Saturday, February 13, 2010

GLUTEN FREE IDEAS, BREAD AND MUFFINS

GLUTEN FREE EATING.

Today we have an awareness that certain people cannot tolerate wheat, soy, dairy products, milk, and yeast products. We are fortunate that there are good alternative products that are nourishing and tasty.
Gluten free recipes have no wheat, rye, barley or oats. The choice as alternatives, include brown rice, corn products, potato flour, millet, soya products, tofu, tapioca and millet.
You can wander into your favorite health food store and check out the Gluten free counters, fridges and you will be amazed that pasta, flours, frozen pizzas, quiches, are made GLUTEN FREE.

I prefer home cooking, especially for people with sensitivities. Keep the food close to nature. Eat what is LOCALLY grown and in SEASON. Prepare fresh cooked food, with very simple herbs and spices. Cut out lots of sugar and salts. Use honey, agave syrup, Sunrider Stevia sweetener, cut up dates, date spread, brown sugar and vegetables salts, celery salt, zatar, sesame seeds and dried herbs if fresh are not available. Parsley, basil, oregano and mint are great in vegetables and fruits.

Skip commercial drinks, cans of foods, exotic salad dressings, spicy dried chips, salty snacks with all kinds of seasonings and artificial flavors. KEEP THE EATING SIMPLE AND BASIC.

Desserts should be fresh fruit, washed dried fruit, frozen fruit ices, rice products used in puddings, carob made into cookies and cakes, rice milk used for lollies and frozen and soya desserts.

The soya milk, rice and almond milk are good to use in cakes and cookies. You can make wonderful milk shakes with these and add fruits and carob powder.

GLUTEN FREE BREAD
My Mom often created different breads. We used to add fun things into the mixture to make it even tastier.
250 grams gluten free powder.
300 mls soda water.
1 teaspoon baking powder.
1 Tablespoon honey, or brown sugar.
You simply mix it all and place in a greased baking tin.
Bake at 180 for forty minutes. Cool on a rack and serve with honey and a bit of cinnamon on it……We sometimes added crushed nuts, raisins, grated coconut and sunflower seeds or green cut up olives and oregano and a little basil herbs.….

RICE AND OAT MUFFINS.

1 cup oatmeal.
3/4 cup of rice flour.
3 teaspoons baling powder.
3/4 cup soya or rice milk .
1 egg.
Mix the flour baking powder and salt. Mix in the soya milk and egg..
Grease a muffin tray. I sprinkle sesame seeds in the pan and some cinnamon powder. Then add the mixture.. Bake at 180 for 25 minutes. .


.POTATO LATKES…A POTATO TREAT.
5 medium size potatoes.
3 tablespoons gluten free flour.
1 teaspoon salt.
1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
1 eggadd
Oil for frying
. Peel and grate potatoes. Squeeze out the water. Add flour, salt, pepper, egg and mix. . I add grated walnuts and a grated carrot.
Fry in hot oil. Drain and serve hot with honey, cinnamon, grated carob chocolate, sesame seeds and even some cut up bananas and apple. Fun and tasty.

HOME MADE GRANOLA.
This is a treat for the kids to have with a bowl of soya, rice or almond milk.
Make your own granola. Simply use two cups of oats, some sunflower seeds, grated apple pieces, coconut, chopped nuts, chopped dried fruits, a little apple juice. Lightly grease a large baking tray and place all the ingredients except the dried fruit , on it. I soak the dried fruit in the apple juice. It is easier to eat if it is not brick hard . Drizzle some honey and olive oil on the mixture and add cinnamon . Bake it in a low oven for forty minutes. You need to stir it around fairly often. Add the fruits and bake for ten minutes more, covered………Store in a container and enjoy.

Make the kitchen gluten free happy……………have snacks for everyone that are composed of fruits, nuts and easy to make muffins and good bread, with healthy spreads.
Teach the kids to create their own foods and snacks. Have cut up celery, carrots, peppers, washed tomatoes, cucumbers, washed apples, pears and all fruits in season available. Skip silly soda pop, sugary drinks. Have mint teas, milkshakes for soya and rice milks, carob powder for hot drinks and lots of lollipops of frozen juices for hot days.

Take care wherever you are, smile and realize how lucky that we have choices. Let the differences in eating be exciting and never let the person with special eating needs feel, it is a bother. They need to know that you are happy to go out of your way so they can feel well. We always have time for those we love and it is a pleasure to eat food that is created with love and care. They even digest easier in the body.........

Have a fun week. Keep warm if you are in snowy areas, keep smiling and make each day good.

Love and light ,
RONA……
.

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