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Celiac.com 03/11/2023 - If you're looking for a dish that's both sweet and savory, look no further than this mouth-watering sweet bacon wrapped pork loin recipe. With succulent pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon and coated in a sweet glaze, this dish is the perfect combination of flavors and textures. It's a dish that's sure to impress your guests and leave them begging for more. Whether you're hosting a dinner party or simply want to treat yourself to a delicious meal, this recipe is sure to hit the spot. Plus, it's easy to prepare and can be made with just a few simple ingredients. So grab your apron and get ready to cook up a pork loin that's sure to be a hit! Sweet Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin Ingredients: 1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin salt and pepper to taste 8 slices bacon 2 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons dry red wine 1 sweet onion, minced 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons golden raisins Directions: Heat oven to 375F (190 degrees C). Line a shallow roasting pan with aluminum foil. Season pork loin with salt and pepper. Wrap the bacon slices around the pork loin and secure with toothpicks. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the pork loin. Cook until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes, then place onto roasting pan. Stir together honey, balsamic vinegar, red wine, onion, and rosemary in a small bowl; spread over pork loin. Roast the pork loin in preheated oven for 15 minutes, then sprinkle with raisins. Continue cooking until the internal temperature of the pork loin reaches 145 degrees F (63 degrees C), about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 5 minutes before removing toothpicks and slicing.

Celiac.com 06/11/2022 - Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the glorious colors and cool, brisk nights. Inevitably, my thoughts turn to oven-baked meals, long-simmered stews, and hearty soups. I’ve been making one of my favorite soups—Wild Rice Soup—for nearly 20 years. It was given to me by a friend when I lived in North Dakota (which is next door to Minnesota, the source of most of our wild rice in the U.S.). I tinkered with it for several years to convert it to my taste. Of course, in those days I thickened it with wheat flour. When I adopted a gluten-free diet, I had to find a new thickener. I’ve tried all the thickeners in this soup and I like sweet rice flour the best. In case you haven’t worked with sweet rice flour, it should be on your pantry shelf. It may be a little hard to find in the health food store, so you may need to order it on the Internet. It is made from sticky rice, the kind you eat in Chinese restaurants and holds together when you pick it up with chopsticks. Sweet rice flour is white and is particularly good in thick, hearty soups that need a rustic, yet smooth texture. Unlike regular white or brown rice flour, sweet rice flour makes a smooth rather than grainy sauce. It is opaque and dull, rather than the clear and shiny sauces produced by cornstarch or arrowroot. Somehow, a clear, shiny sauce in a hearty soup like this one seems out of place. I also use sweet rice flour to thicken other hearty soups such as potato soup, clam chowder, and cream soups made from broccoli, corn, or mushrooms. I also use it in my pie crust (which rolls out like a dream) because it introduces a nice elasticity that makes the dough more pliable. So, you can see that I’m a big fan of sweet rice flour. But back to soup and those brisk, Fall nights. This soup will stick to your ribs and is a great way to use leftover ham. It can be made ahead and then reheated, if necessary. Serve it with a crisp bread and crunchy salad for a complete meal. Carol Fenster’s Wild Rice Soup Recipe This is a rich-tasting, very satisfying soup with lots of interesting texture. Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 1 tablespoon grated fresh onion 1/3 cup sweet rice flour 3 cups low-sodium gluten-free chicken broth 2 cups cooked wild rice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 small garlic clove 1/3 cup shredded carrots 1/3 cup diced ham or Canadian-style bacon 3 tablespoons almond slivers, toasted 1 cup evaporated skim milk (or soy milk) 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives Directions: 1. In a large Dutch oven, sauté onion in butter for a minute or until it is light golden brown. Place flour in 1⁄2 cup of chicken broth and whisk until smooth. Add to Dutch oven, along with remaining chicken broth. 2. Bring to boil and stir for one minute. Add cooked wild rice, salt, garlic, carrots, ham, and almonds and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Blend in milk. Heat soup to serving temperature and garnish with chives. Serves 6. Calories 340; Fat 7g; Protein 19g; Carbohydrates 53g; Sodium 633mg; Cholesterol 16mg. Fiber 4g

Celiac.com 01/28/2022 - When you purchase a gluten-free cookbook, the author— hopefully—has spent time in the kitchen experimenting with the recipe until the final version is tasty, light, and worthy of being included in the book. However, we all have recipes at home that were handed down through the family, or ones that we found in a magazine, which we would like to convert to be gluten-free. Believe it or not it is possible to do this without sacrificing taste or texture—simply by making a few adjustments to the ingredients. Consider the issue of “taste.” How often have you taken a fork full of a scrumptious-looking gluten-free dessert or slice of gluten-free bread only to be sadly disappointed in the dry taste, its aftertaste, or NO taste at all? Alternative flours do not have the same taste as wheat flour. To cover up this deficiency, you have to add more flavoring to your recipe, and the ways to do this are almost limitless. With a little imagination, you can create desserts and bread products that are so tasty that no one will know they are gluten-free! Consider substituting half of the gluten-free flour mixture (traditionally made of rice, potato starch and tapioca flours) with more flavorful flours, such as cornmeal, almond, or sweet potato flour. Whether you are making sweet bread, muffins or cake, look at the ingredients listed and start to brainstorm about what you can add for extra flavor. Assuming you are not allergic to nuts, this is a good starting point. If you traditionally add chopped walnuts, vary this by substituting peanuts, pecans, hazelnuts, black walnuts, pistachios, cashews, pine nuts or even candied chestnuts. Spread dry nuts in a pan and bake them (watch them closely so they don’t burn)—toasting the nuts will bring out the natural oils and increase their flavor. For added taste, toss the nuts with a tiny bit of oil and seasonings (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, or ground cloves) before toasting. Coconut is another candidate for toasting. While shredded coconut adds flavor, toasted coconut has a far more vibrant taste. Other flavorful ‘add-ins’ include marshmallows (miniature or melted), caramels (melted), dark chocolate (chips, chunks, shaved, or melted), instant coffee granules for a mocha taste, or orange, lemon or lime zest. For breads and muffins consider folding in seeds like sesame, poppy, caraway or sunflower for added flavor—or chopped dried fruits such as cranberries, raisins, apricots, prunes, dates, figs, and/or glazed fruits. Canned and fresh fruits and fruit juices will not only add flavor, but moisture as well. For chocolate cakes, open a can of sweet, dark pitted cherries or thawed frozen raspberries. Use the juice from the can (or frozen package) as part of your liquid measurement, and then fold in the chopped cherries or raspberries into the batter. For a white cake, use crushed pineapple and the pineapple juice. Open a can of sliced peaches and put both peaches and their juice into a blender—use this as the liquid when making coffeecake. Blueberries, shredded apples or pears, or mashed bananas are also great to add to baked products, but so are more unusual selections. Think out of the box. Add mashed mangos, kiwi or papayas, chopped maraschino cherries, shredded rhubarb, or canned, whole cranberry sauce to muffins—add pomegranate seeds to coffeecakes. In place of all or part of the liquid called for in the recipe, substitute apple cider, apricot nectar, cranberry juice, orange juice, grape juice, lemonade, or limeade. Add tomato juice mixed with a little cinnamon to crumb cakes (yes, tomatoes are a fruit). Experiment by using jars of strained baby fruits for part of the liquid amount. Don’t overlook the power of vegetables to add flavor. Shredded zucchini, carrots, or onions have long been staples when baking breads. Carrot juice may be used for part of the liquid in many muffin mixes. Mashed sweet potatoes or winter squash make excellent, flavorful additions to baked goods. Even rinsed sauerkraut may be used! In place of some of the liquid listed in the recipe, use Kahlúa, wine, sherry, rum or brandy. Melted jellies, jams and preserves work well, too. Other substitutes for the liquid listed include (gluten-free) eggnog, brewed coffee, maple syrup, molasses, canned pumpkin, flavored yogurts, cottage cheese, peanut butter, apple butter, applesauce, and even gluten-free beer. Canned pie filling may be used in place of two thirds of the liquid called for in the recipe. Instead of white sugar, measure out an equal amount of brown sugar or 3⁄4 the amount of honey (both of which have more flavor than white sugar). Increase the amount of flavoring called for in the recipe, plus think about adding an additional gluten-free extract: almond, butternut, mint, anise, lemon, rum butter, or caramel flavoring. Cinnamon may be added to most any dessert recipe, along with nutmeg and a hint of ground cloves. When baking yeast breads, popular ‘add ins’ include fruits (fresh, dried, or canned), nuts, coconut, mashed sweet potatoes, bacon bits, olive slices, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, or grated cheeses, and even a sprinkling of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. Even with a plain white bread, some kind of flavoring will enhance the finished product. Try adding rosemary, dill, thyme, chopped parsley, oregano, basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, ginger, mint, cinnamon or chopped preserved ginger in syrup. And don’t be afraid to add a little vanilla flavoring—it will help improve the taste. A hint of balsamic vinegar added to yeast breads will liven up the flavor and help the bread to rise! Are you willing to be even a little more experimental? Substitute some of the gluten-free flour mixture with a package of gluten-free instant pudding dry mix. Use gluten-free cream cheese in place of some of the shortening. In a blender, whip corn relish into a puree and add to yeast breads. Try brushing cornbread with a jalapeno-honey glaze. Yes—your gluten-free baked products will taste scrumptious just by adding a little more flavoring—happy eating! Gluten-Free Cinnamon Popovers This recipe may be found in the “Recipes for Special Diets” cookbook by Connie Sarros. It recipe is approved for diabetics, low-sodium diets, and vegetarians. It is nut-free and yeast-free. For corn-free diets, use baking soda plus 1⁄2 tsp. cream of tartar in place of the baking and omit cornstarch and xanthan gum from gluten-free flour mixture. For dairy-free diets, substitute soymilk for the whole milk. Note: To help insure that the popovers rise, spoon dough into warmed pans. Ingredients: 3 eggs 3⁄4 cup gluten-free flour mixture 1⁄4 teaspoon salt 2 1⁄4 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder 2 teaspoons sugar 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 cup whole milk Directions: Preheat oven to 400F. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs till light. Sift together dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to eggs alternately with milk, stirring with a whisk just until blended. Do not over beat! Fill greased popover pans or deep custard cups 1⁄2 full with batter. Bake for 10 minutes; lower heat to 325F and continue baking for 20 minutes or until popovers are golden brown. Serve immediately. Makes 6 large popovers or 12 muffin-size. Calories (for 12 muffin-size popovers): 52; Total fat: 1.5g; Saturated fat: 0.4g; Cholesterol: 53mg; Sodium: 79mg; Carbohydrates: 6.7g; Fiber: 0.2g; Sugar: 1.2g; Protein: 2.9g

Celiac.com 10/14/2013 - Sweet Baby Cakes has come up with some of the best gluten-free brownies we've ever tried. Their traditional Chocolate Fudge Brownie is a brownie lover's delight. Made from chocolate syrup, black bean flour and flax meal, this brownie tastes as good as it looks. The brownie is chewy and sweetened with agave, but it is not so sweet that you can't eat the whole brownie in one sitting! These brownies are also ready to eat from the freezer, which means you don't have to thaw or microwave them before eating.

Celiac.com 02/25/2017 - Here's a great recipe for game day or for grill day. These sweet and spicy chicken wings will hit the spot. Various kinds of pepper dance with honey and garlic to deliver this surefire hit. Ingredients: 5 pounds chicken wings, wingtips removed 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 2 teaspoons ground lemon pepper 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 tablespoon sweet paprika 1 teaspoon onion powder 4 medium cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with a little salt 3 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup honey, room temperature kosher salt Directions: Lay the chicken wings out on a baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add all ingredients, except honey and stir until mixed. Add honey and stir until mixed and evenly coated. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to overnight. Heat the oven to 375F. Spread the wings evenly in a large roasting pan or baking sheet. Roast, uncovered, until they are nicely browned and crisp, about 1 hour. Turn as needed. Serve.

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2004 edition of Celiac.com's Journal of Gluten-Sensitivity. Celiac.com 10/13/2014 - Sugar—the very word brought the lively conversation at my dinner party to a screeching halt. As my guests savored their cake, I could feel ten pairs of ears eavesdropping as I discussed this emotionally laden word with the woman seated next to me. “My friend made a chocolate cake,” she was saying, “and wanted to cut back on sugar in her diet, so she made a few adjustments to the recipe. Instead of semisweet chocolate, she used unsweetened chocolate. In place of the sugar, she used a few tablespoons of Splenda.” But, my guest continued with a look of puzzlement on her face, “the cake didn’t taste like cake at all and it was hard and chewy and kind of rough-looking. My friend had to throw it away.” In these days of low-sugar diets, many of us—like my guest’s friend—are tempted to skip the sugar in baking, or at least reduce it somewhat. Much maligned and often relegated to the back of the pantry, most of us regard sugar as a source of calories and are unaware of its other roles. Now, before I go any further let’s set the record straight. I think we eat far too much sugar. I look for ways to reduce it in my diet whenever I can. I avoid sugary soft drinks, only eat desserts on special occasions, and watch for hidden sugar in commercial foods. Nonetheless, after over 10 years of developing gluten-free recipes, I have a healthy respect for the role of sugar in baking. It is particularly important for us gluten-free bakers, because we already have to alter the flavor of our foods by removing wheat flour. If you thinking about omitting sugar in your baking, here’s what you should know: First, the obvious. Sugar makes things taste sweet. You can replace sugar with a substitute sweetener but the cake may taste different because we associate “sweetness” with the distinct flavor of sugar (even though you may think of sugar as “neutral” because it’s white). Sugar accentuates the flavor of food. A chocolate cake tastes downright strange without sugar, but delicious with the right amount. Try this experiment: Drink unsweetened tea and then add a little sugar to it and notice how much stronger the flavor is. Sugar tenderizes the crumb and makes it finer and moister. In contrast, substitutes like Splenda tend to produce a crumb that is larger, tougher, and somewhat drier. Sugar encourages the browning process on the crust of baked goods. It’s this browning that we often use as an indicator that a cake is “done,” and, it’s that tendency to brown that relates to its next benefit. Sugar produces a slightly crispy, shiny exterior on baked goods that makes them more attractive. It’s the sucrose in sugar that does this and, since sucrose is missing in Splenda, it can’t promote the same level of browning. Next time you’re tempted to reduce or omit the sugar in baked goods, follow these tips: Instead of using all Splenda, use half sugar and half Splenda. You will lower the calorie content, but your cake will be more tender, brown more attractively, and have a finer crumb than if you use all Splenda. A cake may bake a little faster, so check it about five minutes before the recommended cooking time. It may also have a little less volume and not rise as high. Add a couple tablespoons of honey to the batter. Honey is a natural humectant and encourages the cake to retain moisture so it won’t dry out as quickly. Of course, honey has its own flavor which you may detect if you use a lot of it. Increase the amount of fat in the recipe by 25%, but be sure to use healthier fats. Canola oil and (light) olive oil are good in baking and are good for you. Of course, this will increase the fat content and calorie content (a tablespoon of these oils is roughly 100 calories), but your baked goods will taste better and look better because fat is a flavor carrier and also tenderizes the crumb. Use a topping to conceal the rough crust found in low-sugar baked goods. For example, a streusel topping on muffins will partially conceal their rough tops. Rather than drastically reducing the amount of sugar at the beginning of your sugar-reduced diet, gradually cut back on the sugar a little more each time you bake. Your palate will adjust and eventually you won’t want “ultra-sweet” foods as much. Try an alternative sweetener such as agave nectar. Even though it has calories, it has a low glycemic level (the rate at which it raises your blood sugar levels). Finally, (and this is the tough one) just try eating less of those sugary baked foods to reduce your sugar intake. Maybe half a muffin, or a smaller slice of cake, or only one small cookie instead of a large one. Our portion sizes have crept up over the past couple of decades to the point where our muffins are anywhere from 3-5 times larger than a standard USDA serving. Oh, you’re probably wondering about that dessert my guests were eating. It was a flourless chocolate cake from my book Gluten-Free 101 made with one-third sugar, one-third Splenda, and one-third agave nectar. It was topped with whipped cream (sweetened with agave nectar) lightly dusted with Dutch cocoa, and garnished with a bright red strawberry and a few chocolate-covered espresso beans. The slices were reasonably-sized—not the massive servings we often find in restaurants. My guests were relieved to learn that this dessert was a sweet, yet sensible ending to the meal…and, they ate every last crumb!

A fun soup to enjoy when the weather starts gettin' a bit cool. Topped with a bit of cilantro, this soup will have your taste buds yearnin' for more in no time! Bon Appetit. Ingredients 3 large sweet potatoes 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 large Vidallia onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth 2 cups Greek plain yogurt 1 tsp. all spice 1 tsp. chili powder ½ cup cashew butter 1/4 tsp. sea salt Topping: 1/3 cup fresh cilantro Directions Prick sweet potatoes with a fork to create air pockets. Place into the microwave for 10 minutes. Set aside. In a large saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and cook until they begin to brown, approximately 3 minutes. Add garlic; stir for 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar, all-spice, chili powder, and sea salt. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Peel sweet potatoes and chop into small chunks. Place into a food processor along with the vegetable broth, Greek yogurt and cashew butter; puree until smooth. Add the puree to the pot and mix well. Transfer to serving bowls; garnish with cilantro.

I’ve made mashed potatoes countless times, but it wasn’t until I started baking the potatoes instead of boiling them that they came out like I hoped. Baking is great for sweet potatoes; it helps retain their gorgeous color. The touch of chipotle adds an unexpected kick, you could even add a teaspoon or so of adobo sauce for a little extra heat. Ingredients: 4 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and pierced with a fork 1 whole chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter ¼ cup heavy cream ½ teaspoon salt Directions: Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake potatoes for 1 hour or until soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and let cool. Scoop out the insides into a large bowl. Add chipotle pepper, brown sugar, butter, salt, and cream. Mash with a potato masher or hand mixer until combined but not smooth. If necessary, transfer to a baking dish and bake for about 15 minutes, until warm enough to serve.