West Jordan resident top 10 finalist in gluten free recipe contest

Most people would cringe at the very thought of eating food devoid of any flour or wheat. Nonetheless, a gluten-free recipe from Elizabeth Dehart of West Jordan, has apparently appealed to not only those with Celiac disease, but also to those who do not have any food allergies.

Rudi's Gluten-Free Bakery, based in Boulder, Colo., hosted a gluten-free recipe contest and people from across the country were invited to submit their creations. The guidelines for the contest were simple: The applicant only had to use Rudi's gluten-free bread in his or her creation.

Dehart submitted a recipe for a Caprese sandwich topped with tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, and it quickly gained popularity on Facebook. Her recipe received hundreds of votes, and she became one of the 10 finalists earlier this month. The top three then competed in a cook-off.

Dehart follows a gluten-free diet because of the health benefits.

“Every once in a while I have a craving for a cookie or a brownie,“ she said. “I simply have to remind myself of the side affects. My muscles will start to ache and my skin will break out. It’s much healthy for me to remain gluten free.”

Dehart said her two children, ages 5 and 8, are slowly starting to appreciate gluten-free food. Although they are not entirely gluten free, Dehart said they are a huge fan of rice crackers and will often munch on them for a snack.

Dehart continues to experiment with creating new and exciting gluten-free recipes.

“I love to play around on the Web and find new contests,” she said. “I am currently working on a gluten-free recipe for Betty Crocker. It is a holiday dessert.”

Rudi's Easy Caprese Sammy

8 slices Rudi’s Original Gluten Free bread

1 tablespoon fresh minced basil

1 clove garlic, peeled and pressed

1/4 cup canola oil mayonnaise

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

4 Roma tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare basil aioli by stirring in minced basil and garlic into mayonnaise. Evenly top each slice of bread with two tablespoons shredded mozzarella. Place on oven rack until cheese begins to melt and bubbles. Remove from oven and top four slices of bread with tomato slices, generally one tomato per sandwich. Top tomato with basil aioli and place remaining slices of mozzarella bread on top of the sandwich cheese side down.

Shelby Scoffield is a graduate of Brigham Young University and a graduate student at California State University, Stanislaus.