Bruschetta

Even if you have to back off the gluten, you can still enjoy the most classic of Italian appetizers - bruschetta. The trick is to have a really flavor-packed, ripe tomato, fresh basil, a bud of garlic that you rub into your toasted bread, and some really tasty olive oil. In fact, you may want to use a cheaper olive oil for cooking purposes, and go with a high-quality oil for salads, marinades and dipping sauces, where taste really matters.

Serves two people

• 1 roll cut in half or two pieces of focaccia, gluten-free*. 
• 1 very ripe, red and juicy vine tomato (preferably organic), diced into little squares. Purists discard the tomato cores. I didn't. Do what you like. You can also use cherry tomatoes, cut in half. 
• 4-5 fresh basil leaves, torn into a few pieces. Smaller leaves are left whole.
• 1 bud of garlic, cut into two halves
• Fine extra virgin olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt

1. Heat up the oven to 425°F. Once hot, put the roll halves or focaccias in for a toasting. This might take 2-5 minutes depending on if they came out of the freezer or not. Keep your eyes on them!

2. Once out of the oven, take your garlic halves and rub them really good against one side of each piece of toast.

3. Place the bread slices on separate plates, with the garlic side up. Squash a couple of tomato pieces into the bread to let them soak up a little juice. Lay out a few basil leaves. Arrange the remaining tomatoes on top. 

4. Add some freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sea salt.

5.  Sprinkle the rest of the basil on to it all, and drizzle the olive oil generously. Eat right away! 

*A few words on gluten-free bread: for this recipe, I tried Wholefoods gluten-free hamburger buns, which really look like scones to tell you the truth. They do contain eggs and some milk. 

If you live in Los Angeles, you might want to stop by The Sensitive Baker in Culver City. While many of their breads contain eggs, almonds and traces of soy, they do not contain milk. They also ship orders nationwide through gfMeals.com. Just know that they're expensive, as they're a small company and it's a cost-intensive process to bake gluten and dairy-free. 

The third option if you want to save $$$ is to bake your own rolls, using the gluten-free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix from Bob's Red Mill. 

Still, none of these options get away from using eggs. Vegans: let me know how you solved this issue!

Whole Foods Gluten-Free Products

The Sensitive Baker

Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Products

Autumn Pasta with a Touch of Whole Grain Dijon, White Pepper & Honey

Here's my spin on the classic pasta primavera dish, but I'm swapping the spring veggies for the more autumnal carrots, parsnips and collard greens. Full of flavor on their own, they're just slightly enhanced with a little honey, whole grain Dijon mustard and a pinch of white pepper. 

This is incredibly easy to make... I almost feel guilty for posting this recipe, but it's so good! It's also very light on fat, yet filling. I suggest that you boil the pasta in vegetable broth to give it more flavor.

Serves two people

• Gluten-free spaghetti for two people, boiled in vegetable broth (my favorite pasta brand is Ancient Quinoa Harvest)
• 2-3 small or medium-sized carrots, peeled and finely chopped (get the smaller and sweeter-tasting carrots rather than the giant ones)
• 1 medium-sized parsnip, peeled and finely sliced almost like potato chips
• 2-3 collard green leaves, finely chopped
• 1 bud of garlic, finely chopped (my favorite is the stronger Spanish garlic, but any kind is fine)
• 1/2 teaspoon of honey
• 1-2 teaspoons of whole grain Dijon mustard (European style)
• a pinch of white pepper
• salt or low-sodium tamari sauce, according to your taste

1. Boil the spaghetti in broth for 6-9 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn't stick.

2. Carefully heat up a little bit of olive oil. Add the garlic and fry it until it's slightly golden.

3. Stir in the carrots and parsnip. Cook until they get somewhat soft. It should go quick if you've chopped them into thin slices. Add a pinch of white pepper.

4. Add the collard greens and the honey.

5. Finally, add the mustard and a little salt to your liking.

Zuppa Toscana with Kale, Beans and Tomatoes

A thick and hearty soup from the Tuscany region of Italy, this is a great meal for chillier days! The main ingredients in this quick version of it are kale, red kidney beans, tomatoes and potatoes, plus onions, garlic and spices. Also called ribollita ("reboiled"), if you want to go really authentic on this dish, use black kale and white navy beans, add some celery, carrots and savoy cabbage to the recipe, soak your own beans overnight, and throw in some day-old bread into the mix to create a true peasant soup for the fall and winter. But here's how you make a great version of it in 20 minutes:

Serves 2 people

• A small bunch of black or regular kale, finely chopped
• 1 can of diced organic tomatoes
• 1 can of red kidney beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained (can also use white navy beans)
• 1-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices (little less than half an inch)
• 1/4 of an onion, peeled and chopped
• 1-2 buds of garlic (Spanish garlic is more potent, but regular is fine)
• 4-5 cups of soup stock (I used Wholefoods vegetable stock - it's really mild, so if you like a bit saltier taste, use a cube of veg soup stock and water instead)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
• oregano (dried or fresh)
• 2 bay leaves (dried)
• paprika
• salt or tamari sauce
• freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat up the olive oil carefully in a medium-to-large pot. If the oil gets too hot, it tastes bitter.

2. Add the onions and garlic.

3. When the onions/garlic turn a little golden in color, add the potatoes and a pinch of paprika, plus a little pepper. Add a little pinch of oregano. Note: if you're using the dried variety, crumble it between your fingertips to release more flavor.

4. Quickly add the vegetable broth and the tomatoes into the mix. Stir it all up.

5. Add the bay leaves, another little pinch of oregano and tomato paste.

6. Stir in the beans, then carefully add the kale. It (the kale) will shrink to a third of its size once it's boiling.

7. Give it a salt-and-spice check. Add salt or tamari, plus any additional doses of the other spices to your liking.

8. The soup is supposed to be thick. But if it looks much more like a stew and you barely see any liquid, add a little more broth.

9. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are soft, but not overcooked and broken.

Click on this link to see Nikki's demonstration video on how to make this soup!

Travel on this diet: Italy

With all its pasta, white bread and pizza, Italy isn't an easy place to travel if you have to stay away from gluten, especially. There are so many temptations! When my husband and I went there on our honeymoon this summer, I thought: "Oh, come on - one week of a little pizza, linguini, tiramisu and espresso can't hurt, can it?" Three days later, the heart burn and skin itch wasn't worth it. It was our honeymoon after all!

But with a little creativity and diligence, you can enjoy Italy too. Do as the Italians do: eat what's seasonal. Buy fresh fruits and vegetables at the street markets for breakfast or lunch. When it comes to produce, Italy is SUPERIOR to the United States. Sure, their tomatoes may not look as perfect, shiny and super-sized as in our supermarkets. But since they don't manipulate them and bombard them with chemicals, the fruits and veggies actually have juiciness and taste.

At the restaurant, ask if you can substitute pasta for rice. Sometimes they might serve polenta, which is based on cornmeal. Just make sure it really doesn't contain any wheat (frumento) or dairy products (latticini.) Same goes with soups and sauces, which might contain some degrees of flour, milk, butter or cream.

As amazing as Italians are with pasta, gelato and baked goods, they tend to really overcook their vegetables. Even at the finest restaurants, the beautiful veggies might get transformed into a soggy grey mush, drenched in lots of olive oil. You can ask to get them steamed instead (al vapore), and also order a green salad (insalata mista) to get your share of raw veggies. In Florence, they often serve tasty vegan dishes like beans in fresh tomato sauce, or soup with kale and beans (see the recipe for that one right here on the blog!) 

As for deserts, a lot of restaurants offer fresh seasonal fruits (frutta fresca di stagioni), sometimes topped with fresh berries (frutta di bosco.) Italians are definitely coffee drinkers rather than tea drinkers, but some places serve herbal tea (tisana.) You can usually also get mineral water or fruit juices (succo di frutta.)

Here are some Italian phrases that might help you. If you're female, look for the words ending with the "a." Have fun!

I am allergic to wheat - Sono allergico/a al frumento.

I am allergic to dairy products - Sono allergico/a al latticini.

I am allergic to wheat and dairy - Sono allerigico/a al frumento e latticini.

I'm a strict vegetarian - Sono un strettamente vegetariano/a.

Is any meat or animal fat used in this? - Contiene carne o grassi animali?

Is any wheat or dairy used in this? Contiene frumento o latticini?

Can I substitute pasta for rice? Posso sostituie pasta per riso?

Organic - Biologico.

No sugar - senza zucchero.

I'd like... - Vorrei...

We'd like... - Vorremo...

... mixed vegetables - ... misto di verdure.

... steamed vegetables - ... verdure al vapore

Delicious! Delizioso!

My compliments to the chef! Complimenti al cuoco!

Grilled Salmon or Tofu with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Fresh Basil and Breadcrumbs

Yes. I still eat fish. No red meat, pork or chicken, though. I'm allergic to soy, but if you want to make this AWESOME dish vegan, you can use tofu instead. Some people get heartburn from salmon, so if you're sensitive, use white fish instead. This makes enough for two people. 

• 1-2 salmon filets (or 1-2 thick slices of plain, extra firm tofu)
• 1-2 slices of gluten-free bread, crumbled into tiny pieces
• A generous handful of sun-dried tomatoes (the ones that come in a jar with pure olive oil), chopped 
• 5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
• 1-2 small buds of garlic, minced (optional)
• extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt (or regular salt or tamari sauce)
• coarse ground black pepper
• tin foil (for oven use)

1. Get your grill going, or heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Put the breadcrumbs in a bowl with the sun-dried tomatoes, basil and garlic, and add a little olive oil + a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix it up.

3. Pat down the fish or tofu with some olive oil, then salt and pepper. Do it on both sides.

4. Spread the breadcrumb/tomato/basil mix generously on both sides of the fish or tofu.

5. Grab some tin foil and wrap each piece of salmon/tofu up into its own package. 

6. Place on top of the grill, or at the top of the oven and roast the packages for about 20 minutes. Open carefully (it's hot!) to check that the fish is cooked thoroughly.

7. Serve with rice and a nice green salad.

Quick & Delish! Guacamole Spread

Here's another quick vegan spread you can make. This recipe serves 1-2 people.
You can make it real chunky (like in the photo), or run everything through a blender for a smoother texture.


If you want more "oomph" to it, add a finely chopped clove of garlic and a pinch of cayenne pepper.


One more thing: you have to eat it right away - oxygen turns the avocado brown, and there really aren't any good tricks for avoiding that. Enjoy it in the moment!

• 1-2 small and ripe hass avocados (the black ones)
• 1 medium-sized tomato (red, ripe and fragrant - buy at your local farmer's market if you can)
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
• 1/2 of a lime
• a pinch of salt (add more if you like after tasting the final mix)
• 1 small bud of very finely chopped garlic
• a pinch of cayenne pepper (optional - it's very hot, so be careful that you don't add too much)

1. Peel, pitt and mash the avocados in a bowl.
2. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the avocado.
3. Dice the tomatoes and add them to the mix. Blend it all together with a fork.
4. Add the chopped cilantro to the mix.
5. Squeeze the lime and splash the juice over the cilantro. Mix it all up.
6. Taste. It's very mild at this point.
7. Add salt to your liking.
8. Optional: add a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper if you like. If you don't have cayenne pepper, use a little coarse ground black pepper instead.

Review: Garlic Jim's gluten-free pizza (3 1/2 stars out of 5)

I invited my meat, dairy and wheat-eating hubby Rich to sample Garlic Jim's gluten-free pizza. You can hear our verdict by going to the bottom of this post!

Garlic Jim's is a national pizza chain, and their new gluten-free variety has become quite popular. In Los Angeles, you can buy it at their locations in Burbank, Pasadena, South Pasadena, Simi Valley and Redondo Beach.


But be prepared to spend some cash: a medium-sized pizza for two costs almost $21. Since pizza-making might be a daunting and time-consuming task for many gluten-free eaters, I decided to feature this review anyway.


Here are the ingredients that they use for the crust: rice flour, tapioca flour, water, potato starch, potato flakes, olive oil, sugar, yeast, salt, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.


You can order their pizza with any kind of toppings (including meat.) You have to let them know if you want them to skip the cheese. The veggie pizza includes green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, black olives and red onions on top of a classic, tomato-based pizza sauce.


Their website: www.garlicjims.com

Click below to listen to our review of the pizza:

Garlic Jim's Gluten-Free Pizza Review.egg on Aviary.