Gluten Free Dining at the Great Maple in La Jolla

Gluten Free Dining in San Diego 

The Great Maple 

Located in the UTC Mall

The Great Maple Restaurant in the UTC Mall in La Jolla is a great place to go if you are looking for gluten free food. Chef Joe Guerra will modify dishes to fit the dietary needs of guests. Consider The Great Maple when you are looking for a place to meet friends, take out-of-town guests, go on a date, have a business meeting, or celebrate with your group.  The UTC Mall is a hub of activity as it remodels and expands into a San Diego destination. Check out the restaurant and explore the mall!

Happy Hour

Happy hour is every day from 3:30 PM – 6:30 PM. A cannot miss item on the happy hour menu is the 1/2 Cobb Wedge (the full size pictured above is available on the main menu). The chef prepares each dish like a work of art. Not only is it plated with care to make a delightful presentation (after all, we eat with our eyes first) but the dish is filled with layers of flavor and texture to satisfy your appetite. 

Another cannot miss dish on the menu is the Charred Cauliflower Hummus. To make it gluten free you omit the flatbread and add additional veggies for dipping. The taste is unlike any hummus I have ever had. The charred cauliflower’s earthy taste and the honey’s sweetness add to the chickpeas to create a flavor masterpiece.

Starters

The Truffled Devil Eggs are a must-try, rather a must-share! They art artistically served on a bed of frisee lettuce and topped with a delicate parmesan lace.  Although, the portion is enough to share; the taste is so good you will not want to share! The whimsical looking presentation made me want to eat this appetizer with my fingers.  I did with a big smile on my face. The flavors and textures were delightful. The food is comfort food that mom used to make, elevated with sophisticated flavors and artistic presentation. 

Mains

A new dish to the menu is the Grilled Chicken Bowl. It can me made gluten free by swapping the ancient grains for snap peas. This dish is a delight; it is light and satisfying. The chicken was tender, the brussels sprouts delicate, the snap peas crispy, and the cauliflower hummus spicy. I could come back for this dish on a daily basis! Other proteins can be substituted for the chicken so that you can keep coming back for more and not have the exact same dish each time! 

Brunch Classics

Another new dish added to the menu this fall is the Breakfast Smash. This warm and hearty dish is definitely sharable! The savory dish has soft fingerling potatoes, crunchy onions and red bell peppers, and creamy cheese melting down the potatoes. The depth of flavors and textures is satisfying. This hearty dish will prepare you for a workout at one of the fitness facilities in the mall!

Signature Dishes

Two of Great Maple’s signature dishes are the French Toast Logs and Fried Chicken and Doughnuts. Both dishes are not gluten free but give you a sense of the elegant comfort food on the menu. The Great Maple has something for everyone. Make plans to go there today!

Visit The Great Maple for locally sourced food that is made-to-order.  The portions are large and sharable and the dishes remind you of food mom used to make, turned elegant.

Gluten Free Egg Free Waffles

I love playing with food and modifying recipes so that each time I make them the dish seems new. Pamela's Products makes a magnificent Baking & Pancake Mix that can be used to make waffles. I modified the recipe on the package to make the recipe my own.

Ingredients:

• The recipe calls for 2 eggs ... I substituted 2 flax eggs
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cup Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
• I added: 2 TBSP cinnamon and 2 TBSP hemp seeds

I cooked the waffles in my waffle maker and topped with fresh fruit and walnuts. My husband topped his with honey and I added Sunbutter ( No Sugar Added variety).

The recipe is easy to make and simple substitutions can make the recipe your own.

Variations:

• Add vanilla or maple flavor instead of cinnamon
• For a denser waffle, add the version of milk you wish instead of water ... or for part of the water
• Add gluten free chocolate chips, dried fruit, seeds, coconut, and /or nuts into the batter or as a topping

Making Sense of Egg Carton Labels

Confused about the selection of eggs in the store? Wondering what is better to purchase, cage free, organic, free range, or pasture fed? I have been wondering myself so I did a little research to help all of us.

It's All About the Space

Cartons labeled cage free mean the hens are not in cages but are enclosed in a barn.

Free range hens are allowed 2 square feet to roam and may get some outdoor access. 

Pasture raised hens have 108 square feet to roam and love mostly outside. Pasture raised hens have the opportunity to flap their wings, peck the ground for insects, and spend up to six hours outside each day and "bunk" indoors each night. These eggs are available at farmer's markets and some supermarkets. A 2007 Mother Earth News Study found pasture raised hens to have 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids, 3 times more vitamin E, and 7 times more beta carotene.

It's All About the Food

Omega-3 labels indicate the hen's feed included foods high in Omega-3s such as flaxseed, marine algae, or canola.
Vegetarian fed labels indicate the hen was not fed any animal byproducts.
USDA Organic labels indicate the hen's feed is grown without synthetic fertilizers, fungicides, or pesticides.

Empty Words

Eggs labeled Hormone-Free are unnecessary. Hens that are laying eggs are not given hormones. This is a marketing tool.
Eggs marked Natural are unnecessary. Eggs are natural. This is another marketing tool.

How Are the Birds Treated?

American Humane Certified label includes producers of cage free birds. It prohibits forced molting but allows beak cutting.
Animal Welfare Approved label limits flock size to 500 birds to allow generous space for foraging and and ranging outdoors. It prohibits forced molting and beak cutting.
Certified Organic label prohibits cages and the use of antibiotics and requires organic food and access to the outdoors. It does allow forced molting and beak cutting.


For more information read Delicious Living's article Understanding lingo on egg cartons by Jessie Shafer and TakePart.

Homemade Cinnamon Peanut Butter

I love the taste of warm peanut butter ... fresh warm peanut butter is even tastier!

I keep a jar of homemade nut butter in my refrigerator at all times. I love making NUT butters in my VitaMix as all I need to make a batch is 3 cups of nuts and about 5 minutes. When nuts are on sale, I stock up which cuts the cost of each portion.

Today I made a double batch of peanut butter. The first batch was traditional creamy peanut butter and the second batch was CINNAMON peanut butter.

Instructions:

• Place 3 cups of nuts (added 1 TBSP cinnamon to batch 2) in VitaMix and turn on low
• Begin to use the wand to push down the nuts
• Turn up the speed to high and use the wand to continue to push the mixture down to combine  (The nut butter will be almost smooth after about 2 minutes)
• When the nut butter is almost done, turn the VitaMix to high and use the wand to combine for another 30 seconds. This will create the extra smooth and creamy texture. Omit this step if you wish a "grainy" or crunchy texture.  
• To wash the VitaMix, add water half way up and run the machine for a minute. Drain. Rinse.

NOTE: You can use raw, roasted, salted, or unsalted nuts for this recipe.
NOTE: I make nut butters frequently. Experiment with the flavors ... perhaps you will start to add 1 cup of three different nuts!

Fruit Sauce ... Peach Style

I love making applesauce! Sometimes I add cinnamon and turn it into cinnamon applesauce. When I make applesauce at home I can control and sugar as well as the texture of the product.

When I find fruit on sale or a friend has a tree that has produced an abundant crop, I stock up on the fruit and turn some of the fruit into a sauce.

Simple to Make

Turning fruit into sauce is simple. All you need to do is cut the fruit and remove the seeds/pits. The fruit can be placed in a pot with a bit of water to line the bottom and the heat on low. Cook until the fruit is soft.

You can have a chunky sauce and leave the fruit the way it is and refrigerate or smooth it out in a blender, VitaMix, or with an immersion blender.

Peach Sauce

I pick peaches that are a bit soft; ones that slightly indent if I press on them. You can use ones even softer for more natural sweetness. I cook the peaches until they begin to separate from the skin just a bit. The fruit's natural sugars will be more evident and the sauce very juicy.

Storage

I store the sauce in glass jars that once held nut butter. I like to eliminate waste in my home so I reuse jars quite often. The jars are great as they can be packed in a lunch without creating more clean-up. The sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for a month.

Variations

If you wish to add CHIA SEEDS to make a fruit chia pudding/jam, you can add 1/3 cup of chia seeds to 1 - 1 1/2 cups of fruit sauce depending on the thickness you desire. This turns the fruit sauce into a jam like consistency. The jam can be eaten on its own or used as a spread with nut/seed butter.

Instant Oatmeal ... Pancakes

Yes, you read that correctly. Packets of INSTANT OATMEAL can be made into pancakes. How you ask? It is a simple and, most likely, you have the necessary ingredients in your home. I have experimented with this recipe a few times. A previous post is linked here.

Instant Packages Save Time

Oatmeal is comfort food for me. I am still trying to make it just as "perfect" as my memory of the oatmeal my grandmother made for me. Since I was a child and my grandmother made me oatmeal, individual packets of instant oatmeal have been created. These individual packets may be flavored, low in sugar, and gluten free. This packaging helps people get the health benefits of oatmeal for breakfast without waiting. In our busy lifestyles, these packages have allowed us to control our portions and gain the benefits of oatmeal without the time to prepare and clean up.

Health Benefits

Oatmeal's health benefits include:

• controls blood sugar
• contains soluble fiber 
• helps control weight
• lowers cholesterol
• contains antioxidants

Oatmeal Packages can be made into PANCAKES

You do not need to turn the oatmeal packets into a cup or bowl of oatmeal, you can make them into pancakes.  All you need to do is add ONE OF THE FOLLOWING: 1 egg, 1 flax egg, or 1/4 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup banana puree (or pumpkin or avocado)

I typically use 1 flax egg (1 TBSP Ground Flax Seeds + 3 TBSP water ... mixed and rested for 5-10 minutes)

Pancakes are simple to make

Combine the instant oatmeal with the egg or egg replacement

If you have an unflavored oatmeal packet, you can add a flavoring like vanilla, cinnamon, or maple prior to cooking it.

Cook in a pan with a small amount of oil (enough to prevent sticking)

Top with your favorite toppings

Smoothie Bowl Formula ... A Breakfast Staple

I love recipes that can be modified based on flavor preferences and dietary needs. A smoothie bowl is just that "dish". You can customize the basic formula to create the breakfast you want ... and modify the recipe for  each member of the household. A smoothie bowl takes less than 5 minutes to make and clean up. it is a great quick-fix breakfast to enjoy when the weather is warm.

Pictured: Blueberry Smoothie Bowl with a garnish of walnuts, pepitas, and blueberries.

Smoothie Bowl Formula:

2 frozen bananas

1 cup milk of choice ( I use almond milk)

2 pitted dates (I order mine from Futterman Farms in Indio, CA)

1 cup of fruit

Optional: Protein Powder 

Topping Options:

• Granola
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Coconut
• Chocolate chips
• Fruit (to match flavor of bowl)
• Dried Fruit 

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with raspberries, homemade granola, help seeds (Interstate Bait), and walnuts. 

A Smoothie Bowl is Quick to Prepare

I keep frozen bananas (ones that have started to get brown freckles) on hand at all times. To prepare a nutritious breakfast all you have to do is put the ingredients in your Vitamix (or blender of choice) and blend. After about a minute the bananas are chopped and integrated into the other non-frozen ingredients. You DO NOT want to OVER MIX, that would create a smoothie you DRINK not EAT with a SPOON. The clean up is simple. All you have to do is wash out the blender and put the bowl in the dishwasher.

Pictured here is a smoothie bowl with peaches, unsweetened coconut, pepitas, and walnuts.

Cashews for Breakfast ... Enjoy Cashewgurt as a Yogurt Alternative

I was told about the Forager Project by a family member and was excited to try Cashewgurt as a yogurt alternative. I am always looking for healthy, gluten free foods to try. I shy away from high fat dairy as I am somewhat lactose intolerant so I figured this dairy free yogurt alternative would be a great product to try!

The Cashewgurt is thin like traditional yogurt and the unsweetend plain is a bit tart like traditional yogurt. I purchase unsweetend plain yogurt to control sugar as I usually add fruit and other mix-ins into the yogurt to add flavor.


If you are a Greek Yogurt fan, the texture will seem runny. To get used to it, prepare a bowl of 1/2 Greek Yogurt and 1/2 Cashewgurt to get used to the texture.




Yogurt is often my morning blank canvas. To the yogurt I add 1 cup of fruit and:

• 1 TBSP cinnamon or beet root powder or maca powder
• 1/4 cup nuts and/or seeds

Today I added peach and pepitas to 1.5 cups of Chasewgurt