HAPPY GLUTEN-FREE EASTER

Happy Easter! Here is an easy recipe for a simple, yet delicious gluten-free Easter treat....macaroon birds' nests.

You will need:

1- 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1- bag shredded coconut (about 12 ounces)
1- bag pastel peanut M & M's
Food coloring optional (you can add a few drops to make the coconut brown)

In medium sized mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all the ingredients minus candy. Drop by spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet (should fit about twelve macaroons at a time). This will be your bird's nest. Bake on 375 degrees for about ten minutes, or until coconut is lightly browned and edges are getting slightly crisp. When done baking, let them set up for about two minutes before removing them from cookie sheet to cool on either wax paper or a plate. Let macaroons set up and cool for about 10 minutes, then lightly push a few pieces of candy into the center of the macaroon. And there you have your Spring nest and eggs. This dessert is cute, easy, and delicious...what more can you ask for when it comes to a gluten-free treat for Easter.

HOMEMADE GLUTEN-FREE QUESO

Many purchased queso dips are often thickened with flour, and so many homemade queso dips call for gluten-containing ingredients such as cream of chicken soup. Here is an excellent recipe for Homemade gluten-free queso. It is quick and easy, as well as delicious!

Queso Dip

2-CUPS DICED BAKED CHICKEN (ABOUT 6 TENDERLOINS OR 3 CHICKEN BREASTS)
2-CUPS CUBED PEPPER JACK CHEESE (CAN SUBSTITUTE WITH MUENSTER CHEESE IF PREFERRED)
1-8 OZ PACKAGE OF NEUFCHATEL OR CREAM CHEESE
1-7 OZ CAN DICED GREEN CHILES
GLUTEN-FREE CORN TORTILLA CHIPS

In microwaveable dish, add cheese, cream cheese, chiles, and chicken. Mix together. Cook on medium heat in the microwave for 2 minutes; stir with a fork, put back in the microwave for 2 more minutes. Make sure cheese is evenly melted and all ingredients are mixed throughout. And that's it. Your scrumptious gluten-free queso dip is ready to serve.

This dip is so easy and turns out great! It also can be made then reheated. It's wonderful for snacks during sporting events, movie nights, or a great appetizer. Try it out and let me know what you think!

GLUTEN-FREE FISH STICKS

The last time I had fish sticks was about 20 years ago, when I was just a kid. I did not know I had Celiac's yet and I still enjoyed many delicious gluten-filled foods. As a kid, Skippers (a seafood restaurant) was one of my favorite places to eat, and I loved fish sticks! Well I am happy to announce that I just finished a delicious lunch of gluten-free fish sticks. Ian's fish sticks contain no gluten, casein, milk, eggs, nuts, or soy. They are easy to cook; you just throw them in the microwave or oven (I recommend the oven for a crispier coating). I loved them! I had tried Ian's gluten-free chicken nuggets before, and found them also to be fabulous. The gluten-free fish sticks were just under $6.00 for a box which would make about two smaller meals. So, no, they are not ridiculously cheap or anything, but $3.00 for a lunch is not too bad. Plus, I am not going to lie, the pure sentimentality of finally being reunited with one of my childhood favorites was for me personally, a great selling point.

Ian's also tries to focus on nutrition and quality of food and even has a program for kids, to teach them how to make healthy food choices and to be more active. You can read more about it at:

http://www.imasuperfitkid.com/

So give these gluten-free fish sticks a try!

ST. PATRICK'S DAY GLUTEN-FREE TREAT

On March 6, 2009 3:28 PM

Elizabeth said...
Do you have any St Patrick's Day treats you'd recommend?


Yes I do! Here is an easy recipe I have been playing with, which I think would make an excellent gluten-free St. Patrick's day treat. You will need:

1 pkg Cream Cheese or Neufchatel Cheese
1 large box Instant Vanilla Pudding (or 2 small boxes)...sugar free works great
1 cup Milk
1 14 oz can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
Green Food Coloring (or mix yellow and blue)
Fruit (about 6 cups or ten apples or two cartons of strawberries,etc-just to give you a frame of reference)
Nuts (about 3 cups)

With an electric mixer, beat softened cream cheese with pudding and 1 cup milk until smooth. Next, you will add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until smooth and creamy. Add a few drops of green food coloring and beat just until blended.

Chop fruit into bite size chunks or slices (apples, strawberries, grapes...whatever kind you prefer)....coat with lemon juice to avoid browning if the fruit is cut in advance.
Chop (or smash with a mug) nuts into small chunks (walnuts make a great flavor combo with fruit).

In a small ice cream dish or bowl, fill the bottom of the holder with the chopped fruit (about 3/4 cup), top with a scoop of the creamy pudding mixture(1/4 to 1/2 cup), then add a couple spoonfuls of nuts. Best when enjoyed right after assembly. Makes about ten servings.

This gluten-free dessert is sweet, creamy, and a great cool treat for welcoming in the spring.

Thanks for the question Elizabeth!

GLUTINO

I have to sing out my praises for the brand "Glutino". Their gluten-free foods are so fabulous and delicious! The first time I enjoyed Glutino's gluten-free cookies was about ten years ago when my sister was serving an LDS mission in England. She sent our family a package, full of gluten-free wonders that were not easily available in the U.S, but were much more common in Europe. At the time I could not believe something gluten-free could be so delicious and with no bitter after taste! Now years later, I can find wonderful Glutino products even at my local grocery store...I love it! Given, these specialty items are often a bit pricier than I'd like to spend on non-necessities,(being similarly priced to that of gourmet cookies and crackers, that you don't usually find a generic form of), but they do tend to go down and down in price as they become more present in more and more stores. This last week I tried for the first time Glutino gluten-free crackers which come in Original, Vegetable, Cheddar, and Multi-grain flavors. They were about 5 bucks for a medium sized box (4.4 oz), but I absolutely LOVED them. I ate them with braunschwager (an acquired taste, I know), meats and cheeses, cream cheese, and plain. They were so excellent. I don't know what Glutino does differently but be it their delicious lemon wafers, chocolate cookies, or cereal, I think they are by far one of the best gluten-free brands when it comes to taste.....and hopefully the prices will continue to drop here and there (I usually just buy them when they go on sale, which seems to happen a lot). If you haven't tried this brand, then I recommend next time you are at a health food store or even your grocery store look for a Glutino product on sale, and treat yourself! It is worth it!

ENJOY VALENTINES' DAY WITH GLUTEN-FREE CREPES!!

Valentines' Day is a great holiday....it's a perfect time for fun treats and goodies, and a chance to do something nice for someone you care about and love. So if you want to win over that special gluten-free someone, or show them you care through a special treat, I have the perfect suggestion for you......CREPES!!

If you are not familiar, let me introduce you to the wonderful and versatile world of gluten-free crepes. The great thing about crepes is that there are so many ways to fill them and eat them. You can make dinner crepes, dessert crepes, breakfast crepes, and more.

SO.....here are some of my suggestions to make a spectacular homemade Valentines' Day dinner and dessert.

Basic Gluten-Free Crepes Recipe

1 & 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl with a metal whisk. Stir rapidly for about 3 minutes, batter should be smooth and liquid-no clumps.

Heat a 10 inch skillet on medium heat, coat evenly with cooking spray. Pan must be heated before putting in batter. Remove pan from heat, and pour about 1/3 cup of batter into center of pan, gently move pan around causing the liquid to cover the bottom surface of the entire pan. Crepes turn out best when they are evenly spread out and thin. Put pan back on burner and let cook until crepe is solid and no longer runny. Take a spatula and run it around the edge of the crepe so it is not sticking to the pan. Flip it, then cook on the other side for about a minute. Crepe should be a light creme color. I recommend using a non-stick pan. If you have trouble flipping the crepe, simply use a lid on the pan while cooking. This will trap the heat and cook the crepe all the way through, thus eliminating the need to flip the crepe. When crepe is fully cooked but before browned, take a spatula once again around the edge of the crepe in order to prevent sticking, then simply shake the pan and slide it out onto a plate. Lightly spray pan again and add more batter. This recipe makes about 6 good sized crepes. Crepes should be delicate and about 1/8 inch thick. Also, you may notice the dense rice flour will start to sink as the batter sits, so be sure to briefly stir it with the whisk before pouring out the next scoop of batter.

Once your gluten-free crepes are all made, it is time for stuffing them. There are so many options for delicious flavor combinations. Here is one of my personal favorites.

DINNER CREPES

Mix 2 cups shredded baked chicken
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
dash of ginger (optional)
dash of salt

Combine ingredients and seasonings then heat in the microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds or until cream cheese and sour cream are soft and runny. Stir the chicken and cream ingredients until chicken is evenly coated. (If you like more creamy crepes, add 1/4 cup more cream cheese, and 1/4 cup more sour cream). Take plate of crepes and spoon a couple of scoops down the center of the crepe. Then take shredded cheese (Monterey jack, or Colby jack) and sprinkle about a 1/4 a cup of cheese over the chicken mixture. Gently roll both sides of the crepe in so it resembles a burrito. Then take the stuffed crepe and place it face down(so the fold is on the bottom) of a glass 8 inch cake pan that has been lightly coated with cooking spray. Repeat this process until all 6 crepes are side by side in the glass pan. Then take a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese and sour cream, heat until creamy, and then spread it on the top of the crepes. Cover with saran wrap or microwaveable lid and heat in the microwave for about 4 minutes, or until cheese is completely melted. These gluten-free crepes make a spectacular meal, and are really pretty easy to make. You just have to get the hang of making crepes. Once you have that down, you can make the crepes and stuff them all within 20 minutes. After Thanksgiving, I used my leftover turkey to make delicious turkey, cheese, and mushroom crepes that were fabulous! You can add crumbled bacon, diced zucchini, onion, peppers, mushrooms and much more according to your personal preferences (be sure to cook veggies prior to stuffing). These crepes also work well with ham instead of chicken, mozzarella cheese or medium cheddar.

DESSERT CREPES

While crepe is cooking, when it is about halfway done, sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips onto the crepe, they will sink in slightly. Do not flip crepe, just allow enough time for it to cook all the way through. Remove crepe from heat. Do not stack the crepes on top of each other. While crepe is still warm (or after reheating in microwave for about 30 seconds) take about 2 tablespoons peanut butter, and spread it across the inside of the crepe, thus spreading out the melting chocolate. Then scoop about 3 ice cream sized scoops of cool whip into a row going down the center of the crepe (or vanilla bean ice cream). Fold sides over and flip the crepe, so fold is against plate. Add a dollop of cool whip on top, and serve warm. These gluten-free dessert crepes are fabulous and super easy.

These gluten-free crepes are loved by both my friends and family who have to live-gluten free and those who don't. They make a special gourmet meal and dessert without a lot of fuss or hassle.

I also love making caramel drizzled crepes, and fresh strawberries and ice cream crepes....but we'll have to save those for another time. Let me know questions....I am here to help!

Happy Valentines' Day!

Gluten Free Recipes

Here is a link to the website of "LIVING WITHOUT", a magazine with great gluten-free recipes. I always love trying out new recipes and getting new ideas. So check it out!

http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes.html


I personally think I am going to have to try out the Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free German Apple Pancakes

http://www.livingwithout.com/recipes/feb_mar09_german_apple_pancakes.html

Yum!