Los Chingones – Restaurant Review

Location : 2461 Larimer Street Denver, CO 80205

303.295.0686

If you haven’t been to the RINO district of Denver lately you are in for a surprise. The blocks of Walnut St and Larimer St from Broadway to 27th St host many new restaurants, cafes and bars and simply ooze coolness. These strips have a very industrial feel to them , one cafe being made out of shipping containers, with vibrant art thrown in and pumping music.

I decided to try Los Chingones on a Friday night after having walked past it before. They boast a great terrace dining area and a large rooftop deck for dining. They are a two story facility that have a bar on each level. Unfortunately you can not make a reservation and boy do they get busy!

We left our name at the front desk and went up to the rooftop bar whilst we waited for our table. We were originally told 25 minutes but I hadn’t even ordered my drink from the bar when they texted to say our table was ready. Unfortunately our table was inside, not on the terrace or rooftop (however I hadn’t specified).

Service was great and our waiter was only too happy to notify me of what was and wasn’t gluten free. I ordered a cocktail and the waiter made sure that the Vodka used was gluten free.

First up for the table (4 of us were dining together) we ordered the Los Chingones style guac. It’s made from RATTLESNAKE chorizo – yes you read that right, pickled jalapeno, cotija cheese and guajillo oil. $8 a serve and this is spicy! The flavours all worked terrifically, the only downside being the corn chips are not celiac safe. They are made in house and fried in the same fryer as gluten containing foods. There is something just not right with having to use a soft corn tortilla as a dipping tool…

The others on the table enjoyed Bad Ass Fundido $8 (rattlesnake chorizo cheese dip) and a plate of Tres Pigs Nachos $12. I however could not try either as the cheese sauce had a roux base so contained flour and again I could not eat the corn chips used on the nachos.

Moving on to the Tacos! Hard taco shells are not gluten free here but the waiter said that they could all be made onto a soft corn tortilla for me.

Tacos range from $3.50 – $4 each and even though they are little they are packed to the brim and are super filling. I can tell the chef had lots of fun creating the taco filling options – the range is outstanding!

I enjoyed a fish taco with spinach, charred onions and spicy tomato as well as an octopus taco with celery and sriracha – red pepper coulis. Both of these were $4. Shrimp and pork were also sampled by the table. I would say the octopus was my favourite – mainly because how often can you eat an octopus taco?!?!

I am a big eater and 2 tacos definitely filled me up – though I wish I could have tried more!

So my final say is this….

-Ask to sit either upstairs or out front, the inside dining is simply too loud and I felt like I was in a night club

-Do try the rattlesnake guac – fight through the spice it is worth it

-Come extra hungry to try multiple tacos

-Celiacs BYO corn chips!

Clockwise from top : Shrimp taco, pork taco, fish taco, octopus taco and rattlesnake guac in the middle.

Rating : Food and service 9/10

              Celiac options 5/ 10

Gluten Free Quinoa and brown rice burrito bowls

Naked burritos – one of the simplest and healthiest dinners out there, Did I mention they are super quick to make too?!

You should be able to find quinoa and brown rice mixed in most grocery stores. Some are microwavable, others will need a rice cooker.

1. one cup of cooked brown rice and quinoa

2. Cook one cup of grilled chicken mixed with a jar of gluten free Mexican salsa over medium heat in a frying pan

3. Place cooked chicken mix on a bed of rice mix

4.  top with your favorite salads , natural yogurt and coriander 👌

A delicious healthy meal in no time at all!

 

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Gluten Free Sticky Chinese Chicken

Looking for an easy Friday night dinner???

This delightful dish is what you are after!

Sticky Chinese chicken served with steamed Asian greens and rice.

1. mix 4tbsp of honey, 4 tbsp of gluten free soya sauce , 1/2 teaspoon of Chinese five spice and 1 heaped tbsp of sesame seeds.
2. Coat 5 chicken thighs in mixture and cook in pan over medium heat until chicken is white all the way through.
3. Wash and cut Bok choy and steam (either over boiling water or saute in pan).
4. Serve with cooked jasmine rice, red chili and a squeeze of lime juice.

*Thermomix owners don’t forget to use your thermie to cook your rice – steam your greens at the same time!

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Gluten Free sausage broccoli pasta

This dish just so happens to be my husbands favorite meal , sausage broccoli pasta! And it’s so easy ….

When cooking gluten free pasta I always boil a very large pot of water and add a sprinkle of salt. Some pastas will recommend using oil too so read your packaging!

My go to gluten free pasta is ancient harvest brand. It is a mixture of organic quinoa and corn. Be sure to rinse it under cold water when cooked.

1. Cook, drain and rinse pasta (use a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking once rinsed)
2.  Chop and steam a whole broccoli
3. slice an onion, cut the skin off a packet of Italian sausages and break into small pieces
4.  cook onion and sausage together with a tsp – tbs of chili flakes and juice of a lemon

      5.                              combine all ingredients together once sausage is cooked and presto!  

                                                    *  Make sure your sausages are gluten free!

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Gluten Free Pinata Cake

Today I’m sharing my favorite go to cake that always surprises!

This “piñata” cake is so easy to make and you will delight your guests.

You should all know by now that I LOVE Betty Crocker gluten free range. So first I used a gluten free yellow cake mix. Once cake is cooked and cooled slice in half and use a spoon to scoop out the middle of both layers (don’t go completely through the layers!) then press the hole down with back of your spoon to firm it up.

Fill the base hole with all your favourite gluten free candies (mine are M&Ms, sour patch kids , haribo mini frogs and cola bottles).

Then place top layer of cake on top and frost it!

I love Duncan Hines chocolate frosting!

Then sit back and watch their delight when they cut into the piñata!

Note : The candy that I used is Gluten free as of the time I used it. I know for a fact that some of these candies are not gluten free in other countries so please read ingredients on packaging carefully!

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Gluten free crumbed fish and chips

One thing I miss from home is fish and chips!

So I made my own with baked potato wedges , green salad and crumbed fish fillets. Crumbed fish was thanks to Ians Natural Food range of Panko gluten free bread crumbs.

1.Have 3 large flat bowls at the ready. Fill one with GF plain flour, one with a mixed up egg and the other with Ians bread crumbs.

2. Simply cover fish in gluten free flour, then cover in a mixed up egg, followed by the breadcrumb mixture.

I added chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, salt and pepper and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese to my bread crumb mixture.

3. Cook in a pan over medium heat with a mixture of melted butter and olive oil until fish is white all the way through and falling apart. 🐠

*I made my potato wedges by slicing up a potato to desired size,  drizzling some olive oil and salt of them and baking them for around 40 minutes at 375 degrees.

My salad – nothing fancy there, just a nice fresh salad served with my go to dressing …

Equal parts white wine vinegar to olive oil (Normally about 3 table spoons) and half a teaspoon of dijon mustard – shake!

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Gluten Free baked fish parcels

Sometimes the easiest, healthiest meals are the yummiest!

So I thought I would share with you my go to recipe for getting some fish in my diet – oven baked tilapia parcel.

1. Place 1 tsp of oil on parchment paper, 6 thinly slices of potato, topped with fish fillet, 5 thin onion rings, followed by fresh lemon slices , cherry tomatoes, fresh dill, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

2. Fold up your parcel by folding the paper over the top of the fish and tucking the sides in. You don’t want any delicious juices escaping!

3. Bake at 400 (200c) degrees for 25 minutes!

* Fish will become flaky and fall apart easily when cooked – so if using a large fillet you may need additional cooking time.

Feel free to change ingredients – capers, asparagus or Asian flavours also work great!

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Gluten Free Thai basil and chili Stirfry

Looking for a great Week night meal that’s quick, easy and cheap? Try this Thai basil and sweet chili stir fry sauce from Passage Foods.

1. Cook rice noodles as per packet

2. Dice and cook 1 onion and 1 chicken breast in medium heat pan with 1 Tbs of olive oil

3. Add simmer sauce with 1 Tbs of sweet chili sauce and 1 Tbs gluten free soya sauce

4. Combine mixed grated broccoli, carrot, cabbage and cooked noodles, stir for 2-3 minutes.

Top with chili flakes, beans sprouts, green onions, lime juice, peanuts and cilantro!

Don’t have those exact veges ? Not to worry, simply grate or finely slice whatever veges you have in your fridge! The more the better I say!

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