How to Easily Make Any Recipe
Gluten-Free
Eating a
gluten-free diet can be difficult: There seems to be gluten in just about all
your favorite foods! Yet you know you can't eat gluten, either because you
have a sensitivity or because you are
trying to eat an overall healthier diet that is lower in carbs.
You don't
have to resign yourself to eating broccoli and lettuce for every meal. You can
enjoy many of your favorites by making some simple substitutions. Here are a
few ideas for how you can make any recipe gluten-free:
Substitute the Flour
The primary
ingredient in most recipes that contains gluten is the flour. You can easily
fix this by substituting a gluten-free flour in the recipe. Some options may
include:
Almond flour
Coconut flour
You will have
to experiment with the ratios as you may not be able to substitute these flours
one-for-one for typical all-purpose flour.
Opt for Flourless
You can get
around the problem of the flour by omitting it from the recipe completely. Of
course, this won't be an option for many dishes. However, you can easily find
recipes online for flourless cake
(http://allrecipes.com/recipe/flourless-chocolate-cake-ii/), flourless brownies
(http://www.homemademommy.net/2013/01/flourless-brownies.html) and flourless cookies
(http://babyparenting.about.com/od/snackrecipes/r/3ingpbcookies.htm). Search
online to find flourless options of your favorite desserts.
Swap Out the Breadcrumbs
Sweet foods
aren't the only ones harboring gluten. Savory fried treats often use breadcrumbs
and batters that contain gluten. You can still enjoy crispy fried chicken and
fish by making some simple swaps. You can use crushed nuts like almonds or make
crumbs out of a gluten-free cereal. You can also bake instead of fry, which
will make the dish healthier, as well.
Use Gluten-Free Condiments
Sauces and
marinades like teriyaki, alfredo, or marsala can contain hidden gluten. There
are ingredients that are added to thicken the sauces or to give them flavor,
and these often contain gluten. You can easily swap these out for gluten-free
varieties that you find in the grocery store. Just be sure to always read the
labels! Yeast and "natural flavors" are found in a lot of these
items.
Use Alternative Core Ingredients
You can enjoy
"pasta" that's not really pasta and put a sandwich on a
"bun" that's not really a bun. Try using spaghetti squash or
spiralizing a zucchini for a healthy, gluten-free pasta dish, or wrap up your
sandwich in a piece of lettuce instead of a bun. You'll have a naturally
gluten-free dish that doesn't require any recipe substitutions or experiments.
Eating
gluten-free doesn't have to be difficult. You can easily make any recipe
gluten-free by simply following these basic tips.
How do you
make recipes gluten-free? Share your tips in the comments!
About the
Author:
Bridget
Sandorford is a freelance food and culinary writer, where recently she’s been
researching culinary
arts schools in Michigan.
In her spare time, she enjoys biking, painting and working on her first
cookbook.