July Cookbook of the Month & A Giveaway: The Everything Gluten Free College Cookbook

The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook

by Carrie S Forbes

The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook: Includes Pineapple Coconut Smoothie, Healthy Taco Salad, Artichoke and Spinach Dip, Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies and Hundreds More!  

Food that fits your life! Worried about living gluten-fee while you're away at college? Of course, most dining halls have gluten-free options, but sometimes the best way to be sure a dish is truly gluten-free--and delicious--is to cook it yourself. With "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook," you can easily create your favorite dishes or try something new, like: Ban...more Food that fits your life! Worried about living gluten-fee while you're away at college? Of course, most dining halls have gluten-free options, but sometimes the best way to be sure a dish is truly gluten-free--and delicious--is to cook it yourself. With "The Everything Gluten-Free College Cookbook," you can easily create your favorite dishes or try something new, like: Banana chocolate chip scones Cinnamon raisin french toast Cheesiest macaroni and cheese Curried chicken salad Mexican quesadillas Chewy granola bars Microwave shrimp scampi Ginger-orange chicken breast Molten lava dark chocolate cake Soft gingersnap cookies. Even if you're an inexperienced cook, you can master any one of these 300 easy recipes. From hearty, healthy breakfasts and crowd-pleasing snacks to healthy ideas for the midnight munchies, you'll find everything you need to satisfy your cravings and fit your dietary needs!

Publisher: Adams Media Corporation

Publication Date: June 18, 2013

GOODREADS

PURCHASE
 

 

I picked this cookbook because I know there are a lot of college students looking for gluten free meal ideas, and this book looks like the perfect book to bring along to college, gluten free or not. Truth is, with 300 recipes, it looks like a pretty good book for anyone to have on hand.  I've already picked out a few recipes that I want to try right away.  I have a feeling there's a tasty month ahead! 

GIVEAWAY!

Guess what?  I've got a free paperback copy to give away!  Open to readers in the United States only.  Enter below for your chance to win a copy of this new cookbook, and you can taste for yourself how delicious it can be to eat gluten free! 
 

 

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June Cookbook Review: Unbelievably Gluten Free by Anne Byrn

Unbelievably Gluten-Free: 128 Delicious Recipes: Dinner Dishes You Never Thought You'd Be Able to Eat Again

by Anne Byrn

Unbelievably Gluten-Free: 128 Delicious Recipes: Dinner Dishes You Never Thought You'd Be Able to Eat

Unbelievably gluten-free pizza! Unbelievably gluten-free fried chicken! Unbelievably gluten-free pasta! Plus breads, dumplings, fritters, pies, cakes, puddings, and more. For the 30 million Americans who have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten—and their families, who want to reclaim the dinner experience of everyone eating the same thing—Anne Byrn crea...Unbelievably gluten-free pizza! Unbelievably gluten-free fried chicken! Unbelievably gluten-free pasta! Plus breads, dumplings, fritters, pies, cakes, puddings, and more. For the 30 million Americans who have an allergy or sensitivity to gluten, and their families, who want to reclaim the dinner experience of everyone eating the same thing; Anne Byrn creates 125 amazing dishes where the gluten is gone, and never missed.

Author also of The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, and other cookbooks, Anne Byrn knows how to deliver incredible flavors. She replaces wheat, barley, and rye with gluten-free ingredients and employs creative techniques for achieving flawless textures and consistencies. These are recipes that taste as good, not almost as good, as they should: Tomato Panzanella Salad. Baked French Onion Soup. Spaghetti Carbonara. Grilled Chicken and Pesto Pizza. The Best GF Meat Loaf. Plus dessert: Warm Lemon Pudding Cake, Gluten- Free Red Velvet Cake, Fresh Orange Cupcakes, Old-Fashioned Peach and Blueberry Cobbler, and Gluten-Free Saucepan Brownies.

Includes how to convert favorite recipes and tips for eating gluten-free on a budget.

Publisher: Workman Publishing Group

Publication Date: October 30, 2012

GOODREADS

Purchase:  Amazon

Kat's Review

This cookbook was written by a veteran cookbook writer, and it shows in the clarity of the instructions.  What I liked about each recipe was that there's a note about whether it can be converted to dairy free, which is a big deal in my house right now since my son is currently dairy free.  There are also many great photos accompanying the recipes, making it easy to see what a recipe should look like when all is said and done.

From this cookbook, I made:  Sweet Onion Dip, 5 Minute Hummus, French Baked Pork Chops, Spaghetti Carbonara, Stir Fried Broccoli & Veggies over Rice Noodles, Easy Fried Rice, Baked Eggplant & Zucchini Parmesan.

I didn't get around to making any desserts, but there is a nice variety to choose from.  Many of the baked goods recipes start with a baking mix, which to some people might seem like cheating, but is fine to me.  The only problem was that many called for Gluten Free Bisquick, which I haven't been able to find in Canada.  I could substitute, true, but whenever a particular product is called for, I try to stay true to the recipe. 

I had success with every recipe I tried.  The instructions were clear and easy to follow, and unlike some gluten free recipes I've tried lately, they were all full of flavour.  My dishes ended up looking remarkably similar to the photos in the book, another plus.  This would make a great book for beginners.  Many recipes call for premade crusts or use baking mixes, reducing the chance of error and shortening prep times considerably.  I'm not a novice in the kitchen, but with two kids in the house, I like my meal prep to be quick and efficient.  This cookbook is perfect for that.  You can pull off almost any recipe in this book without much fuss.

Verdict

I would recommend this book for people looking for quick meals that are easy to pull together, and who don't mind taking shortcuts like using baking mixes.  There is certainly a place on my shelf for cookbooks that have more complicated recipes, but if I'm looking to make something that tastes great but doesn't require a ton of effort, this book is a good choice.  Plus, the onion dip is one of the best I've ever tasted.  I served it at Father's Day, and it passed the family taste test.   

Recipe: Easy Strawberry Jam with Canning Instructions

Making jam is the kind of thing that makes me happy, especially if the recipe is the simple kind, the kind you don't have to fuss over.  I'm also not a huge fan of weighing things out in the kitchen (I know, purists, I know) so the measurements are in cups.  You heard me.  The jam still turns out nicely. 

The recipe below makes about 6 (250ml) jars of jam.  I made two batches of the recipe to make sure that it worked both times, but next time I'll double the recipe below and make it all in one go.  It's very simple to do, the only thing you need to decide is how thick you want your jam.  Jam will thicken as it cools.  12 jars of jam for my family is more than enough to last several months.

For this recipe, you'll need to start with about 8 cups of whole strawberries.  Hull strawberries and cut in halves or quarters.  You should end up with 6 cups of berries after cutting.

Ingredients

6 cups of strawberries (after cutting)  I like chunks of fruit in my jam, so I halve my berries.  Cut them to the size you prefer, allowing for a bit of breakdown during cooking.
4 cups white sugar
1/4-1/3 cup lemon juice (or the juice of about one lemon)

Directions

Before starting, make sure you have everything you need.  If you're canning the jam as preserves, make sure you have fresh canning jars that are clean and sterilized.  Follow the instructions for sterilizing provided by the manufacturer.  I put mine in a 200F oven for about 20 minutes.  To seal the cans by boiling, I put the canning pot full of water to boil once my ingredients for the jam are in the saucepot.  Place a ceramic or glass plate in the freezer to check for jelling before you start.

1- In a large pot over high heat, mix cut strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice together using a wooden or large metal spoon.  It will be almost dry at first, but don't add any liquid.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to break down berries and dissolve sugar. 

2- Cook mixture down, stirring almost constantly, for about 15 minutes.  At this point, I check for doneness by putting a spoonful of the jam on the chilled plate.  Return the plate to the freezer for one minute with jam on it.  Take it out, and run your finger through it.  Jam is ready when the line you made with your finger doesn't immediately get covered again with the jam. Jam will be runnier than the final product, because it will "set" as it cools.  If it's not ready after 15 minutes, check again every 5 minutes.  

3- If you wish, skim any foam off the top (I don't bother.)  Ladle jam into clean, sterilized jars and fit the seal over top.  Close bands on lids and place in boiling water.  Boil for 5 full minutes before removing cans from water and allowing them to cool.  You should hear the lids pop as the seal is created.  After 24 hours, check the seals on each jar.  Refrigerate and use any unsealed jars of jam within a week or so.  The rest can be kept and should be used within a year.

Gluten and Dairy Free Strawberry Ice Cream

This is the first of several strawberry recipes coming your way in the next few days.  We went strawberry picking on the weekend, and came home with enough strawberries for me to make ice cream, jam, BBQ sauce, a pie, popsicles, and have leftovers to freeze for smoothies. 
There's no comparing a freshly picked, local strawberry to one that's been sitting in the store for who knows how long.  The local strawberry season is short, so I like to stock up when they're cheap and abundant.  Frozen strawberries are great for smoothies, desserts, and simple sauces, where the mushy consistency of a thawed strawberry is an advantage. 
I modified my ice cream recipe to add eggs, because the eggs add a creaminess to the mixture that is more like real ice cream.  There is a high water content here, so the mixture would crystallize easily without them.  If you use regular eggs, the mixture must be heated to an internal temperature of 160F before being cooled and then frozen.  If you use pasteurized eggs, no heating is necessary.  If you can't eat eggs, leave them out.  The texture will be different, but not the flavour. 


Ingredients

2 cans coconut milk (400 ml total)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (Gluten Free)
1 cup hulled and halved strawberries (amount after being cut) + 5 extra strawberries, set aside
2 eggs (I used pasteurized eggs, for safety reasons. You don't have to heat the mixture if using them.  If you are using regular eggs, heat mixture to 160F and cool before freezing.)

Directions

1- Mix all ingredients except extra 5 strawberries in a blender & blend until smooth.

2- Pour into a metal pan (like a rectangular cake pan.)  Chop additional five strawberries into small pieces and stir into liquid. 

3- Place pan in freezer, stirring every 30 minutes or so until frozen.  I move the finished ice cream to a freezer proof container with a lid, putting a piece of wax paper on top to keep it airtight. 

Adding the eggs helps keep the mixture creamy.  I liked the texture so much that I might actually start adding eggs to my coconut vanilla ice cream as well.  There's still a high water content, so it can get hard in the freezer.  Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to give it time to soften a bit.  The texture is nice and smooth after a few minutes out of the freezer.   

Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan

This is a long weekend here in Canada, and I've been too busy supervising a sleepover and going strawberry picking to be too worried about my menu plan.  This week's menu plan is filled with simple meal ideas that don't take much effort to put together. 

Monday:  Tajaditas (Plantain Chips topped with Oil & Vinegar Coleslaw) & Mini Sweet Peppers Filled with Sautéed Ground Beef & Shredded Cheddar Cheese 












Tuesday: Stuffed Eggplant with Tomatoes
& Raisins with a Garden Salad  (RECIPE)













Wednesday:  Chicken & Vegetable Soup
(This one is easy: GF broth, leftover shredded rotisserie chicken, frozen veggies + some chopped celery. Salt & Pepper. Bring to boil. Done)










Thursday: Chicken Drumsticks & Thighs with Strawberry BBQ Sauce & Feta and Watermelon Salad  (Salad Recipe)
BBQ Sauce recipe to come this week!










Friday: Gnocchi in a Simple Tomato Sauce

Gluten Free Buzz (5)

Some headlines in the world of Celiac & Gluten Free this week.  Enjoy the long weekend!

Want to help out a blogger and Celiac?  Eric Dermer of Celiac and the Beast has a Kickstarter Campaign to raise funds for a cookbook. More info at PR Web.  View the Kickstarter Page.

Scientists are trying to develop wheat that those with Celiac disease can eat.  Good idea?  The Western Producer has the details.

Osteoporosis may be an indicator of Celiac Disease.  Read more at News Fix.

Apparently iron-deficiency is only linked to Celiac disease in Caucasians, via Healio Gastroenterology

Allergic Living takes up the new debate on the safety of gluten in cosmetics.

Research Article: Markers of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity in Children with Autism, at PLOS One

Gluten Free on a Budget: How to Save Money & Eat Well: The Basics

When switching to a gluten free diet, everything can be a bit overwhelming.  When we first had to cut gluten (and later dairy) from my son’s diet when he was just 18 months old, I remember feeling confused, and at times a bit desperate.  My first instinct was to find substitutes for everything that was suddenly off limits.  Then I noticed how out of control my grocery bill was getting.  I knew I needed a new approach.  I started making some changes and getting my shopping list under control.  Now I hope to help others struggling with some of the same issues.

I’m embarking on a series of posts about going gluten free on a budget to help others who are struggling with keeping their food expenses manageable.  Today’s post deals with just the basics: how to get started, and some simple tips for saving money on your grocery bill. 

 1- Keep Track of Spending: You can’t cut out what you don’t know you’re spending.  This step is probably the least fun of all, but I think it’s one of the most important.  How much do you spend on groceries per week, and how much of that is specifically on specialty gluten free items?  How many times do you go out to pick up something you forgot?  Here’s my suggestion: For at least two weeks (though I would suggest a month) keep track of your food bill.  Start specifically with groceries, omitting fast food, etc. for the time being.  How much do you spend overall, and how much of that is on gluten free specialty items? 

Tip: To make this part of the process easier, when shopping, put specialty items through the register in one big group at the end, so they’re easier to find on the bill.  This also helps if you’re filing for a tax refund at the end of the year. 

 2- Set a Goal & Make a Budget: How much do you want to spend on groceries?  How much are you overspending on average compared to your ideal bill?  Take a look at those receipts again, and see where you can cut right off the top.  Packaged gluten free food costs on average more than 200 times their gluten filled counterparts.  I know that when I started shopping gluten free, I was buying my son GF cookies each week, until I realized that I didn’t buy him cookies every week before going gluten free. Don’t just stop at the gluten free foods, take a look overall. The idea here isn’t to cut to the bone, it’s to cut out the stuff that you won’t really miss.  Making a budget and knowing what you can afford to spend on groceries is a great first step, and can sometimes be the little push needed to make some changes.   

Tip: Remember, this is a process. If you are overspending by a lot, you might not be able to comfortably cut it all down to size at once.  Set small goals: Maybe you want to cut $25 a week.  That’s $100 saved over the course of a month.  A great first step forward.

3- Check Flyers & Coupons and Shop All at Once:  Every Thursday we get a paper with all the flyers for the week.  This is why I grocery shop either Thursday night or Friday.  Sometimes I have to go and pick something up during the week, but I try to keep that to a minimum.  The more you shop, the more you spend.  In case you’re wondering, I don’t shop at ten different stores.  I shop at two: One with generally lower prices overall, and another that carries certain items the first does not.  I check the flyers for those two stores and make note of the sales.  That doesn’t mean I run out and buy ten packs of whatever’s on sale, but it does mean that if chicken’s on sale, there will probably be a few chicken dishes on the menu plan that week.  I ignore sale items of things that I don’t use, and only buy in bulk if it’s a buy one get one free type deal.

Tip: Don’t get sucked in to buying something just because it’s on sale. If you wouldn’t buy it anyway, it’s not really a deal for you.    

4- Menu Plan for the Week & Shop with a List: If you’re a  "cook what you feel like in the moment” kind of person, this tip might take some getting used to.  The truth is that it takes some planning to have inexpensive but delicious gluten free meals on the table day in and day out.  Not planning ahead increases the chances that you’ll be serving super expensive prepackaged meals on a regular basis. I menu plan every week, for dinners mostly, so that I can write a proper grocery list and not just wander the aisles aimlessly picking up whatever looks good.  It has not only made my life easier during the week, but has also drastically cut down my grocery bill.   It takes about 30 minutes a week to scan the flyers, decide on meals, and make a grocery list (more at first, but practice makes perfect.)  I check flyers, and decide on five dinners for the week ahead.  Then I make a list of what I need for the meals, plus all the other basics I generally buy.  I use the list at the store and don’t buy on impulse. Weekends are usually for leftovers. 

Tip: Break your list into categories to help you really see what you’re actually buying. This will make things like prepackaged items really stand out.  The categories I use are: Dairy, Meat, Fruits & Vegetables, Frozen, Grocery (canned & dry goods, prepackaged snacks), Household (cleaning supplies, toilet paper, etc.) For meal ideas, check out my MENU PLANS and RECIPES tabs.   

5- Choose one area to makeover at a time:  Maybe buying gluten free cereals and bread products for breakfast takes up a lot of your budget.  Focus on overhauling breakfast for a few weeks.  Perhaps it’s all the snacks that cost too much.  Plan a week’s worth of healthy snacks before you shop.  Baby steps.  For more ideas, check my TIPS & TRICKS tab. 

Tip: Sometimes we think that if it comes from a package, it must be more convenient.  Not necessarily.  It doesn’t take very long to scramble an egg or grab a handful of grapes.  Focusing on one area at a time can take away some of the pressure and allow you to adjust to some new foods while still keeping most of your diet familiar.

 

 

 

 

New Series: Gluten Free on a Budget: How to Save Money & Eat Well

Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you in on a new series of posts I'm embarking on over the next little while called "Gluten Free on a Budget: How to Save Money and Eat Well."  The first post will go up tomorrow, and focuses on the basics.  I've learned so much over the last few years of shopping and cooking for my gluten free son, and I want to share that knowledge with my readers. 

I've noticed that one of the biggest complaints of many people who are new to eating gluten free is  their ballooning grocery bill.  This happened to me at the beginning, but I managed to get it under control, and I didn't do it by cutting out everything we enjoy from our diet. From menu planning, to shopping, to food choices and preparation, I hope to pass on the tips and tricks that I use to feed my family and create kid-friendly healthy meals, all while keeping my grocery budget reasonable. 

If there's a topic or question you would like covered in this series of posts, please ask in the comments, or send me an email at celiacbaby@hotmail.com.  I'm also interested in collecting your tips!  What do you do to keep your grocery bill low? 

Wordless Wednesday

My son, helping marinate chicken.  I'm a firm believer in getting kids in the kitchen at a young age.

3 Ingredient Gluten & Dairy Free Coconut Vanilla "Ice Cream"

I don't have an ice cream maker.  I never needed one.  If I wanted ice cream, I bought it.  Simple.  Then my son had to have gluten and dairy removed from his diet.  Well.  Suddenly just grabbing a container of ice cream wasn't so easy to do anymore.  We sometimes buy gelato, and there are a few brands of dairy free ice cream that we like, but they tend to be pretty expensive. 

A heat wave started here this weekend, and I thought "Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have some ice cream.  Oh, right.  Never mind."  But then my can-do spirit emerged and I thought "Why don't I just make some ice cream?"  Maybe because I've never done it before?  Pshaw. How hard can it be?  Don't laugh.  I refused to create a complicated recipe. 

So it's not.  It's so simple a child could make it.  Exactly the way it should be.

Besides the ingredients, you'll need a cake pan or some other metal container for freezing the mixture, no lid required, and a whisk or a spoon for stirring.  Also, a blender or hand blender would be helpful, but a whisk would work just as well for the initial mixing.

Ingredients
(Makes about 3 1/2 - 4 cups)

2 cans of coconut milk (200ml each, for a total of 400ml)
3/4 cup white sugar
1-2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract (check for gluten, add as much or as little to taste)

Directions

1- Mix all ingredients in a bowl, blender, or food mixer.  Blend until mix thickens up a bit, about 2-3 minutes.

2- Pour mixture into metal container and freeze.  Remove from freezer and whisk/stir every 30 minutes or so, until desired thickness and consistency is achieved.  Mixing is important because the water from the coconut milk separates otherwise.

Serve and Enjoy! 

Tip:  The consistency is similar to real ice cream, but it melts more quickly.  If the ice cream gets too hard to scoop and begins to break after being frozen for a while, remove from freezer a few minutes before serving.   

Sugar Free:  Add a mashed banana in place of the sugar.  The flavour and colour will be a bit different, but it should still taste yummy!