Monthly Archives: December 2009
Gluten-Free Q & A
The New York Times has a very nice Q&A style article on gluten-free living and celiac disease. Much of the information will also be of interest to those with wheat intolerance and wheat allergy symptoms.
Gluten Free for the Holidays, and Beyond
Dr. Sheila Crowe, a professor in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology in the department of medicine at the University of Virginia, recently joined the Consults blog to answer reader questions about celiac disease. Here, Dr. Crowe responds to questions about maintaining a gluten-free diet.
Simply the Best Gluten-free, Dairy-Free Waffles
If you’re like me, there are still a handful of comfort foods that can cause the wheat cravings to hit full-force if you so much as think of them, and waffles are near the top of that list. Try these delicious gluten-free, dairy-free waffles on a frosty Sunday morning – I think the texture is even nicer than waffles made with wheat flour.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups rice milk
1/4 cup lemon juice
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
Heat a waffle iron.
In a large bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until thoroughly blended. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs yolks until fluffy. Add the rice milk, lemon juice, and vegetable oil, and beat until combined. Pour the liquid mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until no lumps remain. Whip the egg whites until stiff, but not dry. Slide egg whites into batter and gently fold them in until smooth. Pour batter into a pitcher, and prepare waffles according to your waffle iron’s directions. Don’t panic if the first waffle sticks; it seems to be a universal rule of waffle-making that the first one is a write-off. Just dig out the pieces and eat them. The next ones will be perfect.
Slather with the topping of your choice, and devour.
Makes 6 waffles on my Belgian waffle maker. Your mileage may vary.
P.S. Don’t forget that you can spruce these up by adding blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips, raisins, or anything else that your devious little mind can come up with. Have fun!
Company Offers Custom-Blended Gluten-Free Cereal
Custom Choice Cereal is a new company which offers you the chance to make your own “designer” breakfast cereal free of foods containing gluten. You can add dried fruit, seeds, and nuts to one of several gluten-free cereal bases, then name your creation and have a bag (or several) shipped to your door.
It will be interesting to see how Custom Choice Cereal fares in an era when big names like Chex are going gluten-free. If you want to check them out, click below for more information.
Probiotics and Gluten Allergy
Have you considered starting a probiotic regimen to increase your digestive health? Studies have shown that certain probiotics can be beneficial to celiac sufferers who have been accidentally exposed to gluten.
Does Your Over-the-Counter Medication Contain Gluten?
Soon, you won’t have to wonder even if you buy generic OTC meds. Generic giant Perrigo, which manufactures store brands for major retailers such as Walmart, Kroger, Walgreens, and many more, has announced its intention to institute a gluten-free labelling program in Jauary 2010.
Perrigo says that the program will cover all of its most popular medications, including allergy, cold & sinus products, pain relievers, and antacids. Additionally, many of the company’s 200 dietary supplements are already labelled.
The labelling will be backed by a gluten-free assurance program involving rigorous testing to ensure that gluten contamination remains less than the FDA’s threshhold of 20 parts per million, which will bring it in line with labelling practices in the food industry.
Welcome news for consumers who want to save money by buying generic, while still staying healthy by avoiding drugs and foods containing gluten.
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
A diet free of foods containing gluten doesn’t have to mean a boring diet. Wheat free recipes shouldn’t require a dozen obscure ingredients that you’ve never heard of. A lot can be done with only two: rice flour and xanthan gum. Rice flour can be found very cheaply in the Asian food sections of many supermarkets, or at Asian grocery stores. It can also be found, less cheaply, in the supermarket health food section or specialty health food stores. Xanthan gum can be a bit trickier, but is vital to prevent your baked goods from falling apart; it performs the function of gluten in your wheat free recipes without causing those nasty wheat intolerance symptoms. Ask at your supermarket, check health food stores, or buy it online– http://www.herbalremedies.com sells it, as do many other online stores. Don’t panic when you see the price; recipes generally call for less than a teaspoon, so it will last a long time.
This gluten-free and dairy-free chocolate chip cookie recipe goes one step further by replacing refined sugar with natural, delicious honey. One caveat: don’t feed honey to babies less than one year old.
Okay, here we go!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dairy-free shortening
2/3 cup honey
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla (make sure your brand is gluten-free; some aren’t)
1 1/4 cups rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate chips (chopped dates are also a delicious substitution)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F (175C).
In a large bowl, beat shortening and honey until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the rice flour, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Stir the dry ingredients gradually into the wet ingredients and beat until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips or chopped dates.
Place greased foil or parchment paper over cookie sheets. Drop cookie dough onto the sheets by the spoonful, leaving plenty of space in between for them to spread. Avoid the temptation to make the cookies too large– we’re going for thin and crispy, here. Bake for 6 minutes in center oven positions. Turn cookie sheets 180 degrees. Bake for another 4 minutes, or until golden brown. Cookies will be tender, but will quickly turn crisp as they cool.
Makes approximately 48 two-inch cookies.
Crusty Gluten-Free French Bread (Baguettes)
Want to make gluten-free bread at home? Try this recipe!
If you crave the crusty on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside French breads of your former life with gluten, give this recipe a try. It’s simpler than you might think, and it will make quite an impression on your table for any meal!
Got Wheat Intolerance? Prepare To Be Outraged.
According to the Flour Advisory Bureau, wheat intolerance is like a party in your stomach! http://tinyurl.com/yz3xutb
“Symptoms attributed to wheat intolerance are very similar to the symptoms for a number of other conditions such as stress, IBS – or even a good night out.
• Wheat’s ranking in the list of foods that cause adverse reactions.
It is generally accepted that wheat is not a major cause of adverse reactions to food.”