The Little Things

Farm Fresh Hardboiled Eggs

As Pierre and I are busy preparing for our trip to Whiteface Mountain, it is clear that it is all of the "little things" that can make a trip extra special.

We have many things planned such as when to pick up the race packet, where to stay, what other activities we would like to do, now it is time for our most favorite planning.....what to eat!

We all make many seemingly "little" choices every day, especially when it comes to what we choose to eat. This planning process starts with what I like to call the "must" list. For us our food "must" be completely gluten free, and "must" be delicious.

We have decided to have hard boiled eggs on hand as a quick snack for the big race day. They are packed with protein and a great gluten free finger food to have on the go.

These little eggs have a story all of their own, found of course in the "little" details. Every week Pierre and I drive to a lovely family farm in Vermont, The Larson Farm.  Simply turning up their driveway is a sight to be seen. You can often see the chickens happily roaming free in the fields, the cows grazing on bright green grass with the majestic Vermont mountains as the cinematic backdrop.

The chickens that lay these humble brown eggs eat only the best! The Larson's feed them an impressive diet of gmo free, organic, soy free chicken feed. The chickens also enjoy all the food nature has to offer while roaming in the rolling fields. Ok, back to the eggs. These eggs are healthy and delicious.  We have chickens too, and believe that happy chickens = happy eggs.

A few cool attributes of these eggs are a thicker harder shell, bright deep orange colored yolk, sit higher in a pan, and have a rich delicious taste.

Here is a recipe that we are planning on making on our trip to Whiteface Mountain, we hope you enjoy it too!

Avocado Egg Salad
Copyright 2013 Amy Rota-Poulin

8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (we like Hellman's)
1 teaspoon horseradish mustard
1 stalk of organic celery
1/2 small Vidalia onion
1 ripe avocado
ground sea salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise and mustard. Grate the celery and the onion into the dressing. Add the peeled hard boiled eggs mix into the dressing by mashing with a potato masher or a large fork. Peel the avocado and remove the pit. Cut the avocado into bite size pieces. Fold into the egg salad. Add ground sea salt and pepper to taste. Our favorite way to serve this delicious recipe is on a toasted gluten free hot dog roll, topped with fresh sliced tomatoes and organic baby greens. Enjoy!!

Remember, to catch all of the action of the GFreeAthletes race up Whiteface and live pictures here are our direct links to twitter: GFREEATHLETE and GLUTENFREEAMY.

For more gluten free tips, fun ideas, and delicious recipes log on to www.glutenfreewithamy.com , like us on FaceBook, and follow us on Twitter.


Happy Cooking and Happy Training,



Pierre & Amy

Upcoming Events You Need To Know About!

Hoover is busy driving to all of these
great gluten free events!

This is just a short and sweet post of a few upcoming events that you might like to add to your calendar:

• On Sunday, March 20, 2011: I will be cooking up a gluten free storm with Dan Bazile & Tim Drawbridge on WNYT News Channel 13 during the Morning Today Show. The show starts at 8:00am. Tune in around 8:30am to see how you can bring Spring into your kitchen!

• On Tuesday, April 5, 2011: The Glens Falls Regional Celiac Support Group will be holding their April meeting at Glens Falls Hospital. The meeting will take place at 6:30pm on the lower level of the Hospital. The Glens Falls Regional Celiac Support Group is excited to welcome this month's guest speaker, Marianne Romano RD and Nutritional Consultant. Marianne will be speaking to us about a healthy gluten free diet.

• On Wednesday, April 13, 2011 from 6:00-8:00pm: Price Chopper will be holding a Gluten Free Food Seminar. I will be happy to answer your gluten free cooking questions! I hope to see you there!
   "Location: Price Chopper/Golub Corporation Corporate Offices, 461 Nott St., Schenectady, NY 12308
  Sample gluten free products and speak with product representatives:
  Elizabeth Barbone author of 2 Easy Gluten Free Baking cookbooks will demonstrate art of baking gluten free breads
  Amy Rota-Poulin author of Cooking Gluten Free with Amy will demonstrate flavorful gluten free dishes
  Tickets $10.00 per person, proceeds to be donated to local Celiac chapter
  Tickets available by sending check made out to Price Chopper to:
  Maureen Murphy, Manager Consumer Trends, Nutrition and Lifestyles, 461 Nott St., Box 204, Schenectady, NY 12308"

Amy's Quick Recipe: Chocolate Raspberry Quesadillas:

2 gluten free corn tortillas
15-17 gluten free dark chocolate chips
1-2 tablespoons of fresh or fresh frozen raspberries

Place 1 corn tortilla in a pan on medium heat, top with dark or bittersweet chocolate chips, then with raspberries. Place second corn tortilla on top. Cook for approximately 1 minute. Carefully flip your chocolaty quesadilla using a spatula, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Remove from pan, let cool 1 minute. Cut into 4 pieces and serve! This is one of my all time favorite quick, simple and completely satisfying desserts! You get a chocolaty, fruity & crunchy dessert that is also a fun and easy finger food! YUM!!

Amy's Quick Tip: Feel free to add dried fruit or your favorite fresh fruit in place of the raspberries in the recipe above. You can also make this gluten free delicacy dairy free to by using the gluten free/dairy free chocolate chips which can be found in the gluten free isle at Price Chopper.

Price Chopper Gluten Free Food Seminar To Be Held This February

Gluten free community of New York's Capital Region Rejoice! Price Chopper Supermarkets is holding a Gluten Free Food Seminar and Cooking Demo on February 2, 2011 in Schenectady NY.

Along with quick easy gluten free cooking demos and helpful baking demos there will also be gluten free food product representatives on hand who want you to try their products! Among the representatives is one of my all time favorites, Nadja Foods with samples of their fabulous Organic Macaroons for you to taste.

 There will be door prizes, samples, recipes and much more! Price Chopper's Corporate Nutritionist, Ellie Wilson, R.D., M.S. will be there too! 

Below is all of the information you need to know. Come join us for an evening dedicated to a healthy, happy gluten free lifestyle! I hope to see you there!

GLUTEN-FREE SEMINAR & COOKING DEMO

Wednesday, February 2 • 6-8pm
Price Chopper/Golub Corporation • 461 Nott St., Schenectady, NY

We are pleased to welcome Elizabeth Barbone, author of Easy Gluten-Free Baking, and Amy Rota-Poulin, author of Cooking Gluten-Free with Amy. Elizabeth will be demonstrating the art of baking gluten-free breads that taste great and Amy will demonstrate quick, easy and flavorful dishes.

There will be samples, recipes and door prizes!
Ellie Wilson, R.D., M.S., Price Chopper's Corporate Nutritionist, and gluten-free food product representatives, will be available to answer questions.

$10 per person
Proceeds donated to the Local Celiac Chapter

Call 1-800-727-7423, Ext. 1617 to register or see in-store for details.

Quick Tip: Gluten Free Shopping:

There are many naturally gluten free products in any grocery store. Price Chopper Supermarkets has an excellent selection of gluten free groceries and a comprehensive gluten free product list.

  While shopping for your gluten free pantry you must read the labels carefully. Shopping with a gluten free grocery list can seem overwhelming, however once you know the "rules" it is a breeze. First find a reputable list of ingredients to AVOID which definitely contain gluten such as wheat, rye, & barley. Contact your local Celiac Support Group, they are probably more than happy to help.

Knowledge = Power. If you are unsure if an ingredient has any hidden glutens or has been contaminated during manufacturing call the company or go on their web site. I call the 1-800 numbers on the label of food products all the time right in the grocery store. I always ask: What are your allergen procedures? Is this product gluten free? Are there any ingredients in your product that are derived from wheat, oats (because oats are usually contaminated), rye and/or barley? Last but not least, Is your product manufactured on the same/shared equipment with wheat, oats, rye, or barley? and if so do you do any kind of batch testing to ensure your product is gluten free? Five minutes later I have the answers I need to make an informed purchase. Most companies are more than happy to answer your questions. Remember that the person picking up the phone is there to help you and answer YOUR questions. Please always be polite.

Saratoga Spring's Gluten Free Lifestyle is Up and Coming!

If tonight's dinner at the Circus Cafe, located on Broadway, is any indication of Saratoga's gluten free lifestyle, than it is thriving. As many of you know from experience, finding a good gluten free meal at a restaurant can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Sure, you might come across a place that has a gluten free menu. However, a piece of paper does not mean much if the staff is not knowledgeable about what that menu actually means. Never mind cross contamination issues. Tonight, I am absolutely elated to report that this was not the case at the Circus Cafe!

The moment we entered the fun, festive restaurant a friendly face welcomed our family. Immediately I asked if they had a gluten free menu. To our delight Jason, who would be our waiter this evening, said yes. Jason was more than happy to answer my questions and took my husband's food allergy seriously. My six year old nephew loved the over sized velvet curtains, bright colored lights, and of course his favorite was the painting of a unicorn on the wall. My mother loved the menu and the friendly service. My husband, Pierre, and I loved the extensive gluten free menu, the restaurants’ proactive approach to gluten free cuisine and, of course, the reasonable prices.

Within seconds of being seated at our table, we each had a glass of ice water in front of us. Jason quickly took our order ( if you have a six year old with you, that’s  priceless!). Pierre ordered the Shrimp Marinara Pasta (gluten free), I ordered the Pasta a la Panna (gluten free). My Mother ordered the Pasta Primivera and my nephew the Bear's Bite (a generous grilled cheese with curly fries). I also took the liberty of ordering a ginger martini which was absolutely fabulous! Per request, the Circus Cafe offers Chopin Vodka which is distilled from potatoes rather than from grain. The meal far exceeded my expectations. Maybe it was the long day of shopping, going to the movies, & walking through downtown Saratoga Springs in winter weather. Yet in that moment, digging into a more than generous bowl of pasta never tasted so good. While we were all diving into our dessert, decadent chocolate lava cake (also gluten free), it hit me. This is a great moment. In fact the for the first time in a long time the focus of the meal was exactly where it should be, on spending quality time together as a family.

My compliments to our waiter, Jason, the bartender, the Chef , and the proprietors for making your establishment truly and deliciously gluten free. We will be enjoying many more meals at the Circus Café.  I highly recommend that if you are looking for a family friendly restaurant with an extensive gluten free menu, including a kids menu, that you check it out too.

The Circus Cafe is located at 392 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. Phone: (518)-583-1106
For more information on the Circus Cafe please visit: http://circuscafe.com/index.htm 

Quick Recipe: For a fabulous Ginger Martini: Add 1 1/2 parts good vodka made from potatoes or one of my favorite Vodkas, Core Vodka, which is made strictly from apples, 2 parts good ginger liqueur, and a touch of Grand Mariner. Shake with ice, strain and pour into a martini glass. Garnish with a piece of candied ginger for the ultimate presentation!

Quick Tip: To add a hint of sweetness to any beverage, you may add a small amount of agave nectar. It has a low glycemic index, and dissolves easily in cold liquids.

*Always Read the ingredient labels of each individual ingredient you are using to make sure that, that particular brand is completely gluten free. If you are unsure call the manufacturer or visit their web site, they are usually more than happy to answer your questions. *