broccoli rabe & red pepper hoagie melts, gluten-free

There are certain things in life one should just be able to indulge in, regardless of the aren't supposed to's, the probably shouldn'ts, or the no way no how no when's.  Of course I'm not suggesting that indulgence takes precedence over safety (not most of the time, anyway), but if there's this thing that's just so incredibly impossibly amazing that chef's, cooks, and hungry people in numerous cultures have created and savored it for decades, possibly even centuries, then why shouldn't all god's two-legged creatures enjoy it?

I'm talkin' about the hoagie, friends.  You may know this marvel by its other monikers - Submarine Sandwich, Grinder, or perhaps, my personal favorite, Hero.  Yes, I close my eyes and am met with visions of a piquant protector, tough, toasted exterior, cloaked in melty cheese, a defender of deliciousness. 

My last encounter with such a bready, cheese and condiment-stuffed beast was, sadly,  further back than my ever-decreasing memory could possibly muster.  A gluten-free life is a hoagie-free life... isn't it?

Not anymore.

gluten-free sandwich bread

I'm fresh off a long weekend to my favorite Washington getaway, friends.  That would be the beautiful, Lummi Island.  The sun was shining, the BBQ blazing, and the booze flowing freely.  It was so nice to step out of the hustle for a few days.

One of the many edible delights that came with me on this trip was a loaf of gluten-free sandwich bread.  The picture that may pop immediately into the head is a small, dense, lump of something that seems like part of a retaining wall.  As if Home Depot had a bakery department.  Just slather some mortar on there and call it a meal.

No, this isn't like that bread.  Small and dense aren't in the vocab on this one.  Between my island weekend and my coworkers, I've had more 'whoa that's gluten-free?!'s than I know what to do with.  My sweetheart gets giddy every time she takes a bite and tells me how it's the best (oh, and she's welcome to eat gluten any old time she pleases).

So, if gluten is a no-no for you (intolerant, Celiac disease, yaddah, yaddah) and you yearn for the glory days of PB & J, grilled cheese, and tuna salad, you must bake this bread.

a farm fresh breakfast

That picture, right up there, is what we had for breakfast at my house this morning.  It was a pile of sauteed spinach, crispy bacon, yolk-spewing egg, and finely grated cheddar, all perched on top of a simple slice of toasted bread. 

I can't really take too much credit for its creation.  I mean, I did conceive of the combination, prepare the ingredients, and construct the finished product, but the real work was done by the farmers who fattened the hogs, tilled the fields, milked the cows, and cared for the chickens.  It's not that I came up with the most incredible combination of flavors here, friends.  The magic of this dish lies with the quality and care that was put into the production of its parts.

Portabello Burgers Take Home the Prize! (Foodbuzz & Oroweat's Summer Grilling Recipe Contest)

I got some very exciting news in my inbox this afternoon.  The folks over at Foodbuzz (aka my new best friends) wrote to inform me that my entry into the Foodbuzz & Oroweat Summer Grilling Recipe Contest was chosen as the winner!  An average October Wednesday was just catapulted to the status of 'amazing'!  My recipe and blog post for Grilled Portobello Burgers w/ Roasted Pepper Spread, Marinated Onions & Oroweat Sandwich Thins kicked some serious booty, my friends, and came out on top.

The truth is, that I thought the contest judging must have come and gone by now.  The entry period was over at the end of August, after all.  I assumed that some other lucky blogger wowed the judges with their own recipe, and that I would have better luck next time.  

I'm so stoked that I was wrong!!!  Not only do I get to bask in the glory of sweet, sweet victory, but Foodbuzz & Oroweat are slipping me a cash prize as well.  The starving student scores again!

Thank you Foodbuzz and thank you Oroweat!! You guys rock! 

Salmon Salad Sandwich

Another week is about to begin, and I find myself contemplating lunch.  It's the most difficult meal of the day for me, because at noontime, Monday through Friday, I don't have the luxury of my home kitchen for meal making.

Unfortunately, my school's cafeteria is a scary place for anyone who wants to consume healthy-ish food, and an outright nightmare for a person who is gluten-intolerant and wants to eat healthy food, minus the '-ish'.

That means I have to plan ahead. I'm not always the best planner, either, which means that, occasionally, my lunch consists of a barely-ripe banana and a little bag of over-salted mixed nuts.  I'm more than slightly embarrassed by that revelation, but sometimes I'm preoccupied and don't bother whipping up a respectable meal ahead of time.  A little bit of foresight really does go a long way.

Grilled Portobello Burgers with Roasted Pepper Spread, Marinated Onions, & Oroweat Sandwich Thins

During Seattle's fleeting summer, my friends and I get to together to BBQ as often as we can.  It's a difficult endeavor due to busy schedules and the many of us apartment dwellers, but a couple of my oldest friends here in the city have a beautiful yard and tree-shaded patio where they host outdoor gatherings at least twice every summer.  This year they were kind enough to offer up their hospitality on one of the mid-ninety degree days that we had this year.

The BBQ's at Tammy and Eric's are always vegetarian/vegan affairs since the two of them practice those lifestyles (she the former, he the latter), so there are guaranteed to be a ton of veggies thrown onto the grill.  I'm always wanting to push the bar a little bit, though, and show up with creative summer fare for everyone to enjoy.  I like to go beyond the Boca burger and the veggie skewer.

A few days prior to this weekend get-together, I received some Oroweat Sandwich Thins, courtesy of Oroweat and Foodbuzz, to try out with summer grilling recipes.  These thin bun-substitutes are perfect for encasing thick burgers and sandwiches that would be overwhelming with traditional buns.

My friends loved them.