Breakast Cereal

Hey, look! Cocoa Pebbles and Fruity Pebbles are gluten free!!!

Yabba, dabba, doo!!!

Lentil Crackers

A friend directed me to a box of crackers on the grocery store shelf. Mediterranean Snacks Lentil Crackers, and they were gluten free. Finding them cheaper than the gluten free crackers I had been buying, I decided to try a box. I chose the cracked pepper variety and found them to be very tasty, especially with cream cheese spread on top. Add a little slice of red bell pepper and it's a fancy snack, good enough for company even! If I should choose to share.

Easy Apple Crisp

Yesterday I made two apple pies for my son's 18th birthday. I knew without an alternative, I would cave once again and eat the gluten-filled pie, so I came up with a pretty great and easy alternative. After slicing, spicing (just cinnamon), and sweetening the apples for my pies, I set enough aside in a small baking dish for my apple crisp. I poured in a couple tablespoons of orange juice, crushed 8-10 gluten free gingersnaps in a ziplock bag, added a tablespoon of soft butter, mixed it around a bit, and put it on top of the apples. It should have baked it at 400º for 30 minutes, but left it in a little too long. (I scorched the top...) In spite of the unnecessarily long baking time, it was still very tasty topped with a little bit of ice cream. Much easier than any other gluten free apple crisp I've ever tried and much better tasting too. (The picture is before I baked it.)

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

I looked in my cupboard in search of something different for breakfast and happened upon an unopened box of  gluten-free pancake and waffle mix. It was just thing to go with the cinnamon I was craving, so I whipped up some apple cinnamon pancakes.

1/2 c. Gluten Free Dreams Pancake
and Waffle mix
1/2 c milk
1 T. oil
a few shakes of cinnamon
several tiny chunks of apple

Drop by spoonfuls onto a hot, oiled griddle and cook about 2 minutes on each side. The edges should be dry. Top with a bit of butter and some real maple syrup. Yummy!

PS. I used Saigon cinnamon because I think it's the best.

Glutinized

I am fully glutinized. When my tummy once again feels uncomfortably stretched, rumbles loudly when I go to bed, and gives off dull aches and pains, perhaps I shall revert to being gluten free once again... I'm quite certain it won't be long. Perhaps when this heat wave subsides... or maybe after pie season.

Mexican Vegetarian Stuffed Mushrooms

We have been trying new ways to enjoy vegetarian meals around here and made up a great and simple meal.

Ingredients:
2-4 portobello mushrooms
olive oil
1/2 med onion chopped
1 clove garlic
1 bell pepper
2 med stalks celery
1/2 frozen corn
1 can black beans (drained)
taco seasoning to taste
cheese

Directions
Saute onion, celery, pepper and garlic in olive oil in skillet. Once softened add corn until defrosted, then add in black beans. Add taco seasoning to taste. Wash mushrooms, dry and coat in olive oil. With mushrooms on a cookie sheet, stuff mushrooms with mixture, cover with cheese. Bake at 350 for about 10 mins or until cheese is melted and mushroom is softened.

We put a little salsa on top before eating to add some more yummy. The best thing about this is that you can add chicken or ground turkey and stuff in taco shells or even into button mushrooms to make little appetizers. A very tasty, healthy and flexible recipe.

Snyder's of Hanover

The gluten-free pretzels I normally buy were gone, so I tried these. I like them. They would be great with some kind of dip, maybe French onion... Mmmmm!

Liquid Aminos/Soy Sauce

The other day we went out and had stir-fry for dinner. I didn't really think twice about eating veggies and fried rice since it is...RICE. So when I got sick to my tummy later that evening it occurred to me that there is soy sauce in fried rice...DUH...and for those who don't know, soy sauce has gluten in it.

There's a great alternative out there for those who eat sushi with soy sauce (like me) or enjoy fried rice, or even like to add it to salads. LIQUID AMINOS. It's an alternative to soy sauce, and to tell you the truth I wouldn't know the difference between the two unless I was drinking it right from the bottle (and that's just nasty).

The one I got was Bragg liquid amino (found in the health food section of my local grocery store). My sushi and tummy thank me immensely!


Bragg Liquid Aminos is a Certified NON-GMO liquid protein concentrate, derived from healthy soybeans, that contains the following Essential and Non-essential Amino Acids in naturally occurring amounts:

16 Amino Acids
Alanine
Arginine
Aspartic Acid
Glutamic Acid
Glycine
Histidine
Isoleucine
Leucine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Proline
Serine
Threonine
Tyrosine
Valine
Lysine

Ingredients: Our Bragg Liquid Aminos are made from health-giving, NON-GMO soybeans and purified water. They are an excellent, healthy, gourmet replacement for Tamari and Soy Sauce. Not fermented or heated and Gluten-Free.

Bragg's has a small amount of naturally occurring sodium. No table salt is added. If less sodium is desired use a 6 oz. Bragg's spray bottle and dilute with 1/3 distilled water or to taste and then either add in or spray on food.

Bragg Liquid Aminos contains:
no chemicals
no artificial coloring
no alcohol
no preservatives
no Gluten
Certified NON-GMO

Strawberry Shortcake

This was a practice run for me and I think I may have handled the dough a little bit more than I should have. Even so the result was very good. My family ate the gluten-free biscuits along with me and enjoyed every bit.

I think you likely already know how to prepare the strawberries, so here is the biscuit recipe.

Shortcakes

2 cups gluten-free flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons Baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup partially softened butter
3/4 to 1 cup milk

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk gradually, stirring with a fork until dough starts sticking together. Gently shape into biscuit sized rounds. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Top warm biscuits with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Gluten-Free Baking Mix

I actually used my own gluten-free flour mix and baked some of Ann's banana bread. (No xanthan gum included.) I baked it in mini loaf pans for just about the same amount of time as the recipe called for, covering it loosely with aluminum foil the last ten minutes or so. It was a grand success!

So here is the gluten-free baking mix recipe I have. (You can even enjoy licking the spoon after pouring the batter!)

1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca four
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup coconut (or almond) flour
1 cup corn starch

I mixed a double batch and have it and the leftover flours stored in the freezer.

Xanthan Gum

I have several recipes that call for gluten-free flour, but don't ask for xanthan gum. Probably they assume it is already in my gluten-free flour mix, but I have mixed my own flour and need to know how much xanthan gum to add to my recipe. I found this handy dandy little bit of information which I hope will solve my baking dilemma.

General Tips for Using Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum in Gluten-Free Cooking

• Bread and pizza dough recipes: Add 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum per cup of gluten-free flour used in bread and pizza dough recipes
• Cake, muffin and quick bread recipes: Add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or guar gum per one cup of gluten-free flour used
• Cookie and bar recipes: Add 1/2 teaspoon (or less) xanthan gum or guar gum per one cup gluten-free flour used

Note- For best results follow recipe recommendations when using xanthan gum or guar gum.


I'm planning to try that banana bread recipe Ann posted. I'll let you know how it turns out and if the spoon is lickable.

GF Angel Food Cake

I was on a baking roll this weekend...

My mom had Celiac Disease when she was a child and while she may have out grown it, she still tries to stay away from gluten as much as possible. Since it was Mother's Day this weekend I wanted to make her favorite dessert, angel food cake, gluten free. We topped this cake with strawberries and whipped cream for a fantastic GF strawberry shortcake.

Ingredients:
1.5 cups eggs (anywhere from 9-12 eggs)
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup GF all-purpose flour **
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar

Separate eggs; discard yolks or refrigerate for another use. Measure egg whites, adding or removing whites as needed to equal 1-1/2 cups. Place in a mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, sift confectioners' sugar and flour together three times; set aside. Add cream of tartar, extracts and salt to egg whites; beat on high speed. Gradually add sugar, beating until sugar is dissolved and stiff peaks form. Fold in flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time. Gently spoon into an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Cut through batter with a knife to remove air pockets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely before removing cake from pan.

**I used the GF flour mix that I have been using for all my other baking, but from what I was reading on other websites almost any flour mixture would work. I even read that one woman used rice flour and it worked just fine, but I didn't want to risk it on Mother's Day...something I may experiment with later.

Now, this is in no way cheaper than buying angel food cake mix as it take almost a dozen eggs, but it is GF...AND you know every ingredient you are putting into it and into your body...somethings I don't think you can't put a price on!

(Sorry, no picture, it got eaten long before I thought about taking one)

GF Pineapple Upside-down Cake

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can (20 oz) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved*
1 jar (6 oz) maraschino cherries without stems, drained**
1 box Betty Crocker® Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix
Butter, water and eggs called for on cake mix box

Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). In 9x9 or 8x8 inch pan***, melt butter in oven. Mix brown sugar into melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice, and arrange remaining cherries around slices; press gently into brown sugar.

Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting reserved pineapple juice and water mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.

Bake 40 to 45 minutes (42 to 48 minutes for dark or nonstick pan) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

*I used one of those half cans of diced pineapple because it's what I had, I think a 20oz can might be too much for the smaller pan.
**only used 1/2 a jar of cherries so I could make another cake later.
***The original recipe calls for it to be made in a 9x13 pan, but the cake mix doesn't cover that big of a pan unless you use two boxes.

Gluten Free Baking

Given the fact that I am new to baking gluten free, I decided to buy a prepackaged GF flour to start. This is what I have been using.



Ingredients include: garbanzo bean flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, whole grain sweet white sorghum flour, fava bean flour.

I can find this at my health food store and even at walmart now, so until I get a better grasp on different flours and flavors, this is what I'll use (and so far seems to be working fine).

The one thing that I have noticed...I am a HUGE fan of tasting the batter before baking. This flour makes the batter taste BITTER! Don't lick the spoon when using this stuff! Everything tastes fine when it's done baking, but not before ;-)

Gluten Free Banana Bread

Needless to say, I am dying without cakes and bread...so in an effort to get the goodness in my belly without all the other stuff that goes with it, I am experimenting and found a good one:

Gluten Free Banana Bread (or muffins)

2 cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5 medium)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (gluten free of course)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, bananas, sugar, applesauce, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.

Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. loaf pans coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with walnuts. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

* I made mini muffins so I turned the temp on the oven down to 325 and baked till they were golden brown. I don't like nuts in my banana bread so I put some on top for those who like them...so I can tell which is which. Bite size goodness!*0

The Gluten-Free Bible

I bought a new book. I like it. It gives some great gluten-free ideas that aren't totally out of my price range.

I even stirred up a batch of gluten-free four blend to do some baking. I'm thinking maybe some muffins are in the near future, maybe even blueberry ones.

A Summer Salad

Fresh salad is a great gluten free meal. I buy Romaine hearts, cut two into bite size pieces, and add sliced cucumber and bell pepper chunks. That makes my salad base and I vary how I finish them from there. Sometimes I'm in the mood for cheese and Italian dressing and other times I like French or Cracked Pepper Ranch. Sometimes we add lunch meat, chicken, or hard boiled eggs. Variety keeps eating salad interesting.

For this salad I cut an apple into small chunks, sprinkle the salad with craisins (dried cranberries) and blanched slivered almonds, and top it off with Ken's Steak House Fat Free Raspberry Pecan Dressing. It's wonderful!

That Carrot Cake I Was Talking About...

Oh, so moist and oh, so yummy! It was hard to put that piece back in the cake pan this morning. (We had some for James' birthday celebration last night...)

Scroll down to find the recipe. (Or click here.)

Kristen, if you end up here, just follow the link to the recipe. :)

Molasses Cookies

I love molasses cookies and found a perfectly wonderful way to have them gluten free, The Gluten-Free Pantry Spice Cake and Gingerbread Mix!

I think I added egg, shortening, a bit of ground ginger, and a few tablespoons of molasses. The balls of stiff dough are rolled in granulated sugar and baked on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. They turn out so much like the cookies Mom used to make that I have to hide them from myself! Good thing the store was all out of mixes on my last shopping trip... Now I am down to my very last cookie. Guess it's time to start that long awaited diet.

PS. It appears this particular mix has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Now that is really, really disappointing!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

So, tonight we had gluten free spaghetti and meatballs. Rather than breadcrumbs, I take a slice or two of Tapioca bread, shred it, and add it to my ground beef, egg, and spice mixture. I also add some gluten free Parmesan cheese. (Parmesan cheese is what makes the very best meatballs.) I am blessed to have a nearby grocery whose store brand sauce is gluten free. Hooray for Wegmans! And tonight, since I was low on regular spaghetti, everyone got the gluten free variety.