Gluten-Free Cooking For Dummies

Danna Korn is a respected and leading authority on the gluten-free diet and the medical conditions that benefit from it. She has been featured in People Magazine, on ABC's 20-20, and dozens of other national media outlets. Connie Sarros is a nationally recognized advocate for healthy eating and nutrition whose work has appeared in Cooking Light, the Chicago Tribune, and other publications.

Fried Broccoli Florets with Soy Curry Sauce 93

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture 106

Raspberry Smoothie 109

Smoked Salmon Scramble 109

Egg Burrito 110

Caesar Sandwich 112

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwich 113

Louisiana Shrimp Foil Pouch 114

Foil-Pouch Chicken Fajitas 115

Grilled Cajun Orange Roughy 116

Grilled Lamb Chops with Spiced Peaches 117

Spinach Mandarin Salad 119

Mix-and-Match Salads 120

Macho Nachos 121

Nutty Fruit Bark 123

Grilled Bananas Foster Boats 124

Caramel Milkshakes 125

Cinnamon Breakfast Cereal 129

Farmer’s Skillet Eggs 131

Mixed-Up Omelet 132

Pepperoni Frittata 133

Crab Quiche 134

Curried Chard with “Poached” Egg 135

Maple Soufflé 136

Breakfast Enchilada 137

Breakfast Biscuit Bread 141

French Baguettes 142

Flatbread Wrap 144

Zucchini Bread 145

Breakfast Bread Pudding 147

Cranberry Cornmeal Muffins 148

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins 149

Corn Muffins 150

Baked Apple Pancake 152

Pumpkin Waffles 153

Feather-Light Crepes 154

Cheese Waffles 155

Peachy French Toast 156

Make-Ahead Brunch Casserole 159

Potato Tomato Pie 160

Ham with Glazed Bananas 161

Potato Nests with Shrimp 162

Tuna Fish Sandwich Like No Other 166

Best-Ever Sloppy Joes 167

Antipasto Lettuce Wraps 169

Turkey Roll-Ups 170

Reuben Quesadillas 171

Broiled Veggie Tortillas 172

Three-Cheese Pizza 174

Pepperoni Squares 176

Enchilada Casserole 177

Macaroni and Sausage Casserole 178

General Tso’s Sirloin Kebabs 180

Lemongrass-Infused Wild Salmon 181

Vegetable Stir Fry with Tofu 182

Yakitori Chicken 183

Asian Pork Salad 184

Halibut with Tomato Avocado Salsa 186

Hot Taco Bake 187

Taco Salad in Tortilla Shells 188

South-of-the-Border Cheese Ball 189

Homemade Tortilla Chips 189

Speedy Taco Wings 190

Eggplant Rollatini with Marinara Sauce 192

Herbed Shrimp Scampi 193

Italian Beef Vegetable Soup 194

Spaghetti and Meatball Soup 195

Italian Stuffed Cabbage 196

Spaghetti Marinara 197

Italian Hamburger Pasta Casserole 198

Sesame Pretzel Fish 201

Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce 202

Poached Salmon Piccata 203

Salmon Crepes 205

Seafood Sole 206

Seafood au Gratin 207

Tuna Broccoli Casserole 208

Honey Broiled Chicken 211

Sizzling Chicken and Walnuts 212

Corn Chip Chicken 213

Herbes de Provence Chicken 214

Creole Chicken 215

Parmesan Chicken with Fresh Tomato Salsa 216

Stuffed Rock Cornish Game Hens 217

Company Chicken 219

Slow Cooker Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms 220

Grecian Chicken with Pasta 221

Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes 222

Beef Pot Roast a la Mushrooms 225

Glazed Filet Mignon with Blue Cheese 226

Glazed Corned Beef 227

Smoky Sweet Grilled Pork Tenderloin 228

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions 229

Baked Pork Chops 230

Best Spare Ribs You’ll Ever Eat! 231

Lamb Chops with Tiered Topping 232

Lamburgers with Tzatziki Sauce 233

Barbecue Lamb Shanks 234

BBQ Meatloaf 236

Meatballs in Lemon Sauce 237

Meatballs in Wine Sauce 238

Marinated Kielbasa 239

Broccoli Cauliflower Combo 243

Glazed Carrots with Walnuts 244

Spinach Pie 245

Stuffed Acorn Squash 246

Cranberries and Yams 247

Carrot and Zucchini Latkes 248

Roasted Asparagus with Mustard Dressing 249

Parmesan Potatoes 251

Buckwheat Stuffed Bell Peppers 252

The Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese 253

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes 254

Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions 255

Quinoa-Stuffed Tomatoes 257

Spinach Lasagna 258

Cheese-Stuffed Zucchini 259

Shrimp Deviled Eggs 266

Feta Supreme Spread 267

Roulade Canapé 268

Crabmeat Dip 269

Baked Potato Skins 271

Tortilla Sticks 272

Artichoke Squares 273

Cajun Stuffed Mushrooms 274

Marinated Artichoke Salad 277

Frosted Fruit Salad 278

Minestrone Salad 279

Potato Salad Nicoise 280

Luscious Lentil Salad 282

Grilled Romaine Salad with Crab Red Pepper Salsa 284

Marinated Steak Salad 285

Baked Chicken Salad 286

Hearty Chicken Broth 289

Thai Soup with Shrimp 290

Spicy Chicken Soup 291

Lamb and Rice Soup 292

Cream of Mushroom Soup 294

Three Bean Soup 295

Spinach Lentil Soup 296

Waist-Slimming Cabbage Soup 297

Unrivaled Chili 299

Cheesy Corn Chowder 300

Seafood Chowder 301

Hobo Stew 302

Pudding Pops 305

Almond Hummus 306

Better Than S’mores! 308

Trail Mix Bars 309

Honey Cinnamon Grahams 310

Perky Popcorn 311

Spicy Almonds 312

Cheesy Crisps 313

Coconut Lemon Chiffon Pie 317

Peanut Butter Custard Pie 318

Posh Pineapple Pie 320

Gluten-Free Pie Crust 321

Best-Ever Apple Cobbler 322

Whoopie Pies 324

Chocolate Cranberry Cookies 325

Chocolate Raspberry Bars 326

Chocolate Fleck Cake 327

No-Bake Lemon Squares 329

Pumpkin Cheesecake 330

Strawberry Almond Torte 331

Liqueur Cups with Mocha Raspberries 332

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Conventions Used in This Book 3

What You’re Not to Read 4

Foolish Assumptions 4

How This Book Is Organized 5

Part I: Preparing for Your Gluten-Free Cooking Adventures 5

Part II: Mouthwatering Main Courses 5

Part III: Dishes to Enjoy Before, After, or Any Time 6

Part IV: The Part of Tens 6

Icons Used in This Book 6

Where to Go from Here 6

Part I: Preparing for Your Gluten-Free Cooking Adventures 7

Chapter 1: Gluten-Free: Not Just a Diet, It’s a Lifestyle 9

Defining Gluten in Layman’s Terms 9

Wheat worries 10

Common foods that contain gluten 10

Deciding Whether You Should Be Gluten-Free 11

Doing Gluten-Free Nutritiously 12

Getting Ready to Cook 13

Figuring out what to buy and where to buy it 13

Setting up your kitchen 14

Cooking without Recipes (But You Can Use Them if You Like) 15

Getting Excited about the Gluten-Free Lifestyle 15

Gluten-free doesn’t mean flavor-free 16

Getting out and about 16

Raising kids to love the lifestyle 17

Setting realistic expectations 17

Arming yourself with good information 18

Chapter 2: So Why Cook Gluten-Free, Anyway? 19

Wheat May Not Be Good for Anyone 20

1 Humans don’t fully digest wheat 20

2 Wheat is a pro-inflammatory agent 20

3 Wheat can cause leaky gut syndrome 21

4 Refined wheat has little nutritional value 22

5 Wheat may cause wrinkles 22

6 Wheat may contribute to menopausal symptoms 23

7 Wheat is one of the top-eight allergens 23

8 Wheat can mess up your blood sugar levels 24

9 Wheat can make you fat 24

10 Many people have gluten sensitivity or celiac disease and don’t know it 25

Recognizing Different Types of Gluten-Related Problems 25

Allergies to gluten-containing foods 25

Distinguishing between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease 26

Sorting Out the Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance 28

Pinpointing gastrointestinal symptoms 28

Checking out non-gastrointestinal symptoms 29

Watching for symptoms in kids 30

Considering Your Options for Testing 30

Looking into tests 31

Going gluten-free without testing 32

Realizing the Consequences of Cheating 32

Compromising your health 33

Developing associated conditions 33

Understanding How Gluten Affects Behavior 35

Connecting gluten and autism 36

Delving into depression and other mood disorders 37

Chapter 3: What’s Gluten-Free and What Isn’t? 39

Avoiding These Definite No-Nos 40

Getting the Green Light: Definitely Okay Foods 41

Snooping for Hidden Gluten 43

Ending the controversy about “questionable” ingredients 44

Knowing which foods to question 45

Getting to Know Gluten-Free Alternatives 46

Amaranth 46

Arrowroot 46

Buckwheat/groats/kasha 47

Garfava 47

Job’s Tears 47

Mesquite (pinole) 48

Millet 48

Montina (Indian ricegrass) 48

Quinoa (hie) 49

Ragi 49

Rice 49

Sorghum 50

Soy 50

Tapioca (gari, cassava, casaba, manioc, yucca) 50

Taro root 51

Teff (tef) 51

Reading Labels and Getting Answers (Most of the Time) 51

Labeling gluten-free: The law and what it means 52

Gluten-free certification 53

Contacting manufacturers 53

Chapter 4: Making Nutrition Your Mission When You’re Cooking Gluten-Free 55

Feeling Optimal Requires Optimum Nutrition 56

Fueling versus filling 56

Getting enough nutrients when you’re gluten-free 57

Choosing a Healthier Approach to the Gluten-Free Diet 58

The unhealthy way 58

The healthy way 59

Watching Your Blood Sugar 59

Moving beyond rice, corn, and potatoes 60

Understanding the glycemic index of foods 60

Relating a gluten-free diet to the glycemic index 61

Choosing healthy starches forthat “fill-me-up” feeling 62

Managing Your Weight When You’re Gluten-Free 63

Losing or maintaining weight 63

Dealing with (uh-oh) weight gain 63

Adding some pounds if you’re underweight 64

Chapter 5: Setting Up Your Kitchen and Pantry 65

To Be or Not to Be 100 Percent Gluten-Free 65

Conquering Contamination Concerns 67

Keeping crumbs at bay 67

Protecting jars from cross-contamination 68

Using utensils in food preparation 69

Storing food 69

Considering cookware 70

Sharing Is Caring When You’re Cooking Both Ways 70

Planning your menus for easy meal prep 71

Using appliances to make cooking easier 72

Changing a few techniques in your two-way kitchen 73

Chapter 6: Planning Out Your Gluten-Free Week 75

Starting the Day with Breakfast 75

Mapping Light Meals and Snacks 77

Going for Heartier Main Meals 78

Being Festive: Special Occasions and Holidays 79

Chapter 7: Shopping for the Gluten-Free Stuff You Need 81

Coming Up with a Shopping Strategy 81

Sticking to natural foods 82

Buying the occasional manmade item 82

Scouting Out the Best Stores 83

Visiting your local grocery stores 83

Shopping at specialty stores 84

Buying online 85

Saving Money on Ridiculously Expensive Ingredients 85

Chapter 8: You Don’t Always Need Recipes 87

Transforming Any Meal into a Gluten-Free Delight 88

Finding fun substitutions 88

Putting mindless meals on the menu 90

Converting a Gluten-Filled Recipe into a Gluten-Free Recipe 92

Converting the ingredients 94

Interpreting the instructions 95

Messing with Mixes 97

Don’t let the price tag fool you 97

They’re easy to find 98

Part II: Mouthwatering Main Courses 99

Chapter 9: Gluten-Free Flours: Your Foundation for Great Breads and Pastries 101

Baking Bread without Wheat Flour 101

Looking at Alternative Flours 102

Baking for Success: A Few Tips 104

Creating the Gluten-Free Flour Mixture 105

Chapter 10: Fast Fixes: Making It Quick & Easy 107

When Every Minute Counts: Breakfast on the Run 108

Having Lunch or Dinner in the Fast Lane 111

Serving up Speedy Salads and Snacks 118

Doing Desserts Quickly 122

Chapter 11: Breakfast: Don’t Leave Home Without It 127

Starting the Day the Gluten-Free Way 128

Adding Sizzle to Your Morning 130

Rise and Shine! Breads and Bagels 138

Choosing and prepping yeast 138

Working the dough: You don’t need Popeye arms 138

Creating the crust 139

Troubleshooting breads 140

What a Sweet Idea! Pastries and Muffins 146

Whipping Up Pancakes and Waffles 151

Chapter 12: Brilliant Brunches, Luscious Lunches 157

Breaking for Brunches 158

Midday Munchables, Gluten-Free Style 163

Meals on the move 163

Quickie cold lunches 164

Satisfying salads 165

Hot or cold sandwiches 165

Creating Wraps and Other Sandwich Containers 168

Eating Pizza (No Foolin’) 173

Crafting Quick Midday Casseroles 175

Chapter 13: Diving into the Melting Pot: Ethnic Dishes 179

Asian-Style Gluten Free 179

Taking Gluten-Free South of the Border 185

Italian Favorites: Hold the Gluten! 191

Chapter 14: Something’s Fishy ’Round Here 199

Reeling in Compliments with Fish and Seafood Dishes 199

Broiling, Baking, and Poaching Fish 200

Trying Seafood in Crepes and Casseroles 204

Chapter 15: Tastes Like Chicken: Poultry Dishes 209

Flocking to Baked, Broiled, and Pan-Fried Dishes 210

Making Poultry Casseroles That Will Fly Off the Plate 218

Chapter 16: Meat Matters 223

Gluten-Free If You’re Game 223

Eyeing the Main Attractions: Beef, Pork, and Lamb 224

Mixing Up Meals with Ground Meats 235

Chapter 17: Making Memories with Meatless Dishes 241

Veggin’ Out with Side Dishes 241

Packing Some Punch with Pastas and Starches 250

Serving Vegetable Dishes as the Main Attraction 256

Part III: Dishes to Enjoy Before, After, or Any Time 261

Chapter 18: Appetizing Appetizers 263

Choosing the Right Appetizers for the Occasion 263

Taking a Dip with Cold Appetizers 265

Serving Up Some Hors D’oeurves from the Oven 270

Chapter 19: Salads with Pizzazz 275

Viewing Fruit and Vegetable Options 275

Combining Greens with Meats 283

Chapter 20: Slurpilicious Soups 287

No Glutens and Swimming with Flavor 287

Making Broths and Hearty Soups 288

Going Vegetarian: Meatless Marvels 293

Chili, Chowders, and Stews: A More Filling Chow 298

Chapter 21: Stupendous Snacks 303

Snackin’ Healthy 304

Cool Snacks for Chillin’ Out 304

Fixing Salts and Sweets to Satisfy Your Munchies 307

Chapter 22: Decadent Desserts 315

Pies and Cobblers You Can’t Resist 316

Crafting Cookies and Cakes from Scratch 323

Surprising Guests with Fancy Finales 328

Part IV: The Part of Tens 333

Chapter 23: Ten Easy-to-Prepare Comfort Foods 335

Get Your Kicks with an Easy Mix 335

Mom’s Old-Fashioned Meatloaf 336

No Woes with Nachos 336

Potato Salad with a Past 336

Heavenly Homemade Veggie Soup (Add the Gluten-Free Pasta!) 337

Whip Up Some Pudding 337

Chow Down New England Style 337

Super Simple “Mac-a-Cheese” 338

Chase Away the Winter Blahs with a Big Bowl of Chili 338

Cheeseburgers in Paradise 338

Chapter 24: Ten Ideas for Cooking Gluten-Free with the Kids 339

Have a Lasagna Night 340

Use Cooking to Teach Ingredient Insights 340

Jazz Up Meals with Colorful Vegetables 340

Throw a Homemade Pizza Party 340

Try Some Herbalicious Preparations 341

Make It Fancy Schmancy 341

Have Fun with Food Facts 341

Make Candy 342

Add Some Fun to Breakfast 342

Picnic in the Playroom 342

Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 343

Index 347