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Celiac.com 01/25/2009 - It’s a brand new year with a brand new vibe. I’m excited to be launching a new year of education and advocacy on behalf of the gluten-free community, beginning with an upcoming speaking engagement. On February 10th, I’ll have the opportunity to speak with and hold a gluten-free cooking demonstration for chefs-in-training at the Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. They may be a challenging audience, as I attempt to encourage them to think “outside the box” of more is better when it comes to exotic ingredients. The trend of the past decade seemed to be “vertical food”, with a sauce, a base, a main ingredient, another sauce, topped by two or three garnishes. While dishes resembling food-as-art may tickle the taste-buds, they are a minefield for those with food allergies and sensitivities. The incidence of food allergies, which were once rare, has increased 18% in recent years and the numbers of people affected continue to grow. [The top eight food allergens are: dairy (cow’s milk), eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts etc.), wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish – and corn is another top allergen] Food allergies seldom come individually - chances are that the person allergic to peanuts is also allergic to eggs or dairy, or both. So, what’s can a foodie with food allergies to do? Forgo attending family events, parties, and other social engagements, or worse, bring their own food in an attractive Tupper-ware container? Sadly, these are options that many of the food-allergic have to consider. Handling a life with food allergies is a challenge for adults, and must be especially difficult for parents of kids with multiple food allergies, who bear the responsibility of safe-guarding their children's health. It may surprise you to know that four million American children have food allergies - that’s a sizable portion of future consumers for any business to consider. Food sensitivities are also a big issue with many adults. Lactose intolerance and gluten intolerance are problems for many people, and finding safe, healthy and interesting food choices is not easy. Here’s a story that illustrates how we’ve had to adapt. Recently we spent a ski weekend in Bend, Oregon. I baked my own gluten-free bread, and brought along other treats to keep in our hotel room. I asked the maitre de at our hotel to check with the chef about the preparation of foods in the breakfast buffet, so I would know what, if anything, I could eat. Mostly I made do with tea, fresh fruit, and my home-made gluten-free challah bread. Lunch was a no-brainer – there wouldn’t be much that I could safely eat at the ski resort, so I brought along some gluten-free Larabars – (ingredients: dates, almonds, dried apples, cinnamon) and we planned an early dinner. Later that evening, in a popular Bend landmark, I was happy to see a few choices I thought I could eat, with a few modifications. When my entree of seared Ahi tuna arrived, my son commented, “Mom, you must be an expert on that dish by now – I’ve seen you order it in a dozen restaurants!” He was right. Plain seared Ahi tuna, coated only in sesame seeds, served on greens, with a rosette of pickled ginger and wasabi, is my restaurant stand-by. I love Japanese food, but this popular dish is often served at seafood restaurants and sidewalk cafes too. With a side of green salad, or maybe the vegetable of the day, I’m set. I do wish there were more offerings to choose from, and it’s a shame that there aren’t. Very fresh seasonal ingredients, simply prepared, are truly wonderful and full of flavor that doesn’t need to be covered up by crusts, sauces, or heavy spices. A glance at the top eight is evidence that allergies to fruits, vegetables, or fresh herbs are less common than allergies to high protein foods. So, why not use them in abundance? Here’s another story that illustrates my point. While in Costa Rica a few years ago, my family had many wonderful meals. The food was always very fresh, and naturally gluten and dairy free. I never needed to check with the staff – I only needed to read the menu like anyone else. But we all agree that the very best meal we had was the night we drove down a rutted dirt road to a shack on the beach, where the sun was just beginning to set. The place looked deserted, with no lights and no customers. I asked my husband, “are you sure this is the place?” He said he’d followed the directions he’d been given. My mind began to spin some of the scary scenarios I’d seen in movies. As soon as our car pulled to a stop, we were surrounded by the ubiquitous barking dogs found in every village in Central America. A screen door slammed shut, and a slightly built man came up to the car. My husband rolled the window down and said in Spanish that we’d heard that this was a great place to eat. The gentleman led us into a gazebo, lit some candles, and seated us at a rickety table. He did not hand us any menus. Our host told us that he had caught two kinds of fish that day – swordfish and tuna. He said we could have them prepared with either ginger or garlic. He did not describe the method of preparation or what else came with the meal. Since we were rapidly being devoured by mosquitoes, we chose our options quickly. A few minutes later we were handed a can of “Deep-Woods OFF” Mosquito repellant, with a smile, and our host/fisherman, and presumably chef, left to prepare our dinner. In about twenty minutes, he arrived bearing four large platters of steaming hot grilled fish, well-coated with our seasonings of choice and garnished by fresh grilled vegetables and greens, warm home-made corn tortillas, salsa, and rice. Nothing else. It was the freshest, most deliciously prepared meal I had ever eaten. And I think it cost about twelve dollars for the four of us. So, I’m going to talk with these aspiring chefs about the importance of including simply prepared but still delicious foods on their menus. I may never tire of seared tuna, but it may not be someone else’s cup of tea. Reasonable choices should be part of any menu, and can be, with a conscious effort. At my husband’s Christmas party, I was pleasantly surprised by a buffet I could actually eat. The menu consisted of three types of small kabobs: plain grilled vegetables, grilled shrimp still in the shell, and grilled chicken, a huge tray of freshly prepared sushi, with ginger and sauces on the side, and another huge tray of Vietnamese salad rolls in rice paper wrappers. I asked first about marinades, avoided any dipping sauces, and was just fine. It was fun to be able to partake of the beautiful buffet, and I went out of my way to personally thank the catering crew. Some of the worst food from a nutritional stand-point, and certainly the worst from the perspective of someone with food allergies, has been served in the cafeterias of hospitals where I’ve worked or visited patients.. In these institutions dedicated to promoting health, nearly every entrée is breaded, sauced, cheese-coated, or poached in a pool of milk. Thanks goodness for the salad bar. Even the soups are suspect, as they are usually mass-produced, or made from a dry mix containing ingredients that the food-allergic cannot tolerate. Surely our institutions and hospitals can do better. Whether these future chefs work in a food service, or an up-and-coming tapas bar, I’m hoping to inspire them to use their creativity in a different way, to offer the freshest, healthiest food possible, and minimize the number of sauces and extraneous ingredients in at least a portion of the dishes they develop. I’ll also talk about the growing epidemic of gluten-intolerance in this country and the possible impacts it will have on the food industry. In fact, I think I’ve found the topic for my next article!

Gingersnaps are one of my favorite holiday treats, and one of the treats that I had given up as part of my gluten-free diet. Here's a recipe for delicious soft, chewy, gluten-free gingersnaps that will put a holiday smile on your face and have people begging for more. Ingredients: ¾ cup shortening 1½ cups brown sugar 2 eggs ⅓ cup molasses ⅓ cup white sugar 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 2¾ cups gluten-free flour mix 1 teaspoon xanthan gum 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground cloves Directions: Preheat the oven to 350°. Mix the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, and baking soda together in one bowl. Cream the butter and sugar in another bowl. This works best with an electric mixer. If you are doing it by hand, make sure the butter is soft. Add the eggs, then molasses (Plantation Barbados unsulphured molasses gets high marks, so I use that for this particular recipe), then apple cider vinegar to the creamed butter and sugar. Add the spices, and slowly, stir in the combined dry ingredients until the mixture is just blended. The dough should be somewhat firm, so add more or less flour as needed. I usually bake a test cookie or two to get it just right. Roll the dough into small balls (about one inch). Place them on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, depending on your oven. Watch the first batch carefully, to judge how much time to give them. Here's the recipe for my basic gluten-free flour: Gluten-free flour mix: 1 part white rice flour 1 part tapioca starch 1 part cornstarch I find it convenient to mix a large batch ahead of time, and then store it in an airtight container.

This recipe comes to us from "sickchick" in the Gluten-Free Forum. Gluten, Soy & Dairy Free Ingredients: ½ cup brown sugar 1 cup organic coconut flour 4 large organic eggs 4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil 3 tablespoons coconut milk 1 teaspoon pure vanilla 2 ripe bananas ¼ cup shredded coconut ¼ cup chopped pecans 1 tablespoon minced candied ginger 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda Pinch kosher or sea salt ½ teaspoon Saigon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon cardamom Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. In your favorite mixer, put eggs and sugar, set on low to dissolve sugar crystals, then add coconut milk, oil, vanilla and spices, let blend for about a minute. Turn off motor and add remaining dry ingredients. Blend well. Prepare muffin tins with Pam spray. Fill each with batter to tops. Bake 20 minutes. Makes about 10-12.

Celiac.com 06/24/2014 - I love pickling and marinating things. Lately, I’ve been pickling vegetables like cucumbers, turnips, and marinating everything from fish and chicken to mushrooms and pork. I’ve also been looking for a recipe that will deliver a special, romantic dinner without too much time or effort. This recipe offers a delicious summertime twist to the regular pork chop. Ingredients: 2 thick bone-in pork chops (8 ounces each) 1 cup fresh seedless raspberry pureé ½ cup honey 3 tablespoons lemon juice 1 tablespoon dry white wine ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon fresh minced ginger Generous dash of ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil Use a strainer and a whisk over a bowl to de-seed fresh raspberries for enough raspberry pureé to make 1 cup. Whisk raspberry pureé, lemon juice, salt, ginger, and pepper together in a bowl; add pork chops and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight. Remove pork from the marinade and shake to remove any extra liquid. Toss out the remaining marinade. Grill at 425 Fahrenheit, 3-5 minutes on each side until done. Serve with rice and vegetables for a lean, healthy, delicious meal.

Celiac.com 02/25/2014 - Winter is crab season on the west coast. I'm a crab cake lover from way back, but they nearly always contain wheat flour, so I generally avoid them since going gluten-free. This simple gluten-free version combines fresh crab with ginger, lime and a dash of hot sauce to deliver a light, flavorful crab cake. Ingredients: 8 ounces fresh lump crab meat, cleaned and free of any shell pieces 4 small whole scallions, minced 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest 1 teaspoon lime juice ½ to 1 teaspoon sriracha, or any hot sauce of choice, to taste 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 tablespoons of crushed Rice Chex for crab mixture ¾ cup of crushed Rice Chex for breading ½ cup tapioca flour 1 egg, beaten 2 tablespoons olive oil 1½ tablespoons butter Lime wedges for garnish Directions: In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and mayonnaise. Stir in the crab meat and the Chex to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours. Using clean hands, roll the crab mix into 1-inch balls. Set out three bowls. Put tapioca flour in one bowl, the beaten egg in the second, and the crushed Rice Chex in the last bowl. For each crab ball, roll first in tapioca, then dip in beaten egg, then coat thoroughly with crushed Rice Chex, and transfer to a plate. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium high heat. Whisk in the butter. Once the butter foams up and melts, place the Chex-coated crab balls into the pan and press down gently with a wooden spatula. It is important to keep the oil hot, so do not crowd the pan. Cook the cakes in small batches as needed. Cook each cake one to two minutes, until underside is golden brown, then gently turn the crab cakes over and cook until golden brown on the other side. Transfer cooked cakes to a paper towel. Serve with lime or lemon wedges and cocktail sauce or wasabi aioli: Wasabi Aioli: 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons wasabi or prepared horseradish 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest â…› teaspoon freshly ground black pepper â…› teaspoon freshly ground ginger Mix ingredients in a bowl and serve with crabcakes.

2¼ cup rice flour 1 teaspoon cinnamon 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking soda ¾ cup gluten-free shortening ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup brown sugar ½ teaspoon cloves 1 egg 1 teaspoon ginger ¼ cup molasses Sift together dry ingredients except sugar. Cream shortening with brown sugar, add egg, and molasses. Add dry ingredients and mix. Chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll into small balls, dip the top in white sugar, and flatten with fork on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375F about 8 to 10 minutes.

This is a very yummy recipe that comes directly from the nice people at the Beef It’s What’s For Dinner website. Try it when company is coming over an a cold winter night. Makes 6-8 servings. Ingredients 5 pound boneless beef brisket, flat cut 1 tablespoon olive oil 1-1/2 cups chopped onions 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1-1/2 cups apple juice or apple cider 12 dried figs or dried plums 12 dried apricots 3 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water To Prepare Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat until hot. Brown brisket on all sides; remove from pan. Add onions and garlic to pan; cook and stir 3 minutes or until onions begin to soften. Transfer onion mixture to 5-quart saucepot or Dutch oven. Place beef brisket fat side up on top of onions and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour apple juice around brisket; bring to a boil. Cover tightly; reduce heat and simmer 2 hours. Add figs, apricots and ginger to pan. Continue cooking an additional 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until brisket is fork tender. Remove brisket from pan; keep warm. Strain cooking liquid, reserving fruit mixture. Skim fat from cooking liquid. If necessary, continue cooking the liquid until reduced to 2 cups. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Trim excess fat from brisket. Carve brisket across the grain into thin slices. Arrange beef on platter with fruit. Serve with sauce.

This recipe comes to us from: Gayle M Chastain. Just wanted to share a few more tried and true holiday recipes. 1 beaten egg ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup honey ½ cup molasses 1 tablespoon apple juice or cider ¼ teaspoon grated lemon peel ½ teaspoon lemon juice 1 cup rice flour ½ cup sweet rice flour ¼ cup tapioca flour ¼ cup garbanzo bean flour ½ teaspoon xanthan gum ¾ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon cloves ½ teaspoon ginger ¼ cup chopped almonds ½ cup mixed candied fruits and peels Lemon Glaze (follows) Beat egg and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in honey, molasses, juices, and lemon peel. In another bowl, thoroughly combine flours, xanthan gum, and spices. Blend into molasses mixture. Stir in almonds and candied fruits. Chill dough several hours or overnight. Sprinkle waxed paper with powdered sugar. Roll out dough to 14 x 9 inch rectangle. Cut into 1 ½ x 2 inch cookies (I use a pizza cutter). Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet at 350 degrees about 12 minutes. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet and cool on rack. While warm, brush with lemon glaze. Lemon Glaze: Combine 1 ½ cups powdered sugar and enough lemon juice (about 2 teaspoon) to make a glaze. These are better if allowed to sit a few days before eating. They keep well.

This recipe comes to us from Ellen in Oregon. Mix in a bowl with a wire whisk: 1 cup white rice flour ¼ cup sorghum flour (or any other gluten-free flour you like) ¼ cup rice protein powder or ¼ cup any other gluten-free flour ½ to 1 teaspoon xanthan gum ¾ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom, or to taste ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt In a mixer beat: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, or 1 cup oil (I like safflower) or for a lower fat version: ½ cup oil + ½ cup baby food pears (I use a 4 oz. jar of organic pears) 1 cup brown sugar 1 large egg or 2 egg whites Beat in flour mixture, then when well combined add: 1/3 to ½ cup crystallized ginger, chopped fine 1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips Optional: Chopped nuts and raisins Drop dough by rounded teaspoons (I used a tablespoon) onto a Teflon or coated pan, or butter yours and bake in preheated oven at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden (approximately 18 minutes). Cool on baking sheet 1 minute, and then transfer to racks to cool completely. Extra notes: The rice protein powder I use is from NutriBiotic and is labeled vegetarian brown rice. The rice protein powder tastes great in baking, but terrible as a blender drink. It also adds a nice consistency to the finished baked goods. Other than the rice protein powder, I only use white rice flour for baking because the result is more predictable and tastes better than brown rice flour, even though I am aware that brown rice is more nutritious - but give me a break - I am making cookies and sweet treats after all. . The oil + baby food pears (it could also be applesauce) takes the place of 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter. The baby food pears, produced better results than the applesauce. I cannot taste the pears at all, just the flavors of the spices. When I have used applesauce, the taste of the apples always came through. I use baby food pears + oil in all my baking.