Defeating Wheat When Going Out To Eat

Apparently people think that I am completely handicap when going out to restaurants. I get asked frequently if I am able to eat out at all, and what could I possibly order?! I have harped before about eating naturally gluten free and it is easy to do. Yes, even in restaurants. The biggest risk when dining out would be cross contamination, however to be honest I have not had this problem in the restaurants here in Tulsa. Hats off to you T-town chefs and staff!

That said, I wanted to share a few of my favorite places to eat here in Tulsa, and what I have enjoyed without ordering a side of anxiety too. To make this blog reasonable in length, I drew my favorite from each food fare category and only ones that I have recently visited since being diagnosed. Thai, Mexican, even Italian can be tackled in T-town. Just make sure you inform your waiter/waitress that you are gluten free and to make sure that nothing containing gluten comes near your plate. Sounds harsh, but I have yet to get an evil stare back from the other party.

PIZZA
Joe Momma’s Downtown Location – 10” gluten free pizza crust with your choice of any toppings or specialty pizzas

ITALIAN
Piatto- Their Insalata della casa is absolutely amazing! Fresh Artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, and freshly pulled mozzarella marry a beautiful bed of romaine. For an entrée I have had the chicken rolletini, and chicken saltimbocca and melted into both with every bite. Steer clear of the antipasta section and head for the chicken and pork dishes.

MEXICAN
Café Ole- their peppery salsa is the best in town, and their chips are all corn (I inquired about the exact ingredients). The best part about Mexican food is they use a lot of corn products so it makes for an easy g-free establishment. We split a chicken dish the other night, and substituted rice and beans but have enjoyed many delicious dishes here.

THAI
Thai Village- I have eaten all the Thai here in town but this one tops them all! We eat here at least once a week because I can order pretty much the majority of the menu. We always start out with their fresh rolls which are filled with delicious shrimp, lettuce, and sliced carrots and come with a peanut dipping sauce to die for. All entrees are served with white rice. My favorite is in the curry section, Pad Pak Curry. I order it with chicken but you have a few choices of protein naturally. Coconut milk, eggplant, mushrooms, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots…Ah, you had me at coconut milk.


ASIAN
Pei Wei/ PF Changs- I am a local food junkie but for asian, this is the only spot I have tried. If you know of somewhere in town that you have tried, let me know! These two have a whole menu dedicated to gluten free gurus. You can never go wrong with a protein and rice. Pei Wei is a more limited menu, so I ordered the Pei Wei Spicy Shrimp.

Organic and Vegan
Café Samana- all organic, all fresh, all of the menu is absolutely amazing. Vegans and Vegetarians, this is your haven. I can order a sandwich for lunch now because Tracy has gluten free bread! Trust me, when you eat sandwiches for lunch 80% of your life, it was a blessing to have somewhere to return to the habit. My favorite is the roasted vegetable sandwich on gluten free bread, and I always try a cup of one of her daily soups which have never failed to wow me. The hummus of the day, hold the pita, is delicious and a filling meal in itself! This is a must try restaurant regardless of you dietary needs.

American
The Melting Pot- My boys took me here for mother's day and it was such a wonderful time. I remember the last time I visited the establishment I had dipped and dunked my way into a food coma. This time, was completely different. I told the server that we would be dining free and they did a wonderful job accomadating. We ordered the big night out, a three course fondue frenzy. For the first course we ordered the cheddar fondue which was made with a gluten free beer base, the second course was served with a Bourguignonne base – European style fondue in cholesterol free canola oil. The other lighter broth options had gluten ingredients. We finished off the meal with a yin yang of white and milk chocolate. All the dipping ingredients were gluten free for me, and my boys kept their bread separate. My six year old found the experience exciting, and my only reason to be terrified was that I would end up speared with his dipping fork by the end of the night. I left the restaurant delightfully full, and not wounded.



Other restaurants in the market that I have not tried but know they have specific gluten-free menus:

Sproutz
Carrabba's Italian
Kilkinny's Irish Pub
Michael Fusco's
BoneFish Grill
Chipotle
First Watch
Lone Star Steak House


Those are just a few of my faves but I wanted to get this out there so I can hear back from you dear readers. Where have you tried in Tulsa that has tickled your taste buds? Share in the comments box below.

Cinco De Mayo

I think I have officially left my "cinco de drinko" days behind me. I would much rather spend time with my family on my patio with a bottle of good wine and a home cooked meal. I find staying at home so much more pleasant. Plus, I know the service will be good ;)
If you know me, you know that I theme EVERYTHING. I love to make events out of every occasion. Naturally a gluten free cinco de mayo feast was in store for last night's dinner. There are a plethora of mexican restaurants in our area, so I think I have had my fair share of mexican fare to know how to make an enchilado or two. The best part is, I can eat corn, a staple of the cuisine.
I took a couple recipes from glutenfreegoddess and made them my own. For my enchilades, I added artichokes and roasted red peppers to a slow roasted chicken filling, spiced it up with some green chiles, and tingled our tastebuds with some pineapple salsa.

To begin the meal, I made a heaping bowl of guacamole. You can put as much heat as you would like in yours. Mine turned out mild but absolutely addictive.

6 large, ripe avocados
3 tomatillos, chopped
2-3 ripe red tomatoes, seeded, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded, diced fine (add the seeds for heat!)
Sea salt, to taste
3-4 fresh juicy limes

Peel and pit the avocados; cut the fruit into chunks and toss into a large bowl. Mash the guacamole down for a smoother consistancy. I had mine slightly chunky. Add the chopped tomatillos, tomatoes, garlic, and jalapeños. Toss lightly. Season with sea salt to taste. I did a couple taste test, just to be sure of course. Squeeze fresh lime juice all over the guac mix and toss again again.

Another taste test!

Serve the guacamole with lime wedges and lots of blue corn tortilla chips. We topped our enchilades with the extra.

Now for enchilades that made my husband and father-in-law go loco!

Chicken, Artichoke, and Fire Roasted Red Pepper Enchiladas with Pineapple Salsa

2 cups of your favorite pineapple salsa-I used Newmans Own Pineapple Salsa
1 lb cooked chicken, shredded (see below for how I cooked mine)
Juice from one big fresh lime
Sea salt and ground pepper
Extra Virgin Olive oil, as needed
12 corn tortillas
1 4-oz. can chopped green chiles
shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 can Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1/2 can Artichoke hearts, quartered

Prep chicken:
I slow roasted 1 pound of organic, free range chicken in a slow cooker with organic, low sodium chicken broth for about 4 hours on high. It shredded very easy when I took it out with tongs.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.


Pour about a half cup of salsa into the bottom a lightly oiled 9x12" baking dish.


Squeeze lime juice all over the cooked chicken; season with sea salt and pepper and toss well to coat. Add fire roasted tomatoes, and artichokes.


Heat a couple tbs of olive oil in a skillet, and heat one corn tortilla until softened, turning it over once to coat with oil. Just a few seconds or so on each side. You do not want it to crisp up as it will break when you begin to roll. Place the tortilla into the sauced baking dish; fill with chicken mixture, and roll up seam side down, placing it at the far end of the dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas, adding more oil, if needed. I added after every 2 or 3.


Pour the remaining salsa all over the rolled tortillas. Top with chiles. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.


Bake in a 350 degree F. oven until the enchiladas are bubbling and heated through, about 30 minutes.


This recipe is easily doubled (with a larger pan, or use two pans).


Serves 3 to 4, depending upon appetites.

For my son, or those picky eaters that may attend your fiesta, I made chicken and cheese quesadillas on the panini press.

***I used the left over chicken mix, artichokes, and artichoke hearts and put them over spinach for lunch today. A couple pieces of mango did the trick to bring it all together. MMMMM

OLE!