Vacation brings out the sloth in me.  I know, it’s supposed to.  But my idea of vacation is a great morning workout, a recovery juice or smoothie, writing surrounded by inspirational scenery, and memorable evenings that will be laughed about for years. Last night we fell asleep under the stars.  Tonight we biked to dinner by the light of the iPhone.  Geek adventures.

Vacation also brings out my desire for flavor. I always want to taste the flavor of a locale, but in a healthy way, of course.

We found this great little food truck in Seaside called Raw & Juicy.

(Brilliant!  Do we have something like this in Nashville?  If not, Diane and Dallas, why are we not opening one???)

While I was tempted to order one of their many delicious-sounding raw juices, I had just used my own juicer that morning to make my Carrot Beet Power Juice (recipe coming soon).

(Yes, I brought my juicer to the beach.  And my Vitamix.  Geek.)

But because of the number of gluten-free options on the menu, I had to try something besides juice.  GF Heaven!!!!

I did enjoy a several Veggie Sandwiches on their delicious raw bread as well as their signature raw tortilla chips.

And I deviated from tradition once to try the veggie spring rolls with peanut sauce.

We biked to Seaside three days in a row for lunch.  And each time the Husband ordered this:

The Costa Rican.

When he finds something he likes, he sticks with it.

And how can you go wrong with rice, black beans, tomato, avocado, salsa, and lime?

He also found a stack of corn tostadas at the local grocery store, and we’ve both become quite addicted to them.

So on the fourth day, just before lunch, I decided that I was a little too lazy to bike to town for a Raw & Juicy meal.  And I made the Husband tostadas that incorporated the same flavors of his beloved Costa Rican, hoping that his pure joy would cover my laziness.

We didn’t return to Raw & Juicy again, and we’ll take their flavors home with us, but we’ll be back again soon.

Easy Vegetarian Tostadas

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 1 c. brown rice cooked to package directions
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1/2 medium organic tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp. minced serrano or jalapeno pepper
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 packaged corn tostadas
• guacamole (recipe below)
• salsa – optional

Directions:

1.  Cook brown rice according to package directions.  (I normally ignore package directions and cook 1 cup of rice in 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 40 minutes stirring occasionally.  But what do I know?)

2.  Drain black beans and place in a small sauce pan with chopped tomato, serrano pepper, lime juice, and salt.  Bring to a light boil, and lower the heat. Cover and simmer until rice is cooked.

3.  Layer each corn tostada with a spoonful of rice, beans, and a dalup of guacamole.  You can also add the salsa of your choice, but don’t let it dominate the meal.  Allow the intricate flavors of the black beans and guacamole to take center stage.

And puhleeeeeze don’t use a guacamole mix.  Making guacamole from scratch is really quite easy.  And I love that there’s no reason why guacamole can’t be a raw food experience.

Take a look at the ingredients in this McCormick Guacamole Mix:

MALTODEXTRIN, SALT, ONION, NONFAT DRY MILK, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, RED BELL PEPPERS, SOUR CREAM SOLIDS (CREAM, NONFAT DRY MILK, AND CULTURES), GARLIC, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, JALAPEÑO PEPPERS, CULTURED NONFAT DRY MILK, LEMON JUICE SOLIDS, PARSLEY, LACTIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, EXTRACTIVES OF RED PEPPER, AND NATURAL FLAVORS.

How about Ortega’s Guacamole Seasoning?

MALTODEXTRIN, DEHYDRATED ONION, SALT, TAPIOCA STARCH-MODIFIED, NONFAT DRY MILK, DEHYDRATED RED BELL PEPPER, DEHYDRATED GARLIC,
SOUR CREAM POWDER ( SOUR CREAM [CREAM, NONFAT MILK, CULTURES], CULTURED NONFAT MILK, CITRIC ACID), CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, DEHYDRATED PARSLEY, LACTIC ACID, CALCIUM LACTATE, DEHYDRATED JALAPENO PEPPERS.

Grossed out?  (Are you loving that each one starts with MALTODEXTRIN?   Mmmm, yummy. Gag.)  Try this my version, and I promise you won’t miss the maltodextrin.

Easy Guacamole

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 organic avocados
• 1 small organic tomato, diced
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 c. cilantro leaves
• 1 tsp finely chopped serrano or jalapeno pepper

Directions:

1.  Place garlic clove in the Vitamix (or food processor) and blend until pieces stick to the sides of the pitcher.

2.  Add avocado, diced tomato, lime juice, salt, cilantro leaves, and pepper.

3.  Blend or process until well-mixed.

Serve with tortilla chips or on top of tostadas or tacos.

It’s not Raw & Juicy.  But it’s vegan, sugar-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, and soooooo good. And it captures the flavors that memories are made of.

These recipes are linked to:

• Midnight Maniac Meatless Mondays hosted by Rebecca Jean of Midnight Maniac
• Fat Tuesday hosted by Jill of Real Food Forager
• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda of The Gluten-Free Homemaker
• Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love hosted by Lisa of Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery
• Sugar Free Sunday hosted by Raj and Sonia of Flip Cookbook
• Wellness Weekends hosted by Ricki of Diet, Dessert & Dogs

I am honored to have been tagged by Shirley of GFE (Gluten-Free Easily) with a 7 Links blogging challenge.  For this 7 Links event, bloggers must choose their posts that best fit the following categories: Most Beautiful Post, Most Popular Post, Most Controversial Post, Most Helpful Post, Post Whose Success Surprised Me, Post That Didn’t Get Attention It Deserved, and Post I Am Most Proud of. Check out Shirley’s 7 Links – Reflections on Past Posts for some incredible posts that you might have missed.  I’m not the greatest at reflection, because that actually takes being still and thinking.  I’m more of a think and drive forward at the speed of light kind of girl.  But I’ll give this a shot!

Most Beautiful Post

Gluten-Free Ravioli on Christmas Eve is beautiful to me for many reasons.  First of all, just look at the picture!  Is there anything more beautiful than gluten-free Italian food after fearing that you’ll never eat pasta again?  After years of spending Christmas vacation traveling to visit our families who are all across the country, the Husband and I spent last Christmas at home.  Our Christmas Eve was magical.  It was beautiful.  And it was delicious. We played music, sipped red wine, and made the most delicious Spinach, Mushroom, Cheese Ravioli from scratch.  This post will walk you through the process, step by step, and hopefully it will inspire you to try something you never thought was possible.

Most Popular Post

Baked French Toast with Bananas and Almond Butter.  How could that NOT be one of my most popular posts?  Just the thought of it makes me swoon!  There’s even a dusting of cocoa powder on this incredible breakfast entree.  But the amazing thing about this meal is that it’s actually healthy!  Sure, you could put it over the top by stuffing it with almond butter and chocolate chips and drenching it with maple syrup, but the recipe I came up with has the perfect combination of goodness that leaves you feeling happily satisfied.

Most Controversial Post

I’m not a controversial writer.  Nobody seems to be bothered by anything I have to say. Maybe that means I play it safe.  Maybe that means my readers and I have a lot in common. But my very first Friday’s Find hit a hot button.  I chose to review Snyder’s of Hanover Gluten-Free Pretzels.  I was thrilled to have found a regular company that offered a gluten-free version, and I jumped at the chance to rave about it.  There was quite a buzz on Twitter and Facebook about cross contamination and illness from the ingredient palm oil.  I learned very quickly to do my research!

Most Helpful Post

My most helpful post was Smoothing the GF Transition with Smoothies.  I was honored that Diane of The Whole Gang invited me to be a part of the 30 Days to Easy Gluten-Free Living blog event.  If you haven’t read the 30 incredible entries, please do.  Because this was such a popular event, my little post about my smoothie secrets got a lot of visitors.  In this post, I shared my recipe for creating a well-balanced smoothie and gave links to some of my favorite combinations as well as links to smoothies by some of my favorite bloggers.  I’m not sure if anyone but a blogger truly understands the joy in receiving comments on her blog! But the encouraging responses for this piece had me happy dancing for a week!

Post Whose Success Surprised Me

As part of my weekly Friday’s Find, I reviewed a gluten-free tortilla produced by Maria and Ricardo’s Tortilla Factory.  I really like the tortillas, and the post inspired me to come up with vegan Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos.  This post was particularly successful because the recipe was selected as the winner of the Le Creuset Gluten-Free Recipe Contest hosted by Paul of Food, Living, and Everything Else!

Post That Didn’t Get the Attention It Deserved

I could make a very long list, ha!  But I’m a needy writer.  As a blogger, I may spend hours on a post that I feel is amazing, and it might get one comment.  From my mom.  It’s so hard to know which posts are going to be wildly popular and which will be sent into cyberspace with nary a glance.  But one recent post that I was wild about was Baked Tilapia with Sweet Cherry Salsa.  Even if you aren’t a fish fan, you will LOVE this salsa.  I promise!

Post I Am Most Proud Of

This post has almost nothing to do with gluten-free food.  It is called The Terrible, Horrible, Incredible Triathlon.  Last summer, I ran my first triathlon.  I didn’t start with a sprint tri.  I jumped in and trained for an Olympic which consisted of a mile swim, a 25 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run.  I’m most proud of this post, because it summarizes one of the most challenging feats I’ve ever conquered.  There is nothing more satisfying that crossing the finish line after pushing your body to its limit!

Thank you, Shirley for choosing me as one of your five bloggers to share my 7 Links.  Now it’s my turn to tag 5 more bloggers.  I know you’ll love hearing from these five lovely girls. You may even fall in love with a new blog!

Valerie of City Life Eats

Courtney of Gluten-Free Jesus Freak

Leanne of Healthful Pursuit

Brittany of Real Sustenance

Sunny of And Love it Too!  (read Sunny’s 7 Links Post here!)

I wish you could taste this.  Blindfolded.  I actually had the Husband taste my chili cherry hummus with his eyes closed.  He isn’t a fan of this game that I frequently ask him to play, but I did try to ease the suspense by telling him that I was just going to place a rice cracker covered with hummus in his mouth.  He had nothing to fear.  After he tasted it and declared it to be good, I showed him this bowl.

Yes, it’s pinkish, purple.  And for hummus, it looks very strange, but it is delightfully tasty.

It strikes my fancy, because it has one of my favorite flavor combinations, sweet and spicy.

And I really like the combination of these two beans.

Borlotti Beans and Navy Beans

But you could use the traditional garbanzo beans if you’d like.

The magic ingredients in this funky hummus are fresh cherries and chopped serrano chili pepper.

For a creamy, high-protein snack with just a hint of sweet and spicy sassiness, give this hummus a try!

Chili Cherry Hummus

by Heather

Ingredients:

• 1 can borlotti beans
• 1 can navy beans
• 1 c. pitted cherries
• 1/2 serrano chili pepper, chopped
• 1/4 c. chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 T. olive oil

Directions:

1.  Drain the 2 cans of beans and rinse them well.

2.  Place the beans in food processor with all of the other ingredients.  Pulse until creamy, but leave a few chunks.

3.  Taste and add more sea salt if needed.

Makes 3 cups

Looks weird, but tastes great on mild veggies like cucumber and simple crackers like rice crackers!

My other hummus recipes that you might enjoy:

• Black Bean Fiesta  Dip
• Herby White Bean Dip
• Lemony White Bean Dip
• Parsley Hummus
• Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus

What’s your favorite kind of hummus?

This recipe is linked to:

• Slightly Indulgent Tuesday hosted by Amy of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Wednesdays hosted by Linda of Gluten-Free Homemaker

Mad Donna’s has been on my list of restaurants to try for a while now, and I can’t believe it has taken me this long to head out to East Nashville to give it a try.  I’d heard that Mad Donna’s used gluten-free bread from Aunt April’s Bakery, so I was really excited to check it out.

I was glad we tried Mad Donna’s late on a weeknight, because the place wasn’t busy, and I could ask the waiter as many questions as I needed.  When I called, I learned that they don’t have a gluten-free menu, but they assured me that they could make almost anything on the regular menu gluten-free.  But when we arrived, I found out that my options were far more limited than I was lead to believe.  Yes, I was disappointed, but I knew that I’d be satisfied with anything that they could make safely with April’s bread.

We ordered the chips and salsa as an appetizer.  I was a little apprehensive as the chips are made in-house, and they do not have a dedicated fryer.  Apparently, I was living on the edge that night.  I did try them, but I did not get sick.

I was impressed with the garden salad that I ordered.  Most side salads on a bar restaurant menu consist of limp lettuce and shredded carrots.  But this salad actually had vegetables, specifically green peppers, tomatoes, and mushrooms, and drizzled with their cilantro-lime vinaigrette it was incredible.

It’s always a special treat to be able to order a sandwich when you are gluten intolerant, and I was not going to pass up a chance to enjoy April’s bread.  So I ordered the Turkey Melt complete with applewood bacon, artichoke dip, and swiss cheese.

Wow!  April’s gluten-free bread can stand alone, but the combination of the decadent sandwich fillings was so delicious – not so low in fat, but delicious nonetheless!

The Husband ordered the B.A.S. Burger (bacon, avocado, and swiss) on gluten-free bread so I could try it.  Even though he’s not gluten intolerant, he loves April’s bread.  (And I don’t think you can ever go wrong with a burger topped with avocado and cheese).  He also got the sweet potato fries, which were just as good as they look in the picture below.  Again, the fries are not made in a dedicated fryer, but I didn’t seem to have any trouble.

There are certain restaurants like Wild Cow, FiddleCakes, and A Matter of Taste whose extensive gluten-free offerings are worth making the trip for.  I’m glad I tried Mad Donna’s, because I really did enjoy my meal, but I’m not sure I will head to East Nashville just to eat there again.  There isn’t enough variety for this gluten-free diner.  However, I give them props for having gluten-free bread, and AMAZING homemade gluten-free bread at that, and really good food.  If you find yourself in the area, pop in for a burger or sandwich and let me know what you think.

Question:  Are you able to eat fries or chips that aren’t cooked in a dedicated gluten-free fryer?