Image by celikins via Flickr

Time is ticking away and the holidays are almost here!
I can’t believe we only have a few short weeks to find a few special gifts. Just in case you not sure what to get your favorite Gluten Free Foodie on your holiday list … I am here to help you!

I have compiled a list of a few necessities that help make living gluten free a little easier and thought I would share them with you.

Must have books – I have chosen these books because I refer to them on a regular basis for sharing information and recipes. They definitely make my life easier and tastier!

Gluten-Free Baking by Rebecca Reilly

The Grain Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass

Healthier Without Wheat by Stephen Wangen – I especially think this is a helpful gift for anyone to read because there are so many people that are Gluten Intolerant and may not know it.
The book also helps to answer questions and is a good reminder or tool to have down the road when you might get frustrated.

Gluten Free Nutrition Guide by Tricia Thompson is a great reference book to make sure that you are getting the nutrition that you need daily with meal planning.

Supplies -
You can find similar items at other specialty kitchen stores but I really like the quality of Williams-Sonoma. I highly recommend including a big box of parchment paper with any of these gifts, even if they say non-stick. Gluten Free dough is very sticky and using the parchment paper really helps with clean up and keeps the baker happy!

WS Non Stick Goldtouch Perforated French Bread Pan

Commercial Quality Loaf Pan 1lb.

Food Storage – OXO  Containers from Crate & Barrel This is just a safe way to store the various flours, nuts and gluten free ingredients.

Other gift ideas that you may not think about – Yoga, Art and Chocolate! I enjoy them all and are really helpful in managing the stress that is associated to living a gluten free lifestyle.
I truly think that these are the saving grace for me some days!

Yoga – Consider giving the some Yoga classes. There is so much planning involved with meals, reading labels and cooking that your mind runs all the time. We all have so many responsibilities with our family, friends and work. I find that Yoga helps me to take time out for myself, manage my pain, restore my energy, soul and just breathe.

Art - Think about supporting a local artist in your community by buying ART. Another idea is to give the gift of art classes. Creativity is something that helps us focus on the fun side of life as we did when we were children. This is very near and dear to my heart because I love to paint, draw, write, cook … anything creative to take a time out from technology!

Chocolate - If chocolate is not the problem but just soy and dairy are …
Why not buy my favorite organic free trade soy free and dairy free Dark Chocolate??!! I really like Equal Exchange because it is one of the few companies that make really good chocolate without soy, that is organic and helps support farmers and their families.

I love the Dark Chocolate with Almonds and the Dark Chocolate with Orange!

Regardless of the gifts you choose this holiday season remember to have fun with it! Any small gesture that you make for someone that is Gluten Intolerant or that has Celiac Disease will greatly appreciate your kind thoughts and support. Even though we are all foodies it doesn’t always have to be about food.


Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Spice Bread and Cupcakes are a great way to enjoy a fall treat for Thanksgiving or for those who just love pumpkin all year round … like me!
 
I like to have the bread around in the morning with a cup of coffee or an all day treat for guests when they stop by. The cupcakes are great too because the are individually wrapped and ready to eat or go!

For the Frosting on the cupcakes I just made my

Heavenly Cream Cheese Frosting.
I must say that this combo is to die for …
 
8 oz. package of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of butter 2 cups confectioners sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbs. Nielsen-Massey Vanilla

Mix well with a hand mixer. The frosting will be creamy and the cupcakes will need to be chilled until ready to serve. I use the same recipe for the cupcakes and bread from Rebecca Reily’s cookbook Gluten Free Baking, page 52. This book is a must for your Gluten Free library! You can also add nuts – pecans or walnuts, dates, raisins. It is perfect without too! She uses one of her flour blends, so it is best just to get the book, but the recipe is a basic gluten free quick bread recipe. I would experiment and add about 1 cup of organic pumpkin puree to your favorite quick bread recipe or better yet treat yourself to the book for the holidays!
If you have questions please feel free to email me at glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com
Enjoy!

Lisa

I hope you have a safe and delicious Gluten Free celebration with  your family and friends!

Happy Thanksgiving!

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events contact me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

OMG! I am now a big fan of stuffing!! (Don’t tell anyone but I never liked stuffing pre-gluten free living.) I never understood the big deal with stuffing or dressing … whatever your family calls it. Now I love it! This is really easy and awesome GLUTEN FREE STUFFING with FENNEL AND ROSEMARY SAUSAGE !

I have been thinking about this the past few days because I considered not making it. I must say that there were a few faces in my family that were kind of bummed that it wasn’t going to be on the menu. So I thought about it and said, what the heck … I’ll figure it out!

So here it goes … my quantity might be off depending on the size of your family but this should serve 4-6 people.

One loaf of Udi’s Gluten Free bread or your own

6-8 stalks of celery

1 large yellow onion

1 large fennel with the spiky top for garnish on top for serving

2 Tbs. thyme

2 Tbs. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. garlic powder

sea salt

black pepper

Uli’s Rosemary Chicken Sausage – 1 package

olive oil

Gluten Free Chicken Broth, I use Pacific Foods

Chop up the loaf of bread into cubes. Put the cubes into a bowl and drizzle the olive oil on top to just slightly coat the bread and mix. Add a pinch of sea salt, black pepper. Mix and add 1/2 Tbs. garlic powder, 1 Tbs of Italian Seasoning and 1 Tbs. of Thyme. Mix well and then put it on to a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees or until golden brown and toasty.

Tip – you can make some extra and put them aside to use as croutons for a salad.

Chop up the onion and saute it in a large pan with olive oil until translucent. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Take it out and put it into a heat safe bowl. Chop up the celery and fennel and add it to the bowl of hot onions so the flavors will meld.

Use the same pan, and add some more olive oil to the pan to cover the bottom. Remove the casings of the sausage and put it into the pan. Use the spatula to chop the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. Completely cook the sausage over medium heat.

Add the onions, fennel and celery to the cooked sausage. Lower the heat to medium-low and add about 1/2 cup of gluten free chicken broth and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the bread and mix well. Add the rest of the seasoning – 1 Tbs. of thyme and Italian seasoning, 1/2 Tbs. of garlic powder. Mix well and slowly add another 1/2 cup to cup of broth until you reach your desired moistness.

This is the part that you can add more or less and where everyone seems to vary on liking “the stuffing” semi-moist to almost soggy. I will let you make that call from this point. Mix well and continue to cook over medium-low heat covered for about 10-15 minutes. Please note that by covering and letting it simmer it will add moisture to the process so add the broth slowly or use less until it is done cooking.

Put the stuffing into a serving dish and add the fresh spiky fennel to the top and serve.

Enjoy!

Lisa

 

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for everyone that has been reading my blog and attending our Gluten Free Foodies events! Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving with your family and friends!

 

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Not sure if you like donuts … Who doesn’t???
YES … I said it …
GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON DONUTS …

Hopefully you have a really good, strong cup of coffee while you read this … so that you can wake up and run to the store to get some too!

Kinnikinnik Foods – makes them and you can find them in the freezer section at Town & Country, Central Market and Whole Foods Market. I put mine in a small bowl with a paper towel on top and heat it in the microwave for about 22 seconds. You get 6 donuts in the box so you can share or save them for special occasions. The donuts are Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy Free and Soy Free. They also come in glaze, but I really like the Cinnamon!

This is the perfect treat for a special day like Thanksgiving or a birthday when you just want a little extra “sweet treat” for you or your extra special gluten intolerant sweetie in your life! The best part is that you can stay in your jammies … pop them in the microwave … make the coffee and you don’t even have to go out the door … well … as long as you plan ahead and get them the next time you go to the grocery store!

Living Gluten Free isn’t so bad after all …

Enjoy!

Lisa – Gluten Free Foodie

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Well it is a week out from one of the biggest cooking days of the year, Thanksgiving! All I can think about is leftovers!!!! I am all about the Gluten Free “Ultimate Turkey Sandwich” - roasted smoked turkey, walnuts, dried cranberries, celery and applewood or peppered bacon.

This year I am going to make it a little easier on myself because I don’t have to make the bread. I heard about Udi’s foods earlier this year at a gluten free conference. My favorite grocery store, Central Market , is now selling Udi’s breads!!! Yippee!!! Udi’s can also be found at Town & Country Markets in the bread or bakery section. You can buy traditional white or a grain bread. I like them both.

For the Ultimate Turkey fixins – Grab some leftover Turkey, I really like smoked turkey, chop it up and put it a bowl with about 1/2 cup of walnuts, cranberries and celery chunks. Add Mayo, I use Canola Oil mayo by Best Foods. (I figure if I am really good with some things, then I can have a bit more of the “not so good for you things” but gluten free of course.) Mix together until creamy. The amount of mayo is up to you if you like more add it or less add it slowly. I like enough that everything is slightly coated and creamy but not overly. Mix in chopped Niman Ranch peppered or applewood bacon, 2-3 slices.

Toast the bread, I like the extra crunch, add some fresh baby greens on top of one slice and then a generous scoop of the Ultimate Turkey fixins and then top with the other piece of bread. This is also good to eat as an open faced sandwich with one slice of bread or as a salad with your favorite mixed greens.

Serve the sandwich on a big plate with your favorite potato chips, always a must for me and dive in!

Enjoy!

Lisa

 

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

Easy, flavorful and fast dinner - Gluten Free Spaghetti Squash with Rosemary Chicken Sausage. In the past few years I have discovered Spaghetti Squash and really love it! It is a great alternative to traditional pasta or brown rice, corn or quinoa pasta because it is a vegetable. It is low in Saturated Fat, good source of Niacin, B6, Potassium, Manganese and a good source of fiber and Vitamin C. 1 cup = 42 calories.

Cook the squash on a baking sheet and carefully pierce with a skewer several times, then put it in the oven at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Take it out and use hot pads to hold it while you cut it length-wise through the squash. Let it cool slightly on a rack. Use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds in the middle and throw the seeds away. Use a large fork and begin to run the teeth of the fork down the interior of the squash as the meat of the squash begins to shred into strings like “spaghetti”.

I just had to make this Gluten Free Hot Apple Crumble today! The other day I tried Enjoy Life’s granola and it just made me happy! My only complaint is that it made me want all sorts of things with it like ice cream, yogurt and just the whole bag! I thought about what else it would be really good with and hot apples just seemed to be the perfect match. So today I decided to make 2 versions of this Hot Apple Crumble with Coconut Ice Cream. This one is Gluten Free and Non-Dairy also no sugar added. Although I used sweetened coconut flakes, which I really prefer you could use non-sweetened. I have never made anything like this or really ever ate anything like this before. You see, I am not really an apple pie kind of gal. I don’t really like “cooked fruit” but I have to say that I have been converted to the happy medium of not quite pie – “Apple Crumble”! I must say that if you have to cut out the dairy and are trying to watch your sugar intake, this is a very good dessert that will fool most!

I made this in one of the All Clad Oval bake pans which will serve 2 to 4 people.

 

Crust -

1/2 cup almond flour

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, coarse

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes

1/8 tsp. sea salt

2 Tbs. grapeseed oil

Mix with a fork and pour 3/4 of mixture into the baking pan. The left over 1/4 will be used for the topping.

Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Take it out and cool it on a rack.

Filling -
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled and chopped

2 Tbs. grapeseed oil

1 Tbs. lemon juice

1 Tbs. agave

1 Tbs. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. vanilla paste – I use Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Paste.

1/3 cup Gluten Free cinnamon crunch granola with raisins by Enjoy Life.

Mix with a fork and add to the pan with the crust and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes covered with foil. Take the foil off and bake 5 minutes.

Topping –

Use the left over crust mixture and add about 1/3 cup of Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Granola. Mix it together with a fork and add to the top of the baked apples. Drizzle some honey on the top to just cover it in a zig-zag motion. This will help the topping brown a bit. Bake for 5 minutes then take it out and let cool slightly on a rack.

Scoop out to fill the bottom of a dish big or small, add a big scoop of So Delicious Coconut Milk Coconut Ice Cream or your favorite flavor….dive in!

Enjoy!

Lisa
 

 

P.S. I will also post the Gluten Free with Dairy (i.e. with butter) recipe later… if you really want it…

 

For more info about the GLUTEN FREE FOODIES events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com

I look forward to hearing from you!

I have been wanting to make this Gluten Free Potato Soup ever since the rain started a few weeks ago. I finally gave in today and just had to do it! This is one of those things that just seems to satisfy a little bit of every kind of craving that you might have – hot creamy potato, steaming from a deep bowl as the fragrance of fennel and leeks rises and wake up your senses. These are not my usual everyday flavors. I am excited and can’t wait to dive in … mmm … it is just perfect! Nothing overpowering and all working together very nicely. Who would guess that it is Gluten Free and Dairy Free?
 
Now comes the fun part … putting it all together … work with me here on the measurements because you know how I am, I just go with it…

In a big pot – I use a 5 1/2 Quart Le Creuset Dutch Oven

Fill the bottom with Olive Oil and turn the heat on to medium.

Chop up one whole yellow onion and slice up one leek – add it to the pot and let it saute with a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Keep an eye on it, mix – about 5 minutes until the onions become translucent.

Chop up the fennel bulb and add it to the pot, mix it in well and let it saute about 5 minutes
Keep the green spiky top of the fennel to garnish.

Chop up about 5-8 small to medium size Yukon Gold potatoes in cubes – add to the pot and mix in well. Let the potatoes cook in with the onions for about 5 minutes as they begin to get slightly brown. Add 2-3 cups of Pacific Foods Gluten Free Chicken Broth or enough to cover the potatoes.

Dice up 3-4 medium cloves of garlic and add it to the pot. Add some dried Thyme, Rosemary and a bit more Sea Salt and Pepper, stir well. Cover the pot and simmer for about 25 minutes.

Turn off the heat. Scoop out about half of the soup into a heat safe bowl and let it cool. I put mine on top of an ice pack to let it cool about 5 minutes and I continue to stir it to release the heat.

Add about 1 cup of unsweetened cold Coconut Milk into the blender. Once the soup has cooled a bit, I scoop out half of that and put it into a heat safe blender. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT – I remove the middle of the top of the blender and then put the top on to the blender. I use a towel to cover the hole slightly and then pulse the blender on puree a few times. You just want the big chunks of potato to become almost smooth. You do not want to fill the blender too high because the heat and pulsation may cause the lid to heat up too much and pop off. Please be very careful when you do this.

Pour the portion that you pureed back into the big pot. Add another cup of cold Coconut Milk into the blender and then the rest of the cooled soup. Put the top back on, cover with your hand and towel slightly and puree. Add this back to the big pot and stir in well.

Cook a few strips of bacon, 1- 2 per person depending on diet restrictions. I cook my bacon in between paper towels and on a microwave safe plate approximately 1 minute per slice. Once the bacon is done, dab excess grease off and chop up in to large bits.

Scoop out soup into bowls and garnish with bacon bits, fennel spikes and fresh ground black pepper. Serve and dive in!

Enjoy!

Lisa

For more info about the  GLUTEN FREE FOODIES  events or to chat with me via email glutenfreefoodie@gmail.com  I look forward to hearing from you!

Did you know that there is really good  GLUTEN FREE GRANOLA?  Have you tried Enjoy Life Food’s Granola? I love it – hot in the morning with Coconut Milk. This is one of my favorite, fast and easy ways to enjoy breakfast in the morning. I put about a cup of Coconut Milk into a bowl with a 1/2 cup of Enjoy Life Cinnamon Crunch Granola.

I admit there are a few things that I miss, but just as I think about it, another great company delivers. It is almost as if they are in my head or my stomach as I begin to think … would it be nice to have some granola – better yet some gluten free and allergy friendly tasty granola? I highly recommend that you look for this the next time you go shopping. Ask your grocer to carry it if you can’t find it. I put some in snack size zip lock bags or a small container and take it with me in the car. I always get hungry when I am out running errands and this is a great way to stick to a gluten free lifestyle. It is slightly sweet, with cinnamon and raisins. It definitely satisfies the crunch that we sometimes just need in a healthy snack.
Enjoy!