The Gluten-Free Homemaker

Since going gluten free, there are only two things I have really missed. One is Auntie Ann’s pretzels. I have fiddled a little bit with making gluten free soft pretzels, but I haven’t come up with anything great. The other is a calzone from Three Brothers Italian Restaurant.  My favorite is their spinach calzone, but the meatball one is great also.

Then, a few weeks ago I saw a recipe for gluten-free calzones at Gluten Free Mom.  They looked great, and I decided to give them a try. I also decided to participate in Book of Yum's Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event.

Gluten Free Mom has recipes, product reviews, and information on celiac disease and raising a celiac kid.  You will enjoy visiting the blog if you haven’t already. I followed Jamie’s calzone recipe as is except that I used instant yeast.  The calzones turned out really well, and it was so nice to eat them again. The dough is rather heavy and very filling, but that’s the way any gluten-free dough that you can roll, cut and pinch is going to be.

My whole family enjoyed these and I will definitely make them again.  Thanks, Jamie!

Labels: adopt a gf blogger, main dish recipes

It’s time for another review of some great gluten-free dinner ideas. The links for April 7 were included in the last review, but I thought it would be nice to have a review from the whole month. The links next to the date are my dinner ideas for that week. If you would like to join us for What’s for Dinner Wednesday, you can read the guidelines here.

April 28, 2009 - Mexican Casserole #2

1. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang Buffalo Chicken Mini Burgers
2. Rachel (Pork Roast.. slightly sweet.)
3. Brian (Garlic Chicken Pizza)
4. Heather @CeliacFamily (Gumbo)
5. Gina (Pasta Carbonara)
6. JoAnn (Breakfast Quiche)
7. Kim Smith (Morning Glory Muffins)

April 21, 2009 - Leftover Roast Beef Ideas

1. Emily (black beans and rice)
2. Kelly (Chicken & Rice)
3. Heather (Tilapia Parmesan)
4. Jessie (Potato Soup)
5. Gina (Rice and Battered Fish)
6. WendyGK (Tamale Pie)
7. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (California Cobb Salad Burger)
8. Rachel (Baked Cavatelli)
9. Daniel Munday, Sydney\'s Fat Loss Expert
10. Brenna (Crockpot Chickpea Coconut Curry)

April 14, 2009 - Beef Onion Mix Over Rice

1. Carrie @ Ginger Lemon Girl (Biscuits and Gravy)
2. Brian (Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake)
3. Jessie (Rock Day Taquitos)
4. Mikki (Chicken & Bacon Alfredo)
5. Brenna (Chicken, Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili)
6. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Chicken Burgers & Black Bean Cakes)
7. Rachel (Chicken Cordon Bleu)
8. WendyGK (GF Homemade Ravioli)
9. Gina (Scallops over quinoa)

April 7, 2009 – Easy Beef Enchiladas

1. Rachel (Acorn Squash & Carmelized Carrots)
2. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Turkey-roni Saved)
3. Wendy (Quiche)
4. WendyGK (Beef Stew under pressure)
5. Brenna (Cinnamon Raisin Bread)
6. Gina (Ceviche)
7. Mikki (Accidental Soup)
8. Brian (Jalapeno Jelly for Fajitas)
9. Gluten-Free Living (Quinoa Stuffed Peppers)
10. JoAnn (Crockpot Chicken Parmesan)

Labels: What's for Dinner Wednesday

Welcome to What’s for Dinner Wednesday (gluten-free style). At the end of my recipe you will find links to other blogs with gluten-free dinner ideas. We would love for you to join by adding your link. If you have not participated before, please read the guidelines here.

There are so many ways to make a Mexican casserole, and as you can see, I am not creative with names. These casseroles always seem to be a big hit, though. Here’s another one my family likes.

Gluten-Free Mexican Casserole #2

Ingredients

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped (optional)
• 1 pkg. gluten-free taco seasoning
• lightly crushed tortilla chips
• 1 can beans, drained (pinto, navy, kidney, whatever you like)
• 1 can enchilada sauce
• 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook and drain the beef and onion. Add the taco seasoning mix and prepare according to the package directions. Put lightly crushed tortilla chips into a rectangular baking dish about 9 x 13 inches. Use enough to cover the bottom. Sprinkle the beans evenly over top. Spoon the beef/onion mixture over the beans. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over all of it. Top with more chips and the cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

What did you have for dinner this week?

1. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang Buffalo Chicken Mini Burgers 2. Rachel (Pork Roast.. slightly sweet.) 3. Brian (Garlic Chicken Pizza)

4. Heather @CeliacFamily (Gumbo) 5. Gina (Pasta Carbonara) 6. JoAnn (Breakfast Quiche)

7. Kim Smith (Morning Glory Muffins)

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Labels: beef, main dish recipes, What's for Dinner Wednesday

There are some things in life we have no control over, such as developing celiac disease and having to follow a gluten-free diet. We do, however, always have control over our attitude.  My brother-in-law says, “It’s more fun to have fun.”  It’s so true. Why have a complaining, woe-is-me attitude and make your life miserable? Having an attitude of gratitude for the good things in life makes life much more fun.

My mom has been a great example. When I was only a baby she had both retinas detach. She ended up being blind in one eye and having poor sight in the other. Although she had three young kids and could not drive, I never heard her complain. We rode our bikes a lot and my dad became the chauffeur. He never complained either.

When I found out I had celiac disease, I was relieved. Like many others, I was terribly sick and was grateful to have an answer. I knew that following the gluten-free diet would be hard, but I was happy to be alive. I was also grateful I didn’t have to take drugs.  While the gluten-free diet has been challenging, it has motivated me to do more cooking and baking from scratch. I have tried so many new recipes, and I’ve learned to eat foods I didn’t know existed before (such as quinoa). Reading labels has made me more aware of what is in processed foods and has helped me make better decisions about the foods we eat.

The reason I’m writing about this topic today is because Kathryn at This 'n That From on the Mountain has nominated me for the Attitude of Gratitude Award. Thanks Kathryn!

I have chosen to nominate ten gluten-free bloggers. While none of us is perfect about having a good attitude all the time, I believe these bloggers benefit the gluten-free community by their positive attitudes toward living and eating gluten free. I find ten to be a difficult number. It enables me to include so many people, but I fear that a few might feel left out. I appreciate many gf bloggers and they are all deserving of this award.

My nominations, in no particular order:

• Dana at Gluten Free in Cleveland writes about eating gluten free in the Cleveland area as well as product reviews and recipes.
• Kim at Gluten-free is Life does a lot of product reviews and menu plans.
• Rachel at Living Without Wheat has recipes and menu plans.
• Marlow at Gluten Hates Me but I'm Surviving has recipes and product reviews.
• Debbie at The Gluten-Free 'Dish' has recipes and information on living gluten, dairy, rice and sugar free.
• Heather at Life, Gluten Free writes about living with celiac disease and allergies as well as parenting.
• Wendy at gluten-free greenie does product reviews and recipes.
• Gina at The Gluten-free Gourmand provides recipes and product reviews.
• Emily at Celiac Underground shares tips and information about living gluten free.
• Wendy at Celiacs in the House provides recipes and menu plans.

Your instructions are:

• put the logo on your blog or post
• nominate at least 10 blogs that show an an attitude of gratitude
• link to your nominees within your post
• comment on their blogs to let them know they've received this award
• share the love and link to this post and the person who nominated you for the award
• tell us how you've come to have an attitude of gratitude

Labels: celiac disease, gluten-free diet

It’s funny. I can’t remember what wheat based coffee cake was like. I don’t think the texture of this cake is quite the same. Similar to my drop biscuits in texture and taste, this cake is delicious though.  I looked at several recipes before coming up with this one. I tried cutting the sugar and fat and it worked well. If you want a sweeter cake, increase the sugar by another 1/2 cup. I liked the fact that it wasn’t very sweet and that it used freshly ground whole grain sorghum. My family (including me) ate this up in a snap, although no one had coffee with it.  Having a particularly early dinner one evening, we enjoyed this later for dessert/snack.

I had a can of cherry pie filling in my pantry which I used, but I prefer to stay away from products with high fructose corn syrup. You can certainly make a filling yourself, such as my huckleberry topping. I used butter and milk in this recipe, but I think it would work well using oil and a milk substitute, if you are dairy free.

Gluten-Free Fruit-Filled Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. sorghum flour
• 1 c. potato starch
• 1/2 c. tapioca starch
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1/4 c. + 2 Tb. milk
• 21 oz. can pie filling or about 3 c. homemade filling

Instructions

Using a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for several minutes until fluffy.  Combine the dry ingredients and add them alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour mix.

Spread about half the batter (maybe a little more) into the bottom of a sprayed or greased 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan. Spread the pie filling over the batter. I dropped spoonfuls onto it and then spread it out with a fork.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.  If you give it a try, let me know how you like it.

Labels: breakfast recipes

For this week’s Friday Foodie Fix at The W.H.O.L.E. Gang, the theme is asparagus. My whole family likes asparagus.  However, I only have one recipe and it’s not really a recipe. It goes like this.  Lightly steam asparagus, add a little butter and salt, and enjoy!

When I came across a recipe in The Washington Post for Asparagus, Shrimp and Spring Pea Salad,  I decided to give it a try. You’ll notice my title says snap pea because that’s what I used. Only two out of the five people in our family like shrimp, and everyone except me is not thrilled with vinaigrette.  Therefore, I knew this wouldn’t go over too well, but I made it anyway. I hoped everyone would try it, though I’m not sure they did. My husband was willing to try it until he found out that everything was cold (and supposed to be that way)! The recipe makes six servings, so I have quite a bit left. I’ll enjoy it for lunch, and hopefully it will get eaten before it goes bad. I kept some shrimp plain for the one kid who likes it, but didn’t like the vinaigrette. He’ll definitely eat all the plain shrimp!

While I liked this salad, I didn’t love it. Since the family didn’t like it, I probably won’t make it again. If the ingredients sound appealing to you, though, it’s worth a try. I don’t think the picture does it justice. It was a very nice looking plate of veggies and shrimp.

Labels: vegetables and side dishes

The Seattle Times article, Recipe: Gluten-Free Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies gives a recipe from a new book “Easy Gluten-Free Baking” by Elizabeth Barbone.  I like her idea of making two logs from the dough, freezing them, and using them for slice and bake cookies.
I haven’t tried the recipe myself, but I thought some of you might be interested in it. If you give it a try, let me know how the cookies turn out.

Labels: recipe links

Welcome to What’s for Dinner Wednesday (gluten-free style). At the end of my recipe you will find links to other blogs with gluten-free dinner ideas. We would love for you to join by adding your link. If you have not participated before, please read the guidelines here.

This week I decided to repost a dinner idea that I wrote about months ago.

(originally posted 10/28/2008)

I recently cooked a large roast that turned out a little dry and tough. It was okay, but nobody really wanted it for leftovers. Here's what I often do in those situations.

Cut the beef into chunks and put it into a food processor. Process until finely chopped. You could try a blender if you don't have a food processor or just chop it finely by hand. I then use the beef in one of the following ways:

• Add some mayonnaise and make a sandwich spread out of it
  
• Use it as you would ground beef in casserole recipes
  
• Use it as the meat in spaghetti sauce
  
• Make a thin gravy from the leftover broth, add the meat, and serve over noodles, rice, or mashed potatoes

The problem of the meat being tough is solved by chopping it up, and the dryness is solved by putting it with something moist. My family enjoys the variety and flavor it adds to these dishes.

How do you use your leftover roast beef?

1. Emily 2. Kelly (Chicken & Rice) 3. Heather (Tilapia Parmesan) 4. Jessie (Potato Soup)

5. Gina (Rice and Battered Fish) 6. WendyGK (Tamale Pie) 7. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang California Cobb Salad Burger 8. Rachel (Baked Cavatelli)

9. Daniel Munday, Sydney\'s Fat Loss Expert 10. Brenna (Crockpot Chickpea Coconut Curry)

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Labels: What's for Dinner Wednesday

Mornings are often busy, and I like having a homemade breakfast that I can put together the night before.  This casserole fits the bill, but it doesn’t have to be made ahead.  This delicious dish is like quiche and toast wrapped into one.  Add fruit and you have a complete, filling, breakfast. Any gluten-free bread will do for this recipe. It’s a great way to use up dry bread. The amounts given are flexible. Just make sure you have enough egg and milk to cover the bread.

Gluten-Free Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

• 6 slices gluten-free bread
• 6 slices bacon (or use sausage or ham)
• 6 green onions
• 6 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• shredded cheese

Instructions
Break the bread into pieces and place in the bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Combine the egg, milk, salt and pepper and pour over the bread. Let it sit while you cook the bacon (I use turkey bacon) and chop the green onions. Add the onions and bacon (cut in pieces) to the dish. Cover with some shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until set in the middle.

View Printable Recipe

This post is linked to the Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom.

Labels: breakfast recipes

Last week was intensely busy for me, so once again I’m late passing on some news. If you haven’t heard, next month Starbucks will begin offering a prepackaged cake.

“The pastry, called Valencia Orange Cake, will be made with seven ingredients which are all 100 percent gluten-free, the company said. The cake will be sold in individually wrapped packages for $2.25 each and will be available beginning May 5.”

To learn more read this article at Forbes.com.

Labels: miscellaneous

By now you may have already heard this news. In Australia, Dr. Bob Anderson is working on developing a celiac disease vaccine, and a phase one trial is being conducted.

Dr. Anderson said,

"The vaccine itself is intended to gradually desensitize the coeliac sufferer, so that gluten is tolerated. Consequently, the villi in the small intestine should revive and absorb nutrients in the normal way. Ideally, that would mean the end of gluten-free diets for people with coeliac disease."

You can read more about it at Medical News Today.

I have mixed feelings about this vaccine, but since trials are only beginning, it’s not something that needs to be sorted out right now. If you have any thoughts on it, leave a comment and let me know.

Labels: celiac disease

This bread truly hits the spot. It satisfies any bread cravings you may have, and you can make it in under an hour.  My recipe is adapted from Carol Fenster’s recipe in Gluten-Free 101. It’s a small book, but contains some great bread recipes and is well worth the price. She also has some recipes on her site Savory Palate. One important part of baking this bread is a trick that Carol discovered—putting the dough into a cold oven and turning it on to bake. The dough rises as the oven warms and produces a nice French bread crust.

I love Carol’s original recipe and only decided to vary it because I was out of her flour mix. Since I was going to play with the flour ingredients, I decided to also make it dairy free. I think you could play with the flour mix yourself and get good results if you follow the instructions. Being in a hurry and having several interruptions when I made this, I’m not sure it turned out as well as it could have. One loaf in particular ended up with some very large air pockets which I did not have with the original recipe. However, the flavor was terrific.

A French bread pan is required to give the loaves their shape and help them bake properly. When I finally bought one, I wondered why I had waited so long. If you don’t find one at a store, you can find French bread pans at Amazon.

Gluten-Free French Bread

Ingredients

• 1 c. sorghum flour
• 1 1/2 c. potato starch
• 1/2 c. tapioca starch
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tb. sugar
• 1 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. guar gum (or xanthan)
  
• 1 1/2 Tb. instant yeast
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 3 large egg whites
• 1 tsp. cider vinegar
• 1 c. warm water (105 – 115 degrees)

Instructions
In the bowl of your mixer, combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil and egg whites and mix to incorporate. Add the vinegar and most of the water. Beat for 2 minutes, adding the remaining water if needed to make a soft dough. (I added the whole cup, but a little less might have been better.)

Spoon the dough onto the pan and carefully shape with a spatula. Because the dough is soft, it will go through the small holes in the pan. Don’t press hard when shaping. If you like, you can brush the top with beaten egg white. Use a sharp knife to cut several slits in the top of each loaf. Place the pan in a cold oven on a middle rack. Turn the oven on to 425 degrees and begin timing for 30 – 35 minutes. Cool the loaves on a wire wrack before slicing. It’s okay to slice them while warm, but not when they are hot.

View Printable Recipe

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Labels: bread recipes

Welcome to What’s for Dinner Wednesday (gluten-free style). At the end of my recipe you will find links to other blogs with gluten-free dinner ideas. We would love for you to join by adding your link. If you have not participated before, please read the guidelines here.

Today I’m going to give you a glimpse into an area of food ignorance for me. Peppers. That’s right. I don’t like them and therefore don’t know much about them. When I grew up, the only peppers I remember being in the house were green bell peppers, which my mom liked, but I hated. We never ate Mexican food.

Having never liked spicy hot food, it’s not surprising that my family doesn’t like it either. We like Mexican food, but we always go for mild sauces. Generally, I don’t cook with peppers, but I have learned to occasionally eat and cook with red bell peppers. They are definitely better than the green ones! Now here comes the ignorance part.

I had some thin steaks that needed to be used so I cut them into strips and made a fajita type mix. I added sautéed onions, a can of diced tomatoes, chili powder, garlic powder, and cumin. I thought red bell pepper would go well with this, but I didn’t have any. I did have a bottle of crushed red pepper though! Without looking at the picture on the bottle or the directions, I dumped at least a tablespoon into the beef mixture.

Some of you are laughing now! It was too hot for our tastes, but since that was the only food fixed for dinner, we ate it. I didn’t have any tortillas, so I served it over rice. There were leftovers that night (I can’t imagine why) that no one wanted to eat the next day. Being one to not waste food, I ate the leftovers for lunch and had some tortilla chips with it to help get the spice out of my mouth.

If we were able to eat this dinner, then I’m sure it was just right for many of you. After dinner I took another look at the crushed red pepper bottle and realized the pepper on the picture was not a bell pepper! The bottle also said “Use a dash to 1/8 tsp. in most recipes for 4 servings unless very hot food is desired.”

Aside from the pepper mistake, it was a good meal and would have been great without all the spice. Next time, I’ll buy a red bell pepper.

1. Carrie @ Ginger Lemon Girl -- GF Biscuits and Gravy 2. Brian (Dessert, Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake) 3. Jessie (Rock Day Taquitos)

4. Mikki (Chicken & Bacon Alfredo) 5. Brenna (Chipotle-Kissed Chicken, Red Bean and Sweet Potato Chili) 6. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang Mini Tomatillo Chicken Burgers and Mini Black Bean Cakes

7. Rachel (Chicken Cordon Bleu) 8. WendyGK (GF Homemade Ravioli) 9. Gina (Scallops over quinoa)

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Labels: What's for Dinner Wednesday

Sometimes you just get a hankering for particular foods. (My parents grew up in the country so I learned to use words like “hankering”.) The other evening I had a hankering for peanut butter, which I don’t bake with often because peanuts upset my husbands stomach. However, he was out for the evening, and I really had a hankering for it. But not only peanut butter, it had to have some chocolate with it, and oats sounded mighty good too. These bars are the result of my cravings, and they hit the spot!

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Bars

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1 c. peanut butter (check ingredients)
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 3/4 c. brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. gluten-free flour mix (I used Bette’s mix)
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 c. gluten-free oats*
• 1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Instructions

With your mixer, cream together the butter and sugars. Add the peanut butter and mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well. Mix in the flour mix and baking soda. By hand, stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Spread into a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool, at least partially, and enjoy!

*You can read information on gluten-free oats at the end of this post.

Labels: cookies/bars, dessert recipes

There have been some great gluten-free dinner ideas in recent weeks. I thought it might be helpful to put them together in one post. If you’re planning next week’s menu this weekend, perhaps you’ll find some inspiration here. A link to the recipe I posted each week is listed after the date.

April 7 - Easy Beef Enchiladas

1. Rachel (The Sweeter Side.)
2. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Turkey-roni Saved)
3. Wendy (Quiche)
4. WendyGK (Beef Stew under pressure)
5. Brenna (Cinnamon Raisin Bread)
6. Gina (Ceviche)
7. Mikki (Accidental Soup)
8. Brian (Jalapeno Jelly for Fajitas)
9. Gluten-FreeLiving (Quinoa Stuffed Peppers)
10. JoAnn (Crockpot Chicken Parmesan)

March 31 -Hamburger Soup

1. Brian (Enchiladas)
2. Rachel (Beef Curry)
3. Jessie (Simple Salmon)
4. Wendy (Turkey Meatball Stroganoff)
5. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (Veg Huevos Rancheros)
6. Gina (Steak, roasted potatoes)
7. Melanie (Potato salad and more)

March 24 - Beef Barbecue Sandwich

1. Brian (Lasagna)
2. Debbie (BBQ Turkey Meatballs)
3. Gina (Tinkyada Brown Rice Pasta)
4. Jessie (Crepes)
5. Marlow (Roasted Tomato & Leek Pasta)
6. Cheryl (Frittata)
7. Wendy (Quick Skillet Pasta)
8. Stacey (Beef Stew)
9. JoAnn (Beef and Bean Burritos)
10. Rachel (Leftover Chicken remade.)
11. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang (cookies from Ali)
12. Daniel Munday (quick healthy dinner)
13. Melanie (Macaroni and cheese)

March 17 - Spicy Western Beans

1. Jessie (Noodles at Noon)
2. Rachel (It\'s Pizza Night)
3. Wendy (orange basil chicken)
4. Melanie(sweet and sour chicken)
5. Marlow (Grown Up Mac and Cheese)
6. WendyGK (Black Beans Two Ways)
7. Liz (Flank Steak & Bacon Spinach Salad)
8. Gina (Trout with cream sauce)
9. JoAnn (chicken & mushrooms with pasta)
10. Brian (South of the Border Turkey Burgers)
11. Cheryl (eggy tuna salad)

Labels: What's for Dinner Wednesday

Amazon.com has a number of sales going on this month. I thought you might be interested in their Natural and Organic Groceries Sale which includes products from EnviroKidz, Nature’s Path, Newman’s Own Organics, and others. Be sure to take note of the special offer at the top of the page to save $15 and get a free Earthwise shopping bag. Click here to see the sale. Most offers end April 30th.

Labels: miscellaneous

When I was a kid, my mom would try to make perfectly good food healthier by adding things like nuts, raisins, and wheat germ. We never liked it. I remember her making buckwheat pancakes, and I thought they tasted awful! Now I’m a mom and I try to make healthy food, too, but it has to taste good.

Until the other day, I hadn’t eaten buckwheat since I was a kid. I was curious to find out if it was as bad as I remembered, so I made a small batch of gluten-free buckwheat pancakes. Well, I don’t know if my mom had a bad recipe, or bad buckwheat, or if my tastes have just matured, but those pancakes were good!  It wasn’t just a mom thing either, because the whole family liked them.

I looked up several different recipes and combined them into my own recipe.

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 c. buckwheat flour*
• 1/4 c. potato starch
• 1/4 c. gluten-free flour mix (I used Carol Fenster’s sorghum blend)
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2/3 c. milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 c. cooking oil

Instructions
In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  In a separate bowl or glass measuring cup, combine the milk, egg, vanilla, and oil, beating slightly with a fork. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk together well.

Let the batter sit and thicken for a few minutes. Heat a skillet very hot and spoon the batter onto the skillet. These brown quickly, and you might need to turn them before you see bubbles on top. Use a spatula to see how brown they are getting. This recipe made 9 medium pancakes.

View Printable Recipe

This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Mondays at Simply Sugar & Gluten Free.

Labels: breakfast recipes

Early last week I was thinking, “I’m going to make enchiladas this week and write about it for next week’s What’s for Dinner Wednesday.” Then, wouldn’t you know it, Brian did enchiladas last week. He also did it way better than I could. However, I’m going to write about my enchilada dinner anyway. I used beef instead of chicken, and I took some shortcuts. Life is very busy here and will be for the next couple of months. That means I’m taking shortcuts in dinner preparation because it’s better than going to McDonalds!

Easy Gluten-Free Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• chili powder (about 1 Tb.)
• ground cumin (about 1/2 tsp.)
• 12 corn tortillas (I used store bought)
• shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 – 2 cans enchilada sauce (check ingredients, I used Carlita)

Instructions
Brown and drain the ground beef. Add the onion and sauté until tender. Add the chili powder and cumin. If you have two cans of sauce, add about half a can to the meat. I only had one can so I didn’t do this and it was a little dry, but still good.
Place the tortillas on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven for about 5 minutes while you preheat it to 375 degrees. Keep an eye on them. You want them to be warm but not dried out.

In a large rectangular baking dish, spoon some of the enchilada sauce into the bottom. I used about 1/4 can. Place some beef/onion and a little cheese in the middle of each tortilla. Fold the sides in and place each one folded side down in the baking dish. They should be snug. Spoon the remaining enchilada sauce over top and sprinkle with a little cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.

I put together a salad while it was baking and had dinner ready in about 40 minutes total. I didn’t actually time it. It could have been less. The family enjoyed this meal and found it filling.

This recipe is also part of Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

1. Rachel (The Sweeter Side.) 2. The W.H.O.L.E. Gang-Turkey-roni Saved From 3. Wendy (Quiche) 4. WendyGK (Beef Stew under pressure)

5. Brenna (Cinnamon Raisin Bread) 6. Gina (Ceviche) 7. Mikki (Accidental Soup) 8. Brian (Jalapeno Jelly for Fajitas)

9. Gluten-FreeLiving (Quinoa Stuffed Peppers) 10. JoAnn (Crockpot Chicken Parmesan)

Labels: beef, main dish recipes, What's for Dinner Wednesday

Mary lived with celiac disease for years without a diagnosis.  Interestingly, she always disliked pasta, was not a big fan of bread, and tended to eat rice and corn based cereals. However, the disease still took its toll on her body.

“Aside from always being quite petite and having trouble gaining weight, my major symptoms included migraines, bloating/cramping and a neuropathy in my right arm.  Although I saw numerous specialists (neurologists, rheumatologists, various surgeons and even a psychologist) about the migraines and the neuropathy, no one ever suggested celiac disease might be the cause.  Part of the treatment I underwent for the neuropathy resulted in the loss of function of my right arm, which I gradually regained with intense physiotherapy.  I required special accommodations through the last few years of high school and all of my university to be able to handle writing tests and exams. I had many, many tests, including several nerve conduction tests, ultrasounds, MRIs, and a variety of tests requiring the ingestion of radioactive cocktails and large expensive machines.”

Mary has several relatives with celiac disease. Her mother was the first person to be diagnosed, and after doing some research, concluded that Mary should be tested as well.  Mary was diagnosed with celiac disease based on blood tests and biopsies, and she had a second biopsy done several months later to confirm healing.

She has been gluten-free since 2003. Being on a gluten-free diet improved all her symptoms and the neuropathy disappeared! She noticed that she became much more sensitive to gluten after she stopped eating it. Even trace amounts would cause vomiting and other gut issues.

Mary’s biggest challenge has been eating out. She has found that it requires advanced planning. One of her most memorable experiences was when she was asked, "Just to confirm - gluten-free means you can't eat any meat, right?"

Eating with friends and family can also be complicated. She has found that few people have any concept of how to avoid cross contamination. Then it is hard when people try to accommodate you, but end up making an error. She says, “The pressure to eat it anyway can sometimes feel overwhelming.” She tries to explain in advance and have her own substitutes on hand.

Looking on the bright side, Mary says there is a lot more support for celiacs than there used to be, there are more foods and mixes available, and the gluten-free diet encourages healthy eating.

Mary reminds us, “It is currently recommended that first degree relatives should all be tested for celiac beginning in childhood and repeated at intervals over a period of some years, regardless of symptoms.” See this article, the University of Chicago site, and the Columbia University Medical Center site.

To learn more about Mary, visit her web site, Parenthood.

Labels: gluten free stories

I’ve mentioned before that I like to make bars rather than cookies. They don’t look as nice, but they are quicker to make, and when they are just going to be devoured by my boys, it doesn’t matter. Of course, my husband and I never devour cookies. J

I have already given you this gluten-free pudding cookie recipe. I wanted to mention that it also works well in bar form. I spread the batter in a jelly roll pan and baked it about 25 minutes. This time, I used half butter and half coconut oil. It worked fine, but definitely gave it a coconut flavor. We liked it, but it overpowered the flavor in the butterscotch pudding that I used. However, that’s the great thing about these cookies. You can mix and match flavors as you like.

If you need a delicious, quick and easy dessert this weekend, you might want to give these a try.

Labels: cookies/bars, dessert recipes

Last Saturday I attended a gluten-free vendor fair which was put on by a local celiac support group. It was wonderful to be around so much delicious food and have it all be gluten-free. All the vendors had samples available, which were mostly desserts and breads. One company had hot soup which was a nice change.

There were three raffles held during the day.  Each raffle contained numerous gluten-free baskets with books and goodies that were contributed by vendors and stores. I won a small basket which contained several Chebe Bread mixes. It also contained a gift certificate to a local bakery which makes beautiful and delicious gluten-free breads and desserts. Since the bakery was represented at the vendor fair, I used my gift certificate the same day. My family drooled over the Boston cream pie, coconut cake, and black bottom cupcakes that I brought home. They were small, but big enough for me to share with everyone. (Sorry, I forgot to take a picture.)

I thought I would list some of the vendors that were present because they might be new to you. Click on the name to visit their web site.

Chesapeake Gardens - “Chesapeake Gardens offers a full line of ready-to-heat soups, chowders, chili and sauces. Our all-natural, gluten-free products use fresh, local ingredients! We carefully prepare our foods so they provide two essential benefits: flavor and health.”

Gluten-Free Naturals - “Premium gluten-free baking mixes and other fine gluten-free foods.”

Joan's GF Great Bakes - “Great taste and texture is what sets our products apart from the rest.  Dry, crumbly, pre-packaged baked goods are a thing of the past. Imagine - fresh, hot, crusty, chewy New York Style Bagels whenever you want, the delicious smell of cookies baking in your oven without taking out your mixer, or a real sandwich on soft, chewy, fluffy sandwich rolls! All of our products come ready-to-bake, easy to make, and are fresh when you want them.”

Jules Gluten Free - “If you’ve found your way here looking for an uncompromised approach to gluten-free baking, if you’re in search of delicious, tested recipes, if you’re looking for a patient-expert’s take on living gluten-free…you’ve come to the right place.”

Meister's Gluten Free Mixtures - “David and Rhonda Meister are gluten free flour specialists. Their goal is to allow people to bake gluten free more easily and to enjoy scrumptious baking. They also want to empower the food service industry to better serve all people with dietary restrictions.”

Mr. Ritt's Bakery - “An expanding bakery located in Millville, NJ, we cater almost exclusively to the celiac community and offer gluten-free desserts virtually indistinguishable from our original wheat based products. We have to say virtually, because a few of our products actually taste better now that we've converted them to gluten-free recipes!”

Namaste Foods - “We are a small (but growing!) manufacturer of fine foods that contain no wheat, gluten, corn, soy, potato, dairy, casein or nuts. In business since 2000, we continue to strive to be the best at what we do so that you can enjoy all the foods you’ve known and loved all your life.”

Spice of Life - “We bake goodies that are not only gluten-free, but packed with nutritious grains and organic ingredients.  We believe in providing delicious, HEALTHY breads and sweet treats that just happen to be gluten-free!  Even people are not gluten-free will enjoy our baked goods for the nutritional benefits alone!”

Labels: gluten-free diet