Cooking in a Gluten-Free Kitchen

When you have celiac disease, eliminating wheat, oats, barley and rye from your diet is a must. These grains, and derivatives of them, are used in the preparation of many products so this task may seem difficult. Actually, there are many ways to avoid these grains and substitute safe alternatives. Of course, serving your favorite single-ingredient foods such as plain meat, fish, fresh fruits, and vegetables is a great starting point, but you can also adapt many combination foods to exclude gluten. Here are some tips and recipes to help make the transition to a gluten-free diet easier.

Start Simply

A first and simple step is to look for dishes that need very little customization, perhaps just the substitution of one gluten-free ingredient for one that is not gluten free. For example, make macaroni and cheese or baked ziti with rice, corn, or lentil pasta, or prepare enchiladas with corn tortillas instead of the wheat flour variety. Also, familiarize yourself with cuisines that frequently cook with no gluten at all such as Indian, Asian, Mexican, South American or Middle Eastern. Remember, too, that many dishes are naturally gluten-free such as stir-fry, risotto, shepherd’s pie, chili and omelets.

Adapt Recipes

Many recipes can be adapted to the gluten-free diet. Here are some substitution suggestions:

• For gravy: Use arrowroot starch as a thickener.
• For stuffing: Make your favorite recipe with gluten-free cornbread or gluten-free white bread (homemade or store-bought) or experiment with rice stuffing.
• For flouring or breading meat and fish: Season a gluten-free coating to taste. Try cornmeal, potato flakes or mixtures of gluten-free flours. Whirl some dry bread or corn tortilla chips in a food processor until fine. Or, some people enjoy crumbled gluten-free waffles or crisped rice — these are not usually sweetened and, when seasoned, create a tasty, crunchy coating.
• For pudding and pie filling: Try gluten-free starches such as cornstarch, potato starch, tapioca or arrowroot.
• Find a prepared gluten-free baking mix to keep handy in your refrigerator. These tried and true mixtures of gluten-free flours, starches, and leavening agents can usually be substituted with wheat flour on a one-for-one basis.
• Use rice flour for a roux or white sauce — you will find that bean and soy flours have too strong a taste.

 

Any Questions?

Don’t let the gluten-free diet restrict your cooking and baking; use it instead as an opportunity to experiment with new ingredients and flavors. Look for alternative ingredients in your local ShopRite store or use the “Ask the Dietitian” feature at www.shoprite.com to submit a question or favorite recipe. Below is a traditional recipe that has been adapted to accommodate the gluten-free diet.

Peppered Garlic Beef Tenderloin

Prep time: 7 minutes*

*Stand time extra

Cook time: 35 minutes

1 beef tenderloin (about 1 1/2 lb.)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slivers

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. dried tarragon or marjoram leaves (optional)

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp. kosher salt

1. Trim tenderloin of any fat and silver skin. With sharp knife, cut slits evenly in meat, inserting a sliver of garlic into each slit. Rub tenderloin with olive oil. Sprinkle or rub evenly with tarragon, pepper and salt. Cover and set aside to stand at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before roasting.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 475°F. Place tenderloin on rack in roasting pan and roast 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 425°F and roast 20 to 25 minutes more or until internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare.

3. Let beef stand on rack in pan 10 minutes before serving (temperature will rise 5°F to 10°F). Cut into 3/4-inch slices and serve warm.

Serves 6

Per serving: 159 calories, 0g carbohydrate, 21g protein, 0g fiber, 8g fat, 3g saturated fat, 61mg cholesterol, 360mg sodium

For more recipes:

• The Gluten-Free Gourmet by Bette Hagman
• The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread by Bette Hagman
• Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy Gluten-Free Children by Danna Korn
• Incredible, Edible Gluten-Free Food for Kids: 150 Family-Tested Recipes by Sheri Sanderson

 

 

 

Click here to see a list of gluten free items carried at ShopRite