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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!

4.23.2007

Asian chicken


Another real easy chicken dish. I had made too many recipes based on a seasoning mixture of chili powder, sea salt and cumin that I decided to go another route altogether. This worked nicely.

Ingredients
  • 1 chicken breast, cut up
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cane syrup (I use Steen's. You could sub honey, real maple syrup, Agave syrup, etc. I used Steen's because of the "dark" flavor it has that lends itself well to Asian dishes.)
OK -- heat a pan on the stove. Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Toss into pan. Heat until chicken's cooked (or precook chicken and then just heat to serve). Serve with a favorite veggie.

4.21.2007

Chicken or beef hash

This is a dinner dish. It's easy and a neat way to introduce veggies.

Ingredients:
- 1 chicken breast, cubed
- ketchup
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 2 potatoes, diced or cubed
- garlic
- basil
- sea salt
- 2-3 carrots, cut into sticks
- oil

Heat oil in a pan. Add potatoes and carrot. Cook for 5-10 minutes, tossing every so often. Add onion and garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add chicken after stirring in 1 tbsp ketchup. Add basil and sea salt. Cook until chicken is done or warmed. Add any other veggies you wish, beans, peas, broccoli, etc.

Enjoy.

4.14.2007

Carrot fluff


Easy dish and a different side to get away from potatoes and rice.



  • 8 carrots

  • 1/2 cup apple flesh

  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

  • 2 squirts honey/syrup/agave

  • 2 tablespoons tapioca starch, or potato or corn

  • 2 tsp baking powder

Boil chopped carrots and apple in water.


Drain. Mix in other ingredients. Mash. Puree with a hand mixer. Add water if too stiff. Reheat 1 minute. That's it.


Very tasty.

3.24.2007

Pancakes -- Spicy chicken pancakes

OK -- so this is a variation on my PizzaBurgerPancake and Spicy Chicken recipes. Very easy.

Make the spicy fish recipe. Set aside.

Make the pancake batter. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/3 cup chickpea flour, 1/3 cup potato starch and 1/3 cup tapioca starch. That's the flour base. Now add 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp garlic powder and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Mix flour well. Add 2 tbsp canola oil and 1/3 cup water. You'll need to continue adding 1 tbsp water at a time until you reach the right "pancake" consistency. And no, you don't need xanthan gum.

I heat a small nonstick pan and toss in some of the chicken with a little onion. Heat for a minute. Then pour some of the pancake batter over top, coating the chicken. Turn when the bottom side is starting to brown, just like you would with a pancake. Cook other side until starting to brown.

That's it.

3.12.2007


So, I was asked a question the other day. The answer might be helpful to some.

The question: "Where do you buy your food?"

The answer: Lots of places.

I know, it sounds complicated already. It isn't that bad and I've kind of made it a challenge. Most of the time, it's fun.

I'm a bulk buyer. You should know that up front. I buy larger quantities than normal of foods to cut the per-unit (per pound or per gallon) price of products down. This allows me to buy healthier foods for my kids than I normally could afford. I've also researched foods to find stuff my kids really can eat without fear of getting sick.

For us, that means finding stuff free of gluten and casein, and also soy, rice, corn and a few others.

So, you see the challenge. I start with a menu -- what do my kids eat? What ingredients do I need to make them those foods (after all, with that many food issues, you can't find most of this stuff on the shelf). Where can I buy those ingredients and for how much?

I put these onto a spreadsheet and created monthly buying lists -- shopping lists. I try to maintain a steady shopping budget amount each month. If one month gets too costly, I try to move non-necessities into a month that I'm able to spend more.

The end result of this process answers the question of 'Where do I shop?' Now, I'm from Western Pennsylvania, but I'm convinced you could use this model almost anywhere. In rural areas, you'd have to rely more on mail order items -- still possible. I just bought 75 lbs. of flour from Bob's Red Mill, for example, and saved a ton from buying the same stuff four blocks away at the grocery.

Here's my list:

: East End Food Co-op -- this is a typical food co-op. You'll find them across the country. Search for one using this site - click here. Common buys: some produce, cold cereal, sea salt, baking powder (aluminum free), corn chips, rice milk by the case (20% discount), egg substitute, shampoo and soap (soy free), etc.

: Frankferd Farms -- this is a local food supplier with a focus on organics. I buy some produce, bulk rice, some bulk flour, nuts, dried fruit, carob powder (chocolate allergy), etc. Look around and you might find an organic wholesaler in your area. They often deliver long distances for big orders.

: Restaurant Depot -- this is a chain that serves the food service market. I joined after starting a very small business delivering foods from the places I shop to others. Most cities have businesses like this to serve local restaurants, etc. Find one. You'll find products in large sizes. I buy Heinz ketchup, Lays potato chips, tomato sauce, kosher hot dogs, potatoes, etc. from here, often at great discounts.

: Wal-Mart/Sams -- most of our day to day shopping is done at local community markets or Wal-Mart and Sams. Among them, I take advantage of specials on paper and plastics, cosmetics and other stuff.

: Kennedy Farm -- we buy our beef and poultry from a local farm. This farm north of Pittsburgh sells each weekend in the city. The product is not organic but I have talked with the farm and expressed our concerns regarding gluten, etc. The meat they sell is far better quality than supermarket stuff -- and believe it or not, less expensive. You can search for farms in your area at this website -- click here. Use the search engine function.

: Pacific Pectin -- this is my xanthan gum supplier. If you're going to bake gluten-free, you'll need xanthan gum. It's a binder. It's very expensive. Some places sell this for $10 a half pound. You'll buy it for half that at pacific pectin -- the wholesale supplier -- even with shipping costs. YOu have to buy at least 5 lbs. and store. This will last a long time.

: Miss Robens -- i buy some items from here, including gluten free shampoo and conditioner. also get corn-free baking powder. they also sell flours and candy.

: Bob's Red Mill -- flour, flour, flour. I buy tapioca flour, potato starch and sorghum flour here. I buy 25 lb. bags of each and have it shipped. I still pay far less then the store. I'd also buy my chickpea flour here but Frankferd Farms makes its own at a local mill.

So, there's a look at where I buy. It's a long list, but remember, with bulk buying, I'm not buying at every story each month. Some, I may only buy from twice a year.

Hope it helps.

2.18.2007

Chocolate treats -- a simple cookie


This is an easy everyday cookie recipe. It's chocolate and it you notice, it's really my roll recipe, converted to a drop cookie recipe. That's what makes it so easy. To make life even easier, make 2x, 3x or 4x the recipe and freeze. These freeze nicely. So, here's the recipe. Make up your own name.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup carob powder
3 tsp egg replacer powder(Ener-G)
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
Mix this well. Then add, 1/2 cup canola oil and 1/2 cup water. Add extra water by the tablespoon if too chunky. You want this to be smoother, but not liquidy.
Beat with blender.
Using WET hands, form rough circles and place on ungreased cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Bake at 400 for 12-15 minutes. They will be very soft coming out of the oven but will firm up as they cool.

2.04.2007

Meatloaf

This is easy.

Ingredients
----------------
1.5-2 lbs ground beef
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp Heinz ketchup
1 small onion, cut fine
1/4 cup broth -- homemade gfcf
1/2 cup gfcf bread/roll/cracker, etc.
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp chili powder (optional)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 egg, beaten or 1 egg substitute (Ener-G)

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients well. Bake for 30-45 minutes, ensuring meat is thoroughly cooked using a meat thermometer.