Hy-Vee Utica Ridge in Davenport

Gluten-Free

Sampling Gala

Thursday • June 30th • 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Located in Front of the HealthMarket Entrance

Stop by to try a variety of samples,

get product information & speak

with your Utica Ridge Dietitian.

Sign up for the raffle to receive a free product.

Best Baked Beans EVER!

I created this wonderful recipe yesterday...it was fantastic!! Everyone was raving about them!!

Ingredients
Hy-vee Pork & Beans (30 oz) can
Bush's Homestyle Baked Beans (small can)
1 Small Chopped Green Pepper
1/2 a yellow onion chopped
1/2 Cup Cookie's BBQ Sauce
1/2 can of low sodium Spam (yes SPAM) - chopped and pan fried

Add all ingredients to a crockpot on low and let them cook for 1 hour until good and bubbly. I turned them down on to warm until dinner was ready about another 1/2 hour. They were fantastic!

Chicken & Broccoli with Thai Noodles

I love Thai Noodles. The wide ones, but I never really think to buy them. They are versatile. I had some chicken to use up tonight and my son loves anything with broccoli (he's a weird 6 year old) so I created this dish out of my head...it was awesome!! Got compliments for my big and little guys so I will definitely share it so everyone can try it.

I used a couple new things for me to cook with...oyster sauce and fish sauce. They are scary to think about, but oh so yummy. The brand I found at Hy-Vee that is gluten free for Oyster sauce is Far East. I used Thai Kitchen Fish Sauce. I also used Hy-Vee Brand Soy Sauce (its gluten free too).

I did not "measure" anything - unless I'm using a recipe I don't tend to measure! I used minced garlic, chicken broth, corn starch, chicken breast tenders, julienned carrots, broccoli and the above sauces. The only spices I added was black pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. It was plenty salty. It should be noted I make my own chicken broth with "better than base" - love that stuff!

Ok, on with the instructions/recipe:

1 package of chicken breast tenders cut into bite size pieces
1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil
1/3 Cup of Julienned carrots
2-3 cups or more of steamed broccoli
1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
1.5 cups of chicken broth
1/2 box of Thai Kitchen wide rice noodles.
1 Tsp Fish Sauce
1-2 TBS Oyster Sauce
1-2 TBS Soy Sauce

1) heat the oil in the pan and add garlic and let it cook for a couple minutes. Add the chicken and start cooking the chicken.
2) As the chicken is cooking add the soy sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce and stir it all up. Continue cooking the chicken.
3) Bring a pot of water to a boil. Turn it off and add the noodles letting them sit for 8 minutes.
4) Mix together chicken broth and cornstarch and pour over the cooked chicken. Continue stirring. Add the carrots and broccoli and let it simmer and added black pepper. Taste the sauce. Add any adjustments needed to seasoning for you liking. I added onion powder and garlic powder (but only because that's how we like our food).
5)Drain and rinse the noodles well.
6) Put the noodles in a bowl and top with the chicken and broccoli. If you like kick add some crushed red pepper. Mix it all up to get the sauce on the noodles and ENJOY

It was much better than I expected. The measurements are all approximate since I did not measure anything. You could always go light at first and add more later at taste test. I will definitely use the oyster and fish sauce again!!

Bowls Urban Eats

This restaurant is new. It opened a couple weeks ago on the northeast corner of 3rd St/Brady St in downtown Davenport. The concept is that its food you can eat in a bowl. They have lots of choices. I had Tuscan Shrimp Scampi with Thai Rice Noodles and a garlic butter sauce -- it was fantastic. The big bowl was $7 and the small bowl is $5. I don't know many places where you can get a gluten free meal out at a restaurant for $7. My hubby had the "mac n jack" and liked it too. It had penne noodles(not gluten free), meat, peppers and cheese all in one dish.

We liked it so much we are going back tomorrow for lunch. They have so many gluten free options. They have rice, Thai noodles and potatoes as the base and multiple options for toppings. They are open from 11 a.m.- 3 p.m. during the week. They have hours on Saturday, but are closed on Sunday.

Wimmer's Sausages

I have a difficult time during the summer finding Polish Sausages and Cheddarwursts that are both gluten free and msg free. I stumbled across these fantastic polish sausages and chedderwurst by complete accident at Hy-Vee W Kimberly. They had them on sale 2/$5 and the package says NO MSG/Gluten Free. I love it when a company puts that right on the front of the package. Thank you Wimmer's for fantastic options for gluten free folks that aren't regular Oscar Mayer hot dogs. Pair it with Udi's new hot dog buns...makes a perfect BBQ main course for a gluten free person! I am not sure all their products are gf/msg free, but the Polish Sausage and Cheddarbest are labeled as gluten free/msg free. Be sure to always check your labels.

Check out their site for all the products they offer: Wimmer's Meats

Mike's Hard Lemonade Lite

Mike's Hard Lemonade now has a gluten free version of their popular alcoholic drink - Mike's Lite Hard Lemonade. It's not as good as the original, but its not bad either!! I tried it this weekend in place of beer on our camping trip. It tastes less sweet/tart than the original. I got a 6 pack for $7 at HyVee West Kimberly.  If you like the "girlie drinks" as my husband calls them the - wine cooler type thing - this might be for you.

Cafe Indigo

I just learned that Cafe Indigo has gluten free options for those who require them when dining out. Family friends own Cafe Indigo and we have always had fantastic service there. They server's aren't family, but they always go above and beyond and take excellent care of the customers.

I planned ahead and asked what I could expect to get that was gluten free and was told that I could substitute gluten free pasta in any pasta dish that I thought I might like to try. I was excited. I decided on the caprese salad with grilled chicken breast. It was very tasty.

It's probably a good idea to call them before just to let them know a gf customer is coming, but by no means required.

We will definitely be back now that we know I have options there. My husband loves their food. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Check them out. Their menu is online at: Cafe Indigo

They are located on Utica Ridge north of Gold's Gym on the same side of the street. They offer indoor and outdoor dining options.

Gimme Some Buns!

Udi's has done it again...I had my first GOOD hot dog bun in two years. I warmed it in the microwave a few seconds, its already cut - the polish sausage fit perfectly...topped with mustard and ketchup...gluten free HEAVEN. I like Udi's bread, but have a very hard time buying it at $5 a loaf, the buns are $4.29 at my Hyvee -- they are worth every single cent! I'm so glad I gave them a try!! Highly recommend them!! There is not weird after taste, it tastes like real glutenous bread!

Udi's

HEADS UP - Hamburger Helper

I was just reading at article on Gluten Free Works website and read that the Hamburger Helper's that are gluten free right now may not always be case due to the manufacturer facilities. They will no longer be considered safe for those who like these products. I personally do no eat this product because it has MSG in it and makes me sick. Be sure to check out the article and please read your labels!!!! The article as has part of  a letter from General Mills explaining the change.

Hamburger Helper Change

Hodgson Mills Pasta

I tried the Hodgson Mills Brown Rice Pasta tonight for dinner. I'm not normally a fan of brown rice pasta. I normally prefer Schar pasta or the corn pasta from Deboles.  I was impressed by this pasta and my husband also really liked it. I boiled it like normal and added it with browned hamburger, cream cheese, shredded cheese and Classico Sauce and baked it in the oven until the cheese was melted and starting to brown on the edges. It was pretty tasty. I hope it heats up well, that's my lunch tomorrow!!

It had good texture and was cooked to perfection, it definitely took longer than the box directions, but as long as you don't over cook them they taste pretty good! They tend to be cheaper Schar and Deboles, so if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, I'd suggest trying the Hodgson Mills Pasta out!