Oh My My Lemon

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Salts Kitchen


The whole craving of cakes thing has not diminished of late and as I am still collecting copious amounts of ingredients, I thought I’d do a little weekend baking. With the last couple of recipes, I’ve used up lots in my fridge finally, so now I have more room for my next trip to Wheatsville. This effort was an adaptation of Gluten Free Goddess’s Lemon Yogurt Cake and I’m a big fan, big. This cake was insanely moist, easy, delicate, and once again I didn’t bother telling anyone it was gluten free, and no one asked. I will make this again and again.


Almond-Lemon Cake adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

1 cup almonds, whole or sliced
1/2 cup sweet rice flour (glutinous)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
1/4 cup cane sugar
5 large eggs
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (tofutti worked well)
1/2 cup greek yogurt
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Lemon zest of 2 lemons, about 2 Tablespoons

Preheat the oven to 350 and butter a 9-inch spring-form pan. In a food processor, blend almonds until fine. Add the remaining dry ingredients. Add the eggs to the food processor and blend quickly. Add the cream cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, and extracts and blend until just amalgamated. Add the zest and blend briefly.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cake inside for another 8-10 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean and the top is just barely firm to the touch.

Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream. Attempt to save a slice for breakfast.

*I used significantly less sugar this time than the recipe called for. I liked this version as it was less sweet and more lemony. Just the way I like it.

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Roasted Beet Hummus

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Salts Kitchen


My version of retail therapy involves the grocery store. Or any food store really. I can’t stop myself from buying things I “need” to have. I must try that umeboshi, that new brand of gluten free cookies, and most of all- wasn’t there some recipe I just really wanted to try? Yea, I should probably buy ingredients for it right now. Lately, I’ve been day dreaming about cakes. So as I stand in the baked goods aisle at Wheatsville, I stare into space and try to recapture the various ingredients to the many things I think sounded good. There’s a lemon almond cake I want to try, a yogurt blueberry cake, a strawberry pie. I need to taste, bake, buy…

I haven’t been cooking much so I have nothing in the house for lunch. I keep needing to stop at the store to buy lunch, and then it inevitably turns into a shopping trip these days. So I now have a TON of ingredients, many ideas, but not a lot of down-time to really concentrate on turning these things into tangible and tasty treats.

However, after another lovely Saturday at the SFC Farmers’ Market at Sunset Valley, a Monday at Wheatsville (and oh a Tuesday and Wednesday too), I do have the right ingredients to make something that’s been on my to-do list for awhile now: roasted beet hummus. This was incredibly simple and it’s a good time to cash in on the last of the beet season. This makes a good potluck item, dip, and it’s oh so beautiful.

Roasted Beet Hummus
3-4 beets (or 3 cups quartered beets)
*1 small clove garlic
1 medium carrot
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons Tahina
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 Tablespoons beet juice water
1/2-1 teaspoon salt, to taste

To roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 375. Scrub beets, remove their ends, but don’t peel them. If they are bigger than a golf ball, halve or quarter them. Place them in a baking dish and add just enough water to reach 1/4-1/2 inch up the beets (you’ll reserve and then use this juice). Cover tightly with foil and roast for 45-50 minutes or until a knife easily slides in. Set aside and let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin- it should be easy to do with your fingers now.

Combine the garlic, beets, carrot, tahina, and lemon juice in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the olive oil while the motor is running. Taste for smoothness and texture. Add 1 tablespoon at a time of the beet juice from the baking dish. Blend after each addition until the hummus is the right consistency for you. Add salt to taste.

Stays good in the fridge for a week.

*As hearty as beets are, they can be overpowered very easily. Start with a small clove of garlic, if you feel it needs more, feel free to add another.

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Matzo Brei, just like Moses ate.

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

2012: The year Gluten Free Matzo was discovered. Yes, Yehuda finally started making a GF version and I could not be more glad. Just like when I was a kid, matzo with cream cheese and jelly makes the best after school snack. And once again I can enjoy this delightful treat. Gluten free matzo with vegan cream cheese: just like Moses ate before he parted the Red Sea.

I’ve had a frustrating week and as always, when I have decisions to make, am faced with sadness of any kind, or simply have a lot on my mind, breakfast is the first thing to go. It’s hard to force myself to eat in the morning if my stomach isn’t behaving (no matter how much I beg and plead it). This morning I awoke and had the brilliant idea of making gf matzo brei. If you haven’t had this before, you’re kind of missing out. Everyone has a different way of making matzo brei, but growing up ours always resembled a Passover French Toast. You can also make it like migas, scrambled, or omelette style too. I have missed it in the years since going gluten free. But now it’s time to try it and share it with the world. I’m publishing within 48 hours of actually making this, so there is still some time left of Passover to experiment with this recipe.

Working with GF matzo is indeed slightly different from making matzo brei with regular matzo. I stick with my mom (and grandma’s) version that is similar to french toast and the difference in cooking it is simply the timing. GF matzo seems to be gummier and chewier when left for too long. After a few attempts, here’s what we’ve got and it’s golden.

Gluten Free Matzo Brei (for one)
1 teaspoon butter (earth balance)
1 egg
1 piece of matzo
1-2 cups room temperature water
dash of salt
maple syrup or jam

Heat a 6-8 inch round non-stick sauté pan over medium heat. Melt the butter in the pan and coat the bottom completely.

Crumble the matzo into bits and pieces (none more than 1/2 inch) and place in a bowl. Cover the matzo with water. Let the matzo soak for JUST the amount of time it takes to beat the egg in a separate bowl. That should be no more than a minute. This is important! GF matzo gets soggy quicker.

When the egg has been beaten, drain the matzo. I use my hand to push the matzo back and let the water spill out; squeezing the excess out just ever so slightly. Add the egg to the matzo, add a pinch of salt, stir with a fork and pour mixture into the prepared pan.

Let cook over medium heat until barely firm enough to flip- about 2-4 minutes. Flip it over, and cook just enough to brown the bottom a bit, about 1-2 more minutes. Flip onto a plate, pour your chosen syrup or jam on top, and eat while hot. Breakfast to keep you going in 40 years of the desert. Too much?

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Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins, Capers, and Almonds. Yes.

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

I am very particular about how I like my cauliflower. I used to like it if my mom roasted it with butter, breadcrumbs, and cheese. I still only liked the small pieces that were doused in the topping, but I ate it when we had to have it on the table. I’ve changed my cauliflower ways to enjoy it with a little more variety.

My friend Deborah told me to try it with capers and raisins once. I don’t know where she’d heard that, but it sounded slightly odd to me at the time. And then I tried it and loved it. I’ve made this dozens of times over the last few years and have finally realized I should write it down to remember for the next time. This is a healthier, yet nice and salty, way to make your cauliflower sans butter and breadcrumbs and melty melty cheese. It’s of course, naturally gluten free. It goes well as a side, on top of salad, over pasta, or a big honkin’ plate of it if you just need your cauliflower fix.

This time around I had a purple cauliflower from Two Happy Children at the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown. I let him pick the cauliflower and then I devoured the whole thing roasted this way in 2 meals.

Purple Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins, Capers, and Almonds
1 whole head of cauliflower
1-2 Tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
3 Tablespoons raisins
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup whole almonds, chopped
1/4 cup packed parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon anchovies or fillets on top (optional)
zest of 1 lemon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400. Tear the cauliflower into bite sized odd-shaped chunks and place in a 9×12 pyrex (cauliflower should have plenty of room so it can get browned). Pour about 1 tablespoon olive oil and a hefty dash of salt and mix it all up with your hands. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower is slightly browned and tender through.

While the cauliflower is roasting, prepare the other ingredients. I like small chunks of raisins, so I chop those but it’s not necessary. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the capers, parsley, garlic, raisins, and vinegar and the zest and anchovy if using. When the cauliflower is getting tender, add the nuts, mix it up and let cook for another 5 minutes. You can also toast these separately, but I get lazy! When the cauliflower and almonds are done, toss in a bowl with the caper mixture. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.*

*If you’re not going to serve this right away, toast the almonds separately and add almonds and caper mixture just when you’re going to serve it.

I must’ve eaten this so fast I didn’t take a picture!

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Date and Walnut Bread Obsession

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

Ever since I injured my foot it’s been hard (nay impossible) to exercise and it’s wearing on me. Oh how it wears on me. I decided to cut out sugar and sugar-types to see if it would make a difference in my sleep patterns, mental or physical health, and really just to see what would change. Cutting out sugar also meant it would be tough to figure out gluten free breakfasts- you know the cereals, the gf breads, the oatmeal with syrup and such, so I had to reinvent my breakfast of choice.

My tattooed man had requested some kind of walnut-date bread so I decided to experiment (over and over again) to make it as a breakfast bread sans sugar for me while satisfying his walnut-date desire. He likes almond butter and I mean a lot. So I looked up the various Elana’s Pantry almond butter creations. I tried her Paleo Breakfast Bread, her Cranberry Almond Loaf, and then moved over to a favorite of mine, Alice Medrich’s Dried Fruit and Nut Loaf, and a few others and combinations thereof.

After much tasting, I finally came up with this winning concoction which has a bit of all my favorite components. My tattooed man agreed this is the best combination and he has in fact just dropped off more walnuts and dates so I can make this yet again. Try it on its own, toasted with goat cheese, cream cheese, or topped with fruit and yogurt. Healthy, sugar free, PACKED with protein.

Date and Walnut Bread
1 cup almond butter
1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil
3 large eggs
1/4 cup arrowroot powder*
1/2 scant teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup loosely packed dates, chopped or quartered
1 scant cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a small loaf pan. I use earthspread butter as it works better than grapeseed oil. In a large bowl, blend almond butter, oil and eggs with a hand-held blender until smooth. Add the arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda and mix until just amalgamated. Fold in the dates and the walnuts.

Pour the mixture into loaf pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Cool for about 10-15 minute before turning out the loaf. Eat warm or toast it the next day.

*I used tapioca flour instead of arrowroot and that worked just as well.
** I like the bumpy lumpy shape on top of a nice fruit loaf of bread. If you prefer it smoother, simply use the spatula that you scrape the dough into the loaf pan to smooth it out.

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Walnut Paté-ish

Posted on March 26, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

Once again I tasted something delicious at the store and decided to remake it my way at home: gluten-less, cheaper, and perhaps even tastier. I came home late one night, pulled out the trusty food processor and created this walnut paté. I’ve made it 3 times since and each time it’s a treat. I was calling it “vegan paté” at first, but man, people get freaked out. So I’ve moved on to calling it, Walnut Paté. Try it. I swear it’s a good, cheap, and chock full of protein treat.

Walnut Paté
2 small cloves garlic
1 1/2 cup walnuts
1 1/2 cup pecans
12 ounces silken tofu
3-4 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons wheat-free tamari

In a food processor fitted with an s-blade, chop the garlic. Add the nuts and chop until fine. Add the remaining ingredients. If using FIRM silken tofu, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to smooth it out. The second round of this I used medium silken and that was silkier and delightful.

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Thai Cucumber Salad

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

I was craving a little Tom Kha Gai and decided to make a side dish of sweet and slightly spicy cucumbers to go along with it. I’d say it was a success and had a nice cooling effect after eating my spicy soup.

Thai Cucumber Salad
1/8 cup boiling water
1 Tablespoon palm sugar
1/4 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
3 teaspoons mint, chopped
3 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced (seeds removed if you want less heat)
1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded, sliced thinly
3 Tablespoons peanuts, toasted lightly

Place the palm sugar in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the very thinly sliced red onion, then the fish sauce and lime juice. In a large bowl, toss the herbs, jalapeno and cucumbers together. When you’re ready to serve, pour the dressing over the cucumbers and mix. Add the peanuts at the last minute so they don’t get soggy.

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Real Live Blueberry Muffins

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

Once upon a time I lived in Japan and all I really wanted was a muffin. I’d find places called “Mr Donuts” and “Hot Cake Muffin” or “Big Poppa Cakes”. I’d see a muffin and I would buy it and inevitably be disappointed. Fast forward to several years later when I went gluten free. Can’t say I’ve had many great muffins in the past couple of years. I have the same feeling though: if I see a GF muffin I have to get it. And sadly, I am almost always disappointed. The same even goes for homemade. Until today.

I worked all weekend and now have a lovely and chilly Monday off. I decided what better way to relax than to bake. I also had a pint of blueberries that were awful. Yes, they are not in season. Yes, they were shipped from far far away. I decided, what the heck, let’s make blueberry muffins. The best part is that the texture is great. Very real live muffin-ey. I added a banana for extra moisture, but I bet this would be tasty without as well.

Blueberry Banana Muffins adapted from Gluten Free Goddess
1 cup GF rolled oats
1 cup almond milk (or soy milk)
1/4 cup butter (earthspread)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup sorghum flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 teaspoon xantham gum
1 cup blueberries
1 ripe banana, smashed

Topping:
2 Tablespoons oats
2 Tablespoons butter
4 Tablespoons almonds or walnuts
1 Tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease 6 “jumbo” muffin tins. Heat the almond milk to warm. Pour over the 1 cup of oats and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, vanilla, sour cream, eggs, and sugar. Add the oats and milk.

In another bowl, mix all dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and blend until just amalgamated. Fold in the bananas and blueberries.

In a small bowl, mix together all topping ingredients with your fingers (rubbing the butter into the other ingredients). Pour the batter into the prepared tin and sprinkle the topping over each muffin. Bake at 400 for 22-25 minutes. Eat hot, warm, for breakfast or a snack.

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Slow Roasted Lamb in Pomegranate Molasses

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

Finally, on to the main course of The Neighborhood Feast: the lamb. I get nervous cooking red meat when I’m feeding several people, so I did a slow cooking method to cover my bases and did it ahead of time (just in case) and this turned out tasty. Inspired by the pomegranate sauce they use in Spice I finally got to use a pomegranate molasses that I bought ages and ages ago. Now that I know how amazing lamb and pomegranate molasses is together, I would do this again in an instant.

This is a simple creation that as usual, I did the prep work the night before, and then just left it in the oven on low throughout the day. It was simple and worked well to serve to a crowd. In fact, as a non-lamb-lover, I actually enjoyed this dish a lot. And the lamb over polenta the next night was a great leftover dinner for friends. I should note however, a few nights later I put the last of the sauce, lamb, and polenta in a big pot and it was like a big polenta soup- not so good, and slightly embarrassing since I was cooking for a boy for the first time. Oops! So, for the leftovers, nevermind trying not to dirty 2 pots, just heat it up and make the polenta separately.

Slow Roasted Lamb in Pomegranate Molasses
6 pounds lamb (approximately 4 shanks and 2-3 large shoulder chops)
5 large garlic cloves
2 stalks celery
2 cups water + 4 cups dry red wine
2 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 carrots
1 large white onion
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 350. Brown the lamb in a large pot over medium heat. Brown each side, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Don’t crowd the lamb, so you’ll have to do this in a few batches. As the pieces are brown, set aside in a large roasting pan.

Add 1 cup of red wine to the pan to deglaze any of the brown bits and cook down just for a minute or 2. Strain the liquid directly over the lamb. Add the cumin and a hefty sprinkle of salt and rub into the lamb with your fingers.

Smash the garlic, chop the carrots and celery, and slice the onions into 1/4 inch crescents. Add these vegetables to the roasting pan. Add 2 more cups of wine and the water until it reaches about 2/3 up the lamb. If need be, add more water and or more wine. Cover tightly with foil and roast at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Flip the lamb once, add liquid if necessary, recover, and cook for another 1 1/2 hours.

I did all of this the night prior to the dinner, stuck the roasting pan in the fridge, and called it a night. In the morning, the fat will have risen to the top so it will be easy to scrape off and give to the dogs (lucky girl). Add the molasses to the liquid and place back in the oven at 225 for at least 2-3 more hours. I can’t read my own writing here, so I think that’s it.

When it’s time to serve, the meat should be falling off the bone tender. Add more molasses, salt, and pepper to taste and squeeze a lemon (a couple of teaspoons) into the sauce. Serve.

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Gluten Free Breakfast in Austin, Naturally

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Salts Kitchen

While the term “gluten free” is tossed around left and right these days, when it’s actually time to sit down and find a good gluten free meal, it can be daunting. Daunting and often infuriating really. There are several places that advertise gluten free menus, a few that have “options” if you ask, and oh so many that can easily be made gluten free if you don’t mind that it’s in the same kitchen as the gluten-full. So here’s my part of the 2012 Austin Food Blogger Alliance City Guide, the most important part of your morning, the most important meal of the day: breakfast. Here are my top picks for gluten free breakfasts in Austin in no particular order.

Please keep in mind, these are MY top picks. If you have more, please let me know in the comment section below! And it is most definitely not exhaustive, everyday I hear about a new place I should try. So go ahead and tell me more…

Gardener's Feast Tamales

Gardener’s Feast
Gluten Free: Officially
My all time favorite breakfast is a tamale (or 2) from Gardener’s Feast. I had just about given up on finding a good tamale in Austin until I met Adrian and Mariana, who make THE best tamales in town. This lovely and wonderful couple sells tamales, tortillas, salsas and gorditas at several of the farmers’ markets in Austin and around. I make my way down to the SFC Farmers’ Market Downtown (or at Sunset Valley) every Saturday morning for my black bean and goat cheese tamale. They’ve got plenty of vegetarian, meaty, and vegan options. They are gluten free, naturally so your gluten-full friends won’t be scared to try them too.

Counter Cafe
Gluten Free: Officially, no menu
Counter Cafe is an Austin must. It’s my runner up as favorite breakfast spot. It’s a tiny little diner on Lamar in the Downtown area and they focus on quality ingredients. They all knew what I was talking about when I said “gluten free please.” Everything is kept separate, fried separately and they know what you can and cannot eat. Their sausage is made in-house with farm fresh pork. Yes please.

Snack Bar
Gluten Free: Unofficially
I love these folks. They’ve got a tasty breakfast and the best millet bread this side of the Mississippi. The owners know what’s GF and what’s not, but I had some sketchy server experiences, so just be sure before you dive in.

Scrambled Eggs and Rice Bread at Galaxy Cafe


Galaxy Cafe
Gluten Free: Officially, menu
If you’re looking for a nice, honest, simple meal, head to the Galaxy Cafe in Clarksville. I love the atmosphere, the “regulars” who are there every morning and I like to get my own coffee. They have a GF menu and know what they’re talking about. Order simple: I got scrambled eggs and rice bread.

Blue Dahlia
Gluten Free: Unofficially
I had to throw this spot in as well because it makes for such a nice Sunday morning brunch. They don’t have a ton of gluten free options, but what they do have, they do a good job of: frittatas, big ol’ salads, soups. My friends and I make a habit of spending a leisurely breakfast here and while they eat their croissants, I take hefty spoonfuls of the nutella on the table. It’s wrong, but I don’t care.

Sweet Potato Hash at 24 Diner


24 Diner
Gluten Free: Officially, menu
24 Diner is a great Central Austin spot and you can get breakfast any time of day. They do indeed have a gluten free menu and it’s tasty as all get up. Expect a wait at the usual busy times. Order the sweet potato hash with eggs. Tasty business.

Casa De Luz
Gluten Free: Super Officially
Casa de Luz gets my vote any day. While I often don’t go for the “vegetarian” “macro this” or “healthful that”, they really do a wonderful job and I always feel great when I walk out of there. They recently stopped doing their Sunday morning brunch, but breakfast is still oh so worth it. Generous portions, all gluten free, all tasty.

Tortilla at Ate Cafe


Ate Cafe
Gluten Free: Unofficially
I’m going to be totally transparent here and I’m just a wee bit biased: Ate Cafe has the best breakfast around. They also have the best sandwiches, but that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about their perfectly poached eggs with parsley oil. Their amazing bacon, frittatas, soups, and various specials. They ARE also a bakery, so be prepared for bread smells, very few of which you and I can eat. What I like best is that this is my sister’s place so they all know what you can and can’t eat. Just ask, they’ll tell you. PS- if they have their Spanish Tortilla on the menu that day, GET IT! Or order a whole one ahead of time as I have done.

The Steeping Room
Gluten Free: Officially
If you’re at the Domain this is a great stop for breakfast for us GF’ers. They mark what can be made gf and what is already gf. They sometimes have an amazing ginger scone and clotted cream too. Their marked bakery items are awfully good. Yum.

Bouldin Creek
Gluten Free: Officially
I have to include Bouldin Creek Cafe in this breakfast posting because they do a good job with dietary restrictions and tend to know what they’re talking about. And their coffee is tasty. They do a couple of fun, naturally gf treats too: like their grit cake.

Thai Fresh
Gluten Free: Officially (most of the menu)
I love Jam and the folks at Thai Fresh. Okay, to be honest, I hate that they microwave their dishes when you’re eating in. BUT their stuff is so fresh it rarely has to be nuked, and I always opt for whatever they’re just putting out. Jam is fantastic about labeling everything GF, and the Thai omelette is to die for. She has also started selling gf chicken and waffles (amazing waffles) at the market downtown.


The Original Pancake House
Gluten Free: Officially, menu
Craving pancakes? Check this out. I loved the booths, the waitresses with personality, and the gf pancakes were pretty tasty too. I double checked that they used a different batter in different griddles and she assured me yes indeed. I felt like I was in a small town, until I looked outside at KFC and Beach Tan in the mini mall. It hit the spot.

Wildwood Art Cafe
Gluten Free: EVERYTHING officially
I can’t write about Gluten Free breakfasts in Austin without including these guys. The times I’ve been in there they have been very patient with my questions, given me samples, and are all around lovely folks. However, I just can’t get myself to like their products. I know you GF folks out there may be shunning me right now, but I just can’t dig it.

You haven’t eaten in Austin ’til you’ve had breakfast tacos of course. Here are just a couple of spots around town.

Sam

Taco Deli
Gluten Free: Officially
Head to Taco Deli for a mighty tasty breakfast taco. They know what’s gluten free, they’ll label it, and they won’t balk at your intolerances. They also sell at many of the farmers’ markets in town. If you go downtown or to the Triangle, tell Sam I sent you. Picadillo, ground bison, or portabello. All tasty on corn.

La Cocina de Consuelo
Gluten Free: Unofficially
These guys are my favorite sit down breakfast taco in town. They’ve got fantastic corn tortillas, great fillings, unlimited pour it yourself coffee, and Consuela herself is always in to take your order and whip up the tortillas.

Marcelino’s Pan Y Vino
Gluten Free: Unofficially
If you’re on my side of town, please don’t miss Marcelino’s. They’ve been around for ages, make everything from scratch, and have the best attitudes in town. Just expect a little grease, a little extra spice, and a lot of bacon fat on everything. I watch them make the tortillas- they are most definitely gluten free, BUT everything is cooked on the same comal.

While I do like a good breakfast taco, if I want a big ol’ Mexican breakfast, I tend to opt for a plate of the good stuff: eggs, rancheros, tortillas, beans, rice, salsa. If you’re looking for an old school Tex-Mex breakfast plate, here are my favorites, there’s just no guarantee it will be officially gluten free: Dario’s, Cisco’s, Mi Madre’s, and the options really are endless here in Austin…

If you want some fancy pants Mexican brunch, I love Fonda San Miguel and La Condesa. Both great options, and both offer lots of naturally gluten free choices.

A shout out to Mr Natural as well for their chocolate muffin. But only their chocolate muffin. And a final shout out to Wheatsville for their Wheat Free Wednesdays. Try their zucchini bread. It’s my Wednesday morning routine.

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