Rooster, Downtown St. Louis-- Amazing Gluten Free Crepes

As many know, I attended college in France and fell in love with their food, wine, and language.  This would include Crepes!!  When I first started the gluten free diet, I was sad I would no longer be able to devour crepes anymore. :( Then I heard Rooster served Gluten Free Crepes!! Of course, I dragged Rob downtown the first possible moment I could.

We have frequented Rooster several times before my gluten diet started and each time has always been amazing.  I do have to warn you though, if you are going on a weekend for breakfast, brunch or lunch, be prepared to wait.  We showed up Sunday morning around 11am (the morning after Mardi Gras none the less) and I believe we waited about an hour to be seated.  It is tiny place and as Rob does not crowded places we debated somewhere else.  However, Rob being the awesome husband he is, knew I was dying to try the gluten free crepes, so we waited.

Each time I have been to Roosters they always have a nice touch of fresh flowers at the tables. And it just so happened to match my yummy Mimosa!

Normally I order the hot chocolate, as it is amazingly tasty, but while waiting I saw someone drinking a Mimosa a the bar and could not resist the temptation!  They always remind me of the good times my Mom and I shared on our cruise to the Bahamas.  I was also lucky in this case since Rob decided to order a hot chocolate.  MMM!! The best of both worlds.

I ordered the brie gluten free crepe with roasted spiced apple and a side of chutney. 

I was pretty skeptical (imagine that..) of how the gluten free crepe would taste as I have eaten some of the best creperies in the world at my favorite 1513 in Clermont-Ferrand, France.  I was delightfully surprised with the melange of the flavors. I actually think this may be my new favorite Rooster crepe, however I need to try out a few more just in case. :)

Rob on the other hand ordered a roasted sirloin crepe.

He was not as impressed as I, but I am not sure if this is because this is the choice I encouraged him to select rather than what he would have picked on his own.  A lot of times when we go out to eat, he ends up liking what I order more than what he chose.  This time, not so much.  Another great thing about Roosters is they have Srichacha sauce! (the big red bottle in the background of Rob's picture)  I first heard about Srichacha sauce on the Dr. Oz show.  It is a very tasty, yet super spicy hot sauce.  It is Dr. Oz recommended as it is so spicy, just a tiny bit goes a long ways, it helps speed up your metabolism, and it helps add flavor, without a bunch of calories.  At home we use it a lot on scrambled eggs.

We were both wanting to try one of the dessert crepes, as we have yet to try one.  Each time, this time not excluded, we are so full from our meal we never have room.  The crepes taste so good, we just cannot stop eating till we clean our plates.

We made a vow that the next time we eat a Roosters, we are strictly going for the dessert crepes!  We are both looking forward our next visit.  Thanks to Roosters for a great gluten free dining experience!!

The Best Homemade Gluten Free Lasagna Recipe!

My sister and her three kids were coming over to the house and I was trying to figure out what I could feed such a group of people.  Then I remembered I owed Rob lasagna (from way before I was even started the gluten free diet), so I thought I would try it out.  I have to admit on this exact lasagna I did not let everything simmer for as long as I should, since I did not have a lot of time after work and the kids (and Rob) were pretty hungry.  I usually believe in the Julia Child method of letting things cook for awhile, so all the flavors meld together.  Also, if you would like the non gluten free version of this recipe, just use regular lasagna noodles rather than the gluten free version.  I served this 5 people who are not on the gluten free diet and they loved it!  No one knew it was gluten free till I told them. :)

Here are the directions to this great lasagna:

1.  In a Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until well browned. 

2.  Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce, and water. Season with sugar, basil, fennel seeds, nutmeg, Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons parsley. 

3.  Simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (This is where I cheated and only let it simmer about 20 mins, you can get away with this, but if you have time, simmer for the entire time.)

4.  In a mixing bowl, combine ricotta cheese with egg, remaining parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

5.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

6.  To assemble, spread 1 1/2 cups of meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Arrange gluten free lasagna noodles (I used De Boles, as this is what my local grocery store had in stock) lengthwise over meat sauce.  The best thing about the gluten free lasagna noodles is you do not have to boil them in water first, they are ready to be baked! Spread with one half of the ricotta cheese mixture. Top with a third of mozzarella cheese slices. Spoon 1 1/2 cups meat sauce over mozzarella, and sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. 

7.  Repeat layers, and top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. 

 

8.  Cover with foil: to prevent sticking, either spray foil with cooking spray, or make sure the foil does not touch the cheese.

9.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions!

Here is a list of ingredients:

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage 3/4 pound lean ground beef 1/2 cup minced onion 1 teaspoon of nutmeg 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes 2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste 2 (6.5 ounce) cans canned tomato sauce 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil leaves 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 12 lasagna noodles 16 ounces ricotta cheese 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 pound mozzarella cheese, sliced 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese