Gluten-Free, Corn-Free Recipes and Products

We recently launched a new column in Gluten-Free Living, called Beyond GF, which focuses on additional dietary restrictions sometimes faced by those who are gluten free.

In the March/April issue of the magazine, due out on newsstands Feb. 26, Beyond GF features the gluten-free/corn-free diet. You can subscribe at glutenfreeliving.com
 


In addition to the recipes and other helpful information we published, we have two more here: Honey Millet Rolls and Quinoa Millet Tortillas*  They're so good you don't have to be corn free to enjoy them.

Following the recipes you'll find a list of products to make food shopping on this challenging diet a little easier.

 

Quinoa Millet Tortillas

Gluten-Free, Corn-Free Quinoa-Millet Tortillas

Makes 6 tortillas

These tortillas are soft and flexible and have a delightfully nutty flavor. They can be made ahead and reheat well.

Dry Ingredients:

1/3 cup millet flour

1/4 cup quinoa flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

1 teaspoon corn-free baking powder

3/4 teaspoon guar gum*

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

2 teaspoons pure honey or agave syrup

1/3 cup warm water

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated shortening, such as Spectrum

In the bowl of your electric mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the dry ingredients on low speed.

Add the wet ingredients and continue to mix until a dough forms around the paddle. Mix the dough on medium speed for an additional minute. The dough will be slightly sticky and springy. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 30-45 minutes. 

After chilling, divide the dough into 6 equal portions and form each into a round ball. Keep the dough balls lightly covered with plastic wrap as you work to prevent them from drying out. On a lightly floured counter, press down one ball at a time with your finger tips, until you have a flattened disk of dough. Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the tortilla to 1/8-inch thickness. Preheat a greased skillet to medium-high. Cook tortillas one at a time for approximately 1-2 minutes on each side, flipping carefully with a thin spatula. 

The cooked tortillas will have golden brown spots on both sides and may bubble a bit as they cook. Flip the finished tortillas onto a plate, stacking them on top of each other as you go. Cover lightly with a light cloth or inverted plate. Serve warm. Store in an airtight bag in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat tortillas on a hot skillet or briefly in the microwave to regain their flexibility.



Honey Millet Rolls



Gluten-Free, Corn-Free Honey Millet Rolls

Makes 10-12 rolls.

These rolls are soft, rich and have just a touch of sweetness. The combination of millet, flax and honey keeps guests reaching for more.

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup potato starch

1/4 cup tapioca starch

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup ground golden flax

2 1/4 teaspoons or 1 packet active dry yeast (see sidebar)

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon guar gum*

Wet Ingredients:

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup warm water, 110 degrees

Thoroughly grease a muffin pan and set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, slowly combine the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium-high speed or until you have a thick, batter-like dough.

Divide dough between muffin cups with a spring-loaded ice cream scoop (about 3 tablespoons each). With wet fingertips, gently smooth the tops down a bit to make the rolls more uniform. Cover the rolls with oiled plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes in a warm place (80 degrees). 

After the rolls have risen for 30 minutes, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

When the rolls have almost doubled in height (about 45 minutes), place in preheated oven for 14-16 minutes. Rolls will be golden brown.  Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Serve warm. Freeze leftovers as soon as they cool to preserve freshness.  *Xathan gum can be used if tolerated.

GLUTEN-FREE, CORN-FREE PRODUCTS


Snacks

Andean Dream Cookies: Assorted Flavors

Beanitos Bean Chips

Sesamark Rice Thins: Brown Rice or Sesame Flavored only

Two Moms in the Raw granola

Pantry

Andean Dream Quinoa Pastas

Coconut Aminos by Coconut Secret (soy sauce substitute)

Katz Wholegrain Bread and Sandwich Rolls

Pacific Naturals Condensed soups, soup starters, broths

Tinkyada Brown Rice Pastas

Baking Needs

Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips and Chunks

Frontier Vanilla Flavoring (not extract)

Hain Featherweight Baking Powder

Guar Gum

Lyle’s Brand Golden Syrup (good sub for corn syrup)

Original Red Star Active Dry Yeast (packets only)

Spectrum Non-Hydrogenated Shortening

Wholesome Sweeteners Powdered Sugar (The company recently switched from cornstarch to tapioca starch but some older packages might still be on shelves. Check the ingredients list which will note cornstarch or tapioca.)



Bread, All-Purpose Flour Mixes, and Flours

Arnel’s All Purpose Flour and Bread mixes

Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flour and Quinoa Flakes

Arrowhead Mills Millet Flour

Authentic Foods Rice Flours, Sorghum Flour, & Tapioca, Arrowroot and Potato Starches

Authentic Foods Classical Blend (all-purpose)

Chebe Bread Mixes



Mama’s Coconut Flour and Almond Flour Blends (all-purpose)

1-2-3 Gluten Free pancake mix

#Many products are made in facilities that also process corn. Check with individual companies if this is a concern.#

* Photos and recipes by Terris Cleary, a graduate of the California Culinary Academy who specializes in creating gluten-free, allergy-friendly recipes. Managing her own celiac disease and her son’s multiple food allergies prompted her to create the food blog,  freeeatsfood.com.





Houston Chef dishes on Mexican food & the gluten-free diet



Chef Hugo Ortega enjoying Mexican street food     Photo by Penny de los Santos

 The March/April issue of Gluten-Free Living spotlights Hugo Ortega, the Executive Chef of Hugo's restaurant in Houston, and recent author of Hugo Ortega's Street Food of Mexico. Ortega talked with Gluten-Free Living about authentic Mexican street food and why it’s a natural dining choice for those who follow the gluten-free diet. Here's what he had to say:

Q: How has Mexican food adapted for the American diner?

A. I think it has to do with the pioneers of our cuisine who have exposed our great cooking beyond our borders. It has enchanted many people from different parts of the world with its flavor, spiciness, the use of different peppers, herbs, cacao, huitlacoche (corn truffle) that are so unique to Mexico. The diversity of the food has piqued the interest of many American diners.

Q: Many authentic Mexican dishes are slow cooked, like a mole sauce or carnitas. What is the history behind the slow cooking method?

A. This method is pre-Hispanic. For moles, it develops the flavor of the 29 ingredients required, with balance achieved when the last ingredient, chocolate, is added. For meats, such as for barbacoa, we use this method because we use the whole carcass. The slow cooking method helps to make it tender. You develop more flavor like this; the herbs and spices that we use to wrap the piece of meats develop more thanks to the long cooking time.

Q: Corn, which is gluten free, is such an important ingredient, from masa flour to maize to corn tortillas. Was it a more prevalent crop in Mexico than wheat?
A. Yes, corn is the backbone of Mexican cooking. Maybe even say it is the only ingredient that can be considered necessary to our cuisine.

Q: Can gluten-free diners assume most Mexican food is gluten free? Is use of wheat, barley or rye the exception rather than the rule? Still, what should gluten-free diners be on the lookout for as having the potential to contain gluten?

A. Yes, it is gluten-free with the exception of Mexican food from the northern region, which uses flour tortillas. I recommend finding out which region of Mexico the food is from.

Q: You have a new cookbook. Is it largely gluten free?

A. Yes, except for the churros recipe and some of the desserts.

Q: What piqued your interest in gluten-free food?

A. Mexican food is gluten-free. I didn’t know until we researched it that it is a food well tolerated by many people. I have always cooked with many spices, nuts and herbs; flour, in my opinion, is an ingredient for breads and pastries. I have always been on the savory part of the cuisine.

The March/April issue of Gluten-Free Living features Ortega's menu for a casual Mexican dinner party for six. It has everything from start to finish with recipes including carnitas, re-fried beans, Mexican rice, salsa, roasted corn, and cream cheese custard. The magazine will be on newsstands Feb. 26. You can subscribe at glutenfreeliving.com

Gluten-free version of Pop Tarts

There are some products that gluten-free consumers have been longing for a quite awhile.

Sometimes it doesn't really make sense that these particular items end up on the what-I-want-most list.

Often they're not gourmet foods, but basic things fondly recalled from gluten-eating days or foods that gluten-free kids want because other kids have them.

Pretzels were on the list for a long time until several companies came up with palatable packaged gluten-free products. Even if you don't eat them very often, it's nice to know you can if you want to.

I put Pop Tarts in this category. Surely they're not the tastiest of pastries, nor the healthiest of snacks or breakfast choices. But somehow none of the gluten-free breakfast bars could quite take the place of an occasional warm and toasty Pop Tart.

Now comes word via our friend Michael Savett at Gluten Free Philly that Glutino is launching a gluten-free toaster pastry. At first they will be sold at Whole Foods and will eventually be carried in other stores, the company says. They are not yet listed on the Glutino website, but are being advertised on the facebook page.

Consumer reaction was pretty quick, with some writing "Yes, finally," and "Thank you, Jesus."

"Living gluten free is not always easy, but this helps," another said.

Some did question what happened to the icing found on some varieties of regular Pop Tarts. The toaster pastries come in two flavors, Apple Cinnamon and Strawberry. They are also dairy and casein free according to Glutino's facebook page.

Echo Planet was the first company to make a gluten-free toaster pastry, but they were never easy to find. Then the company said demand was so high that online ordering was suspended until inventory could be built up. The Echo Planet website says that was supposed to happen today, but so far you still can't order the toaster pastries.

With Glutino's introduction of toaster pastries, it looks like another food can be crossed off that list of things we want but are not so sure we'll ever see.

Amy Ratner

The Dessert Table

A good friend of mine has an annual party for the AFC and NFC championship games.  Four attendees this year were celiacs and so there was a 50-50 mix of gluten-free and gluten containing desserts.

I brought a gluten-free Apple Cake from By the Way Bakery in Hastings-on-Hudson.  One person bought a hazelnut flour based torte with whipped cream and cocoa from a different bakery and another person made gluten-free snickerdoodles and ginger snaps.

The hostess pointed out to my son the gluten-free offerings in front of everyone and so people started backing off the gluten-free desserts.  I don’t know if they felt that they shouldn’t eat them because the four of us couldn’t eat the chocolate cake or the chocolate chip cookies.  Maybe they felt the gluten-free offerings would not taste as good as the regular desserts? Who can say what the reasons were, but the reaction to leave the gluten-free desserts on the table was unanimous from the gluten eaters!

One woman had been in mid-slice of the apple cake and then pulled back when she heard it was gluten-free so I insisted she try it.  The cake was outstanding and no one would have ever known that it was anything other than moist, spicy and really fluffy.  She did try a slice and insisted everyone else try some as well.

I did the same thing with the gluten-free ginger snaps and snickerdoodles…they were just delicious cookies and I made sure everyone got a taste.

From now on I am not going to announce loudly which items are gluten-free, I will quietly tell the person who needs to know and then let everyone partake in the sweet or savory item.   One way to dispel the myth that everything tastes like cardboard is to share the really delicious food out there that just happens to be gluten free!

Kendall Egan

In Celebration of National Peanut Butter Day

Almost seventeen years ago after receiving a diagnosis of celiac disease, I experienced profound relief that I was not, in fact, dying.  I got one piece of good advice from the nurse who ironically served me a bagel with cream cheese in the recovery room after my first endoscopy…”Don’t eat this bagel, JIF is a safe food.”  I left the bagel untouched on my hospital tray.

I started my gluten-free journey with a jar of JIF Creamy Peanut Butter and a spoon.  When I read stories about Plumpy’Nut, which is a vitamin fortified peanut butter in a squeeze tube for malnourished and starving children in developing countries, I think to myself, of course that will save them from starvation because peanut butter saved me from starvation as well.

I was an emaciated 103 pounds at 5’7” of height, with every bone jutting out and my knees and elbows looking grotesquely large on my stick figure arms and legs.  My abdomen was distended, patches of hair were falling out, my cheeks were sunken and I had horrible dark circles under my eyes.

I had a six month old daughter and a three year old daughter and each night I lay awake at night with worry that I would not see them grow up.

I left the hospital with a diagnosis and a cure, eat a gluten-free diet.  I also got the sorrowful warning from my gastroenterologist that my life was going to be really hard from now on because it was so difficult not to eat wheat.  Um, really?  Did he not notice my current state of health or how I looked right then?

Nope, the diet was not hard and it was a huge relief knowing that it was just a diet that could return me to health.  I just opened up a new jar of JIF Creamy peanut butter and dug right in.  Sometimes I put it on a banana or an apple, but I had scribbled my name across the lid with a Sharpie, so I mostly dug right in with a spoon for a “peanut butter pop.”

I added rice to my diet, a little plain chicken and a multi vitamin and slowly but surely came back to full health.  Today, there is glorious selection of gluten-free food, awareness, GF menus in restaurants and a sense of normalcy surrounding a gluten-free diet.

So in celebration of National Peanut Butter Day, I say “thanks” to a comfort food that sustained me through my worst days of celiac disease.  I still love to eat a JIF Creamy peanut butter “pop” every now and then!

Kendall Egan

PEANUT BUTTER POP

Easy GF Pasta Dinners!

When I was a newlywed and living in New York City, one of my favorite things to do was go to a gourmet Italian market for fresh ravioli, manicotti or stuffed shells and sauce.  This was long before Eataly and Agata & Valentina, so the stores were small, neighborhood based and literally, grandma would be there making the food.

Those dinners were the best.  The pasta and sauce were fresh and the preparation was simple since all of the work except for staging and heating was done for you.  The only other dinner preparation was to throw a crusty loaf in the oven, prep a salad and open a bottle of wine.   When everything was heated up, we would enjoy the meal and some conversation.  When babies came along, this was an even better meal choice since dinner time always seemed to be the bewitching hour with little ones.

But then came a diagnosis of celiac disease and that meant the end of ravioli, manicotti and stuffed shells.  Back in the dark ages, these things did not exist in a gluten-free form!  I could still purchase lobster ravioli for my husband, but I would be stuck with rice pasta and extra dirty pots.

The times they are a changing!  Last week, I picked up a package of Pastosa Gluten Free Stuffed Shells and a package of regular Pastosa Stuffed Shells and some wonderful sauce at DeCicco’s Marketplace for dinner.  This was a variety that I had not tried before and they were very good.

I can find Conte’s Pasta in one store and DePuma’s pasta in another…this is such a wonderful addition to our weekly meals.  I never thought I would have choices and variety like this when I was newly diagnosed.

Here is the funny thing, my celiac did not grow up with this variety of pasta and he doesn’t like it!  He just prefers the noodles with sauce so when I make ravioli or shells, he gets a bowl of cereal for dinner and I get leftovers for lunch the next day!  We are both ok with that arrangement.

Kendall Egan