Gluten Free TRAVEL ... pack EnjoyLife Grab-And-Go Packs

When you are gluten free and traveling you tend to want to have a reliable "stash" of tried-and-true snacks until you can get adjusted to where you are. This is especially important when in transit - through an airport or on a road trip and relying on service stations.

I like to pack raw nuts, dried fruit, and bars as they are easy to pack, small in size, and do not require refrigeration.

Enjoy Life Fruit and Seed Mixes are great! I now include them as part of my travel snacks.

Greek Inspired Quinoa

Quinoa is versatile and I find myself using it quite often. For a savory main dish or side dish, you can add sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and crumble feta cheese. An OPTION...add some olives for a salty flavor.

The dish can be made simple or complex...you chose the layers of flavor you wish to add. The portion size will determine if it is a side dish or a main dish for you!

Ingredients:
Quinoa
Water or Vegetable Broth
Sundried Tomatoes
Artichoke Hearts
Feta Cheese

Optional:
Beets
Olives
Lettuce

Instructions:

1. Cook quinoa according to package instructions. The volume you make is determined by the number of people you wish to serve/desire for left-overs! For the liquid use water or low sodium vegetable broth. Using the broth adds depth of flavor to the dish.
2. In a pan add sundried tomatoes and artichoke hearts. For this recipe, I used sundried tomatoes in olive oil from a jar as well as diced artichoke hearts from a jar. I diced the tomatoes into small pieces and used some of the olive oil to sautee the tomatoes and artichoke hearts. 
3. Add beets and/or olives if you wish.
4. Add the quinoa to combine. 

To serve:
Place in a bowl and crumble feta cheese on top
Option...place a bed of lettuce on bottom of bowl for added texture and color!

Sugarless Chocolate Cookies TRANSFORMED into a Whoopie Pie Look Alike

I decided to modify my SUGARLESS CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES RECIPE posted on Healthy Recipe Variations on February 14, 2015 to make my version of a “whoopee pie”.

I doubled the recipe and created cookies the size of my palm/the coaster on which my tea cup was resting. I made them about 1 inch thick so I could cut them in half and fill them after cooking and cooling.

The cooking time increased to 45 minutes…but I do caution you to check after 30 minutes and every five minutes after as ovens can be finicky.

When the cookies are done, I removed them from the oven. I used parchment paper on my cookie tray so I was able to lift the parchment and cookies from the cookie sheet and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Once cool, I cut in half and served with either Nutella (or Nutella and thin banana slices) or nut butter in the center.

Recipe Variation…Change Filler to:

• Your favorite Chia Jam
• Cream Cheese frosting 
• SunButter Sunflower Butter

SunButter Sunflower Spread

I grew up appreciating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As as adult I have been exposed to numerous nut butters and have not encountered one that I did not like.

With more and more people unable to eat peanuts and other nuts, additional "butters" have come to the marketplace. SunButter Sunflower Spread is a great "nut butter" alternative. I love using it as a nut butter replacement. I use it when I know I am going to be in the company of a friend with a peanut allergy.

The snack cups are great to use when on the go or when traveling as you never know when you will get on a flight and hear a flight attendant say that there are customers with peanut allergies and avoid eating nuts/nut butters while on the flight.

Enjoy the snack cups with apple slices, carrot slices, gluten free crackers or pretzels or rice cakes, or with dates or bananas.

Health Warrior Chia Bars and Chia Protein Bars

When you need to pack a snack for fuel during or after a workout, pack a Health Warrior Chia Bar or Chia Protein Bar.

The portable, healthy, and protein packed bars leave you satisfied. They have a chewy texture and great flavor - they are not too sweet.

Visit the Health Warrior Website to learn more about the company and search for a retailer in your area. 

Quinoa Milk

Quinoa milk is high in protein and fiber and has a low glycemic index. I had the opportunity to try Quinoa Milk from Good Groceries. My husband and I have been drinking Almond Milk for several years as I have a difficult time digesting cow’s milk. Quinoa Milk is a good product to add to your milk alternative repertoire.

What I learned:

• Suzie’s Quinoa Milk has a watery texture compared to Almond Milk.
• It works well with gluten free granola/cereal/oatmeal
• Chia pudding requires 25% more chia seeds than chia pudding with Almond Milk.
• The flavored quinoa milk was not as sweet as almond milk
• Using eggs + quinoa milk to make French toast works very similar to almond milk/cows milk. (Some gluten free bread soaks up more liquid than others – the choice of BREAD is the key here.) 

Suzie's Gluten Free Quinoa

When you are in a hurry and need a quick and nutritious meal, Suzie’s Quinoa Pouches can come to the rescue! The quinoa pouches are fully cooked and just need to be reheated. They come in 9 ounce pouches in the following flavors: Olive Oil, Indian Spice, Asian and Tex-Mex.

You can heat the pouch and eat on the go or add vegetables and an additional protein and create a full meal. One pouch is a stand-alone dish for one person. A pouch plus additional vegetables and protein is a meal for two. When I added protein and vegetables I added 2 cups of vegetables diced and 2 cups of additional protein that I cooked separately and added the package to the pan to warm it and combine the ingredients. The flavor remained even when additional ingredients were added.

To the Asian Pouch I diced and sauteed: Shrimp, Onions, and Yellow Squash.

 

To the Tex Mex Pouch I diced and sautéed: garlic, onions, gluten free turkey sausage, and a yellow and red bell pepper. 

To the Olive Oil Pouch I diced and sauteed: gluten free turkey sausage, onions, garlic, and broccoli.