Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts

Saturday, March 22, 2014

My Version of Loaded Chicken from Winger's Restaurant; The Joy of Giving and Receiving

Recently, I had a take-out lunch from Winger's with several of my friends. It is always a happy day when I see a variety of gluten-free items on the menu. :)

(Photo Source:  Google Images)

Here is my gluten-free version of Winger's Loaded Chicken.  The flavor of the chicken with the bacon, mushrooms, and cheese is so tasty! I hope you enjoy it.

Bacon and Mushroom Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons bacon pieces
½ cup shredded cheese
1½ tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1. Bake chicken and water in a 9 x 13 baking dish for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

2. Sauté mushrooms and onions in olive oil.

3. Place chicken on plate and sprinkle with mushrooms, onions, bacon, and cheese. Microwave until cheese melts.

4. Add soy sauce, sugar, and vinegar and stir well.

5. Pour over chicken, or serve sauce on side for dipping.

Serves 4

My friend, Sheila, was one of the friends I was with when we had food from Winger's. I will never forget when Sheila made some delicious gluten-free macaroons and brought them to a cookie exchange party so I could have some cookies to take home. What a difference sharing with others can make in our lives! I feel that one of the reasons Sheila is happy is because she loves to serve and help others. Receiving a gluten-free treat from someone can bring so much joy as well!

As we strive to serve others, we may find out that it will benefit someone who is struggling and is having a particularly stressful time right now. The next time we make a loaf of gluten-free bread, I hope we will remember the following touching story told by Thomas S. Monson:

"Tiffany’s difficulties began last year when she had guests at her home for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas. Her husband had been in medical school and was now in the second year of his medical residency. Because of the long work hours required of him, he was not able to help her as much as they both would have liked, and so most of that which needed to be accomplished during this holiday season, in addition to the care of their four young children, fell to Tiffany. She was becoming overwhelmed, and then she learned that one who was dear to her had been diagnosed with cancer. The stress and worry began to take a heavy toll on her, and she slipped into a period of discouragement and depression. She sought medical help, and yet nothing changed. Her appetite disappeared, and she began to lose weight, which her tiny frame could ill afford. She sought peace through the scriptures and prayed for deliverance from the gloom which was overtaking her. When neither peace nor help seemed to come, she began to feel abandoned by God. Her family and friends prayed for her and tried desperately to help. They delivered her favorite foods in an attempt to keep her physically healthy, but she could take only a few bites and then would be unable to finish.

"On one particularly trying day, a friend attempted in vain to entice her with foods she had always loved. When nothing worked, the friend said, 'There must be something that sounds good to you.'

"Tiffany thought for a moment and said, 'The only thing I can think of that sounds good is homemade bread.'

"But there was none on hand.

"The following afternoon Tiffany’s doorbell rang. Her husband happened to be home and answered it. When he returned, he was carrying a loaf of homemade bread. Tiffany was astonished when he told her it had come from a woman named Sherrie, whom they barely knew. She was a friend of Tiffany’s sister Nicole, who lived in Denver, Colorado. Sherrie had been introduced to Tiffany and her husband briefly several months earlier when Nicole and her family were staying with Tiffany for Thanksgiving. Sherrie, who lived in Omaha, had come to Tiffany’s home to visit with Nicole.

"Now, months later, with the delicious bread in hand, Tiffany called her sister Nicole to thank her for sending Sherrie on an errand of mercy. Instead, she learned Nicole had not instigated the visit and had no knowledge of it.

"The rest of the story unfolded as Nicole checked with her friend Sherrie to find out what had prompted her to deliver that loaf of bread. What she learned was an inspiration to her, to Tiffany, to Sherrie—and it is an inspiration to me.

"On that particular morning of the bread delivery, Sherrie had been prompted to make two loaves of bread instead of the one she had planned to make. She said she felt impressed to take the second loaf with her in her car that day, although she didn't know why. After lunch at a friend’s home, her one-year-old daughter began to cry and needed to be taken home for a nap. Sherrie hesitated when the unmistakable feeling came to her that she needed to deliver that extra loaf of bread to Nicole’s sister Tiffany, who lived 30 minutes away on the other side of town and whom she barely knew. She tried to rationalize away the thought, wanting to get her very tired daughter home and feeling sheepish about delivering a loaf of bread to people who were almost strangers. However, the impression to go to Tiffany’s home was strong, so she heeded the prompting.

"When she arrived, Tiffany’s husband answered the door. Sherrie reminded him that she was Nicole’s friend whom he’d met briefly at Thanksgiving, handed him the loaf of bread, and left.

"And so it happened that the Lord sent a virtual stranger across town to deliver not just the desired homemade bread but also a clear message of love to Tiffany. What happened to her cannot be explained in any other way. She had an urgent need to feel that she wasn't alone—that God was aware of her and had not abandoned her. That bread—the very thing she wanted—was delivered to her by someone she barely knew, someone who had no knowledge of her need but who listened to the prompting of the Spirit and followed that prompting. It became an obvious sign to Tiffany that her Heavenly Father was aware of her needs and loved her enough to send help. He had responded to her cries for relief."  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/we-never-walk-alone?lang=eng

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Burger King French Fries...and an Onion Ring?

Since we were diagnosed in 2003, I have enjoyed Burger King French fries occasionally.  I had checked the website several times to confirm the fries were gluten-free.  Several years ago, I noticed an onion ring in my French fries.  I called Burger King headquarters and they were helpful and our local Burger King was more careful after that.  It happened again a few days ago as we were in another state on our way home from our trip back East.  Unfortunately we discovered the onion ring after our daughter had eaten some of the French fries, and she got a stomach ache and several other symptoms.  Now the website has an asterisk by the words "French fries" and states:  "These products may be fried with gluten containing foods."

http://www.bk.com/cms/en/us/cms_out/digital_assets/files/pages/MenuGlutenFree.pdf

It is disappointing, though I understand that it would be difficult for every restaurant to have a dedicated fryer for French fries.  It is also a lesson to me to check websites from time to time to make sure whether restaurants have changed their allergen statement.

(Photo Source:  google images)

Burger King French Fries...along with an Onion Ring?

Since we were diagnosed in 2003, I have enjoyed Burger King French fries occasionally.  I had checked the website several times to confirm the fries were gluten-free.  Several years ago, I noticed an onion ring in my French fries.  It happened again a few days ago as we were in another state on our way home from our trip back East.  Unfortunately we discovered the onion ring after our daughter had eaten some of the French fries, and she got a stomach ache and several other symptoms.

Now the website has an asterisk by the words "French fries" and states:  "These products may be fried with gluten containing foods."
http://www.bk.com/cms/en/us/cms_out/digital_assets/files/pages/MenuGlutenFree.pdf

It is disappointing, though I understand that it would be difficult for every restaurant to have a dedicated fryer for French fries.  It is also a lesson to me to check websites from time to time to make sure whether restaurants have changed their allergen statement.


(Photo Source:  google images)




Saturday, July 27, 2013

Ordering Gluten-free Food at a Restaurant

I had a wonderful experience today at Johnny Carino's.  I ordered the gluten-free soup and salad and had no ill side effects.  Here is some helpful information from the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University to help us when we order from restaurants:


Restaurant Guidelines

Sign in ice cream store in Buenos Aires
Sign in ice cream store in Buenos Aires
Eating out can be a pleasurable experience, and following the gluten-free diet should not change that. While many places now have a gluten-free menu, you should not limit your options to those restaurants. It may take a little longer for you to decide what to order, but you can still eat a safe and delicious meal whether you’re joining a last minute dinner date with friends, strolling through the streets in an unknown city, or going back to what was your favorite restaurant before your diagnosis of celiac disease. With the help of the tips below, we encourage you to make the most out of dining out anywhere!

Use the Internet. If you know your plans in advance, many restaurants now post their menu online allowing you to read through and choose items that may be safe for you.

Call ahead, especially if you are uncomfortable asking a lot of questions once you are at the restaurant. This alerts the chef that he/she will need to prepare a safe item. Remember to call at “off-hours”, not during the middle of a lunch rush hour.

Always identity yourself as someone needing a special diet. Use a statement such as: “I have a food allergy”- if you use the word allergy, you will be taken seriously. Avoid the use of the terms “autoimmune disease” and “celiac disease” as these are terms not easily understood by the average restaurant server.

Speak to manager, maître d’ or chef. The key is to get your special needs conveyed to the chef or cook. If your waiter appears uninterested or unwilling to help, ask for the manager.

Ask specific questions (see list of questions below) about any menu items that could be deep fried or contain hidden gluten sources. Use a dining card to help the staff understand your special diet. If language is a barrier use language cards which can be found online.

Order simple dishes and ask for the sauce on the side or omitted altogether.

Ask about flour dusting. Even desserts that contain no gluten are often baked in a baking dish that has been dusted with flour.

Do not hesitate to send food back if not correct.

Be prepared to leave a restaurant if you feel your needs are not taken seriously.

Thank your server and leave a generous tip for good service.

Be a repeat customer to gluten friendly restaurants as they will try hard to please a regular guest.

Questions to Ask the Server/Chef

  • *Which foods are deep fried? Avoid items cooked in a common fryer.
  • *Are the chicken wings or French fries deep fried?
  • *Are the corn chips and tortilla shells deep fried?
  • Is there flour in this sauce?
  • Do you dust your fish with flour before cooking it?
  • Is there any flour, batter, or breading?
  • Are there croutons on the salad?
  • What is in the BBQ sauce?
  • What is in the salad dressing?
  • Is the meat marinated? Check marinade.
  • Which of your dishes contain soy sauce? (avoid soy sauce in restaurants- avoid woks that may be contaminated)
  • Are the noodles rice or wheat based?
  • Are the wrappers (e.g. wonton, dumpling) made from wheat?
  • Is the pan dusted with flour?
  • Is the tortilla 100% corn?
  • Is there artificial crab in the sushi?
  • What is the thickener in this soup?
  • Is there wheat cooked on this grill? (be careful to not order items cooked on a grill that has wheat(
  • Is the rice or risotto cooked in a wheat-free broth?

*Foods that are deep fried are often cooked in the same oil as breaded products such as breaded onion and calamari. This means they are not safe on a gluten-free diet.

- See more at: http://sklad.cumc.columbia.edu/celiacdiseasecenter/treatment/restaurants-recipes/#sthash.fBwbdXO3.dpuf

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Gluten-free Food at In N' Out Restaurant and Taco Bell

Finding gluten-free food to eat while travelling can be daunting at times.  We went out of town for our son's graduation, and while we were waiting for the convocation to begin, we decided to grab a quick lunch at the food court of the university.  The food court had Subway sandwiches, Freschetta pizza, Taco Bell, burgers, soup and salad, along with a few other gluten-filled possibilities.  We checked on the soup and salad, but the soups had gluten.  They said the salads were a possibility, but they also sold wrap-ups, and the cross-contamination factor was huge because many of the salad ingredients were going into the wrap-ups.  We realized our only choice was Taco Bell.

I quickly googled "Taco Bell gluten free" on my phone to find out what we could eat.  I knew that we had ordered tostadas before, and it worked out well.  The only thing I could find on their website that didn't have gluten was a Cantina Bowl (chicken, steak, or veggie).  I couldn't see those anywhere on the menu.  By this time, we were at the cash register and it was time to order--with people standing in line behind us.  Don't you hate the pressure you feel in that situation?  We quickly ordered tostadas because they are listed as wheat-free on the web site.  We didn't get sick, so that was a relief.

(Photo Source:  google images)

Later that day, we had to resort to fast food again because we had a long drive ahead of us.  We went to In N' Out restaurant and ordered a low-carb hamburger (make sure to tell them that you have a sensitivity to gluten when you order).  We had a delicious lettuce-wrapped burger, with fries and a tasty shake.  (I didn't say this was a healthy meal. :)  


(Photo Source:  google images)

Friday, June 15, 2012

Red Robin's Gluten-free Hamburger Buns are Awesome, but BEWARE the Ranch Dressing!

**Susan's note:  This post is a little outdated now.  The last time we went to Red Robin (early 2014), the ranch dressing recipe has changed and now it is gluten free!  :)

Last Friday, we took the kids to Red Robin.  We lined up the three "celiacs" on one side of the table:  myself, our 13-year-old daughter, and our 17-year-old son.  My husband and our 10-year-old were lined up on the other side.

We loved the gluten-free hamburger buns and my Avocado Burger was delicious. We felt so NORMAL!  No lettuce wrap...and no fork and knife to eat a hamburger without the bun.

We got our gluten-free French fries and the waitress brought out ranch dressing for us to dip our fries in, which is something that I love.  I have a recipe in my cookbook for ranch dressing and we consume some nearly every day.  After the first dip, I loved the ranch dressing so much that I started to worry.  Could it have wheat?  Another dip, and another.  Hmm.  I started to think about how 99% of the time that I have checked on ranch, it is gluten-free.  One more dip.  Uneasy feelings.  I decided I had better ask the waitress.

She came back and said that she had learned from her manager that gluten is wheat and that she was very sorry but the ranch has wheat!!  I don't fault her, since many people are still learning what a gluten-free diet is all about.

About ten minutes after I ate the French fries with ranch dressing, I got a sharp stabbing pain in my upper stomach.  Every ten or twenty minutes after that, the pains kept coming and changing position.  I went to bed feeling a little miserable.  I was awakened at 5:45 a.m. feeling a lot miserable.  There was a horizontal line of searing pain across my gut.  It felt like it was on fire.  I could picture little villi in my small intestine getting flattened.  All from about one tablespoon of gluten-laden ranch dressing.  We can never be too careful.

Learn from my mistake, but do go ahead and enjoy an awesome gluten-free hamburger from Red Robin. 

http://www.redrobin.com/img/content/cms/Wheat_Gluten_Allergen_Menu-3.pdf

Friday, June 24, 2011

Wendy's Gluten-free Food: One Caution

Use caution when you go to Wendy's Restaurant and order a gluten-free salad with chicken.  A few years ago, I went to Wendy's when a friend named Haylee from our support group worked at our local Wendy's Restaurant.  After I ordered my salad, she kindly got the attention of the employee cutting the chicken for the salad.  She asked them to please change their gloves and thoroughly clean the cutting board where they sliced the chicken.  The worker had been cutting breaded chicken on that same cutting board.

I was grateful for Haylee and her consideration!  It is difficult when you have checked the nutrition chart and it states there are no allergens in certain foods, and then you realize there are more steps in the process of ensuring your food is gluten free.  Tricky!

I didn't learn my lesson well enough and when a favorite restaurant of ours was out of shrimp for my salad, I decided to get a chef's salad.  It looked and tasted wonderful with slices of American cheese and ham, until I started to notice little gluten crumbs on the cheese slices.  Ugh!  This time it was a different restaurant and sweet Haylee wasn't there to remind me about the cutting board cross-contamination problem.  :(  I got really sick from eating just a little of the ham and cheese.

Wendy's saves the day with their wonderful gluten-free chili and baked potatoes.  It is helpful, especially when we are on a trip with our children, to find a Wendy's and know there is a nice selection of filling food.  A burger without the bun and a small side salad just doesn't always satisfy the appetite--and the French fries are cross contaminated--so I love getting chili and a baked potato with a Caesar's side salad without croutons to feel all set and ready to go.

Here is the link to Wendy's gluten-free menu:

http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/gluten_free_list.pdf

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Burger King Fries...Gluten-free or Not?

When we travel, it is always tricky to find food that is gluten-free.  The wonderful thing is...there are more and more restaurants that are willing to work on a gluten-free menu.  For example, check out this link to see what Little America in Salt Lake City is doing to accomodate those of us on a gluten-free diet:

http://www.abc4.com/content/about_4/gtu/story/Gluten-Free-Pasta-and-Pan-Seared-Salmon-Fillet/LBsTfSBxtEqj_BF58F9EJg.cspx

My daughter loves to get Burger King French fries when we travel, because she knows we can't eat them at our local Burger King.  They haven't conformed to corporate Burger King's policy to cook the French fries in a separate fryer with cooking oil used just for French fries.  (Our first clue was when our French fries came with a breaded onion ring).  I called corporate Burger King and hope they will help our local Burger King to realize how important it is to get the problem rectified. 

After writing the above paragraph, I decided to see how things are coming along.  I can't wait until my daughter gets home from school, because I just called our local Burger King to see if they have done anything about the separate fryers for the French fries, and they now have two separate fryers for their French fries!  Yes!!  She will be soooo excited! 

Well, now I feel a little silly about typing the paragraph about how we are deprived locally and love to get BK fries when we travel (since we can now go just a few miles down the road from our home), but I suppose it could be helpful for someone.  :)  The main idea here is to ask each Burger King restaurant how they are doing at keeping the oil separate for breaded food.  See the following link for the gluten-free foods on Burger King's list, and be aware of the warning (which can be found on their web page) listed after the link:

http://www.bk.com/cms/en/us/cms_out/digital_assets/files/pages/GlutenFree.pdf

Actual gluten content may vary depending upon the supplier, product handling and each restaurant’s food preparation practices.


Has anyone tried a gluten-free Subway sandwich?  I am wishing I could head on down to Texas--where they are experimenting with gluten-free bread--to try it out.  See the following link for a little more information about what Subway is doing:

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/category/bite/cuisines/dietary-restrictions/gluten-free/

I did try a Jimmy John's "Unwich," which is a sub sandwich wrapped in a lettuce wrap.  It was good.  :)