Thank You, Steak, for Being GF

Today I had another first - my first time having to ask someone at a restaurant if a food item was gluten free. This may not seem like a big deal. You ask a question, you get an answer. But for me, it's pretty huge. See, I don't like to be a bother, or make a fuss. For anyone. I have trouble sending food back, I almost never complain about service (although I will put in a comment if it's good), etc. So putting myself out there to hold up the line and ask a question was kind of nerve-wracking.

I ended up being Sakkio Japan's problem child. First, I had to ask two people three times before I got an answer about whether the teriyaki chicken is GF (which, by the way, was a vehement "Oh, no no no!"). Then they put fried rice instead of white rice (I was ordering for Mike, in case you're confused at this point), and I had to have them make a new one. At the very least, it helped me feel a little more comfortable about speaking up. They rolled their eyes at the rice, but not about the gluten question. And nothing exploded. Nobody died, no one kicked me out for being an annoyance. So that was good.

Of course, because I couldn't get the teryiaki chicken, I had to figure out my dinner when I got home. I had stopped at Aldi to buy meat (they have amazing steak, believe it or not), so I decided on beef tips & noodles - poor man/Celiac style. Here's the recipe (meaning, here's what I randomly threw together out of my cupboards - as usual, the measurements are estimates). No pictures - I was ravenous and didn't think to take any.

Gluten Free Poor Man's Beef Tips & Noodles

 

This recipe will serve two. Or one, if you're starving:

 

• 2 thin-sliced sirloin steaks
• 1/2 lb fettucine (I used rice, but I prefer corn & quinoa pasta)
• 1 can GF cream of mushroom soup
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 sm can of mushroom pieces
• a few dashes of soy sauce

Sear the steak in a pan. You want it browned, but not over-cooked. Mine took about 5 minutes, and it was cut very thin. Cut into small pieces and set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat soup, garlic powder, soy sauce & mushrooms on the stove and let simmer. Drain pasta, add sauce and beef. Set pan back on the hot burner for a few minutes so the pasta & steak can absorb some of the flavor of the sauce. Serve & enjoy!