Apple Crisp, Hold the Gluten

I know that I'm under the wire here in posting this (11:57pm) but I stayed up late to make sure I got some good photos of this one for ya'll!  Apple crisp is totally an autumn thing but I love it year round and when I found a recipe that I can enjoy GDF, I threw caution to the wind!  Of course my cookbook by Love Food is my staple for every dish I begin.  (A few people have asked me where they can get this cookbook, so here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Gluten-Wheat-Dairy-Free-Nutritious/dp/1445458837)

I started off with their apple crisp recipe.  Now, their recipes are superb, but let's be honest, I don't have all of the ingredients in that recipe, nor the time to devote to such an ardous task.  I want something sweet and I want it now!  So I've improvised.  Below is my altered version of apple crisp.  Enjoy!

2 apples of your choice
2 tbsp of light brown sugar
1/4 cup apple juice
--
3/4 cup and 2 tbsp gluten free flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup dairy-free spread
1/4 cup gluten free granola

Preheat your oven to 350F.  You'll need a medium sized mixing bowl, a 9x9 inch baking pan, a knife, and a cutting board.
I like to start with 2 different kinds of apples.  1 Red and 1 Green.  I chop those into little pieces.  You can wedge them, but it's easier to serve if you chop them into squares.

Then I mix them up in the baking dish I'm using, along with 2 tbsp of light brown sugar, so that the apples get evenly coated.  Sprinkle the apples with the apple juice so that the sugar dissolves.  (I also use cranberry juice if I don't have apple, or sometimes I just skip this step altogether.)

Now it's time to mix the crumble.  Sift the GF flour until there are no lumps.  (Due to laziness, I almost never do this step, but it helps when you do.)  Then go ahead and add the brown sugar.  I like to stir these together with a fork or a loose wire wisk to make sure they get mixed well.  Microwave the dairy free spread for about 20 seconds (if it was room temp, if it was refrigerated, you may need to do it longer).  Add the df spread to the mix and stir until mixture is thoroughly combined.  It should look like cookie dough.

Add the granola to the top of the apples in the baking dish.  You can add or take away based on your personal preference.  Once the top is covered to your taste, add the crumble in small chunks.  I like to roll the dough between my hands and let it crumble, but you can also just break off small pieces and place them over the apples.  You want to cover the apples as much as possible.

Stick in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the crumble has browned around the edges.  If the apples are ripe, they do a very nice job of softening in that time frame.

Let the crisp cool for about 10-20 minutes and beware, it's yummy!!!  Enjoy!

How to Clarify Your Butter: A Tutorial with Pictures!

A few people have asked me how to clarify butter (which basically means ridding it of any lactose properties so you can use it as a lactose-free spread in recipes), so here is a short blog on the topic.  I myself did not know how to do this, my doctor literally had to walk me through the operation, twice.  That being said, I've also added pictures to aid in the process.  I always find pictures to be helpful so that I can catch any mistakes before it's too late (inefficiency is a huge pet peeve of mine).  So here you go, have fun!

GDF Cooking 101: Good things come to those who wait....but don't worry, this part doesn't take long.

First, you put the desired amount of butter into a pot on the stove. (I always add more than I need, because once you've gone through this process once, you'll know that it's better to have more than less.)

Then, you heat on a low setting (2 or lo) until the butter melts completely.  You don't want to bring to a boil, so watch very carefully!

You don't want it to get past this point.  A few boiling bubbles are ok, but not much more than this.

Once the butter has melted, you will notice that it has separated into two colors: yellow and white.  (Hint: if you can't find the 'yellow,' it's because the white is on the top, covering the yellow.) 

 

Remove all white from the butter liquid with a strainer or a spoon.  I find that it's impossible to remove all of the white portion, so if there is some in there, I take the path of least resistance and let it be.  The percentage of lactose that's actually in the white part isn't going to hurt me.  Of course, you will have to find what works for you.

Once the white and yellow part are separated, I discard the white and am left with the oilly part of the butter.  I usually put that into a non-plastic container and store for safe keeping.  You can also use it right away in recipes that call for melted dairy-free spreads. 

There you go!  Voila!! You've clarified your own butter.  Go you!  Time to celebrate with gdf brownies, cookies, or whatever you can find!

I love the smell of melted butter and the fact that it is lactose free is great too!

Note: this doesn't spread like butter.  Once it's clarified, it takes on a little bit different texture, closer to an oil.  You may want to take that into consideration when you take it out of the fridge to use it!

Breakfasts of GDF Champions

Breakfast....one of the most daunting words for a GDF eater.  Really, who wants to wake up and cook, especially before their morning coffee?  Alas, as I established in one of my first posts, nothing about a GDF diet is quick and easy and so we turn to either extensive meal prep or taking the plunge into our wallets and purchasing overly-priced GDF products.  There isn't much we can do about it until the 'fad' of going gluten-free dies down, or more allergen-free companies flood the market.  Either way, as my attempt at rising above the challenge, I've included an easi-er breakfast idea for the gluten and dairy challenged.  Enjoy!

Rice Krispies and Lactaid

Lactaid is easy on my stomach and I've been able to digest it well, even with my growing sensitivity. Also, the fact that it is real milk is easier for me to wrap my head around.  Honestly, getting to the point of even purchasing Lactaid was the biggest feat for me.  Many trips to the grocery store were spent staring at the non-dairy milk section just working up the nerve to try one.  I've always been particular about my milk and I don't like to have it, well, messed with, but after I found out that Lactaid just adds an enzyme to break down the lactose, I felt much better and I've never looked back (something I cannot say about some of the vegan cheeses I have tried).  Hey, at least it still comes from a cow!

The Rice Krispies were yumm-o!  They did taste different than the regular variety, having more of a rice flavor, but they were still good, and as far as I am concerned, they are after all, RICE Krispies, are they not!?  The texture was the same and the price wasn't too bad.  It added some normalcy back to my diet as far as breakfast goes, and for that I am grateful!

Altogether the milk cost me about $6 and the Rice Krispies about $4.  So for a bowl of morning cereal gdf style, I paid about $2...not too shabby!!

Who's Up for Dessert? Late Night Craving Cookie Cake

I am not a chef by any stretch of the imagination, but I have done some experimenting over the past year and have come up with a few recipes that are quick, easy and that I find to be utterly scrumptious!  Trust me, I'm a finicky eater, so it's not like I would eat something just because I bought or made it.  I'm just not that self-sacrificing.  So if I eat it, you know it has to be good!

Now, on to the subject of this blog: dessert.  Dessert is one of those words that still makes me cry when I hear it.  The idea of having dessert sounds so great, but the chances of finding a dessert that is both gluten and dairy free and easy to make are pretty much nil.  So, necessity being the mother that it is (of invention of course), has driven me to a new recipe.  I call it, the Late Night Craving Cookie Cake (LNCCC).  Why the long name?  That's because this particular dessert is neither cookie, nor cake.  In fact, the only part of the title that really rings true is the 'late night craving' portion.  To be completely honest, it's not really a new recipe, it's just a twist on a crumble recipe I already knew, but I digress.  Here's what you need to know: it's yummy, super easy and contains zero gluten or dairy.

Late Night Craving Cookie Cake

1 cup of gluten free all-purpose flour (I use & love Bob's Red Mill)

1/3 cup dairy-free spread

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

Set the oven to 350 F.  

Mix the flour and the sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl.

Add heated dairy-free spread (I clarify regular butter for this.  I heat it in the microwave if it's been in the fridge, or if I've freshly clarified it, I just add it to the mix.)

Stir the batter with a spatula until the ingredients are fully mixed.  

Spread it along the bottom of a loaf pan, size is up to you (I used a 9x5x3).  The batter rises less than an inch in total.

Bake for 30 minutes.
Let stand to cool for at least 30 minutes (If you're like me, you'll ignore this instruction, delve right into the ooey goodness and end up burning your tongue).

Clearly you can see I literally baked this at night :)  So I apologize for 

picture quality, but this is what it will mostly look like.

Once it's cooled completely, it has the consistency of a, well...cookie/cake.  It's a perfect complement to ice cream.  So Delicious (TM) has a great tasting gdf ice cream that I like to use.  

The texture of this ice cream is smooth and creamy, unlike other brands I've tried,
where the ice cream has the feeling of being freezer burnt.  It is a little on the pricey side
though, but well worth the $$ if you want good gdf ice cream.
Photo Credit: http://www.shespeaks.com/Turtle-Mountain-Organic-So-Delicious-Dairy-Free-Creamy-Vanilla-Ice-Cream-Review

A scoop of this atop a square of LNCCC fixes the late night sugar craving, while uniting you with dessert once more without having to pay for it the next day.  Enjoy!!

P.S. I want to hear what you all think once you've tried the recipe - leave a note with how it worked for you, if you added anything, or even if you liked it, so others can experiment as well!

What Does Lactose Intolerance Have To Do With Gluten Anyway?!

When people find out that I am gluten and dairy free, one of the most common questions I get is 'are the two related?'  The short answer: they are separate conditions, that can be related but are not necessarily.  They do show up together quite a bit though, which begs the question why restaurants that have 'gluten free menus' have loaded those meals with dairy?  But that's a rabbit trail, perhaps to be followed in a later blog.  In my specific case, the two conditions are related.  Now, my doctor has diagnosed my lactose intolerance as a symptom of my gluten sensitivity, which is how I can be certain.  If you think you may be in the same boat, before you self diagnose, you should check with your doctor.  If you are though, here's how the two are related...

First, here's a short rundown on what lactose intolerance, is as published by lactaid.com (one of my favorites for recipes and tips):

"You may have heard of lactose intolerance, but you might not know what it really is. In a few seconds you will. Lactose intolerance is characterized by the symptoms that occur when your body does not make enough of a digestive enzyme called lactase to digest a sugar called lactose, which is found mainly in milk and other dairy products.Normally, our body produces lactase, which breaks down lactose into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. These two sugars can then be absorbed into the bloodstream. People whose bodies don’t make enough lactase can’t fully digest lactose, causing mild to uncomfortable side effects.Some people have a higher chance of being lactose intolerant, including people of Hispanic, African-American, Asian and Jewish descent. It also affects adults more than children, since the body produces less lactase enzyme as people age."

http://www.laktoseintoleranz-hilfe.de/symptoms.html?L=1

Secondly, here's a short rundown on what a gluten allergy/sensitivity is, as published by webmd.com:

"Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which a person can’t tolerate gluten, a protein in wheat, rye, and barley. Gluten shows up in bread and pasta, but may also hide in many other foods, such as cold cuts, salad dressings, beer, and even licorice.
If a person with celiac disease eats gluten, the lining of their small intestine becomes inflamed and damaged. That hampers the absorption of nutrients and can lead to malnutrition and weight loss.
In a study published this year in BMC Medicine, researchers described gluten sensitivity as a disorder distinct from celiac disease, in part because the intestine doesn’t appear damaged. About 1% of the population has celiac disease, the authors wrote, but celiac might be the “tip of the iceberg” for an “emerging problem…of a group of gluten-reactive patients, accounting for roughly 10% of the general population.”

"Traditionally, gluten is defined as a cohesive, elastic protein that is left behind after starch is washed away from a wheat flour dough. Gluten is actually made up of many different proteins." celiac.com
Photo credit: http://www.nuts.com/gluten-free/

Now, with those two facts in mind, here's how lactose intolerance relates to gluten sensitivity according to celiac.com (also a favorite website of mine):

"Lactose intolerance is frequently a side effect of celiac disease. Celiacs who eat gluten become lactose intolerant after the villi and microvilli in their small intestine become damaged, and are no longer capable of catching and breaking down the lactose molecule. The problem usually disappears when celiacs remove gluten from their diet, which allows the damaged villi and microvilli to grow back. Lactose intolerance symptoms can continue for a long time after a celiac has gone on a 100% gluten-free diet. In some cases the villi and microvilli damage can take up to two years to heal completely, but in most cases it takes between six months and a year. Most people who are lactose intolerant can usually eat goat and sheep (feta) cheeses without any problems."

So these two things can be related and in my case, as I stated before, I essentially lost my ability to break down lactose.  My doctor has told me that I may get my ability to digest dairy back, but that the only way to tell is the four letter word that I hate so much: time.  I've been gdf for almost a year (on February 8), and so far I still can't tolerate dairy, but maybe one day.  Either way though, I won't return to gluten.  After all of my research and my personal experience, gluten is permanently off of the menu!

The Challenges of Change: Are you going gluten free?

Since we have just entered into the new year and the age-old resolution hype, people have been asking me more about going gluten free.  Obviously for self-evident reason, like I'm not a doctor, I can't advise anyone to go on a gluten free diet without first consulting a medical professional.  If, however, you have already done that and are pursuing the gf lifestyle, I'd like to offer some tips that helped me when I first started.  (If you haven't talked to a doctor, these are still some tips you may want to consider, however you should at least consult a medical opinion before proceeding.)

Tip #1: Ignore the Hype
We have all seen the gluten free aisle in the grocery store or products marked with the gluten free seal.  Chances are, we've all noticed the shocking price tag associated with these items.  I'm not saying that these gf items aren't great, but I am saying that they are not necessary.  A true gluten free diet can be just as effective when you focus on what is naturally gluten free instead of trying to substitute with products that are made gluten free.  For example: fruits, vegetables, beans, meats, cheeses, and nuts.  There's actually a lot you can have.  If you focus on this rather than what you can't have, you'll have an easier time going through the change, physically, mentally, and budget-ly.

Tip #2: Spend Smart
If you are on a budget (like most of us have been since the economic crisis in 2008), you can stick to that budget by buying things you already know you like.  For instance, if you are a beef or chicken lover, buy more beef or chicken.  Spend the money you would have spent on bread or pasta, on the naturally gluten free foods you already like.  Chex cereal is a great example of this.  I have always loved Chex corn cereal, so when I went GDF, I was so excited to find that it was something I was 'allowed' to have.  Plus, because it has always been gf, the price didn't increase just because of the fad.  Most corn based foods are naturally gluten free and since corn isn't expensive, these products tend to be cheaper than other alternatives to wheat.

Photo credit: http://www.brighterproducts.com/better-lucky-than-good/

Tip #3: Experiment
One of the first things I did was buy a gluten, wheat, and dairy free cookbook.  This purchase helped to shape the way I cooked gdf meals for myself.  (Because 'wheat free' is in that title, I learned to cook a lot of meals without bread or other wheat products, reinforcing tip 1 & 2.)  I started buying ingredients that were common in a lot of those recipes as well as the recipes I found online.  I tried tons of new recipes.  Some were not great, some were awesome, and some were, well, user error.  But even though each recipe didn't work out like the picture on the internet or in the book, I started to pick up techniques that are specific to gf cooking that helped later on when I was making up recipes.  There are some great tips in this cookbook or online that can show you how items such as corn pasta, items you may have never cooked with before, should look when you're cooking it and more importantly, when it's done being cooked.

This cookbook is by Love Food TM

Tip #4: Find a Source of Information
For me, I found the above mentioned cookbook and a couple of blogs that constantly were feeding me tips and recipes that helped me transition to gdf living.  Most people aren't looking to cut out gluten and dairy, (usually people just want to cut out gluten, so my experience was a little more extreme than other people's who are just looking to cut out one or the other) but the idea is the same.  Changing something so fundamental in your diet forces you to try things you wouldn't normally try and substitute with ingredients you've maybe never even heard of.  That's why it's important to have a coach.  Blogs are great because they usually have pictures for every step of the way, so you know you are or aren't on track before the final product is served on a plate.  Of course, my blog is great for people who are both gluten and dairy free, but if you are looking for just gf or df recipes, try these sources that I frequent:

For gluten freers:

http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

http://www.celiac.com/

For dairy freers:

http://www.godairyfree.org/

I hope these tips help you on your way to a healthier lifestyle.  Stick with it!  It took me personally, about 3 months to settle into the lifestyle, because that's what it actually is: a lifestyle change.  It isn't a diet or a fad, it is a complete overhaul of the unhealthy items you've been putting in your body.  It's realizing that you can be healthier and happier by giving your body what it needs rather than just putting in whatever seems good at the time.  I wish you all the best of luck and a healthy, happy, skinny future!!

Practically Penniless Pancakes

What's easy to make, costs less than a dollar, and is so good people will be begging you for more?  The answer: nothing GDF...until now that is!

Ok, so I did not think this one up myself, but I highly recommend these pancakes!!  The link was given to me by a friend who has been feeding these pancakes to her kids.  At first, I was skeptical and tucked the recipe away in my 'try someday, just not today' folder.  But hunger struck one night while I was on a trip and had to feed 3 of my friends.  It was late at night and we all looked at each other for a dinner idea and since none of us could come up with one, we had settled on going out.  For anyone who has been GDF long, this is our worst nightmare.  Going to a place that is open late is like going to a graveyard at 12:00am.  It's either a pizza restaurant or a place with a limited menu: neither of which make room for the gluten/dairy challenged.

Suddenly, I remembered the recipe my friend had sent me.  "I have a recipe," I said without thinking, "I mean, I've never tried it and it seems a little weird, but what the heck?"  The general consensus was less than favorable, but since we were hungry and no one really wanted to hunt for restaurants at this late hour, I got the 'go ahead.'  I went home and made these pancakes and to say the least, they looked...odd.  The batter looked like, well, I won't say what.

The batter...don't be worried if yours looks like this too!

 As I was dishing them onto plates, I was thinking that I should have stuck with a recipe that I knew and how this was maybe my only chance to show my friends that GDF food isn't alien fodder, but it was too late.  I served them up hot and wouldn't you know?!  They were phenomenal and they were made with ingredients we had at the house!

They are so easy and only have 2 staple ingredients and if my friends are asking for more, I know they have to be good!  I've included the link below so you can see the original site but here is the recipe:

2 eggs

1 ripe banana

1 capful of vanilla*

A dash of cinnamon*

Use a fork to mash up the banana really well before adding the eggs.  I used a fork to blend the eggs with the banana because a wisk seemed to pick up the chunks of banana too much.

The two bottom ingredients are optional, but I highly suggest adding those two, because without them, these guys are just not as heavenly.  The cinnamon offsets the banana taste nicely and the vanilla replaces the need for syrup, so if you are trying to watch calories, definitely add them both and stir with a fork before pouring the mixture onto a hot pan.

The above recipe serves 2 people theoretically, but I've found that the pancakes are pretty thin, so it's better to treat this as a 1 serving recipe.  

***Beware: these 'pancakes' are not like pancakes really at all.  They are more like crepes.  They are thin and don't flip well, so make sure you allow your pan to get nice and hot, otherwise you may have a sloppy mess rather than a nice dollar-shell shape.   If you're cooking on a cast iron pan, once you add the mixture, turn the heat down to a medium heat.  The pan conducts heat well, so it will have enough heat to carry you through your batter.  Keep on one side for about 30-50 seconds and then flip to keep from burning.

Enjoy!!!!

http://theskinnyconfidential.com/2012/09/25/ummm-seriously-dying-ingredient-pancakes-flourless-full-protein/