fried or baked potato chips. If I had to pick a favorite flavor, I don’t think I could. Each had its own unique taste.

I really look forward to these hitting the grocery store shelves. Not sure when they will, but I'll be waiting. And you may wonder where the photo to the right comes from? Well, Mrs. Crimble's also sent some promotional leaflets, so until the real thing is out, the cutouts will have to do!

Warburton's Gluten Free Blueberry & Cranberry Muffins

This is by far my favorite Warburton's Gluten Free item — blueberry and cranberry muffins (you can tell from the photo since there is only one left in a crumbly packing :-) )

In my 1.5 years of being a coeliac, these are the best muffins I've had. They are so fresh and don't leave a powdery after taste. I usually cut in half, spread some butter and warm it up in the microwave for 30 seconds. It makes the taste come out even more and is very soft and moist.

I always have a hard time with breakfast at work since I can't toast things. But this is an ideal breakfast for a working morning.

They also have lemon and poppy seeds muffins. With Warburton's products, I always find a variety of their products at Waitrose.

If this is not a product you've tried, I highly recommend it.

Sugargrain Gluten Free Cake Slices

I'm always a bit hesitant to try products that are free of things other than gluten. I think to myself if they don't have gluten, eggs or dairy, what exactly are they using? Then I look at the ingredients and they have everything else under the sun to substitue all that is needed to make something taste somewhat decent.

I miss eating cakes at birthdays and having sweet treats I can just pick up at any grocery story. So a craving hit me and my husband and I were in search for some sweet treats at Whole Foods Market and we came across Sugargrain gluten and dairy free cake slices. They had several different flavors, like stem and ginger, sezy lemon, but carrot cake is the one that caught my eye. Carrot cake is my absolute favorite. My husband bought it and I left it in my fridge for days thinking I wouldn't like it. Gluten and dairy free. Eventually I did try it.

It was amazing! It actually tasted like cake and did not have powdery after taste. It was moist, sweet and had all the flavors of carrot cake. For a small slice, its £2.99. Not cheap, but its worth a try when you really crave some sort of cake or sweets.

I haven't tried or seen anything else from Sugargrain, but if you do, let me know!

Costa Coffee Gluten Free Brownies

Costa Coffee Gluten Free Brownie

One thing I really miss about being normal is desserts. I know I can go out and buy some cake or brownies when I want from stores, but I try to avoid it. Since it's gluten free, it will set in my cupboard and well its not ideal for me to eat all of them! But when I see people eat desserts, it hits me and I hate it.

Both Starbucks and Costa Coffee do gluten free brownies. I've tried Costa Coffee brownies and I have to say they are quite good. They are a good size too, says its satisfies your stomach as well as the craving. If you're in London and  need a sweet treat, I definitely recommend this.

Gluten Free in Thailand

This post is very overdue.

Fresh gluten free bread and muffins at Lebua State Tower

I had the trip of a lifetime this past October. My husband and I ventured out to Bangkok and Phuket. My husband had done some amazing research and booked a hotel and resorts that catered to coeliacs. It was an amazing trip in every sense and I never missed food once. It was a great feeling.

Chef's treat at Faces in Bangkok.

Our first stop was Bangkok at the Lebua State Tower. My husband had contacted the restaurant before hand and also sent them a gluten free card in Thai. When we had our first breakfast there, they had asked for our room number and before I knew it I had fresh gluten free bread and muffins waiting for me at I scoped out the rest of the buffet. If you enjoy meats, sushi, and such you will have no trouble. The breakfast buffet is something like no other. So much food!

Even when we had other meals in the hotel, they had known of my condition from before hand so I didn’t have to keep repeating myself. If you are making a trip to Bangkok I highly recommend Lebua State Tower.

One night in Bangkok we ventured out into the city for a dinner. We had been told a restaurant called Faces was suppose to be amazing. It had three different cuisines – Thai, Indian and Japanese. The restaurant is so beautiful and has so many cultures within that one environment. The manager had helped me pick out items from the menu and made sure they were gluten free. I could eat the chef’s special (which you can see the photo for). I forget the name, but you took leaves and filled them with the delicious fillings they gave. It was great and gluten free! I also ordered a delicious main dish. And I felt great after the meal.

Stir fried rice and chicken

Our next stop was Phuket. We stayed at the Indigo Pearl and they were amazing. Each meal I was catered too. I had fresh bread in the morning. They actually had free gluten free bread on their breakfast buffet line because so many people used to ask for it.

If you go to any Asian countries, I highly recommend brining gluten free soy sauce. I had so many authentic dishes because I had my own soy sauce, if I didn’t I would have not enjoyed as many Thai dishes as I did.

Gluten free cheesecake at Indigo Pearl

Also, the baker went out of his way to make one dessert I had been craving. Gluten free cheesecake!!! It was amazing!!!!! We celebrate my husband’s birthday while we were there and the cake they brought out for him was also gluten free, so we could both sure. It was so considerate.

My trip was so wonderful and filled with great food. I also brought my own snacks, so if I ever needed something to munch on, it was there!

Gluten Free Davos, Switzerland

Davos, Switzerland

I recently visited Davos, Switzerland on a business trip and learned many people are not aware of coeliac disease there. Since I was on a business trip, I was quite busy so didn’t get to go out much, but the few times I did, I was not impressed. Since I stayed in a flat, I took things into my own hands.

As I carried around my German, Italian and French gluten free cards, I struggled to find restaurants and staff that were helpful. I went out one evening and had a chicken dish with vegetables and a sauce and I still felt very sick the next day.

Gluten free bread and cheese fondue

Like I mentioned earlier, since I was on a business trip, one night we had a working dinner. I had let the event planners know about my condition and they had organized my own separate cheese fondue with cheese, gluten free bread and potatoes! That was a nice experience because I had never had a fondue. And boy do I love cheese. If you do go to Switzerland you must experience the fondue – bring your own bread to the restaurant and make it happen!

Also, visiting grocery stores near my flat, I realized there wasn’t one gluten free dedicated section like I’m used to. However, when I showed my gluten free card to

Gluten free pasta shells and tomato sauce

an employee at EuroSpar she actually went and got a long list of products that were gluten free. So she had helped me find things I could have. I had brought gluten free pasta from home, so one night I had boiled some and bought some pasta sauce! Delicious!

My last night there, my colleagues and I went to Ochsen restaurant. I showed my gluten free card to her and she’s like “O I know! I have coeliac too.” That made it a lot easier to order and she was very helpful. Since she also suffers from it, she made sure the kitchen staff was helpful. So if you enjoy steakhouses, stop by this restaurant for sure.

Overall, when eating out in Switzerland it’s quite hard to be safe from contamination and just enjoying a decent gluten free meal when you’re at a restaurant. However, if you are staying in a flat, it is a bit more manageable.

Starbucks Gingerbread Lattes ARE Gluten Free

I think what made my holiday season even more special is finding out that Starbucks ginger bread lattes are gluten free! I was so thrilled! I had asked earlier that week to one of the non-coeliacs and he had said not to put the nutmeg topping and that would make it gluten free. BUT I go to a Starbucks that has three coeliacs working there and they ensured me it was gluten free. I had avoided them all last year because I read on forums that the gingerbread latte was not gluten free. Wanted to share the news as soon as I found out! When three Starbucks Coeliac Baristas say they are gluten free then they 100% are. Woohoo!

Go grab one today :) and Happy Holidays!

Betty Crocker Gluten Free Cakes, Brownies and Cookies

You give up a lot of yummy foods when you have coeliac disease. You don’t have many desserts, can’t enjoy other people’s birthday cakes, or just go to any old store and pick up a cake or a brownie. I think the hardest thing for me is watching everyone else have some and I sit there with my mouth watering! It’s hard and no one else really gets it except other coeliacs...

My Mom knows how much I love all that sweet stuff, so when she came to visit from the U.S. she brought me Betty Crocker yellow cake mix. So one weekend I was really craving cake. I decided to look on Betty Crocker’s website and I was surprised to find a part of her website dedicated to gluten free products and recipes!

I saw a quick and easy recipe for Betty Crocker’s Carrot Cake and decided to give it a try! It was delicious! The rest of my family also couldn’t believe it was gluten free. If you spot Betty Crocker gluten free products, I highly suggest you buy them. I’ve also tried the brownies and cookies, they have also turned out great!

Hell Pizza - Delicious Gluten Free Pizza

I absolutely love pizza. Who doesn’t?! What I wouldn’t do to just be normal and order some Pizza Hut or Domino’s take out? Eh, well it’s not that easy anymore! But, like everything else, I’ve managed to deal.

I used to have pizza almost every week, now I’m lucky to have it once a month. When I do have pizza, I usually make it homemade. I buy the Sainsbury’s free from pizza crust, add sauce, spices, veggies and anything else I desire.

A few weeks back, my family and I went to HELL pizza. (Yes, I know, the name kind of throws you off) The atmosphere of the restaurant is quite Hellish… but the pizza is absolutely heavenly! I felt like I was eating normal pizza. It was simply amazing. There was so many different toppings on the menus and such a large selections. All the side sauces were also gluten free. It was delicious and I highly recommend it.

We spoke to the waiter and asked him where we could get the pizza bases because it would be great to make some homemade pizzas with them too. He says the gluten free pizza crusts are sent to them from New Zealand. He continued to tell us what a big global chain Hell Pizza is becoming and what a phenomenon there gluten free pizzas had become around the world. Make a visit :-)

Tennis Player Novak Djokovic Has Coeliac Disease

I read this article and it made me smile. Sometimes the best way to get facts out about certain diseases and conditions is through celebrities. Especially those that have it. Novak Djokovic, a tennis player, had undiagnosed coeliac disease. Once he started his gluten free diet he became an ultimate success on the tennis court. Reading articles like this makes me believe that you can live a somewhat normal life but also excel.

I’ve seen quite a few articles on this in various papers and websites – The Independent – Is a gluten-free diet behind Djokovic’s smash success? And The Wall Street Journal – Djokovic’s Gluten-Free Ascendancy

Take a read and let me know what you think.

Muffinska – Gluten Free Muffin Shop

My husband and I were walking around London’s Covent Garden one day and a muffin shop caught my eye -- Muffinska. I was looking at the sign and they said they had gluten free muffins available! I got very excited as usual, so we both made our way into the store.

They had four different flavors – blueberry and raspberry, white chocolate and raspberry, etc. I picked the blueberry and raspberry muffin. It felt quite hard, but most gluten free products are hard until they were warmed up. But I was excited to bring it to work for breakfast the next morning. A muffin instead of some fruit, or a bowl of gluten free cereal. I brought it to work and warmed it up and put some butter on it. The whole muffin turned into crumbles as soon as I cut it. It smelt awful -- as if it was gone off and the taste was even worse. My experience with muffinska gluten free muffins, wasn’t that great. Needless to say, I was left without breakfast that morning.

Wahaca -- Mexican Gluten Free Restaurant

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!! This holiday in the U.S. and Mexico celebrates Mexican heritage and pride and to honor and celebrate the cause of freedom and democracy during the first years of the American Civil War.

So why not celebrate with some Mexican food?!? Mexican food may just be my favorite cuisine. I absolutely love it! One of the best dining experiences I’ve ever had as a coeliac so far is at Wahaca – Mexican market eating restaurant. It was amazing!

When we got there, we let our waiter know I had coeliac and to be aware of contamination. She was so lovely and explained that they have different parts of the kitchen where they prepared gluten free food, vegan food etc. and even had a different deep fryer. She also went through the menu with me and crossed off the items I should avoid because there is some sort of product with gluten in it. You can see the X outs in the photo! The whole meal, I kept telling my husband I felt so normal for once. I could order almost everything on the menu. I just couldn’t wipe the smile off my face :-)

I ordered several of the small street food dishes and absolutely stuffed my face. Even after the meal, I did not feel sick or bloated. I just felt like my stomach was going to ripe open from eating way to much!

There isn’t much else to say other than you will truly enjoy this dining experience.

Carluccio's Italian Restaurant - Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner Spot

A few days back my husband and I took a lovely day trip to Windsor Castle. As we were walking around, we saw Carluccio’s – an authentic Italia restaurant. I’ve had many friends mention there gluten free menu to me, but we’ve never had a chance to go! So as we walked by it, we thought this would be the perfect lunch for our perfect day out!

Carluccio’s gluten free menu had quite a few choices ranging from salads, to pasta, meat dishes and quite a few desserts! I ordered the Insalata di Mozzarella (without the focaccia bread), and for my main dish I ordered Penna Giardiniera –
pasta served with courgette, chilli, parmesan and garlic. Both were absolutely

delicious! They also give very good portions so you feel quite satisfied. I love pasta and have it quite often. I’m so thankful, that gluten free pasta is one of the food items that taste quite similar to normal pasta!

The service was also very good. The waiter was aware of the gluten free menu and the diet. I always tell restaurants please make sure there is no contamination. After the meal, I did not feel sick or get a bloated stomach. So I don’t think there was any contamination!

I give Carluccio’s two thumbs up and highly recommend it!

Leon's Restaurant - Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner Spot

Another super gluten free friendly lunch/dinner spot in central London is Leon. It has absolutely delicious foods and a lot of the items are gluten free, even some delicious desserts!

Leon is a mix of Mediterranean and Indian food. It has dishes ranging from the gluten free Leon Gobi to the grilled chicken with aioli sauce. They are also well balanced meals. With dishes like the gobi and grilled chicken you are also given brown rice with a side of fresh cole slaw. Yummy!

Leon also offers a few gluten free desserts that are just amazing and taste like normal desserts! The Better Brownie, Lemon Ginger Crunch and Deep Chocolate Tart and even a piece of Pecan pie!

The menu online has GF written next to it if it gluten free. My favorite bit is that even the menu at the actual restaurant has all the symbols next to each item to let you know if its gluten free, vegetarian, hearth healthy, etc. So when you are ordering you don't have to rack your brain thinking did the website say the hummous was gluten free?

The staff members I've asked questions to are very clued up on what has gluten and what doesn't and if they aren't sure of the answer they pull out a book and check. I have never felt sick from eating a Leon meal. I highly recommend it. There aren't that many locations in London, but wherever you are it's worth the trek!

Fire & Stone - Gluten Free Restaurant Review

Like I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, going out to eat can be such a chore at times. I try to avoid it, but sometimes can’t and don’t really want too. I miss eating out, anywhere, everywhere. For example, a few nights ago my husband’s high school friends got together for dinner. I really enjoy their company so I didn’t want to miss out. We went to Fire & Stone, a London pizza restaurant.

I called ahead of time and asked if they did gluten free pizzas and of course the answer was no. However, there was a BUT. They said if I brought in my own pizza base they could make me a pizza.

So I did just that. I gave them my base when I gave the order and my pizza came when the rest of the groups came. When it first arrived it was not cooked thoroughly. So I told them to take it back and cook it again for another 10 minutes. It came back and it was cooked. It was ok. The base went very hard, probably because it was cooked in a pizza oven. It was nearly impossible to
cut. I concluded that I prefer making my own pizza at home.

The manager came over earlier and told me they have cleaned the oven, but they cannot guarantee that there would be no contamination.

I felt a bit bloated after and in the morning I felt a bit sick. I should have had a salad, but of course I opted for taking a chance for a pizza. I think for my sanity, I just wanted to be a bit normal and just enjoy a pizza like everyone else! But I know I should have made the smarter decision. Ah well, no more Fire & Stone for me.

Crussh -- A Gluten Free Lunch Spot

On cold wintery days I just love having soups for lunch with a few gluten free crackers. A lot of the soups I used to have always had some sort of pasta or rice so I had to let that go.

Since I work in the heart of London, I try to find places I can eat out from time to time. Most days I pack my lunch because 1) I try my best to avoid contamination, which can happen in restaurants 2) buying lunch everyday gets real expensive!

One hidden gem I found scattered around London is Crussh. They specialize in fresh juices, soups, salads and even small gluten free cakes and snacks. A lot of their ingredients are organic and fresh, which make all there products taste even better.

I absolutely love there soups. So many of there options are also gluten free. On any given day they have at least two gluten free soups. For those of you that also suffer from lactose intolerance, they have many lactose free options too.

My favorite soups so far are: Butternut, red aduki and ginkgo soup, Mexican red lentil, lime and pepper, Squash and coconut laksa and these are just to name a few!

Give Crussh a try and let me know your favorites!