Kale Chips

My Daughter and I love these tasty snacks.They are so easy to make and full of nutrition! THanks to my friend, Kim, for teaching me this recipe!

Wash your organic kale thoroughly and let dry. Remove leaves from the stalks. If you are using an tougher kale, you may need to remove some of the heavier veins in the leaves as well. Put parchment paper on two cookie trays. After you have removed the leaves from the stalks, place them in a bowl. Lightly sprinkle organic garlic extra virgin olive oil over the kale. I buy my garlic extra virgin olive oik at Trader Joe's. Carefully mix with your hands. Lay the kale leaves on the cookie trays being careful not to overlap the leaves. Make sure that each leaf has oil on both sides of it. After laying leaves on the cookie tray, lightly sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a preheated 250 degree oven for 20 minutes. If your kale is tougher, you may need to leave it in for up to 40 minutes. Check kale every 5 minutes after the 20 minutes to make it does not burn. Let cool and eat. The kale is very brittle but delicious. I store mine in layers with wax paper between the layers. ENJOY!

Beware of Gorgonzola Cheese!

Today I had a favorite lunch at Woodlice in Severna Park--- Woodfire salad with grilled chicken minus the Gorgonzola cheese.  I am dairy free so I do not eat cheese.  The waitress knows me and told me that the chef said that Gorgonzola cheese is started on bread.  The bread helps the cheese develop quicker.  So Gorgonzola is contaminated with gluten.  Who knew that one.  I never would have guessed that.  Be careful when you are out eating.  Gluten hides is the most obscure places.

Don't forget to send me recipes that I will try to convert to non-gluten!

Gluten Free Brownies

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I decide to post a recipe involving chocolate. I love making my husband a special dinner for Valentine's Day.  Here is a family favorite.

Gluten Free Brownies
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate
1 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup butter (5 1/3T.)
1/4 cup of each: almond flour, sweet sorghum flour and tapioca flour
1/2 tsp gluten free and aluminum free baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 ex large eggs
1 cup organic or unrefined and unbleached sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a heat afe bowl over a poot of boiling water./  Mix flours with baking powder and salt.  Beat eggs well.  If your brownies crumble, it is because your eggs were not beaten enough. Add sugar.  Blend in cooled chocolate mixture and vanilla.  Make sure you use a good quality vanilla.  Mix in flour mixture. Add 1/2 cups of nuts, if desired.

Spread in a greased 9" square glass pan. bake for 20 minutes.  Brownies should be slightly moist and gooey.  Yum!  Cool before cutting.

I use Baker's chocolate squares which do not bother my gluten allergy. You can also use coconut oil instead of butter.

Food Allergies and Whole Foods

Today I was at Whole Foods market in Annapolis.  I am so glad that they mark Gluten Free items with special signs.  However, make sure that you read what is in the product. Often you will find corn, soy, canola oil, dairy and other allergens.  I try to steer away from corn and soy because they have similar proteins to gluten which I am already allergic to.  I also try to go organic whenever the option is available.
Pamela's cookies are good but they are dry which is often a problem with gluten free items.  I prefer a cookie with butter or coconut oil to give is some moisture.  Pamela's makes a chocolate chip shortbread cookie but it is hard to find.  I cannot find it at Whole Foods, but Wegman's carries it.
I love the sweet sorghum flour, tapioca flour and potato starch at Whole Foods.  I use them together in different amounts in many recipes.  I can also find unrefined peanut oil for frying there.  If you have a peanut allergy, you can use coconut oil.
Don't forget to send me a recipe or two that you want me to try to convert to gluten (and other) free.

Enjoy your gluten free journey which leads to better health!

Eating Gluten Free at Cheeburger Cheeburger ,Annapolis

This week my son and I ate at one of my favorite places, Cheeburger Cheegurger.  It's a burger joint but one notch above many.  They offer a burger salad that I love.  It comes with a burger, variety of fresh greens and cheese of choice. I am dairy free so no cheese for me.  You also can choose from a variety of toppings to put on the salad. e.g.,pineapple, dried cranberries, carrots, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and the list goes on . I ask for lemon wedges in place of dressing.  What a yummy treat that is gluten and dairy free.

Eating Gluten Free at Red Hot and Blue, Annapolis; Punk's Grill, Annapolis

Although we do not go out to eat a lot , my family and I enjoy eating out once a week. The other night my family and I went to Red Hot and Blue in Annapolis. I was very impressed by their special menu which listed all the ingredients in their dishes.  I had the pulled chicken (without sauce), a sweet potato and coleslaw. I had no reaction to any of it the next day.  I would definitely go back again.

Yesterday, I went to Punk's Grill at Annapolis Mall.  They have a listing of all their menu items with all the ingredients in them. It is awesome!  I had a salad (minus the cheese because I cannot eat it) with a honey balsamic vinagrette and 2 sides of grilled steak.  I could not eat all the greens, apples and nuts but enjoyed the flavors!  A definite win!

 I will review more places in the Annapolis, Md area weekly that have some gluten free and other allergy free options.

Don't  forget to send me a recipe or two that you'd like me to try to convert to gluten free.

God Bless,

Priscilla

Cooking Gluten and Dairy Free for Thanksgiving

T have been dairy free for over 5 years now.  We still have traditional Thanksgiving dished with a twist.  I can eat butter, but if you cannot use coconut oil in its place.  I make Creamed Onions and my Mom's Pumpkin Pie.

Here are the recipes.

Gluten & Dairy Free CREAMED ONIONS

3 to 4 large onions, peeled & cut in large pieces

3 Tbsp. organic sugar, or more if you want it sweeter

water, enough to cover onions in the pan  

4 Tbsp coconut oil

4 Tbsp sweet rice flour

1 can coconut oil (do NOT buy the light variety; make sure to shake can well before you use it)

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of nutmeg, optional 

Place onions peeled and cut, into pan and sugar and water.  Cook until onions are soft, but not mushy.  Drain onions but keep the left over water. Melt coconut oil in pan.  Add flour stirring it into oil.  Slowly add 1/2c onion water to pan.  Once mixed start to add 1 cup of coconut milk. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Taste sauce. Add more onion water if it need to be sweeter.  This will depend on the variety and sweetness of your onions. You can also add a pinch of nutmeg to enhance the flavor. Add more coconut milk if the sauce is too thick. Add onions once sauce is completed.

You can make this a day ahead and save yourself some time on Thanksgiving.

Gluten and Dairy Fee Pumpkin Pie

Lightly greased 10 inch pie plate with coconut oil and dusted with sweet sorghum flour (about 2 Tbsp.)

1 2/3 cup of condensed coconut milk (see recipe that follows)

1 3/4 cup mashed pumpkin

2 ex large eggs 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1 cup hot water

Mix ingredients well with a whisk in a large mixing bowl, adding hot water last so you do not curdle eggs.  Pour into prepared greased and floured pie plate.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool. Refrigerate overnight.  The custard pie will make its own crust as it cooks!

YUMMY!

Condensed Coconut Milk

3  (13 to 14 fl.oz. each) organic coconut milk or make about 6 cups of coconut milk from coconut concentrate and water

3 1/2 cups organic sugar

Mix ingredients well.  Place over on stove at a medium temperature.  Stir until sugar is dissolved.  Turn down temperature to low.  Cook for another 2 hours stirring every 15 to 20 minutes.  mixture will darken in color a bit and reduce by about 25%.  Let cool. You should have enough for 3 pumpkin pies.