Gluten Free Recipes

[rocketgirl]

I don't care, but a close friend is gluten-free (aside from the occasional beer, because beer.)  Anyway, placebo effect or not, she feels better without her breads and pastas and such.  And she is dating another friend and the 4 of us would like to cook and eat together.

So anyway, someone mentioned a bean "pasta" recipe recently.  Could you post that and say what kind of sauces it works best with?  What are other good substitutes for pasta that might taste good to those of us who like our processed white flour goods?

Are there good gluten-free cookies or desserts that are not complicated or too dry?

Any easy rice or potato or whatever bread recipes that don't need fancy equipment?  (Like none of us has a stand mixer, much less one with a kneading attachment and none of us has bread makers.  I think my boyfriend has loaf pans.) 

[redkitty]

Flourless chocolate cakes (like lava cake) are easy gluten free desserts.  You could also eat fruit, ice cream, pudding, mousse.  all gluten free.  My sister just recently made a gluten free chocolate cake that used 1:1 flour (Bob mill's.) It was delicious. I do not have the recipe, though. 

There are gluten free pastas. I have heard some are better than others (My sister eats gluten free, i don't remember the brand she eats..I have had it. Other than the texture is a bit different it tastes like regular spaghetti.)

When my sister comes over I often make roasts, mashed potatoes and gravy with corn starch.

I am sure Meri will be in here with suggestions as well.

[redkitty]

Here is a cookie recipe. I have not made it, but it was suggested when I asked for cookie recipes last year. It looks delicious and super easy.
also, there are some gluten free beers out there now. 

http://food52.com/recipes/19209-divine-gluten-free-chocolate-cookies-no-seriously

[onawhim]

I would not do pasta.  There are so many things that are naturally gluten free and delicious.  Rice, polenta, meat, stew, etc.  For dessert I like pavlova. 

These cheese breads are amazing and easy and gluten free traditionally. 

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/easy_brazilian_cheese_bread/

[onawhim]

Here is a cookie recipe. I have not made it, but it was suggested when I asked for cookie recipes last year. It looks delicious and super easy.
also, there are some gluten free beers out there now. 

http://food52.com/recipes/19209-divine-gluten-free-chocolate-cookies-no-seriously

That was me.  These cookies are really good.  I get asked for the recipe when I make them. 

[merigayle]

i make a spaghetti squash lasagna, using a lasagna pan, spread thin layer of sauce, then 1/2 spaghetti squash, i pack it down, then add the filling, then another layer of the other half of spaghetti squash, then cover with the rest of the sauce, and top with cheese if you would like, then bake.

Jovial brand GF pasta is my favorite. The bean pasta has an aftertaste, these do not.

I could give you about a million recipes, if you are specific, i can help find something you may like. Big quinoa or rice salads? hot or cold?

[witchypoo]

i make a spaghetti squash lasagna, using a lasagna pan, spread thin layer of sauce, then 1/2 spaghetti squash, i pack it down, then add the filling, then another layer of the other half of spaghetti squash, then cover with the rest of the sauce, and top with cheese if you would like, then bake.

Jovial brand GF pasta is my favorite. The bean pasta has an aftertaste, these do not.

I could give you about a million recipes, if you are specific, i can help find something you may like. Big quinoa or rice salads? hot or cold?

i make lasagna in a similar way, but use thinly sliced eggplant or zucchini instead of meri's spaghetti squash.

onawhim's reco for pavlova is good, too.  i make that and eton mess for gluten free types.  also sorbet.

stir fry is a great thing to do, too, provided you make sure you're using gluten free sauce.

[rocketgirl]

I guess I was thinking mainly things that you would use instead of pasta or bread.  We're really kind of thinking of just a bring the shit you have and we're all going to make things in gluten-free woman's kitchen!  (She has the largest kitchen and most counter space of the 4 of us).   Plus if I want to use something, I want to try it first at home.  The boyfriend and I do a lot of quiche, some tarts, and pizzas, or meats or pasta with sauces.  We've done a fair amount of "we have this; what can we make?"  Like at Christmas, we did a lot of things with apples and pears because he had this huge fruit basket.  It was really fun to just go find stuff.  But yeah, a pear and gruyere cream sauce on pasta was on option.  Could you do something like that on some product that doesn't have gluten?  Besides pork chops I mean. 

So really, some basic non-meats that you can throw spreads and sauces on if that's where creativity takes you.

[rocketgirl]

The cookies sound good.  I wonder how they'd be with cayenne...

[merigayle]

you can buy Bobs Red Mill 1:1 GF baking mix and use it in place of flour in most recipes like crust for your quiche, etc. Perhaps not bread, but I do have a good GF bread recipe if you wanted to make bread. A company called Against The Grain has grain free/gluten free breads, usually found frozen, and they have baguettes, etc, you can buy. They have been the best we have tasted, DH eats them, i have tried them. They are made with dairy products though. I try to avoid those.

[rocketgirl]

you can buy Bobs Red Mill 1:1 GF baking mix and use it in place of flour in most recipes like crust for your quiche, etc. Perhaps not bread, but I do have a good GF bread recipe if you wanted to make bread. A company called Against The Grain has grain free/gluten free breads, usually found frozen, and they have baguettes, etc, you can buy. They have been the best we have tasted, DH eats them, i have tried them. They are made with dairy products though. I try to avoid those.

Where does one buy stuff like this?  I've never seen anything like it at Target.  Maybe Kroger or Publix?  I could try my local WalMart; they have way more stuff than Target does (I just don't know where any of it is.)

I've never actually made a pie crust, just used the kind you unroll and mash in the pie plate.  To date, none of us are giving up dairy.  And we're all meat-eaters.  Especially bacon. 

I think we'd all be certainly willing to try squash or eggplant in lasagna.

[Run Amok]

It's such a broad field- a bit hard to pin down.

Stir-fry type dishes over rice noodles or rice. Curries. Roasts. Salads. Risotto. Fritata. Tacos made with corn tortillas. Grilled veggies or meats. Fish. Roasted chicken and veggies.

Here's a recipe for dumplings made with rice wrappers.
http://www.asiandumplingtips.com/2009/08/slanted-door-hue-rice-dumplings-recipe-banh-xep-chay.html

[merigayle]

Hmmm. Our local markets sell those products, our Target has a handful. Any GF pasta, try first, some area REALLY bad.

[rocketgirl]

My Target is like the worst Target ever.  They have inconsistent stocking, and are always out of things.  Plus there's a lot they just don't carry.  And very few generics.  It drives my crazy.  On the other hand, I know where everything is (or is supposed to be) and it's convenient. The WalMart is as convenient as Target and they have a lot more selection, including WAY more produce.  But the convenient one is pretty dumpy.  The brand new one is SUPER NICE, but a 25 minute drive.

Maybe I will look up online review on GF pasta from the store if I find any.  I don't know about everyone else, but if the texture is really off, it messes with me.  I tried whole wheat pasta once and thought it was terrible.  The taste wasn't even really all that bad, kind of nutty, but the TEXTURE, bleah.

I've use yellow squash instead of macaroni for mac and cheese before.  It's obviously NOT macaroni, but it was really good.  So maybe I can experiment with different squashes and stuff.  I like yellow squash and zuchinni and they are easy enough to get and work with.

[merigayle]

You could probably buy it on amazon.

I make a spaghetti squash recipe with an avocado pesto, recipe from Oh She Glows blog. Super tasty. You can do enchiladas or tacos with corn tortillas.

[redkitty]

Bob Mills is sold at Kroger and if you have Big Lots...go there.  It is much cheaper and is usually stocked (along with lots of other Bob mills products.)

[radial]

If you are trying to plan these cooking/eating sessions primarily with your gluten free friend in mind, then I would suggest that the best thing you can do is concentrate on recipes that just don't include gluten.  If your friend has been eating that way for a while, she's not likely gobbling down the gluten free breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, etc.  That stuff is awful for the most part.  I would bet that she has adjusted her diet so she just doesn't eat that stuff anymore.  Maybe you and your BF should focus on the vast array of delicious foods that don't include gluten in the first place.  Take a walk on the wild side. 

[caribougrrl]

I have always wanted to have a polenta dinner party... I think it would be a blast for your circumstances... make polenta, make some toppings, spread it out and dig in.

[merigayle]

I love polenta, so easy to make. I also make a polenta lassagna

[rocketgirl]

I have always wanted to have a polenta dinner party... I think it would be a blast for your circumstances... make polenta, make some toppings, spread it out and dig in.

That sounds awesome!  (I have never made polenta.  I'm not sure I've ever eaten it.)