New Celiac Bored With Options

[hrly169]

Hi, I am new to this forum and am a newly diagnosed celiac. I have been successful at getting all the gluten out of my home but I have run into a wall. All I can find to eat is bland, chewy, cardboard tasting food. I have not yet mastered any of the conversions with the different flours and sugars. I am feeling very frustrated.

Are their any good books or tips anyone can offer? I used to be a really good cook, but then I was told I couldn't eat anything with flavor.

Thanks so much

[celiac-mommy]

I used to be a really good cook, but then I was told I couldn't eat anything with flavor.

That sounds like a challange to me!! My MIL re-made all my pies for Thanksgiving dinner because a gluten-free pie "couldn't" taste good--guess who's pies disappeared 1st, she never did apologize..... There are LOTS of options with LOTS of flavors. The recipe section here is great, you can find almost anything and they're almost all tried and true--when someone comes up with a good recipe, they'll post it because we're all looking for great, new things to cook. I personally have 3 gluten-free cookbooks--none of which I've made anything out of--most have too many ingredients that I don't have in my pantry. I collect cookbooks and I use a majority of all the other "normal" ones. I make substitutions when necessary and I've really never had an issue (EXCEPT yeast breads, haven't mastered that one yet, but have 1 GREAT recipe I use now). The best all pupose baking mix (EXCEPT for with yeast breads) is Pamela's pancake/baking mix (IMO) I use it for almost everything.

Hope this helps a little. If you're ever looking for a specific recipe, post for it and you're sure to get a lot of options!!

[HiDee]

I second the Pamela's baking mix suggestion, it's a life saver when you are first diagnosed. Pamela's bread mix is also very good, a little sweet but good. I've found Carol Fenster's cookbook Gluten-Free 101 helpful, she gives descriptions of all the gluten-free flours, what they do and how best to use them in that book. She has some good recipes in that book and I usually have on hand any ingredients that are called for, nothing too weird. I like her muffin recipe and use it regularly. But I'll tell you, most of the gluten-free recipes that are my regulars I got off of this forum. So thanks to all the other people who figured it out first because it makes life a whole lot easier and I really appreciate everyone on this forum!

[home-based-mom]

Forum member "sickchick" posts lots of recipes, They all look pretty good to me!

What specifically besides gluten can you no longer eat?

[Mom23boys]

My suggestion would be for right now to eat foods that are naturally gluten free and don't try to sub. Right now even the best subs are not going to taste good because you are going to expect the "old" taste of your flour favorite. After a while start adding in stuff here and there. It will eventually work out.

There are still going to be mistakes. You should have seen the jelly roll I made this weekend. It tasted OK but it was UGLY -- not like the beautiful ones I used to make. The kids didn't even recognize it!! They thought they had never had one!!

[sickchick]

I was really frustrated at first too. It's been 8 months and only NOW am I feeling confident in baking.

Be patient with yourself

[HiDee]

I was really frustrated at first too. It's been 8 months and only NOW am I feeling confident in baking.

Be patient with yourself

That's pretty good to be so confident after 8 months! It's been over a year for me and I'm only confident with recipes I've used over and over (many from this forum, as I've already said) but I'm always a little nervous to try a new one and I don't know if I'll ever be confident enough to make up my own gluten-free, flour-based recipes!

[ShayFL]

I've been baking up a storm! And loving it.

I highly recommend "Cooking Free" cookbook. I went to the bookstore and there were at least 25 books on gluten-free, but I have more than one issue. I also cannot have dairy, eggs or corn. Her book has all the subsitutions for the common allergens and nifty conversions and such in the back. Makes baking a snap!

[RiceGuy]

I could not wait to start experimenting with gluten-free flours. I began with small amounts - like 1/3 cup or less. Just enough for a muffin or a biscuit sized lump. I tried all sorts of variations, and blends, and made notes on how each turned out. I look forward to baking so much that I hesitate to make large loaves and cakes, etc, just because it takes a few days to eat it all, which means I'd have to wait before baking more. It truly is fun to experiment, and I always get something out of it, no matter how it turns out, which I'm happy to say is quite good and tasty these days.

I find things which don't need to rise much are easier to have turn out right. Stuff like cookies for example. Muffins, cakes and cookies have been easier for me than breads, as gluten-free flours seem more suited to these. So I think this is a good place to start. And yes, this site is a great place for recipes.

But I agree with the comments about sticking to foods which are normally gluten-free. You'll spend less money and enjoy them more.

If you need (or want) to avoid sugar, I always recommend Open Original Shared Link. I find the pure powder to be wonderful. The company I linked to has the highest grade product on the market, and they have a free sample offer on the site too.

[Mango04]

The food I eat now is sooooo much better than the food I ate pre-gluten-free. It's more flavorful, more varied and a lot healthier too. Just keep experimenting with fresh ingredients that you haven't tried before, and don't be determined to find a version of bread that's exactly as you remember it.

www.glutenfreegirl.com might inspire you if you haven't seen it yet.

[Auntie Lurlynn]

It is frustrating when you can't find anything that tastes good. My mom and I were diagnosed 11 years ago and we have had our share of nasty g.f. foods.

Here's a great substitute for a grahm cracker crust:

2 1/2 c. of Rice Chex crumbs

1 Tbs. of honey

1 stick of melted butter

mix together; pat into pie plate; bake on 350 for 15 min;

You can use this for a lot of pies that the filling is g.f. It is a life saver, I made a cheese cake a few weeks ago with this crust. Um, um good

[purple]

It is frustrating when you can't find anything that tastes good. My mom and I were diagnosed 11 years ago and we have had our share of nasty g.f. foods.

Here's a great substitute for a grahm cracker crust:

2 1/2 c. of Rice Chex crumbs

1 Tbs. of honey

1 stick of melted butter

mix together; pat into pie plate; bake on 350 for 15 min;

You can use this for a lot of pies that the filling is g.f. It is a life saver, I made a cheese cake a few weeks ago with this crust. Um, um good

thanks, I wondered what the proportions were. You can use Pamela's cookies or your own gluten-free cookie crumbs too, but use less butter b/c the cookies have butter or fat in them.

[purple]

I have tried recipies from: kill.the.gluten. They are flavorful. The homemade gluten-free BROWNIES are worth every calorie when you need something good to eat. The Rotel King Ranch Chicken casserole( chicken enchiladas) is yummy, I added a can of drained black beans for fiber. They show beautiful colored pics of what the food is supposed to look like and pics of gluten-free products. Also go to: Eating Gluten Free...Home Page... then go to recipes. Bette Hagman has alot of good recipes. Mexicali spoon bread is good but next time I would drain the corn. Basic muffin mix is good. I divide dough and make 1/2 choc. chip and 1/2 blueberry. Creamed soup base is good to sub for cream of chicken soup or mushroom. For chicken I add Mrs. Dash, garlic and onion flakes or fresh, and a T. of Vogue instant chicken flavored base and some cooked chicken depending on what I am cooking. Just add whatever you want to it to flavor it up. Then you can try: recipezaar gluten free...gluten free recipes....then go to the search bar and type in gluten free recipes. There are hundreds of recipes and alternatives. The gluten-free shortcake recipe is super easy and great for strawberries. The gluten-free apple cake is yummy. Check out the recipes with the 4 stars and read the comments people posted about the recipe. It will teach you tons of tips! That's how I learned alot in these last 4 months. Have fun cooking something new!

[Aleshia]

one thing that my kids seem to love and I'm not sure why (its not bad but not something I get excited over!) is corn tortilla sandwiches. I spread peanutbutter and either jam or honey on 2 soft corn totillas and put them together as a sandwich then cut it into quarters. my 4 year old calls them "sweet good Ideas" (good ideas is his term for quesadillas)

also for fries I peel and cut my own and then toss them in a gallon size baggie with italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, and a little bit of gluten free flour mix then squirt some oil into the bag and toss again and dump it all onto a baking sheet and bake for about 1/2 an hour. also works good with sweet potatoes!

stir fries are always good and I've served it with rice, rice noodles, rice pasta, and even with grits (prepared the same way you would couscous) I try to put a wide variety of veggies in such as carrots, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, zucchini etc etc etc. season with salt and gluten-free soy sauce and its very yummy!

I think sometimes rather than trying to substitute one thing for another (like gluten free cookies etc.) and then being disappointed that its not the same it is actually better to just focus on what you can make with veggies, and meat and things that are naturally gluten free. I am so thankful that I don't seem to have problems with other foods at the moment, cause that would make things even more difficult and it would seem a lot more depressing because so many things that have gluten can be replaced with other things that some people might have an allergy or an intolerance to also!

[bakingbarb]

Hi, I am new to this forum and am a newly diagnosed celiac. I have been successful at getting all the gluten out of my home but I have run into a wall. All I can find to eat is bland, chewy, cardboard tasting food. I have not yet mastered any of the conversions with the different flours and sugars. I am feeling very frustrated.

Are their any good books or tips anyone can offer? I used to be a really good cook, but then I was told I couldn't eat anything with flavor.

Thanks so much

I have only been gluten free since last October, which now that I say that I realize its almost a year! At first I was pretty frustrated and thats pretty normal.

There are lots of great books out there.

I'm gonna start a new thread just on cookbooks!