Review: Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook by Camilla V. Saulsbury

I've followed a gluten-free diet since the end of 2011.

My last stomach-churning meal was Thanksgiving, complete with a fluffy glutinous roll, classic green bean casserole topped with crispy onions battered in wheat flour and a green salad drizzled with creamy salad dressing containing barley malt as a thickener.

After that, I decided to get serious about being healthier and allowing my digestive track to heal from the damage caused by Celiac Disease.

Since then I've tried replicating my favorite recipes with gluten-free flours. What a disaster! 

Let me save you some time if you're new to gluten-free cooking. Swapping out corn meal or rice flour for "all-purpose flour" doesn't work. There's a fine science to gluten-free cooking, and thankfully, I've learned to seek out recipes specifically created to be gluten free.

As my cookbook collection grows, I've learned these key tips about gluten-free cooking:

1. You almost always need a blend of multiple gluten-free starches for baked goods to turn out with a "normal" texture and elasticity.
2. Gluten-free flours absorb more liquid than wheat-based flours, so when you venture into modifying your favorite old recipes, increase the liquid content.
3. Gluten-free foods can be just as good, if not better, than their wheat counterparts. Ask my husband about the gluten-free chocolate chip cookies we make. He won't waste time with any other recipe now!

OK, so today on Whole Foods Living I want to introduce you to a book that's won a place on my shelf. It's called Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook from Bob's Red Mill, written by Camilla V. Saulsbury. She's a food writer, fitness trainer cooking instructor and one heck of a foodie blogger who knows how to make you drool. You can catch up with her online at power hungry.

First off, I adore cookbooks that I can sit down and read as a resource guide. It's no longer good enough just to woo cooks with colorful photos and tasty recipe titles. Like many, I want to learn about the ingredients, and in gluten-free baking and cooking, that's incredibly important for both health reasons and to avoid wasting pricey ingredients.

The first 38 pages of this book are dedicated to educating the reader about gluten-free grains and ingredients that may not be common place in the pantry. Curious about teff? Wondering how to cook quinoa? Not sure how to use milk made from almonds? Wondering if you can use maple syrup beyond breakfast? It's all in this cookbook.

So, beyond being resourceful, the recipes have to be yummy! The first thing that jumped out at me were the uncommon (to me) pairings.

• Blueberry Lime Millet Shake
• Lemony Lentil, Quinoa and Zucchini Skillet
• Scottish Leek and Steel-Cut Oats Soup

Hmmm...I simply had to try that third one. Oats in a soup?? I've never had such a thing. 

So I whipped up a batch of the simple recipe over a lunch break last week. It was fantastic. I said "was" because it's gone. I ate it for lunch the rest of the week. I made the recipe with almond milk and vegetable broth and it reheated perfectly.

If you're new to a gluten-free lifestyle, this cookbook is a great way to launch into a healthier diet. Camilla shares recipes for breakfast, soups, salads, vegetarian dinners, seafood, meat dishes, breads, snacks and desserts.

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Disclosure: Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook from Bob's Red Mill, written by Camilla V. Saulsbury, mentioned in this blog post was provided free of charge for review purposes. No monetary compensation was sought or awarded in exchange for this review. All thoughts expressed in this review on Whole Foods Living are solely my own. ~Angela

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Flourless Desserts: 5 Naturally Gluten-Free Treats

Messy, homemade and delicious!

Today is my birthday, so I figured we'd celebrate by talking about dessert.

No matter what type of diet you follow, it's fine to splurge on a sweet treat (in moderation!) on occasion.

Gluten-free deserts are plentiful and simple to make. You don't have to learn how to bake with rice flour or drop some big bucks on xanthan gum to create a wonderful sweet treat.

Here are five ways to end a meal without using wheat, rye, barley or triticale.

5 Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts 

1. Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
This simple two ingredient dessert is a snap to make. First pick out fresh, plump strawberries. Fruits are naturally gluten-free, so you're 100 percent in the safe zone. Next, splurge on a decadent organic chocolate. Choose a bar made with cocoa butter, cocoa or cocoa liqueur. Since not all chocolates are made without wheat-based emulsifiers, make sure the label says the product is gluten-free. Then, melt the chocolate in a double-boiler and dip the berries.

2. Sweetened Rice Pudding
Rice is a naturally gluten-free grain. Rice pudding is usually made by thickening the dessert with cream, milk and the rice itself -- no flour. Depending on your tastes, splurge on a cinnamon-raisin rice pudding, chocolate rice pudding or a recipe that uses honey and apples to sweeten the pudding. Once you find a favorite rice pudding recipe, you can really add any combination of nuts, chopped fruits or sweeteners.

3. Flourless Gluten-Free Desserts
After going gluten-free -- and realizing how expensive pre-made gluten-free treats are in the store -- I've done some test baking. Non-wheat flours don't respond the same way as wheat. Gluten gives bread a chewy texture, makes muffins rise and gives body to a cookie. But, what about baking without flour? It is possible! Check your favorite cookbook or website for flourless chocolate cake (it uses a lot of eggs), flourless peanut butter cookies (they are heavy in sugar) or crustless cheesecake (the creamy filling is the best part anyway).

4. Meringue Cookies
Every Easter my grandmother would whip up a batch of meringue cookies, or as she called them "Kisses." These egg-white based cookies puff up like little clouds, melt in your mouth and can be flavored to suit your palette. She usually made vanilla and chocolate cookies. But, if you're into experimenting with flavoring extracts or fresh citrus zest, you could easily create a new cookie flavor such as almond, lemon, lime or coconut.

5. Ice Cream and Sorbet
When made from scratch, ice cream and sorbet are naturally gluten-free desserts. Cream, milk, sugar and fruit are the key ingredients. So, fire up that ice cream maker collecting dust in the cabinet, or purchase an all-natural ice cream. Choose a dessert that's free of any thickeners, preservatives or emulsifiers. These tend to be hidden sources of gluten.

What's your favorite birthday dessert? Tell me in the comments below!

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living

Note: This article was originally published on Yahoo! Voices on March 7, 2012.

How You Can Make Baking a Healthy Hobby

Last week one of my wonderful Whole Foods Living readers admitted her baking hobby simply doesn't fit well into a healthy lifestyle.

At first glance, she's right.

Photo by Angela Tague

Chocolate chip cookies, layer cakes and cream pies aren't exactly nutritious. But, there is a way to make them healthier!

Sometimes I think finding out that I'm gluten sensitive is a blessing. I've been learning about healthier types of flour and baking ingredients beyond all purpose bleached flour and bleached white sugar. (Anything bleached should not be part of your diet, folks!)

Here's a quick guide to healthier baking ingredients to keep in mind:

Instead of all-purpose flour try:

• ground oatmeal  -- Pulse fiber-packed quick oats in a food processor to create a simple flour.
• almond meal -- This protein rich "flour" is simply finely ground almonds.
• brown rice flour -- I like to use Bob's Red Mill flour. It's full of protein!

Note: Recipes made with non-glutinous flours will need an extra binding agent such as xanthan gum or guar gum to avoid a crumbly texture.

Instead of white sugar try:

• raw honey -- I've successfully used honey in sweet breads, doughs and cakes. Using half the amount of sugar called for in a recipe works well. So, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, use 1/2 cup of honey. However, stick to granulated raw (unbleached) sugar for cookies and bars since it helps give the treats structure.
• agave syrup -- It's lighter than honey and gives extra sweetness to homemade whipped toppings, frosting or icing.
• stevia powder -- It's a zero-calorie sweetener made from the leaves of a plant!

Even if you don't need it for dietary reasons, get your hands on a good gluten-free baking cookbook to learn how to incorporate non-bleached, natural ingredients into your baking. You'll be amazed at the number of healthier ingredients that can be used in lieu of all-purpose flour!

So, what have you been baking?

Until Next Time,
Choose Healthy!

Angela Tague
Whole Foods Living