Fifteen years ago I was diagnosed as having a gluten allergy, and even though it’s not as serious as being diagnosed celiac, it still required me having to completely change my diet. When I first was told I couldn’t eat bread, pasta, or most everything that was delicious, I was devastated! At first I went through denial, like “no, that can’t be happening to me, I’m ok!” But I knew I wasn’t and I had to make a change.
So I am very familiar and can empathize with people who have celiac disease, who come to me asking about what to eat. I feel your pain! But don’t worry, you can eat what you love to eat, without having to feel like you’re giving up on yummy food forever.
I learned how to enjoy food again. I couldn’t let such an allergy destroy me and the people around me. Because trust me, I was that person everyone had to worry about when my friends were trying to decide where to go out to eat: “Sandra, is there anything you can eat there?” And my answer used to be “I’m sure they have salad.”
But salad shouldn’t be your only option. As delicious as it is, even the dressing you have to worry about! Plus what fun is it to eat salad every day because everything else has gluten. That’s no way to live!
Gluten-free substitutions
I started researching what is gluten and what food has and doesn’t have gluten. Back then, when I first became gluten intolerant, very few substitutions were available, like gluten-free pasta, gluten-free bread, and gluten free sauces. So I learned true natural substitutions.
I started to eat corn tortillas instead of bread, or just eliminated bread from my diet all together. Not so fun when my family wanted to go for a picnic and packed sandwiches for everyone!
I discovered natural substitutes like quinoa (a very healthy, low-carb and high-protein grain that so happens to be gluten-free, it’s a power food)!
Another really great substitute is polenta. It’s also one of my favorites. It’s filling and it tastes delicious. You can make it creamy or slice it up and fry it in a bit of oil for a more crunchy outside and soft inside texture.
The good news is that nowadays there are a lot more options for gluten-free substitutions for pasta, flour and bread, so you won't have to stop eating the things you love, you just have to substitute the gluten.
Gluten-free Dishes Available with Taza
We have quite a few items you can order with us that are gluten-free:
Rice by nature is gluten-free, so any of the "protein bowl" dishes we make come with white or brown rice. If you would rather avoid rice in general, we customize our catering dishes to offer quinoa or even cauliflower rice for a gluten free and keto low carb option.
All our entrees are gluten free: The creamy lemon mushroom chicken (pictured) is naturally gluten free. Whereas some places may add flour to thicken the broch, we use no fillers, we simply simmer the chicken inn the broth for several hours to achieve the same result without the gluten. Other dishes that may seem to have gluten such as the crusted salmon in our catering menu is actually made with a replacement to he bread. Any of the bread crumbs I use is made with gluten-free corn flakes cereal (which I learned was a delicious substitute)!
We offer gluten free pita as a substitute to pita bread so you can enjoy dipping our hummus and baba gannouj without fear.
Eating out may be more of a challenge because you don't know what ingredients they use and whether they are truly gluten-free, unless you go to a more expensive sit-down restaurant that spells out a gluten-free menu selection. What sets Taza apart is that we take the time to get to know you, get to know what you like and don’t like, and customize a meal plan that is fully gluten-free that you will be happy with, and that tastes truly home-cooked. You don’t have to worry about food anymore. Now you can live your life and trust us to deliver a gluten-free experience. Check out our full menu here. Most of our dishes can easily be made gluten-free, you just have to ask!
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