Since we had stir fry tonight, I thought I'd post my favorite recipe while I'm thinking about it.
This recipe uses a mild Thai-inspired peanut sauce similar to satay. For that reason, I usually make this with chicken.
First saute the meat of your choice (about a pound) in a deep nonstick pan or a wok. You can use spray or a little oil if you want. Or leave the meat out to make it vegetarian.
Add stir fry vegetables of your choice. I love Kirkland (Costco) frozen stir fry vegetables. It's a high quality mix with baby corn, pea pods, edamame, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, etc. Saute until the veggies are not frozen.
For the sauce, combine:
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth or beef, depending on what kind of meat you're using.
Mix a little broth into the cornstarch at a time so it doesn't get clumpy. Then add the other ingredients.
2 tablespoons gf soy sauce
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Dash pepper
Add this to the meat & veggies and cook until thickened.
My favorite way to serve this is over organic brown rice (yes, the really slow-cooking stuff but the flavor is so delicious!) with a few peanuts sprinkled on top for some crunch.
This serves 5-6 people but it really depends on serving size & quantity of meat/veggies used.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
The BEST substitutes for condensed soup
I don't know about your family, but many of the recipes that my family has passed down have condensed soup in them - cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, condensed tomato, etc. Well, all of these have flour in them, and it has taken me a while to come up with subs for them.
Condensed cream soups add creaminess so think of the things you can eat that are creamy.
When I was first gluten free, I was also lactose intolerant, as many people are, so I couldn't have dairy either. At the time, I was having a hard time maintaining my weight so I actually substituted mayonnaise in a few recipes. This works surprisingly well in things like chicken broccoli casserole. If you're thinking this is gross, maybe it is healthwise, but I had to get creative.
Because my body is tolerating dairy pretty well these days, I've experimented with some healthier alternatives to creaminess.
The healthiest is nonfat plain yogurt. It's not sweet and it has a little tang to it. Just season it to compliment the flavors of whatever you're making. This is really delish on chicken broccoli casserole with some curry powder and salt and pepper added to it. I'll post a recipe later - it's a family favorite! Off topic a little, this also works in potato salad & other recipes that call for mayo - you may not want to completely take out the mayo but try using half mayo & half yogurt to start.
Another great sub is sour cream. I use light sour cream when I sub. I already posted my improved recipe for gf Christmas potatoes. If your family makes creamy chicken enchiladas like mine, you can sub it in those too. You'll probably want to add some seasonings - for example, mix the sour cream with some cheese and a little bit of salsa or add some chili powder & cumin or something....you get the idea.
If you want to lighten up the sour cream or mayo option, I've added skim milk to thin it out and make it go further with less calories. Really, I can't tell the difference.
So what about condensed tomato?
Here are a few ideas:
I use tomato sauce instead of condensed tomato soup on pot roast (that's how my family makes it). I also add some seasoning salt or grill seasoning (McCormick Montreal steak seasoning) for more flavor.
To make my aunt's porcupine meatballs, I use spaghetti sauce instead of condensed tomato soup. I'll post this recipe later too - they're really delicious & the kids love them too.
Basically, think of anything tomato and use the one that goes best with the flavors of what you are making - salsa, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce could all work in place of condensed tomato soup & they're all better for you too - whether you're gf or not!
Just make sure you check the ingredients on the substitute to make sure it's gluten free!!! Don't dump out your family favorites just because they have gluten in them - just freshen them up a little!
Condensed cream soups add creaminess so think of the things you can eat that are creamy.
When I was first gluten free, I was also lactose intolerant, as many people are, so I couldn't have dairy either. At the time, I was having a hard time maintaining my weight so I actually substituted mayonnaise in a few recipes. This works surprisingly well in things like chicken broccoli casserole. If you're thinking this is gross, maybe it is healthwise, but I had to get creative.
Because my body is tolerating dairy pretty well these days, I've experimented with some healthier alternatives to creaminess.
The healthiest is nonfat plain yogurt. It's not sweet and it has a little tang to it. Just season it to compliment the flavors of whatever you're making. This is really delish on chicken broccoli casserole with some curry powder and salt and pepper added to it. I'll post a recipe later - it's a family favorite! Off topic a little, this also works in potato salad & other recipes that call for mayo - you may not want to completely take out the mayo but try using half mayo & half yogurt to start.
Another great sub is sour cream. I use light sour cream when I sub. I already posted my improved recipe for gf Christmas potatoes. If your family makes creamy chicken enchiladas like mine, you can sub it in those too. You'll probably want to add some seasonings - for example, mix the sour cream with some cheese and a little bit of salsa or add some chili powder & cumin or something....you get the idea.
If you want to lighten up the sour cream or mayo option, I've added skim milk to thin it out and make it go further with less calories. Really, I can't tell the difference.
So what about condensed tomato?
Here are a few ideas:
I use tomato sauce instead of condensed tomato soup on pot roast (that's how my family makes it). I also add some seasoning salt or grill seasoning (McCormick Montreal steak seasoning) for more flavor.
To make my aunt's porcupine meatballs, I use spaghetti sauce instead of condensed tomato soup. I'll post this recipe later too - they're really delicious & the kids love them too.
Basically, think of anything tomato and use the one that goes best with the flavors of what you are making - salsa, diced tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, tomato sauce could all work in place of condensed tomato soup & they're all better for you too - whether you're gf or not!
Just make sure you check the ingredients on the substitute to make sure it's gluten free!!! Don't dump out your family favorites just because they have gluten in them - just freshen them up a little!
The BEST cold cereal
There are several gluten-free cereals on the grocery store shelves, but most of them are kid cereals.
Included (last time I checked) are: cocoa pebbles, fruity pebbles, trix, rice chex, honey nut chex, corn chex (the last two are newly gluten free so check the box to make sure).
If you eat oats, Kix, Honey Kix, Honeycombs, Cap'n Crunch are wheat & barley free.
I react very noticeably to gluten & I don't react to these cereals. This is just my experience.
Honey Nut Chex is my new favorite, but it's pretty sweet so usually I mix it with Rice Chex.
As far as cereals that you can buy at the health food store, this is my all-time favorite - Nature's Path Organic Mesa Sunrise flakes. It has flax, corn & amaranth in it. You can buy it in larger bags too or order it online in bulk. It is expensive, especially compared to grocery store cereal so I don't buy it very often, but I do like it the best of what I have tried.
Included (last time I checked) are: cocoa pebbles, fruity pebbles, trix, rice chex, honey nut chex, corn chex (the last two are newly gluten free so check the box to make sure).
If you eat oats, Kix, Honey Kix, Honeycombs, Cap'n Crunch are wheat & barley free.
I react very noticeably to gluten & I don't react to these cereals. This is just my experience.
Honey Nut Chex is my new favorite, but it's pretty sweet so usually I mix it with Rice Chex.
As far as cereals that you can buy at the health food store, this is my all-time favorite - Nature's Path Organic Mesa Sunrise flakes. It has flax, corn & amaranth in it. You can buy it in larger bags too or order it online in bulk. It is expensive, especially compared to grocery store cereal so I don't buy it very often, but I do like it the best of what I have tried.
I also like Enjoy Life granola mix. It's free of all common allergens. I wouldn't want to eat a whole bowl of it though - it just adds a nice crunch and flavor on top of a plain cereal.
Erewohn cripsy brown rice is also tasty and makes it easy to make rice krispie treats if you like those.
Before I was gluten free, I was not really a kid cereal person. I really enjoy multigrain type of flavors so keep that in mind...I'm not a white bread kind of person, normally.
The BEST store-bought bread
I'd love to hear what you have tried. Here are some that I find edible.
For sandwiches:
I prefer to use ENER-G light brown rice bread. It's thin & not too dense so I can actually chew & swallow the sandwich without gagging! :) It's also available at the grocery store when I don't have time to make a trip. This bread MUST be toasted...The un-light version of this bread is ok when nothing else is available, but it's a lot denser.
For toast:
Food for Life Millet Bread - in the freezer section. I love the flavor of this bread. It is very moist, dense, and filling.
I haven't found anything that, in my opinion, comes close to storebought gluten bread. Have you?
When I was first gluten free, I thought ENER-G bread was the grossest thing ever. I guess it's an acquired taste, but also a convenient necessity with 4 very young kids.
Also, I've learned that open-faced sandwiches are sometimes tastier when using gf bread so it's more about the toppings and less about the bread.
I'd love to hear that there's some delicious store-bought gf bread that I haven't tried yet!
For sandwiches:
I prefer to use ENER-G light brown rice bread. It's thin & not too dense so I can actually chew & swallow the sandwich without gagging! :) It's also available at the grocery store when I don't have time to make a trip. This bread MUST be toasted...The un-light version of this bread is ok when nothing else is available, but it's a lot denser.
For toast:
Food for Life Millet Bread - in the freezer section. I love the flavor of this bread. It is very moist, dense, and filling.
I haven't found anything that, in my opinion, comes close to storebought gluten bread. Have you?
When I was first gluten free, I thought ENER-G bread was the grossest thing ever. I guess it's an acquired taste, but also a convenient necessity with 4 very young kids.
Also, I've learned that open-faced sandwiches are sometimes tastier when using gf bread so it's more about the toppings and less about the bread.
I'd love to hear that there's some delicious store-bought gf bread that I haven't tried yet!
The BEST healthier & gf Christmas potatoes
I don't know what other people call this, but it's that cheesy hashbrown casserole that's usually not only glutenous (due to using cream soup) but also very fattening & unhealthy. We call them Christmas potatoes because we used to make them at Christmas to go with the ham. Heart attack waiting to happen...
Here is my basic version - healthified (or at least less fattening) and gluten free
1 bag of hash brown potatoes (I buy Kroger brand - they flash freeze them & don't use any oil or fat so they're fat free)
1 carton of light sour cream (16 oz) or use 1/2 of a carton and some skim milk
1 1/2 cups of 2% shredded cheese
Salt & pepper to your taste
Mix half of the shredded cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper together. Mix this with the hash browns. I think this is easier if you add the hash browns a little at a time. If you like the topping cheese golden & a little crispy, put the cheese on top now. Otherwise, bake at 400 deg. for 45 minutes. You can put the remaining cheese on the last few minutes if you like it softer.
I know this recipe isn't super specific, but it's really hard to get these wrong in my opinion...you can also add some diced ham if you want to serve this as a main dish. Add onion if you like onion, etc.
Here is my basic version - healthified (or at least less fattening) and gluten free
1 bag of hash brown potatoes (I buy Kroger brand - they flash freeze them & don't use any oil or fat so they're fat free)
1 carton of light sour cream (16 oz) or use 1/2 of a carton and some skim milk
1 1/2 cups of 2% shredded cheese
Salt & pepper to your taste
Mix half of the shredded cheese, sour cream, salt, and pepper together. Mix this with the hash browns. I think this is easier if you add the hash browns a little at a time. If you like the topping cheese golden & a little crispy, put the cheese on top now. Otherwise, bake at 400 deg. for 45 minutes. You can put the remaining cheese on the last few minutes if you like it softer.
I know this recipe isn't super specific, but it's really hard to get these wrong in my opinion...you can also add some diced ham if you want to serve this as a main dish. Add onion if you like onion, etc.
The BEST noodles/pasta
By far the best noodles I've tried are Tinkyada brown rice pasta. They have all of the pasta varieties - from spaghetti to elbow to ziti, etc. and they are available a lot of places. Our WalMart carries these in the pasta aisle. I also like that they are made from brown rice & many have rice bran so they're not just refined carbs.
If you like white rice noodles, I like Notta Pasta but have a hard time finding it in my area.
I also like Thai Kitchen white rice noodles (in the Asian food aisle), especially for stir fry but they're surprisingly passable (in a pinch) in place of spaghetti.
I've used DeBoles lasagna noodles for (obviously) lasagna with great results. They're the kind that you don't boil first - just bake it all together. Just make sure you bake the lasagna long enough so they're not crunchy. I've also frozen the unbaked lasagna and they work great that way too.
I don't like DeBoles noodles that you have to boil though. The boiling water turns to sludge & it's really hard to get the noodles cooked just right without having them disintegrate in the pan.
For Mac & Cheese (this is especially important if you have kids that like it!), I've decided that buying Tinkyada brown rice pasta and cheese sauce mix separate is the way to go. I bought bulk cheese powder at WalMart & cook Tinkyada brown rice elbows. This is very tasty, healthier, and much cheaper (in the long run) than buying a tiny box of gf mac n cheese for $3.
Annie's gf mac n cheese is actually pretty good for a one time thing though.
That's my take on noodles. Let me know if you've tried anything you love!
If you like white rice noodles, I like Notta Pasta but have a hard time finding it in my area.
I also like Thai Kitchen white rice noodles (in the Asian food aisle), especially for stir fry but they're surprisingly passable (in a pinch) in place of spaghetti.
I've used DeBoles lasagna noodles for (obviously) lasagna with great results. They're the kind that you don't boil first - just bake it all together. Just make sure you bake the lasagna long enough so they're not crunchy. I've also frozen the unbaked lasagna and they work great that way too.
I don't like DeBoles noodles that you have to boil though. The boiling water turns to sludge & it's really hard to get the noodles cooked just right without having them disintegrate in the pan.
For Mac & Cheese (this is especially important if you have kids that like it!), I've decided that buying Tinkyada brown rice pasta and cheese sauce mix separate is the way to go. I bought bulk cheese powder at WalMart & cook Tinkyada brown rice elbows. This is very tasty, healthier, and much cheaper (in the long run) than buying a tiny box of gf mac n cheese for $3.
Annie's gf mac n cheese is actually pretty good for a one time thing though.
That's my take on noodles. Let me know if you've tried anything you love!
The BEST easiest all purpose baking mix
My friend Michelle Pack told me about Pamela's Baking & Pancake mix. It really has great results. It does have almonds & dairy in it so if you have multiple allergies/sensitivities beware! What I like about this is that it's so easy - it's like gourmet bisquik, honestly. Everything's already in it including the leavening.
I've made scones, muffins, pancakes, waffles, cookies, and quick bread with this and all were very delicious.
I ordered it online through amazon.com & it ends up being $3 per pound which really isn't too bad for something that delivers pretty much instant success.
If you don't want to buy a million ingredients and embark on a science experiment to bake gluten free, this is a great one to try!
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