GF Tips:

~Check out my "Recipe Index" Page for some products that I LOVE! Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page and click on the product you want to know about.

~Cooked & Uncooked Pasta~
~This isn't really a gluten-free tip, but I thought it was really interesting and helpful: 1 cup of small (elbow, rotini, penne, etc) pasta, equals approximately 2 1/2 cup of cooked pasta.


~Sour Cream Substitute~

~This is a tip that I have been using lately with great success so I thought I would share! Try using yogurt instead of sour cream in recipes. Generally try to use plain, but in somethings, a flavor would really go well. In my Cocoa Banana Muffins, I use strawberry yogurt....strawberries, bananas, chocolate...works for me!!!!! I hope you will give it a try!

~Xanthan Gum~
~Xanthan gum. This would be my number one tip; DO NOT  bake without it! This took me a few months to fully come to grips with, but it really is the key to making anything gluten-free edible! Wheat flour has gluten in it, which makes baked goods fluffy and hold together. So if you don't have gluten, you have a dense, crumbly mess! Xanthan gum WILL help that! I buy it at a local health food store. You can also purchase it online at Bob's Red Mill.

~Breading and binding~ 
~Bread Crumbs: I use cornflakes or quick oats in place of
bread and cracker crumbs in recipes.


~Mixer~
~This is not essential, but it has been a huge blessing in my gluten-free baked goods; a Bosch Mixer. I didn't have one when I first started making gluten-free things. Then our mixer died and this is the new one we got. I really don't know why, but it made a HUGE difference in the way our things turned out. Much better taste and texture. Like I said, I don't really know what makes the difference, I just know it does!

~Eating Out~
Eating out can be a little tricky. Please check out my "Eating Out" page, and also read my disclaimer about that topic HERE.

~Thickening~
~Instead of using flour to thicken something like a sauce, gravy, etc...use cornstarch instead! It works great and doesn't change the taste at all! I generally use this recipe for everything I thicken: 1/3 cup cornstarch mixed well with 1/2 cup very cold water. Stir into boiling liquid and cook and stir until thickened. Make one batch, and if doesn't get thick enough, you can make another batch.  

~Making Soup and it doesn't turn out as thick as you had hoped? Try stirring in small amounts of potato flakes until the desired consistency is reached!! 




Disclaimer:
I am not a medical professional. I'm just an average person who is following a gluten-free diet. Please read labels and do your own research to insure that ingredients and products are gluten free. Things change quickly in the gluten-free world.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great tips Karissa! I also finally found out about using Xanthan Gum. I wish someone would've known about it years ago. I practically gave up eating any breads because they were so dry and crumbly. Now I've learned I can't use Xanthan Gum either, because of corn allergy, so I found that I can substitute Guar Gum. It works well ust like the Xanthan.

Diana

Karissa Brazeal said...

Diana:
Thank you so much!! I'm glad you found them helpful. That's also interesting about the Guar Gum as I did not know it would act like the xanthan gum! Please come back often!!

Ashley said...

Karissa!
I'm so happy you made a blog!!! Now I can keep up with your tips & recipes instead of bugging you all the time :) I passed your link on to some friends interested in the gluten-free lifestyle, hope you don't mind :)

Karissa Brazeal said...

Thanks Ashley!! And Thanks for passing it on! That's great!

Unknown said...

Thanks for these good tips. I don't bake much but am searching for nutribullet recipes.

The eating out suggestion concerns me, though. There is waay too much cross contamination that occurs in restaurant outings. You have to ask is there a dedicated space in their kitchen for gluten-free preparation and hope they will have integrity and tell the truth.

Karissa Brazeal said...

Felecia,
Thanks for stopping! I am working on some smoothie recipes for the nutribullet....I just have to get my amounts down, and then I'll be posting them!
As for my tips on eating out, I just added a new Eating out Page to my blog, and I had forgotten that I had an eating out tip on the Tip Page. I have actually removed that tip, and would encourage you to check out my Eating Out Page, and also make sure you read my disclaimer, as I explain many of the concerns you have mentioned!
Thanks, again, so much for stopping by!!
Karissa