Gluten Free, Allergen Free blogs

Here's another post listing blogs.  I'll add more as I gather them.


General Gluten Free recipe sites (paid), some free stuff though
http://www.glutenfreebaking.com/  (I subscribed to this one as the recipes turn out normal tasting! I love Elizabeth Barbone.)
http://allergyfreemenuplanners.com/  (menu planning help)
http://www.glutenfreecookingschool.com/

Gluten Free
http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/
http://www.elanaspantry.com/

Gluten and sugar free
http://networkedblogs.com/gPJ4a

This blog has an excellent list of other GF blogs on the right hand side of the page. :)
http://glutenagogo.blogspot.com/

other GF blogs
http://lifetastesgoodagain.blogspot.com/


On Facebook, friend
The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
Jules Gluten Free Flour
Better Batter Gluten Free Flour
Karina's Kitchen- Recipes from a Gluten-Free Goddess
Gluten-Free Girl

Making meal prep easier and cheaper

Looking for ways to save money and time?

1. Buy boneless chicken breasts in bulk packs, usually about $1.99/lb.  Grill the entire package at one time.  Then, when cool, slice and put in freezer bags.  Use for grilled chicken salads, or dipping in BBQ sauce for an easy lunch (cheaper than lunchmeat and all natural!), or in any recipe calling for chicken.  Saves time and mess! :)
2. Buy mild Italian Sausage in bulk packs.  Cook the entire package at one time.  Freeze links when cool.  When you need sausage, slice, crumble or use whole.  Cuts down on prep time, and fewer dirty dishes when prepping for dinner.
3. One thing I'm not sure I recommend.....buy a 5 lb bag of onions, chop entire bag and freeze (double bagged or your entire freezer will smell of onion!).  This was quite the experience.  I am glad to have the chopped onion, but the crying was horrible (as I used end of the year, very potent onions). :)  Does save time...but need to compare this to frozen chopped onions you can buy.  Those are amazingly cheap. :)
4. Prepare baking mixes ahead of time.  Cornbread is an excellent one to have on hand.  Mix all dry ingredients into a zipper top bag.  Label the bag with what it is, what needs to be added, and possibly the cookbook page number.  Preparing your own mixes is waaaaaaaay cheaper than buying gluten free mixes.

Meal ideas: Gluten and Dairy Free style

So, what exactly do we eat if our diets are so restricted? Well, I've been doing weekly meal planning for a while so I have a pretty good list of the foods we eat. I was actually surprised at the foods. Didn't seem all that restrictive to me. Of course I rely on my GFRF(gluten and rice free) flour mix, and milk substitutes so I feel that we can really make any dish. That's the thing...we can MAKE anything, but we can't just go to the store and buy it. But what freedom! :)
I put all the different meals into an Excel spreadsheet and set it up to randomize for those weeks when I just don't want to plan. Sounded good in theory, but really didn't work that well for me. LOL! :) Now I at least have a list of meals so it wasn't lost effort.

We have a little bit of a dillemma in our house. I LOVE carbs, and the rest of the family needs protein. I try to balance that by minimizing grains and maximizing proteins, especially at breakfast. I was able to find all natural breakfast sausage on sale for $2/lb so it was worth using. Smoothies are made with frozen fruit bought in a bulk bag (makes it cheaper than fresh fruit) and coconut milk (get those extra good fatty acids in too).

For pasta we use Quinoa Pasta, or Corn Spaghetti and they work pretty well. The rice free GF pasta options are limited but we are thankful for what we have.

I have listed breakfast and dinner options.  Lunches are a whole separate post.  Dinners can be grouped into several main groups. There are the meat/starch/veg based, starch based, breakfast based and soup based. I will divide them up accordingly. So, for example, if you wanted a meat/starch/veg dinner, then you could choose one from each category.  If you could have rice, this would greatly expand the possibilities in nearly every category. We also vary vegetables seasonally and according to what’s new or different.  These lists don't even include the endless dessert possibilities! :)

Again, all of these options can be made gluten and dairy free!  The master list.....

Breakfast:
A combination of GF cereal/coconut milk, cereal/coconut yogurt, GF Oatmeal, Quinoa, eggs, fruit, smoothies, sausage, bacon, tater tots, hash browns, muffins, fruit, waffles. Breakfast always includes fruit. Protein (sausage or eggs) is included in at least 4 breakfasts per week.

Dinner: (note, on Sunday night we have breakfast for dinner)
1. Meat/Starch/Vegetables
     ·Meat
       - Grilled Chicken
       - Roast Chicken
       - BBQ Chicken
       - BBQ Pork
       - Mustard Onion Pork Chops
       - Grilled Pork
       - Roasted Pork Loin
       - Meatloaf (made with GF breadcrumbs)
       - GF Corndogs
       - Hotdogs
       - Hamburgers
       - Pork with Pesto
       - Ham
       - Meatballs (made with GF breadcrumbs)
  · Starch
       - Quinoa Pasta
       - Scalloped Potatoes (thickened with starch or GF flour blend)
       - Mashed Potatoes
       - Parsley Buttered Potatoes
       - Tater Tots
       - Smiley Fries
       - Corn Spaghetti
       - Potato Salad
       - Pasta Salad (made with GF Pasta)
       - Pierogies (Homemade with GF flour, or storebought GF frozen)
       - Ravioli  (Homemade with GF flour, or storebought GF frozen)
  · Vegetable
       - Peas
       - Corn
       - Green Beans
       - Baked Beans
       - Mixed Vegetables
       - Tomatoes/Cucumbers
       - Carrot Raisin Salad 
       - Applesauce

2. Soups (serve with salad or GF bread of some sort) -made with no Gluten containing thickeners
       - Vegetable
       - Vegetable Beef
       - Beef Stew
       - Chili
       - Broccoli
       - Chicken Stew
       - Chicken Tortilla
       - Chicken Noodle (corn pasta)
       - Lentil Spinach Stew with Pork

3. Pasta/Starch or Casserole-type Based Dishes (add a vegetable/salad or baked bread product to round out the dish) made with Gluten Free ingredients
       · GF Pasta with Greens and Beans and Sausage
       · Shepherd’s Pie
       · Spaghetti Squash/Sausage Bake
       · Italian Loaf Rustica (Made with GF flour blend)
       · GF Quinoa Pasta with Sausage/Vegetables/Spag. Sauce
       · GF DF Pizza
       · Cuban Black Beans with Pork or Chicken

4. Breakfast dinners = baked product/protein/fruit(fruit or smoothie)
   · Protein
       - Egg Bake with Sausage/Onions/Peppers
       - Fried Eggs
       - Scrambled Eggs
       - Sausage
       - Bacon
   · Baked Product
       - GF Pancakes
       - GF Waffles
       - GF Muffins/Coffee Cake

5. Baked/bread dinner product all made with Gluten Free flour or mix
       - Cornbread
       - Bread
       - Breadsticks
       - Tortilla Chips
       - GF Crackers (expensive option unless homemade)

This is not an exhaustive list, and is merely here to give some examples of ways to fix GF/DF meals.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a recipe I got from my sister in law that pushed me beyond the traditional soups that I was used to making (beef stew, chili, chicken noodle, chicken pot pie).  It's a wonderful recipe that has great texture and will make your house smell delicious!  The best part is that it is naturally gluten free.  I've pared down the recipe to minimize the prep work.  it can be as complicated or easy as you want it to be.  There are two parts (potentially three if you want to make your own chicken broth) to this recipe.  The first part involves the crockpot.  The second is adding the prepared 'mix' to the broth and vegetables.  I usually double this so I can put one frozen "mix" in the freezer for later.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

6 Chicken Breasts

1-2 Tbs. Cumin

2 cans of Black Beans

1 pound of Corn (give or take)

1 jar Salsa (whatever spice level you desire)

10 cups Chicken Broth (make your own, or be sure it is gluten free...it isn't always)

3 Potatoes

4 stalks Celery

1 chopped Onion
1 Tbs. Piccapeppa Sauce
dash of sugar
salt (to taste)
pepper (to taste)

Tortilla Chips (for garnish)

The first part of this recipe calls for a crockpot.  Put 6 chicken breasts into the crockpot.  Add cumin and mix (so it doesn't just sit on top).  Cook for 3 hrs on high, or until it is cooked and shreds easily(ie. with no effort on your part!).  When the chicken is cooked it should shred easily.  Add the salsa (the entire jar), bag of frozen corn, and two cans of black beans.  Mix this until it is evenly distributed.  If it looks like it needs more of something, add more of whatever it needs (like if it needs more corn, or needs more beans...).  Divide this in half and put into labeled freezer bags.  Each bag will make one regular pot of soup.  Use one now, and save the other for dinner another day.  Or, make a large pot and invite a family over for dinner. :)

If you want to make soup right away, then either make or buy chicken broth.  Two large cans should do it...I really have no idea what quantity this is....8-10 cups?  To the broth, add one bag of soup mix (or one half of what was in the crockpot). Piccapeppa sauce, potatoes, celery and sugar.  Add salt and pepper to taste, but remember that the salsa adds some salt.  Let this simmer until potatoes are tender.  Serve with tortilla chips crumbled on top (or use the chips as spoons as our boys like to do). :)

There are also many ways to personalize this recipe.  Green chili, cilantro, cholula sauce and cheese are all excellent additions or toppings for this soup.

Special notes:

Add the beans after the chicken is cooked...the black beans will cook away and leave their skins if you add them when you start cooking the chicken in the crockpot.

The Piccapeppa Sauce is optional, but adds depth to the flavor.  Also, the sugar mellows the acidity of the tomatoes and blends the flavors well.  It just works. :)

You can make this totally from scratch by making your own broth, and cooking your own black beans.  If you want directions for that, email me.  That's what I do.