Archive for Recipes
Rainbow Apple Salad Recipe
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I’ve had a few questions about the Rainbow Apple Salad I included in my menu last week, so I thought I would share the recipe.
Inspired by Debbi’s recipe for Broccoli Apple Slaw, I threw together a salad after seeing a bag of Rainbow Salad at Wegmans. I have really been enjoying the salad for lunches during the week. The recipe keeps evolving, but this is what I’m enjoying right now.
Rainbow Apple Salad
Ingredients:
- 6-8 Cups Shredded, or julienned, Vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, purple cabbage and carrots (I purchase a 10 oz. bag of Wegman’s Rainbow Salad and add some matchstick carrots.)
- 2 large crisp and sweet apples, cored and chopped (about 4 cups)
- 1 Cup dried Cranberries
- 1/2 Cup Poppyseed dressing (Read the ingredients to make sure it’s gluten-free or try my recipe for Honey Poppyseed Dressing.)
- 1/2 Cup chopped nuts or sunflower seeds (optional)
Directions:
- Combine the vegetables, apples, and cranberries.
- Pour the dressing on the salad, and toss to evenly coat the salad.
- If desired, sprinkle nuts or sunflower seeds on top.
- This makes a salad large enough to share — about 8 servings.
- It’s great as a side salad, too. Serve with Pulled Pork Sandwiches or a simple grilled chicken breast.
Review More Great Recipes
Find more gluten-free recipes at Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker.
Find more healthy recipes at Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.
Holiday Meringue Cookies
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I’ve had so much fun making meringue cookies. There is so much you can do with them. They are naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Perfect for most of us. (Of course, if you have a problem with eggs, this isn’t the cookie for you.) They are light and airy, crispy on the outside, a little chewy inside, and oh so yummy.
I’ve already shared the rubber duckies and ghosts I’ve made in the past. Now, I’m sharing some that are more appropriate for this season: Snowmen and Christmas Trees!
Basic Meringue Cookie Recipe
Ingredients:
2 large egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
food coloring (optional)
1/2 Cup superfine sugar
candy for decorating (optional)
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 200° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium glass or metal bowl, beat the egg whites until they become foamy little bubbles. Add the cream of tartar, almond extract, and food coloring. Continue beating at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar while beating until smooth and glossy and stiff peaks form.
- Fill a piping bag with open or large round tip. (I used Wilton disposable decorating bags.) If you don’t have these, you can simply use a zip-style plastic bag and cut the tip off a corner to squeeze out the meringue.
- Next add candy to finish the look.
- Place in the oven and bake for 2-3 hours. (Smaller, thinner cookies will bake/dry out in 2 hours. Larger, fluffier cookies will need more time or they will be sticky on the bottom.)
- Let them cool on the cookie sheets.
- Place them on a plate to serve, or store in an airtight container.
Snowman Notes:
For the snowmen, I started by squeezing out a round shape of meringue for the head then moved to the middle and bottom to finish it.- I used Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips
for the eyes and buttons, and cut up Tootsie Roll Midgees
for the boots. I’m thinking now that I should’ve cut out some hats, too. What would Frosty be without a hat?
- For the “carrot” nose on the snowmen, I used orange colored Jimmies
.
- I was able to make 15 snowmen from one recipe.
Christmas Tree Notes:
For the Christmas Trees, I started squeezing out the meringue at the top of the tree. Then, I made diagonal zigzags to finish the shape.- I tried two different sprinkles for the ornaments/lights on the trees – Rainbow Sprinkles
and Rainbow Sparkling Sugar
. I think I like them best plain.
- For the star/diamond on the top of the tree, I didn’t have any star-shaped candies or sprinkles. Instead I cut mini marshmallows into thirds then covered with yellow sugar for the star/diamond on the tree. I gave the ends a little squeeze to make them diamond-shaped.
- My kids thought the trees needed trunks, so I cut up Tootsie Roll Midgees into quarters.
- I was able to make 20 Christmas Trees from one recipe.
**Be creative and use whatever extra candy you have. These Jumbo Star Sprinkles
More Meringue Cookie Recipes:
- Carol’s Chocolate Cherry Cloud Cookies at Simply…Gluten-Free
- Shirley’s Coconut Meringue Cookies at Gluten Free Easily
- Zoe’s Crispy Crunchy Meringue Cookies made with honey instead of sugar at Z’s Cup of Tea
- Celiac Family’s Rubber Duckies Meringue Cookies and Raspberry Divinity Tarts
- Celiac Family’s Ghost Meringue Cookies
Ghost Meringue Cookies
Raspberry Divinity Tarts
Rubber Duckie Cookies
Review Even More Great Recipes at:
- Gluten-Free Wednesdays at The Gluten-Free Homemaker where you’ll find more gluten-free recipes. The theme this month is chocolate, so you may find lots of GF chocolate recipes this week!
- Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free where you’ll find more great recipes that are a little healthier.
Menu Plan November 21 – Thanksgiving Week
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So how are you doing with Thanksgiving plans this year? Everyone has a different approach to managing a gluten-free diet during this festival of eating. Some people do all the cooking themselves and invite the family to their house. Some people go to another house, but take their own gluten-free meal with them. We usually do something in between and this year is going to be fairly simple for us.
My brother-in-law is hosting Thanksgiving at his house this year. So, for me, that means no extra housecleaning to do and no tables to set before the festive occasion. We will contribute to the feast, however, because we all like to bring something to help with the meal. I’ve confirmed that the turkey will be gluten free, but I know that not all the food will be gluten-free.
I do know that what we’ll be taking will be gluten free. We’ll take a raw vegetable platter with hummus that can double as an appetizer and as a vegetable side dish if necessary. My husband will be making a big pot of his famous garlic mashed potatoes to take. And, I’ll be making desserts to share with everyone. I’m going to make my grandmother’s recipe for pumpkin pie using Annalise Roberts’s recipe
So that’s how we’ll be managing our Thanksgiving feast with friends and family. Gluten-free turkey, mashed potatoes, raw vegetables, and desserts will be plenty to fill us up. There will probably be other dishes we can eat as well, but as long as I know we have the basics covered, all will be good. We can feel comfortable knowing that we’re eating safely and just be thankful to enjoy the company of good friends and family.
For more ideas of gluten-free dishes for Thanksgiving, you can check some of these past posts at Celiac Family:
- Thanksgiving roundup of recipes from last year
- Sweet Potato Casserole with a marshmallow and crunchy pecan topping
- Broccoli Mushroom Bake Casserole
- Quinoa with Broccoli and Mushrooms
Sweet Potato Casserole
Broccoli Mushroom Casserole
Quinoa, Broccoli, Mushrooms
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And don’t forget to check out the Gluten-Free Menu Swap roundup below. With Thanksgiving as the theme this week, there are sure to be plenty of more ideas for eating gluten free during the yearly food event.
Slow-Cooker Pulled Pork
Indian Chicken with Quinoa
Marinated Flank Steak
Celiac Family’s Menu This Week:
Monday - Pulled Pork Sandwiches with French Fries and Corn. I’ve got pulled pork in the freezer, so this will be an easy night.
Tuesday – Eating Out. The kids still haven’t gotten to eat out because they keep taking turns being sick. So, we’ll try again.
Wednesday – Pizza. I’ll use Bob’s Red Mill pizza mix
Thursday - Thanksgiving. We’ll be contributing a raw vegetable platter, garlic mashed potatoes, and a few desserts.
Friday – Indian Chicken with Quinoa
Saturday - Flank Steak with Baked Sweet Potatoes and Spinach Salad
Sunday – Leftover Buffet
Gluten Free Menu Swap Roundup
Emily at Our Frugal Happy Life is responsible for the dinner rolls and a pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving at her in-law’s. She’s also making Cheeseburger Rice, Chicken and Veggie Skillet, and Ranch Chicken this week. And, like so many of us this week, leftovers will also be on her menu.
Cheryl at Gluten Free Goodness is taking it easy this year for Thanksgiving with a quiet evening at home. She hasn’t finalized plans for a Thanksgiving meal, but it sounds like she may be making applesauce. Also on her menu this week is Curried Chicken and Cauliflower and Beef Stew. In case you missed it earlier this month, Cheryl posted a list of gluten-free turkeys and a roundup to help with your Thanksgiving plans.
Wendy at Celiacs in the House has her Thanksgiving meal all planned, complete with links to recipes for Diane’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Shirley’s Crustless Pumpkin Pie, Carol’s Soft Dinner Rolls, and more. The remainder of her week includes Steak, Shelby’s Spicy Chicken, Cauliflower and Mushroom Soup, and Curried Turkey Soup.
Lisa at Extraordinary Life posted her traditional Thanksgiving Menu earlier this week. She includes links to her recipes for Stuffing, Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes, Green Bean Casserole, Candied Yams, and more. This week, she’s has on her menu Pot Roast, Chili, and burgers. And for the after-Thanksgiving leftovers: Open-faced Hot Turkey Sandwiches and Turkey Noodle Soup.
Paige at Not Missing a Thing! shares her tricks (and links to recipes) for preparing a gluten-free and dairy-free Thanksgiving dinner. Her pie crust looks pretty amazing. The rest of her week includes Sonora Enchiladas, Gina Chicken over Rice, and Spaghetti and Meatballs.
Angela at Angela’s Kitchen has a busy week of cooking ahead. Fortunately, she has three kids out of school and ready to help! She has a great plan for a delicious gluten-free and dairy-free Thanksgiving menu including Roast Maple Turkey, Gravy, Roasted Garlic-Sage and Sausage Stuffing, Green Bean Casserole, and more. The rest of her week looks just as busy, and just as yummy: Thai Thighs, Apple Sausage Quiche, and Turkey Wild Rice Soup to name just a few of the meals she has planned.
Debbi at Debbi Does Dinner Healthy & Low Calorie is joining us this week for the first time. She is starting her week with Sweet and Sour Chicken and ending the week with French Onion Risotto and Alta’s Shepherd’s Pie with Pumpkin Souffle. Debbi also has links to recipes for a Sweet Potato Hummus and a Crockpot Pumpkin Oatmeal that sound wonderful. Click over to Debbi’s site to say hello and check out what more is on her menu this week.
Thanks to everyone for joining the GF Menu Swap this week. Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t forget next week’s menu swap will be at Our Frugal Happy Life with Twist on Pizza as the theme.
Want to join Gluten-Free Menu Swap?
For this week’s roundup, email your menu link to me at celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com. Or, simply put your menu link in the comments below.- For next week’s roundup, email the link of your menu plan to Emily at Our Frugal Happy Life.
- I’ve updated the Gluten-Free Menu Swap Page with the current schedule of themes and hosts. If you’d like to host a future week, please send me an email (celiacfamily[AT]gmail[DOT]com) with your preferred date and theme.
Need more menu ideas?
- Laura at OrgJunkie.com hosts Menu Plan Monday every week. You’ll find links to hundreds of meal plans (not necessarily gluten-free) there.
- Or, check out some of my past menu plans.
Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins
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I made a batch of these mini muffins a few weeks ago for two reasons. One, I was getting bored with our breakfast routine. And two, I thought I would freeze some for school mornings when I needed to serve a quick breakfast. Well, I never got around to freezing them because they disappeared so quickly. So, the next week I made another batch, and still couldn’t get them into the freezer fast enough. The kids gobbled them up for breakfast and after-school snacks. In two days they were gone. So, I guess I’m going to have to bake more, and double the recipe next time.
Chocolate Chip Banana Mini Muffins
Ingredients:
1 Cup mashed, ripe Bananas (about 2 bananas)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Coconut Nectar
1/4 Cup Grapeseed Oil
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Cups (9 oz./250 g) Pamela’s Baking and Pancake Mix
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 Cup mini Chocolate Chips
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare a Mini Muffin Pan
by spraying with oil, or using paper liners.
- Mash bananas in a mixing bowl. Add eggs, coconut nectar, oil, and vanilla. Beat until thoroughly combined.
- Add Pamela’s Baking Mix
and salt, and continue to beat.
- Mix in the chocolate chips.
- Drop scoops
of about 1-1/2 Tbsp of batter into the prepared muffin pan, or until each cup is about 2/3 full.
- Bake at 375° F for 10 minutes.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then finish cooling directly on a wire rack.
Additional Notes:
- Makes about 3 dozen mini-muffins, depending on how full you fill the cups.
- For simplicity, I used Pamela’s Baking Mix
- I have now made this recipe several times using different sweeteners – honey, coconut nectar, and agave. I’m happy to say that they all turned out delicious. I’m sure that sugar would work, too, but I didn’t even feel the need to try it.
- If your family doesn’t eat them as quickly as mine, put them in a sealed container or bag in the freezer. Because they’re small, they thaw quickly on the counter. Or, just pop them into the microwave for a warm treat.
Gluten-free Play Dough
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Update September 9, 2011
When I was speaking with my daughter’s teacher last week, she told me that she likes to use play dough in the classroom. I told her that it would be a problem for my daughter, but that I’d be happy to make some gluten-free play dough for the class. For some classes in the past, I’ve purchased pre-made play dough, and my kids have just used their own personal supply of gluten-free play dough. But, I’ve also made play dough for the whole class to use. I’ve done well with the Kool Aid recipe below without problems, but I didn’t have the Kool Aid needed. And, I often had to add a lot of cornstarch to it after it cooked.
I decided to adjust the recipe to make it easier and faster to make. After one completely disastrous attempt, I came up with a recipe that was absolutely the easiest and fastest I’ve ever made. I kept Cream of Tartar in the recipe, but found that Xanthan Gum wasn’t needed. Five minutes of measuring and mixing, three minutes of cooking, and another five minutes of kneading in the color resulted in hours of fun! And, the texture was perfect – just like you would expect homemade play dough to be.
Easiest Gluten-Free Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
1 Cup White Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Cornstarch
1/2 Cup Salt
1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
1-1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 Cup Water, hot but not boiling
Food Coloring, as desired
Directions:
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium pot.
- Add the vegetable oil, then the water, and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.
- Heat the pot on the stove over low heat for about 3 minutes. I like to stir frequently with a silicone spatula.
- When the dough starts to pull away from the sides easily, turn out the dough onto parchment paper. Let it cool briefly until you can work it with your hands.
- Knead food coloring into the dough until you get the color you desire.
Additional Notes:
- Don’t overcook the dough. It shouldn’t need more than five minutes.
- To add food coloring, I use the method I’ve used since I was a kid: Using your thumbs, make a well in the middle of the ball of dough and drop the food coloring into the well. Close up the well with the outside dough, keeping the food coloring in the middle of the ball. Then, carefully begin kneading it until the color is evenly distributed throughout the dough.
- You don’t have to use the parchment paper. The dough shouldn’t be sticky. I use the parchment paper to simply keep residue and food coloring off my counter top. Wax paper or a plate would work just as well.
- If needed, adjust the texture with small amounts of water (for dry, crumbly dough) or cornstarch (for sticky dough).
- Makes about 2 cups of play dough, or about 2 baseball-size balls of dough.
- Store in tightly sealed plastic bags or containers.
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Original Post January 28, 2009
We’re on our second snow day at home and the kids were happy to pull out the play dough for something to do. I was amazed that it was still good. It’s been a couple months since we’ve played with it, and about 9 months since we first made it! We’ve tried several recipes for play dough, but this one is our favorite. The Kool-Aid gives it a nice scent and additional color. You can use the additional cornstarch to adjust the consistency as needed. We store different colors in zip-type plastic bags and put them all together in a plastic bucket with a lid.
Gluten-Free Play Dough Recipe
Ingredients:
2/3 Cup rice flour
1/3 Cup potato starch or cornstarch
1/3 Cup salt
2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1 Tbsp Cream of Tartar
1 pkg unsweetened Kool-Aid
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Cup warm water
Additional food coloring optional
Extra potato starch or cornstarch for kneading dough – We use a lot to get a preferred consistency.
Directions:
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the rice flour, potato starch or cornstarch, salt, xanthan gum, Cream of Tartar and Kool-Aid powder.
- Add the oil and the warm water to the flour mixture and mix well. (If you want to add food coloring, mix it first with the warm water.)
- Heat the mixture on medium heat for about one minute or until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat.
- Turn the dough out onto a cornstarch-floured surface or parchment paper.
- Knead in enough potato starch until the dough is no longer sticky.
- Store in an airtight container or bag when not in use.
Notable Links:
- Don’t want to make it? Try Colorations Gluten-Free/Wheat-Free Dough at Discount School Supply
.
