GF DF Raw Broccoli Salad

This recipe came from The Galanter's Kitchen (check out some of her other recipes too!).

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
1/2 sweet pepper, red or yellow, cut into strips
1 medium carrot, cut into strips

Sesame Dressing
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp corn syrup
2 teaspoons soy sauce (use gluten-free if you need)
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

Add all of the salad ingredients to a large mixing bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl with lid, then pour over the salad. Toss to combine and allow to set in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

GF DF Lunch Ideas for Children

Lunches are the most difficult meals in the day for me. I never know what to make. For all those who are in the same dilemma here are some ideas:

Black Bean Pate - on Rice Crackers. Puree 1 cup cooked black beans, 1 cooked carrot and a sauteed onion together.

Hummus - on baked rice taco chips (brown rice taco chips can be made from brown rice tacos baked in the oven until crisp)

Deviled Eggs - Carefully cut a hard boiled egg in half. Scoop out the yolk and mix it with DF mayonnaise, bacon bits, salt and pepper. Put the egg yolk mixture back into the two halves of egg white.

Sweet Potato with Almond Butter - Puree a baked sweet potato, a tablespoon of orange juice, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, a tablespoon almond butter, a dash of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg together.

Black or White Beans - with a little salt and pepper or ketchup

Refried Beans - served with tomato, lettuce, guacamole and GF DF chips

Canned or home made soup - (either leftovers or frozen in cup sized portions) - chicken and wild rice or beef and vegetable (using brown rice flour as thickener), or GFDF cream of mushroom.

Sandwich Meat Wraps - wrap vegetables up in sandwich meat. Thin carrot sticks, pickle sticks, cucumber sticks, celery sliced into sticks (with a little almond butter!)

Banana Pancakes - one mashed banana mixed with one egg and fried in a little oil. Keep the pancakes small as they tend to fall apart otherwise.

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables - cut in a variety of ways or served with different sauces and dips to keep them interesting. Some sauces for vegitables include hummus, almond butter and mayonnaise.

Fruit Salad - served either plain or with a light syrup

Fruit Kabobs - Skewered on a toothpick and marinated in lemon juice

Rice Tacos - a copyrighted recipe for Brown Rice Tacos can be found here. Trader Joes also has some tasty rice tacos.

Sushi Rolls - Cook sushi rice as according to directions on the package. Add rice vingar while still hot. Spread the rice evenly and in a thin layer over nori seaweed sheets. Put such fillings as canned tuna, thinly sliced cucumber sticks, avocado and thinly sliced carrot sticks down the one edge of the rice. Carefully lift the end of the seaweed, and gently roll it over the ingredients, pressing gently. Roll it forward to make a complete roll. Cut using a very sharp wet knife.

Onigiri (Rice Ball) - Mold a handful (about 1/2 cup) at a time of warm medium-grain rice with wet hands (dip hands into salted water) into a cup shape. Fill with plum jam or canned tuna or salmon. Close the rice over the filling and mold it into a triangular shape. Mold the rice firmly, pressing just hard enough to hold it together. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top.

Spring Rolls - Wrap vegetables and rice vermicelli noodles (optional) in moistened rice paper. Vegetables should be either lightly steamed or sauteed and sliced into thin slivers. A great way to get children to eat sprouted food. Can also serve with almond butter and honey.

Nuts and Dried Fruit - Raw nuts are best.

Chicken or Tuna salad - After adding the DF mayonaise, some variations can be a squirt of mustard, finely chopped celery, chopped walnuts, sunflower seeds, raisins, or grapes.

Smoothies - Almost any vegetable or fruit can be put into a smoothie and be made tasty. Sweetening baby spinach with a little banana, apple juice and orange juice is just one delicious way to sneak some good vitamins into a child.

GF DF Fish Sticks

Fish sticks are flexible in that there are two ways to make the fishy part of the fish stick- either a whole fillet or leftover fish from yesterday's dinner. The best part about fish sticks? All kids love 'em!

Whole Fillet Fish Sticks
Ingredients:
1 (18-ounce) center-cut fish fillet, about 9 by 4 inches, skinned
1 cup Potato Flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 egg whites

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Rinse the fish fillet and pat dry with paper towels. Cut the fish in half to make 2 fillets each about 4 by 4 1/2-inches in size. Starting on the longest edge, slice the fillets into 1/2-inch pieces. Lay the widest pieces, from the center, cut side down, and slice in half lengthways so all the pieces are equally about 1/2 by 1/2 by 4 1/2-inches in size.

Put egg whites in one bowl and beat until frothy. Put some of the potato flakes in another bowl (adding more as needed).

Dip the fish in the egg whites and then into the potato flakes (repeat if necessary). Place on a well greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Turn the fish sticks over half way through.

Chopped Fillet Fish Sticks
Ingredients:
3 Tbs and 1 cup Potato flakes
2 cups Cooked fish flaked
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Egg
1/8 tsp of Paprika
1/2 tablespoon dill (optional)
1/2 teaspoon of Salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 egg whites
Oil

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mix 3 Tbs of potato flakes with the flaked fish, Worcestershire sauce, egg, paprika, dill and salt. Mold the fish mixture into finger length bars. If the fish is too dry add another egg, if it is too wet add a little more potato flakes until the mixture holds together.
Put egg whites in one bowl and beat until frothy. Put some of the potato flakes in another bowl (adding more as needed).

Carefully dip the fish in the egg whites and then into the potato flakes (repeat if necessary). Place on a well greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Turn the fish sticks over half way through.

Dipping Sauce:
Ketchup
OR
Mayonnaise mixed with a little Dijon mustard and some parsley or dill
OR
Lemon wedges

GF Freeze Dried Meals

For those planning on going backpacking this summer or wanting to include a GF meal in their disaster preparedness pack.

Here are two companies who have GF freeze dried meals:










Alpine Aire












Store House Foods

Baked Butternut with Red Pepper

Very flavorful and colorful way to serve this tasty vegetable.

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 red pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary OR oregano
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Peel and discard seeds of the squash.
2. Clean out peppers
3. Chop squash into bite sized cubes and dice red peppers and place in large bowl.
4. Peel and mince garlic and add to squash.
5. Add the oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
6. Mix all together well and place in a greased baking dish (if cooking covered, the dish doesn’t need to be greased).
7. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour (or covered for moister squash)

GFDF Pizza

Pizza Crust
Ingredients
1 Tbsp. yeast (corn free)

1 1/3 c. soy or rice milk (I used water)

1 tsp. sugar
2 1/3 c. brown rice flour (can substitute 1 cup with corn starch or potato flour)

2 tsp. xanthan gum (or 4 tsps of unflavored gelatin or 3 tsps guar gum)

1 tsp salt

1 Tbs italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. cider vinegar

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat the milk or water in the microwave or stovetop so that it is warm (not hot!). Combine sugar and yeast in a small mixing bowl. Slowly pour in the milk into the small mixing bowl, and stir it gently into the yeast and sugar mixture.
4. In a large mixing bowl combine the brown rice flour, xanthum gum and spices in a larger mixing bowl.
5. Add the oil and vinegar to the yeast mixture, which should have some air bubbles by now. Then pour the yeast mixture into the flour mixture and stir well. Once you’ve done this, the dough will be somewhat sticky. If it is too sticky gradually add more rice flour until a ball can be formed (I had to add about 1/4 cup). Let the dough sit in the bowl while preparing the pans.
6. Spread olive oil, shortening, or cooking spray on the pan and then generously sprinkle a bit of rice flour over a greased 12 inch pan.
7. Starting from the middle of the dough, use your fingers to press down on the dough and spread it out towards the edges of the pan. Gently push the dough to the edges and form a ridge around the edge for the crust OR roll out the dough with a rolling pin between sheets of plastic wrap (after it is rolled out, take the top layer of plastic wrap off and, using the lower layer, flip the dough on to the pan). Brush the ridge of dough with oil.
8. Either pop the crust into the hot oven for 8 minutes and then add the toppings before baking for another 10 to 15 minutes OR add the toppings on the raw crust and put it in for the full 18 minutes (be careful that the toppings don’t burn!)

Topping Suggestions:
BBQ Chicken:
Spread BBQ sauce over the crust, sprinkle cooked chicken marinated in BBQ sauce, minced garlic and red onion

Sweet Onion and Artichoke:
Spread sweet onion sauce over the crust and layer sliced canned artichokes hearts, Shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced bell peppers (lightly sauteed) and tomatoes over the top.
Sweet onion sauce:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 minced white onion
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon corn starch or potato flour
1 pinch garlic powder or half teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Saute onion in a medium sized saucepan until lightly carmelized. Mix the corn or potato starch in with the water. Combine all the ingredients in the pan except the vinegars and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vinegars (can use one tablespoon of white vinegar instead of the three vinegars) and simmer for about 5 minutes until thickened. Cool slightly and spread over the pizza crust.

Roasted Veggie Pizza:
Tomato sauce is spread over the pizza crust and heavy layer of roasted vegetables on top.
Roast the vegetables by chopping them, tossing in olive oil, sprinkling on a little salt and pepper and baking at 450F on a cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

Pesto Pizza:
Pesto, 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, 2 thinly sliced tomatoes, olives (optional), chicken (optional)
Pesto recipe:
2 tablespoons pine nuts or almonds, toasted
1-3 large garlic clove, finely chopped (depending on how much you like garlic)
Kosher salt or table salt (to taste)
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
black pepper (to taste)
Put everything in the blender and blend until desired consistency

Garlic Sauce Pizza:
4 roasted garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Put all ingredients in blender. Puree and spread over pizza crust. Top with veggies and chicken.

Flour Substitution

The key to cooking gluten and dairy free is to avoid expensive substitution and instead to try cook as much as possible without needing to substitute. But sometimes one has to satisfy a craving, especially for something that usually contains wheat flour.

This is a great web site with a long list of substitutes for wheat flour:

Cook's Thesaurus