Creating delicate meat sauces often calls for flour or other non-gluten free ingredients to thicken or enrich sauces.  That’s why I love this recipe. Whether you are celebrating Easter or Passover in the coming month, this classic lamb entree will add elegance and taste to any discerning holiday table.  This succulent recipe has a delicious sauce that is strictly gluten-free of course (and don’t tell anyone but it’s oh so simple to make).

Holiday Lamb in Rosemary Sauce

Lamb Ingredients:

• 2 pounds lamb chops (about 8 chops/servings)
• 1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

Rub lamb with garlic and pepper.   Refrigerate covered for 2 hours.  Combine sauce ingredients  and brush on to lamb.

Grill at 400ºF to 500º until lamb reaches desired tenderness.  Turn once.

Rule of thumb:  Meat is considered cooked when the center of the thickest part of the meat is a minimum of  140ºF measured with a  meat thermometer.

Enjoy!

This delicious gluten-free side dish is a perfect complement to your Easter Dinner.  It’s also kosher for Passover.  A big favorite in my home, I also serve the dairy version as an every day main dish with a side salad.  For a calorie conscious version of this recipe use low-fat cheese and skip the butter or margarine and coat potatoes with a “spritz” of low fat cooking spray.

Julie’s Gluten-Free Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4-6 peeled and sliced russet potatoes 1/8 inch thick (approx 1.5 pounds)
• 1 medium onion
• 2 medium garlic cloves minced
• 1/4 teaspoon  pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1.5 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons margarine (or butter)
• 2 tablespoons potatoe starch
• 2 cups non dairy creamer (or milk)
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Paprika
• Optional: 4 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Mix potatoes with seasonings, garlic and onion and place in a  greased casserole or baking dish.  Combine remaining ingredients  in a separate bowl and mix well until all ingredients are blended.

2. Pour non-dairy creamer or milk  over potatoes. Dot potatoes with margarine or butter. Sprinkle with paprika (and cheese for dairy option) .

3. Bake 1 hour until potatoes are golden and sauce is bubbly.

While most traditional beers are made up of water, barley, yeast and hops, thus supremely off limits to anyone with celiac disease,  the gluten-free community has created enough momentum in the last few years to gain the attention of brewers across the globe.  Initally brewers began experimenting by  formulating gluten-free beers that were greeted (with some singularity) to a lukewarm reception.  Recently however, there has been a huge explosion of superior gluten-free beers on the market with great qualities (color, head, aroma and bouquet) that have gained the attention of gluten-free and non gluten-free consumers alike.  Below is a list of my favorite gluten-free beer labels.   Cheers!

Bards Beer : “The Original Sorghum Malt Beer”. A gluten-free classic.

Green’s Beer:  Strong European taste.  A good fit for a vegan or vegetarian diet

New Grist Beer:  Handmade beers in the tradition of early Milwaukee brewers

Red Bridge Beer:  Sorghum based.  A specialty beer with full body flavor

Ramapo Valley  Honey Beer: Called the Passover Honey Lager because it’s Kosher for Passover and is uniquely honey based

As a mom I want to recreate those same special memories with my own kids and cookie baking is an activity that everyone happily participates in (even my teenagers seem to hang around when I start baking).  You can imagine my excitement when I stumbled across a gluten-free oatmeal cookie recipe that would meet the dietary needs of my celiac family.  The smell was heavenly and the cookies tasted even better.  I hope you enjoy these as much as we do:

Gluten-Free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ gluten free flour mix

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon2 sticks butter (or shortening)  softened

1/2 cup brown sugar packed

1 cup white sugar sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups gluten free oats

1 cup quinoa flakes

½ cup chocolate chips

½ cup raisins

Directions

1.  Sift flour and combine all the dry ingredients together.

2.  Cream butter (shortening) and white and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla.

3.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients slowly for even consistency.

4.  Refrigerate the dough for 90 minutes.

5.  Spoon drop cookies onto a baking sheet, leaving room for the cookies to spread.

6.  Preheat the oven to 350*.  Bake cookies until edges are crisp and brown, center will still be soft, approximately 12-15 minutes depending upon your oven.

7.  Let the cookies cool completely or they will crumble.

Enjoy!

Chocolate pudding cake is – well – a heavenly, rich, chocolaty experience and if you haven’t already tried it get into your kitchen right now and put on your apron! And yes, this gluten-free recipe happens to be a favorite.  It’s very simple to bake (and even simpler to eat) and comes out of the oven oozing with chocolate pudding.  Eat it while it’s warm.

Ingredients

• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup gluten-free cake flour (your favorite brand)
• 1/2 tsp xantham gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbs vegetable oil or butter
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbs vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a bowl, mix together flour, white sugar, 3 Tbs. of the cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix in the milk, oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir with a fork until well blended.
4. In a lightly greased baking pan, spread batter evenly.
5. In a separate bowl mix the brown sugar, and the rest of the cocoa.   Sprinkle this over the batter in the pan.
6. Pour boiling water gently but evenly over the top of the batter (it looks a little weird but don’t worry!).  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until cake is bubbling and jiggly.
7. Let cool for 5 minutes.

For a cool contrast, serve with vanilla ice-cream or whipping cream.

Now doesn’t that sound like a slice of  (gluten-free) heaven?

As   consumers we  don’t want to be bamboozled by slick  marketing ploys filled with health and wellness claims that have not yet been substantiated, yet as gluten-free prosumers we should take this report as a healthy sign.  The term gluten-free is now in the major radar of consumer good  manufacturers.  Manufacturers recognize that gluten-free consumption is important to a broader and ever-growing audience  with both marketing dollars and media attention spotlighting a gluten-free lifestyle. The market for gluten-free food and beverage products grew at a compound annual growth rate  of 28% from 2004 to 2008 to finish with almost US$1.6 billion in retail sales last year, according to market research publisher Packaged Facts. With market analysts reporting that the  2012 the market is expected to reach about US$2.6 billion in sales this will hopefully translate into more intensive research and development of  new gluten-free products to stock our wheat-free pantries online and offline.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Heart Candy

You will need:

• Heart-shaped candy molds (or find molds that have an indent for skewers and make chocolate lollipops)
• 1 lb. of  your favorite gluten-free chocolate
• Decorative candies, sprinkles, decoratings gels (Try Cake Mate, they’re gluten-free)
• Teaspoon for adding chocolate to the molds
• Wax paper
• Plate
• Wooden skewer
• Microwaveable bowl
• Tupperware for storing and freezing
• Cooking oil
• Paint brush fine bristles for decorating

Directions:

1. Add chocolate and a teaspoon of gluten-free oil or margarine to a lightly greased/sprayed microwaveable bowl
2. Microwave on low for 1 minute, and then stir it. Repeat this process until the chocolate is mixed well, and fully melted.
3. Spoon the melted chocolate into the mold cavities. Using both hands, tap the mold lightly on your counter to remove air bubbles and to even out the chocolate.
4. Put the chocolate filled  molds into the freezer for approximately 10 minutes.  ”Quick cooling” via freezer isn’t just faster it also creates a shinier chocolate surface.
5. Remove the molded candy gently the chocolate candy mold. Turn it upside down and gently tap it on the table. If the chocolate sticks to mold, warm a cloth in hot water and gently rub the outside of the mold for 10 seconds. The candy should  drop right out,and be ready for eating or decorating.
6. Store it in a freezer safe Tupperware container.  Separate each layer of chocolate with wax paper to avoid chocolate sticking together.

Decorating Tips:

Polka Dots: Use a thin paint brush to dot colored icing onto chocoate.  Add contrasting colors for added fun.

Drizzled look: Use a teaspoon to drizzle melted chocolate in contrasting colors across the molds.

Drizzles: Use a spoon to drizzle melted chocolate across the molds by sweeping a spoon back and forth and allowing chocolate to fall in streams.

As much fun to make as it is to eat, gluten-free chocolate  molds can be modified to fit any holiday.  On Mother’s Day, I use this gluten-free recipe with a chocolate flower mold.  Place 6 artfully decorated chocolates into a pretty gift box and wrap with a ribbon.  Voila! An instant gift.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownie Recipe

3/4 cup Cocoa
1 cup oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup potato starch
2 cups sugar

Beat all the ingredients together and bake in a sprayed 9×13 pan on 350 for 1/2 hour.

I’m still searching for the eggless gluten-free brownie for Julie’s family.  If any of you have successfully made one, please share the wealth!!!

Top Ten Helpful Ideas for SuperMoms Juggling Multiple Allergies

1 Eat real and natural food. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store where the healthy food (produce) is, not the center aisles where there are more manufactured products and labels to read.

2 Have an emergency protocol in place. Initially this takes time but having a plan will also help cut down on time spent worrying or panicking during an emergency. First, know everything there is to know about your child’s medication and how to use it. Make sure the entire family knows exactly where it is kept. Assign one family member the task of calling 911 when there is an emergency. For more information contact the ELL Foundation.

http://www.ellfoundation.org/

3 Make meals out of a slow cooker such as simple meats and veggies. Stephanie O’Dea (a.k.a. Crockpot Lady) has some great gluten free recipes. http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/

4 Go Tech! Gluten Free Passport app is available for moms on the go. You can personalize these allergens for yourself and others. Choose from 176 menu items customized to your allergens.

http://www.glutenfreepassport.com/apps/iEatOut.html

5 Write it down. Keep a list of foods your child can eat as well as recipes that work well. You may want to invest in a separate recipe box and journal. Also, keep a list of good foods and bad foods in your purse so you always have a quick reference. I even had my list printed on a business card and laminated at Kinkos.

6 Break out the blender. Smoothies and protein shakes make a nice quick breakfast. Blend an allergy free protein powder (like brown rice protein), your favorite non-dairy milk, add some agave or fruit and you have yourself a nice quick breakfast. One quick recipe is 1-2 cups of almond milk, 1 tbs of brown rice protein, a frozen banana and 1-2 TBS of soy nut butter (if there’s a peanut allergy), and a dash of cinnamon. You can even make a big batch and keep a shake or two for later.

7 Get to know your local restaurants and develop a relationship with them. Initially this takes time but eventually it is worth it because they will know Mrs. So-and-So’s kid has a peanut allergy and you won’t waste time (or energy) worrying about your order.

9 Keep allergy free quick snacks on hand: Veggies with hummus or guacamole, cut up avocado, fruit, applesauce, lettuce wraps (use big lettuce leaves instead of tortillas and wrap your meat leftovers) and of course there are plenty of allergy free granola bars and products on the market. Here are a couple of terrific gluten free food manufacturers to check out:

Enjoy Life products

http://www.enjoylifefoods.com/our_foods/snacks.php
Glutino Productshttp://www.glutino.com/
Larabars are sold at Trader Joe’s at reasonable priceshttp://www.larabar.com/food/about-larabar

10 Invest in a few new threads. Allergy Apparel is a clothing line that speaks for your kids when you cannot. Plus, the t-shirts and hoodies are really cool.

http://www.allergyapparel.com/ If you need to send your child to a school party and you will not be present, a shirt that reads “No Nuts or Milk” can really be a lifesaver.

Recommendations:

There are a bunch of great food allergy sites that offer support and information:

http://allergymoms.com/index.php

http://allergykids.com/

http://www.foodallergymama.com/

While this is not a food allergy site per se, it does offer a lot of great advice on managing a successful household.

http://flylady.net/

Additionally I can recommend some great cookbooks that deal with managing multiple food allergies. All these books have one thing in common, the use of real food.

The Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free Cookbook by Nicola Graimes

Raw Food Real World by Sarma Melngailis and Matthew Kenney

Raw Food Made Easy by Jenny Cornbleet

Nearly Normal Cooking For Gluten-Free Eating: A Fresh Approach to Cooking and Living Without Wheat or Gluten by Jules Shepard

http://www.julesglutenfree.com/

Go Dairy Free by Alisa Fleming

http://www.godairyfree.org/

In addition to writing the Chicago Eats Allergy Free blog, Patricia is a PAC (Protect Allergic Children) consultant with ELL. ELL is a non-for-profit organization that stands for Eating, Living and Learning. She assists families, schools, and daycare centers in their quest to thrive in an allergy safe environment.