Gluten Free Mom

Naturally Gluten Free Applesauce

If you think cooking gluten free is hard, then think again - it doesn't have to be.  I was the person who never cooked.  Before kids, I was a practicing attorney in Chicago and dinner was anything you could carry out or microwave in 60 seconds or less. 

When Alex was a toddler, my idea of a meal was to tear up some ham, microwave some canned veggies and serve it with a glass of milk.  I honestly did not even know how to boil an egg before we went GF.

Then, Alex was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and everything changed.  At first we starved because gluten free was not as popular as it is now (there was no GF pizza from Garlic Jim's) and I had to learn to cook. 

I remember the first time Bart and I went out on a date and left the kids at home with their first GF meal:

We were going to a concert at Chateau St Michele and literally had no idea what to make and leave for the kids.

It may sound crazy, but it was just not our lifestyle to cook (this was before you could even find frozen GF pizza crust).

Bart was reading Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids: 150 Family-Tested Recipes and making a list of all our options (I still have this list stuck in the front of my favorite cookbook).  I had the computer on and was looking at a recipe to make a homemade pizza crust - I was so clueless that I didn't even know what went on top of a pizza. 

After two hours of reading, arguing and then finally making a gluten free pizza that our kids sorta liked, we  made it out the door.  I was so tired from cooking them a meal before we could go out for our meal, that I was just plain grippy and didn't know how we would survive.

Then we went through a phase of eating breakfast (that is eggs) for every meal.  We lived on omelets and smoothies for a while.

Eventually (as good human beings) we evolved and adapted. 

We adopted the idea that the easiest way to live gluten free is to live "simply" gluten free - eat fruits, vegetables and meats that are natural and whole and you won't have to worry about reading labels, cross-contamination or labeling. 

I actually learned how to cook - you really just have to read the directions.

And our taste buds changed.   All of a sudden my kids thought fried and processed food tasted disgusting!  I served them the GF spaghettios when they came out thinking it would be a great treat and they thought I was crazy.  They wanted to know where the good food was! Another one was applesauce.  We started making our own and then my kids wouldn't eat the packaged stuff.

And now 6 years later, they naturally snack on whole fruits and veggies (I sometimes shutter when I look back at the trash I used to feed them). 

Moral of the story - if we can do it, so can you. 

I definitely still have moments when I dread having to cook - one was last night.  I looked out and saw our apple trees were so full some branches were leaning to the ground and I thought "I should really make some applesauce."  But I was tired and it was raining, and it was Thursday night which for me is a glass wine and Vampire Diaries with my teenager (yes, I see the irony in the fact we have given up trash food for trash TV!)

Usually when I have these moments, if I just persevere and get myself going I find that the dread of doing the task (making homemade applesauce) was worse than actually doing the task.  Honestly, you can usually whip up a simple meal faster than you could drive to your local McDonalds.

So my son Luke and I (he is the applesauce maker in our family) got busy and we had a huge pot of applesauce boiling within 20 minutes.

Take advantage of the season and make some homemade applesauce. It is actually fun to make, extremely easy and extremely tasty.

To make it even easier and more fun, I highly recommend the Back To Basics Apple And Potato Peeler.  With this little tool, we can peel, core and slice an apple in a minute.  That translates into a big pot of applesauce in under ten minutes (and it is fun).

 

 

Recipe for Homemade Applesauce

 

•   8 apples - peeled, cored and chopped (see note below on types of apples)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1  teaspoon ground cinnamon

NOTE on apples: Make sure you use a good cooking apple like Golden Delicious, Jonagold, Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.) Different types of apples will make a more bitter or a sweeter sauce.  We typically use Granny Smiths because they are hard and thus easier to peel.  But they are also more bitter and require more sugar, so adjust the sugar accordingly.

Directions

1. In a saucepan, combine apples, water, sugar, and cinnamon. Cover, and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  If apples are sticking to bottom of pan, add more water.   If you have a potato masher, you can use it to chop up the apples as they cook.  If not, just keep cooking them until apples are soft and mash with a fork.

 

 

Check out our website for more great Gluten Free Recipes.

 

Ready for fall - Naturally Gluten Free Chicken Tortilla Soup

With three kids in sports this fall, I am spending 3:00 - 7:00 every afternoon driving to practices and/or attending sporting events.  One week, we had six games (not to mention practices).  Because of this, I often cook dinner at about 8:30 in the morning. 

Soup is a great easy dinner to cook and heat when you need it. 

Plus, soup is one of the easiest, most cost effective ways to naturally feed our gluten free family of five.  Monday is usually soup day for me.  I make a big pot, we eat it for dinner, the kids can take it to school for lunch and they will even eat if for snack after school.

If you want to whip-up some soup in half the time, I highly recommend the Krups Mini-Chopper. 

The Krups Mini-Choppper is one of my favorite appliances.  I got mine as a wedding gift 19 years ago and it still works great.  I love it because I can chop up a small onion in about thirty seconds.  Don't like to mince onions, just peel and throw them in the mini-chopper.  I even used it to mince the chicken for this recipe. 

Minced Garlic in my Mini-Chopper

Not only is it quick, but it is small.  Yes, it will only process about one half of an onion at a time, but when you are done it will easily fit in the dishwasher without having to take up the entire top rack (unlike my standard food processor which is a dishwasher hogger). 

I just love this chopper! 

Here  is our new favorite soup.  I got the recipe from my friend Kathy when she brought it to a girls weekend away.  Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup 

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil 

1 1/2 med onions, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

2-3 chicken breasts, diced

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1- 28 oz can diced tomatoes

2- 32 oz boxes chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa

1/4-1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup long grain rice

1 can black beans, rinsed

1-2 handfuls frozen corn
 
Directions:

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium low heat. Add onions, garlic and bay leaves. Saute 5 minutes. Add diced chicken and cumin and saute until chicken is cooked through.

Add tomatoes, broth, salsa, cilantro, salt and pepper. Bring to boil then simmer for 15 minutes. Add  rice and simmer 15-20 min until rice is soft. Add black beans and corn and remove from heat.
 
Top with gluten free tortilla chips, cheese, cilantro and salsa.

For more of our favorite soup recipes, visit Gluten Free Mom Recipes. 

 

 

Mini Cheeseballs with Gluten Free Crunchmaster Crackers

Summer is over and I am back with ton of recipes to share, travel tips for Munich Germany and Paris, and a lot of new great GF products.

As a matter of fact, it seems as if there has been a gluten free explosion lately.  Gluten free food seems to be everywhere (not all of it safe unfortunately). 

To start the fall season, are you ooking for a quick snack to serve at the next football party?  Try these yummy cheese balls made with Crunchmaster 7 Ancient Grains Crackers.  They are super tasty and take just minutes to make. 

 

Mini Cheese Balls

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 heaping cup Crunchmaster 7 Ancient Grains Hint of Sea Salt Crackers

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (2 cups shredded)

2 heaping tablespoons mango chutney (if you do not have mango chutney on hand, try 2 tablespoons of Apricot preserves)

¼ teaspoon dry mustard powder

 

Place crackers in food processor and pulse several times until ground into coarse crumbs.  Pour the crumbs into a plate and wipe out the food processor.  Add the remaining ingredients to food processor and process until fully combined.  Roll tablespoonfuls of the cheese mixture into balls (a mini ice cream scoop works well) and then roll the balls into the cracker crumbs gently pressing the crumbs into the cheese.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Makes about 2 dozen, depending on size.

 

Rest assured that Crunchmaster crackers are certifed Gluten Free by Gluten Free Certificatoin Organization.  I have also seem them for sale at Costco.

Thanks Crunchmaster for sending me this free sample and for making a great cracker that we can eat without worry.

 

 

 

Naturally Gluten Free Recipe for Risotto with Shallots and Lemon

I am not going to talk about the weather, but lets just say there is mold growing under my fingernails!

 

People who say it does not rain much in Seattle are lying.

I just heard the forecast for today:  "A chance of rain, turning to showers, with the possibility for sunbreaks later in the day."  

Where else do they differentiate between rain and showers?  And, by the way, sunbreaks are not breaks you take from the sun, they are the few seconds that the sun actually peaks through the thick cloud layer that hangs over the Pacific Northwest. 

But I ask, do you see any sunbreaks in this weather today?

I remember a couple of years ago, we were flying somewhere about this time of the year, and we had been under an incredible soupy thick layer of gray clouds for weeks.  After taking off from SeaTac we broke through the cloud layer and I was in awe of the sun - so close, yet so far away!  It was liking eating the crust of a pie!  

 

Okay, I said I was not going to talk about the weather and there you have it.  So lets just say we are still eating winter comfort food and dreaming of a vacation in Mexico.

Last night it was creamy risotto with a lemon and shallot sauce.

If you are gluten free and you have not tried risotto, you should try it this weekend.  

It is not challenging at all to make, can be spiced up in a variety of ways, is reasonably affordable and a great naturally gluten free staple.  

Risotto with Shallots and Lemon

Ingredients:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese (read below for a casein free substitution) 

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons butter (or Earth Balance for casein free)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 shallots - thinly chopped

2 sticks celery - thinly chopped 

2 cups arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)

6 cups  chicken broth  (make sure it is GF)

salt and pepper to taste 

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Directions: 

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, cream, and parmesan. Set aside.  For a casein free substitute, I mixed a couple tablespoons of lemon juice with 1/3 cup mayonnaise.

Warm the chicken stock in a medium sauce pan on low heat.   

Meanwhile, in a heavy bottomed skillet, heat  butter and olive oil, and sauté  the shallots and celery on medium heat until softened - about 8  minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes.

Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. (optional - don't worry if you don't have any)  

Add ½ cup of chicken stock to the rice and 1 t salt and ½ t pepper.

Stir and simmer until the stock is absorbed. 

Continue to add the chicken stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring every few minutes.  When the stock is just about evaporated, add more.

Continue until the rice is cooked through, but still al dente.  Start checking it after 20 minutes but it usually takes around 30 minutes total.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the reserved bowl of cream and lemon juice, and the rosemary. 

Add more salt as desired.

 

 

Have you tried risotto?  How have you spiced it up?

 

In the meantime, tonight is leftover night for us (my favorite night of the week) so I will be sitting in front of my sunlight, and waiting on those "sunbreaks."

Alexia Foods new Gluten Free Warning and a Recipe for Roasted Potatoes

I have been double-checking the gluten free status of some of the processed food we eat.  

 

This is something I really should do more often - of course, I ALWAYS read the label every time I purchase a processed food item, but labels really can be deceiving.  

 

So I have been emailing the food manufacturers.

 

Alexia Foods makes oven-baked potato products. 

 

When I emailed them, I found out that their products are now going to be manufactured in a facility where products containing wheat are also produced.  Here is the letter:

 

Thank you for your interest in Alexia Foods.

We are pleased to tell you that our potato products are gluten free. However, due to an expansion in our production, we now employ a facility where products containing wheat are also produced. While our products are produced on dedicated lines, our packaging will carry the following advisory:

Produced in a facility that may manufacture other items containing wheat or tree nuts (pine nuts)

Understanding the concerns that many gluten sensitive consumers have with cross-contamination, great precautions are taken to effectively clean the equipment in between production runs in accordance with organic and kosher guidelines. We can not, however, guarantee that there will not be trace cross-contamination.

As products are produced in the new facility the Gluten Free statement on the package will be removed. If you find any packages that have the Gluten Free statement, they were produced at the time the facility was indeed gluten free.

I hope that this information is helpful to you in determining whether or not our products are appropriate for your needs.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions or comments.

Don't want to worry about whether your potatoes have been cross-contaminated with gluten or not, try these roasted potatoes.  

They are part of our normal rotation of dinners.  

Ready in the time it takes to wash and slice some potatoes.  

I got this recipe from my dear friend Christina about 8 years ago.  It has been a family favorite ever since.

Roasted Potatoes

 

• 2-3 pounds potatoes - we love Yukon Golds
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 minced garlic clove
• a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary chopped or 1 teaspoon or so of dried rosemary
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

 At any point during the day, you can wash and chop your potatoes.  I think they taste a little more flavorful after marinating for a while, but  you will not lose much flavor if you skip the marinating time.

 

After you wash and chop the potatoes, add all of the ingredients to a galloon zip lock bag and shake.  

 

When you are ready to cook them, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

 

Pour onto a large baking sheet or shallow baking pan coated with olive oil.  For crisper potatoes use a metal baking sheet, for softer potatoes use a glass baking dish.  

 

Roast for 20 minutes, stir, roast for 20 more minutes or until they reach your desired crunchiness!  

 

Serve with some Marinated Flank Steak for a really special dinner or just grill some Lemon Chicken for a quick and lighter dinner.