Upsides if we find out J has Celiac

The tests are in, the results will be back next week. Does J have celiac disease? If she does, here are the upsides:
1. she might be taller. if she starts the diet now, she will not have her growth stunted.
2. she's old enough to understand, but still young enough not to rebel against the diet.
3. i will bake so much more. i think we might save money and there will be so much more around for brad to eat.
4. i get the oreos to myself. just kidding! we don't buy prepackaged wheaty cookies and rarely splurge gluten-free. there might be more cookies around now, though.

Well, that's all I can think of. I'm not thrilled at the idea that she might have it, but finding out now would be so much easier. I have two best case scenarios in my head.
1: Jane doesn't have Celiac OR the gene for it. This means, as far as I know right now, we never have to worry about her having it. Hooray!
2: Jane has Celiac and the gene for it. Then we know! It would be such a relief to know. It might help answer what's causing her asthma like cough...of the last seven months.

There is the possibility that she has the gene, but does not (yet) have Celiac disease in it's full-out glory. For me, THIS is the bummer diagnosis. I don't know exactly what to do with it. I would rather know right now if she has it.
I will keep you posted. In the meantime, I'm working on previously mentioned dinner recipes, as well as some new sweet desserts in time for spring (lemon layered cake with strawberries and cream, anyone? how about sugar cookie fruit tarts?)
Are you waiting for something this weekend?

The Bakehouse: Gluten-Free Cookies, Muffins, and More Cookies

I have been on a roll with both baking and blogging this week, and thought a great way to finish off would be to share some of the results.



First, we made green sugar cookies for st. patrick's day. I have shared the recipe before, and it is still a winner in our book. Below I will share the Quick Icing we used to decorate the cookies (ok, we dipped the cookies in the frosting while they were still warm.)


Gluten-free honey poppyseed muffins.

I have been experimenting with Bette Hagman's Quick and Easy Muffins this week. I have tried recipes from Bob's Red Mill and Whole Foods, but when we're in a hurry, Bette's muffins can't be beat. This week I've toyed with using honey instead of white sugar. More on that to come.
The best news of the week: I successfully adapted another cookie recipe. Their texture and flavor is addictive, which is the main reason I can't make these again anytime soon.
But I still want to share them with you.
If you are looking for some gluten-free, decadent, chocolatey cookies that hold together, here you go.



Gluten-Free White Chip Chocolate Cookies
Nestle Tollhouse

• 2 1/4 cups rice flour, OR *1 3/4 cup rice flour, 1/4 cup sorghum flour, & 1/4 cup coconut flour (see note below)
  
• 2/3 cup Saco Premium Cocoa (any gluten-free baking cocoa will do)
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (gluten-free)
  
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsel (or the chip of your choice)
  

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Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Gradually beat in flour mixture.
Stir in morsels.
Drop by well-rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until centers are set.
Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Enjoy with a nice glass of milk.

TO FREEZE: Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and stick in freezer until set, about 15 minutes.
Remove from sheet and place in an airtight freezer container or bag (squeeze all air out of the bag)
Store until ready to bake, then preheat oven to 350, drop dough balls on ungreased cookie sheet, and bake.**

*I am still investigating whether it was this flour mix I used or the cocoa that made the texture of these cookies soft and less ricey. We have always been fine using all rice flour in place of all-purpose flour.
**Frozen cookie dough drops may need an extra minute or two in the oven, but we have successfully frozen cookie dough twice now and found no difference in the taste or texture. The cookie dough is also excellent in ice cream.

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Quick Cookie Icing
The Joy of Cooking

An easy, quick icing great for cookies or pound cakes. It is naturally gluten-free.

2 cups powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, or 3 Tablespoons hot heavy cream

3 to 4 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
food coloring (optional)
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In a medium bowl, beat sugar and butter together on medium speed.
Add milk, vanilla, and salt and beat until smooth.
Add additional milk or powdered sugar as needed to correct the consistency.
To store, cover the surface of the icing with a sheet of plastic wrap. This keeps for up to 3 days at room temperature, up to 3 weeks refrigerated, or frozen for up to 6 months. Soften and stir or beat until smooth before using.

Celebrating Gluten-Freedom

It's not very fair of me to say any of this since I am not the one who must adhere to a gluten-free diet, but I still wanted to write about the benefits of living in a mostly gluten-free kitchen. I know it's not easy for my husband to get enough calories (we're working on it), but I still want to share the bright side I've found in celiac disease.

1. Fewer processed foods. We still end up with more than I would like, but it is much easier and cheaper to buy whole foods and make things from scratch.

2. Less Junk Food. I do not want to buy a bag of Oreos if I am the only one who will eat them. Simple.

3. Focus on fruits and vegetables. I am far from perfect at this one, but I do think about it a lot more. Being more fresh-food conscious also comes from having children--we want them to love the best foods from the very beginning. All fruits and vegetables are naturally gluten-free, filling our kitchen with a beautiful, limitless sky.

4. I love a (baking) challenge. I have learned so much more about baking than I would have without the alternate ingredients. I've also found that creativity flourishes best with some boundaries.

5. Health food stores and alternative ingredients. Many gluten-free recipes I find use natural sweeteners and whole grain flours (just not the flours we're typically familiar with). Another number of recipes or foods happen to be organic. My education with these ingredients has been a slow process, but would likely be nonexistent without gluten-freedom.

6. A built-in excuse to try new foods. Going gluten-free is hard in the beginning, when you have to learn all the no's and can'ts of the diet. After a while these become second nature and you begin to focus again on all the yeses and can's. And there are so many delicious possibilities out there.
Even just five years ago I would not have pictured myself fixing baked sweet potatoes and quinoa with butter and parmesan. That's what I ate for lunch today, and it just so happens my baby liked it too. I'm grateful that eating gluten-free is so much easier these days and hope we can continue to find delicious options.

A Few Random Food Lists

The more I learn about food and cooking, the more new foods I discover and want to try. I've been inspired by recipes with healthy foods; by French, Asian, and Mexican recipes; and by blogs like this one. I'm especially inspired by fruits and vegetables, and using different sweeteners (I'll let you know about these honey muffins I just made), and gluten-free whole grain baking ingredients.
As a list person with a budget, I've decided to make a list of the ingredients I would like to try (the budget part: I'm making this list instead of buying all these right now). If you have any recommendations for the ingredients I list, please let me know.

A Few Ingredients Tried:
100% pure maple syrup. deliciously sweet but not too sweet. We like grade A, haven't tried B.
Turbinado sugar. works so well with chocolate and great for sprinkling on top of baked goods.
Leeks. I love them. They have made this winter feel fresher and sweeter. They are especially good with wild rice and in soups.
Roasted Nectarines. So good with tapioca pudding.
Tapioca pudding. Delicious from scratch or a mix.
Coconut flour. I've raved before and I'll say it again: tasty.
Dried Apricots. These have been a great addition to fruit purees and pear sauce.
Fingerling potatoes. They had a strong potato flavor and tasted good without any adornment.
Cooking wine. We weren't big fans and tend to use chicken stock or broth instead.
Chicken broth or stock, and vegetable broth. So much better than my bouillion cubes. Now I just need to use up those cubes...

Foods to try:
Carob dust. Out of curiosity.
Currants. I've heard we can get fresh currants in Seattle in the spring. I would love to try fresh and dried and currant jelly. The jelly is especially good with fruit tarts.
Gluten-free fruit tarts. My husband is revising a pie crust recipe that will make these worth trying.
Roasted leeks.
Flaxseed.
Sea salt. I just bought some fine sea salt for baking (instead of the girl with the umbrella kind), and use kosher salt for most of my cooking. I'm feeling ready to expand to the sea.
Vinaigrette and homemade salad dressing.
Sucanat or evaporated cane juice. mostly because I would love to duplicate Bob's Red Mill chocolate cake mix and this is the sweetener they used.
Vanilla bean. I have made the switch to real vanilla (thank you, Costco--better price and gluten-free). For a special occasion I would love to try the beans.
Saffron. A key ingredient in the best Indian food. Someday I will feel daring enough to try this pricey spice.
Prosciutto. I've had it, but I haven't cooked with it.

Vanilla Ice Cream Toppings We love:
Rice Chex (add with a little sugar if desired). they taste like crushed ice cream cone.
Pecans and a drizzle of honey. This got me through January in a sweet way.
Candy or fruit. nothing original here, but always a winner.

Ice Cream Alternatives:
Yoplait Whips (I like to stick them in the freezer, especially any of the chocolate whips)
Frozen blueberries with milk and sugar. the milk freezes around the blueberries in a delightfully icy way.
Instant pudding. This is especially good with fruit.
Strawberry honey smoothie. So delicious. The honey makes all the difference in this yogurt-berry treat.

Foods that make me excited for Spring:
Asparagus. Roasted with a little olive oil and salt and pepper is so good.
Artichokes. I want to try them steamed like my good friend did.
Rhubarb. I will attempt another gluten-free strawberry-rhubarb crumble.
Fava beans.
Figs. I want to try these again, dipped in chocolate or wrapped in prosciutto.
Strawberries. Not the overgrown kind we get at the grocery store. The homegrown kind--smaller and sweeter.

Delicous Food Combinations:
bacon and asparagus (prosciutto would be good too)
strawberry and honey
honey and pecan
turbinado or brown sugar (any sweetener with more molasses) and chocolate
potatoes and leeks
leeks and mushrooms
salmon and leeks
crepes and fruit
pudding and fruit
citrus and vanilla
citrus and berries
citrus and chocolate
butternut squash and ginger
soy and ginger
chocolate and zucchini
lime and cilantro

That's all I can think of for now. What about you? Anything on my lists you want to try, or have tried?

When the Sweet Tooth Aches (GF Crepes)

That's how my sweet cravings feel, sometimes--this longing, aching for sweet and chocolatey and delicious.
So what's a person to do in the face of such cravings?
I heard once that eating a piece of fruit and drinking water can help satisfy the sweet famishment (also I wanted to use the word famishment).
I've found pairing something sweet with something whole grain (and thus more filling) helps.
Fruit desserts are always winners.
Jell-O Instant pudding, especially with fruit.
And here's a new one for the list:
Crepes.

Gluten-free crepes are so simple, every time I make them I wonder why we don't make them more often. If you haven't tried them, you should! They're delicious and fat free and very versatile--great with everything from fresh fruit and yogurt to pudding or cool whip and bananas. And that's just the sweet stuff.
Crepes. Try some today. Here's how.

Gluten-Free Crepes
(I don't know where the recipe originated, but it wasn't with me. Thank you, whoever you are.)

2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup rice flour
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1. Beat the eggs just until blended. Add the salt, milk and flour. Whisk until smooth.
2. Cover the batter and let rest 15 minutes. The batter should be thin. (Just enough to coat a spoon dipped in it.) Add more milk if the batter is too thick.
3. Heat a frying pan with butter or vegetable oil to grease the pan.
4. Working quickly, pour 1/4 cup of batter for a small crepe, or 1/3 cup batter for a larger crepe, into the hot pan. Tilt the pan so that the batter spreads out evenly. Cook on one side (it cooks quickly), turn with a spatula and cook the other side.
5. Pile the cooked crepes on a plate. Refrigerate if not using immediately. These may be prepared up to a day ahead of time.

Ideas for filling:
It works best to use a combination of creamy, fruity, and if you choose, a garnish.

Creamy
sweetened sour cream (start with 2 Tablespoons sour cream per serving; add brown or white sugar to taste. The cream will become runnier as you add more sugar.)
cool whip (a low-fat, low calorie option. Not exactly health food, but mmm. Especially with bananas)
yogurt

Fruity
berries
berry syrup
jam or fruit preserves
poached fruit, such as pears or peaches
bananas
fruit salad mix--diced berries, mango, kiwi
even canned fruit--mandarin oranges, pineapple, peaches, pears...

Garnish
citrus zest (lemon and orange are tasty with berries)
chocolate sauce
shaved chocolate
a drizzle of poaching syrup
fruit juice
whipped cream or cool whip
toasted nuts or coconut
drizzle of caramel sauce

There's no way I have all the options here--what do you or would you add?

Putting it Together: Spicy Turkey Sausage and Wild Rice Pilaf

As I've learned some recipes and cooking techniques and thought more about what types of foods work well together, I have felt more comfortable putting together meals. I don't always do it--too often we are missing a green vegetable at dinner. When I do trust my instincts, it's always a learning experience (and often delicious).
I found some turkey sausage on sale at the grocery store last week--the use/freeze by date was coming up so it was half off. It made a delicious meal paired with wild rice pilaf (recipe below). All we were missing: some kind of green, either a salad or roasted asparagus or green beans. The rice was perfect with the spicy sausage, especially with the addition of sauteed mushrooms and leeks. All together it was spicy and buttery and delicious. It was also incredibly easy--cook the sausage (already in links). Cook the rice. Boom. About 40 minutes.

Wild Rice Pilaf

Cook the wild rice according to the directions on the package. Be sure to use salt, whether instructed to or not.
Meanwhile, melt butter or heat olive oil (to taste) in a frying pan or skillet, over medium heat. Add leeks, onions, or shallots (your choice, sliced or chopped) and cook until a little softer. Add mushrooms and cook all until soft and fragrant.
Add sauteed vegetables to wild rice and serve.
Other excellent additions: chopped fresh parsley; finely chopped garlic; toasted sliced almonds.

Today I used some of the leftover wild rice to make a salmon salad. Also easy.

Wild Rice Salmon Green Salad

Leftover wild rice, reheated if desired
Leafy greens of choice (I chose romaine from a salad bag, even faster)
Cooked salmon (mine was canned) (leftover chicken would be excellent too, or sausage or whatever kind of meat or protein you have on hand)
Lemon juice, to taste (I used this instead of salad dressing)
Fresh grated parmesan (or romano), if desired

This was a winner too--satisfying and tasty. I'm trying to change my mindset about salad, and this type of meal definitely helped.
What kind of meals do you throw together for lunch or dinner?

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Martha Stewart and the folks at Everyday Food give us this Chinese food classic lightened up--and made gluten-free in the process.
I think this is a recipe-in-progress. I'm encouraged by the batter, though my husband wasn't sure about it. We both think the sauce needs a little tweaking--a little sweeter, maybe more spice. It does make me feel like we could make Chang's Spicy chicken here at home, so I'll keep you posted on that front. In the meantime, if you're craving take-out and looking for a lighter or gluten-free version (for less bucks than PF Chang's), give this a whirl.
A side note: PF Chang's, as well as their faster-food counterpart Pei Wei, both offer delicious gluten-free menus. Click here and here.


photo from original recipe site.

Lighter Sesame Chicken

Everday FOOD

Serves 4

• 3/4 cup brown rice
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed with a garlic press
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 2-inch chunks
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds broccoli, cut into large florets, stems peeled and thinly sliced

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1. Place a steamer basket in a large saucepan, and fill with 1 inch water; set aside for broccoli. Cook rice according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, combine honey, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and garlic; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together egg whites and cornstarch. Add chicken; season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.
3. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add half the chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until golden and opaque throughout, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and chicken. Return all the chicken to skillet; add reserved sauce and scallions, and toss to coat.
4. Meanwhile, place saucepan with steamer basket over high heat; bring water to a boil. Add broccoli, and cook until crisp-tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve sesame chicken with broccoli and rice.

What's for Dinner: A Month of (Gluten-Free) Meals

Hands down the best advice I have ever gotten about making dinner for my family: Plan a whole month ahead. The first time I heard it, I was astounded. A whole month? It was beyond me. Looking back, it probably would have been depressing/hilarious to see five or six meals repeated through the course of the month. I couldn't handle it yet, but I thought it sounded like a nice goal to aspire to.
I have since planned menus for a whole month and I have to say, it's amazing. It saves money, time, and means plenty of options if the ascribed meal for the night doesn't sound good. I've done a horrible job of meal planning in 2009, but I'm trying to get back on top of it and thought I would share our dinners with you.
Meal-planning is a personal endeavor. In trying to save money, this is mostly based on what we have in the pantry, trying to buy as few ingredients as possible. I hope you find some meals that will help you too. Stay tuned this month for reviews, as well as more gluten-free ideas and recipes. I will also work to post the recipes that are not already linked on this entry.
I have to admit, I'm a little surprised at the Martha Stewart theme I've got going. We'll see how her recipes measure up this month.
And, as always, these meals are gluten-free. Many of them are naturally gluten-free, meaning they need no adaptations.

A month's worth of meals, allowing a few gaps for leftovers and life in general:
Lighter Sesame Chicken*
Apricot-Glazed Pork Tenderloin* (notes on this recipe to come)
Spaghetti Carbonara*
Burgers, Honey-glazed baked beans, salad
Rice Choccoli
Black Beans and Rice
Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken
Crockpot Chicken makhani, dal, and gluten-free naan (this one's going to be good...)
Breakfast casserole, salad, crepes and fruit
Chicken with Ginger
Corned Beef and Cabbage OR Salmon Cabbage Rolls (St. Patrick's Day Meals)
Chicken Corn Chowder
Calzones or Pizza, salad
Tuna Patties or Tuna Caesar Salad
Rolled Flank Steak*
Chinese-Style Chicken Soup*
Green Chicken Curry
Southwestern Eggs
Pancakes, Eggs, Hasselback potatoes
Creamy Goat Cheese Pasta with Roasted Asparagus
Tuna-Black bean tacos
Roasted Chicken, sweet potatoes, and green beans
"Cajun-Style" Chicken Breat with Chili Bean Maque Choux
Thai Peanut
Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce
Orange Beef stir-fry

*=new recipes I'm trying this month

Any questions? Suggestions? Let me know in the comments.