Come and get it! Scratch-made Gluten in a jar! Yikes!

Wheat Gluten in a Jar

During our search for better, fun, alternative products, we seek out the Asian market is Jacksonville. Why? You may ask? Just for the sheer pleasure of different food, items, packaging…and “what the heck do you do with that?” 


My dear friends Christiane and Jenny in Asheville turned me on to making your own spring rolls. I love spring rolls and I ALWAYS order them if they’re available. I love eggrolls too but that’s a story for another time. So lets save some green and make our own! FABULOUS!


So the challenge is finding the skins. Thus the trip to Jacksonville since we ran out of the ones I brought from NC. Earth Fare in Asheville had them for about $4.00 but it was a minimum of 5 meals feeding 3 people, at least 3 rolls each, not bad for a few bucks. Now , of course since we’re baking and cooking for the multitude and giving food away since we’ll be as big as houses if we don’t…it gets expensive and honestly a little dull. So throw in rice spring roll skins and viola! Instant savings and excitement!


What I have discovered after making them for my family a few times for lunch or dinner, is that spring rolls are refrigerator clean out food. Seriously, if you can find the skins fill’em with whatever you have in the fridge. Left over chicken, pork chops, salad, eggs, noodles whatever. If you’re a purist stick to chicken or shrimp and julienned veggies, and Google a good peanut sauce recipe, which I did, altered a little and will include here. There’s also the addition of cellophane rice noodles which can dress it up if you need to.


But, after all the fun…and a new place where you can’t locate the products you’re used to finding easily…enter the Asian Market. We make a pilgrimage to Jax Asian Market supposedly behind Whole Foods on San Jose Blvd, after an hour and 2 trips to Jacksonville we have found it! Not exactly behind...but anyway...


WOW! What and experience and all I want is dried, round, rice flour skins. Well, look out…there are wheat, egg, rice, tapioca… and a veritable cornucopia of others in various sizes shapes and colors! Holy Cow, who knew? Well they did obviously, but what else could we make? This label is so pretty and this looks really interesting, and what is THAT!?


Needless to say we filled our basket, to overflowing with tasty and beautiful treats to play with and talk about in later postings, along with a fresh made Sweet Red Bean and Sesame Dumpling…marvelous. All for 15 dollars, Yeah, you heard me 15 bucks!


But the coup de gras was the “Wheat Gluten in a jar”. I looked at the display and said “are you kidding me?” you can pull it out and package it, really? WHY? Apparently they use it as a thickener or something, but this brown gelatinous mass in a jar was, well, GROSS!


Now that I know what it does to my body…yikes. It was a little frightening, I’ll admit. I’m all about trying new things but that might be pushing it. The toasted coconut drink was heavenly as was the dumpling, and I’m still interested to try a tamarind drink…but I think I’ll steer clear of ADDING Wheat Gluten to anything, now that we are better educated.


But I do recommend patronizing your local Asian Market and other local ethnic food stores, you’ll be saving money, inspired and happy you visited.


Here to better eating!

Noelle

A Good Peanut Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups chunky peanut butter (we like a good crunchy sauce, use creamy if you like)
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice or 1/2 a medium lime
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (which you can get wheat free)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper depending on your taste
• 1-2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 3 tablespoon pre minced in oil)