My favorite (gluten-free) things

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting many recipes lately.  I haven’t been cooking too many new things.  Just old standbys.  And lots of grilled meat with salad.  Summer food.  So I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite gluten-free things.  Some are food; some are kitchen appliances/utensils.  All make my gluten-free life oh-so-much better.

In no particular order of importance:

Foods:

Kind Bars – yes, they are expensive, but they taste better than any other bar, and are very filling.  The macadamia and apricot is the best!  I just try to stock up when they are on sale.

Lifestream Buckwheat Waffles (wild berry) — So far, I’ve found these to be the best tasting frozen waffles.  They make a great on-the-go breakfast.  I toast up two, and make a jam sandwich.

 

Rice Chex – Finally, a mainstream, gluten-free cereal!  Not the most nutritious, but you know that no matter what grocery store you go into, you’ll be able to find it.  Just add some fruit to it, and you are good to go.

 

 

Bob’s Red Millflours — Bob is my friend!  Whatever kind of flour you are looking for, he probably has it.  And my local health food store carries a good selection.  Currently, I’m featuring white and brown rice, millet, sorghum, and garfava bean. 

 

   

          

 Woodchuck and Redbridge — Because sometime when I’m hanging out on the back porch with friends, grilling burgers, I just feel like having a beer. 

  

Kitchen Tools:

Kitchen Aid Mixer – I love this thing.  Because gluten-free baking doesn’t result in a “dough” as much as a “batter,” the mixer works great.  I use it for all breads, pizza crusts, cookies, beating egg whites for meringue, etc.  I don’t have any of the fancy attachments yet, but might look into them at some point.

 

Le Creuset braising pan (in blue) — One of my other loves: Le Creuset (yes, I have expensive taste. lol!)  I cook everything in this pan.  It is perfect for braising or sauteing; works great for risotto; it goes either on the stove top or in the oven. 

 

Le Creuset “french oven” – This one gets a lot of use in the winter.  It too can go from stove top to oven.  So it’s great for soups, chili, and stews.  I can even cook small roasts in it.

 

 

Bamboo utensils — Most of my cooking utensils (spoons, spatula, etc) are wooden.  I like them better, and they don’t scratch my pans.

 

 

Microplane — the best $20 gadget I ever bought.  Whether you want to freshly grate Parmesan cheese, zest lemon, or shave chocolate, this works wonderfully!  (but careful of your fingers – it works well on those too.)