LIST - I Can't Believe It's Gluten Free!

Holy smokes, Batman!!! You won't believe the gluten free foods we've got here!!


It's been almost a year since Eric kicked wheat to the curb, and I've been thinking a lot recently about how much he has to limit what he eats because of this food allergy. It got me wondering that sometimes it's possible to be overly careful and miss out on some gluten free foods that are just fine to eat.

Hopefully while reading this you'll make a face like Lucy's above. These are ingredients and products that I was surprised to find out are gluten free, even though they definitely don't seem like it at first. Just remember, always do your research! If you are dining out, never assume that something is gluten free, ask the wait staff to make sure. And if they are not sure (like if you get the response "gluten? what's that?" you might be better off passing.

Buckwheat

Yes, I know that you are now programmed to cringe at anything with the word "wheat" in it, but this type is OK. Buckwheat, in fact, is not wheat at all. It's just a regular old plant that has flowers and seeds, and those seeds are ground up and used in noodles, groats, pancakes, farina and more. They are most frequently seen in Japanese soba noodles and in buckwheat pancakes or crepes in fancy cafes. Just be sure to ask and make sure that the buckwheat was not mixed with regular wheat flour to make the dish.

Doritos (most kinds)

Now, I don't normally support bagged, preservative-laden, chemically snacks that can sit on the shelves of your pantry for years. But I am always excited to see when the folks that make these snacks take the time to figure out if people with food allergies can eat them. Take Doritos. On their website they list if each type of chip is gluten free, contains trains fat, lactose free, casein free, onion free, additive free, msg free and is pork free (the pork free thing is a little odd, but I guess it's good to know...). You'll notice that all Doritos except Nacho Cheese and Spicy Sweet Chili contain no gluten ingredients. Thanks, Frito Lay. You make it much easier for millions of gluten intolerant Americans to get their snack on!

Chex Cereal (5 flavors)

Another example of a big company helping out the little people by telling them which products won't make them crawl into bed for days on end. Chex cereal has been heavily marketing it's 5 types of gluten free cereal: Rice, Honey Nut, Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Corn. They even have a slew of gluten free recipes on their website!

Tamales

Tamales are a delicious Latin American dish made of corn masa stuffed with meats, cheese, and veggies and steamed inside a wrapper of corn husks or plantain leaves. They're gluten free because the corn masa traditionally is only made from corn. Check out Trader Joe's frozen beef tamales, or support your local Latin American restaurants and get some authentic, probably home-made, tamales. Just be sure to confirm that there is no wheat flour in the mix.

Tamari

Tamari is a kind of soy sauce, actually it was the original soy sauce first invented in Japan. Tamari traditionally contains little or no wheat, and if you purchase gluten free soy sauce from the supermarket, chances are it is Tamari.

Fruit by the Foot

I'm not sure why I was so surprised to learn that Fruit by the Foot snacks are gluten free. Maybe it's because Fruit Roll Ups, a very similar sugary delicious snack, do not say "gluten free" on their label. Check out the General Mills website for nutritional info on every product they make. The Fruit by the Foot says "gluten free" right on the top right of the label.


Breadfruit


I couldn't help it, had to throw this one in there. For anyone that's watched Top Chef, you probably know already that breadfruit is not a loaf of bread shaped into a strawberry or pear. It's a regular old fruit, just with a spongy texture that will remind you of bread. Fooled ya, didn't I?

Oats


I wanted to include oats on this list with a word of caution: regular "Quaker Oats" are NOT gluten free. The thing about oats is that they are naturally gluten free. But in modern times, there is so much darn wheat everywhere that it frequently contaminates the oat fields. I exclusively use Bob's Red Mill's gluten free oats. They are grown on fields away from wheat fields, packaged in a gluten free facility, and each batch is tested for the presence of gluten. If you have an extreme gluten sensitivity then you should avoid, but for the vast majority of folks these oats will be just fine.

Kosher for Passover foods


Some of you may be aware that Passover ends tomorrow evening. I recently was surprised to find that many Kosher for Passover foods are gluten free. Foods such as cakes, cookies, macaroons, even some types of matzoh are gluten free. Without going into too much detail, about a gagillion years ago when the  Jews were fleeing slavery from Egypt, they were forced to roam the desert for 40 years without any sort of bread or bread products. To commemorate their toils in the desert, during Passover no bread or bread products are eaten. Be careful, there are still many products that do contain wheat flour, like matzoh. But I was very excited to see so many gluten free products on display. And now is the perfect time to pick up ~10 lbs of macaroons (like I did) since they will be on sale in the markets.

What other surprising gluten free foods have you encountered?? Leave a comment or email me at gfmadefriendly@gmail.com and I will expand this list!

RECIPE - Gluten Free Chocolate Coconut Cake!!

Sometimes you just can't decide between chocolate and coconut. It's ok, you can have both.

This recipe is so EASY, you won't believe it at first.

First, take a package of gluten free chocolate cake mix. I use Bob's Red Mill. Second, make the cake batter, substituting the milk in the recipe for chocolate milk or chocolate soy milk. Next, bake the cake.

Now for the coconut. Just take a container of vanilla frosting (make sure it's GF!), add about 1/3 - 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, and stir. If you have coconut extract, add about 1/2 tsp and stir again. Let sit for about an hour to help soften the coconut.

Frost the cake, then sprinkle on some extra coconut shavings.

 don't worry... this was not just ONE slice.

Ta Da!! Easy as pie... I mean... cake. You'll also remember the raspberry chocolate cupcakes I made a few months back with another gluten free chocolate cake mix. The possibilities are endless. Here's a few other ideas on how to modify gluten free cake mix:

• Add white chocolate chips to the chocolate cake mix. frost with white frosting and add extra white chocolate chips
• Add white chocolate chips and chopped macadamia nuts to vanilla cake mix. 
• replace any water in vanilla or yellow cake mix with pineapple juice. fill the center of the cake with less frosting and fresh pineapple chopped up. sprinkle coconut shavings on top of cake.
• Mix any flavor of metled fruit preserves into frosting. if it has seeds, remember to strain them out! Make sure the frosting has cooled before icing the cake.
• Create a four layer cake. split the 2 layers each in half, then alternate laying fillings with sliced strawberries/splash of booze (fruit liquor? chocolate liquor?) and fill the other layers with traditional icing. The booze helps keep the cake super moist, and using fruit instead of frosting means that you won't need to buy and extra frosting tub to finish the cake off!

RECIPE - GF Chicago Style Pizza

I am never making "regular" pizza again! This way is so much better!!

We were first inspired to make Chicago style pizza from our neighbors Rob and Jaclynn. Rob was surprising Jaclynn (who has a blog called "Bad Fashion", check it out here) for her birthday with this Midwest favorite. Our other neighbor Pete is a master baker, and with the smells of homemade dough and pizza wafting through the building, it was hard to resist. Now we don't have to!

You really won't believe how easy this is. Literally the only thing different is the pan and the order you put the ingredients on.

Ingredients:
1 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 gluten free italian sausages, casings removed and sauteed until cooked and crumbly like ground beef
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1/2 each red and green bell pepper, sliced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, diced
2 cups mozarella cheese (I use Cabbott, it's lactose free)

Directions:
Make the pizza crust according to the directions on the package. Before mixing together, add 1 tbsp italian seasoning. Let the crust rise.

This recipe made 2 cake pans and 1 sheet pan worth of pizza (the sheet pan was made the "regular" way). You can easily make 4 cake pans of pizza with this recipe. Be sure to thoroughly spray the pan before mushing the dough in. I recommend using a piece of plastic wrap to help mush the pizza into the pan. Push the dough out to cover the bottom of the pan, then push up the sides of the pan. Prebake crust according to directions.

Now, here's the important part. Pay attention!

First, sprinkle the mozarella cheese directly on the prebaked crust. This is crucial, it creates a barrier between sauce and crust so it doesn't get mushy. It also gives the crust a great texture and helps you taste the cheese more.

Then, the sausage. In traditional Chicago pizzerias they put the sausage on the pizza raw and bake for a long long time. But here we can't bake the crust too long, so I recommend cooking the sausage ahead of time.

Next, add the veggies. Finally, spoon on some tomato sauce (after you mix it with 1 tbsp italian seasoning). Be careful not to add too much, you don't want to completely cover the veggies, just enough to get a thin layer. Add some parmesan cheese and you're ready to go!

Bake the pizza according to directions, and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Convinced? Make your pizza night a gluten free Chicago pizza night!!

RECIPE - GF Chocolate, Coconut and Almond Cookies

Question: What is the best holiday?

Answer: Halloween!!

You may be thinking: Why would you ask that when Christmas is just around the corner, and Hannukah is going on now???

Let me explain.

Reasons why Halloween is the best holiday:
1. Free candy
2. No requirement to dress up (they HAVE to give you candy)
3. Zombie movies
4. Non-family parties
5. There's a parade (at least in NYC)
6. After Halloween, all the leftover candy is on massive sale at the store.

So, about 3 weeks ago, I purchased way too much candy while making a trip at Duane Reade. More specifically, I bought about 3 lbs each Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Almond Joy.

Then, recently, I've been trying to think up new and interesting cookie recipes. I've been wanting to use the Coconut Flour that I got from Bob's Red Mill. The texture is very light and the smell is super coconut-y. And then it hit me: Chocolate + Coconut + Almonds + Cookie = An Awesome Almond Joy-inspired Delight!

I can't take credit for the idea. I found this recipe on All Recipes and made some tweaks. First, I havled the recipe (I don't need 4 dozen cookies lying around). Then, I swapped out 3/4 cup flour for the coconut flour, and then used a GF all purpose flour for the rest. Finally, I used equal proportions chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut. I realized after the first batch that I needed some extra butter and an extra egg to make up for all that coconut. The result is amazing! Think a cross between an almond macaroon and a chocolate chip cookie. Really... they are that good! Please do yourself a favor and try them.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Organic Coconut Flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened grated coconut

Directions:
Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars and butter until creamy. Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until well combined.

Add in the dry ingredients in batches (I usually do 4 batches), stirring in each addition until combined.

Add the chocolate chips, almonds, and coconut. Stir to combine.

Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon (these cookies don't spread much due to the coconut). Bake at 350 degrees for about 10-11 minutes, or until golden brown on bottom.

RECIPE - GF Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Ever since the discovery of Glenny's GF Oatmeal Cookies (see blog post here), I've felt challenged to make some of these cookies at home. Oatmeal cookies are a different beast of cookie altogether, and required 3 important steps. It felt like some sort of weird scavenger hunt.

The first step was to find some gluten free oats. Yes, not all oats are gluten free. Here's a link to a great blog called "Life As We Know It" that explains the whole "oat" situation. Basically, oats themselves do not contain gluten. But more times that not, oat fields are grown in the same fields as wheat/barley/etc, and therefore pick up some of that gluten. Fortunately, Bob's Red Mill is so kind to have separate fields to grow their oats, and a separate facility (from wheat products) to process the oats. I chose the Old Fashioned vs. Quick Oats. I was worried that the Quick Oats would cook too quickly (as their name implies) in the oven and get mushy. I like oatmeal cookies with some texture.

The next step was to find a cookie recipe. I already have Bob's Red Mill's GF All Purpose Baking Flour. So I found this recipe on one of my favorite sites, allrecipes.com. 4 1/2 star average rating with 700+ reviews... can't beat it. Just made some tweaks to make it more unique.

Ok, so the final step is the magic ingredient in most gluten free baking, Xanthan Gum. Ta Da!! This ingredient is essential in helping bind the dough and keeping the cookies together while baking. The first time I tried baking gluten free, I didn't include any xanthan gum, and the cookies pretty much spread out into one giant cookie cracker. Not good. All you need in a cookie recipe is 1/4 tsp, so a little goes a long way.

On to the show! Here's the recipe I used, adopted from the one on All Recipes (posted by the mysterious "Darlene").

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground high quality cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
2 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Old Fashioned Rolled Oats

Directions:
Cream the softened butter and sugar in a bowl until smooth. Mix in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy.

In the meantime, mix together in a separate bowl the flour, xanthan gum, cloves, cinnamon and salt.

Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture, and stir until combined. Mix in raisins and oats and still til thoroughly combined.

Drop tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Not to toot my own horn, but these are fantastic! They're chewy in the middle, crunchy around the edges, and full of flavor! Give them a try and let me know what you think!

RECIPE - GF Green Pea Pasta w/ Zucchini

I've been imagining this pasta ever since I saw the Green Pea Flour on Bob's Red Mill's website. The green color of the flour is beautiful! And how fortunate was I that Bob's Red Mill sent me a sample of the flour?!? So I got to work.

Now, I'm not an expert on pasta making. I looked up a basic recipe and noticed that you need semolina flour and all purpose flour. I researched semolina flour and saw that a popular substitute is garbanzo bean flour. So I decided to replace the semolina with garbanzo, and replace the all purpose with green pea. 

Ingredients:
For the pasta:
1 cup Garbanzo Bean Flour
1 cup Green Pea Flour
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch of salt

For the sauce:
1 zucchini, sliced
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 oz Parmesan cheese, shaved

Directions:
Sift together the garbanzo bean flour, green pea flour, and salt. Pile into a mound and create a wide well in the middle. Crack eggs into the well and add olive oil. Slowly stir with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour into the mix. Once all the flour is integrated, kneed with your hands for a minute or two. Roll into a disc, wrap in plastic, and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Prepare a cutting board by sprinkling with garbanzo bean flour. Unwrap the dough and sprinkle more flour on top. Roll out by hand (or use a pasta machine if you have) until the pasta is as thin as you can make it (I split dough in half, and this made it much easier).

Carefully slice dough into pasta shapes, I chose linguini because it was easy. If you're feeling adventurous, try spaghetti.

To cook the pasta, boil water. Once boiling, add salt. Cook fresh pasta for NO MORE THAN 3-4 minutes. Drain and pour a little olive oil to prevent sticking.

In the meantime, saute the crushed garlic in olive oil, until lightly browned. Remove garlic, heat oil to medium-high, and fry zucchini. Once zucchini is lightly browned, add freshly cooked pasta and toss to coat. Serve and top with shaved Parmesan cheese.

Do you have other ideas for what to pair with Green Pea Pasta? Let me know!

PRODUCT REVIEW - Glenny's GF Oatmeal Cookies

I came across these cookies at the Fairway this past weekend, and at first I walked right by. Usually I prefer to make my own cookies at home, the prepackaged ones are always a ripoff at $5 for 6 cookies.  These were a little better, $4 for 10 cookies. So I took a gamble. Let me introduce you to Glenny's Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies.

So glad I did!! These cookies are de-lic-ious! They're soft, chewy, oatmeal-y, raisin-y, and honestly don't taste like they are gluten free. Pop these in the microwave or toaster oven for a few seconds, and I bet it would be like Grandma paid you a visit.

Only downside: they're pretty small. So it's like 8 cookies not 10. Whatever. They are worth it.

Now, my newest endeavour will be to recreate these cookies at home. Oats have been a controversial gluten free topic. Oats themselves do not contain gluten, but the vast majority of oats and facilities that process oats also process wheat, so cross contamination is a huge issue. I know Bob's Red Mill makes Gluten Free Oats, so that'll work nicely. Look for that recipe soon!

RECIPE - Gluten Free Buttermilk Fried Chicken

I know what you're thinking... "No clucking way!!". But yes, it's true, you can make amazing fried chicken gluten free. Dare I say better than the original?? You'll have to try it for yourself.

Ingredients:

For the marinade:
2 - 2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces
1 quart buttermilk
1 tbsp Thyme
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp hot sauce (ex: Franks, Louisiana)
black pepper

For the dredge:
3 cups GF All Purpose Flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour)
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper (yes, 1 tablespoon)
salt and black pepper

For frying:
A lot of vegetable oil

Directions:
1. Pour the buttermilk into a non-metal bowl or ziploc bag big enough to hold chicken. Add spices and hot sauce mix together.
2. Add in chicken pieces. Stir to make sure each piece is coated with buttermilk.
3. Let sit in the refrigerador overnight.
4. Heat oil in a deep fryer or large pan over medium-high heat.
5. In a ziploc bag, mix GF flour and spices together.
6. Remove chicken pieces (1 or 2 at a time), shake off excess buttermilk, and dredge in flour mixture. Shake off excess flour, and slowly drop into oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the fryer/pan.
7. Cook chicken for approximately 11-12min for thighs, 9-10min for drumsticks, 7-8 minutes for wings, and 9-11min for breasts. This will vary depending on how big your chicken pieces are, and how hot your oil is. Make sure that between batches you let the oil reheat.
8. Once cooked, remove chicken and place on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.

RECIPE - GF Pizza Supreme

Fuhget New York pizza! It's got nothing on this:

Making gluten free pizza at home is one of the cheapest meals you can make! If you've ever had gluten free pizza at a restaurant, you know that you'll pay anywhere between $2-5 more than a regular pizza, and then you pay per topping. If you were to get the pie in this recipe at a restaurant, it'll cost at least $20.

One package of gluten free pizza crust costs about $5, toppings cost another $5, and you probably have tomato sauce and cheese already at home. So you can make 2 pizzas, feed at least 4 people, for $10. Half the price of a restaurant pizza!

Ingredients:
1 package Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped + 2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 Tbsp italian seasoning
1/2 each red and green bell pepper, sliced
5 mushrooms, sliced
1 tomato, diced
Pepperoni slices (or other topping)
Mozzarella cheese (we used a dairy free rice cheese, but most will use the real thing)

Directions:
1. Make the pizza dough according to the directions on the package using the eggs, water, and 2 Tbsp olive oil.
2. Form the dough into 2 pizzas
**Tip: this dough is veerrrrryyyy sticky! Bob's Red Mill says you should wet your hands when you spread the dough out, but I think it's easier to use a piece of plastic wrap, place on top of the dough, and just mush and rub it around until it fills the pan.
3. Bake the dough without toppings according to the directions on the package
4. Mix together the chopped garlic and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with a little more italian seasoning.
5. Mix the italian seasoning into the tomato sauce
6. Once the pizza crust comes out of the oven, paint the garlic oil over the enture crust
7. Add tomato sauce, toppings, and cheese!
8. Return to oven and cook according to package directions
9. Remove from oven, sprinkle with a little more italian seasoning, and voila!

Here's what the crust looks like once it's baked and before toppings:

Have you tried this recipe? Do you have a better gluten free pizza recipe?  Leave a comment and let me know!