Sunday, February 22, 2009
GF brunch cassarole
I grabbed this recipe from the Clan Thompson newsletter. I make one similar to this that is non GF and it is delish. I can't wait to try this out!
MAKE-AHEAD BRUNCH CASSEROLE by Connie Sarros
Connie’s newest book “Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies” (co-authored with Danna Korn) has terrific new recipes like the one below. Go to www.gfbooks.homestead.com to learn more about the book.This dish may be assembled the night before and refrigerated – then just pop it into the oven in the morning. Make a double recipe for a 9 X 13 inch pan.
3 large Idaho potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
3/4 pound low-salt ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 green pepper, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
8-ounce container sour cream
Paprika to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch-square baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the diced potatoes, eggs, ham, green pepper, and onion in the baking dish. Sprinkle the parsley, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese on top. Using a spoon, toss the ingredients lightly to distribute the cheese evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, cornstarch, and sour cream (the mixture will be thick). Spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture on top of the casserole. With the back of the spoon, smooth the topping to cover the casserole evenly. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and paprika. Bake for 35 minutes. Let the dish set for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
MAKE-AHEAD BRUNCH CASSEROLE by Connie Sarros
Connie’s newest book “Gluten-free Cooking for Dummies” (co-authored with Danna Korn) has terrific new recipes like the one below. Go to www.gfbooks.homestead.com to learn more about the book.This dish may be assembled the night before and refrigerated – then just pop it into the oven in the morning. Make a double recipe for a 9 X 13 inch pan.
3 large Idaho potatoes, boiled, peeled, and diced
5 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced
3/4 pound low-salt ham, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 green pepper, minced
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
8-ounce container sour cream
Paprika to taste
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray a 9-inch-square baking dish with nonstick spray. Place the diced potatoes, eggs, ham, green pepper, and onion in the baking dish. Sprinkle the parsley, pepper, and 1 cup of cheese on top. Using a spoon, toss the ingredients lightly to distribute the cheese evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the melted butter, cornstarch, and sour cream (the mixture will be thick). Spoon tablespoonfuls of the mixture on top of the casserole. With the back of the spoon, smooth the topping to cover the casserole evenly. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons of cheese and paprika. Bake for 35 minutes. Let the dish set for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Should the Whole Family eat gluten free?
from an article from the website www.glutenfreeclub.com
When someone is gluten intolerant, it affects everyone in the family. The big question becomes whether the whole family should follow the gluten free lifestyle. Some people say they should for the primary reason it's a healthy lifestyle if properly designed. You will eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat meat and poultry, plenty of fish and very little sugar. Anyone can achieve better health by following such a dietary plan. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to take the step of going gluten free when it's not required, or they are like my husband. He eats what I cook to be supportive which means he eats gluten free at home. But at work and out in the "real world", he doesn't worry about gluten. Let's face it, sticking with a gluten free diet in the "real world" requires constant attention to everything you put in your mouth. Now I can make a case why you should worry about all food in the interest of good health, whether you're gluten free or not, but you have to be practical too. I can't force my husband to eat right or eat gluten free. The problem can get a little trickier when you have a child who's gluten intolerant though. People with kids who have celiac disease are constantly talking about how to teach their kids how to stay gluten free in a gluten filled world. As an adult, I'm able to happily eat fresh fruit with a gluten free glaze for dessert while everyone else in my family eats cake. I tried to put myself in a kid's shoes and the whole picture changes. It almost seems cruel when you shift the picture and it's the kid eating the fruit and everyone else eating cake.But kids are very adaptable and don't like being sick any more than an adult. There are some distinct advantages to having a completely gluten free house. You don't have to worry about your gluten intolerant child being inadvertently exposed to gluten in the house. The cook won't have to cook different meals for different family members. Also, your child won't feel as if he or she is being treated unfairly, especially when there are other kids in the house. Children also learn behavior through positive reinforcement, and a whole family accepting the gluten free lifestyle is about as positive as it can get!Of course, there are some opposing viewpoints about the whole family going gluten free. Some people believe it makes it harder for the child to adhere to the gluten free lifestyle in the real world. Your child needs to learn how to say "no" to food with gluten, and if he or she doesn’t learn it at home, then how will the lesson be taught? It can get confusing to a young child. It seems better to teach your kid about making the right choices at home between safe and unsafe foods so the lesson can be carried into the world. After talking to many parents of gluten intolerant children, I've discovered each family comes up with a plan that fits the family dynamics. One lady I know uses all gluten free flours, thickeners, sauces and dressings for cooking, but doesn't ban all unsafe food in the house. The family eats gluten free meals so she doesn't have to cook separate meals, but the non-intolerant kids also have a bottom pantry shelf with snacks they can eat. I realize how much easier it is on me that "mommy" has the intolerance and not one of her babies. But if you have a celiac child, the gluten free lifestyle offers something for everyone in the family. So don't be discouraged or think life has to be overcomplicated. It doesn't! Your child has to learn to have the right attitude about living gluten free just like any adult.
from an article from the website www.glutenfreeclub.com
When someone is gluten intolerant, it affects everyone in the family. The big question becomes whether the whole family should follow the gluten free lifestyle. Some people say they should for the primary reason it's a healthy lifestyle if properly designed. You will eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat meat and poultry, plenty of fish and very little sugar. Anyone can achieve better health by following such a dietary plan. Unfortunately, not everyone wants to take the step of going gluten free when it's not required, or they are like my husband. He eats what I cook to be supportive which means he eats gluten free at home. But at work and out in the "real world", he doesn't worry about gluten. Let's face it, sticking with a gluten free diet in the "real world" requires constant attention to everything you put in your mouth. Now I can make a case why you should worry about all food in the interest of good health, whether you're gluten free or not, but you have to be practical too. I can't force my husband to eat right or eat gluten free. The problem can get a little trickier when you have a child who's gluten intolerant though. People with kids who have celiac disease are constantly talking about how to teach their kids how to stay gluten free in a gluten filled world. As an adult, I'm able to happily eat fresh fruit with a gluten free glaze for dessert while everyone else in my family eats cake. I tried to put myself in a kid's shoes and the whole picture changes. It almost seems cruel when you shift the picture and it's the kid eating the fruit and everyone else eating cake.But kids are very adaptable and don't like being sick any more than an adult. There are some distinct advantages to having a completely gluten free house. You don't have to worry about your gluten intolerant child being inadvertently exposed to gluten in the house. The cook won't have to cook different meals for different family members. Also, your child won't feel as if he or she is being treated unfairly, especially when there are other kids in the house. Children also learn behavior through positive reinforcement, and a whole family accepting the gluten free lifestyle is about as positive as it can get!Of course, there are some opposing viewpoints about the whole family going gluten free. Some people believe it makes it harder for the child to adhere to the gluten free lifestyle in the real world. Your child needs to learn how to say "no" to food with gluten, and if he or she doesn’t learn it at home, then how will the lesson be taught? It can get confusing to a young child. It seems better to teach your kid about making the right choices at home between safe and unsafe foods so the lesson can be carried into the world. After talking to many parents of gluten intolerant children, I've discovered each family comes up with a plan that fits the family dynamics. One lady I know uses all gluten free flours, thickeners, sauces and dressings for cooking, but doesn't ban all unsafe food in the house. The family eats gluten free meals so she doesn't have to cook separate meals, but the non-intolerant kids also have a bottom pantry shelf with snacks they can eat. I realize how much easier it is on me that "mommy" has the intolerance and not one of her babies. But if you have a celiac child, the gluten free lifestyle offers something for everyone in the family. So don't be discouraged or think life has to be overcomplicated. It doesn't! Your child has to learn to have the right attitude about living gluten free just like any adult.
mommies turn
Well, sorry for not blogging for so long. but, today i got my turn having an endoscopy. Yes, they tested for celiac and i will get those results next week. They found that i have some GERD and a medium sized hiatal hernia. Payson was my angel before and after the procedure. He gave me great advice. I will always treasure the moment we shared together last night at bedtime. I was giving him a kiss after bed time prayers and I asked him what he prayed for. He said I prayed that you have celiac. I asked him why did he pray for that. He said so that he wouldn't be the only one in the family. Plus he said if you have celiac you won't need a surgery just my food. I guess even if you can empathize you really can't have a full understanding of what your celiac child goes through. Payson also stayed home to "take care of mommy" while daddy took sister to dance and little brother with him. Payson was so amazing. He stayed by my side and watched a movie. He brought me a Sprite without me even asking just because he thought i might like one. He even cleaned up his room and sprayed air freshner to make the house look cleaner "because i know how much you like it". I am so proud of my little man and what a good example he is for me. He is braver then I could ever be.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Things I wish I would have known before Thanksgiving!
I can't wait to blog about my first gluten free Thanksgiving but in the mean time here's some info to file away for next year. Just put it in the what I needed to know but didn't file! Thanks for the email gluten intolerance group of Utah. Next year I will read my email BEFORE Thanksgiving!!!!!!
You need to find a turkey that does not have gluten injected into it in the broth or have a gravy packet stuck inside which can introduce contamination. All fresh turkeys usually meet this requirement, but so do many frozen ones. The best sale I have seen on turkeys this season is at Smith’s. I called Kroger foods yesterday and spent a half hour on the phone talking to their nutritionist, who assured me that their Private Selection brand is gluten free. It contains no gluten, either in the broth injected nor does it have a gravy packet in it. So there is one possibility for you. If you cook your turkey in a cooking bag, make sure you coat it with any gluten free flour.
Do not stuff the turkey with regular bread stuffing. You can cook the turkey unstuffed, and cook your favorite stuffing separately in a cooking bag for the gluten eaters among you. You can use your favorite stuffing recipe with gluten-free bread. I have also heard that if you like your stuffing on the dry side, Glutino bread sticks make an excellent substitution for bread.
There is a description of how to cook a gluten free turkey at: http://www.ehow.com/how_4589922_cook-turkey-gluten-free.html
It is pretty good, except they say you can use a turkey with a gravy packet in it and just throw the gravy packet away. My experience in our pre-GF days tells me that I have removed a lot of gravy packets that had tiny punctures in them and had spilled the gravy mix into the body cavity of the bird.
Gravy: Swanson broth is GF, use cornstarch or potato starch as a thickener.
Potatoes, yams, & cranberry sauce are fine unless someone does something creative to add gluten. Pumpkin pie filling if made from scratch usually does not contain gluten. There are gluten free pie crust mixes available as well as two recipes at the end of this email that I have not tried. I have also included a roll recipe that I do like.
There is a really yummy looking pumpkin-pie like dessert recipe at http://kitchenparade.com/2008/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars.php. It will be gluten free if you can find gluten free graham crackers or substitute GF animal crackers or other cookie for the crust.
FEATHERLIGHT BISCUITS http://forums.glutenfree.com/topic4561.html1 ¾ CUP Featherlight Mix 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 3 tsps Baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsps sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsps to 1 Tb of Flax meal (opt) 6 Tbs shortening 1 cup of buttermilk ** (or 1 cup of milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to mix. Mix the shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the liquid and gently mix until the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface (sweet rice flour) and pat to ¾” thickness. Cut the dough into 2 ½” squares or use a biscuit cutter. Place 1” apart on an ungreased baking pan (or pizza stone) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 8 large biscuits **I have found if I sub 1 cup of yogurt, it makes a very light biscuit. FeatherLight Mix 3 cups (4c) Rice Flour 3 cups (4c) Tapioca Flour 3 cups (4c) Cornstarch 3 Tbs. (4 Tbs.) Potato flour (I haven't tried this with arrowroot to make it corn free) I have used this flour mix with the biscuits and made a very light biscuit that my family loves for me to use. Multi-Grain Flour Blend: 1 1/4 c. garfava flour 1 3/4 c. super fine brown rice flour 2 c. potato starch 2 c. cornstarch 1 c. tapioca starch flour 1 c. sorghum flour or amaranth flour (I used sorghum)
Someone else used Wendy Warks mix and liked them,
7 gluten free appetizer recipes are at: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1848223_1685975,00.html
TWO GLUTEN-FREE PIE CRUSTSTender Gluten-Free Pie Crust(Adapted from Karen Robertson)Ingredients:1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (+ up to 1 tablespoon more as needed)¼ cup tapioca starch¼ cup potato starch1 ½ teaspoon guar gum or 1 ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum, not both2 teaspoons fructose9 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan margarine or shortening*1 large egg + 1 egg yolk1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or cold water(if using shortening, add ½ teaspoon salt)Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients, then cut in margarine or shortening carefully until there are no lumps larger than pea-size.
Beat together the eggs, and water or vinegar.
Make a well in dry ingredients and add egg and liquid mixture, stirring carefully with fork to combine.
When dough is just barely beginning to hold together, turn out onto a floured surface and flatten and fold, and flatten and fold again. Do not overwork dough.
Roll out carefully between wax paper.
Remove top sheet of wax paper, and invert crust into pan. Using wax paper, press crust into pan and form, then remove wax paper. Use a similar technique for top crust if using.
SOY-FREE, EGG-FREE OIL-BASED PIE CRUST(Adapted from Betty Hagman’s recipe)Ingredients:1 cup gluten-free flour blend½ cup potato starch½ cup sweet rice flour3 teaspoons xanthan gum1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons fructose3 tablespoons cold rice milk2/3 cup vegetable oilDirections:
Mix together all dry ingredients, then mix together rice milk and oil.
Make well in dry ingredients and add rice milk/oil mixture, stirring gently with fork to combine.
Proceed as directed in previous recipe.
t a chance to read. I have learned my lesson and will stay on top of it next year, but untill then I will stash this info safely on my blog. Being my first Gluten free thanksgiving I think it went well. I never really made any fancy dishes before our gluten free days so the chances of the food being unedible really were high so I'm ecstatic that no one got food poisoning, gluten poisoning, or refused to eat. Actually, I beat out stove top in a side by side taste test at the dinner table. Enjoy the info:
You need to find a turkey that does not have gluten injected into it in the broth or have a gravy packet stuck inside which can introduce contamination. All fresh turkeys usually meet this requirement, but so do many frozen ones. The best sale I have seen on turkeys this season is at Smith’s. I called Kroger foods yesterday and spent a half hour on the phone talking to their nutritionist, who assured me that their Private Selection brand is gluten free. It contains no gluten, either in the broth injected nor does it have a gravy packet in it. So there is one possibility for you. If you cook your turkey in a cooking bag, make sure you coat it with any gluten free flour.
Do not stuff the turkey with regular bread stuffing. You can cook the turkey unstuffed, and cook your favorite stuffing separately in a cooking bag for the gluten eaters among you. You can use your favorite stuffing recipe with gluten-free bread. I have also heard that if you like your stuffing on the dry side, Glutino bread sticks make an excellent substitution for bread.
There is a description of how to cook a gluten free turkey at: http://www.ehow.com/how_4589922_cook-turkey-gluten-free.html
It is pretty good, except they say you can use a turkey with a gravy packet in it and just throw the gravy packet away. My experience in our pre-GF days tells me that I have removed a lot of gravy packets that had tiny punctures in them and had spilled the gravy mix into the body cavity of the bird.
Gravy: Swanson broth is GF, use cornstarch or potato starch as a thickener.
Potatoes, yams, & cranberry sauce are fine unless someone does something creative to add gluten. Pumpkin pie filling if made from scratch usually does not contain gluten. There are gluten free pie crust mixes available as well as two recipes at the end of this email that I have not tried. I have also included a roll recipe that I do like.
There is a really yummy looking pumpkin-pie like dessert recipe at http://kitchenparade.com/2008/11/pumpkin-cheesecake-bars.php. It will be gluten free if you can find gluten free graham crackers or substitute GF animal crackers or other cookie for the crust.
FEATHERLIGHT BISCUITS http://forums.glutenfree.com/topic4561.html1 ¾ CUP Featherlight Mix 1 tsp Xanthan Gum 3 tsps Baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsps sugar 1 tsp salt 2 tsps to 1 Tb of Flax meal (opt) 6 Tbs shortening 1 cup of buttermilk ** (or 1 cup of milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice.) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and whisk to mix. Mix the shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Add the liquid and gently mix until the dough forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface (sweet rice flour) and pat to ¾” thickness. Cut the dough into 2 ½” squares or use a biscuit cutter. Place 1” apart on an ungreased baking pan (or pizza stone) Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes 8 large biscuits **I have found if I sub 1 cup of yogurt, it makes a very light biscuit. FeatherLight Mix 3 cups (4c) Rice Flour 3 cups (4c) Tapioca Flour 3 cups (4c) Cornstarch 3 Tbs. (4 Tbs.) Potato flour (I haven't tried this with arrowroot to make it corn free) I have used this flour mix with the biscuits and made a very light biscuit that my family loves for me to use. Multi-Grain Flour Blend: 1 1/4 c. garfava flour 1 3/4 c. super fine brown rice flour 2 c. potato starch 2 c. cornstarch 1 c. tapioca starch flour 1 c. sorghum flour or amaranth flour (I used sorghum)
Someone else used Wendy Warks mix and liked them,
7 gluten free appetizer recipes are at: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipes/gallery/0,28548,1848223_1685975,00.html
TWO GLUTEN-FREE PIE CRUSTSTender Gluten-Free Pie Crust(Adapted from Karen Robertson)Ingredients:1 ¼ cup gluten-free flour blend (+ up to 1 tablespoon more as needed)¼ cup tapioca starch¼ cup potato starch1 ½ teaspoon guar gum or 1 ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum, not both2 teaspoons fructose9 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan margarine or shortening*1 large egg + 1 egg yolk1 ½ tablespoons apple cider vinegar or cold water(if using shortening, add ½ teaspoon salt)Directions:
Mix together dry ingredients, then cut in margarine or shortening carefully until there are no lumps larger than pea-size.
Beat together the eggs, and water or vinegar.
Make a well in dry ingredients and add egg and liquid mixture, stirring carefully with fork to combine.
When dough is just barely beginning to hold together, turn out onto a floured surface and flatten and fold, and flatten and fold again. Do not overwork dough.
Roll out carefully between wax paper.
Remove top sheet of wax paper, and invert crust into pan. Using wax paper, press crust into pan and form, then remove wax paper. Use a similar technique for top crust if using.
SOY-FREE, EGG-FREE OIL-BASED PIE CRUST(Adapted from Betty Hagman’s recipe)Ingredients:1 cup gluten-free flour blend½ cup potato starch½ cup sweet rice flour3 teaspoons xanthan gum1 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons fructose3 tablespoons cold rice milk2/3 cup vegetable oilDirections:
Mix together all dry ingredients, then mix together rice milk and oil.
Make well in dry ingredients and add rice milk/oil mixture, stirring gently with fork to combine.
Proceed as directed in previous recipe.
t a chance to read. I have learned my lesson and will stay on top of it next year, but untill then I will stash this info safely on my blog. Being my first Gluten free thanksgiving I think it went well. I never really made any fancy dishes before our gluten free days so the chances of the food being unedible really were high so I'm ecstatic that no one got food poisoning, gluten poisoning, or refused to eat. Actually, I beat out stove top in a side by side taste test at the dinner table. Enjoy the info:
Friday, November 14, 2008
Have you been looking for a place for other celiac kids to get to know each other? I've heard of R.O.C.K. (raising our celiac kids) but have never attended anything. If anyone out there has gone to a meeting our outing in Northern Utah especially I would love to hear you're experience. But, I thought I would post their link so you could find a chapter close to you. They are a national organization. You can also check out their winter and summer gf camps.
http://gfutah.org/ROCK.htm
http://gfutah.org/ROCK.htm
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Taco del mar YUM
Taco Del Mar!!
taco del mar is by far my fave place to eat ! If we are eating out as a family it is probably going to be at Taco del mar. Almost everything there is GF. and I can have them hold the cheese for my little dairy allergy child. My favorite is the Super meat nacho. It's so big I can only eat a 1/2 size but it is so filling and surprisingly healthy. They make everything fresh that day including their guacamole! If you have a taco I suggest the soft corn they actually use 2 tortillas so they can hold up. Just remind them to put down foil on the tortilla press before they put the tortillas on there. Payson loves to share nachos but looks forward to having a kids meal chicken taco. Their kids meal is only 2.29 and comes with chips and a drink.
the following items ARE NOT GF
enchilada sauce
shredded pork meat
flour tortillas DUH!!
check out their website www.tacodelmar.com to find a location or to look at their gluten free menu. DELISH!!!!
taco del mar is by far my fave place to eat ! If we are eating out as a family it is probably going to be at Taco del mar. Almost everything there is GF. and I can have them hold the cheese for my little dairy allergy child. My favorite is the Super meat nacho. It's so big I can only eat a 1/2 size but it is so filling and surprisingly healthy. They make everything fresh that day including their guacamole! If you have a taco I suggest the soft corn they actually use 2 tortillas so they can hold up. Just remind them to put down foil on the tortilla press before they put the tortillas on there. Payson loves to share nachos but looks forward to having a kids meal chicken taco. Their kids meal is only 2.29 and comes with chips and a drink.
the following items ARE NOT GF
enchilada sauce
shredded pork meat
flour tortillas DUH!!
check out their website www.tacodelmar.com to find a location or to look at their gluten free menu. DELISH!!!!
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