Amazing Gluten Free Lunch/Dinner “A La Carribean”

Amazing gluten free lunch/dinner ‘a la caribbean‘ choices abound that are luscious! Rotisserie meats, abundant seafood, enticing salads, my favorite plantains, and a whole lot more await you. There is no need to be fearful of traveling to the Caribbean. Just open your palate and taste buds, and see that the food is good.

Plantains, casava root, and yucca are staples in the Caribbean. These three choices give you sources of healthy ‘starchy’ carbohydrates that are easily digested and taste delicious. Plantains are offered fried several differing ways. They are also offered mashed, which is a dish called ‘Mangu”. I am told that the name comes from when a man was served the dish and explained….”Man, good!” Not sure if this is a true story, or just the great sense of humor of the Dominican people.

At the resort that I am blessed to be at, the buffet as well as all the restaurants are excellent . The wide selection of foods is mouthwatering, as you can see from the pictures. The first picture was taken on my first day, at the buffet. You can see that I have some rice on my plate. I learned quickly that I much prefer the plantains, (fried in this picture) to the rice.

As I largely eat grain free, I reserve my times of rice for extremely rare occasions. There are an abundance of plantains, yucca and cassava root cooked in a variety of ways. The third picture is of a subsequent visit to the buffet. The fourth and fifth pictures I just took as I am eating lunch with a view of the beach (picture 2).

What I have delightfully discovered, is that there is no need to fill in with rice here. The alternate choices are so fresh. The roots and plantains are abundant and very tasty. My stomach has been satisfied, but not heavy at all. A happy digestive system makes for a very happy gfmama!

The appetite basket consists of fresh plantain, yucca and cassava root chips. They are light and tasty, and for the gluten and grain free lover in me – they go down easy and no ‘heavy thump in the gut!’ There is no salt or sugar added, which allows me to taste all the goodness. I will be talking with the chef to learn how to make them at home. I feel an idea for a new blog coming on…..haha!

If you have paid attention to the newest offerings of chips in the regular and natural grocery stores, you may be familiar already with these roots and plantains. However, let me tell you that they have nothing on the fresh varieties I am eating down here. The absence of salt and sugars is a remarkable difference. The salty offerings in the stores are hard for me to eat, as there is so much salt I can’t taste them like these fresh varieties I am having. Wow! The difference is so amazing to my palate.

Ok, now on to the meats, seafood, and chicken. Limes grow plentifully here, and so are used with spices to give the proteins a very fresh flavor. I am told they marinate the meats overnight, whenever possible, and the resulting taste is light and very tasty. Grouper and MahiMahi are plentiful, and so I have eaten much. Shellfish abound as well, and octopus. The last picture, a trio of fish creviche I have had as often as possible. The 3 offerings are of shrimp, grouper, and octopus, in bowls made from fruit shells. It is simply delightful.

Lastly, but not in the least, there is one more item that I feel I must introduce to you. It is called MamaJuana. According to Wikipedia, “Mama Juana (or mamajuana) is a drink from the Dominican Republic that is concocted by allowing rum, red wine, and honey to soak in a bottle with tree bark and herbs. The taste is similar to port wine and the color is a deep red.” All of my new Dominican friends encouraged me to try this when they learned that I am writing about my stay here. I did, and though I am not a ‘shot drinker’, I found I really liked it. It is spicy and smooth. The last picture indicates how much I really have enjoyed my MamaJuana!

The only part missing from my latest grand adventure…..I really miss my Grain Free Mama’s Crepes! Next time I will bring some and share with all of my friends down here!

As always, please leave your comments and suggestions. I love hearing from people! Visit my website at www.gfmamas.com.