Gluten Free Restaurant Review: zpizza

So the family was hungry for pizza last night after I got done with work and after my Monday, I really wasn't up to making the entire thing from scratch. I am never really one to go out to eat, especially when there's gluten in the environment...but I did it anyway. ZPizza in Rochester had some pretty good reviews on the "Find Me Gluten Free" app and I have really been wanting to try it. So I stopped after work to grab some pizzas "quick." 

When I first walked in, I was a little hesitant (well maybe a lot), so I started asking questions about how they prepare the gluten free pizza. They were quick and knowledgeable answering all of my questions. Everything is prepared in a separate area, the gluten free pizzas are baked in the same over but have a pan underneath then to separate from the others, and different utensils are used. You can also get the pizzas as a "Take and Bake." The total price for a large gluten free pizza was expensive in my opinion, $21.50 but they had some great flavors to choose from, even offering non-GMO crusts, organic tomato sauce, MSG-free pepperoni, additive-free sausage, vegan cheese, etc. etc. Which is great! They told me it would be 8-10 minutes for the pizza to be done. So I waited. 10 minutes later, they still had not even put it in the oven. I ended up waiting about 30 minutes for the pizza and by the time I got home (15 minute drive), it was no longer hot. I'm thinking the pizza needed to be baked a little longer and it would have been perfect.

The crust has great flavor but just needed that little while longer in the oven to get more of a crisp. I ordered half Tuscan Mushroom (thyme, truffle oil, feta cheese, caramelized onions, roasted garlic sauce, mozzarella, mushroom mix) and half Sante Fe (lime chicken instead of chicken sausage, chipotle pesto, mozzarella, cilantro, Serrano chilies, tomatoes, corn, red onions). Both were extremely good! The mushroom was especially delicious. Feta cheese worked quite well on this combination of the sweet caramel flavors from the onions and the truffle oil drizzled on top. Yummy! The Sante Fe packed a nice punch if you like a little heat. The reviews all said to try it with the lime chicken instead of the chicken sausage and I'm pretty sure they were right.  

Overall, besides the wait and price, this was truly great pizza. Like I said before, it is a gluten environment that it's made in but, from watching them carefully, they take every caution to prevent cross-contamination. I would definitely suggest giving them a try. My husband had the regular pizza and was raving about the sauce they used, so even the non gluten-free people can thoroughly enjoy this treat.

http://www.zpizza.com/

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Another one of those great pinterest recipes where you just throw everything in the crock pot and forget about it! Come home to dinner! I love that. I found this great recipe, similar to Chipotle's Burrito Bowl at http://www.number-2-pencil.com/2014/10/01/slow-cooker-chicken-burrito-bowl/. I just adjusted the recipe to fit my family and what I had on hand at home! 

Chicken Burrito Bowl

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
2 tablespoons of olive oil 
3 teaspoons of onion powder 
2 teaspoons of garlic powder 
3 teaspoons of chili powder 
2 teaspoons of cumin 
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 
3 cups of low-sodium chicken broth 
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained 
1 14 oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed 
3-4 cups of instant whole grain brown rice 
2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese

Instructions

-Place chicken breasts in slow cooker. 
-Pour chicken broth over chicken breasts and stir in canned tomatoes, olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. 
-Cook on low for about 4-6 hours, until chicken reaches 165 degrees. 
-Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker. 
-Turn slow cooker to high and stir in instant rice and black beans. 
-Let cook 30-45 minutes on high, or until rice is tender. 
-Add chicken back in, top with cheese and let cook a few minutes longer until cheese is melted. 
-Serve with fresh diced tomatoes, sour cream, green onions, avocados or guacamole. 

Gluten Free Spaghetti and Sausage Meatballs

My son complains every time I make spaghetti with no meatballs so last night I made sure to grant his wish! They can be a little time consuming rolling each meatball, but always well worth the extra effort! Italian Sausage packs some great flavors compared to ground beef, so if you typically use ground beef I suggest you try it! You could always substitute beef in this recipe though if you don't have sausage on hand.

Gluten Free Spaghetti with Italian Sausage Meatballs

Ingredients:

1 1/2- 2 lbs ground Italian Sausage
1 package gluten free spaghetti pasta
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
half of a small onion, diced small

Directions: 

-Preheat over to 350 degrees.
-Combine egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, milk, and onion in a large bowl.
-Stir until combined, then add in Italian Sausage.
-Combine enough to make small-medium sized meatballs on a large baking sheet.
-Cook 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
-Meanwhile cook pasta according to directions and heat up your favorite spaghetti sauce.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pad Thai

This is a tasty recipe adapted from http://thaikitchen.com/Recipes/Rice-and-Noodles/Easy-Chicken-Pad-Thai.aspx or you can read it right on the box! It turned out great and was pretty quick to throw together. I forgot to pick up the green onions and it still turned out just fine.

Chicken Pad Thai

Ingredients:

4 ounces Thai Kitchen Stir-Fry Rice Noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided 
2 eggs, lightly beaten 
1/2 lb shredded rotisserie chicken
1 container of tofu 
6 tablespoons Thai Kitchen Original Pad Thai Sauce
2 green onions, thinly sliced 
1 can bean sprouts 
1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted peanuts 
Fresh cilantro, chopped 

Directions:

-Bring 4 cups water to boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add rice noodles; let stand 8 to 10 minutes or until noodles are soft but firm. Rinse under cold water; drain well. Set aside. 

-Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add eggs; scramble until set. Remove from skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Add chicken and tofu; stir fry until cooked through. Add rice noodles, Pad Thai sauce and green onions; stir fry 3 to 4 minutes or noodles are tender. 

-Stir in bean sprouts and scrambled eggs. Place noodle mixture on serving platter. Sprinkle with peanuts. Serve with cilantro.

Dill Pickle Soup

This was an excellent recipe I found at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/dill-pickle-soup-recipe.html# and I just adjusted it to me it gluten free! It turned out delicious! I will most certainly be making this again! 

Ingredients:

5 cups of water
1 stick of butter 
1 bag of medium carrots, chopped small
4 large potatoes, cubed  
6 large dill pickles, chopped small
1/2 cup corn starch
1 cup sour cream
Salt
Pickle juice

Directions:

-Combine water, the butter, the carrots and potatoes in a saucepan. 
-Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender.
-Add the pickles and continue to boil.
-Meanwhile, whisk together the corn starch, sour cream and salt in a separate bowl. 
-Add enough water to make a paste, then slowly, to avoid curdling, add the mixture to the soup to thicken. 
-Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. 
-Add pickle juice, to taste.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

It's definitely fall time and I love the smell of pumpkin in the house!This recipe found on: http://glutenaway.blogspot.com/2013/10/amazing-and-easy-gluten-free-pumpkin.html?m=1

It made an entire loaf as well as 12 muffins. I added white chocolate chips to this recipe for a sweet treat!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients: 

●1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
●4 eggs
●1 cup apple sauce (I used homemade)
●2/3 cup water
●2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
●2 1/2 cups sugar
●3 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (I used Brown Rice Flour)
●2 teaspoons baking soda
●1 teaspoon salt
●2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large loaf pan and fill about 3/4th of the way since it will rise. If you have left over batter, use muffin tins and put in for half the time of the loaf.

2.Combine pumpkin, eggs, apple sauce, water, vanilla and sugar until well blended.
3.In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined.

4.Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended.
Pour batter into the prepared pans.

5.Bake in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Smoked Sausage and Spaghetti Skillet

http://www.johnsonville.com/recipe/smoked-sausage-and-spaghetti-skillet-dinner.html

This is adapted from a Johnsonville recipe and the meal goes over really well with the family. I am thinking next time I will use 2
packages of the smoked sausage because everyone loves it so much! 

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces gluten free spaghetti, cooked and drained 
1 package (13.5 ounce) JOHNSONVILLE® Smoked Sausage, sliced 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1 package (8 ounces) fresh mushrooms, sliced 
2 cloves garlic, minced 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
2 cups grape tomatoes, cut in half 
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped 

Directions
In a skillet, brown sausage in oil for 3 to 4 minutes. 
Add mushrooms, garlic and seasonings. Continue to cook until vegetables
are tender. 
Stir in tomatoes, basil and prepared pasta.
Toss lightly; heat through. 
Serve.