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EZ GFCF | A Gluten Free Recipes Blog

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If you are GFCF and looking for gluten free recipes, reviews and engaging discussion, then this blog is for you! We have posted a wide variety of gluten free recipes and information since 2006 for people struggling with Celiac, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, other health concerns and food allergies. Thankfully, there's been great progress with gfcf food selection and ingredient listings since this blog's first posts. Please join us!

7.22.2007

Ginger spice cookies

The neat thing about this recipe is you can make two different cookies using the same recipe. Confused? Don't be. It's simple. This really is a slight variation of a ginger snap cookie recipe. I've made it two ways -- one with more liquid and one with less. The difference is one version comes out like a crisp spice cookie and the other a soft, moist spice cookie. To my kids, it's two different cookies and allows for some variation.

Ingredients
-------------
1/2 cup gf flour -- either sorghum, chickpea, millet, etc.
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch or 1/2 corn starch *see below
1/2 cup sugar
3 tsp egg replacer
1.5 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp molasses (or cane syrup or agave syrup or honey)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Blend. Bake at 375 for 12 minutes. This recipe tends to make a crispier, crunchier cookie.

To make softer cookie, add 1/4 cup molasses rather than just 1 tbsp. Bake same.

*Note: I interchange the potato starch and the corn flour sometimes. The starch makes a lighter, chewier cookie. The flour makes a denser cookie with a different flavor.

7.17.2007

Non-dairy ice cream

So, do you have a child who can't eat ice cream of any kind? Try this.

This is a non-dairy, non-DariFree, non-rice milk, non-almond milk, non-soy milk ice cream.

It's chocolate but either cocoa or carob may be used. And, it's easy.

3/4 cup tapioca starch (or arrowroot or corn starch)
1/4 cup cocoa or carob powder (i use soy-free carob)
1.5 cups warm water
2 tbsp organic Spectrum shortening
1 tsp xanthan gum
3/4 cup powdered sugar (i make my own from organic cane sugar)
1 tbsp syrup of any kind (i use steen's for this)
1/2 tsp cinnamon (opt.)
1/4 tsp ground cloves (opt.)

In a blender, pour the hot water. Add the shortening. Add the starch and carob/cocoa powder. Add xanthan gum, sugar, syrup and spices. Blend on low 30 seconds. Blend on high 30 seconds. Pour into freezer safe container and freeze overnight.

This really was an experiment that sorta worked. My kids ate it. I'm still tinkering with the recipe. I may try a version using coconut milk next. Stay tuned.

7.07.2007

A meaty decision

So, no recipe today. Instead, I want to talk about meats, poultry and fish. And, where to buy them if you're following a strict diet made tricky by allergies and intolerances -- not just to ingredients, but preservatives and additives. I know, meat's not just meat, sometimes.

Everybody will have their own choices, based on where they live and how much they have to spend. I have to limit my cost and weigh that against providing my kids with choices. I also don't want to feed them too much beef, for example, because of its high fat and cholesterol content. Nor do I want to give them too much fish, because of health risks.

I buy meat both from a local farmer and from some national companies. And here's why. I hope it gets you thinking, too.

My local farmer lives about 30 miles away but sells each weekend at a local farm market, open all year. He sells beef, pork, poultry -- and that sometimes includes hot dogs, fresh turkey (for holidays) and both breakfast and dinner sausage. I also can speak with him face to face and ask him specific questions about how the meats are handled and made. I've been able to tell him about my daughters and the foods they cannot eat for medical reasons so he understands my concern. And, he's been able to assure me about most of his products. Some, as he pointed out, have some added spices, for example, that I might want to avoid. And, his prices tend to be even lower than the local supermarket -- not to mention that they are free of preservatives and hormones. What a deal.

Sometimes, my local farmer doesn't have hot dogs, and my kids love them. And, he doesn't sell lunch meat, and my kids are getting near to an age where lunch meat is handy. He also doesn't sell fish -- not running a fish farm. So, I look elsewhere. Some good companies I've come across that you might check out are Applegate Farms, Boars Head, Shelton's and Wellshire Farms.

These companies tend to offer foods I can use and they show exactly what's in their foods. They also make it easy to contact them with more questions. Boars Head is good for lunch meats. The others offer hot dogs, sausage, cuts of poultry, lunch meat, jerky and link snacks, etc. Many of these are uncured, with no preservatives and sometimes organic. Excellent stuff. You can order online or find these at a local food co-op or organic store. I buy the uncured, but not organic, hot dogs from Applegate Farms thru a food co-op in bulk -- cutting down the price. I buy Boars Head lunch meat from my local supermarket (I have them slice it first thing when they open so it's not contaminated by other meats). I buy Shelton's turkey dogs and am considering their breakfast sausage. Wellshire Farms makes a great dinner sausage that my kids love -- made from turkey, but you'd never know it.

Hope this helps.

5.26.2007

Corn bread

A healthy and quick corn bread is easy to make. Great for snacks.

BLOG UPDATE: Please note that this recipe was updated Nov. 1, 2007. I found this version to me much better.

Ingredients
------------
1/3 cup corn meal
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sorghum flour
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
pinch sea salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp syrup -- cane, maple, honey, etc.
2/3 cup water

Heat oven to 350. Grease 8x8 pan with organic vegetable shortening. Mix dry ingredients. Add liquids. If too lumpy, add more water. Spread evenly in pan. Bake for 12 minutes. That's it.

5.02.2007

Garlicky chicken

I've read how garlic is a natural detoxifier and I try to work it into as many recipes as possible. Others to consider, and read about on your own, are cilantro and cumin. Back to garlic. This dish is very simple -- Garlic Chicken.

Ingredients
-----------
2 chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into strips or nuggets.
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp sea salt
2 cloves garlic, crushed
tapioca starch

OK, this takes no time at all. Cut the chicken and put in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and stir to coat. You just want enough oil to coat the chicken, not drench it. You don't add oil to the pan. Next, sprinkle the sea salt and enough tapioca starch to coat, maybe a couple tablespoons. Stir the chicken to get that light coating on. This isn't a coating like a chicken nugget, just a very light starch coating. As the pan's heating to medium high, crush the garlic and chop. When hot, toss the chicken in along with the garlic, mixing it around. Stir to cook all sides evenly. Serve.

5.01.2007

Farmer's breakfast

I don't have a photo of this but may add one later. This is a great weekend treat and a chance for the whole family to eat together. Some of this depends on whether you can eat eggs or not. If you can't, just delete it. Make the rest. It'll still be great.

Ingredients
------------
2 eggs per person
2 sausage links per person (pork or turkey is fine -- check out Wellshire Farms products for some excellent allergy-free, nitrate-free options, or if you wish, buy from a local farmer)
AND/OR 2 strips bacon (same options here has with sausage, and check out Applegate Farms products for another option)
Pancakes -- see recipe here
Pure maple syrup, honey, Smuckers jam or agave syrup, etc.
Rolls
Mellon, oranges, bananas, etc.

Enjoy your family!

4.30.2007

Taco Pie anyone?


My kids love Taco Pie, which is a recipe in Lisa Lewis' Special Diets for Special Kids Two. We call this pizza, because it looks like deep dish pizza. And, I've modified the recipe a little in a way that actually creates a "cheesy" texture to the inside. So, to get the original recipe, you'll have to buy the book. Here's my version:

Ingredients
------------
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 medium onion, chopped
taco seasoning mixture -- see recipe below
1 cup milk substitute (I use Darifree)
2 eggs (I use Ener-G egg substitute)
1/2 cup flour baking mix -- see recipe below
1/4 cup salsa (either homemade or I also will use Tostitos brand milk salsa. Frito Lay claims this is GF, CF, MSG free, soy free and egg free. See the company's allergen info here.)

So, first, cook the beef over a medium heat with the onion.

While it's cooking, make the taco seasoning. This is 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp chili powder, 1/2 tsp crushed dried red pepper, 1/4 tsp oregano, 1 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp tapioca starch, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp cumin. Mix well.

Heat oven to 400.

Now, make the flour baking mix. This is my version.
- 2.75 cups gf flour (3/4 cup sorghum flour, 1 cup tapioca starch, 1 cup potato starch)
- 1/8 cup baking powder
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2-3 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 cup canola oil
Mix the dry ingredients well in a bowl. Pour in oil. Then mix well with a beater to blend oil in.

Grease a pie plate. I use Spectrum organic shortening.

Drain meat mixture. Pour into pie plate and spread around.

Top with salsa, as much or little as you want. I do it in blotches. If I don't have salsa, I pour a little ketchup here and there.

If you're using egg subs, make them first and let sit a few minutes.

In a bowl, combine milk sub, egg (or egg sub), and baking mix until blended. It may be a little lumpy and that's OK. It will be liquidy. Pour over the meat mixture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out cleanly.

Easy variations of this are hamburger pie, by eliminating salsa and taco seasoning. You could add an onion seasoning mix to this if you wanted.