Gluten Free Recipe Thread

[Jenny]

I'd like to start a thread on gluten-free recipes. I hope some of you will share your recipes. It is hard to eat this way. We eat breat and such, but we've had to keep it away from our boys. Lots of folks who are on GF diets also have to be casein free, as well. But, I do sometimes cook with milk and butter. We're not very strict about that. Actually, we're fairly strict with what the boys can eat, but I still fix other things for us to sneak sometimes. During meals, we all eat the same. When we're having spaghetti, for example, and having company, guests always think it's odd that we're serving the sauce over rice. Anybody got a good pasta recipe using rice flour, tapioca flour, or a combination?

Oh, I was going to put a few recipes in here, but I just realized the time. Have to go, but I'll add to this later. I have recipes for "corn bread" that uses ground rice instead, like a rice meal. Also a biscuit recipe from rice flour, and I made a delicious cheese sauce without wheat flour. I'll share them later.

Jenny

[Freeholdfarm]

Jenny, Juniper and I both have celiac disease, and I have lots of recipes to contribute, including a very good cornbread recipe -- but it's already past my bedtime! I'll try to remember to post some of them tomorrow.

Kathleen

[Jenny]

I fixed salmon patties last night, but I didn't want to coat them in flour the way I used to do since my boys can't handle the gluten. I coated them in rice four instead. Oh, it was DELICIOUS ! ! ! Much better than flour. I just coated them very lightly in white rice flour mixed with a little salt, then fried as usual. Made a wonderful, crisp coating. They were not greasy at all. I suppose the rice flour doesn't absorb the oil like the wheat flour does.

I also made French Fries. Maybe it's the kind of spuds we grow, but I usually have trouble keeping them from getting really greasy, even if I fry them fast. I found that if I fry them twice, they turn out good. I fry them in oil that's about 300 degrees for about 2 minutes, then drain them on paper towels. Once all the batches are cooked once, I bring the oil up to about 375 degrees and fry each batch again until golden brown. Now, all that is really a lot of trouble just for french fries.

So, here's what I usually do. I coat them in flour --- just dump some flour on the bowl of cut up spuds, mix them up with a slotted spoon, then transfer to a colander or wire strainer and shake off the excess flour. Then fry in hot oil or grease until golden. Drain on paper towels, season to taste. Regular white flour works pretty good, but again, my boys can't have that. I tried rice flour, and I like it MUCH better. They didn't really taste like they had a coating ---- just nice and crisp, but not too hard for my 2 year old who is cutting 4 back teeth right now.

Any ideas for fried chicken coating? I think if I dipped the chicken in an egg/milk batter, then straight rice flour, it may be a bit too crunchy and hard for my little boys right now. Maybe a combination of rice flour and something else --- maybe tapioca flour? We don't have any chickens to fry right now (Darn!), but I was wishing we did, and wondering how I'd cook 'em.

Jenny

[Jenny]

I'm looking for good gluten free recipes for the following (in addition to any other recipes you'd like to share):

• biscuits
  
• cornbread, but no corn - I know corn isn't supposed to have gluten, but our oldest son reacts to it the same as wheat. We grind whole, parboiled brown rice (Uncle Ben's), which makes a texture like cornmeal, but although it's good, isn't quite as good as cornbread. Tips please?
  
• bread --- something like a soda bread -- for sandwhiches, toast, etc. I sometimes make a yeast rice bread that's OK, but I don't like giving them yeast very often.
  
• pasta - like egg noodles, spaghetti, etc.
  

Thanks!

Jenny