Cooking

For many people, the thought of cooking and baking with bean flours can seem strange. After all, when trying to replicate your favorite cakes, cookies, muffins, and other sweets in order to make them gluten-free and food allergy-friendly, bean flours don’t exactly elicit the same mouth-watering cravings as traditional white and wheat flour. While bean flours may seem too savory to be added to your favorite baked goods, they actually can be a healthy and cost-effective replacement for gluten-filled ingredients.

Beans and legumes, of course, are high in protein and fiber, among other nutrients. Bean flour varieties include green split peas or lentils, garbanzos, soy, navy and black beans, fava, red kidneys, and many others. Read More »

Don’t let dried out gluten-free sugar cookie dough ruin your Halloween. Here is a easy and delicious recipe for rolled sugar cookies. You don’t even need to refrigerate the dough and the cookies freeze very well.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup potato starch
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cane or beet sugar
1 cup shortening
1 egg
2 teaspoons GF vanilla extract
potato starch, for kneading

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together sugar and shortening. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined. Add all dry ingredients and combine until the dough forms a ball. Read More »

Food and Wine.

This is an easy-to-make, delicious entree that is gluten-free, inexpensive and fantastic. It’s as good as any dish I have had in any Thai or Vietnamese restaurant in the Houston area. Do not fear the Asian fish sauce…it adds lots of flavor, and it is easy to find in the Oriental foods section of just about any grocery store.

Adapted from

1/2 pound dried rice noodles, about 1/4 inch wide (I used Caravelle brand, available at HEB)

3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice

2 large garlic cloves, minced Read More »

All gluten-free cooks should have a few a great kitchen gadgets to brighten their culinary lives.

Here is a list of the items in my kitchen that I can’t live without.

1. Mandoline – I use it to slice almost everything. Fennel, carrots, radishes, garlic, pears, you name it, I slice it!

2. Food Dehydrator – This week we dehydrated pears, apples, straberries, nectarines, beets and sweet potatoes.

3. Microplane Grater – I use my grater for citrus zest, parmesan cheese and garlic. Read More »