Product Review: Kettle Cuisine Chicken Noodle Soup

WOW! I can honestly say that after trying this soup, I was inspired to make my own Chicken Noodle. Especially because this one is made with Tinkyada brand noodles, my all-time favorite.

I was so happy to be able to eat this soup. As previously noted, the story is that soup maker Jerry has a daughter, Kate, who was gluten free. She wanted to be able to eat the same delicious soups her father was making for everyone else, and requested he try to make a gluten free line. This soup is one of the results of that successful undertaking.

Big chunks of chicken (no sissy shredded chicken here), tender carrots, celery, onions and sea salt make up the base of this hearty soup. The broth is clear and earthy, with just a hint of saltiness. Because Kettle Cuisine soups are all natural, with no artificial ingredients and are minimally processed, the true flavor of the ingredients comes through. The noodles are fantastic, too. Not gummy or gloppy as they tend to be if they are overcooked.

Out of the entire gluten free line, this soup truly shines. If you are missing Chicken Noodle soup, you simply must try this one. WELL WORTH your gluten free dollars!

Product Review: Kettle Cuisine New England Clam Chowder

Once upon a time, Clam Chowder meant flour. Now, with Kettle Cuisine, it means gluten-free folks can indulge again in thick, delicious, soupy goodness that had been lost to us for a long time.

The story goes that the creator of the soups has a daughter who is gluten free and could not eat the delicious soups her father was making for restaurants. Thanks to daughter Kate, we now have Clam Chowder (and Chicken Noodle!) soup to enjoy.

I was impressed with the flavor of this chowder immediately - the flavor hinted at the classic soup with sherry - except that there is no sherry in this version. The clams are bigger than you might expect, with a deep salty sea flavor. Chunks of potatoes, onions and celery are firm but tender, and the pepper sauce and fish sauce impart a savory, mouthwatering flavor that has you just wishing for a crusty gluten free roll or piece of cornbread to sop up the leftover soup.

This soup was fantastic. I would love it even more with a hint of sherry. But this is definitely worth a try if you have been missing Clam Chowder!

Allergen warning: Milk/Dairy, Clams, Fish ingredients.

Product Review: Kettle Cuisine Grilled Chicken & Corn Chowder

While shopping a few weeks ago, a new product in the gluten free frozen foods area caught my eye. This soup, along with several others, were new arrivals to the store and were on sale. I miss having good soup, as most canned varieties have some sort of gluten in them - not to mention the ridiculous amount of sodium.

These soups promised to be more of the "homemade variety" - all natural, no artificial ingredients, minimally processed, and gluten free! There is a large selection of soups from Kettle Cuisine, but I only grabbed two to try first.

With it's garlic chili pepper sauce, Grilled Chicken and Corn Chowder can be summed up in one word: SPICY. But damn good spicy! I was in heaven with this chowder, with it's meaty chunks of chicken, rich milky broth, and chunky potatoes. If you are not a fan of spicy soups, there are some milder soups available from this line, as well as three different chilis. Easy to prepare in the microwave, or warm them up on the stove.

I added a tiny bit of Himalayan Pink Sea Salt to this one for a touch of extra flavor, but even without the added salt, this packs one flavorful punch. These soups are definitely worth a try and I will happily return to the store to grab a few more varieties!

Allergen alert: milk/dairy products.

Recipe: Gluten Free Down Home Banana Bread

This is one of my family's favorite recipes. I adapted one I found on YumYum.com (author unknown) and made a few tweaks to the instructions. It is by far one of the best recipes I've found, and the top comes out nice and crispy thanks to the sugar, and the inside is moist and delicious. Keeps for a week in the fridge if it lasts that long!



Gluten Free Down Home Banana Bread



1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

4 medium bananas, ripe, mashed well

1 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 cup Jules Nearly Normal Gluten Free Flour (or Pamela's Pancake & Baking Mix)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup chocolate chips



Preheat oven to 350. Put all ingredients except chocolate chips into a large bowl and mix thoroughly with a hand mixer. It's ok if bananas are still slightly chunky. Add chocolate chips and mix by hand to incorporate. Pour into greased loaf pan or greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 60 minutes if using loaf pan, 50 minutes if using 9 x 13 pan. Top should be slightly crisp and golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.



**Jules Gluten Free flour can be bought online at http://www.julesglutenfree.com/ and she is always running specials! By far one of the best flours we've ever tried!**

Product Review: Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix

This is part II of the Betty Crocker mixes that I started a few days ago. The previous devil's food cupcakes were practically inhaled by my family, so I found myself making the brownies a bit sooner than I had anticipated!

The instructions for the brownies are exceedingly simple - melt some butter, add two eggs and the brownie mix, and stir it up. It was really thick, but then, the box said it would be. I had to spread it into a larger pan than I originally wanted, so I cut the cooking time back a bit to avoid overcooking.

These smelled AWESOME while baking. Always a good sign! They looked great when I took them out of the oven - the tops were crackly, the edges looked crisp.

And then there's the taste... HOLY COW THESE ARE GOOD! The Gluten Free Gods are smiling over Betty Crocker right now. I thought it impossible to make these just like my grandmother's, but somehow, they've done it. These are chewy, RICH, brownies. The chocolate chips add a little extra richness, but not to the point of being overdone. I imagine I can now recreate the "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" dessert that The Outback restaurant is famous for - with a product that tastes like the real thing.

I will most definitely be buying some more of these products. I sincerely hope this isn't a "fad" to the folks at General Mills and that they continue to expand this line for the gluten free community. I personally would love to see muffin and bread mixes come next - I've been dying for a good blueberry muffin! GM - are you listening?

Allergen warning - dairy and eggs.

Product Review: Betty Crocker Gluten Free Devil's Food Cake Mix

It was only a matter of time before a mainstream brand jumped in to the Gluten Free world with a product offering of their own. In this case, Betty Crocker, and with four different products: Devil's Food Cake Mix, Yellow Cake Mix, Brownies and Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am pleased to note that these mixes are made in a dedicated gluten free facility, and the box states that two employees of the company who were wheat free inspired the product line.

In the interest of testing these items individually, and so my waistline doesn't expand exponentially (hardy har har), I will post the Devil's Food Cake Mix trial today and the Brownies at a later date.

First things first - the ingredient list is in fact pretty basic. Not a lot of chemicals and preservatives as I had expected when I first heard about this product. There are a few, but here's the ingredient list: sugar, rice flour, potato starch, cocoa processed with alkali, tapioca starch, salt and guar gum. It does have a allergen notation for possible soy ingredients - and be warned - it calls for eggs and softened butter.

Simple instructions - ingredients need only to be thrown all together in a bowl and mixed up with two varying mixing speeds. There are multiple cake pan measurements and cooking times, as well as a cupcake cooking time. It also instructs you to set your oven temperature based on what you are using to cook it in - a first for me.

After mixing, I tasted the batter (couldn't help myself) and was pleasantly suprised that it tasted similar to Gluten Free Pantry, which I already know to be a quality product. Excellent. While baking, the scent is that of an unmistakable chocolate cake. I've had some bad experiences in the past where the product didn't come close to smelling like it should, and admittedly for me, that's a big part of feeling good about what I'm eating.

Cooling time - the cupcakes are spongy and firm. Another excellent sign.

Waiting to try one is soooo hard - but I waited patiently and was finally rewarded. WOW. These are WONDERFUL! If you have had Betty Crocker cakes in the past before going gluten free, you know what a light, airy texture the original imparts. The gluten free variety is no exception. It is moist and delicious, with a deep chocolate taste and satisfying "cake" texture. No joke - as good as the real thing. My guess is that the texture benefits from the mixing instructions - follow carefully and your results should be mind blowing. Two very enthusiastic thumbs up for this cake!

*I tried one without frosting so that I could fairly gauge the taste and texture of the product itself, but I admit, I will be frosting the rest with a buttercream frosting. ;o)

**I found these at my local Von's (Safeway) store in the baking aisle. Visit www.BettyCrocker.com for recipe ideas using these products, as well as a product locator to find them in a store near you.

Product Review: Glutino Chicken Pizza with BBQ Sauce

This was a new arrival at Whole Foods recently, and being the pizza fanatic that I am, I had to try it. It is made with a brown rice crust, and has 30g of whole grain. This product does have eggs and milk, so those with additional allergies need to take care.

After cooking it to make sure the edges got browned and crispy, I noticed that the center of the pizza did something strange. This may just have been a one-off, but the center of the pizza "bubbled up", so the bottom of the crust ended up being soft (with the appearance of being "undercooked") instead of crispy. Odd for sure, but I hope this was just my experience. The edges were crisp and delicious, and I would have loved the whole crust to be!

The cheese was sparse in comparison to the BBQ sauce. The pizza was doused in a sweet, tangy sauce (a bit too much for me), with a bit of cheese and 3 chunks of chicken. Yes, I counted! :o)
This pizza, overall, was very tasty. I would love to see more cheese, less sauce, and more chicken. Definitely a step forward for pizza lovers! Worth a try if you like BBQ chicken!

Product Review: Glutino Chicken Penne Alfredo

Being a huge fan of other Glutino products, I wanted to try a pasta dish to see if it stacked up to their other items.

Their Chicken Penne Alfredo was my first foray into their pasta dishes. To start, the chicken was good - tender and flavorful. The sauce smelled divine - just like the real deal with alfredo. But the flavor was just a little lacking - it felt like it needed the punch of fresh garlic or a touch of ground pepper. The pasta was a bit of a letdown, too. A bit more than al dente, even when cooked just a touch longer than the box advised. Very chewy and bland. It wasn't the best pasta I've had, but it wasn't the worst either.

This one does have dairy products in it - so if you have dairy sensitivities, this one is not for you.

I would eat it again, but only if I had extra money to spend and some fresh garlic and broccoli on hand to mix in.

Product Review: Glutino Spinach & Feta Pizza

WOW!!!

Glutino was making Spinach and Feta pizza a little while ago, and it was pretty good to begin with. But now, with an improved recipe - the crust is crispier, there is more melty cheese goodness, and the taste is out of this world.

Let's start with the crust, shall we? This is where most companies fail to meet the taste test right off the bat. Usually it either it tastes like glue, or the cardboard box it came in. Glutino's new crust is light and crispy, with a hint of buttery flavor that I was missing from the old pizza places I used to go to as a kid.

Next - the CHEEEEEESE. There isn't just feta cheese here - there is also grated mozzarella and ricotta cheese - and mixed with the spinach, this is heavenly. My son, who normally can't stand spinach, loves this pizza. And he's not celiac, either.

This is ready in a quick 17 minutes from the oven. It's awesome on it's own, but I also like to add olives or chopped ham to it - you could also add sliced bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc to make it a "mini-supreme pizza".

Definitely a must-try - find it at Whole Foods in the frozen section or try http://www.glutino.com/ for more information.

Product Review: French Meadow Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Found this one in the frozen foods section at Whole Foods...

The box looks too pretty to pass up! The picture of the cookies is so inviting and you can just imagine the smell of freshly baked cookies filling the house. Not only are these beauties gluten free, they are also casein, lactose and peanut free and are kosher.

Indeed, the smell was heavenly. I had very high hopes for these cookies, though you only get about nine per box. With a family of four, you know someone was going to fight over the last one!

These are made with potato starch instead of your typical rice flour, so that made for a much more mild flavor. They were tender to the bite and much more of a "soft-chew" cookie than a lot of others we've tried. Cookies made with fava bean flour always throw me off, so this was a pleasant change of pace. The chocolate chips TASTED like chocolate chips - not like some carob wanna-be. These were very close to the original version I'm used to - and kept well for the two days they were stored in ziploc bags. Yes, I rationed them out!

My only suggestion to the company would be this - I would love to see a version made WITH butter, so those of us who are able to have it would still get that buttery flavor of the real deal. Other than that, if you have multiple sensitivities, this is a GREAT alternative for the cookie monsters among us.

Recipe: Gluten Free Pizza Crust by Beth Hillson

Beth sends out the weekly e-mails for GlutenFree.com. She is also the food editor for Living Without magazine. This recipe is for her gluten free pizza crust. If you've been missing pizza, give this one a try!

Gluten Free Pizza Crust by Beth Hillson
*Enough for Two 12-Inch Pizzas

Ingredients:

½ cup arrowroot flour
½ cup tapioca starch
1 cup chickpea or other bean flour
1 cup rice flour
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 tablespoons sugar
1½ teaspoons salt
4 teaspoons instant dry yeast
1¼ cups warm water
1 egg, lightly beaten, or flax gel
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon cider vinegar

Toppings
Gluten-free tomato sauce
1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese, soy cheese or other nondairy cheese
Other toppings, as desired (some ideas are canadian bacon and pineapple; pepperoni and black olives; or vegetarian pizza with red and green peppers, red onions, black olives)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare two 12-inch round pizza pans by spraying them lightly with vegetable spray or brushing with olive oil. Combine first eight ingredients until well blended.
In a separate bowl, mix together water, egg, olive oil and cider vinegar. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and beat for 2 to 3 minutes or until smooth.
Place half the dough in each pan. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with vegetable spray and place it oil side down on the dough. With the palm of your hand, push dough evenly to the edges of the pan to form a crust. Repeat with the second pan of dough.
Discard plastic wrap. Brush dough with olive oil. Top with pizza sauce, grated cheese and other toppings of choice.
Bake in preheated oven on lowest rack for 14 to 16 minutes or until edges are golden. Let cool 2 to 3 minutes before slicing and serving.

Product Review: La Tortilla Ivory Teff Wraps

Bearing in mind that if you've had flour wraps before and crave the soft texture, finding a wrap to replace it that is gluten free is truly a challenge. Corn tortillas offer little solace - they often crack and split open after warming and all your fillings spill out. I've been looking for a better option, but unfortunately, this isn't it.

A more accurate name for this product might be TUFF wraps. I tried a few different heating methods just in case something worked better than another, but there was no way this product was going to taste any better or behave like a traditional tortilla.

These tasted a LOT like cardboard. They were awful, awful, awful. And the texture was tough and difficult to chew. After only a few bites, I pulled the wrap off and threw it in the trash. This has been, without a doubt, one of the worst gluten free substitutes I've ever had the misfortune of trying.

Product Review: Crispy Cat Mint Coconut

Well technically this really isn't much of a stretch for gluten free, but it IS a gluten free product nonetheless! I love coconut and mint, and I figured this would taste a bit like a Mounds or Almond Joy. Indeed it does - but with a bigger hit of flavors than you might expect.

The mint is strong but not overpowering, the coconut is soft and fleshy and is mixed with crispy rice cereal. I liked this best after it had been chilled - the flavor almost compares to a mint ice cream bar that way. It's coated in a rich dark chocolate blanket that is truly decadent to the senses.

The calories are a bit high on this one at 210, so enjoy in moderation or share it with a friend!

Product Review: Glutino Pretzel Twists

Pretzel lovers rejoice! This is the best pretzel I've had since going gluten free. And I think there can be quite a few recipes for this one with regards to crushing and breading things. I'm already thinking of a superfine crush to create a breading for fried chicken... Oh, and this would go great on fish, too...

These taste like the real deal - salty, crunchy and delicious. Open the bag and it SMELLS heavenly - the baked fresh scent that any wheat based product has. Glutino also sells stick pretzels, but I'm partial to the twists...

If you need a product to satisfy a salt craving, make these a "go-to" product - 24 of these (one serving) only has 190 calories. Available at glutenfree.com (click the banner to the right or at the bottom to go to the store) and in many health food stores, including Whole Foods.

Now if only I could find a soft baked pretzel that is as good as these are...

Product Review: Jo-Sef Graham Crackers

If you are looking for a fantastic graham cracker to make smores, you just found it! This is a terrific tasting graham cracker that is thick and crispy. These do not have the taste reminiscent of cardboard that some others have - they are slightly sweet, have a heavenly homebaked scent, and a nice crunch to them. Try these as an accompaniment to ice cream, as a base for chocolate mousse, spread with cream cheese or peanut butter.

I found these at glutenfree.com (click on the banner at the bottom of the page to visit the site) and they come in several flavors: cinammon, chocolate and vanilla. At www.josefsglutenfree.com you can also find these in a coffee flavor.

I have crushed up the chocolate ones for a pie crust base, the vanilla for smores and just for snacking. I used to eat graham crackers with peanut butter as a kid, so this was a definite find for me. Easy to love for both kids and parents alike!

Tip: For a pie crust base, just crush these in a blender or place in a large ziploc and roll a rolling pin until desired consistency is reached.

Product Review: Purely Decadent Cookie Dough Coconut Milk Frozen Dessert

This is one of those products that makes you happy SOMEONE is taking food intolerances seriously!

I was already a fan of Turtle Mountain for their Purely Decadent Peanut Butter Zig Zag Dairy Free Frozen Dessert, so when the new line of coconut milk products came out, I knew I wanted to try them. Having dairy intolerance off and on lead me to try several products, but these are some of the best.

The Cookie Dough flavor from the Coconut Milk line (there is also a Cookie Dough flavor in the regular soy line) is the best I have ever come across. The cookie dough chunks are fantastic - just like you are eating a little frozen ball of the real deal. The fact that this product line is both gluten free AND dairy free makes me one happy camper. In addition to the cookie dough chunks, this product also has these insanely good chocolate flakes that remind me of Magic Shell. Remember Magic Shell? All together, this is a delicious dessert that any age can appreciate - if you are older and missing cookie dough ice cream, this will hit the spot! Even my non-celiac husband loved it.

If you love coconut, give this line a try. Other flavors include Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, Coconut, Mint Chip, Mocha Almond Fudge, Passionate Mango and Vanilla Bean.

If you have an aversion to coconut, try their soy Purely Decadent line - there is sure to be a flavor you will like from the 21 flavors available! See their website at www.turtlemountain.com for more information!

Recipe: Tarragon Turkey & Rice Soup

I was looking for a soup recipe, and came across this tasty one compliments of glutenfreeda.com. Still trying to find that elusive "perfect chicken noodle soup" recipe. If you have it or know someone who does, let me know!

Tarragon Turkey & Rice Soup (gluten free)

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked turkey, chopped
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
4 cups gf chicken stock
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large heavy saucepan heat oil and melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots; sauteing until onion is translucent. Add chicken stock and remaining ingredients, except rice and tarragon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Five minutes before soup is done add rice and tarragon. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Pancakes

Here is a recipe I adapted from one of my grandmother's. They remind me of buttermilk style pancakes. Light and fluffy with a tender bite.

Gluten-Free Pancakes

Ingredients:

2 cups Nearly Normal All-Purpose Flour (see preview below for where to buy)
2 tsp baking powder
1 Tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 and 3/4 cup milk, soymilk or rice milk
4 Tblsp melted butter
1/4 tsp vanilla

Optional Add-ins: chocolate chips, pecans, blueberries, etc.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until well-incorporated using a hand mixer or a whisk. Batter will be slightly thick. Preheat pan on medium heat, add batter (using a soup ladle works best for me) until desired size is reached. (silver dollar size, pancake house size, or plate size) Wait for edges to appear "dry" and bubbles to surface. Flip over and continue cooking on other side. Both sides should be golden brown and "crispy".

Add desired toppings and enjoy!

A note about making cookies...

I'm sure many of you may have already come up against this at one time or another, but just in case it hasn't crossed your radar yet, here goes!

I am in no way shape or form a professional chef - I am a home cook, just someone who loves to tinker with recipes and has a family cookbook to draw upon for new ideas. I also am addicted to food magazines and Food Network and get a great many new inventions from reading and watching.

Cookies are my Achille's Heel - for some reason I have yet to be consistent with them. That said, I do feel I need to pass along a tidbit or two about cookies:

* Do NOT, I repeat NOT, spray your cookie sheets with Pam or any other cooking spray. The end result will be a "cookie blanket" with crispy to burnt edges and gooey, undercooked "lumps" scattered throughout. You will be saying, "Dear Lord, what IS that thing?" before it's come out of the oven.

* Though some recipes call for Earth Balance Buttery Sticks in place of butter, for cookies the translation does not work well. As the sticks are 79% vegetable oil, you get the picture... I could not "contain" the cookies and they all joined together. I have had MUCH better luck using shortening instead. Go figure.

* If you use butter, just be aware that it needs to be soft, not melted, when making the cookie dough. Of course, you can always chill the dough for a while if you did melt the butter because you didn't feel like using hockey pucks, i.e. cold butter.

Now I am off to practice some zen meditation... be ONE with the cookies... :o)

Recipe: Almost Cheeseburger (Gluten-Free) by Connie Sarros

This is a recipe from Connie Sarros, published on the celiac.com site. Connie has authored Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Dessert Cookbook, Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Reduced Calorie Cookbook, and Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Working Adults. This recipe is featured in the Wheat-Free Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Working Adults.

Ridiculously good as a dip with corn tortilla chips! Your kids will love it!

Almost Cheeseburger (Gluten-Free)

Ingredients:
½ lb. lean ground beef
1 teaspoon dried minced onion flakes
1 lb. gluten-free processed cheese, cut into cubes
¼ cup milk
1 Tablespoon gluten-free ketchup
2 Tablespoons gluten-free mustard

Directions:
Have an adult help you brown the beef and onion flakes in a skillet that has been sprayed with a gluten-free nonstick spray, breaking up the meat with a fork as it cooks. Stir in the cheese, milk, ketchup and mustard; stir until the cheese has melted.
Note: Use as a dip with crackers, as a cheeseburger with gluten-free bread fingers as dippers, or as a main meal by serving it over boiled, gluten-free elbow macaroni.

Product Preview: Nearly Normal Cooking Flour

Many of us who subscribe to the newsletter at Glutenfree.com were told about Expandex Modified Tapioca Starch, touting it as kind of a God-send to the gluten free community. Upon going to the site and learning it was no longer available in sample form, nor was there any place to buy it for home cooks, I pretty much chalked it up to another disappointment.

That is until I heard about Nearly Normal Cooking Flour from Jules Shepard. It CONTAINS this magical, miracle ingredient - and the rave reviews are coming in fast and furious. While most of the in-store locations for this product are in the East (Maryland, Minnesota and North Carolina), it can also be purchased at www.nearlynormalkitchen.com or www.julesglutenfree.com

The website www.nearlynormalcooking.com contains recipes, links to in-store locations, and much more for this highly touted product. I plan to get some and try it - many people say it gives their baked goods the loft and tenderness that is missing when using other alternative flours. I would love to hear from anyone else who has already tried this "miracle flour" to let me know if it lives up to the hype!

Recipe: Sweet & Sour Shrimp

I got this today from my Glutenfreeda.com weekly recipe mailing, and I just knew I had to share it right away. Who among us has NOT craved Chinese food, but really didn't have anything that was safe to eat? My local Chinese place has all of two items on their extraordinarily large menu that are gluten free. My first thought when I saw this recipe was to adapt it to make Sweet & Sour Pork - one of my old favorites! Adapt it to any meat of your choosing - steak would be awesome, too! Be sure to prepare some sticky rice ahead of time so you have a "base" for the shrimp! Now if only I could figure out how to do tempura...

Sweet & Sour Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/3 cup gf teriyaki sauce (click the link at the bottom of the page to go to Glutenfree.com - they carry this!)
3 Tablespoons frozen pineapple juice concentrate
1-1/2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon gf hot sauce, plus more to taste (optional)
1/2 fresh pineapple or one 20 ounce can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
Salt to taste

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together teriyaki sauce, pineapple-juice concentrate, vinegar, hot sauce and cornstarch. Set aside.
If using fresh pineapple, peel and cut into 1/2" pieces.
In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over high heat until hot. Add ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp and stir-fry until pink, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil until hot. Add pineapple and scallions and cook, stirring occasionally, until pineapple is slightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add reserved sauce mixture and shrimp and heat through, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste.
Serve immediately.

Product Review: Cinnamon Bread Mix by The Really Great Food Company

Boy oh boy - where do I begin? From the complicated directions for bread machine or oven method to the disastrous final product, this was one difficult mix to work with.

The bread machine method only mentions instructions for a Breadman Plus - not any other breadmaker. My model is a bit newer and has a gluten free bread setting, so I took a guess and used that one. The only thing that is clear on the box is that it needs to bake for 50 minutes. Other than that, you are on your own if you are using a bread machine.

The oven method directions are worse - if you have plenty of time to beat, knead, allow rising, build up the sides of a baking pan with foil, etc, then maybe you can hack this one, but for me, this was too complicated.

The cinnamon scent was truly overpowering when the bread was baking. I was baking a loaf of banana bread at the same time in my oven while the cinnamon bread was baking, and I never smelled the banana bread. The cinnamon was so strong, that even three hours later, it smells like it is still baking. That's pretty dang strong.

Lastly was the flavor. This was just terrible. I expected a thick bread with cinnamon flavor, but what I tasted was cardboard with a bit of spice. You would think that the flavor would have come through, as strong as the scent was, but honestly, the flavor itself was weak. Not to mention that even with a 53 minute cook cycle (the box suggests 50 minutes with the Breadman Plus) this was not fully cooked and I had to add 15 minutes of additional "bake only" time to my bread machine. Even that still left some pockets of uncooked bread, but it was better than where we started.

Suffice it to say, I will NOT be getting this product again. What a disappointment, especially from a company called Really Great Food.

Recipe: Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

For those of you who LOVE bananas - here is a delectable recipe from glutenfreeda.com for a delicious banana cake with chocolate frosting! The frosting here is a bit time-consuming, so if you have your own recipe for frosting and are short on time, this recipe adapts well to a large variety of frostings!

Banana Cake with Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:
2 cups gf flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable or canola oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 mashed bananas

For frosting:
2/3 cup water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" slices
4 ounces bittersweet gf chocolate, cut into pieces, and cooled to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13"x9" rectangular pan. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat sugar and oil on high speed. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture alternating with buttermilk until batter is smooth. Mix in bananas. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
For frosting: Pour water into a heavy saucepan and stir in sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar has completely dissolved. Set pan over moderately high heat and boil to soft ball stage at 235 degrees F. Pour hot syrup into a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer at moderately high speed. Add a piece of butter and continue whipping until it has been absorbed then add another piece. Continue until all butter has been added. Whip in cool, melted chocolate and vanilla; continue whipping until frosting is smooth. Leave cake in pan and frost top of cake.

Book Review: Gluten Free Italian Cookbook by Mary Capone

This review comes courtesy of Glutenfreeda.com - if you have been craving Italian, this book is worth your while! Includes recipes that are both gluten and dairy free! Get your Italian fix quick and easy!

"Love Italian Food? The Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook invites you back to the scrumptious world of classic Italian cuisine. Full of stories and family recipes, author and instructor, Mary Capone combines her gluten-free mastery with her love of the kitchen to create an inspiring cookbook that's simply irresistible. Wake up to tender biscotti and an espresso. Lunch on delicious wild mushroom pizza. Relax in the evening with a comforting bowl of ravioli. Delight in over 140 delicious gluten-free recipes including 135 with dairy-free/casein-free variations. Visit www.wheatfreegourmet.com for free recipes."

Recipe: Chicken Pasta Salad

This is a cold pasta salad, perfect for warmer evenings. It is best eaten right away, as rice pasta is notorious for getting a little bit "stiff" upon setting in the fridge.

Chicken Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

13 oz can Chicken Breast

3 heaping Tblsp Mayo

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1 tsp Hawaiian Pink Sea Salt (or any other rock salt)

1 tsp Coriander

2 Tblsp Fresh Chopped Cilantro

2 Tblsp Fresh Chopped Chives

1 pkg Tinkyada Brown Rice Spirals, cooked per package directions

Directions:

While rice pasta is cooking, combine chicken, mayo, mustard, salt, coriander, cilantro and chives in a large bowl, breaking chicken apart with a fork. After pasta is finished, drain it and rinse it with cold water until completely cooled. Add pasta to chicken mixture and blend thoroughly. This recipe is light on the salt - feel free to add more to taste.

* You can add a drained can of corn to this, or fresh asparagus spears for a little variety. Just add a little more mayo for better consistency.

Product Review: Pamela's Chocolate Brownie Mix

This is one of the first delicious tasting mixes I came across when initially going gluten-free. Pamela's also makes a fantastic pancake mix that even my grandparents couldn't tell was not a wheat flour based counterpart.

Pamela's Chocolate Brownie mix can be made a multitude of different ways - no matter your allergy. It can be made dairy free, egg free, more fudgy, more cake-like, etc.

This is truly a decadent chocolate brownie. The chocolate is rich and the brownies come out dense and chewy. It's an easy mix to make - just mix in one bowl and place it in the oven!

My favorite thing to do with this mix is create my own "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under" - credit Outback Steakhouse for this insanely delicious dessert. I buy my favorite ice cream (or soy ice cream if dairy is bothering me) to top the warm brownie, add hot fudge sauce and whipped cream, and some chopped nuts. I am in heaven with this dessert!

You can add dried fruit, nuts, or MORE chocolate chips to this brownie mix. I am still waiting to try dried sweet cherries with chopped pecans!

Recipe: Chicken Stroganoff with Notta Pasta

Notta Pasta is a fantastic gluten-free rice pasta sold in many mainstream grocery stores, health food stores, and online. This recipe is from NottaPasta.com and can be made for the most finicky of eaters. It's a great substitute for the heavy beef and egg noodle original recipe.

Chicken Stroganoff with Notta Pasta

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1/2-16 oz box (8 oz) Notta Pasta Fettuccine

1 tablespoon olive oil

1&1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced thinly (sub in chicken breast tenders if you are not a fan of dark meat thighs)

1 tablespoon butter

1 small onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1-10 oz package baby bella mushrooms, quartered

8 oz shitake mushrooms, stems removed, sliced

1/2 cup white zinfandel or similar sweet wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over a high heat. Add chicken and sauté until just cooked through. Leaving as much oil in the skillet as possible, transfer chicken to a plate and cover.

Melt butter in skillet. Add onions and garlic. Cook over a medium high heat, stirring frequently until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until slightly browned.

Pour in wine and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from bottom of pan. Boil until wine is almost evaporated. Add tomato paste and cook until dissolved, and very slightly browned.

Add broth and sour cream. Stirring, bring to a boil. Add chicken and any accumulated juices on plate. Simmer until chicken is just heated through.

Boil Notta Pasta in salted water according to directions. Drain and serve stroganoff over rice noodles.

Recipe: Decadent Brownies

In honor of Valentines Day, I present to you this recipe from Glutenfreeda.com for Decadent Brownies. A little time consuming but well worth it! Delicious!

Decadent Brownies

3 sticks butter, sliced

24 ounces semisweet gf chocolate (try Enjoy Life Foods or 365 Brand Vegan Chocolate Chips)

6 eggs

2-1/4 cups sugar

1 Tablespoon gf vanilla

3/4 cup gf flour

3 cups walnuts, roasted & chopped

Powdered sugar as needed

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Bring a large pan of water to boil and reduce heat to low. Place butter in a large bowl. Put the bowl over the hot water but do not allow it to touch the water. Add the chocolate chips to the butter. Heat the chocolate until it begins to look glossy. Work the mixture with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the hot water when the mixture is about half-way melted. Continue to work the chocolate while off the heat until smooth and glossy. In the large bowl, beat the eggs at high speed until slightly thickened. Gradually add the sugar to the eggs and beat until mixture is pale and thick, about 5 minutes. On medium speed, add the cooled chocolate and vanilla to the eggs. Reduce mixture speed to low and gradually add flour by spoonfuls. Blend briefly and stir in the nuts. Pour the batter into a buttered jelly roll pan and distribute it evenly using a rubber spatula. Place pan on the middle rack of oven. Reduce heat to 375ºF. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (for a soft to firm texture) or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center. Watch the brownies carefully towards the end of baking time to avoid burning edges. Place the baking sheet over a wire rack to cool brownies. Sprinkle them generously with powdered sugar. Cut and serve. Or, when cool, you may cover the brownies with plastic wrap and store them overnight. Storing them overnight will result in a more chewy texture.

Tips:

These brownies are wonderfully rich and moist. You can divide the batter in half and spread the batter into a 9x9" baking pan. This results in 9 large, thick brownies. They will keep a couple of days covered with saran wrap.

Product Review: Ian's French Toast Sticks

As much as I want to love this product, it just doesn't do it for me. I used a microwave instead of the oven, cooking it for 3 minutes at 50% power. I figured that since we use the same time for our turkey sausages, that it would probably make this ok. The box suggests oven cooking only, but cooking it in the microwave at the reduced power did not yield a rubbery result - it was just fine texture-wise.

Now, the taste... that's another thing entirely. I was expecting at least a little bit of cinammon flavor, but it really had none. I even added a little bit of butter and my own cinammon-sugar mixture, and it STILL tasted bland. I think maybe the only thing that could save this would be to use maple syrup, and even that is a stretch.

This is really disappointing, because normally Ian's has really good products. But this time, they really missed the mark. The flavoring needs to be more intense - more cinammon, for sure - to bring it up to snuff.

That said, I'd be willing to try it again, and this time maybe use the syrup. If your child does not like strong flavors, this definitely does not have anything in it to offend.

Recipe: Gluten Free Banana Bread

I use this recipe from Glutenfreeda.com religiously. We buy bananas all the time, and if I have a few past the "just right" stage, I save them for this bread. I made two tiny tweaks to the original recipe found at their website - see the * on the recipe and my notes next to them.

Gluten Free Banana Bread

1-1/3 cup gf flour (I use Gluten Free Pantry French Bread & Pizza Mix exclusively for this bread - click on the link at the bottom of this page to go there to buy some - you won't regret it!)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup ripe bananas, mashed (I use 3 medium to large bananas)

3/4 cup pecans, chopped * The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but I LOVE pecans, so I add just a bit more.

1 cup chocolate chips * The original recipe does not call for these, but what can I say? I am a chocoholic!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a loaf pan. In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking soda and powder. In a large bowl, beat together the oil and sugar. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture and beat until blended. Gradually beat in eggs. Fold in bananas and pecans. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool on rack.

Product Review: Simply Organic Carrot Cake Mix

Oh my goodness - I've died and gone to carrot cake heaven! WOW! I bought this mix for my husband's birthday and thought it would probably be just another mediocre cake mix. I was VERY pleasantly surprised by the taste and texture of this cake. I could not believe it was gluten free.

Probably the most difficult aspect of making this cake is grating all the carrots - we used organic carrots that were still attached to the tops, but being small in size was what hindered our progress. It took us about an hour to grate 1 cup of carrots! If you have a salad shooter, I HIGHLY recommend using it instead of grating by hand.

I was lucky enough to be able to use a real cream cheese frosting recipe with Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and the outcome was just phenomenal. (There are several dairy free recipies available on the net if you need to Google a frosting recipe, though.) The cake was tender, generously spiced with cinammon, and moist from the carrots. I used the lower cooking time and it came out perfectly - I recommend starting to watch it once it hits the 45 minute mark.

We had to leave nuts out due to our son's allergies, but even without, this cake garnered a "WOW!" from my husband, who normally isn't so vocal about my gluten-free cakes. THAT is high praise. I already have a well-favored banana bread recipe, but now I am eager to try Simply Organic's Banana Bread Mix!

Product Review: EnviroKidz Organic Gorilla Munch

I originally bought the Gorilla Munch because I thought it would be a bit like Cap'n Crunch. It's too bad it really tastes nothing like it - I might have liked it better. For all intents and purposes, this is one boring cereal.

The first taste reminded me of Kix - and I wasn't a huge fan of that cereal as a kid, either. Kix to me were crunchy balls of tasteless, flavorless "nothing". The only thing going for this cereal was that it does have a hint of sweetness to it that was lacking with Kix. This one started crunchy, but got soggy FAST. It is made from corn meal, evaporated cane juice and sea salt. There is a warning on the box that says it may contain peanuts, tree nuts & soy, so if you have additional allergy considerations, please be advised this cereal may not be for you.

Gorilla Munch has no artificial additives or preservatives, and the company donates 1% of sales to wildlife preservation. That alone was a benefit in purchasing, but I wish it had a bit more flavor to it. That said, you could probably add dried fruit or bananas to it to liven it up. I will definitely give that a try to see how it turns out.

Product Review: Glutenfreeda's Peanut Envy Cookies

We all know how hard it is to find satisfying, fresh-baked cookies when working with gluten-free products and ingredients. Glutenfreeda's line of drop cookies has been by far one of the most pleasing to taste-test! It's fantastic to find something that tastes just like the original! I love peanut butter cookies, and I had been craving them when I came across these.

Peanut Envy is one great cookie – the rich peanut flavor is hard to distinguish from homemade. Filled the house with that unmistakable peanut butter cookie scent. I could barely wait for them to cool off – that first bite was salty and sweet, crispy and decadent. These are pre-formed – just drop on a cookie sheet and bake. No trans fats, no hydrogenated oils. Bet you can't have just one!

* Please refer to Peanut, Paul & Mary review for ordering information and where to buy.

Product Review: Gluten Free Pantry Decadent Chocolate Cake Mix

We've tried a great many cake mixes - some with disastrous results. This one is a keeper! The original recipe on the box calls for butter, but this cake includes instructions to be made dairy-free.

I made this mix into cupcakes for my birthday recently. The smaller cupcakes didn't take the entire amount of time to cook as a sheet cake would, so watch them starting at 20 minutes in. They came out rich and dense, with a deep chocolate flavor. It reminds me more of a brownie style of cake than a a light, airy cake, so if you prefer the thicker texture, this mix is a good bet. They were a bit crumbly, too, adding to the brownie style of cake. They don't keep long, so eat them within a few days. Add your own touches to these, such as mini chocolate chips, walnuts, or pecans.

We made a buttercream frosting to top them, but they would be tasty eaten plain. Add these to ice cream or coconut milk ice cream for birthday parties!

Recipe: Homemade Brown Sugar Oatmeal

This is a great warm-me-up breakfast for weekdays or weekends. Very filling!

Homemade Brown Sugar Oatmeal

1 cup organic oatmeal

1 cup water

1 tblsp honey

1 tblsp brown sugar

1 tblsp milk, soymilk, or milk alternative

Optional: chopped pecans or walnuts

Measure out oatmeal into bowl. Heat water in microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. While heating water, add honey and brown sugar to top of oatmeal. Add a sprinkling of chopped nuts if desired. When water is ready, pour over top of oatmeal. Mix well, let stand one minute. It will be soupy at first, then will thicken. After one minute, add milk, soymilk or milk alternative. Mix and enjoy! MAKES TWO SERVINGS.

Alternatively, you can add Grade A Maple Syrup in place of the honey to make Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal. Add raisins instead of nuts. Try dried fruits. The possibilities are endless for add-ins! Just make sure to use a 1:1 ratio on oatmeal to water. This recipe as written makes enough for two servings, so if you want to make a single serving, reduce everything by 1/2.

Recipe: Alex's Favorite Smoothie

Here is my son's favorite smoothie recipie. 100% wheat, gluten, dairy, lactose, soy and corn free. Vegan and vegetarian friendly!

Alex's Favorite Smoothie

1 banana

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup strawberries

6 ice cubes

1/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a standing mixer/blender. Blend well. Add extra water if thinner smoothie is desired. Enjoy!

Celebrating Valentine's Day Gluten-Free

One of the biggest obstacles many of us come across during holiday time is how to satisfy our cravings for sweets while remaining gluten-free. I'm happy to report that you can still HAVE those sweets, and I'm here to help! Whether you want to bake it yourself or need some help in the kitchen, these folks have you covered!

No matter if your craving is baked goods, cupcakes, a sweet gift basket, Black & White cookies, brownies, cakes, molten chocolate cakes, biscuits, or cream puffs - there is something for you from one of these vendors. The list of delicious offerings goes on, but let's get to the purveyors of these fine goods so you can go place an order in time for Valentine's Day...

Check out Sabati Gourmet at www.cinderellasweets.com for Black & White cookies, brownie bites, Ring Tings, Devils Food 7 Layer Cake, Rainbow Cookies and more. Best of all - ALL of their products are free of gluten, casein, dairy, lactose, soy, and corn. Not to mention they are certified kosher! No matter your need - they have you covered!

Want to make your own products instead? Try www.betterbatter.org and make your own Cocoa Breakfast Biscuits, Molten Chocolate Cake, Ganache Filled Red Velvet Cupcakes, or Chocolate Angel Food Cake. Vegetarian/Vegan, kosher, casein free and Feingold Diet approved. Shipping is a flat $5! Large free recipe selection!

Looking for almond cream puffs, brownies and heart shaped cakes? What about bundt cakes or donuts? Check out www.glutenfreecreations.com - hand made just for you!

Are you looking for that perfect box of chocolates? Need it dairy and lactose free? Try Hand Foiled Chocolate Hearts from the Chocolate Emporium! They offer gluten, dairy and nut free chocolates - something for everyone! Truffles and clusters available, too. Visit www.choclat.com today!

And lastly, I can't forget to mention www.BabyCakes.com - one of the first bakery shops I heard about that can do gluten, soy, egg, and dairy free products. Kosher and agave sweetened. Cupcakes ship by the dozen with frosting on the side. Martha Stewart raved about this place! Come see why!

Try a new recipe, order a new sweet, and suprise your honey this Valentine's Day! Cheers!

Product Review: Glutenfreeda's Chocolate Minty Python Cookies

HOLY COW! They aren't kidding on the “minty” part. These have a STRONG mint flavor, with a rich, deep chocolate. I like mint, but these truly are for those who LOVE mint. I think it is too overpowering for what would otherwise be a perfectly delightful cookie. The chocolate is a rich, dense flavor that would be well accompanied by just a hint of mint. These are pre-formed – just drop on a cookie sheet and bake. No trans fats, no hydrogenated oils. If you are a mint lover, these are for you!

* Please refer to Peanut, Paul & Mary review for ordering information and where to buy.

Product Review: Glutenfreeda's Peanut, Paul & Mary Cookies

One of the absolute best "homemade" cookies I've found to date. This one is almost always sold out at Whole Foods. It's a peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie that is soft and delicious – the perfect combination of salty and sweet. Just like YOUR homemade! Have you been missing the taste of fresh baked cookies?

The kitchen smelled wonderful while these were baking. They did not taste gritty like a lot of gluten-free cookies do – they were soft and chewy on the inside with a gently crisp outside. You can shorten or extend cooking time for softer or crispier cookies, and they have no hydrogenated oils and no transfats. Pre-formed dough balls, just drop on a cookie sheet and bake. I have yet to try this line's Chip Chip Hooray! (regular chocolate chip) because Whole Foods is always sold out, but I have found an alternate source to purchase from. www.allergygrocer.com (aka Miss Roben's) now has them for sale in their frozen section, along with Snicker Poodles (snicker doodles), Sugar Kookies (sugar cookies), Chocolate Minty Python (“Monty Python” for those of us old enough to get the reference! chocolate mint flavor), and Peanut Envy (peanut cookies).

* A note about www.allergygrocer.com – they now boast an impressive frozen foods section. You can order from a wide array of products previously unavailable to many in the gluten-free community. You need to sign up for a free account to view/order from the frozen section. For the best shipping value, fill up an entire case of frozen goods. This should be easy when you see what all they carry! I will have to restrain myself the next time I shop with them... :o)

Product Review: Ian's Gluten-Free Turkey Corn Dogs

Crispy and incredibly tasty. The turkey was a savory treat to go with the subtle sweetness of the crunchy batter.

The “dogs” do have a tendency to pop out of their batter shells, but my son didn't mind. He just picked up the crispy coating and happily chomped away. (and he's not gluten free) These need to go into the oven, so don't plan on cooking these in the microwave. Their texture would most likely come out rubbery and soggy.

Definitely one of the better tasting ones we've found. After Wellshire Kids was found to have gluten in the "gluten free" corn dogs, Whole Foods pulled the items from their stores. That was a huge disappointment – we really liked the chicken dogs. Funny thing - I never had a reaction when I ate those, but those who have severe gluten allergies did. I read two instances where children with severe allergies reacted BADLY to the Wellshire Kids corn dogs.

This is one item, though, that I think would be better homemade. If anyone has a recipe for homemade turkey corn dogs, please feel free to share!

Product Review: Glutino Gluten-Free Cinnamon French Toast

Not for a quick weekday breakfast! Save these for the weekend when you have time to play around with them. (the cooking instructions have these babies going into the oven at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes - but trust me, you'll probably want a bit more time)

The first thing it suggests is putting them on a tray with parchment paper, but I used aluminum foil with the same effect. Beware, they WILL stick. Maybe next time I'll spray the foil with Pam! These have your typical rice bread as part of the equation - short, dense and heavy. There is no overwhelming cinammon scent, a la Cinnabon, but then again, I wasn't really expecting that. They still smelled good right out of the box - a bonus if ever there was one. They appeared to be "glazed", but I don't know what with. It almost looked like ice, but it did not disappear after baking. On their own they were tasty, but my son and I wanted a bigger hit of cinnamon. If I had to eat them "plain" I definitely wouldn't like them as much - they are too weakly flavored for that.

I personally prepared these by baking for 10 minutes, flipped them over, added Earth Balance butter to one side and sprinkled our own cinnamon/sugar blend over the top. We then baked for two minutes longer. This way, the edges came out a bit crispier just like homemade pan-fried french toast, with a softer, denser center.

I would love to see these come with a dairy free cinammon butter - that would make them over the top. Definitely worth a try if you are craving a sweet, cinnamon treat!

Recipe: Julie's Fried Chicken Batter

Do you miss fried chicken and need a replacement for flour? I found a way to get fried chicken that rivals that of my "seasoned flour" making days. All I needed was a little inspiration to “try something new” and now I make it no other way. Even if I could have flour back, I'm not giving up this version! Whether you use a fryer or use a pan on the stove with oil, this works for both. You will not need to add any additional seasoning - it comes perfectly seasoned!

Julie's Fried Chicken Batter:

2 cups milk

3 large eggs

1 package Louisiana Fish Fry Seasoned Fish Fry Mix

2 large bowls

1 package of chicken tenders

Canola oil - fill to line on home fryer, or adequately fill a pan to completely cover the tenders

Pre-heat home fryer or pan of oil as you desire. Pour milk and eggs into one large bowl. Use a fork or a whisk to thoroughly combine, and set aside. In another large bowl, empty the fish fry mix. Add chicken tenders to milk mixture and let soak for 5 minutes. Transfer tenders from milk to bowl of fish fry, one at a time to thoroughly coat, then into the hot oil. (Make sure oil is HOT before transferring - if it isn't, you will end up with a soggy mess!) If there are tenders that won't fit in the pan or the fryer, keep them in the milk until they are ready to be dipped in the fish fry mix. This keeps the coating from getting soggy. In a pan – fry for 6-7 minutes per side on medium-high heat, then remove from pan to plate lined with paper towels or napkins. In a fryer – follow timing/heat directions on fryer - then remove to plate lined with paper towels or napkins for cooling. Chicken should not be too greasy, coating should be crisp and medium brown.

*This mix works very well as intended for fish, but once we used it for chicken, there was no going back! Try it on shrimp as well! If you can't find this in your local supermarket, visit http://www.louisianafishfry.com/ to order online! Photo is from their website - this is the package you will find in stores.

Recipe: Mama B's Mac & Cheese

My beloved grandmother, who passed in March of 2008, left to all the grandkids a cookbook of all of her favorite recipes. She meant to have this cookbook published many years ago, and I promised I would get it done for her, but the cost was always too prohibitive. I never got a chance to tell her before she passed that I WILL keep my promise!

This recipe has been altered from her original version to accommodate the gluten free diet I currently have to follow. I have included the dairy products, but they can be exchanged for soy milk and soy cheese or any other dairy alternative that suits you. If using an alternative cheese, just make sure it has melting ability (some don't) or this recipe will not turn out well!

Mama B's Mac & Cheese

1 pkg Tinkyada Rice Pasta Macaroni Elbows

2 Tbsp. butter

1 Tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp salt

Dash pepper

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set in large bowl. Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. Remove from heat and stir in cornstarch, mustard, salt, pepper and milk. Return to low heat, gently stirring and cooking until thickened. Add cheese and continue cooking and stirring until cheese is melted. Pour cheese over pasta, stir and enjoy!

Product Review: Tinkyada Rice Pastas

Hands down, my absolute FAVORITE pasta. After tasting several pastas reminiscent of glue, boy was I happy to find this brand. I use all of their pasta products: spirals, penne, spaghetti, elbows, etc. Boiling the water first, then adding the pasta and letting it cook for the longest cook time will still yield a chewy but tender pasta. Use the shorter cook time on the package for “al dente”. I add both a pinch of salt and a bit of canola oil to the water, but you MUST stir it frequently to avoid it becoming one huge clump. I don't believe any pasta out there can avoid this trap, but it seems especially pertinent in the first five minutes of cook time.

Here are a few tricks I've learned with this pasta:

* If you want a “cleaner, less starchy” pasta taste, boil for 10 minutes, partially drain (you can use a measuring cup to remove about half of the water), refill with fresh water to cover the pasta, once it's boiling again, cook 10 minutes longer. This method is more time consuming, but it is worth it if you have the time.

* When pasta is done cooking, drain in a collander, and rinse immediately with cold water. This stops the pasta from cooking any longer and is great for both cold pasta salads and spaghetti.

* To prevent sticking after it has been cooked, add a touch of olive or canola oil to the pasta after rinsing.

Hot sauces will still stick well even if the pasta has been rinsed. Our favorite sauce is Classico Italian Sausage – made even better if you add a small amount of lean ground beef and crushed garlic to it. Delicious!

Product Review: Kinnikinnick Robin's Honey Brown Rice Bread

Boy, was I sucker punched by this one. After reading all the hype about how good Kinnikinnick products are, I found some at Whole Foods to try. One of the most difficult things when dealing with the gluten free diet is keeping our sliced bread frozen. Having to toast it first when fixing a sandwich is not usually what I want to do, but alas, it's one of the things we have to put up with. But I digress...

I toasted the bread, and it smelled just fine while it was toasting, but when I took that first bite, it was like an explosion in the mouth – and not in a good way. It was greasy and gritty, and tasted like sand. I'm not sure if I got a hold of an older loaf or if it just wasn't for me, but it left such a bad taste in my mouth after that first bite I threw away the whole sandwich. Considering the cost of pre-made gluten free breads, believe me when I say it HURTS to do that.

I had high hopes for this bread, especially after reading glowing reviews from others on Kinnikinnick's website. I also tried their Tapioca Rice New York Style Plain Bagels. They had a funny smell, but taste and texture was similar enough to a regular bagel that I'd be willing to try it again. I tried it microwaved first (wrapped with a slightly damp paper towel) to mimic a fresh baked bagel. Next time, I'll try using the toaster and see if it comes out any better.
I hear fabulous reviews about their fresh doughnuts, so if anyone else has tried those yet, feel free to post your comments!

Excellent Recipe & Product Sources

One of the best things to have in the gluten free chef's pantry is a plethora of recipes to choose from. I recently found, and completely fell in love with, www.glutenfreeda.com. There are so many recipes there that I have yet to try, but after I tried the first one, I knew I'd be back for more. They also use the same Gluten Free Pantry French Bread and Pizza Mix as a 1-for-1 substitute that I use in most of my recipes, so I knew I was on the right track there.

Carol Fenster, Ph.D., has two of the best cookbooks you can buy: 1000 Gluten Free Recipes and Gluten Free Quick and Easy. If you buy no other books besides these two, you will be in good shape! Check Amazon.com for both books. I have a HUGE collection of gluten free cookbooks, and can name on one hand the number I actually use on a consistent basis.

You can buy a lot of your supplies from www.glutenfree.com, www.allergygrocer.com or from www.glutenfreemall.com if shopping online; or Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Trader Joes if shopping at a specialty store. Many regional/national grocers now also have organic and natural foods aisles, and it is becoming increasingly easier to buy products at Vons, Safeway, Albertsons, etc. Another fantastic thing to get your hands on is a publication called Living Without Magazine, found at www.livingwithout.com. You will find recipies, product information, support and much more. Well worth the price for this one!

Don't forget one very important thing - fruits, vegetables, meats and rice in their pure and natural form never have gluten or dairy. Don't be afraid to experiment! My son now loves to shop for fruit. Especially if we can wash them as soon as we get home and arrange them on a fruit plate. We put blueberries, strawberries and pineapple on our very first one, and he's been asking for them ever since. And in our (very) humble opinions, yes, organic DOES taste better.

Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

One of the first things I wanted to do when I was diagnosed was find a tasty recipe for gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. I think it deserves to be said that nothing beats the smell of fresh cookies to snap you out of a funk. I would have my house smelling like a bakery all day, every day if I could!

Setting out to find suitable replacement flours was a long process, but I have found that the Gluten Free Pantry (http://www.glutenfree.com/) puts out the absolute BEST flour to use as a 1-for-1 substitution for regular glutinous flour for baking in the form of "French Bread and Pizza Mix". Stay with me on this one - the products made with this flour turn out much more fluffy than any other flours I have tried. Beth's All Purpose flour is also good, but I like the lighter texture of the French Bread and Pizza Mix for most baked goods.

That said - here is my version of the best loved chocolate chip cookies in the world - gluten and dairy free! The nuts are optional!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies:

2 1/4 cups Gluten Free Pantry French Bread & Pizza Mix (found at GlutenFree.com, Whole Foods, Vons, Safeway)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup Crisco Butter Flavor Shortening*

6 tsp water*

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12 oz) vegan chocolate chips (such as 365 Brands from Whole Foods or Enjoy Life Foods mini chips)

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Pre-heat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, water, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually beat in baking soda, salt and French Bread Mix. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if desired). Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 13-15 minutes – less for chewy cookies, more for crispier cookies.

*If dairy free butter is used in place of the shortening, the cookies tend to be thin and crisp. Remove water from recipe if using dairy free butter. The water in the recipe with shortening (as called for on the Crisco tub) also tends to produce thinner, crispier cookies - the recipe can be made without the water if you like your cookies to be a little more cake-like.

Begin At The Beginning...

If you or someone you know has recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance (the inability to digest wheat and/or gluten) then you might be feeling one of several emotions right now. Anger, denial, confusion, depression, etc.
I was diagnosed as being Celiac in 2001, then in 2008 after an Upper GI, I was told no, it wasn't Celiac, I was just "Gluten Intolerant". I don't care what you want to call it - it all means the same thing to me. When I eat wheat or gluten, I get sick. VERY SICK. And it was adult onset, so that made me mad.
Why on earth did I spend the better part of my life being able to eat a sandwich, when now all they do is make me ill? Hand-in-hand with this problem you often find lactose intolerance. Though for many people, within six months of switching to a gluten-free diet, they can resume eating dairy products. This is not to say that it will happen for everyone, but it's a start.
The hard part for me was changing my mind set to "What I CAN eat" versus "What I CAN'T eat". After my initial anger and depression over losing so many foods, I had to find a way to turn this into something positive. It took a lot of trial and error finding replacements for a great many foods in my pantry, but as Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease become more well-known, better and better products are being made to replace the traditional flour products.
My goal with this blog is to better educate the newly diagnosed, give hope to long-term gluten free friends, share recipies and food sources, and rate new products as they become available. Keep in mind my opinions are just that - opinions. I welcome comments, suggestions, recipies, etc from others in the gluten-free community and hope that this blog will become a source of comfort and hope to all who need it.
Julie
The Gluten Free Diva