Last summer we went to my brother's house for the 4th of July. It was an especially warm summer, and his window-box air conditioner had a tough time keeping us cool.
So my brother's wife made a big jar of cucumber water to keep all of us hydrated. It was very refreshing!
Get one of those clear jars with a spigot on the bottom, like people use for iced tea or lemonade. Fill it with ice water and sliced cucumbers. Allow the cucumbers to steep in the water for at least an hour before serving.
It's as simple as that!
I'm a working mom with 9 years experience raising a celiac kid. I have to eat dairy and gluten free, but my daughter only has to eat GF. I'm by no means an expert, but I'm happy to share a few of my cooking tips, school lunchbox ideas, and recipes with you. I'll be posting something new once a month.
If you're curious about me, visit my other sites (shown at the bottom of this page), where I have contact forms and About-the-Author pages.
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Sunday, May 1, 2016
Gluten-free French Dip Sandwiches
It's possible to make your own French bread for French dip sandwiches, and I know that Gluten-Free Pantry has a pretty good French bread mix. I'm told Gluten-Free Goddess' recipe is tasty too. It uses one of the Pamela's bread mixes, which are a favorite of mine.
But whenever we have French dip sandwiches, we like to buy Udi's Gluten-free Baguettes. They're a little spendy, but they make the best French dip sandwiches, in my opinion. They're sort of like those almost-cooked baguettes you can buy at the grocery store; all you have to do is stick 'em in the oven for a couple minutes and they're nicely browned.
I usually make French dip after baking a beef pot roast at home the night before. Slice the leftover pot roast as thin as possible. Fill a sauce pan 1/2 full with Swanson's gluten-free beef broth (read labels to make sure it's GF) and bring the broth to a boil. Add the sliced beef to the broth. Return it to a boil, but then reduce the heat and simmer it a couple of minutes with a lid on it.
When you set your table, give each person a little au jus bowl. Ladle out the broth into the au jus bowls and remove meat with tongs.
Cut baguettes length-wise, like hot dog buns. Place sliced meat inside. Individuals can then dip their hot sandwich in the au jus before eating.
Some additions that can make a French dip taste extra yummy:
But whenever we have French dip sandwiches, we like to buy Udi's Gluten-free Baguettes. They're a little spendy, but they make the best French dip sandwiches, in my opinion. They're sort of like those almost-cooked baguettes you can buy at the grocery store; all you have to do is stick 'em in the oven for a couple minutes and they're nicely browned.
I usually make French dip after baking a beef pot roast at home the night before. Slice the leftover pot roast as thin as possible. Fill a sauce pan 1/2 full with Swanson's gluten-free beef broth (read labels to make sure it's GF) and bring the broth to a boil. Add the sliced beef to the broth. Return it to a boil, but then reduce the heat and simmer it a couple of minutes with a lid on it.
When you set your table, give each person a little au jus bowl. Ladle out the broth into the au jus bowls and remove meat with tongs.
Cut baguettes length-wise, like hot dog buns. Place sliced meat inside. Individuals can then dip their hot sandwich in the au jus before eating.
Some additions that can make a French dip taste extra yummy:
- Saute onions
- Swiss cheese
- Mustard
- French fries
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Gluten-Free California Roll Recipes (Safe for School Lunches)
The tricky thing about sushi is this: how safe can it be, when you send it to school with your kiddo? I mean, you never know what a kid might do: forget to put the cold pack in her lunch, take stuff out for a quick snack during recess, etc... So can you really trust your kid with raw fish? Probably not.
So I make my California rolls with canned tuna. It's not a perfect alternative, but it's safer than raw fish. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
Directions:
So I make my California rolls with canned tuna. It's not a perfect alternative, but it's safer than raw fish. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Nori (flat seaweed sheets)
- sticky rice
- your child's favorite veggies (carrots, cabbage, zucchini), finely diced
- ginger, very finely diced
- scrambled egg leftovers
- Tamari sauce
- canned tuna, drained
- 2 Tbsp. water
- 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
Directions:
- Have all your ingredients close by, because once the sticky rice is on the Nori sheet, it softens the Nori sheet. The longer it takes you to make this, the softer the sheet gets. And when the Nori is really soft, it tears. So you want to work quickly.
- Mix xanthan gum and water in a small dish and set aside.
- If you have a bamboo mat, lay your Nori out on that, shiny-side down. If you don't have a bamboo mat, wax paper can work as a substitute.
- Plop two heaping tablespoons full of sticky rice onto your Nori sheet. Spread the rice very thin, using the back of the tablespoon (a lot like spreading pizza sauce onto a pizza crust). You may need more rice than that. Keep adding rice until you have enough to cover the entire Nori sheet in a thin, 1/4 inch layer of rice.
- One half inch from the edge of the Nori, spread veggies, egg, and tuna in a long strip. On the opposite edge of the Nori, brush the edge with the xanthan gum/water mixture.
- Roll strip tightly (like rolling up a sleeping bag), starting at the veggie edge and working your way to the xanthan gum edge. Place the roll in the fridge for at least an hour. (You want the sticky xanthan gum/water mixture to solidify, so that may take longer if your fridge has a higher humidity.)
- With a very sharp knife, slice the roll into 1-inch cakes. Sprinkle tops of cakes with Tamari sauce.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Tips and Tricks for the BEST GF St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef and Cabbage
Okay, so I cheat. I have no idea how to make corned beef from scratch. I just go to the grocery store and buy the pre-packaged corned beef (reading labels to make sure it's gluten-free), and I plop it in the slow-cooker for our GF St. Patrick's Day tradition.
However I have learned a few tips and tricks over the years to make it turn out yummy:
However I have learned a few tips and tricks over the years to make it turn out yummy:
- My grandmother told me that when you remove the corned beef from the package, you need to squeeze all the juice out of it. That juicy stuff is what makes it tender and tasty.
- Cook your cabbage in one inch of boiling water for four minutes, no more. That way the cabbage is al dente. If it's a really large head of cabbage, I cook it for five minutes.
- Pre-slice the cabbage before serving. That way, people who like their cabbage soft can get the outer leaves; people who like their cabbage stiffer can take the inner leaves.
- Minute rice is fine, but don't use flavored rices with your corned beef and cabbage. Just cook plain old white rice. The corned beef provides all the flavor your need.
- Potatoes go well with corned beef also, but if you substitute the rice for a potato dish, keep it simple. Boiled potatoes with butter and parsley is all you need. No gravy is necessary.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
How to Make Your Own Gluten-Free Spaghetti Sauce
When my daughter, Annie, was first diagnosed with celiac disease, I had to learn how to make everything from scratch. My mother had always used pre-made, store-bought spaghetti sauce. And in those early days, I had no idea that Ragu offered gluten-free sauces. I went through a time where I was afraid to feed Annie anything at all, if I didn't make it myself.
Of course I don't mind opening a jar of Ragu these days, but quite honestly, I now prefer my own, home-made spaghetti sauce to anything pre-packaged.
So here's the recipe I use:
Ingredients
2 lbs. hamburger
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced peppers
4 med. white mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Brown hamburger in a frying pan and drain the excess fat. Add onions and mushrooms. Fry for an additional minute. Add tomato sauce, parsley, chili powder, and onion powder. Mince or crush garlic cloves and add this as well. (For some people, 4 cloves might be too strong, but my family likes a lot of garlic.) Simmer. At the last minute, add peppers and simmer for 30 seconds until peppers are al dente.
To make spaghetti, of course, you just cook noodles according to package directions and pour this sauce over your cooked noodles. Our favorite brand of GF spaghetti noodles is Tinkyada, because this brand cooks up al dente.
Of course I don't mind opening a jar of Ragu these days, but quite honestly, I now prefer my own, home-made spaghetti sauce to anything pre-packaged.
So here's the recipe I use:
Ingredients
2 lbs. hamburger
2 15 oz cans tomato sauce
fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/4 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced peppers
4 med. white mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions:
Brown hamburger in a frying pan and drain the excess fat. Add onions and mushrooms. Fry for an additional minute. Add tomato sauce, parsley, chili powder, and onion powder. Mince or crush garlic cloves and add this as well. (For some people, 4 cloves might be too strong, but my family likes a lot of garlic.) Simmer. At the last minute, add peppers and simmer for 30 seconds until peppers are al dente.
To make spaghetti, of course, you just cook noodles according to package directions and pour this sauce over your cooked noodles. Our favorite brand of GF spaghetti noodles is Tinkyada, because this brand cooks up al dente.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Gluten-free Breakfast on the Go!
The Domestic Geek made this wonderful video, showing us all how to make spinach and tomato frittatas, potato roasties, and almond breakfast bites. Each of these is made in a muffin tin, so they're handy to take with you in the morning. Thanks for this great video, Domestic Geek!
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Nutella Hot Chocolate
Yep! Nutella is gluten-free! I wish this recipe was dairy-free too, but it's not.
Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup Nutella
1/4 cup GF chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. GF vanilla extract
dash of salt
Directions:
In a medium sauce pan, on medium heat, add milk,
cream, Nutella and chocolate chips. Mix continuously with a whisk until smooth.
Turn stove to low and add vanilla and salt, mixing nonstop.
Do not boil milk products. It’s ready to serve when
hot.
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Have Fun Making GF (Pretend) Waffles for Your Dolls
People who know me in my personal life are aware that I make doll clothes. In fact, I have another blog, ChellyWood.com, where I post my free, printable sewing patterns for dolls.
And I'm a big fan of Froggy, from My Froggy Stuff! I recently discovered this video, where Froggy shows us how to make doll waffles.
The cool thing about this video is that all the ingredients are gluten free, so while you're not supposed to eat these waffles, at least we can be sure we won't be getting sick from PlayDough under our fingernails or whatever. So I thought I'd share this under the category of "Food Projects for Kids".
And I'm a big fan of Froggy, from My Froggy Stuff! I recently discovered this video, where Froggy shows us how to make doll waffles.
The cool thing about this video is that all the ingredients are gluten free, so while you're not supposed to eat these waffles, at least we can be sure we won't be getting sick from PlayDough under our fingernails or whatever. So I thought I'd share this under the category of "Food Projects for Kids".
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Eggs Benedict Recipe
This is one of my kids' favorite breakfasts! I usually make them this special treat before they leave for school on a day when they will be taking a test or going on a field trip, because it's a good, solid breakfast with lots of protein.
Ingredients:
GF bread or GF English muffins
1 Tbsp. bacon grease, lard, or dairy-free buttery spread
1 1/2 to 2 cups soy milk
2-3 Tbsp. GF flour mix (1 part rice flour, 1 part tapioca starch, 1 part potato starch flour)
salt and pepper
GF ham or Canadian bacon
slice of tomato (optional)
1 Tbsp. vinegar (less if your kids don't like the flavor of vinegar)
2 eggs
Directions:
- Toast the bread or English muffins.
- Poach eggs in a water/vinegar fry pan or use an egg poacher.
- Mix 1/4 cup of the soy milk with 2 Tbs. of flour mix until all the flour lumps dissolve into the soy milk. In a separate bowl or measuring cup, mix the extra 1 Tbsp. of flour mix with 3 Tbsp. of soy milk. Set the smaller portion aside.
- Place your bacon grease, lard, or dairy-free buttery spread in the center of a sauce pan and melt it at medium-high heat. Add the 1/4 cup soy milk/flour mixture while whisking continuously.
- When your flour/soy milk mixture thickens, slowly add more soy milk until you have a gravy-like consistency. If you find it becomes too thin, add the 3 Tbsp. soy milk/flour mix, a little at a time, until you've got a gravy.
- You can add a little yellow food coloring to make the gravy look pretty, but you don't have to. Salt and pepper the gravy to to taste.
Layer the eggs Benedict in this order:
Bottom => toast
Next => ham
Next => tomato (optional)
Next => eggs
Top => gravy
Sunday, September 6, 2015
Gluten and Dairy-Free Waldorf Salad (No Nuts)
As you can tell by the title of this post, we have food allergies at our house. Some of us are allergic to pecans; some can't eat walnuts; others are lactose and gluten intolerant. So how do I make a gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free Waldorf salad? Here's my recipe:
Ingredients:
4 apples -- cored and diced
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
dash of salt
Directions:
Ingredients:
4 apples -- cored and diced
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
dash of salt
Directions:
- Mix mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add salt to taste.
- In another bowl, toss apple, celery, and cranberries.
- Fold mayonnaise mixture in with a spatula and stir until apples are well-coated.
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Ideas for Gluten-Free Lunch Boxes for Back-to-School
So this is my list of the many great things you can put in your kid's lunchbox. They're all GF, and many of them are things a working mom can just purchase at a grocery store, so you're not spending a half hour every morning, rushing to get that lunch made:
- Glutino toaster pastries
- guacamole dip and chips
- cold gluten-free pizza
- stuff for making mini-pizzas on a GF cracker (Lunchables style)
- home-made GF lunchables (my daughter's favorite)
- GF stick day (GF pretzel sticks, cheese sticks, and pepperoni sticks)
- GF chips and salsa with bean dip
- cookie-cutter mini sandwiches
- bag of GF cereal
- Udi's muffins
- Udi's cinnamon rolls
- Yoplait yogurts (read labels) or Go-Gurts
- Del Monte fruit cups/jello fruit cups
- plain Jell-o cups
- pudding cups (read labels)
- carrot sticks
- celery sticks
- peanut butter celery sticks
- cream cheese celery sticks (read labels on the cream cheese)
- thermos of soup (see my "soups" recipes for ideas)
- S'moreables graham crackers
- Quaker GF rice cakes
- Glutino breadsticks
- Glutino bagel chips (YUM!)
- GF fruit chew snacks (read labels)
- fresh fruit
- Easy Cheese (but the bacon one has gluten)
- Fritos
- Lays Stax
- cottage cheese
- cheese sticks
- Old Wisconsin beef sticks
- Old Wisconsin summer sausage (check for GF label)
- Hormel Canadian bacon
- Hormel pepperoni slices
- K-Toos (Oreo-style cookies)
- boiled eggs
- deviled eggs
- egg salad with GF crackers to spread it on
- Cheetos
- Juicy-Juice
- Shasta sodas
- raisins
- yogurt-covered raisins
- home-made trail mix (find my recipe on this site under "lunches")
- EnviroKids rice "granola" bars
- Fruity Pebble Treats (now available in stores, always check labels)
- Popcorn
- Popcorn balls made with Kraft marshmallows
- Kraft colored mini-marshmallows
- PB&J made on Glutino crackers
- Jell-o Knox blocks
- apple slices
- Glutino pretzels or EnerG pretzels
- California roll (sushi nori) home-made with tuna instead of raw meat (for safety)
- beef strips cut from leftover pot roast (send them some BBQ sauce for dipping)
- cold quesadilla on GF tortillas
I post recipes for some of this stuff on this site, so follow me, and you'll get a new recipe once a month. My specialty is the lunchbox-stuffer, but I sometimes offer recipes for other meals and desserts as well.
Happy lunch-boxing!
Sunday, July 5, 2015
Gluten Free and Dairy Free Summer Salad Recipe: Cucumber Tomato Salad
Those of us who garden start to see the fruits of our labor this time of year (or in August for northerly climates), so I thought it would be a good idea to post my cucumber-tomato salad recipe:
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
3 medium roma tomatoes, cubed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and leave them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, to marinade. Serve cold.
Ingredients:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
3 medium roma tomatoes, cubed
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2-3 Tbsp. sugar (to taste)
1/2 cup water
3 Tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and leave them in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, to marinade. Serve cold.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Gluten Free Root Beer Float and Easy Variations
So far, my daughter Annie has been eating GF for 10 years, and in that time, we have not yet run across a brand of root beer with gluten in it. However, it's always a good idea to check with the company, read labels, etc...
However ice cream is a different story. Some ice creams do contain wheat, so be very careful. Another problem that often occurs with ice cream is cross-contamination. People dip into the ice cream, place a scoop on their cake, then go back for more with bits of cake all over the ice cream scoop. So be wary of ice cream that has already been opened.
One of the "trusted companies" which seems to label their ice cream well is Dreyer's brand. Their vanilla is pretty tasty, and it comes in French vanilla, along with the ordinary stuff.
So how do you make a root beer float? It's easy peasy!
Ingredients:
Directions:
Put the ice cream in your cup. Fill your cup the rest of the way with root beer. Ingest.
Yum!
Variations:
However ice cream is a different story. Some ice creams do contain wheat, so be very careful. Another problem that often occurs with ice cream is cross-contamination. People dip into the ice cream, place a scoop on their cake, then go back for more with bits of cake all over the ice cream scoop. So be wary of ice cream that has already been opened.
One of the "trusted companies" which seems to label their ice cream well is Dreyer's brand. Their vanilla is pretty tasty, and it comes in French vanilla, along with the ordinary stuff.
So how do you make a root beer float? It's easy peasy!
Ingredients:
- 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream
- 1 can root beer
Directions:
Put the ice cream in your cup. Fill your cup the rest of the way with root beer. Ingest.
Yum!
Variations:
- For a fruity variation, try adding one of Dryer's sherbets to 7 UP or Sprite.
- It's also possible to make colorful sodas by adding vanilla ice cream to any of the Shasta flavored sodas, like grape soda, cherry soda, or orange soda. Last time I called the company, Shasta guaranteed that all of their sodas were GF (but that has been more than a year ago, so beware).
In any case, with summer right around the corner, I thought it was time to add root beer floats to my collection of online recipes! :)
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Gluten Free Egg Flower Soup Recipe
My whole family will tell you, if there's one thing I'm good at making, it's Asian food. Or, in this case, Asian-American food.
Egg flower soup is easy as... well actually, it's a whole lot easier than pie! And here we go...
Ingredients:
1 egg
32 oz. GF chicken broth (check labels -- broth and bullion often contain gluten!)
1/2 tsp. minced ginger root
1 small leek, sliced
Tamari (GF soy sauce) to taste
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup cabbage or bok choy
Directions:
1. Bring broth to boil on the stove in a soup pan. Add leek and ginger root. Simmer 5 minutes. This simmer period helps flavor the broth. If you want your egg flower soup to have chicken in it, I'd add pre-cooked chicken along with the leek and ginger root before simmering.
2. Break your egg into a measuring cup with a pour spout and whip it with a wire whisk. Increase the temperature of your broth to medium-high and stir it in a circle while slowly drizzling the egg into the broth. You should see it create "flowers" (eggs that solidify in wisps) as you add the egg. If it doesn't form "flowers" right away, increase the heat a bit before continuing.
3. Add cabbage and frozen peas. Cook three minutes, no more, so the cabbage is still somewhat al dente, and stir periodically.
4. Add soy sauce to taste before serving.
Serves 2-3
Adaptations:
Instead of eggs, you can add rice noodles. Cook rice noodles, cabbage, and peas for three minutes. This will require another can of broth. When I make this soup, I usually add pre-cooked chicken as well, and sometimes I add veggies like carrots, celery, squash, and spinach.
If you like your soup thicker, add a tsp. of corn starch to 1/4 cup of cold water, and add this to the broth before adding the egg.
Egg flower soup is easy as... well actually, it's a whole lot easier than pie! And here we go...
Ingredients:
1 egg
32 oz. GF chicken broth (check labels -- broth and bullion often contain gluten!)
1/2 tsp. minced ginger root
1 small leek, sliced
Tamari (GF soy sauce) to taste
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup cabbage or bok choy
Directions:
1. Bring broth to boil on the stove in a soup pan. Add leek and ginger root. Simmer 5 minutes. This simmer period helps flavor the broth. If you want your egg flower soup to have chicken in it, I'd add pre-cooked chicken along with the leek and ginger root before simmering.
2. Break your egg into a measuring cup with a pour spout and whip it with a wire whisk. Increase the temperature of your broth to medium-high and stir it in a circle while slowly drizzling the egg into the broth. You should see it create "flowers" (eggs that solidify in wisps) as you add the egg. If it doesn't form "flowers" right away, increase the heat a bit before continuing.
4. Add soy sauce to taste before serving.
Serves 2-3
Adaptations:
Instead of eggs, you can add rice noodles. Cook rice noodles, cabbage, and peas for three minutes. This will require another can of broth. When I make this soup, I usually add pre-cooked chicken as well, and sometimes I add veggies like carrots, celery, squash, and spinach.
If you like your soup thicker, add a tsp. of corn starch to 1/4 cup of cold water, and add this to the broth before adding the egg.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Gluten-free and Dairy-free Tuna Noodle Casserole Recipe
I can't eat cows' milk, but like a lot of dairy-free folks, I can eat goat's milk. I used goat's milk yogurt and goat's milk cheese in this recipe, but I bet you could substitute it with soy products instead.
Anyway, here's my recipe for GF and DF tuna noodle casserole. It serves two to three people.
Ingredients:
Directions:
1. Cook Tinkyada noodles for 10 minutes at a hard boil (9 min. for more sturdy al dente). Remove pasta and drain in a colander. Return it to the pan, but keep it off the direct heat of a burner. This helps keep your noodles warm.
2. Open a can of tuna and drain the liquid into a measuring cup. Set aside. Add tuna to noodles.
3. Add grated goat's milk cheese and goat's milk yogurt to the noodles. Mix. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder, while thoroughly mixing the tuna into the noodles. Cheese should melt a bit during this stage, and that's fine.
4. Add fresh veggies to the noodle mixture. Preheat oven to 425 F.
5. Add corn starch to the tuna juice you've set aside in the measuring cup. Add cold water to the measuring cup until it reaches the 1/4 cup measurement. This means you'll have some tuna juice, some water, and 1 tsp. corn starch in a mixture that measure 1/4 cup in total.
6. Add tuna juice/corn starch mixture to the noodle mixture and blend.
7. Put noodle mixture in a greased, fairly deep casserole dish (see my images) and sprinkle Panko GF crumbs on top (crunched up potato chips work fine too). Bake in 425 F oven for 20 minutes.
Anyway, here's my recipe for GF and DF tuna noodle casserole. It serves two to three people.
Ingredients:
- 1 can tuna, including the juice
- 1/2 of a 14 oz. bag of Tinkyada "Little Dreams" (other Tinkyada pastas will work fine too)
- 2 Tbsp. goat's milk yogurt
- 2 Tbsp. grated goat's milk cheese
- 1 tsp. corn starch + cold water (see directions for measurements)
- dash of salt
- dash of pepper
- dash of garlic
- dash of onion powder
- 1 cup mixture of fresh veggies of your choice, chopped (I used carrot, cauliflower, onion, mushroom, and broccoli)
- 2-3 Tbsp. Panko GF bread crumbs
Directions:
1. Cook Tinkyada noodles for 10 minutes at a hard boil (9 min. for more sturdy al dente). Remove pasta and drain in a colander. Return it to the pan, but keep it off the direct heat of a burner. This helps keep your noodles warm.
2. Open a can of tuna and drain the liquid into a measuring cup. Set aside. Add tuna to noodles.
3. Add grated goat's milk cheese and goat's milk yogurt to the noodles. Mix. Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder, while thoroughly mixing the tuna into the noodles. Cheese should melt a bit during this stage, and that's fine.
4. Add fresh veggies to the noodle mixture. Preheat oven to 425 F.
5. Add corn starch to the tuna juice you've set aside in the measuring cup. Add cold water to the measuring cup until it reaches the 1/4 cup measurement. This means you'll have some tuna juice, some water, and 1 tsp. corn starch in a mixture that measure 1/4 cup in total.
6. Add tuna juice/corn starch mixture to the noodle mixture and blend.
7. Put noodle mixture in a greased, fairly deep casserole dish (see my images) and sprinkle Panko GF crumbs on top (crunched up potato chips work fine too). Bake in 425 F oven for 20 minutes.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Gluten-free Ham and Cheese Omelet Recipe
Yeah, it sounds pretty simple. I know. But when I first started cooking gluten-free, I didn't know how to make the most basic stuff because everything I'd ever made had come from a box.
So here's the recipe for a basic, gluten-free ham and cheese omelet.
The key is to make sure your pan, your cooking spray, and your ham are all gluten-free. Read the ingredients on the packaging for the ham and the cooking spray.
Pans can retain some gluten, if they're made of porous material like cast iron, even after they've been thoroughly washed. So watch out for that problem. I like to use non-stick pans best, because an omelet is a tricky thing to flip and/or remove from the pan.
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 thick slice of ham, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. grated cheddar cheese
cooking oil or spray
Directions:
1. If you like your omelet fluffy, use a wire whisk to really whip your eggs up good. I don't like mine very fluffy, so I usually just whip the eggs with a fork.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or skillet, using medium-high heat, and have your ham and cheese ready nearby.
3. Pour the whipped eggs into the pan. As it begins cooking, add the ham cubes to the egg by sprinkling them evenly over the entire circle of eggs.
4. Place a lid on the skillet. This ensures that the eggs cook thoroughly. Cook the omelet for 1-3 minutes. I test mine periodically by trying to lift a corner with a spatula. If it lifts out easily, it's ready to flip. If it seems a little gooey still, leave it in the pan for another minute before testing it again.
5. To flip your omelet, loosen it all around the edges of the eggs. Use a wide spatula to get under the middle of the circle-shaped eggs. Flip quickly!
6. Sprinkle cheese in the center of the omelet, reduce the heat to low, and return the lid to the skillet. Cook it another 30 seconds or until cheese is thoroughly melted. You may wish to add sauteed vegetables to the center of your omelet as well, and this would be the time to do so.
7. Flip the omelet over on itself, making it look sort of like a taco. Remove it from the skillet to a plate and eat it while hot.
So here's the recipe for a basic, gluten-free ham and cheese omelet.
The key is to make sure your pan, your cooking spray, and your ham are all gluten-free. Read the ingredients on the packaging for the ham and the cooking spray.
Pans can retain some gluten, if they're made of porous material like cast iron, even after they've been thoroughly washed. So watch out for that problem. I like to use non-stick pans best, because an omelet is a tricky thing to flip and/or remove from the pan.
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 thick slice of ham, cubed
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. grated cheddar cheese
cooking oil or spray
Directions:
1. If you like your omelet fluffy, use a wire whisk to really whip your eggs up good. I don't like mine very fluffy, so I usually just whip the eggs with a fork.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan or skillet, using medium-high heat, and have your ham and cheese ready nearby.
3. Pour the whipped eggs into the pan. As it begins cooking, add the ham cubes to the egg by sprinkling them evenly over the entire circle of eggs.
4. Place a lid on the skillet. This ensures that the eggs cook thoroughly. Cook the omelet for 1-3 minutes. I test mine periodically by trying to lift a corner with a spatula. If it lifts out easily, it's ready to flip. If it seems a little gooey still, leave it in the pan for another minute before testing it again.
5. To flip your omelet, loosen it all around the edges of the eggs. Use a wide spatula to get under the middle of the circle-shaped eggs. Flip quickly!
6. Sprinkle cheese in the center of the omelet, reduce the heat to low, and return the lid to the skillet. Cook it another 30 seconds or until cheese is thoroughly melted. You may wish to add sauteed vegetables to the center of your omelet as well, and this would be the time to do so.
7. Flip the omelet over on itself, making it look sort of like a taco. Remove it from the skillet to a plate and eat it while hot.
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Mrs. Kaiser's Healthy Gluten-Free (GF) Breakfast Muffin Recipe
I used to work with a school psychologist, Mrs. Kaiser, who recently went gluten-free. When we ran into each other at the supermarket the other day, she gave me this recipe, which sounds super healthy and yummy!
Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
2 cups flax seed meal
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup or more of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted....or other oil or butter
8 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1 T chia seeds
Directions:
Mix the preceding ingredients. Then add 1 cup of Craisins, 1 cup of coconut, and 1 cup of dried blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Mrs. Kaiser suggested that you store a dozen of them in the freezer while eating a dozen during the week. They make a very healthy breakfast!
I can't wait to try them!
Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
2 cups flax seed meal
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 cup or more of unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted....or other oil or butter
8 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1 T chia seeds
Directions:
Mix the preceding ingredients. Then add 1 cup of Craisins, 1 cup of coconut, and 1 cup of dried blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Mrs. Kaiser suggested that you store a dozen of them in the freezer while eating a dozen during the week. They make a very healthy breakfast!
I can't wait to try them!
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Gluten-Free Corn Salad Recipe
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| Image: iClipart |
2 cans (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained
2 cups grated cheese
1 cup mayo
1 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 ten-oz. bag of mashed Fritos
Mix the first five ingredients in a bowl and chill. Stir in the mashed up Fritos corn chips right before you serve the salad.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Gluten-Free Gingerbread Recipe for the Holidays
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| Image: iClipart |
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 c. shortening
1/3 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. molasses
1 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. milk or soy milk
Dry Ingredients:
1 c. rice flour
1 c. potato starch flour
1/2 c. almond flour or amaranth flour or corn starch
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. xanthan gum
Final Touch:
powdered sugar
Beat all the "wet ingredients" together (which includes a few dry things, like salt and spices). In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together until they're thoroughly mixed. Blend the two mixes until the batter is sort of cake-like (but a bit thicker than a gluten-containing cake would be).
Bake in a 9x13 inch greased pan at 350 F for 30 minutes. (I believe 350 F is approx. 175 C for those of you working with a metric oven.)
Once the gingerbread has cooled, sprinkle powdered sugar on top with a sifter, for the final touch!
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Gluten and Dairy-Free Rhubarb Cobbler Recipe NO Strawberries!
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| Image: iClipart |
A lot of people make rhubarb pies with strawberries in them, but the lady who runs our Celiac Support Group is allergic to strawberries. Not only that, but I think strawberries can make the cobbler too sweet. I enjoy the tangy-ness of rhubarb. So we made it nice and tangy.
Ingredients:
2 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
8-9 C. rhubarb, fresh or frozen, chopped to 1/2"
3 C. water
few drops red food coloring
4 T. margarine dairy-free margarine (Earth Balance)
1 C. rice flour
½ C. almond flour
½ C. potato starch flour
¼ tsp. xanthan gum
12 T. sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. dairy-free margarine (Earth Balance)
12 T. soy milk
1 ½ tsp. grated orange peel
Directions:
In saucepan combine 1 C. sugar and cinnamon. Add rhubarb, water
and coloring. Cook and stir until mixture boils; cook 2 min. more. Stir in 2 T.
margarine. Pour mixture into a 1 1/2 - 2 qt. casserole or baking dish. Keep
bubbling hot in oven. For topping, sift together flour, 6 T. sugar, baking
powder and salt. Cut in 1/4 C. margarine; stir in soy milk and orange peel.
Push topping from spoon into dollops atop bubbling hot fruit. Bake at 400
degrees for 25 - 30 min. Serve with non-dairy ice cream, like Rice Dream.
Results:
YUM!
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