Best Gluten Free Food in Astoria

Not sure if you've heard, but May is National Celiac Disease Awareness Month, which means that we recognize folks who live a gluten free lifestyle.  A serious genetic condition that triggers a prohibitive reaction in the small intestine, Celiac disease is an issue for about 1% of the population.

Luckily I don't have this disease, but I'm sensitive to the folks that do and take note of gluten free food in the neighborhood.  I've even tried a gluten free diet to see how it would impact my lifestyle, and I was pleasantly surprised by how many restaurants in Astoria are conducive to it.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Ovelia - Probably the place with the widest selection of gluten free items on their menu, you can find things such as kafteri (hot peppers with feta), clams bouboristi, grilled calamari, baked lima beans in tomato sauce, grilled coffee steak and more.  All gluten free menu items are marked with a circle on their menu.  34-01 30th Avenue, Astoria. 718.721.7217

Watawa - Sushi is a great choice when it comes to Gluten Free items, and I always enjoy Watawas's renditions such as a simple yellowtail scallion roll, a spicy tuna or an eel avocado.  Their specialty rolls are also intriguing such as the Pauline Roll with shrimp tempura and spicy crabmeat, the Ocean Tiger roll with lobster salad, avocado and more.  33-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.  718.545.9596

Mojave - Going out for Mexican food is also a safe bet when eating gluten free - just make sure you get the corn tortillas vs. the flour.  I've recently tried their grilled fish tacos and the steak and enchilada combo, which was especially delicious.  22-36 31st Street, Astoria. 718.545.4100

Bareburger - Loving the gluten free options at this organic burger joint, you can get any burger on a gluten free tapioca bun.  I've enjoyed my burger in this way on many occasions,  and it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between this and a regular flour bun.  There's several other gluten free items on the menu and they are all clearly indicated, which makes things easy.  33-21 31st Avenue, Astoria. 718.777.7011. 23-01 31st Street, Astoria. 718.204.7167

Parrot Coffee Market - I always enjoy visiting this specialty foods store that boasts tons of gluten free foods such as their extensive olive bar, various dried fruits and nuts, as well as an rich selection of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free products.  The latter is especially great for making homemade gluten free pancakes (pictured above), pizza, corn bread and other goodies.  31-12 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria.718.545.7920

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes = Awesome Breakfast

As I'm nearing the end of my gluten free diet, I thought I'd share this easy recipe for gluten free banana pancakes.  I got the idea to make this dish because I was getting bored with eating gluten free cereal each morning, and needed a bit of variety.

Investing in Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free pancake mix, putting it together was a total cinch.  The outcome was a hearty plate of thick pancakes, which had bananas both inside the batter and on the outside too.  A little bit of natural maple syrup and some apricot preserves made this dish complete for me, and it sustained me for a good part of the day.  Here's the simple recipe:

Gluten Free Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups of Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pancake Mix
1 large egg
3/4 cup of milk
1 tbsp of vegetable oil
1 tbsp of butter
1 whole banana, sliced
Maple syrup and/or your favorite preserves to put on top

Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together except for the bananas.  The batter can still be a little lumpy.  Add the bananas and mix gently until incorporated.

Heat a non-stick skillet (or griddle if you have one) until super hot and coat with a 1 1/2 tsp of butter.

Scoop batter onto the hot skillet (or griddle) with a 1/4 measuring cup.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until the top bubbles up.  Flip over to the other side and cook for about another minute or until the other side is golden brown.

Serve with sliced bananas on top, and some marmalade and syrup.  Enjoy this tasty gluten free treat!