Holiday recipes for people with gluten intolerance
The stress level goes up a notch if you realize that the guest could get sick from eating even a tiny amount of wheat flour. That rules out the usual breads, rolls, stuffing, flour-thickened gravy and pie crust, for starters.
"It adds a lot of stress whether you're cooking like this for a family member or having someone come to dinner," said Diane Bell of Taylorsville, whose 9-year-old daughter, Jenni, was diagnosed with celiac disease two years ago in October. "But it's worth it when you see your loved one getting better."
That first year, Bell didn't have Thanksgiving dinner until January. "It took us awhile to figure out how to do the pies and the stuffing, and we found that a lot of the turkeys are injected with a wheat-thickened broth."
To meet the challenge of finding things that her daughter could eat, Bell opened Against the Grain. The Taylorsville store is devoted exclusively to gluten-free products such as brownie and cake mixes, pizza crusts, soups, crackers, pasta and specialty flours. She contracts with a local bakery so people can order gluten-free bread, pies and cakes.
Bell is a member of the Utah Gluten Intolerance Group, which will host a pre-Thanksgiving dinner Nov. 18, 3-6 p.m., at the Wasatch Presbyterian Church, 1700 South and 1700 East, for people who are gluten intolerant and their families. For details, check www.gfutah.org or call 801-486-4140.
Gluten is a sticky protein in wheat, rye and barley. When someone who can't tolerate gluten eats these foods, his immune system springs into action, damaging his small intestine. Symptoms and problems can include stomachaches, gas, bloating, weight loss or weight gain, migraines, dental enamel defects, skin rash and premature osteoporosis.
Eating just a tidbit of flour made from wheat, rye or barley will cause the body to attack itself, usually in the intestines, and cause problems throughout the entire body, said Barbara Shelley, also a member of the Utah Gluten Intolerance Group who was diagnosed with celiac disease about a year ago. "Within three hours, some people can be horrifically ill for days. Some won't have any symptoms but are still getting damaged."
She said the disease is often misdiagnosed, but now a blood test is available to properly diagnose it.
"A sensitive host who is kind enough to try to find out more about this disease will be absolutely cherished," Shelley said. "It's a very common disease, so they might as well learn about it."
Shelley suggests asking the guest to bring a few of his own gluten-free foods. "Don't be offended if they only eat the food they brought with them, because they know it's not cross-contaminated. And don't be offended if they ask to go in your kitchen and read the ingredient labels of what you've cooked."
Holidays can be tough because of the meaning associated with traditional dishes.
"Just the smell of baked bread is tied into so many feelings and connections," said Shelley. "After I was diagnosed, the first time I walked in a grocery store and smelled the bakery, I burst into tears and had to sit in the car until I could get under control. You're challenged with a new way of living and creating memories."
Social support means volumes, said Shelley. "You can become very isolated and discouraged, and, frankly, very hungry, because you can't have that full feeling that you get from eating wheat products. At our Thanksgiving feast, people will eat like they've never eaten."
Baked goods aren't the only things that contain gluten. "Wheat is such as important food, it's everywhere; it's in licorice and jelly beans and soy sauce and gravy, and imitation bacon bits," Shelley said. "We are constantly reading labels, and there are a lot of other words for wheat that we have to look for — durum, spelt, kamut or semolina. We have to avoid breading or coating mixes, and make sure that the broths and marinades and soups aren't thickened with wheat starch."
Gluten is often in hydrolyzed vegetable protein, food starch, meat extenders or binders, and malt. Even some makeup contains wheat products and can irritate the skin.
That's why a store such as Against the Grain is so appreciated.
"People walk in and burst into tears that they don't have to read one label," said Shelley. "It's the most relaxing experience to go in that store."
Shelley said health-food stores and Harmon's also carry a wide selection of gluten-free flours made from rice, tapioca, potato starch, sorghum, garbanzo or fava beans. Some local restaurants, such as Biaggi's, Mazza and Winger's, offer gluten-free menu items.
Since gluten is the gluey substance that makes baked goods and processed foods stick together, it's tricky to get the same results with other flours. Shelley and Bell recommend combining several non-gluten flours and adding either xanthan gum or guar gum to give it some stickiness.
"It will never taste or have the exact texture of wheat goods, but it comes close," said Shelley. "We have some great cooks that can make rolls that are fluffy and yummy and don't fall apart."
PERFECT PIE CRUST
1 cup white rice flour
3/4 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 cup shortening
4 ounces cream cheese
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons very cold water
Combine dry ingredients. Cut in shortening and cream cheese with pastry cutter until the size of peas. Stir in eggs and vanilla; add enough water to form dough. Form 2 or 3 balls. Makes two 9-inch deep-dish pie crusts or three 8-inch pie crusts.
Single crust pie: Place a ball in the center of a 8- or 9-inch pie tin and pat out, covering bottom and sides of pan. Press top edge into a design. For a pre-baked crust, prick crust with a fork and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or until crust is slightly brown. Fill with desired filling.
Double crust pie: Pat a pastry ball in pie pan for bottom crust. Pour filling into crust. Roll out top crust on a cornstarch-dusted pastry cloth using a covered rolling pin. Place crust on top of filled pie and use fingers to crimp edges. (You may roll out crust between sheets of plastic wrap to desired size, remove top plastic sheet and use remaining sheet to reverse dough onto the filling.) Bake as directed for filling used. — Gluten Intolerance Group of Utah, www.gfutah.org
RICE FLOUR BLEND
Make ahead and use in recipes calling for Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
6 cups rice flour
2 cups potato starch flour
1 cup tapioca flour
This mix makes light baked goods with a pleasant texture and flavor. — Gluten Intolerance Group of Utah, www.gfutah.org
BEAN FLOUR BLEND
Make ahead and use in recipes calling for Gluten-Free Flour Mix:
3 cups garfava bean flour
1 cup sorghum flour
4 cups tapioca flour
4 cups cornstarch
Many recipes that call for gluten-free flour mix work just as well or better using a blend of bean flours combined with other gluten-free flours. These blends are higher in fiber, protein and other nutrients, have a great smooth texture and are more filling and satisfying than rice-flour blends.
Bean flours work best with flavorful recipes that complement and mellow the nut-like, slightly bitter flavor of ground beans. Bean-flour blends work especially well in cookies (chocolate chip cookies, peanut butter cookies, graham crackers), spice cakes (carrot cake, applesauce bars, banana bars) and spice muffins (apple cinnamon muffins, banana muffins, pumpkin muffins).
Cover the mix and store in a cool place or the refrigerator. — Gluten Intolerance Group of Utah, www.gfutah.org
GLUTEN-FREE THANKSGIVING STUFFING
3 cups of gluten-free bread crumbs made from dried, gluten-free bread
1 onion, chopped
3 large carrots, chopped
1 apple, peeled and grated
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
1 cup cooked sausage (optional)
1 egg
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon onion salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes
Mix first seven ingredients and then add remaining ingredients. Stir well. Use to stuff poultry, pork or fish just before roasting. Or, place in a greased, 9-inch baking dish. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1 hour. Makes 6-8 servings.
Note: To ensure a gluten-free holiday turkey, read labels carefully. Some self-basting turkeys contain gluten. If using a roasting bag, do not coat it with gluten flours. — Pam Ward, Gluten Intolerance Group of Utah, www.gfutah.org
DINNER ROLLS
Note: Because of the gluten-free flour, it's important to incorporate air into the batter and to follow ingredients in exact order. Beat eggs and other wet ingredients longer. The dough will be more like batter; you can use a muffin tin, paper cups, or 4-inch rings to help them hold their shape during baking. If making bread, it's best to use the small loaf pan.
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mix
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl; set aside. Combine remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl. With electric hand beater, beat on low until blended. Add half of the dry ingredients and beat with electric hand mixer on low until blended and then beat on high until mixture is very thick, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. With wooden spoon, stir in remaining dry ingredients until well mixed, pushing against side of bowl with spoon to mix well.
Drop 12 rounds of dough on greased cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Let rise to double. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.
English Muffins: Place 6 greased or oil-sprayed 4-inch metal rings on an oil-sprayed cookie sheet. Spoon in dough, dividing among the rings. Cover and let rise until dough doubles, about 20 to 25 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is lightly brown. Makes great hamburger buns.
Cinnamon Rolls:
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Add to dough mixture and stir with a spoon a few times to slightly mix. Drop 8 to 12 rounds of dough on greased cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Let rise and bake as above. Drizzle icing over top of rolls while still warm.
Danish Rolls: With a spoon, drop 6 to 8 rounds of dough on large greased cookie sheet or in muffin tins. Place 1 tablespoon of jam (peach, strawberry, raspberry) or desired filling in center of each round. Let rise until double, about 20 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Drizzle with icing over top of rolls while still warm. Makes 6 large or 8 medium rolls.
Icing for Danish and Cinnamon Rolls: Mix 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon milk to desired consistency. Drizzle on rolls while still warm. — Gluten Intolerance Group of Utah, www.gfutah.org
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