Cooking

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Tacos! Drive thru beef and chicken, crunchy or soft may be our most familiar tacos – staples of a fast food diet. But if you’ve never had a fish taco, I content that you’ve never enjoyed the best taco of all.

From South America, across Arizona and up to Alaska, fish tacos are routinely on restaurant menus, even at airports and most home cooks have their very own favorite versions.

Fish tacos, in all their regional variations are a  culinary sensation.One you shouldn’t miss out on just because you don’t frequent these locales. They are incredibly easy to make at home.

Gluten-free tortillas are easy to find in local groceries.

This makes constructing a perfectly delicious gluten-free fish taco pretty darned easy in under 30 minutes.

The best fish tacos I have eaten are made with Alaskan halibut or mahi-mahi. Spicy coleslaw and fusion mayonnaise (spicy, often citrus flavored mayo)  are the icing on the cake, when it comes to dressing up a fish taco.

Here’s a recipe for my version of gluten-free fish tacos, just in time for Cinco de Mayo. Add a side of homemade guacamole and pico de gallo and be prepared to enjoy. Viva tacos de Read More »

Do you ever wonder where you can buy gluten-free grains and flours for a discount? Check out your local ethnic markets for terrific prices and variety.

One of the most frustrating aspects of being on a gluten-free diet is the cost of food.  Whether you are buying a prepared food or a bag of flour, the prices seem to be higher than “regular” food.

Next time you drive past an ethnic market or grocery store, stop in and see what they have to offer. Asian markets offer various rice flours.  Middle Eastern and Indian markets provide a wide variety of bean flours and alternative grains.  Read More »

Ever get tired of cooking? Or maybe you live alone and don’t enjoy cooking for one?

One of the best lessons I’ve learned while being gluten-free is that in order to eat the best you possibly can, you’ve got to cook it yourself. You know that gluten-free doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, so you can’t count on just purchasing products to meet the nutritional needs of your body. But I think you already know that, right? (If you don’t, consider one of these options for learning more about being gluten-free AND healthy!)

Though you know you need to cook, I’ve heard the full spectrum of why people get into a rut and feel like they just can’t make cooking a priority. Whether you Read More »

Is your kitchen a gathering place?

The kitchen is a natural place for people of all ages and backgrounds to share stories and flavors.

When transitioning to eating gluten-free, cooking and meeting in the kitchen will probably change.

It means double checking each addition to a dish or scrambling to make sure there is no cross-contamination. Read More »

I first became introduced to coconut oil when I purchased the BabycakesNYC cookbook. Not only does coconut have a great flavor, but it’s a great substitute to make egg-free french toast and easily substitutes in exchange for canola oil when baking.

While I am no nutrition expert, I’m a nutrition guru, who loves to learn about the health benefits of different foods.  After all, you are what you eat, right?

Read More »

Hello to everyone! I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you what I’ve learned about baking gluten-free quick breads, such as Pumpkin Cornbread Squares, after 10 challenging months of adapting wheat flour recipes and experimenting with gluten-free flours, starches, and gums.  Here are some of the questions I asked myself and the answers that I found.

Q: Why would I bake gluten-free when I can now buy a variety of gluten-free products at a grocery store?

A: You may enjoy baking and want to continue.  Or you may want to save money and not buy packaged foods.  Perhaps, you’re not happy with the quality or taste of what’s available.

Or perhaps you’re like me.  I’m not only gluten-sensitive (recently diagnosed), but also lactose-intolerant and on a forever diet to keep Type 2 diabetes at bay. The result is that Read More »

Who doesn’t love fall weather? The colors changing on the leaves, cooler weather (well, maybe we will be a couple degrees less than 100), the beginning of a new football season, the glorious Austin City Limits Music Festival, the list goes on. Some of the best tasting vegetables are also in season in the fall such as the mushrooms, oranges, lemons, cauliflower and fennel. All of the following vegetables have unique flavors and can be used in a variety of dishes. The top five are:

Mushrooms
Mushrooms are known for their immune boosting benefits in the nutrition world. They have been used for thousands of years in helping prevent cancer, boost the immune system and are also known as a great anti-aging food. There are several different types of mushrooms that are fabulous to cook with. Try grilling some beefy Portobello’s with Italian seasonings for a nice vegetarian meal this fall.

Oranges
The beloved orange; it’s one of the most popular fruits in North America. Known for the immune boosting vitamin C, oranges have many other health benefits. Oranges also have a good amount of Potassium (which helps with muscle contraction), fiber and vitamin A. Oranges are very versatile when it comes to cooking. Try this yummy recipe from celiac.com: Orange Chicken. Read More »

Fall is here and that means pumpkins are starting to appear on your neighbor’s door step and in grocery stores, which is the universal signal to start carving and cooking pumpkin. Why is it most of us tend to cook with pumpkin only around Halloween and Thanksgiving?  Pumpkin is loaded with vitamin A, fiber and it is low in calories, so we should find ways to work it into our diet throughout the year.

Pumpkin is very versatile to cook with, so it can be used in both sweet and savory recipes.  This Examiner did a little research for gluten-free pumpkin recipes and was amazed at all of the drool-worthy recipes we found.  Listed below are just a fraction of the gluten-free pumpkin recipes available online.

What is your favorite way to cook with pumpkin?

Pumpkin – General Recipes

• About.com has an extensive list of gluten-free pumpkin recipes
• Foodista has a list of 5 Savory Pumpkin Recipes and a list of 5 Must Try Gluten Free Pumpkin Recipe
• Gluten-free pumpkin recipes from The Gluten-Free Homemaker Read More »

I hadn’t realized it while planning this weeks’ posts, but there is an ongoing theme for many of the recipes this week.

fiber + healthy and happy digestion

I just love fiber, don’t you?

Abusing my body throughout my teenage and early adult years left me with a very broken digestive system.

After going through countless tests, x-rays, medications, hospital visits, acupuncture, massage therapists, and exercises I said enough is enough! And I made a promise to myself that I would Read More »

I love casseroles. They are quick, easy and versatile. They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner and offer an easy clean up.

What you will need:

EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) for sautéing
½ bag frozen green beans (optional)
½ lb-1 lb ground turkey sausage
1 onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
12 eggs, beaten together Read More »