by Tiffany on November 20, 2009
Gluten-Free Naturals Cookie Blend Mix
Even though turkey day has not arrived yet, before you know it holiday music will be streaming from the radio and the full-on holiday rush will be upon us. Holiday music is already playing on one station in our area and all the stores are decorated for the holidays.
Making sugar cookies with kids is a holiday tradition for many people. However, when someone can’t eat gluten, this is easier said than done. There are various gluten-free sugar cookie recipes online. Check these recipes out if you don’t want to use a mix -
For people who prefer to using baking mixes, rather than making cookies from scratch, there are some gluten-free mixes that yield excellent cookies. The Gluten-Free Naturals Cookie Blend flour works wonderfully for both chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever served cookies made from this mix without being asked for the recipe. Most of the time the request is from glutenoids so that proves it’s an exceptional cookie flour! To use the Gluten-Free Naturals mix in your own sugar cookie recipe, follow the instructions on the bag for doing so. It’s super simple and oh so delicious!
Always one to take shortcuts in the kitchen when possible, I have to share that the absolute easiest (and quickest) way to make wonderful gluten-free sugar cookies is to buy the frozen pre-formed cookies from Glutenfreeda. The Chip Chip Hooray and Sugar Kookies from this line get rave reviews from everyone I know who has tried them. The stated cooking time is a little longer than you would want if you like soft cookies. Also, since the cookies are quite large, they can be quartered. When cut into quarters, the cookies take approximately ten minutes to bake. Left over cookies can be stored in an airtight container for several days on the counter.
No matter what sugar cookies you make, they can be decorated with colored sugars, sprinkles or icings. Remember to check the ingredients of any cookie trimming supplies before purchasing them, to make sure they are gluten-free. Kids love decorating their own cookies and if they can’t eat gluten, this activity will be an extra special experience for them. Some ‘bigger kids’ might even want to get creative with their sugar cookies during the holidays. I’ve never been a big fan of sugar cookies but I’m addicted to the Chip Chip Hooray cookies from Glutenfreeda. Those incredible cookies changed my gluten-free life!
Enjoy the holidays by taking some time to honor your family holiday traditions this year. What’s important is not what you can or can’t eat, but who you’re eating with!
by kay on November 18, 2009
For my family, Thanksgiving dinner isn’t really about the turkey, it’s about all the dressings! In the final installment of our Thanksgiving Tip series, we’ll talk about how to make a gluten-free stuffing in 4 steps that everyone – even your gluten-loving family and friends – will love.
1. Choose your Bread Type
Of course, the key to stuffing is gluten-free bread. So, first, you need to decide what kind of bread you want to use. White bread and cornbread are most traditional. I’ve used bread from mixes, pre-packaged bread, and homemade bread. They all come out delicious. So pick your favorite.
2. Cube It
After you’ve chosen what kind of bread you want to work with, cut them into 1-inch cubes. If you’re making the bread at home, let it dry for an hour or so after you take it out of the oven, before you cube it. This way the bread won’t fall apart when you try to cut it. And, the cubes will come out a lot cleaner.
3. Dry It
Once you’ve cubed the bread, let it dry so that it’ll soak up all that wonderful celery-broth-oniony flavor you’re going to mix it with later. Spread the cubed bread out on a cookie sheet and let it dry overnight. Spread things out in a single layer and don’t overcrowd the cookie sheet. You want there to be plenty of air circulating between each cube so that they dry sufficiently. TIP: I like to let my cubed bread dry in the oven (keep it turned off), to keep the pets away.
Don’t worry if you forget to dry the cubes overnight. I’ve done this too. Just pop the cubes into an oven at 200 degrees. Toss them every 15 minutes until they’re dry, which will take about 30 minutes.
4. Add Your Own Personal Touch
The bread cubes are the hardest part. The next step is just the same as with any other stuffing – gluten-free or not. So use your family recipe and just sub in the gluten-free bread crumbs one for one with the “regular” ones. Or, if you want to try something new, here are some recipes:
- Where I’m from in the South, we use eggs in our stuffing (not just stock). Gluten-Free Girl has a stuffing that calls for an egg yolk.
- If you have a Whole Food nearby, they have a recipe that calls for their ready-made bread cubes.
- This one from Chef Jason Graham that uses sausage.
- The CSA’s maverick recipe calls for sour cream!
And here’s the recipe we use at our house.
Triumph Family Stuffing Recipe
1 Gluten-Free Loaf of Bread
1 Slice Fatty Bacon
2 T Butter
1 medium onion, medium dice
Celery, medium dice
Chicken Stock
2 handfuls of Dried Cranberries
- Shave off the crust from the bread. Cut 8 one-inch slices. Then cut the slices into one-inch cubes.
- Dry overnight.
- Dice the bacon. (It’s helpful to stick the bacon in the freezer for 10 minutes prior; it’ll make it easier to chop.) Cook bacon with butter over medium-high until the bacon fat has rendered and the meat is crispy.
- Remove the bacon and set aside. Add in the onion and an equal amount of celery. Add salt, pepper, and sage to taste.
- Saute until the onions are soft and translucent.
- In a large buttered 9×13 inch pyrex dish, mix the bacon, onion/celery mixture, cranberries and dried bread together. Pour enough chicken stock over the mixture just to moisten.
- Cover with foil and bake in oven at 425 degrees for ½ hour. Remove foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes until the top is crusty.
- If at any point during baking, stuffing seems dry, add more chicken stock.
- Enjoy!
What to know which stocks, broths and spices are gluten-free? Check out the Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide. It’ll make Thanksgiving shopping for 2 or 20 a breeze!
by Tiffany on November 18, 2009
It seems like every where you turn these days, you find out about another restaurant offering gluten-free menu options. As someone who dines out often, I find this to be an exciting trend in the restaurant world. Just a couple of years ago, it was not that easy to find places to accommodate our gluten-free dinner club, but these days we can’t take advantage of all the offers we get to host the group!
The Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP for short) just announced four new additions to their gluten-free dining program. Each place that participates in this GIG program has gone through a vetting process. The goal is that staff at said places understands gluten-free ingredients, safe food prep and how to get keep the meals gluten-free all the way to the table. While the participating restaurants can’t be guaranteed, most of the time you’ll find locations that are part of the GFRAP line up do better than places that have not gone through any gluten (or other allergen) service training.
Three of the four new GFRAP restaurants are actually part of a regional chain in Houston. The Italian place in in NY state.
- Bellizzi
1272 Boston Post Road
Larchmont, NY 10538
- Goode Company Texas BBQ
5109 Kirby Drive
Houston, TX 77098
- Goode Company Texas BBQ
8911 Katy Freeway
Houston, TX 77024
- Goode Company Texas BBQ
20102 Northwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77065
There doesn’t seem to be a gluten-free menu posted on the Goode Company Texas BBQ site, but the Bellizzi gluten-free menu looks simply amazing! It includes appetizers, soups, salads, house specialties, pasta and two sizes of gluten-free pizza. That is what I call an impressive gluten-free menu! Based on the website details, it appears the Larchmont location didn’t post the gluten-free menu yet. Please contact them directly before deciding to dine there. The Mt. Kisco has the gluten-free menu on their site.
If you live near any of these new GFRAP restuarants, I hope you’ll give them a try. We all need to support places that are striving to accomodate our community. It is only through serving gluten-free patrons on a regular basis that service improves. Usually, places that do a good job of getting and keeping gluten-free patrons find out how loyal we are and they start to offer more gluten-free options as time goes by.
Most of us are never going to live near a 100% gluten-free restaurant so we need to give places trying to feed us safely a chance. Too many people write off eating out once they start following the gluten-free diet. It is not impossible to dine out gluten-free but some people seem to want you to believe that it is. Learn to eat out safely (our guide will help with that part) and enjoy eating out again!
by Tiffany on November 16, 2009
The Whole Foods website always has a huge selection of holiday recipes but this year, they have a huge selection of gluten-free holiday recipes too! I’m not talking about a handful of recipes but a nice selection for several categories including Appetizers, Main Courses, Side Dishes, Desserts & Treats and Beverages. There is also an advanced search feature on the Whole Foods website. For example, you search for gluten-free, dairy-free recipes or nut-free, soy free, low sodium or vegan options.
Instead of dreading holiday events and meals, we can actually look forward to them. It just takes a little more planning and organizing on our part on our part to be able to enjoy holiday gatherings. Most any dish you can think of can be made gluten-free and many other people have done the work to figure out how to convert recipes for us. This means we don’t have to start from square one on everything we need make gluten-free during the holidays.
What is really nice about the huge selection of gluten-free recipes from Whole Foods is that you don’t have to live near a Whole Foods store to use them. When recipes call for their brand of something, just substitute another gluten-free brand.
Check out the interesting appetizers below. It’s always a good idea to have something for people to nibble on in case the turkey isn’t ready quite on time.
Speaking of turkey, the Whole Foods website has tips for cooking the perfect turkey, carving it and making gluten-free gravy as well!
Here are some lovely holiday and Fall meat recipes. Many would be perfect to take to a potluck. And unless you tell the other guests, most will never guess the amazing food you brought is actually gluten-free!
For side dishes, check out these recipes that turn ordinary veggies into something impressive and tasty.
Don’t forget the cranberries! Here are some unique ways of using this traditional holiday fruit.
Use this cornbread in your own dressing recipe and serve the quick bread for a holiday brunch.
Gluten-Free Corn Bread (use in any cornbread stuffing)
Cranberry Banana Quinoa Bread
To round out our holiday meals, we all need a fabulous treat to enjoy and share with others. Whole Foods has you covered with delectable treats and you can make your favorite pies using one (or both) of their pie crust recipes!
Last but not least, we need to know what to do with leftovers. Here are some dishes that will use up the last of your extra turkey.
Especially at this time of year, it’s important to enjoy incredible food, just like everyone else does. There is no reason to go without or feel left out during the holidays. Look for gluten-free recipes or convert your old favorites yourself. Just be sure to take some time to treat yourself in this overly busy, some times stressful time of year. Have fun in the kitchen with friends and family this season. It’s easier than ever to enjoy the holidays gluten-free style these days. With so many great free gluten-free recipes online, we can have our gluten-free fruitcake and eat it too!
by Tiffany on November 12, 2009
Brazilian cheese bread is naturally gluten-free if a traditional recipe is used to make it. Instead of wheat flour, manioc flour is called for. If you like cheese and bread, you will probably love these rolls. Previously, I’ve enjoyed two brands of cheese rolls and found them both delicious. So when someone from Rio’s Brazilian contacted me about trying theirs, I was thrilled for the opportunity!
The Austin, TX based company does not have a dedicated gluten-free facility, but they do have cross contamination procedures in place. The owners of the company are very concerned with keeping the gluten-free rolls as safe as possible in a non gluten-free facility. Obviously, everyone should purchase foods that make them feel comfortable.
Rio’s Brazilian cheese bread rolls come in three flavors – Original, Roasted Red Pepper and Pesto. They bake from frozen in approximately 20 minutes. The rolls are slightly larger than the brands I’ve had before. The cheese bread is gluten-free, sugar free and all natural. The first thing I noticed about the Roasted Red Pepper rolls as they were baking was the incredible smell. These rolls stayed soft on the inside and have a slightly crunchy crust - the perfect texture!
The taste of the rolls was excellent, offering a robust flavor and a very cheesy texture inside. This product is definitely for cheese lovers, which I most certainly am. This is probably the cheesiest Brazilian cheese roll I’ve had to date – simply delicious! I can certainly see why this company has grown so much in such a short amount of time. Their passion about sharing great Brazilian foods with others is inspiring!
Rio’s Brazilian products are sold at Whole Foods in Austin, as well as Spec’s Liquors, and smaller groceries like Royal Blue, Whip In and Thom’s Market. You can also order them online from Foodzie.com. If you are in the Austin area, be sure to use the coupon on the Rio’s Brazilian website to save $1 on these incredible rolls. The sauces from this product line are also all gluten-free!
Now for the fun part! If you would like to try these cheese rolls yourself, enter a comment below for your chance to win a prize pack – one of each flavor! Please keep in mind that they will need to be frozen upon arrival so you would not want to have them shipped to a location where no one was present to accept them and pop them in the freezer. The winning prize pack can only ship to an address in the continental U.S. We’ll announce the winner on November 20th – good luck!
UPDATE: We tried the pesto rolls and they were excellent as well! My husband decided his fave flavor is the red pepper but mine is now the pesto. I’m kind of have a pesto obsession!
Congratulations to Rachel for being the winner of our Rio Brazilan cheese bread give-away!
Special thanks to Rio’s Brazilian for my tasting samples and for sponsoring this contest for our readers!
by Tiffany on November 10, 2009
While doing research for an article about gluten-free turkeys, I called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line just to make sure their turkeys were still gluten-free as long as you threw out the gravy packet that comes with their frozen and fresh whole turkeys. Both the fresh and frozen whole turkeys are gluten-free, by the way. They make a stuffed turkey that is not. But the big news is that the Butterball gravy concentrate packets were recently reformulated to be gluten-free! The representative explained that some gluten packets are likely still in the stores so you have to read the ingredient label before using the gravy packet.
It’s my bet that there might be a lot of gluten gravy packets out there and we might have a situation like we did a couple of years ago when Honeybaked Hams changed their glaze to be gluten-free. It took well over six months for all the existing gluten glazed products to be sold. In fact, it was a bit of a PR nightmare for the corporate office. So, please don’t rush out and expect that all the gravy packets that come with some Butterball turkeys are going to be the new gluten-free version. That is likely not the case.
The gluten-free gravy concentrate ingredients include rice flour instead of wheat flour. There is no rye, barley or oats in the new formulation and the company considers it to be gluten-free. But this new gravy item is not available in the old fashioned frozen Butterball turkeys, according to the Turkey Talk-Line representative I spoke to at length about it.
The woman I spoke to made it clear that this new gravy concentrate is only available in some of the Butterball specialty items like Ready to Roast turkeys, ‘Lil Butterball turkeys and whole turkey breasts. You would think the company would include this item in the traditional frozen whole turkeys, but for now they are not doing so – unless the person I spoke to was confused. I let her know that this information is nowhere to be found on the Butterball website, nor is there a press release about it. She explained that this is very new information.
After confirming this information with two other calls to the Turkey Talk-Line, I called Butterball’s Consumer Affairs office as well. The person I spoke to in that department gave me the new gravy ingredients over the phone but I did finally locate them on the Butterball website (with the stuffed turkey ingredients).
NEW Butterball gluten-free gravy ingredients:
Modified Corn Starch, Maltodextrin, Salt, Rice Flour, Cooked Turkey, Onion Powder, Caramel Color (yes, it is gluten-free), Garlic Powder, Spices.
The consumer affairs representative also said that many of the old formulation gravy packets are in stores so we MUST read the ingredient list before consuming any gravy related items from Butterball. Additionally, she told me the new packet is included with the stuffed whole turkeys. That’s right - a gluten turkey with a gluten-free gravy packet. There is a learning curve for companies too when it comes to the gluten-free diet. I give them credit for trying. When I mentioned that they might want to offer the gravy with a whole turkey that is not stuffed, the representative explained that if the response to this gravy is positive, that might be something the company will do later.
I’m familiar with the ‘Lil Butterball turkey but have never seen the Ready-to-Roast version. You can bet I’ll be looking for it on my next trip to the grocery store, even though I don’t care that much for gravy. I just want to check it out because I can. For me it’s kind of like the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ – make gluten-free gravy and they will come!
The Turkey Talk-Line toll free number is 1-800-BUTTERBALL, in case you have questions or just want to thank the company for making gluten-free gravy. I am very thankful that a company like Butterball is paying attention to the gluten-free market and this is the season to give thanks, after all.
If you want to make your own gravy from scratch, you might want to check out the gravy recipe that Kay secretly serves to glutenoids!
by Tiffany on November 9, 2009
When I was diagnosed with celiac several years ago, Kim Koeller’s book Let’s Eat Out! was one of the first gluten-free books I purchased. I needed to learn how to eat out in Europe and that book taught me how to do exactly that. It was not until I returned from that trip that I found out about and purchased The Essential Gluten-Free Restaurant Guide and excellent dining cards from Triumph Dining. Those tools helped me learn how to eat out in the U.S. – and most importantly, where to do so.
Kim Koeller has multiple food intolerances and avoids much more than just gluten. Due to her job, she had to learn how to eat out all types of cuisines all over the world. If she could do that successfully, I figured that I could learn how to do this ‘gluten-free thing’. Today Kim works with the hospitality industry, striving to affect change in how they handle their customers, many of whom have at least one food allergy or intolerance.
According to a recent press release from Allergy Free Passport, Kim Koeller will appear on the TV show The 700 Club this Wednesday (Nov. 11th) at 10am EST on the ABC Family channel. Kim will be discussing how to ensure worry-free dining while managing special diets. Specific gluten and allergen-free eating out advice will be given as well. Kim is an internationally recognized expert on safe dining & travel with special diets and award-winning author of Let’s Eat Out with Celiac / Coeliac and Food Allergies!
Below is part of an interview I did with Kim a couple of months ago. Though we’ve come a long way in the U.S. regarding gluten-free and allergen dining, we still have a long way to go.
TJ: Most European countries are years ahead of the U.S. regarding celiac and gluten-free knowledge as well as food intolerances and allergies. Slowly but surely it’s getting better here. What can people in the allergen communities do to drive even faster change here at home?
KK: Overall, our market research indicates that the quality of life for hundreds of millions of Americans as well as their extended social networks (ie. family, friends, schoolmates, children’s’ playmates and business colleagues) can be enhanced by:
1- Increased public awareness
2- Widespread understanding of special dietary needs
3- Expanded gluten and allergen-free offerings, products and services
At the same time, empirical data illustrates that hospitality, food service, manufacturing and health care industries are missing opportunities to address this ever-rising yet under-represented market segment leading to greater financial return. It is time for companies to develop the right capabilities to ensure that gluten and allergen-free customer requirements are consistently addressed with quality service.
Special diet consumers must feel safe eating both inside and outside their own homes in order for organizations to realize increased revenues from this extremely loyal, repeat and profitable market. In order to capitalize on these tremendous opportunities, the primary next steps are to:
1- Train hospitality and food service on ingredients, food preparation and cross-contamination considerations which ultimately decreases the current gaps in understanding special diets
2- Increase the safety and comfort level associated with gluten & allergen-free diets thereby increasing the number of consumers eating out and traveling
3- Educate medical professionals including physicians, dietitians, pharmacists and hospital staff on special dietary needs and expectations
4- Develop and manufacture great tasting foods representing wider selection, enhanced labeling, greater availability and expanded distribution channels
The next steps are clear: We, as gluten and allergen-free customers, need to work with businesses, government and the general public to further understand, accept and support special diets through awareness programs and educational initiatives throughout the US and the global marketplace.
Be sure to set your TIVO or VCR to record Kim’s appearance on Wednesday. I’m betting that she will inspire you to be part of the change you want to see in the world. She certainly did that for me. Together, we can most definitely make a difference!
by Tiffany on November 6, 2009
Pecan pie is the only kind of pie I ever made before my celiac diagnosis. I used my Grandmothers recipe, which turned out to be the one on the bottle of Karo Syrup. It was written on an index card so I thought it was her secret recipe – who knew?! Every year since I was a teen, for Thanksgiving and Christmas I made Pecan pies. It was the only time of year I cooked for the most part since my husband used to be a chef. He did almost all the cooking for the first 16 years of our marriage.
Once I started eating gluten-free, I started dabbling in the kitchen and found out that I actually loved cooking! All those years I’d avoiding doing much in our kitchen but buying pretty things to put in the cabinets – I’m a dish and glassware freak of sorts. Anyway, once I was gluten-free I even started gluten-free baking. It was like an alien had taken over my body. My husband wondered where his wife had gone, no doubt!
So, back to my beloved Pecan pie. I always used a Pet Ritz pie crust for them. I know now that is not a very good crust but I really didn’t know it at the time. It was not until I had excellent gluten-free crusts that I knew how bad the frozen gluten one really was. Even a relative asked why the gluten-free crust was better than the ones I used to make. Now you know it’s really bad when a glutenoid thinks your gluten crust was bad.
My first gluten-free holiday season I used the pie crust mix from Gluten-Free Pantry and it turned out fine. The taste was good but the texture was just a tiny bit ’sandy’ for me. I use that mix just for savory crusts now and love it for quiche! The next crust I made was from Breads by Anna. That crust contains no rice flour and it is out of this world delicious! It’s super easy to make and you can get two crusts from one bag. I freeze left over dough if I need to and use it up to a month later without issue. The last time I made a pie crust I used the Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix. The Pie Crust recipe on the website was easy to make, easy to handle and delicious!
You can make your own pie crust with your own flour blend, of course. But life is short and even though I love cooking and baking, I don’t want to be tied to the kitchen any more than necessary. I use mixes whenever I can and find that doing so is not much more expensive than using a home made flour mix. If you live where prices are sky high, you can probably save a good deal of money making your own flour. Here, it’s almost impossible to do that. Whether you make your own crust or use a mix, you might find this previous post about pie crusts helpful as well. Enjoy your holiday pies this season and make sure to share them with the glutenoids in your life!
Stay tuned for the next Thanksgiving tip, everyone’s favorite, stuffing!
by triumphdining on November 5, 2009
Okay, I’m going to tell you a something that only my husband knows…for the past 4 years, I’ve secretly been feeding my in-laws gluten-free gravy for Thanksgiving. Not only do they love it, but there are never any leftovers. In this post, I’m going to share the recipe to a gluten-free gravy everyone (not just you and the dog) will love.
Sweet Rice Flour. Of course, the problem with traditional gravy is that it’s thickened with wheat flour. I’ve experimented with all sorts of alternatives, from patented gluten-free flour mixes to far out starches from my local health food store. The clear winner in my opinion is the humble sweet rice flour. It’s not only cheap (around $1.29 per pound), but pretty easy to find. Oh, and by the way, it’s not actually sweet. It has a neutral taste. In fact, I actually prefer the rice flour to wheat flour, which can have a “floury” taste. The sweet rice flour is more neutral and the texture is right on.
NOTE: Rice flour is not the same as sweet rice flour. The sweet rice flour is from a different rice variety and has a superior thickening ability, plus it’s more finely milled. If you use a regular rice flour, you may find your gravy a bit grainy. (By the same token, don’t use sweet rice flour for traditional gluten-free baking, it’s much too fine and will render your baked goods super chewy, almost like gum. Stick to plain old rice flour for your baking needs.)
I really like Mochiko brand sweet rice flour. It’s more finely milled than some other brands I’ve tried. It’s also pretty easy to find. Check the Asian aisle in your local supermarket. Or, check out your local Asian grocery store.
Other Thickeners. If you can’t find sweet rice flour, here are some recipes that use alternative flours. Just a quick caveat about one of the starches mentioned, cornstarch… in my experience, if you use even a little too much, the gravy can get an almost gelatinous feel. Gravy gelatin. Yuck, no thanks. You might want to try using 3/4 of the amount of cornstarch the recipe calls for, and then adding the rest only if you really need it. I haven’t had this problem with other starches or flours.
- Here’s a recipe that uses cornstarch, which is probably the most readily available starch. You can find cornstarch in any supermarket baking aisle. Check out the Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide for a list of gluten-free cornstarch brands. (If you haven’t already, check out the Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide to help make your holiday cooking easier. The guide lists grocery brands and products that are gluten-free.) The most easy to find brand listed in the guide is Argo cornstarch. Bob’s Red Mill is also listed in the guide as making a GF cornstarch.
- One of our favorite food bloggers, Elana, has a gravy recipe using kudzu starch.
- eHow has a recipe calling for tapioca starch.
- And for our vegetarian readers, Rachel’s Recipe Box has an animal-friendly gravy recipe.
But if you do find some sweet rice flour, check out my recipe below and let me know what you think!
Triumph Family’s Gluten-Free Gravy Recipe
Pan Drippings from Turkey
Chicken Stock, amount varies but a 32 oz. carton should do
Butter, 2T
Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour, 2.5-4T
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
- Pour pan drippings into a gravy separator. Or, if you don’t have one, pour drippings into a large measuring cup and let it sit for 2 minutes, or until the fat rises to the top. Use a baster or spoon to separate the juices from the fat.
- Reserve just 2T of fat in a separate container and discard the rest of the fat. Now you should be left with just the juices that separated from the fat.
- Pour juices into a measuring cup and add enough chicken stock so that the total amount of liquids (juices + stock) equals 4 cups. I prefer Kitchen Basics chicken stock, but any gluten-free stock or broth will do.
- Over medium-low, melt 2T butter in a heavy-bottomed pan large enough to hold 4 cups of liquid.
- Add 2T of the turkey fat you reserved and slowly sprinkle in 2.5T of the Mochiko rice flour. (You’ll probably need to add more later, but it’s always to start with less and add more later.) Stir the “roux” until it starts to clump together. Do NOT brown the flour like you would a wheat flour roux.
- While whisking vigorously, slowly add in the 4 cups of liquid.
- Bring to a slow boil over medium heat, all the while whisking to dissolve any lumps.
- Allow it to boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat slightly until it’s simmering at a brisk pace.
- Cook about 15 minutes until it’s reduced to the texture you want, whisking frequently to keep the gravy smooth. You may need to add up more Mochiko during the reducing process. In general, I find that 4T is about right for my family (they like gravy on the thinner side), but you may find you need up to 6T, and not just because it’s a matter of taste. Thickening sauces is not an exact science – some crops of flour have more moisture, and some less. So sometimes you’ll need to use lots of flour, and sometimes less. You’ll have to eyeball the amount of flour that’s right for you. Just remember, the gravy will continue to thicken a little after you take it off the heat, so it’s perfect when it’s just a shade thinner than what you’d normally serve. And don’t worry, if you add too much flour, just add a little more chicken stock.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serves 10…well, if they really love gravy like my family does!
Variations
Depending on your family’s taste, you may want to add some dry rosemary, thyme or a bay leaf while the gravy is reducing. Or, cook some shallots or garlic in the fat, before you add the flour, until fragrant, for an even more savory gravy.
(By the way, you may be wondering why I don’t just tell my family that the gravy is gluten-free. Well, probably like a lot of you out there, people who are not GF have very, very low expectations of GF foods. I once made the mistake of announcing a casserole was GF, and before anyone even tried it, everyone at the table made a face and insisted we go out for dinner. They didn’t even want to try it because it was GF. Isn’t that crazy? So, I just don’t tell them when something’s GF anymore. It’s been working pretty great so far!)
I’m sure I’m not the only one out there with a gluten-free turkey recipe. What about you? What works for you and what doesn’t – please do share. And stay tuned for our next tip on Gluten-Free Pie Crusts!
by triumphdining on November 5, 2009
Dreading Thanksgiving? Skeptical about whether gluten-free gravy and stuffing can really measure up to the “real” thing? Worried about negotiating a “mixed” Thanksgiving with GF and non-GF family members? Well, it’s time to stop worrying. (And don’t even think about eating some sad, dry turkey with no gravy, while everyone else chows down on all the fixings!)
You CAN make delicious gluten-free gravy, stuffing and desserts that everyone will love. In fact, I’ve been making Thanksgiving gluten-free since 2004…for nine people members who are not gluten-free. Now, these people are all family – close, outspoken and super-critical. But guess what? No one misses the gluten.
Besides, in a lot of cases, there is no gluten to miss! Let’s start this series of tips off on a positive note and go over what IS most likely gluten-free.
Turkey. If you buy an all-natural turkey with no additives, it is gluten-free. But be aware that some turkeys, especially the “self-basting” varieties are injected with flavors. (For the culinary curious among you, some companies inject the turkey to make it juicier and more flavorful.) Check with the manufacturer to make sure that your turkey is gluten-free. It probably is, but a quick phone takes just a couple minutes.
And for all of you with family members who like to stuff the turkey with non-GF stuffing, tell them to cut it out! It’s not safe for you, and if not done properly, it can be unsafe, period. Plus, unstuffed turkeys cook more quickly and are just as yummy. Check out this neat article on the topic, and scroll down to the question: “Does stuffing cooked inside the turkey taste better?”
Cranberry Sauce. Page 100 of our Essential Gluten-Free Grocery Guide lists cranberry sauce brands that are GF. For those of you who don’t own the guide, consider getting a copy. It’s a fabulous resource on what brands are and are not gluten-free. The most popular brand of cranberry sauce listed is Ocean Spray. And it is gluten-free. Or, if you want to make your own, it’s as easy as buying a bag of cranberries and cooking it down with some sugar and water, or orange juice (if you really want to get creative). We made our own sauce one year, but frankly, we found the canned version is just as good and a lot less work. After all, you’ve got a turkey to tend to!
Mashed Potatoes. Potatoes, milk, cream, salt and butter. All these ingredients are very unlikely to contain gluten. Just be sure to use a fresh stick of butter, especially if you have non-GF family members who might be using a contaminated butter knife.
Next in the Series. Feeling better? Remember, you don’t have to change EVERYTHING around to make a fabulous GF Thanksgiving. Next in the series we’ll tackle what’s likely NOT gluten-free…the gravy…and how to make a GF version everyone (not just you and the dog) will love!
Meanwhile, check out Tiffany’s awesome article on the more inter-personal aspects of navigating the gluten-free diet.
