Gluten-free cooking hacks

kayb · March 10, 2018

A brief conversation in the "Daily Sweets" thread about gluten-free brownies got me started thinking about the gluten free cooking topic. I suspect many of us are in the position I am placed from time to time, cooking for a relative who has celiac disease. I'm fortunate that my daughter leans heavily toward fish and fresh vegetables with little preparation other than steaming or roasting, but still, there are sauces and breadings, as well as desserts, to consider when she's one of the crowd at a family dinner.

For desserts, I tend to go toward berry crisps, with oats that are certified gluten-free. I didn't realize many brands of oats are processed in the same factories as wheat, and thus may have some wheat gluten in them. It doesn't take much to set her off with a reaction (though, thankfully, she's not to the level of walking through a bakery and having an episode triggered by breathing in flour particles), or ice creams/sherbets over poached or baked fruit. A crustless custard pie is always a good choice. Likewise, I bake quiches without crusts when she's around.

But I think one of the best hacks I've come across is using either crushed Rice Chex cereal or crushed potato chips for the breading on something like a schnitzel. Gives a great crispy coating, and the flavor is fine. I've also used crushed rice cereal with milk to make the panade for a meat loaf or meatballs; not quite as satisfactory as bread, but it works.

I can usually approximate the taste of a prepared Asian style sauce, as most of those have gluten in them, and thicken with cornstarch, if necessary. I've made a roux that was acceptable with a combo of rice flour, potato starch and cornstarch; takes more fat than a regular roux proportion.

I use white corn tortillas in place of lasagna noodles. No, you won't mistake them for lasagna noodles, but they do make an adequate vehicle for separating the layers of cheese, sauce, and other goodies. And the kid does love her lasagna. (I've also found the quinoa pasta to be pretty decent.)

I'd be interested in hearing about gluten-free "hacks" others have come up with.

pastrygirl · March 10, 2018

For gluten free brownies, I just make flourless chocolate cake.

rustwood · March 10, 2018

My spouse has celiac disease an an uncompromising vegan so I routinely work around those restrictions. I am sure we make many substitutions, but not many come to mind at the moment.

I have found that gluten free flour mixes (both store-bought and ones we have mixed) work well as one to one sub in many dishes. Not long ago we made a vegan GF cake with vanilla buttercream icing (vegan butter) and it was surprisingly good. The texture was less than ideal, but it wasn't terrible. The GF flours have also worked very well in batter-dipped fried food (General Tso's cauliflower).

As kayb said, many off the shelf Asian sauces contain gluten and often it is used in/as the thickening agent; however, many sauces also contain soy sauce and it usually isn't gluten free. Fortunately, those sauces can often be created from scratch using gluten-free soy sauce or tamari. Doubanjiang (Sichuan/Pixian broad bean paste) has been tough to work around - especially in something like mapo tofu where it is prominent. We usually substitute some combination of whatever GF Asian chili sauce(s) we have handy, fermented black beans and/or fermented bean paste (homemade). Gochujang is an option when the sweetness doesn't clash with the dish.

When I am at the Asian market, I stock up on various rice noodles on hand as they can often be subbed for wheat noodles. Of course it often isn't quite the same, but it is usually OK - especially in Asian dishes.

Edited March 11, 2018 by rustwood
removed whitespace (log)

heidih · March 11, 2018

I m a huge fan of the writings of Shauna at Gluten Free Girl. Cookbooks and online recipes. https://glutenfreegirl.com/ I don't have the issue but she is a great writer.

Anna N · March 18, 2018

I was determined to play in my kitchen today and I wanted to try to make some cheese buns which had appealed to me. They were gluten-free but that wasn’t particularly important. They just looked good.

They were very easy to make. The ingredients are cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and egg and almond flour. There is also some seasoning in there. I’m going to see if I can post a link to a recipe.

They will never pass as bread but of all the gluten-free bread that I have tried I think I like these the best.

I offered them to someone who is avoiding gluten by choice and she seemed OK with them but certainly not over the moon.

Here’s a link to the recipe.

Edited March 18, 2018 by Anna N (log)

suzilightning · March 18, 2018

30 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I was determined to play in my kitchen today and I wanted to try to make some cheese buns which had appealed to me. They were gluten-free but that wasn’t particularly important. They just looked good.

They were very easy to make. The ingredients are cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and egg and almond flour. There is also some seasoning in there. I’m going to see if I can post a link to a recipe.

They will never pass as bread but of all the gluten-free bread that I have tried I think I like these the best.

I offered them to someone who is avoiding gluten by choice and she seemed OK with them but certainly not over the moon.

Here’s a link to the recipe.

Thanks Anna.....not do able with the cream cheese since Johnnybird is also lactose intolerant.

Anna N · March 18, 2018

1 minute ago, suzilightning said:

Thanks Anna.....not do able with the cream cheese since Johnnybird is also lactose intolerant.

Darn.

suzilightning · March 18, 2018

Just now, Anna N said:

Darn.

thank you sooooo much. I use a lactose free cream cheese on occasion but looking at the recipe it won't work in that recipe. I am going to think about it and maybe be able to modify it a bit. There are a few gf items that do work and I am still working with some of the recipes I tested for the gf cookbook for America's Test Kitchen.

kayb · March 18, 2018

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

I was determined to play in my kitchen today and I wanted to try to make some cheese buns which had appealed to me. They were gluten-free but that wasn’t particularly important. They just looked good.

They were very easy to make. The ingredients are cream cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese, and egg and almond flour. There is also some seasoning in there. I’m going to see if I can post a link to a recipe.

They will never pass as bread but of all the gluten-free bread that I have tried I think I like these the best.

I offered them to someone who is avoiding gluten by choice and she seemed OK with them but certainly not over the moon.

Here’s a link to the recipe.

Thanks for the link. Bookmarked, and i'll be trying them for the middle child soon.

Anna N · March 18, 2018

Not a very good photograph but this was sent to me by the person who avoids gluten. She said the bun held up well to a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich. These end up being more like slider buns than hamburger buns.

TicTac · September 28, 2018

I was debating whether this forum would be an appropriate place to post this. However after further reflection, the fact that this disease comes down to food and requires an alteration to ones diet, I felt it would be beneficial, perhaps for many people, as this disease gains more awareness, etc.

With that being said...

My 3 year old son was unfortunately diagnosed with Celiac very recently.

I am curious to hear others experience with this disease, specifically regarding cross contact within the kitchen.

I have made a decision to join him in a Gluten Free diet, for support, as well as I have had IBS all my life and from my limited research, the change should have a positive effect (4 days in, improvements notice already).

Quite frankly, it hasn't been too difficult as we shop on the outer isles of the market. I am however saddened by the loss of Pizza...

I would be curious to hear if anyone has come across a decent GF Pizza crust...besides that, I can handle the loss of bread, and its relatives.

It is an unfortunate disease, but fortunately with caution and monitoring, one can lead a relatively normal life.

Would love to hear others experiences and any great GF recipes!

heidih · September 28, 2018

I do not have the issue but have a favorite site. She has the problem clinically and her daughter has exhibited enough signs that keeping her g-free as well is the best approach. She has a site and posts on FB and Instagram. Gluten Free Girl https://www.facebook.com/theglutenfreegirl/ Her books have been well received.I think she is also quite receptive to inquiries as her passion for recognizing and dealing with the drama and nuance of the disease is high

Okanagancook · September 28, 2018

I am a retired Registered Dietitian in Canada and have had many Celiac patients while working on the Gastroenterology ward and outpatient clinic. It is an unfortunate diagnosis but one that can be successfully treated with due diligence. But it is a serious disease and I would encourage you to read up on the long term outcomes. Now, I have been retired for 16 years so I am sure things have changed over that period of time.

My suggestion would be to definitely seek out a Pediatric Registered Dietitian who has experience with this disease. Not sure where you are but your physician's office would be a good starting point especially if it was a Gastroenterologist who you saw or the American/Canadian Dietetic Association may have a listing of Dietitians in your area with appropriate experience or the local hospital. Be sure to use a 'Registered Dietitian" because they will be appraised of uptodate information about the disease and dietary management such as knowing all the ingredients that should be avoided. And seeing your son is only 3 years old it is very important to get him on the correct diet. You will need help! It would be a great idea if your family adopt a gluten free diet at home. It would help your son to accept the diet and learn that it can be good tasting. Who knows, you may be celiac also seeing you feel better after trying the diet for a few days. We used to get 50 year olds who were diagnosed after years of suffering.

In Canada we have the Celiac Association and they were a wonderful group who held information and support sessions for new people and complied information about which local restaurants are good, etc. They had a good product catalogue showing which products were gluten free.....a quick reference for when you are just starting out. They also had a library of cookbooks or could recommend such books.

When I was practicing my understanding was that is very important to be totally gluten free. So x-cross contamination in the kitchen is a real issue. Separate cupboards, toasters, cutting boards, etc. This is why dinning out is a big problem..x-contamination. If the gut is exposed to gluten it gets damaged and has to regrow the damaged cells. During the time of damage, nutrients don't get absorbed properly and the gut's integrity is compromised. Some people if they are continually exposed to small amounts of gluten do not respond when a totally gluten free diet is provided.

I am sure there are a whole lot of snake oil salespeople out there who would be willing to take your money for advice or to offer a remedy. My advice is to stick with the health professionals. They will provide you with loads of good, reliable resources.

Sorry I don't have any recipes except learn to make a really good risotto and polenta

Edited September 29, 2018 by Okanagancook (log)

suzilightning · September 28, 2018

Johnnybird has been tested many times for Celiac. He doesn't have that as such but works better on a gluten free diet as he has several markers that make him gluten intolerant and has suffered for years with IBS - D. He also is lactose intolerant which I have worked with for decades.

. I have worked in a bakery/ breakfast lunch place that was GF because the owner's daughter had been diagnosed with celiac. We were SCRUPULOUS about keeping all work surfaces/tools/etc separated. As the dish washer I also had two different 3 sink set-ups for GF and regular tools.

Since we started eating gluten free it has been better.

Hang in there....DO get professional nutritional help.....

kayb · September 28, 2018

My middle daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was 20. She was already living on her own, so it was not a major adjustment for my cooking, but I obviously make adjustments when she visits.

Her hardest thing was pizza and pasta. At the time, rice pasta was about the only alternative, and it wasn't particularly tasty. The quinoa pasta available now is hard for me to tell from regular whole-grain wheat pasta. She has a pizza crust she likes from a local pizza place, but I don't know about anything she's tried to cook on her own as far as pizza goes (cooking is NOT my child's strong suit). Fortunately, she loves vegetables and fruit, so there's not a big problem in adjusting diet for her.

She's pretty sensitive -- the amount of flour used to thicken a sauce for a dish for six will set her off with one serving -- but not so sensitive that cross-contamination has been an issue. Her husband and children continue to eat a limited number of products with gluten, though they don't eat a carb-heavy diet. The only cross-contamination she worries about is oat-based products that do not specify they're gluten free; apparently many are made in factories that also process wheat, and there's enough contamination to sometimes bother her.

Some "fixes" I've found over the past 10 years...

Rice Chex crumbs will sub moderately well for bread crumbs in topping or thickening dishes. They will even make a respectable panade for meatballs or a meat loaf.
Arrowroot or cornstarch will sub for flour in making a roux or thickening a sauce.
Bob's Red Mill Pancake Mix is the best baking mix I've found for quick breads. Also works in streusel toppings.
As mentioned before, quinoa pasta.
A quiche bakes up just fine without a crust. So do most pies.

There's a much better selection of kid-friendly snack foods, etc., than when Cara was diagnosed. Lots of GF snacks out there. Cara's particularly partial to gluten free graham crackers with peanut butter.

TicTac · September 29, 2018

I can't sufficiently express the gratitude to you all for taking the time to post and share your experiences. It means a lot.

@heidih - Thank you for the link, I will certainly be taking some time to go through her FB posts!

@Okanagancook - Lucky for us we are in Toronto and have access to one of the best kids hospitals in the world, Sick Kids. Last week he had his scope and biopsy, the GI suggested she could essentially see the effects, interestingly enough (and luckily) the results came back, and while positive, it does not appear to have done as much damage as it might have. We have an appointment with a Sick Kids Dietician next month.

@suzilightning - Has Jonny had a endoscopy with biopsy? I have read a number of cases whereby people test negatively on the blood but a biopsy will show positive for Celiac. Either way, you have already adjusted the diet so it would most likely not show up anyways. We did not evolve eating gluten, only recently in the past few hundred years did it become a staple in diets. No surprise that he (and I - and others!) have seen positive effects from eliminating it, Celiac or not.

@kayb - Thank you for sharing. It must have been a rough 20 years growing up not knowing why she felt the way she did, until one day, such a significant change...one thing that I am curious about, which is hard to find concrete data on, is how people react to cross contamination or even minute amounts (if a mistake is made) - I have heard everything from very minor tummy aches, all the way to 2-4 day hospitalizations.

Certainly lots of learning and experimentation to do. My recent purchase which has been quite well received was Sweet Potato noodles. Made a nice Korean dish with them, and a noodle soup as well.

Lisa Shock · September 29, 2018

I have taken two university classes on nutrition for people with celiac disease. I am also an avid bread baker and vegetarian. IMO, much of the substitute stuff is terrible. Got some GF bagels from a local place and they were like eating rubber tires. The one totally GF free bakery in town does, however, make some great cookies.

Europe has a much higher standard for stating something is GF than in the US. Something like 2 parts per billion, IIRC. Here in Phoenix, only one bakery is totally GF. They started by remodeling the building and replacing all of the wallboard, ductwork, ceilings, flooring, etc. The air system filters outside air before it enters the building. Staff enters the building in a locker room where they don bunny suits. Every sack of flour, every single item gets a lab test to confirm that it is actually GF nothing testing positive is allowed further than the loading dock. Nothing with gluten has ever been inside the actual baking space. They test a sample from every batch they bake. They are the only place I would trust.

Some bakeries in the US make so-called GF foods on shared equipment or spaces with shared air vents, activities which are not allowed under EU law, as far as I know. There's a lot of shady stuff going on and I wouldn't trust much of what's on the market. -Or at farmer's markets. I know of people who cook so-called GF foods to take to the farmer's market in their regular kitchen with the same pans, counters, towels, AC ducts, etc. they use for making meals with gluten-containing meals. My advice is to trust almost no one and cook more at home in a kitchen that has been cleaned and upgraded to be gluten-free. (clean the air ducts, paint the walls, scrub every surface twice, scrub all the pans and dishes several times, get new linens, etc.)

In some baked goods, almond flour is an excellent substitute, in others, not so much.

IMO, you might have to say goodbye to pizza but substitute some other dish. Italy has a traditional casserole of rice layered with eggplant and sometimes sausage, I don't know a name for it, but it can be dressed up and customized to be very similar to lasagna and topped like a pizza. I think there's a lot one can do with pizza toppings if you think about it. And, maybe just order it out, one place here (with a separate GF kitchen space) has a really good GF pizza that surprised me.

I think in general we all make choices about what makes the cut for our MVP players in frequent rotation for dinner, or any meal, and if you get into the groove of making certain GF things more often, you'll miss the gluten much less. Start looking at all the varieties of rice and variations on cooking it, same with potatoes, quinoa, etc. Example: risotto, paella, pilaf, sushi, congee, etc. Maybe you'll find new things to feed your family that are delicious, just different. (instead of pancakes for breakfast how about a bowl of congee? instead of lasagna how about paella?)

I will say to be very careful with your son. Celiac disease is very insidious in that inflammation caused by it causes the permanent destruction of villi structures in your small intestines. So, a person can tolerate a little gluten here and there, and maybe 'power through' some pain. But their small intestine is being destroyed in the process and this will eventually affect how many nutrients can be absorbed from food and eventually cause severe malnutrition and shorten lifespan. So, every exposure is important to avoid in order to ensure that your son has the fullest possible life.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Lisa Shock
clarification (log)

Okanagancook · September 29, 2018

I am so relieved you are where you are and seeing some of the best healthcare professionals.

😁

Okanagancook · September 29, 2018

Check out the making corn tortillas thread. Those are excellent when made fresh.

TicTac · September 29, 2018

@Lisa Shock - Totally agree with you. So many restaurants offering 'GF' options have no clue the impacts trace amounts of gluten can have on an individual with Celiac. A local pizza place delivery place (though I have never been a fan) 'Pizza Pizza' has GF Cauliflower crusts, but again, those are made and baked right next to the gluten laden flower and in the same ovens. We did find an awesome place in Newmarket recently called 'The Maids Cottage' that has a totally separate kitchen area for GF - they are known for their GF offerings, and in fact, have the BEST butter tart I have EVER had, and it comes in a GF package, and I must say, the pastry was fantastic! There is hope (least for the sweet tooth!).

@Okanagancook - Thank you - so kind, and yes, we are very fortunate to have access to Sick Kids. Mexican has always been a favourite in my house, so I can absolutely see myself learning to craft fresh tortillas!

Anna N · September 29, 2018

We need to recognize that gluten-free does not equal coeliac-safe and those with the disease or their guardians surely recognize that difference. Restaurants are catering to a fad.

(Since one of my sons was mis-diagnosed with coeliac disease almost 60 years ago I know something about the disease. I had to treat him as though he had it until the diagnosis was changed some years later.) And another child is “gluten-free” but by no means coeliac.

**Shelby** · September 29, 2018

This is a very timely subject.

My cleaning angel/friend is going through hell right now. Long story short she probably has an auto-immune disease such as Lyme. On top of that she probably has Celiac, too. She is in a lot of pain and has lost a lot of weight--and she was tiny to begin with. She's in the midst of a lot of testing and doing a biopsy next week. Anyway, all this is just to say that we talk about it a lot and I've learned a lot through her. She's been gluten free since the first day of February. Her husband has always needed to be GF so she's used to cooking that way. She's always on the look out for a GOOD GF bread recipe. She really misses bread. I've been sitting here trying to think of who it is on here and I can't remember but someone a while back made a good GF pizza crust out of cauliflower.

Hang in there @TicTac (((hugs)))

Darienne · September 29, 2018

27 minutes ago, Shelby said:

This is a very timely subject.

My cleaning angel/friend is going through hell right now. Long story short she probably has an auto-immune disease such as Lyme. On top of that she probably has Celiac, too. She is in a lot of pain and has lost a lot of weight--and she was tiny to begin with. She's in the midst of a lot of testing and doing a biopsy next week. Anyway, all this is just to say that we talk about it a lot and I've learned a lot through her. She's been gluten free since the first day of February. Her husband has always needed to be GF so she's used to cooking that way. She's always on the look out for a GOOD GF bread recipe. She really misses bread. I've been sitting here trying to think of who it is on here and I can't remember but someone a while back made a good GF pizza crust out of cauliflower.

Hang in there @TicTac (((hugs)))

We are lucky in our family that we have no such problems (to date anyway.)

But what I wanted to add is that a dear friend has Lyme disease and that it led directly in her case to Crohn's. Lyme is one insidious disease.

Wolf · September 29, 2018

My best friend has recently been diagnosed with it, and initially had a very stict diet (no meat, no poultry, no fish, even some vegetables were on the blacklist)... As her organism recovered most of those restrictions were relaxed and she's been only on gluten free diet since.

As the prices of GF product are exhorbitant in my country, it's been a great help to her that state-run health care provides celiac disease patients with certain amounts of two types of GF flour on monthly basis. She says those quantities are about sufficient.

Hang in there. 👍

Edited September 29, 2018 by Wolf (log)

Okanagancook · September 29, 2018

@TicTacThe Canadian Celiac Association’s website is not functioning and the Toronto chapter website is out of date. So I am not sure what is going on. The Kelowna chapter’s site is working so you can see what these organizations have to offer. https://kelownaceliac.org/

Maybe ask the Dietitian when you meet.

Edited September 29, 2018 by Okanagancook (log)

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