Delicious as it Looks

Low-Fructose/Low-FODMAP Chicken Broth for Recipes

2013-05-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

This past week I made a bunch of chicken broth. It all started with a chicken. Whole chickens were on sale at my store, so I bought one and roasted it. By the way, a great way to plan your weekly menus is to take a look at your local grocery store's ad flyer. Find out what meat and veggies are on sale then decide your menu from there. Back to the chicken. I roasted it. Then we ate it. We didn't eat all of it, so I stripped the bird of it's meat and saved the meat for a casserole later in the week. Then I made broth from the bones.

You can try my recipe for chicken broth here. The great things about making your own broth is that you can customize it. As far as I know, there are no chicken broths on the market that do not have onion (One exception may be Better than Bouillon-Chicken. It doesn't specifically list onion or garlic in the ingredients, but they may be hidden in that annoyingly vague "flavoring" ingredient listed.) If you are sensitive to onion, you may have no choice but to make your own. Even if you don't use onion in your broth, it can still be full of flavor.

I use chicken broth in so many of my recipes. It's a great way to add lots of flavor to dishes. Each recipe calls for a different amount of broth, from 1/2 cup to 2 cups, so I freeze them in different size containers so they are ready to go when I need them. I froze them in 1/2 cup, 1 cup and 2 cups sizes. I use BPA-free plastic containers and make sure the broth is cool before pouring it in.

So that's how I do my chicken broth. Next I will be doing beef broth!

Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole

2013-05-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

I first want to welcome all of my new readers who have come here through "Welcome Home" on Facebook. Thanks for reading! I suppose I'll tell you all a little about myself and how I came to be writing this blog. My name is Dianne and I work in the natural foods department of a grocery store. I haven't always been in the food business. I have a degree in civil engineering and worked as a civil engineer for about 10 years. When we moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota for my husband's job, I was unable to find a job in engineering myself. Instead, I took a job at the grocery store. I've long since had a passion for nutrition, cooking and food in general. It was a great fit.

My job at the store is part-time, so I found myself with some extra time on my hands. I started getting involved on allrecipes.com, making recipes and taking photos of them. From there I decided to write this blog. I never would have pictured myself as a food blogger, but now it seems like the perfect fit. I get to be artistic with photography and creative making up my own recipes.

You may notice that some of the food I make is "different." Several years ago I noticed that my digestive issues were getting worse, so I started changing my diet to feel better. I was diagnosed with IBS long ago and thought it was just a "non-diagnosis." They couldn't find anything wrong with me, so it must be IBS, and I would just have to put up with it. Although haven't officially been tested for it, I'm pretty sure I have fructose malabsorption too. It was when I learned about fructose malabsorption that I discovered how a low-fructose diet can make all the difference in how I feel. It turns out I've been eating not only a low-fructose diet, but also a low-FODMAP diet as well, which is great for people who suffer from IBS. In fact, a lot of people with IBS also have fructose malabsorption.

So you can find recipes on my blog from before I changed my diet and plenty of recipes that are low-fructose, low-FODMAP and wheat- and gluten-free from after. Here is one such recipe that is gluten-free, low-fructose and low-FODMAP. The only issues with this recipe may be with the dairy products. Hard cheese, such as cheddar, and heavy cream are very low in lactose and I don't seem to have much issue with them. I'm really not sure if I'm lactose intolerant. I was always a big cottage cheese eater and recently stopped eating it and I feel maybe just a tad better. I'm still not sure if it's enough of a difference to go completely dairy-free, though. I love cheese and I love this casserole. It started out as just a chicken and potato casserole, but then I made some changes to it and I decided that it was so similar to the ingredients in a loaded baked potato, I would just call it that!

First, layer half of the potatoes, followed by all of the chicken in the pan.

Next, sprinkle with salt and pepper, half of the bacon and green onions and 1/2 cup cheese.

Finally, spread out the remaining potatoes, bacon, green onions, salt and pepper and another 1/2 cup cheese. Drizzle with heavy cream and dot with the butter (not pictured).

Bake for 1 1/2 hours (1 hour covered, 1/2 hour uncovered) and melt the remaining 1/2 cup cheese on top.

Enjoy!

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Loaded Baked Potato & Chicken Casserole
serves 4

Ingredients

3 - 4 medium russet potatoes, scrubbed and diced
(about 1.5 lbs. or 4 1/2 cups)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp, cooled and crumbled
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 green onions, sliced (green parts only for low-FODMAP/low-fructose)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9" x 9" baking pan or casserole dish.
Spread half of the diced potatoes in bottom of pan. Place the diced chicken breasts evenly on top. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Sprinkle with half the bacon crumbles, 1/2 cup of the cheese, and half the green onions.
Spread the remaining diced potatoes on top, followed by the remaining bacon, another 1/2 cup cheese, remaining green onions and another 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Pour heavy cream over top of casserole and then dot with the butter. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Uncover and bake another 30 minutes. In the last few minutes of baking, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese and bake until melted. Serve.

Lemon-Butter Baked Tilapia with Capers

2013-05-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

It's no secret I love fish and seafood. I would be a pescetarian if it wasn't for my love of steak....and chicken.....and bacon. OK, I love all meat. I'm an omnivore! So back to the seafood. This tilapia recipe is one that I've been making a lot of lately. It's cheap, easy and delicious. To get a garlic flavor without the fructans, I simmer a whole clove of garlic in the butter until fragrant and then remove. If you are extra sensitive to garlic, you can skip it all together. Or if you can tolerate a little garlic, just mince it up and keep it in.

ready for the oven

As for the capers....I don't really know what capers are. They look like little peas, but they aren't peas. According to About.com, they are the flower buds of a Mediterranean plant, which are dried in the sun, then pickled in vinegar or brine. I think they add a wonderful burst of flavor to seafood dishes and I seem to tolerate them fairly well. Of course, it could be because most recipes only call for a couple of tablespoons, which per serving is a very small amount. I couldn't really find much information about capers in relation to IBS or fructose malabsorption, so all I can tell you is that they work for me in small amounts, such as this recipe. I hope they work for you too and that you enjoy this quick, easy and low-FODMAP recipe!

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Lemon-Butter Baked Tilapia with Capers
serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. tilapia fillets
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, smashed, but kept whole
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the smashed garlic clove and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 second to 1 minute, just until fragrant. Remove garlic clove and discard. Stir in lemon juice.
Place tilapia fillets in prepared pan. Pour lemon-butter sauce over top. Sprinkle with capers, oregano, salt and pepper.
Bake, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve.

Low-FODMAP Shrimp Scampi Bake

2013-04-29T08:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Shrimp Scampi Day! Yes, there really is such a thing. My husband read it in the paper yesterday and I remembered that I hadn't shared this recipe yet. The perfect day to do so! I love shrimp. Since I found "easy-peel" shrimp, I make it quite frequently. I was very excited to find a recipe from allrecipes.com for a Shrimp Scampi Bake. I love baking anything. You just mix up some stuff and stick it in the oven. Dinner - done.

This recipe was just dying for a healthier and low-FODMAP makeover. I cut the butter in half and added some dry white wine. Simmer the garlic in butter first to give it the garlic flavor without the fructans. I can usually tolerate a little garlic if I've eaten low-FODMAP during the day, so my photos do show some minced garlic. You can do whatever you can tolerate, including even leaving the garlic out if desired. I served it over bionaturae gluten-free spaghetti (you could also used Tinkyada white rice spaghetti or just rice), with a side salad and a bottle of Pinot Grigio. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. The perfect dinner.

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Low-FODMAP Shrimp Scampi Bake

serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, sliced lengthwise
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on if desired

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and bring to a simmer. Simmer until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove garlic and discard.
Add the white wine, parsley, lemon juice, Dijon, salt and pepper to the butter and stir.
Place shrimp in an 8"x 8" baking dish. Pour butter mixture over top.
Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until shrimp are pink and opaque.

Cheesy Baked Quinoa and Spinach

2013-04-26T12:07:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't written a new blog post in a while. We've been so busy traveling and working. And now spring is here and I couldn't be happier about it. This has been the worst winter in Minnesota and I barely survived. Today is the first time we've reached 60 degrees this year and it's supposed to get in the 70's this weekend! Time to get out the patio furniture and soak up some vitamin D.

This is a recipe I've been working on all winter and I finally got it pinned down. Quinoa and cheese are excellent together. Throw in some vitamin-rich spinach, and you've got a tasty and healthy side dish. I like to use Colby-Jack cheese, but any variety, such as cheddar or Parmesan will work too. Hard cheeses are naturally low-FODMAP (having little to no lactose) and you can use lactose-free or non-dairy milk. This dish is also very low-fructose and perfect for people with fructose malabsorption. I like to serve this with fish (such as Baked Salmon).

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Cheesy Baked Quinoa and Spinach
serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon Garlic Infused Oil or olive oil
2 cups packed fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup lactose-free or non-dairy milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (I like to use Colby-Jack)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the quinoa and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until quinoa is tender and liquid is absorbed.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute just until spinach is wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir the sauteed spinach into the cooked quinoa. Whisk together the milk, egg, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add milk mixture and 1 cup of the shredded cheese to the quinoa and stir well.
Transfer to a lightly greased 1.5 quart casserole dish and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup cheese and bake until melted, about 5 more minutes. Serve.

Low-FODMAP Banana Bread

2013-04-18T11:08:00.003-07:00

So here's the thing with bananas: If they are unripe they have fructans (according to IBS-Free at Last!). As the bananas ripen, the starches (aka fructans) are converted to sugars. A ripe banana has about equal amounts fructose and glucose, so they are tolerable to some people with FM and IBS in small amounts. (See this Livestrong article for more detailed information). The glucose gives the fructose a "free ride," so to speak, across the small intestine wall.

If you are able to tolerate a small amount of banana like me, you should be able to tolerate this banana bread. It is sweetened with powdered dextrose and made with white rice flour and starches. Banana bread happens to be one of my most favorite treats. When I was in high school I would come home from school and find that my mom had made a loaf during the day. I'd cozy up with a magazine, a cup of hot cocoa and a slice of fresh banana bread for my after-school wind-down. Great memories. I'm glad I finally came up with a recipe good enough to share!

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Low-FODMAP Banana Bread
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup powdered dextrose
2/3 cup white rice flour
3 tablespoons potato starch
3 tablespoons tapioca flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly grease a 4"x 8" loaf pan.
In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the eggs, melted butter and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth.
In a medium bowl, sift together the dextrose, rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, cinnamon, baking powder, soda and salt.
Add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and blend well.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool and slice.

Low-FODMAP Lemon Herb Skillet Chicken

2013-04-16T06:05:00.000-07:00

I've had this recipe idea on my mind for a long time and I finally got around to making it. Since figuring out how to make my own garlic oil, I thought it would be the perfect time to try it out with this recipe. This recipe is low-FODMAP and low-fructose. Chicken breast are seasoned with salt, pepper and herbs, then sauteed in garlic infused oil. Then a quick lemon sauce is prepared in which the chicken simmers. It's the perfect dish to throw together for a week-night meal.

If you don't have any garlic oil or cannot tolerate it, you can use plain olive oil or butter. I served this over white rice spaghetti from Tinkyada. It would also be delicious served over rice or quinoa. A quick spinach side salad rounds out the meal. Let me know what you think. Enjoy!

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Low-FODMAP Lemon Herb Skillet Chicken

serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 teaspoon Italian herb blend season
(such as McCormick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon Garlic and/or Onion Infused Oil or olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 lemon, juiced (about 1 tablespoon juice)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

Directions

Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness using a mallet. Season both sides of chicken with Italian herbs, salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook until browned, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove skillet from heat and place chicken on a plate and cover to keep warm.
Deglaze pan with wine, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Return skillet to medium-low heat and simmer wine until reduced slightly.
Whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch and add to skillet. Stir in the lemon juice and bring back to a simmer. Put chicken breasts back in skillet and place lemon slices on top of each one. Cover skillet and continue to cook until chicken breasts are no longer pick in the middle or have reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Serve chicken and sauce over rice or noodles.

Homemade Garlic and/or Onion Infused Oil

2013-04-15T14:40:00.002-07:00

Last week I blogged about store-bought garlic oil. I got to thinking, how do we know that there are actually not any fructans in it? Well, we don't. So I decided the best way to have garlic oil for IBS and fructose malabsorption, is to make it from scratch. It really is not difficult and is much, much cheaper!

I decided to try adding some onion to the mix too. I don't see why it wouldn't work. I found this nifty Low-FODMAP chart from the University of Arizona that says garlic infused oil and onion and garlic sautéd in oil and then discarded is low-FODMAP. So why not add onion to the infused oil as well? I came up with a delightfully aromatic oil to flavor my favorite dishes.

Some things to keep in mind: Some especially sensitive individuals may not be able to tolerate infused oils. Also, garlic infused oils should be kept in the fridge and stored no longer than one week to reduce the risk of botulism.

First, I sliced two cloves of garlic in half lengthwise and took six larges pieces of a quartered onion.

Add the garlic and onion to a small saucepan with 1/2 cup olive oil. I used extra-virgin olive oil because I love the flavor, but any old olive oil will do.

Heat over low heat until it just starts to simmer. You will see little bubbles around the garlic. Remove from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Then remove the garlic and onion pieces. You are now ready to use your infused oil.

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Garlic and/or Onion Infused Oil

makes 1/2 cup

Ingredients

2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced lengthwise
6 pieces of a peeled and quartered onion
1/2 cup olive oil

Directions

Place 2 cloves garlic, onion and oil in small saucepan over low heat. Heat just until the garlic starts to simmer. Remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes. Remove garlic and onion pieces and discard. Pour oil into a clean, airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to one week.

For just garlic infused oil (no onion), use 3 cloves of garlic and follow the above instructions.

IBS and Me

2013-04-12T15:28:00.000-07:00

Where, oh where, was this book about 15 years ago? I just finished reading IBS - Free as Last by Patsy Catsos. I really wish I had known about it back when I was first diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). Instead, I was eating all the wrong foods for years and years.

"Fiber! Eat lots of fiber!" were what all the doctors said. So I did. Working in the natural foods department of a grocery store made it so easy to get my fill of brown rice, whole grains and other healthy foods. But I felt like crap. I had so much gas and pain. In the meantime I started to get involved on allrecipes.com. I was trying out recipes, taking photos and writing my own recipes. From there I started this blog. I was eating all of these great foods, but not feeling well at all.

One day a customer came into the store looking for some special food for her son, who has fructose intolerance. Something clicked in my brain and when I home that evening I immediately looked it up: Fructose Malabsorption (FM). All of the symptoms matched. So I stopped eating so many fruits and vegetables and I dramatically felt better. Next I gave up wheat and felt even better. So I started writing recipes that would work for my new way of eating.

I discussed it with my doctor and she didn't think testing was necessary because if I feel so much better on my new diet, why have a costly test? I don't know for sure if I actually have fructose malabsorption (FM), but I do know that I have IBS. I also know that I feel a gazillion times better eating a low-fructose diet. Fortunately, a low-FODMAP diet works for both IBS and FM, so I will continue to eat this way and create low-fructose recipes. Many people with FM also have problems with the other FODMAPs, so that is why I'm transitioning to calling my recipes Low-FODMAP. I was kind of selling my recipes short just calling them low-fructose!

Well, after reading IBS-Free at Last I am thinking about having the hydrogen breath test. I don't want to be limiting myself if I don't have to. I'm also going to redo my elimination diet and see if there are some things I could be eating or things I shouldn't. I seem to be eliminating more and more foods from my diet, but is it really necessary? I've always thought that I'm not lactose-intolerant, but maybe I am. We'll see. For now I'm just enjoying coming up with great recipes that are tolerable for me and taste great too. And if you, my readers, like them too, then all the better!

I'm really just learning as I go, and I'm writing this blog because maybe it will help someone. This whole post I've been rambling, but I would like to close it with a great quote from IBS-Free at Last. It sums up how important it is to find what works for you and your family.

"You should eat and feed your family the best you can with the time and money you have available, not feel guilty or ashamed if you fall short of someone else's idealistic vision of dietary perfection." - Patsy Catsos, IBS - Free at Last!

Beef Tips & Gravy, Oh My!

2013-04-08T08:30:00.002-07:00

Oh my, did this dish turn out yummy! I've been craving beef lately. I like to think that when I crave something, that means that my body is telling me I need the nutrients it provides. I just happen to love red meat, so this is not a problem (as long as it's grass-fed!). I was in the mood for a classic, homey meal and thought of beef tips and gravy. My husband and I both love the classic meat and potatoes meal.

Most of the recipes out there on the internet for beef tips and gravy call for packets of gravy mix, soup mix or cans of condensed soup. Really? Whatever happened to using real ingredients? Salt, pepper, oil, butter, wine, broth.....that's all you need to make the most delicious dishes.

So let's talk about the ingredients and IBS and fructose malabsorption. Usually, beef tips have onion. I actually skipped the onion and I didn't even miss it. I've never really cared for onion that much, even before I found out I had an intolerance to them (maybe my subconscious was telling me). I used garlic oil, wine and beef broth to give the dish some extra flavor. If you do love onion and want to use it, you can cut it up into large pieces and let it simmer with the beef and then remove it before serving.

The mushrooms are also optional. Mushrooms contain polyols and raffinose, which is composed of galactose, fructose and glucose. So you can imagine that they would be hard for someone with fructose malabsorption and IBS to digest. I think I had a reaction to them after eating this meal so I doubt I will eat them anymore. I will still use them in recipes, but just pick them out. My husband loves mushrooms, and I love my husband, so...

Whatever ingredients you decide to use in this dish, I'm sure you will enjoy it. Oh my, we sure did!

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Low-FODMAP Beef Tips and Gravy
serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. beef stew meat, cubed
2 tablespoons gluten-free flour (such as Sweet Rice Flour Blend)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon roasted garlic oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 oz. sliced mushrooms (optional, or as tolerated)
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup beef broth (plus more if necessary)
mashed potatoes or rice

Directions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the meat, flour, salt and pepper. Shake to evenly coat the meat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the meat and brown on all sides, making sure you get nice brown, flavorful crust on the meat.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add the butter. Add the mushrooms (if using) and saute until brown and tender. Remove the meat and mushrooms to a plate and keep warm.
Deglaze the pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits. Let simmer until reduced slightly. Stir in the beef broth and reserved meat and mushrooms. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender. Add more beef broth if necessary.
Serve over mashed potatoes or rice.

Garlic Oil & Roasted Salmon

2013-04-05T07:58:00.000-07:00

I wanted to introduce you to a great low-fructose and low-FODMAP cooking ingredient: garlic-infused oil! I am a little sensitive to garlic. I can eat cooked garlic in small amounts, but I know many people are very sensitive to it. Well, this is a great way to add garlic flavor to your dishes, without the "actual garlic."

Garlic contains fructans (fructose chains), which are not absorbed by the small intestine and thus travel to the large intestine, where they are fermented and cause gas, bloating and other issues in people with fructose malabsorption and IBS. Wheat and onions are also big sources of fructans in the average diet.

In a garlic-infused oil, the garlic has been soaked in the oil and then removed. What you are left with is the flavor of garlic, but not the flesh of the garlic, which is where the fructans are located. You can make your own, but I always worry about the risk of botulism. There are ways to ensure your are infusing the oil properly, but I'm such a worrier, I'm better off buying it already made! Plus, store-bought lasts longer. Visit this site on how to make your own.

I bought my Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Garlic Oil from a specialty food shop (The Pantry in Sartell, MN). You should be able to find it wherever you can find Stonewall products, usually at specialty and gift shops. I'll be on the lookout for other brands and options when I'm out shopping.

I thought this roasted salmon recipe would be perfect to try the garlic infused oil in. I kept seeing this Pioneer Woman method for roasting salmon on Pinterest and finally decided to try it. Bottom line, it's the best way to cook salmon ever! The texture and flavor of the salmon is just perfect every time. I make salmon for dinner at least once a week, and lately I've been gravitating towards this recipe every time. I have yet to get tired of it. Here is my version, using garlic-infused oil and individual salmon fillets.

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"Garlic" Roasted Salmon
adapted from The Pioneer Woman
serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. salmon fillets
1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Directions

Place salmon on a large baking sheet or pan. Coat both sides of fillets with garlic-infused oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a cold oven, then turn the oven on to 400 degrees F. Set timer for 25 minutes. Salmon is done!

Quinoa is the New Oat: Monster Cookies

2013-04-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

I was really bummed to figure out that oats weren't agreeing with me. I love oats! But what I'm finding is that quinoa is a great replacement for oats. I love my quinoa porridge in the morning and now I've come up with these cookies.

Monster cookies have always been my favorite cookie. The combination of peanut butter, oats, M&Ms and chocolate chips is the best. It turns out quinoa flakes add a wonderful texture, not exactly like oats, but still pretty good. I've been doing a lot of experimental baking with quinoa flakes and this is the first recipe good enough to share so far.

I love Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes (no, I'm not paid to say that). I'm even "friends" with Ancient Harvest on Facebook. My husband saw this on his feed and asked how I could be friends with a grain. "First of all," I replied, "quinoa is a seed, not a grain. Second of all, I like quinoa and it likes me, so leave us alone." Truth is, my husband likes quinoa too. In fact, he didn't even realize these cookies were made with quinoa instead of oats.

Unfortunately, natural peanut butter does not work in this recipe. I find the consistency of natural peanut butter to be, well, inconsistent. I try to mix up the peanut butter in the jar as best I can, but I always end up with thicker peanut butter on the bottom and thinner at the top. It's just too inconsistent for baking, which requires more preciseness. So processed peanut butter it is. Oh well, these are cookies, not exactly healthy anyways! These are gluten-free (pretty sure M&M's are gluten-free), but they are not low-fructose, so eat them in moderation (like I try to and my husband completely fails at).

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Quinoa Monster Cookies
makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter (not natural)

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup cane sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk chocolate M&M's
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the quinoa flakes, baking soda and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and sugar until smooth, then beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the quinoa flake mixture while mixing. Fold in the M&M's and chocolate chips.
Drop by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies just start to brown around the edges.
Let cookies cool on baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.

White Rice Flour Yeast Bread (Gluten-Free, Low-Fructose)

2013-04-01T13:08:00.000-07:00

I've already shared my recipe for yeast bread made with sorghum flour, but I really wanted to find a good recipe for bread made with white rice flour. I know some of you out there with fructose malabsorption are super-sensitive and may not be able to tolerate sorghum flour. I seem to tolerate it fine, and I like to use it because it's higher in fiber and protein than white rice flour. But still, I wanted to find a white rice flour bread recipe.

I came across this recipe on Pinterest. It's from King Arthur Flour. We sell a lot of King Arthur products in my natural foods department, so I knew this was probably going to be a great recipe. I was not disappointed. I adapted it to use white rice flour instead of brown rice. I think it turned out great. My husband and I were so excited to try it, we had it for dinner that very night I made it, dipping it in olive oil and vinegar, like a restaurant. Unfortunately, it does dry out quickly, so either eat or freeze it within a day or two. If you don't...well, it's also delicious as toast too.

Just remember to resist the urge to let the bread rise too much in the loaf pan. If the bread rises too much, it will collapse. I know this from experience! There is also sugar in this bread, but it is needed to "feed" the yeast so it rises. It's a small amount of sugar. If you slice the loaf into, say, 16 slices, that would be about 1/2 teaspoon sugar per slice. Which is 2 grams of sugar per slice, half of which is fructose. So, low-fructose, but not fructose-free. Good enough for me!

Before I share the recipe with you, I just had to share this photo of my pug Moo Moo. She photobombed one of my food photos again! I think she really wants a piece of bread, what do you think?

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White Rice Flour Yeast Bread (Gluten-Free, Low-Fructose)
adapted from King Arthur Flour
makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch/flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant (quick-rise or rapid-rise) yeast
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 cup warm milk (or non-dairy alternative)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (or non-dairy alternative)
3 large eggs

Directions

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the white rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, sugar, yeast, salt and xanthan gum.
Slowly pour in the warm milk while mixing on low. Add the butter and beat until thoroughly blended.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Beat the batter for 3 minutes on high.
Cover bowl and let batter rise for one hour in a warm place.
Scrape down sides of bowl once again to gently deflate the batter. Grease an 8" x 4" loaf pan and pour batter into pan. Smooth out the top using a spatula. Cover (with plastic wrap sprayed with cooking spray) and let rise in a warm place just until loaf barely crowns above the rim of the pan, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the bread until golden brown, about 38 to 40 minutes.

Potato-Crusted Tilapia with No-Pickle Tartar Sauce

2013-03-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

This delicious, crispy tilapia recipe is both gluten-free and low-fructose. Enjoy with my pickle-free version of tartar sauce!

I think this is my new favorite way to prepare tilapia. A customer at the store I work at told me how to make it. I was showing her all the new gluten-free items we have. I pointed out the new gluten-free panko and how it would be great to bread fish with. She told me that her favorite way to bread fish is using potato flakes. Just dip the fish in flour, then egg, then potato flakes. Finally, cook in oil. It sounded easy and wonderful! So I decided to write this recipe. I used tilapia, but you could use any kind of white fish, such as cod or walleye.

Of course, breaded fish made me think of tartar sauce. My mom used to make tartar sauce simply by combining mayonnaise and sweet pickle relish. Pickles, sweet or dill, aren't really an option for me anymore since they don't agree with my digestive system. So I came up with this substitute. It gets its zip from white wine vinegar.

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Potato-Crusted Tilapia
serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound tilapia fillets
3 tablespoons white rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mashed potato flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

On a plate, combine the white rice flour, salt and pepper. Place the lightly beaten egg on a plate. Spread the potato flakes out on yet another plate.
Dip both sides of each tilapia fillet in flour mixture, then egg, then potato flakes.
In a large skillet, heat oil and melt butter together over medium-high heat. Brown the tilapia fillets for about 3 minutes per side, or until browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve with tartar sauce (recipe below) and lemon.

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No-Pickle Tartar Sauce
serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together all of the ingredients until well blended. Serve with your favorite fish recipe.

Step-By-Step Instructions on Potato-Crusted Tilapia

Get your assembly line ready: tilapia, flour, egg and potato flakes.

Dip tilapia in white rice flour, salt and pepper.

Next, dip in the egg.

Finally, dip tilapia in the potato flakes.

I use a large cutting board to place the prepared tilapia on while it waits to be cooked.

Melt the butter with the oil in a large skillet.

Add the tilapia and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Vanilla Bean Pudding with a Low-Fructose Version

2013-03-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

This pudding is gluten-free, egg-free and comes with a low-fructose option. Use vanilla extract if you don't have vanilla beans!

I was sick with a terrible head cold last week. That means I was a very picky eater. I only wanted to eat macaroni and cheese, chicken soup, crackers and pudding. Since I have a bunch of vanilla beans left over from making my own vanilla extract, I decided to make some vanilla pudding. I couldn't find a recipe that was exactly like I wanted, so I did what I usually do and made up my own.

I made a reduced-sugar version, as well as a low-fructose version. I can eat real sugar in small amounts, but I didn't want to overdo it, so I came up with a version that uses dextrose instead of sugar, making it very low in fructose. Not being lactose-intolerant, I used 1% milk for this pudding. I haven't tried making this with a non-dairy milk, such as almond milk or rice milk, but you could give it a try. Also, if you don't have vanilla beans, you can use vanilla extract instead.

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Vanilla Bean Pudding

serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup pure cane sugar ~or~ 1/2 cup powdered dextrose
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used 1%)
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped ~or~ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

In a large saucepan, whisk together the sugar or dextrose, the cornstarch and salt. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking. Add the seeds from the vanilla bean to milk mixture, along with the bean. Turn heat to medium-low and cook while stirring, until mixture thickens, but do not boil. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. If using vanilla extract instead of bean, stir in with the butter. Discard vanilla bean and pour into four serving dishes. Chill before serving.

Roasted Potatoes with Spinach

2013-03-21T13:15:00.002-07:00

I can tolerate potatoes. I can tolerate spinach. It seems only natural to combine the two. Vegetables and potatoes in one. It couldn't be easier or tastier! It's the perfect side dish for my fructose malabsorption.

Most of the time I make this dish with red potatoes, but lately I've been using a medley of purple, red and yellow potatoes. Those purple potatoes are so nutritious! The more color in your food, the better it is for you. Just roast the potatoes up in some olive oil and rosemary and then stir in the spinach at the end. What else can I say except that they are delicious!

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Roasted Potatoes with Spinach
serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes or potato medley, quartered
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups fresh baby spinach

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish or cookie sheet.
In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Spread potatoes out on the baking dish or cookie sheet. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until tender.
Remove potatoes from oven and stir in the spinach. Return to oven for 1 to 2 minutes more, or until spinach is wilted.

My "Nothing Sounds Good" Lunch

2013-03-19T13:34:00.000-07:00

I feel a little silly posting about this "recipe," but maybe someone will find it helpful. I mostly follow a moderate-carb diet. I eat a lot of salads and protein, but I feel my best when I do eat some carbs, usually some quinoa, potatoes and rice/rice pasta. I really try to not eat much carbs for lunch, but sometimes nothing sounds good to me. Sometimes I'm sick. Sometimes I'm hungry, but can't stand the thought of another salad or a bowl a soup. So I turn to macaroni and cheese. Annie's makes a couple gluten-free boxes of mac 'n cheese that are very tolerable to me. Just rice pasta and cheese.

Of course, mac 'n cheese always sounds good to me (who doesn't it sound good to?). But the inner health nut in me says, "There's no nutrition in that!" So I acquiesce and add some protein in the form of a can of tuna. Maybe it's weird, but I think tuna goes well in mac 'n cheese. Kind of like tuna noodle casserole. But then the inner healthy nut in me asks, "Where's the vegetables? You need to eat your veggies!" So I acquiesce again and add some spinach. Baby spinach is pretty mild, so I usually don't even notice it's there, but it adds so many nutrients. What I'm left with is this concoction. It tastes good and it's somewhat healthy. Here's how I dress up a box of macaroni and cheese.

Gather your ingredients.

Prepare the macaroni according to package directions. While the macaroni is boiling, place the spinach in the bottom of a colander.

Drain the pasta over the spinach to wilt it.

Return the macaroni and spinach to the pan and stir in the milk, cheese packet and tuna. Stir and eat. Wasn't that easy?

Gluten-Free, Low-Fructose Irish Soda Bread

2013-03-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

This savory version of Irish Soda Bread is gluten-free, low-fructose and very moist and tender. Enjoy warm and slathered with butter!

Happy St. Paddy's Day! (Wow, that was a lot more cheerful sounding than I really feel...) I recently came across a Gluten-Free Irish Soda Bread recipe and realized it would be a great bread option for someone with fructose malabsorption, especially because it's made with white rice flour. It's great for someone who is a novice baker. It's a quick bread recipe, meaning that there is no yeast or rising involved. Just mix and bake. It's also a great option for my readers who can't eat nuts.

I've never made Irish soda bread before. I always meant to when I was still eating wheat, but never got around to it. I have no idea how Irish soda bread is supposed to taste, by my husband and I thought this was delicious! I guess traditional Irish soda breads have currants or raisins in them, and of course I can't eat those, so this is a savory take on this quick bread. We enjoyed this bread with our dinner, nice and warm and slathered with butter. It's also great for sandwiches too. Just cut off a wedge and slice it in half. Add your favorite meat and cheese.

This bread bakes up best in a cake pan, but I also tried it in a loaf pan. It tended to get a little too brown on the bottom, so the larger the loaf pan the better. This ensures that the bread gets cooked through before getting too brown on bottom. I baked this in an 8" x 4" loaf pan, but I'd recommend a 9" x 5" loaf pan. I think a light-colored metal pan works best too (as opposed to a dark, nonstick pan).

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Gluten-Free, Low-Fructose Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

scant 1 cup milk or non-dairy substitute
1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, light olive oil or canola oil
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 1/2 tablespoons powdered dextrose (or 1 Tbsp. sugar)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9" cake pan or a 9" x 5" loaf pan.
Add the 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to a glass measuring cup. Pour in milk to equal 1 cup. Stir and let sit for two minutes. Combine the milk, egg and oil in a medium bowl.
In a large bowl, mix the rice flour, tapioca starch, dextrose (or sugar), baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the milk mixture and blend together.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool in pan for 15 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack or serve warm.

Low-Fructose Slow-Cooker Lemon Chicken (Gluten-Free Too!)

2013-03-13T14:50:00.001-07:00

I've seen several incarnations of this recipe making their way around Pinterest. It sounded so good, I decided to make a low-fructose version because of my fructose malabsorption. The recipe mainly calls for lemon juice and a packet of Italian salad dressing mix. The lemon juice works since lemons are very low-fructose. The packet of Italian dressing mix is another story. Lots of onion and garlic. Not good. So I decided to make my own mix of salt, pepper and herbs (sans onion and garlic), much like I did in my Slow-Cooker Chicken Stroganoff recipe.

To flavor the chicken and sauce with onion and garlic, I left them in large pieces. Then I simply removed them before eating. I seem to be able to tolerate onion and garlic this way. Of course, if you are super-sensitive, you can leave the onion and garlic out all together. It will still be a very tasty meal. Don't be daunted by the long list of ingredients. It's mostly different herbs. This really is a very easy dish!

Another note on the flour. I like to use a mix of flours in this recipe. Not only to help brown the chicken, but to help thicken the sauce as it cooks. Potato and tapioca starches are great for thickening and I like the rice flour for browning.

Here is my Italian salad dressing mix replacement: salt, pepper, herbs, onion and garlic. The onion and garlic are removed before eating.

Coat chicken with the flour blend and then brown the chicken on the stove top in the butter.

Place the chicken in the slow cooker. Sprinkle on the herbs and spices and scatter the onion and garlic around. Pour in the lemon juice, chicken broth and white wine.

Cook on low for about 4 hours, remove the onion and garlic pieces and serve over rice, pasta or even quinoa!

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Low-Fructose Slow-Cooker Lemon Chicken
serves 4

Ingredients

20 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large pieces
3 tablespoons all-purpose gluten-free flour ~or~
mix together 2 tablespoons white rice flour,
2 teaspoons potato starch, 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
1/4 cup unsalted butter or non-dairy substitute
1/4 onion, cut into large pieces (optional, or as tolerated)
1 clove garlic, smashed, but left whole (optional, or as tolerated)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)

Directions

Coat the chicken pieces in the flour.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and brown on each side.
Transfer the chicken to the slow cooker. Sprinkle with onion, garlic and herbs and seasonings. Pour lemon juice, chicken broth and white wine (optional) over top.
Cover and cook on low for 3 to 4 hours. Remove and discard onion and garlic (if using).
Serve chicken and sauce over rice, pasta or quinoa.

Do You Rinse Your Rice?

2013-03-12T11:58:00.002-07:00

You probably should. Believe it or not, most rice has arsenic. Rice absorbs more arsenic from the soil and water than other grains do. A Consumer Reports tests showed about 1 microgram to 7 micrograms arsenic in 1/4 cup uncooked white rice (and even more for brown rice). According to Nutrition Action Health Letter (March 2013), most Americans are exposed to lower levels of arsenic than in other countries, but it's best to play it on the safe side, since arsenic is a carcinogen.

Because of my limited diet, I do eat white rice weekly, so I decided to start rinsing my rice and cooking it in a large amount of water and then draining the extra water off when tender (just like cooking pasta). This can remove up to half the amount of arsenic that may be present according to Nutrition Action. I found that the rice cooks quicker too, only taking about 12 minutes.

To rinse my rice, I put it in a fine mesh sieve and take my sink's sprayer to hose it down. I give it a really good rinse and toss it around a lot.Then I fill a large cooking pot with water and boil the rice for about 12 minutes, then drain. Just like cooking pasta!

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

2013-03-11T13:27:00.000-07:00

These cookies have only four ingredients and are gluten-free!

Obviously, I'm on a chocolate kick right now. I love chocolate and can eat it as long as I don't overdo it. Dark chocolate is my favorite. I even liked dark chocolate as a child. I was always the weird kid who chose the Special Dark in the package of Hershey's miniatures. I also remember being the only girl in my first grade class to pick the black licorice instead of strawberry when the teacher handed them out as a treat one day. My weirdness started young.

I didn't make these cookies for me though. I made them for our neighbor. He helped us blow out our driveway after the snow storm last week so we could get to work. He deserved some cookies for that. Since I had a package of Hershey's Special Dark Kisses hanging out in my pantry, I thought of these cookies. They are so easy. Only four ingredients. And naturally gluten-free.

Start by unwrapping 36 Special Dark Hershey's Kisses.

Then mix together one cup sugar, one cup peanut butter and one large egg. I used my Kitchen Aid, but you can do it by hand, too.

Roll the dough into 36 3/4-inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. As soon as they come out of the oven, press a Kiss in the center of each cookie.

Transfer to a cooling rack and see if you can wait until they are cool to devour one!

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Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

36 Special Dark Hershey's Kisses
1 cup cane sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Unwrap the Hershey Kisses.
Combine the sugar, peanut butter and egg with a mixer or by hand. Blend until smooth.
Roll dough into 36 3/4-inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a Kiss in the center of each cookie.
Transfer cookies to cooling rack.

Low-Fructose Fudge Brownies

2013-03-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

These brownies low-fructose and gluten free. Sweetened with dextrose and baked with a combination of almond flour and white rice flour, they have a wonderfully fudge-like texture.

This recipe has been a long time in the making. I started working on it last fall, I think, and got frustrated and gave up. I just couldn't get it to work. Well, sometimes it's good to step away from something that isn't working out for a while. When you go back to revisit it, you can look at it with fresh eyes and get it figured out. I'm glad that's what I did, because I finally came up with a low-fructose and gluten-free brownie that tastes awesome!

Like I've said before, I don't really know if chocolate has fructans or not, but I don't seem to have much of a problem with it. It's the sugar in chocolate that I have to be careful with. These brownies are made with unsweetened chocolate, but then sweetened with powdered dextrose. So if you can tolerate chocolate (but not the sugar in chocolate), then this recipe is for you.

What I was finally able to figure out is that a combination of almond flour and white rice flour works the best. Last fall when I was experimenting, I would either use all almond flour or a white rice flour blend (with potato and tapioca starches). The almond flour brownies were too light and spongy and the white rice flour blend brownies were too dry. This week I decided to try a mix and it worked perfectly. The almond flour keeps the brownies moist and the rice flour adds a little weight to make them "fudgier."

It you can't eat nuts, I did test these out using just white rice flour (no other starches to dry it out) and it seemed to work very nicely. Check out the note below the recipe for a nut-free version.

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Low-Fructose Fudge Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup powdered dextrose
1/2 cup blanched almond flour* (see note below for nut-free version)
1/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1-oz. squares unsweetened chocolate

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8" x 8" square pan.
In a medium bowl, combine the dextrose, flours, baking powder and salt.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat. Remove pan from heat and add the egg mixture, stirring until thickened, like pudding. Add the flour mixture until stir until smooth.
Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, just until the middle is set. Be careful not to over-bake.
Cool completely and cut into squares. Enjoy!

* For nut-free brownies, simply substitute the almond flour for another 1/4 cup white rice flour (so you are using a total of 1/2 cup white rice flour).

Low-Fructose & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (White Rice Flour)

2013-03-06T19:48:00.000-08:00

March. Blah. I finally got myself out of a late-winter funk to write another blog post. I'm not going to lie, I've been depressed. Depression seems to go along with fructose malabsorption. That, and feeling taken advantage of at work, and another snow storm with eight inches of snow, sent me into a tail-spin. I've finally emerged today and am feeling more like my usual self. What better way to cure depression than with a post about chocolate? Especially chocolate chip cookies.

My preferred flour for baking is almond flour and that is what my first low-fructose chocolate chip cookie recipe is made from. However, I know some people are allergic to nuts, so I wanted to try making chocolate chip cookies with white rice flour. I do have another cookie recipe that is made with white rice flour, Low-Fructose Sugar Cookie Cut Outs, so go check it out if you are interested. As a side note, I am working on a better almond flour cookie recipe too. That first one I made was the first time I baked with dextrose and I just quickly threw them together to satisfy a craving. Those are great in a pinch, but I want to come up with something a bit better.

These white rice flour cookies are not fructose-free, since there are a small amount of chocolate chips in them, but they are indeed lower in fructose than your standard cookie. I like to use mini chocolate chips because you can get away with using less, but still get a taste of chocolate in each bite. You can use as little or as many chocolate chips as you can tolerate. I used 1/4 cup, which I worried was too much, but I calculated that there is about 1.3 grams of sugar from the chocolate chips per cookie, which is 0.7 grams fructose, assuming that half of the sugar is fructose. (Per the package of Nestle: 1 Tbsp. chips has 8 grams of sugar, multiplied by 4 for 1/4 cup is 32 grams, divided by 24 cookies, is 1.3 grams.)

Of course, they are sweetened with dextrose, which has no fructose. I think these taste best made with melted butter. I tried them with both softened butter and melted butter, and I'm not sure why, but I think melting the butter gives the cookies a richer taste. It also helps the cookies spread out more. You can use a non-dairy butter substitute if you like. Well, enough talking about them. Just bake and eat them! Let me know what you think.

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Low-Fructose & Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (White Rice Flour)
makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup powdered dextrose
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (or as tolerated)

Directions

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, starches, xanthan gum, salt and baking soda.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the melted butter and dextrose together. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture while beating. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate one hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease.
Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place on prepared cookie sheet at least 3 inches apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (rotating sheet halfway through) or until cookies are lightly browned around edges.
Cool on cookie sheet about 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Peanut Noodles with Chicken & Greens (Gluten-Free & Low-Fructose)

2013-02-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

These addictive noodles are gluten-free, low-fructose, and made healthier with the addition of some chicken for protein and greens.

My obsession with peanut butter continues, as well as my obsession with Pinterest. As much as I dislike Pinterest because it's so addicting, I love it because it is such a source of inspiration. Like these noodles. I've come across several peanut sauce recipes on Pinterest and was inspired to adapt them for a low-fructose and gluten-free diet. I tried several and the one I'm sharing with you is my favorite.

I added some white rice spaghetti, some chicken for protein and greens in the form of spinach and cilantro. A trick I like to use for cooking the spinach when I'm adding it to a pasta dish is to drain the pasta over the spinach. This wilts the spinach just enough and then it's really easy to stir in from there. I enjoyed this dish for lunch, but it would be great for dinner too. These noodles are definitely as delicious as they look!

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Peanut Noodles with Chicken & Greens (Gluten-Free & Low-Fructose)
serves 2 (recipe can be multiplied)

Ingredients

4 oz. Tinkyada gluten-free white rice spaghetti (1/4 of a 16 oz. package)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 tablespoons creamy, natural, no sugar added peanut butter (I like Smuckers)
1 tablespoon powdered dextrose (or 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar, if tolerated)
1/2 tablespoon vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
1 teaspoon gluten-free tamari sauce
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
pinch garlic powder (if tolerated)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the spaghetti and boil 2 minutes. Turn heat off and cover pot for 19 minutes. (This is the energy saving instructions for cooking the Tinkyada spaghetti.)
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Season the diced chicken breasts with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Cook until browned, flip and cook until other side is brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, dextrose (or brown sugar), vinegar, tamari sauce, toasted sesame oil and garlic powder (if tolerated). Stir until smooth.
Place the spinach in the bottom of a colander. When the spaghetti is done after 19 minutes of soaking in the covered hot water, drain into the colander over the spinach (this will wilt the spinach). Return spaghetti and spinach to the pot. Stir in the cooked chicken, peanut sauce and cilantro. Serve with peanuts sprinkled on top.

Something New for Breakfast, Please!

2013-02-25T15:19:00.000-08:00

These bagels are gluten-free, low-fructose and so easy to make. Smear them with cream cheese for a breakfast treat like you used to have.

I rotate between the same two things for breakfast: quinoa porridge and scrambled eggs with a muffin. On weekends I will have pancakes (with fructose-free syrup!) and bacon or sausage. But I'm getting tired of my weekday routine. I really miss bagels with cream cheese. I can still eat the cream cheese, but the bagels, not so much. I was inspired to create a bagel recipe after making a new bread recipe from Art & Potatoes. We are on our third loaf of Sesame Bread and we love it. My husband is wheat-free too, and he really likes this bread for his sandwiches.

Sesame Bread from Art & Potatoes

What I noticed about the Sesame Bread was the crust. It was almost like....the outside of a bagel. Hmmmm.....So I got to work. The bagels turned out even better than I expected. I could not believe how much like real bagels they taste! I already had a doughnut baking pan that I haven't even used yet (Wilton from Amazon). If you don't have a doughnut pan, you could use a muffin tin or even make it as a small loaf.

One of the ingredients is glucose syrup. Glucose syrup is the stickiest substance known to man. OK, to me. Glucose syrup is the stickiest substance known to me. You can buy it at craft stores, such as Michael's or Jo-Ann Fabrics, in the cake decorating section. Colleayn from Art & Potatoes informed me that she contacted Wilton and they they confirmed that it is 100% glucose. Hooray! Like I was saying, it is super sticky, so I find it easiest to make this recipe in my food processor to "chop up" the syrup and help it blend in. Since they are cinnamon, I wanted my bagels a little sweeter, so I upped the amount.

You can toast or warm them and smear them with cream cheese or butter. They are even good just on their own. I swear, you will be amazed! So here is the recipe with the step-by-step instructions below. Special thanks to Art & Potatoes for the inspiration!

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Quick Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bagels (Low-Fructose Too!)
makes about 9 (3-1/4") bagels

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup tapioca flour/starch
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
1 tablespoon oil (such as light olive, organic canola, or grapeseed)
1 tablespoon glucose syrup* (or honey if low-fructose is not desired)
1 teaspoon vinegar

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a doughnut pan.
Add to a food processor the almond flour, tapioca starch, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Pulse several times to blend.
Add the eggs, oil, glucose syrup (or honey) and vinegar. Pulse until well blended and smooth.
Fill the doughnut pan just a scant full and bake for about 15 minutes, until just starting to lightly brown on top. Cool slightly and turn out onto a cooling rack.
When bagels are cool, slice and spread with your favorite toppings.

*If you aren't sure about the glucose syrup, you can use 1 tablespoon powdered dextrose instead. It should not effect the end result too much.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Quick Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bagels:

Lightly grease your doughnut pan. This is a non-stick pan, but I still like to spray it anyways, to ensure the bagels come out.

Add all of the dry ingredients to a food processor. (You can make this recipe with a mixer or by hand, but I find it easiest to use a food processor.)

Pulse several times until blended.

Add the wet ingredients and pulse again until smooth.

Pour into the doughnut pan, each one almost to the top. Hopefully you won't be as messy as me!

Bake for about 15 minutes. They should be brown on the bottom and just starting to brown on top.

Let cool in the pan a few minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack. Enjoy.