Sure Foods Living – gluten-free and allergen-free living

Pizza and cupcakes, pizza and cupcakes — this is the usual fare at children’s birthday parties. I’ve got the whole bring-our-own-cupcakes thing down and I am used to delivering hot homemade pizza to the parties. But once in a while, a creative mom throws me for a loop by serving frosting-filled ice cream cones (that was an easy one, luckily) or ice cream sandwiches (the traditional dark cookie rectangle kind – not so easy).

At the last birthday party my daughters attended, the dessert was ice cream pie. I used to love ice cream pies but really had never made one. Ah – a new challenge. I used allergen-free cookies and dairy-free ice cream to make individual pies for my girls. The crust turned out fine, although probably too crumbly if you were going to try to cut and serve it. Since they had their own it didn’t matter and they ate them straight out of the baking tin.

Here’s how I did it:

Ingredients:

• Cookies or graham crackers – pick what work for your allergens, but try to pick ones on the crunchy side. I used Home Free Vanilla Mini Cookies which are free of the top 8 allergens. For gluten and dairy-free, I would recommend Pamela’s Products Ginger Snapz or Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies. For a gluten-free graham cracker crust, try Kinnikinnick Graham Style Crumbs.
• Butter or dairy-free butter – I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Spread.
• Ice cream or dairy-free ice cream – I used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk ice cream.
• Chocolate chips for topping – I used Enjoy Life Foods Mega Chunks

Directions:

1. Crush cookies using a food processor (this is the easy and fast way and produces a finer crumb) or by putting them in a plastic bag and rolling the bag with a rolling pin. You should have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of crushed cookies.
2. Melt about 1/4 cup of butter.
3. Add butter little by little to the crushed cookies either directly to the food processor or in a bowl. You want the cookie/butter mixture to stick together enough but not to be too oily. Many cookie crust recipes call for sugar to be added also, but I left it out. Seems sugary enough to me!
4. Press cookie/butter mixture into the bottom of a greased pie plate or ramekin or whatever you want to serve it in.
5. Put crust in the freezer to set for at least 15 minutes (more time is better, but I was in a hurry).
6. Take out the ice cream to soften a bit (10 minutes).
7. Smooth the softened ice cream into the crust.
8. Melt chocolate chips (if you do this in the microwave, cook for short intervals and stir each time). Drizzle the chocolate on top of pie.
9. Return pie to freezer. It is best to leave it for at least 30 minutes or longer.

To be honest, I didn’t see my kids eat their pies because I had to leave the party, and I doubt they were perfect by ice cream pie standards, but the tins came back clean. That’s all the proof I need! If I make this again I would like to buy mini pie dishes, use a more interesting ice cream flavor and make it farther ahead so they freeze more.

So, moms, what’s the next birthday challenge?

These are the gluten-free allergen-free Valentine’s cookies that my girls and I made last year. This picture makes me happy because of the beautiful imperfection created by their little hands!

After years of experimenting with different people’s recipes, I finally have had success. For roll out sugar cookies that maintain their shape and taste good, I recommend two recipes. One is Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom’s Cut-Out Sugar Cookies. I followed the recipe for the cookies exactly, except for almond extract due to nut allergies in my house, and I just use regular powdered sugar to make the icing, but if you need to be corn-free, she has a great recipe for powdered sugar without the cornstarch. The other recipe I recommend is Cybele Pascal’s Allergy Free Rolled Sugar Cookies. Note that she uses rice milk for the icing, but I personally don’t like the taste of rice milk and think it makes frosting taste “off.” You can use water, milk or coconut milk instead if you are like me and prefer something other than rice milk.

Remember when decorating cookies that you want to put the sprinkles on right away because the icing will set and then the sprinkles won’t stick. Also remember that you really can’t go wrong if you put out little bowls of sprinkles and let your kids exercise their creativity (I do recommend frosting them yourself however!) If you use sprinkles that complement each other, the cookies will look great no matter what and they will be so proud to serve them to their family, friends, and classmates.

The other day I had a gluten-free donut emergency. There was a birthday in my daughter’s class and the kid brought donuts to share. I am always prepared for birthdays with cupcakes in the freezer and I can make a fast brownie, but donuts? That is not in my repertoire.

But then I remembered that my mom had just given my daughters a Babycakes Donut Maker. At the time I wasn’t that excited about another appliance in the house, but now I was ecstatic!  All I had to do was come up with a batter that was gluten-free and egg-free (daughter is allergic to eggs) and I would have mini donuts in about five minutes! I decided to use a pancake and waffle mix as the base and work from there. I always have The Cravings Place All Purpose Pancake and Waffle Mix on hand because it is a mix that does not call for eggs at all and somehow the waffles always defy gravity and come out fluffy. I sort of used their recipe (on their website) for Shortcake to make the donut batter. I can’t be certain I followed it exactly, because, like I said, it was a donut emergency and I was in a hurry! You can probably use any gluten-free batter with success.

When I brought the mini-donuts to school, I peeked in the donut box that held the “regular” donuts and to my pleasant surprise, there were donuts with vanilla icing and chocolate sprinkles, just like I had made! My daughter and another allergic girl in the class that I brought donuts for were very happy, and I have to admit that I felt like Super Mom that day!

Here is (approximately) how I made the gluten-free dairy-free egg-free donuts:

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups The Cravings Place All Purpose Pancake and Waffle Mix
• 1 cup Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread (or other non-dairy “butter” or real butter or shortening)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Cut the butter or shortening into the dry mix, using a pastry cutter or knives until the the butter or shortening is blended in, or resembles small pebbles. Add the sugar and water and mix until fully blended. Batter should be somewhat thick.

Take a ziplock bag and cut off one corner so there is 1/2 inch hole. Spoon the batter into the bag, and following the directions on the donut maker, squeeze the batter out of the bag into the donut rounds when the donut maker is ready (hot). Fill it pretty full (even though the directions say to fill each with two tablespoons, don’t bother measuring). The bottom side of the donut will brown more than the top, but if you turn the donut over before icing, no one will see the less-cooked side.

Let the donuts cool a little bit before icing them or the icing will melt down the sides. For a quick icing, I mixed a little Pamela’s Vanilla Frosting Mix with a little water until it was the consistency I wanted, but you can also just use powdered sugar and water or milk, and add some vanilla too if you like. It’s up to you how you want to ice them — you can dunk the whole thing to get a glaze all over, or ice the tops like I did. There are also several frosting recipes in the recipe booklet that comes with the donut maker.

If you know someone who needs to be gluten and/or dairy-free this holiday season, surprise them with a treat they can eat! Once they get over the shock of your thoughtfulness, they will simply delight in the yumminess of your creation. (Or, gift them to yourself – you deserve it!)

To get an idea for the Attune Foods December theme of “holiday gift recipes”, I turned to my mom and her recipe box. I love when she pulls out a tattered 3×5 notecard — you know that the more stained the card, the tastier the outcome will be. When I asked her if she had a special cookie recipe that she remembered fondly, she offered one of those well-used cards. She made these bar cookies often, but I of course have adapted them to be gluten-free, dairy-free and also nut-free by using Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal in place of the chopped nuts.

To read the recipe for Chocolate Coconut Crispy Meringue Squares, please visit the Attune Foods blog.

For people who are gluten-free or have food allergies, the holidays can be a reminder of what we can’t eat. Gluten and other allergens are everywhere, and because we are more social at this time of year, this fact becomes more obvious as we attend holiday parties, share meals with family and friends, and are tempted by sweet treats all around.

But you don’t have to go without your favorite foods! You may not be able to indulge in everything, but think about what food would make you feel the most emotionally satisfied — is it pie, is it stuffing? Is it a box of chocolates, matzoh ball soup? Which one holiday food would give you the greatest pleasure? Then, make it happen! If you can buy it, treat yourself! If you have to make it yourself, do it. If someone else wants to make it for you, great! If you don’t have to stop at one food, by all means, don’t! If you are feeling overwhelmed by all the things you can’t eat, let’s simplify it.

I hope this short list of suggestions can help, and if there’s something else you’re longing for, let me know, and I will use my resources to try to find you the enjoyment you deserve!

GLUTEN-FREE / ALLERGEN-FREE GINGERBREAD MEN OR HOUSE

Buy it: Oops, we’re past the deadline already for ordering an allergen-free gingerbread house kit from A&J Bakery, but now you know for next year. Sensitive Sweets in southern California is also making an allergen-free gingerbread kit for purchase.

Make it: You can make this. Seriously, you can. Read my post “I made an allergen-free gingerbread house!”

ROLL OUT SUGAR COOKIES

Buy it: I haven’t found any gluten-free shaped sugar cookies you can buy in stores that are gluten-free, and many of the sugar cookie mixes don’t make cookies that hold their shape.

Make it: I am very excited this year that I found a GREAT recipe for roll-out sugar cookies that are free of gluten, dairy, eggs and nuts! The recipe is from Heidi at Adventures of a GF Mom. (The recipe calls for almond extract which I replace with vanilla.) Cybel Pascal has a recipe for sugar cookies that is also free of the top allergens.

PIE OR PIE CRUST

Buy it: Whole Foods’ Gluten-Free Bakehouse brand has a pie crust, and you can find finished pies or tarts from Katz Gluten Free, Crave Bakery, and Christine’s Upper Crust Pies.

Make it: There are actually tons of gluten-free pie and pie crust recipes out there if you want to make it from scratch. Some of the sites that have recipes are Whole Foods, Simply Gluten-Free, Living Without Magazine, Elana’s Pantry, and Gluten-Free Girl. You can also use commercially available flour blends to make a crust, which saves you some steps. King Arthur shows you how, and if you want a really easy with video instruction, Pamela of Pamela’s Products shows you how to make a gluten-free pie using her mix (is also egg-free and can be dairy-free). Jules of Jules Gluten Free also shows you how to make pie using her flour blend.

GRAVY

Buy it: You can purchase gluten-free gravy mixes. Here is a list of search results for gluten-free gravy on Amazon. Mayacamas is another company that makes gluten-free gravy mixes.

Make it: Instead of flour, use a gluten-free starch. Here’s a little primer on wheat-free thickeners from FitSugar. Ali at Nourishing Meals explains how to make gluten-free gravy. A chef from Whole Foods shows in a video two ways to make gravy, and The Family Chef shares her easy steps.

STUFFING

Buy it: Look around — gluten-free bread  crumbs or croutons are available, but if you can’t find them, you can buy gluten-free bread like Udi’s or Rudi’s to use in any traditional stuffing recipe.

Make it: You can make a loaf of gluten-free bread to use in stuffing recipes. That’s what I do because I can make the bread dairy and egg-free also for people with multiple food allergies in my family. This recipe for Harvest Stuffing always turns out. If you don’t want to use bread, opt for a rice dressing, which will be naturally gluten-free. Make sure any broth you are using is gluten-free. If you have nut allergies, watch out — many stuffing recipes call for nuts.

MATZOH BALL SOUP

Buy it/Make it: You buy the mix to make your own matzoh balls. They are really good and I love the name: Mock-Zah Ball Mix.

POTATO LATKES

Buy it: Hmmm… nope, you’re going to have to make these.

Make it: Easy to make gluten-free, just substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the flour called for in traditional recipes. Need to be egg-free too? Don’t worry, I figured this one out for you: Gluten-Free Egg-Free Latke Recipe

CHOCOLATES

Buy it: See’s Candies is still my favorite boxed-chocolates. They have an allergen list, so depending on your allergy, you might be able to find something you can have!

Make it: You can easily make chocolate lollies and shapes by following these steps:

1. Buy candy molds in holiday shapes, like snowflakes or snowmen or Christmas shapes or Santas.
2. Buy Enjoy Life Foods Chocolate Chips or Mega Chunks – they are free of the top 8 allergens.
3. Temper the chocolate in the microwave by heating the chocolate in a bowl in the microwave, at power level 5 or 50% for 30 seconds. Using a rubber spatula in a gentle sweeping motion,  stir the chocolate, even if none of it has become liquid yet and return the bowl to the microwave oven for another 30 seconds. Remove, stir, and repeat until about two-thirds of the chunks become liquid and about one-third are in soft lumps. Continually stir to cool the chocolate until the soft lumps disappear and the chocolate has cooled a little.
4. Pour the chocolate into the molds, or use a spoon or spatula to put it in, and let it set in the refrigerator.
5. When chilled completely, wrap the chocolates with colored foil or clear wrap.

What else is tugging at your tummy this holiday season?

My memory of fish sticks is the processed perfectly-machine-cut kind that they served in my elementary school cafeteria. A peek at the ingredients of those fish sticks would reveal a long list that includes gluten, dairy, MSG, and preservatives. But you can make healthy fish sticks at home — and I promise, it’s really simple.

I use corn flakes for the breading of these fish sticks and I recommend using Erewhon Corn Flakes, because they are perfectly crispy and contain only two ingredients: Organic Milled Corn and Sea Salt. Other brands of corn flakes, especially gluten-free ones, add sweeteners, which I don’t really want with fish.

For this super-easy gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free recipe, read my post on the Attune Foods blog!

Simple Corn-Flake Crusted Fish Sticks Recipe

These SunButter Balls are much better than Schweddy Balls and they are gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut and peanut-free, and soy-free! The credit for this recipe goes to my sister, Leslie, who lovingly adapted it so that my daughter could eat it too. She also used healthy ingredients to give these little snacks a nutritional punch!

This is a great recipe to make with kids. They love to make the balls and roll them in the cereal! Once coated, keep them (the balls, not the kids) in the refrigerator to have as a healthy snack, to pack in lunches, or for protein on the go. The cereal on the outside, in addition to providing a little crunch, prevents them from being sticky.

To read the recipe for Sunbutter Balls, click over to my post on the Attune Foods blog!

The first time I made Rice Crispy Treats, they turned out hard as a rock. After many attempts, I have a yummy and soft Rice Crispy Treat recipe, and it’s gluten-free and dairy-free too!

The key to making good Rice Crispy Treats is in both the ingredients and the technique. The ingredients in my recipe are different from the traditional Rice Krispies version. First of all, I  don’t use Rice Krispies because they are not gluten-free (they contain barley malt). This is changing in June 2011 — if you haven’t heard yet, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies is going gluten-free. This is wonderful news for so many families, and evidence of the growing and powerful gluten-free market.

I personally will continue to buy Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Gluten Free Cereal because I like the ingredients better: Organic brown rice, Organic brown rice syrup, Sea salt. (The new Rice Krispies will contain whole grain brown rice, sugar, salt and BHT.) Erewhon compares in taste and crispiness to Rice Krispies, and it has been a staple in my house for years.

The next change I made to the traditional recipe was to use dairy-free butter. I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread, and the result was soft and chewy. You can also use coconut oil, which will result in a chewy but not as soft treat with a hint of coconut taste.

Another difference in my recipe is a higher marshmallow to cereal ratio. I have always felt that rice crispy treats never had enough marshmallow, so I fixed that problem!

I discovered after trial and error that technique is important. You must slowly heat the marshmallows or you will get a rock-hard treat.

I hope you enjoy!

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Soft and Chewy Rice Crispy Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients:
Easy to remember! 4-4-4 (or 2-2-2 if you want just a small batch)

• 4 tablespoons Earth Balance dairy-free butter or coconut oil (coconut oil will result in crunchier treat with a hint of coconut flavor)
• 4 cups mini marshmallows
• 4 cups crispy rice cereal (I prefer Erewhon Gluten-Free)

Directions:

1. Heat dairy-free butter or coconut oil on low heat until almost melted.
2. Add marshmallow and heat S-L-O-W-L-Y in a large saucepan, with little to no stirring, until the marshmallows are almost melded together. Be patient.



3. Stir gently until the marshmallows resemble marshmallow cream. The marshmallow cream should be light and fluffy. If you heat too quickly, it will become tough and sticky, making for a tough treat. If using coconut oil, it will seem like the oil is not stirring in at first, but gently continue to incorporate it in until you don’t see any more in the edges of the pan.

   

4. When it is creamy and the butter or oil is blended in, turn off the heat, and pour the rice cereal into the pan, gently blending the marshmallow with the cereal until evenly distributed.

   

5. Pour into any kind of greased pan.
6. Cut the treats with cookie cutters while warm or cool. If using coconut oil, it is better to cut the treats while warm, as they will harden. To cut, flip the treats out of the pan onto a cutting board. Cut with a knife or use cookie cutters. If using cookie cutters, you may have to run a knife along the edge to break the marshmallow strands. If the edges of the shapes turn out a bit rough, simply mold the edges with your hands to make smooth.

   

7. When cool, store in an airtight container or plastic bag.
8. Shapes can be frosted too!

Giving up gluten doesn’t mean giving up chicken noodle soup! Here is my recipe for gluten-free roasted chicken noodle soup. I prefer roasting the chicken and vegetables first to give the soup a hearty flavor.

I get two meals out of this recipe because I roast the chicken and vegetables the night before and we eat it for dinner. Then I used the leftovers for the soup. This works for my family, but whether it would work for yours depends on the size of your family and the size of the chicken. Otherwise, you can simply roast the chicken and make the soup in the same day.

ROASTED CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (mine was 4.3 lbs)
• About 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
• 2-3 carrots, cut in chunks
• 5-6 small red potatoes, cut in halves or quarters
• 1 red onion, cut in chucks

Roasting the chicken and vegetables:

1. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry (remove packet of innards from the cavity of chicken – I discard, but others may want to use in the soup. The neck has so many little bones that I don’t put it in mine.)
2. Sprinkle and rub almost a tablespoon of salt on the outside and inside of the chicken.
3. You should truss the chicken. I didn’t do it properly in this picture because I forgot exactly how, so I just made it up on the spot. But if you would like to do it right, here is a good (and humorous) video to help you: How to Truss a Chicken.
4. Place cut up vegetables around the chicken in the roasting pan. Sprinkle rest of salt on the veggies. Use more salt if desired.
5. Place roasting pan in a 450° oven for 50-60 minutes until juices of chicken run clear. You may want to turn the vegetables with a spoon part way through the cooking time.
6. Eat some for dinner, or follow directions for soup below.

Making the soup:

1. Take the remainder of the chicken, including the bones and leftover meat and place in a pot or dutch oven.
2. Cut up the vegetables into smaller pieces if preferred and add to pot. If you like celery you can add it here.
3. Cover the chicken half with water and half with chicken broth. (I use Pacific organic free-range chicken broth)
4. Bring liquid to a boil, then turn down to simmer and cover for about an hour.
5. In a separate pot, make the spaghetti noodles, making sure not to overcook, and set aside. (I recommend Tinkyada or Jovial gluten-free spaghetti noodles.)
6. After an hour, the chicken should be tender and easy to pick with forks off the bones. Discard the bones.
7. When ready to serve, put cooked noodles in a bowl and spoon soup over the noodles. This is a better method than putting the noodles into the pot of soup because they will eventually soak up a lot of the broth. This way, too, people can opt for how much of the noodles they want in their bowl.
8. Enjoy!

I am excited to bring you a tortilla recipe from Laurie Gauguin, a personal chef and food writer in the San Francisco Bay Area who specializes in gluten-free cooking. I love that this recipe uses yellow split peas, a great source of fiber and protein. To learn more about Laurie and her services, visit her website: www.lauriegauguin.com.

ALLERGEN-FREE TORTILLAS

This recipe works with a variety of legumes, such as black-eyed peas and split chickpeas. I like using the split peas because they cook up a lovely golden color, and their flavor is sweet and nutty.

Like corn tortillas, these become pliable when heated. Pop them in the microwave or warm them in a dry skillet before using. If you like crispy edges, add a little oil to the pan when reheating.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup yellow split peas
• 1/4 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water
• oil for the pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cover the split peas and rice with 2 inches of water. Cover and set aside on the counter overnight.
2. Drain the peas and rice, then put them into the bowl of a food processor. Add the salt, then process until the mixture is finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
3. With the motor running, gradually pour in ½ cup water. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then continue to process for 3 minutes. The batter should be the consistency of pancake batter (but grainy). If it’s too thick, stir in a spoonful or more of water.
4. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add a thin layer of oil. Pour in 1/3 cup of the batter, then spread it around with a rubber spatula until you have a 7-inch tortilla. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until the tortilla is golden around the edges. Flip and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more, until bottom side is lightly freckled. Remove from the pan, then repeat the process for the remaining batter.

Yield: 7 tortillas