Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Those "top Secret Recipes" Books

Nantzie

Recommended Posts

Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
Posted

I was looking at my email and was checking out the email I got from Top Secret Recipes. I've been on their mailing list for years now. I've just never bothered with it because (pre-gluten-free) I always figured that it's easier and cheaper just to go buy the thing than to get all the ingredients to make it yourself.

But today, I realized that this is a PERFECT resource for us!!! A lot of stuff that we can't eat in restaurants is stuff that could easily be made gluten-free by substituting or omitting something (like the flour in Taco Bell's taco meat). Or there is so much potential for cross contamination in a restaurant that it's not even worth taking the risk (like KFC Coleslaw).

I went on the site - www.topsecretrecipes.com. They've got a recipes section, and have quite a few free recipes. If you want to buy one of the recipes that isn't free they're only 79 cents each. I think I'm going to just start collecting the books, but I'm going to try some of the free recipes for now. They even have comments for people who've tried the recipe and tweaked it to be even better or closer than Top Secret has it. For example, under the KFC Coleslaw comments, someone says to use Tarragon Vinegar rather than the white vinegar Top Secret calls for and even points out that KFC has it listed in their ingredients.

Here's some of the free recipes on the site that I'm going to try. I'm guessing a lot of the recipes that have flour in them could be made totally fine with cornstarch. My mom always used cornstarch instead of flour to make gravies and sauces. She said she used it because it didn't lump up like flour. Nobody ever knew the difference.

Taco Bell Soft Tacos - (I read in an excerpt of the book on amazon that Top Secret says that it's the same meat as in the crunchy tacos)

KFC Coleslaw and Potato Salad

French's Classic Yellow Mustard

Hostess Twinkie Creme Filling (for the kids... ;) )

Honey Maid Graham Crackers (really missing these - might be good made with Pamela's Baking Mix)

Nancy

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

I ran across the top secret site a few weeks ago. I was so excited. They have a big mac sauce on there. I made it then made myself a tasty big mac minus the bun. It was AWESOME!! It's a fun site that we can use to make some of the things we really miss. Thanks for bringing it up.

-Jessica :rolleyes:

Carriefaith Enthusiast
Carriefaith
Posted

Thanks for the link. I'll have to try some of those recipes!

chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

we used to own a KFC----i still make my coleslaw like i did back then---only we used red wine vinegar. i'm going to check this site out, sound fun!

christine

kathy1 Contributor
kathy1
Posted
we used to own a KFC----i still make my coleslaw like i did back then---only we used red wine vinegar. i'm going to check this site out, sound fun!

christine

Would you mind sharing the KFC coleslaw recipe?? it's one of husb favorites and we are not likely to be spending much time at KFC anymore!!

chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

i don't remember the amounts, only the main ingredients. the cabbage needs to be shredded, we used to run it through the shredder twice to get it small enough. i put it in my food processor now, a cheese shredder works pretty good too. the sauce is made with mayonaise, sugar, and red wine vinegar. don't put in too much vinegar to begin with, or you'll end up with a lot of sauce because you'll havae to keep adding mayo and sugar. sorry i don't have more exact proportions. i will have to see if i still have the ingredients listed somewhere for their potato salad sauce---it was pretty good, too.

christine

Rusla Enthusiast
Rusla
Posted
we used to own a KFC----i still make my coleslaw like i did back then---only we used red wine vinegar. i'm going to check this site out, sound fun!

christine

You wouldn't happen to have the old KFC Bean Salad recipes would you?

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


chrissy Collaborator
chrissy
Posted

i don't have the bean salad recipe----i loved that stuff. i think i have seen a recipe somewhere else for bean salad---maybe it was taste of home.

christine

  • 7 months later...
angel-jd1 Community Regular
angel-jd1
Posted

I was just visiting the top secret recipes site and thought I would bump this thread. For those of you who haven't visited the site it is sooooo cool. TONS of recipes for "restaurant" food that you can make at home. Many of the recipes on the site are free of charge. They add a new free recipe each week. Check it out for some fun cooking inspiration :)

-Jessica :rolleyes:

PS. The McD's big mac sauce is quite yummy for homemade big macs

2Boys4Me Enthusiast
2Boys4Me
Posted

I thought Big Mac sauce was Thousand Island salad dressing. I have never eaten a Big Mac in my life, but that's what the fellas put on if we're having homemade Macs.

Nancym Enthusiast
Nancym
Posted

I'd like to be able to replicate the stuff at Chipotle. :)

teebs in WV Apprentice
teebs in WV
Posted

Nantzie - Thanks for the wonderful idea. I have one or two of these cookbooks and it didn't occur to me to use these to take the place of some of the restaurant foods that I used to love. After reading this thread I immediately went to the website that you referenced and we had the Taco Bell meat filling for dinner that night. The recipe calls for flour but I substituted corn starch and it turned out alright. Instead of the soft flour tortillas I fried some corn tortillas that I had on hand and we had crunchy tacos.

Thanks again!

BFreeman Explorer
BFreeman
Posted
Nantzie - Thanks for the wonderful idea. I have one or two of these cookbooks and it didn't occur to me to use these to take the place of some of the restaurant foods that I used to love. After reading this thread I immediately went to the website that you referenced and we had the Taco Bell meat filling for dinner that night. The recipe calls for flour but I substituted corn starch and it turned out alright. Instead of the soft flour tortillas I fried some corn tortillas that I had on hand and we had crunchy tacos.

Thanks again!

Did you substitute the exact same amount of cornstarch? I thought when substituting you went for a 2:1 ratio. (If I make it I want it to turn out right.) :)

teebs in WV Apprentice
teebs in WV
Posted

I substituted the same amount and it was good. Let me know how it turns out if you try the other way.

happy4dolphins Enthusiast
happy4dolphins
Posted

Hello,

I tried to get on to www.topsecretrecipes.com and it keeps telling me to download the latest flash and I did, but still can't read that site. What else can I do to open it?

Nicole

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      130,996
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    MyDudeHasCeliac
    Newest Member
    MyDudeHasCeliac
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Mettedkny
      Progesterone pills - are they gluten free??

      By Mettedkny · Posted

      Thank you for your response. I'd love to read more about your suggestion, everything I find online speaks to the opposite. Unfortunately I need the HRT due to many other factors (post menopause symptoms and osteoporosis) so stopping the estrogen would be very unfortunate. Vitamin D is pretty good, not great, but now below the norm at 36
    • Sarawiththeceliac
      Untreated celiac

      By Sarawiththeceliac · Posted

      I take a vitamin called 21 century it has everything magnesium potassium b12 and it's just a full supplement for the day ,then I have one that my mom brought which are gummies and then I tried centrum ,I also have range of different irons (iron sulphate,iron glyciatnate and others . My problem is that I live with my aunt and due to the circumstances in my home country ( war ) we live all in a small house and they don't cook food that is rich in food and I am not comfortable in cooking for my self like meat or something like that they get mad ,that I ate everything.so I mostly eat what they eat in the day which is just a big meal and then I make small snacks that i could eat I wanted to buy moringa powder or things that I can mix easily and put them in a water bottle.my family don't take things serious about celiac they just believe I am small because I eat rice which doesn't make you get fat as they believe.they also make fun of me when I say I am gonna eat alone due to your contamination I really struggle with them.also I have vitamin D ( it was the most absorbable vitamin for me ) my blood test went from 21 to 34 after i took 50000um I guess every week and that's it .can you recommend me vitamins I can buy from Amazon or anywhere 
    • Wheatwacked
      Progesterone pills - are they gluten free??

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      Elevated estrogen or fluctuations in estrogen can contribute to leaky gut and cause elevated anti-gliadin IgG in people with celiac disease who are on a gluten-free diet,  High levels of progesterone have been shown to decrease gut permeability. Talk to your doctor about a vacation from the estrogen, from your decription it looks to be the culpret.  How is your vitamin D?
    • Wheatwacked
      Untreated celiac

      By Wheatwacked · Posted

      The very reason you take supplements is because you absorb poorly due to the villi inflammation.  You need these vitamins to heal and get stronger.  Could you give us a list of what you are taking and quantity? Iron supplements cause a lot of people discomfort.  Better to get iron and folate from food.  Heme iron sources rom animal products like red meat, poultry, and seafood with raise your iron. Some blood tests like magnesium, potassium, the body has a homeostasis level that they must be in the nomal range.  So don't worry about the ones in normal range. As an example from myself.  I started taking 10,000 IU of vitamin D in 2014.  It only took a few weeks until I really felt the benefit.  I was very deficient.  In 2019 my blood level of 25(OH)D was one 47 ng/ml (=117 nmol/L).  Two more years to get to 80ng/ml (=200 nmol/L) the homeostasis level for vitamin D. Whuch ones make your side hurt?  Perhaps there is an alternate.   What vitamins are you concerned about?
    • Treen
      Paying for my own Celiac screening at WalkInLab so a positive result doesn’t become part of my medical history

      By Treen · Posted

      Hello. My younger sister was just diagnosed with Celiac disease. My older sister is type 1 diabetic. I suspect my mother had Celiac. I have suffered with gastrointestinal problems my entire life. I want to get tested, but I’m self employed and I purchase my insurance through the ACA marketplace. Thanks to the Big Beautiful (Terrible) Bill, the enhanced subsidies are set to expire at the end of 2025. The Republican legislature did not renew the enhanced subsidies. I will lose my health insurance at the end of 2025. I’m concerned that if I test positive for Celiac, I will not be able to find insurance coverage due to this pre-existing condition. So, I’m hoping to purchase my own test through WalkInLab (they offer the complete screen for $159). This way I’ll at least know if I have the disease. I won’t tell my doctor since there’s nothing he can do to help me anyway. Then I’ll cut gluten from my diet entirely, which will be easy. I hardly eat at all anymore. I just hope my insurance can’t somehow find out about the results of this screen, if it comes back positive. I’d be paying in full with a credit card.    Do any of you have any thoughts or advice?  Thanks for reading either way. 
×
×
  • Create New...