Salad dressing

There are tons of ways to make a great gluten free salad dressing. The only thing limiting you is your willingness to try new flavors.

Here is a dressing I made tonight most my measurements are approximate and you can adjust based on your taste.

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp agave nectar (or honey)

3 leaves fresh basil

1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper seasoning

Double check your lemon pepper to make sure it is allergy free for you. You could also use Adobo orange seasoning in place of the lemon pepper.

Mix it up, pour on your favorite salad and enjoy.

Pasta Salad

Tonight I whipped up a great little pasta salad for a friend of mine. Here are a few gluten free pasta salad tips...

Like regular pasta gluten free pasta cooks best when added to water that is already boiling with a little oil and salt. What is different about gluten free pasta is that is fares better if you rinse it with cold water when you have finished cooking it.

For a great pasta salad use a frozen vegetable medley. Tonight I used a stir fry medley. You could also use mixed vegetables. Costco carries an organic mixed veggie pack with carrots, corn, and green beans; the price is quite reasonable to boot.

Drain the hot water off the pasta, and rinse it. Put the noodles in a bowl or rinsed pan. Then dump the frozen vegetables onto the still warm pasta cover with water. Let it sit for about ten minutes. This will soften the vegetables and cool the noodles. For a rapid cool add some ice to this process.

Make your favorite dressing pour over and serve.

Welcome

Hello, and thank you for visiting my blog. My name is Chantelle Harris. I am a mother of three who all have multiple food allergies. In 2002 when I started the "Gluten Free Journey" there was not much information available. What I did find was a small amount of information about Celiac Disease on the side of an Arrowroot Cookie bag. That is where I learned the name for what my son had. I was able to talk to my doctor and get him tested. Changing his diet changed his life... and mine.

The first year wasn't too bad because he was still a baby. I dabbled in gluten free cooking. As my other children were born and the allergy list got longer the task got harder.

I started in a time when allergy labels did not exist. The list of foods to avoid was unnecessarily extensive, and the list of companies that told you what was in the foods was minimal. I learned to shop with two screaming children and a phone in my hand (sounds like the start of a country song.)

Now 9 years later I have developed recipes, family favorites and places to shop. I know what to look for and what to avoid. When my youngest was born in 2005 I found that I also had Celiac Diesase. This prompted me to find ways to make my favorite foods gluten free.

I hope you will follow me on my Gluten Free Journey and allow me to help you on yours.

P.S. Here is a list of foods we avoid: Gluten (wheat, barley, rye, oats), Soy, Milk, Eggs, Food Dyes, Nuts (when I am cooking for my niece) Sunflower... I think that's it- Not that I needed more.