Wheatless Foodie

  Experienced gluten free bakers know that cookies behave better if the dough is chilled in the refrigerator before baking, which requires a bit of planning. These cookies can be baked immediately after the dough is mixed.  They’re quick and easy to make, and it’s fun to match the color of the jimmies to the celebration at hand. Best of all, these gluten free, dairy free cookies taste like birthday cake!       Birthday Cake Cookies Gluten Free, Dairy Free   1/2 cup shortening 1/2 cup canola oil 1 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 3 egg yolks 4 tsp vanilla extract 3 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour 1 tsp salt 3 Tbsp water 1/2 cup jimmies   Preheat oven to 350F.   Mix together shortening, oil, and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, and mix until well blended. Combine flour and salt, and mix into wet ingredients. Stir in jimmies.   Scoop dough with small scoop onto parchment covered pan. Press flat with flour-di...

  These gluten free brownies are thick, rich, chewy, and so easy to make.  They're delicious with or without icing.  Adapted from a recipe posted at   What Life Dishes Out . Gluten Free Brownies 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup softened butter 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup gluten-free all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if flour blend already contains gum) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9  x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside 1 cup of the chocolate chips. In a small microwave safe container, microwave 2 cups of the chocolate chips for one minute (on high), stir, then microwave 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds until the chocolate is nearly all melted. Continue stirring to melt the remaining chocolate.  Be carefull not to overheat the chocolate as it burns easily.  Mix together softene...

  My family used to enjoy eating at Panera. Their Autumn Soup was one of our favorites. Unfortunately, it contains dairy ingredients, and one member of my household can no longer consume dairy products in addition to avoiding gluten. Needing to avoid dairy products has changed some of our family food choices. We have been somewhat selective for years because of my inability to properly digest gluten. Making some of our family favorite foods into gluten-free AND dairy-free is an added challenge, but I think it’s so nice when we can all share the same food around the dinner table. This is my version of Autumn Soup, made with butternut squash, pumpkin, other vegetables and seasonings. And it's made without any butter, cream, or other dairy ingredients. This Autumn soup is especially good served with homemade gluten free bread . Ingredient notes: Fresh pumpkin, in my opinion, tastes better than canned.   We always have at least one small pumpkin sitting around as decoratio...

This no-bake cheesecake is perfect for summer.  The cold, creamy dessert can be topped with fresh fruit or your favorite fruit pie filling.  I usually use Kinnikinnick gluten free graham crackers, but other gluten free graham crackers would work also, as would crushed gluten free cereal. No-Bake Cheesecake (gluten free) Crust: 1 box Kinnikinnick Gluten Free Graham Crackers (220 grams) 1/2 cup sugar 1 1/2 sticks butter (¾ cup), melted* Crush graham crackers.  Combine ingredients and press into 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish Filling: 2 8-oz packages cream cheese (room temp) 1 cup powdered sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2 8-oz containers Cool Whip Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and half the Cool Whip.  Mix in remainder of Cool Whip and spread over crust. Top with pie filling or fresh fruit.  Chill thoroughly before serving.   Printable Version   Layering the filling wi...

As many of you know, Google Reader and Google Friend Connect will soon be discontinued.  Please read my post at Sidetracked Artist for more information. Thank you, Cindy

This gluten free macaroni and cheese is quick and easy and made entirely from pantry ingredients.  It's for those times when you didn't plan ahead and purchase cheese, or you're running low on fresh milk, or on time and energy. Or maybe you just don't feel like having to make a dish that requires cooking the pasta, draining it in a colander (then having to wash the colander), then making a cheese sauce from scratch... Gluten Free One Pot Mac & Cheese from Pantry Ingredients 4 cups water 1 pound brown rice macaroni or fusilli 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk ⅓ pound (5.3 oz) Velveeta processed cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes ⅔ cup shelf stable grated Parmesan cheese ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon ground mustard pinch of ground white pepper To make this Mac & Cheese, bring water to a boil in a large saucepan or a Dutch oven.  Stir in evaporated milk and 1 pound of brown rice macaroni or fusilli.  Continue cooking pasta, stirring occasionally to keep i...

My family enjoys having soft tacos for dinner.  The guys have flour tortillas, and Laura and I eat corn tortillas to avoid gluten.  Store bought corn tortillas aren't that great, so I've been making homemade corn tortillas.  At first, I tried making them by hand, which didn't work well at all.  I also tried flattening them with the bottom of a pan, only to discover that the pan was slightly warped (raised in the center).  So I've been rolling each tortilla out with a rolling pin, which works alright but is kind of a slow process. I just purchased a tortilla press, and making those tortillas is so quick and easy! To make corn tortillas, combine 2 cups masa flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/4 cups water.  Mix until the dough holds together, adding a little more flour or water if necessary.  It will feel kind of like Playdoh when it's ready. Next, section the dough into 16 sections, and form each into a ball.  At this stage, I also like to ...

People who can eat anything sometimes ask, “What can you eat?”   Here’s what my family is eating this week.   Naturally, we’ll be enjoying gluten free versions of those foods that would ordinarily be made with wheat. Sunday:   Sausage and Mushroom Scramble ; gluten free pancakes made with Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix Monday: Chili and Gluten Free Cornbread Tuesday: Roast Chicken with potatoes and carrots (roasting extra chicken to use on Thursday); Orange& Hazelnut Salad (without the turkey) Wednesday: Spaghetti, garlic bread and green salad Thursday: Chicken Soft Tacos (using leftover chicken from Tuesday) Friday:   Beef Pot Pie (homemade with gluten free crust) Saturday:   Soup and Sandwiches on Gluten Free Whole Grain Bread What are you planning for this week? Cindy

People who can eat anything sometimes ask, “What can you eat?”   Here’s what my family is eating this week.   Naturally, we’ll be enjoying gluten free versions of those foods that would ordinarily be made with wheat. Wheatless Foodie Gluten Free Bread  Sunday:   Soup and Sandwiches made on Gluten Free Bread Monday:   Pork Steaks with onions and mushrooms, oven roasted potatoes, vegetables Tuesday:   Enchiladas, rice, vegetables Wednesday:   Ham, scalloped potatoes, vegetables Thursday:   Baked Beans with leftover ham, vegetables, Salad Friday: Pork Nachos made with leftover pork steaks Saturday:   Roast Chicken, creamy rice, vegetables Have a good week, Cindy

I'm home with a cold and craving hot soup.  Soup is so soothing when you're sick. In the fridge I found some leftover grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and peas.  After dicing the chicken, I put in all in a pot with chicken broth and brought it to a boil. That's it - Chicken Chowder!  I love leftovers. The soup was delicious.  All that lovely steam to soothe clogged sinuses and hot liquid going down my sore throat is just what I needed to feel a bit better. Update:  Alison at Under the Big Oak Tree made this soup (with the addition of cheese - yum!) and posted ingredient amounts here .   What have you cooked up lately? Cindy For more recipes, please visit the Hearth and Soul Hop at Premeditated Leftovers .

This Orange Cranberry Pork Roast is a delicious hot dish for a cold day and makes good use of leftover cranberry sauce after Thanksgiving. I make this pork roast in a Dutch Oven, but if you don't have one, you can brown the roast in one pan and roast it in the oven in another. First, season the meat with salt and pepper, then brown the pork roast in a little oil. Next, combine 1/2 cup brown sugar with 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. I used Tangerine Fig Balsamic, because that's what I had, but any balsamic vinegar is fine.  Pour the mixture over the pork roast. Peel and dice one large orange. Top the pork roast with the orange pieces.  I really like this homemade cranberry sauce . Pour the cranberry sauce over the pork roast. Pour 1/4 cup water into the bottom of the Dutch oven/roasting pan. Cover and place into a 350 degree F. oven for 1 hour, then roast uncovered for 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the pork is at least 145 d...

People who can eat anything sometimes ask, “What can you eat?”   Here’s what my family is eating this week.   Naturally, we’ll be enjoying gluten free versions of those foods that would ordinarily be made with wheat. Sunday:   Pot Roast, vegetables, salad Monday:   Orange Chicken, vegetables, rice Tuesday:   Leftovers from Sunday Wednesday:   Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread Thursday:   Oven FriedFish , oven fries, vegetables Friday:   Pizza Saturday:   Soup and Sandwiches

This is an interesting article about the history of grains, especially wheat, and offers some insight into why so many of us may not be able to properly digest wheat gluten. Against the Grain As you'll see, the above linked article is on the maniniglutenfree blog.  I'm currently trying some of Manini's gluten free flour products, which I'll share soon. Happy reading, Cindy

Tradition has it that some foods are considered lucky, especially when consumed on the first day of the new year.  Legumes (beans) represent coins and greens, like kale and collards, represent paper money.  Considering that these foods are really healthy anyway, eating them on New Year's Day seems like a good way to begin the new year. This evening, on the eve of the new year, I've made a pot of black eyed peas.  I made them today because soups, stews, and beans always taste better the next day.  Some notes about the recipe: If you like your beans spicy, you can use a spicier sausage, like andouille sausage in place of the kielbasa.  Ham is good too, as is the broth from simmering a ham bone, which would be an acceptable substitution for the chicken broth. I think it gives a great flavor boost to these beans, but I've only used 2 tablespoons here because nobody else in my family likes peppers.  So I just sneak in a little bit for f...

Namaste Foods, the company that makes delicious foods that contain no gluten, wheat, dairy, corn, soy, potato, tree nuts, peanuts, or casein are having a product giveaway beginning December 3, 2012.  You can visit their facebook page for details and to enter: http://www.facebook.com/NamasteFoods Good luck! Cindy

  This recipe for gluten free pie crust makes a double crust. If you’re not making two pumpkin pies, you can freeze the second crust for later. To do this, roll out the crust about half way to the size you’ll need, wrap it well and freeze. Defrost in the refrigerator for at least a few hours before rolling out. I use the Libby’s recipe for the pumpkin pie filling , but with less ginger and cloves, but the pie in the photo was made with fresh pumpkin from our garden. Oh, and just to confuse things, while the following recipe for gluten free pie crust makes two crusts, the recipe for the pumpkin pie filling is for only one pie. Tip: I’ve found that gluten free pie dough rolls out better and is easier to work with if you make it at least a few hours or up to a day ahead. The extra time in the refrigerator seems to help it hold together better. Step-by-step photos of pie crust in progress can be seen in my post about Gluten Free Orchard Fruit Pie. Gluten Free Pie Crust (d...

Most the the "gluten free" foods I consume are foods that are naturally gluten free, like fruits and vegetables.  I especially like fresh, homegrown or locally grown vegetables. When our vegetable garden is producing more than we can eat fresh, I like to store the excess in the freezer.  This allows us to enjoy our fresh homegrown vegetables throughout the year.  Since we don't grow all of the vegetables we like, I also purchase commercially frozen vegetables throughout the year.  I appreciate this convenience, but there is no comparrison between the taste of commercially frozen vegetables and homegrown vegetables, even after they've been frozen. Processing the vegetables for the freezer requires submerging them in boiling water for a short time (blanching) before freezing.  This kills any bacteria that may still be on the vegetables after washing and deactivates the enzymes can cause the quality to degrade while the vegetables are in the f...

Summer brings us an abundance of fresh fruit.  Most of this fruit is consumed raw, but sometimes we buy more that we are able to eat while it's still fresh.  This Orchard Fruit Pie is a good way to use up excess fruit and is a delicous gluten free dessert.  Here's how it's made: For the crust, combine the dry ingredients.  Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until crumbly. Mix together the egg, 1 tablespoon of the water, and the vinegar.  Work into the flour/butter mixture, adding an additional 1 tablespoon of water if needed for the dough to hold together. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured silicone baking sheet or on parchment. Place pie dough in a 9-inch pie plate, trim off the excess (or roll under for a thicker edge) and crimp. Place the pie crust into the refrigerator to chill. For the filling, combine the sugar and cornstarch, then stir the mixture into the fruit. This pie contains cherries, blueberries, and nectarines. Make the...