Restaurant Review: Zushi Zushi on Fort Myers Beach

Don't you just love a positive restaurant experience?  For non-Celiac people, all that requires is good service and good food.  For Celiacs, a great experience requires trust and understanding, on top of good service and good food!

I had one of those experiences last night at a new restaurant on Fort Myers Beach called Zushi Zushi.  What's even more exciting about this is that I forgot to call ahead of time, because I had a safe meal without having to go through all the warnings.  Usually I will call a restaurant to let them know I can't have any gluten and I will be in at such-and-such time, just a bit of a heads up.  The perks of this are that not only do you usually get a reservation, even if the place doesn't take them, but you also have a good chance of being paired up with a knowledgeable waiter/waitress.

With Zushi Zushi, I totally forgot to do this.  I also completely forgot my restaurant cards from Triumph Dining.  The only thing I managed to remember was my new little spray bottle of Bragg's Liquid Aminos.  This is a great natural alternative to soy sauce, but what really drew me in was the spray bottle.

Now I don't have to carry a mini tupperware of tamari with me, and have the surprise at the end of the night that it leaked all over my bag.  With Bragg's, I can just throw it in, and spray my sushi instead of dipping.  It worked like a charm, and this size (6oz) was only $3.89 at my health food store.

Back to Zushi Zushi!  The restaurant itself is very modern, with an industrial vibe.  We were seated by our waiter, Ray, who was extremely helpful the whole meal.  We ordered drinks (hot sake! It's the only way to go) and an appetizer of edamame.  While Matt ordered a green salad (he is in love with carrot ginger dressings), I ordered the Tom Kha Goong, a Thai soup with shrimp, coconut milk, mushrooms, and a lot of aromatics.  But first I asked our waiter to check if there was any flour or gluten in the soup, which he immediately did without hesitation, and then I remembered to ask if there was any soy sauce.  He checked for me and there wasn't! 

Then a manager came over to me, and spoke with me about all the soup ingredients.  He also was interested in my bottle of Bragg's, and said that they were going to get some at Zushi Zushi due to the amount of gluten-free customers they have had.  Awesome!  Gotta love that.

Yum!  It was one of the best soups I have ever had.  Sweet and tangy, lemon-y and creamy.   Kinda wishing I hadn't ate it all, so I could have brought some home and had it for lunch again today!

I ordered a pretty simple roll, the Hamachi, with yellowtail and scallions.  I love getting yellowtail at Asian restaurants because it's such a clean taste that it is almost a palate-cleanser.

That is the JB roll, and behind that is the Alaskan King Crab roll (both were Matt's).  The reason you don't see mine is that I inhaled it before I took a picture.  But it was fresh and tasty!

I don't know how I was able to order dessert, but I did it.  And I ate it.  All of it.  And then I came home, put on stretchy pants and went to bed, because I was that full and that grossed out by myself!  I'm still wondering how I managed to fit so much food in my poor tummy, but it was so worth it.

Sooooo worth it.  Green tea ice cream with azuki beans on the side.  If I could have this in drip form, I would be hooked up to a green-tea-azuki-bean IV all day.

Thanks so much to Zushi Zushi for being awesome, helping gluten-free customers eat safely and well, and for considering adding gluten-free soy sauce alternatives.  I can't wait to go back!

Gluten-free Mac & Cheese With Veggies

First off, let me start by saying I am selfish.  The main reason I added veggies to this was because I wanted to save some of the pasta for a salad next week for work, so I had to bulk this one up!  Oh yeah, and sure, I thought upping the health factor might be good, too.

Dig around in your fridge for some veggies.  I found green onions (that were on their way out), a few baby bell peppers, and a handful of cherry tomatoes.  I also dug up a bag of spinach.  Perfect!

Make sure you have some cheese (dairy, soy, Daiya, whatever!) and some milk.

Check out your spices; anything good?  I used ground mustard, cayenne pepper, and paprika.  And a good amount of black pepper.

Ancient Harvest gluten-free quinoa pasta is my favorite!

Grate your cheeses and set aside.  I used sharp cheddar and parmesan, about a half cup of each.  Chop up your veggies and mince a clove of garlic.  Cook your pasta, drain and set aside.  Clean the pot and use it for the sauce, by first adding a splash of olive oil, garlic, and green onions.  Sautee for just a minute or two on medium heat, then add a healthy pinch of ground mustard (I didn't measure anything for this recipe unfortunately, so adjust all amounts to taste!), a smaller pinch of cayenne, and another healthy pinch of paprika (it will give the sauce a nice color).

Once the spices are fragrant, around one minute, add in a tablespoon of gluten-free flour.  I use Bob's Red Mill All Purpose GF Flour.  Then add 1½ cup of milk (I used fat-free, that's all we have!).  Bring it to a quick boil, then reduce the heat.  Stir for ten minutes.

 Add in shredded cheese and stir to melt, then combine the sauce with veggies and pasta.  Freeze any extra sauce...it will be yummy on a baked potato!

Before and after baking

Add all to a casserole dish and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.  I like to broil mine at the end to give a darker color.  This is a great dish to bring to a cookout, especially for people who aren't accustomed to gluten-free food (and how AWESOME it can be!).

Did you know....

Sabra hummus is now gluten-free!

I love this brand of hummus and am so excited to know that they are now certified gluten-free!  I had taken a break from Sabra hummus since my diagnosis, unsure of whether or not it was safe for me (the vast internet provided mixed results).  I have been eating this as a snack almost every day since I first picked up the new gluten-free package a couple weeks ago.

Here are a few of my favorite gluten-free goodies that pair well with hummus:

Baby bell peppers, sliced in half so that they are chip-shaped (easy for dipping!)

Celery sticks

I also occasionally use rice crackers, but most of the time prefer veggies!

 Baked lentil chips from Mediterranean Snacks.  These are kind of close to pita chips, and taste great with dips.

Hummus is also really great on a sandwich, and a great side to bring to a potluck.  I love it!

Gluten-free Dairy-free Chocolate Microwave Cake!

Yep!  Microwave cake!

I found this recipe while going through my gigantic stack of cooking magazines, some nearing a year old.  I tear out all the recipes/ideas I like and collect them in a folder for reference.  This recipe was in a section of Ten Minute Desserts, and when I saw it (re-saw it?) I decided to make it immediately!   The recipe is easy and quick, and chances are, you have all the ingredients already in your kitchen like I did.

1/4 c Gluten-free Flour (I used the Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour that I mentioned in my Gluten-free Deals post)
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp milk (I used almond milk, making this recipe dairy-free!)
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
a small pinch of salt
1 drop vanilla extract

Before and after cooking!

Whisk all these ingredients together in a big mug (I used one of my favorite soup bowls) and microwave for 2 minutes.  Take it out and stick a fork or skewer through it; if it comes out gooey, add another 30 seconds.

This cake is kind of plain, so I added some yogurt (yummy La Creme Vanilla, definitely a dessert yogurt!) and a cute Rainer cherry.