Gluten Free and Wheat Free Recipes

More people tend to have Celiac sprue, which the body can not digest wheat and gluten. It is becoming more and more popular, and these people have to have a special diet. Here are recipes for you.

Gluten-Free Angel Food Cake recipe

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons gluten-free flour mix (see below)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
12 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla or almond extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Measure flour mixture, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and xanthan gum and set aside.

Beat egg whites with cream of tartar and vanilla until quite stiff. While beating, gradually add remaining 3/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. By hand, fold in the flour mixture.

Pour the stiff batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Gently cut through the batter with a knife to break air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes. Invert immediately or let cool on a rack. (As is cools, it will stiffen like a wheat-flour cake.)

Frost when cool, or top with sliced strawberries, lemon sauce or topping of your choice. You also can slice and wrap each piece with plastic wrap and freeze.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix
Combine 2 cups white rice flour, 2/3 cup potato starch flour and 1/3 cup tapioca flour.

Wheat-Free Apple Blackberry Crisp recipe
This is a wheat-free recipe. It is NOT a gluten-free recipe.

1 quart fresh blackberries
1 quart fresh apple slices
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Minute Tapioca
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup lemon juice

Mix all ingredients and place evenly in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

Crisp Topping
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups unbleached spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 pound butter, melted or use equivalent amount
of soy margarine for vegan crisp

Mix dry ingredients then add melted butter. Cover fruit. Mix evenly with topping and bake in a 350 degree F oven until topping is brown, approximately 45 minutes.

Chocolate Brownies recipe
4 ounces butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
3 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup gluten-free flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

Preheat oven to 360 degrees F.

Put butter, sugar and chocolate in a large microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave on HIGH for one minute. Stir well. Repeat. Stir so all ingredients are properly combined. Sift flour, cocoa and baking powder into the mixture and stir well. Add the beaten eggs. Stir.

Grease an 11 x 7-inch pan. Pour in mixture. Bake for about 35 minutes. Place on rack to cool. Slice.

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Coffee Bars recipe
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup hot coffee
1 1/2 cups rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Glaze
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Enough water to make easily spreadable

Cream shortening and sugar. Add and cream in egg. Blend in hot coffee.

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and cinnamon. Add to shortening mixture. Add in raisins and nuts. Spread in a greased 7 x 11-inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Spread glaze over warm bars.

Glaze: Mix confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract with enough water for spreading consistency.

Gluten-Free Taco Quesadillas recipe
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound ground sirloin
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
4 soft corn tortillas
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 head iceberg lettuce
2 large plum tomatoes, finely diced (1 cup)
Whole-milk sour cream, for garnish
Chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish

Place oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Reduce heat to medium and sauté 2 to 3 minutes or until onions are soft. Turn heat to high, add ground beef and brown, stirring often. When meat is browned, drain off fat and return meat to pan over medium heat. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper, mix thoroughly and cook 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.

Lay out tortillas on a clean work surface and scatter 2 tablespoons cheese over one half of each tortilla. Follow with approximately 2 tablespoons meat mixture, and then 1 tablespoon lettuce and 1 tablespoon tomatoes.

Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Fold filled tortillas in half, press down lightly and place onto preheated grill pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, being careful tortillas do not burn. Flip tortillas carefully and grill an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes. Serve immediately. Top with sour cream, if desired, and cilantro leaves.

Quesadillas can be prepared a few hours ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. Simply grill them just before serving.

Makes 15 quesadillas.

Per quesadilla: 141 calories, 56 percent calories from fat, 9 grams total fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 32 milligrams cholesterol, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, .94 gram total sugars, 4 grams net carbs, 10 grams protein, 281 milligrams sodium

NOTE: Do not use low-fat or fat-free sour cream, as they often contain maltodextrin and/or modified food starch.

Lasagna Rolls recipe
This is a wheat-free recipe. It is NOT a gluten-free recipe.

1 small onion, cut up
1 small carrot cut up
3 or 4 links sausage (I use Italian turkey sausage)
8 ounces frozen cut spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup ricotta cheese (can use part-skim)
2 1/2 cups bottled marinara sauce.
3/4 cup chicken or turkey broth
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon each salt and fennel seeds
1/3 cup parmesan cheese

Make biscuit dough as usual only substitute WHITE spelt for wheat flour. (It transfers over the same...WHITE spelt can be used anytime in place of wheat, even in your bread maker....makes great bread...light and fluffy). Roll out the dough as you would for cinnamon rolls. NOTE: Please remember that spelt flour is NOT gluten-free!

In a blender put onion and carrot. Blend it. I add a little of the chicken or turkey broth to make it a liquid.

Remove sausage from casing. Add to blender until blended. Add any chicken broth that is left. Add garlic, salt and fennel seed. Add spinach. blend all. Put this mixture in a bowl and add the ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese. Stir till blended. Put this mixture on the rolled out dough. Roll (as you would cinnamon rolls) and cut into rolls. Put in greased pan. Cover with marinara sauce and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to one hour.

Meat Loaf (wheat-free) recipe
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 to 1/2 cup raw, grated potato
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup grated carrot
3/4 teaspoon salt (or less)
1 dash pepper
1/2 to 1 cup broth, gravy, tomato juice, etc.
1 cup chopped vegetables - optional (peas, carrots,
green beans, celery, green peppers etc.

Mix all ingredients. Form into a loaf, and bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour

Walnut Syrup Cake recipe

Not overly sweet, this flourless Grecian cake stays moist several days if kept covered. The Glazed Walnuts may be made several days ahead.

Makes: (9 x 13-inch) cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup cream of rice
3 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
Cinnamon Syrup (recipe follows)
Glazed Walnuts (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Cream butter. Add sugar and continue beating until fluffy. Add eggs slowly to mixture and continue beating until light. Stir together dry ingredients, then add alternately to butter mixture with the milk. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared pan; bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and score top of cake into diamond-shaped pieces. Pour warm Cinnamon Syrup slowly over cake. When cake is cool, cut into diamond-shaped pieces and cover with foil. Allow cake to set several hours for syrup to be absorbed. To serve, place a glazed walnut half on each piece.

Cinnamon Syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
1 tablespoon orange juice

Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar; boil 10 minutes without stirring. Cool syrup 5 minutes before pouring over cake.

Glazed Walnuts
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 pound walnut halves

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves, then cook rapidly without stirring to 300 degrees F (or until a few drops of syrup poured into a cup of cold water form hard, brittle threads that break when pressed). Remove pan from heat and stir in walnuts, 1/2 cup at a time; toss to coat evenly. Remove nuts from syrup with two forks and place on wire racks lined with wax paper. Cool until glaze is firm. Store in an airtight metal tin.