Wheat-free Recipes

Wheat is everywhere in the generic bread section, as well as in the fast food parlor. Even many packaged french fries contain wheat. Getting wheat out of your diet may be essential, reducing wheat intake for your health is hopefully why you are reading this.

Some people want variety in their carbohydrate intake pattern, being aversive to becoming allergic to wheat. Others must absolutely avoid wheat, due to wheat allergies. Those of us who have overdone our wheat intake might also have made a decision to avoid wheat.

Here are some grains that may be used to substitute for wheat: millet, potato flour, potato starch, corn starch, soy flour, corn meal, quinoa, rice flour, flax seed, flax seed meal, sunflower seed meal, tapioca pearls, tapioca flour, "Bohne" beans (a native American food), oats, corn grits, hominy, puffed rice, puffed corn, puffed millet, amaranth flour, almond meal, chick pea tahini, chick pea flour; there are other choices as well.

Soy flour is a gluten-free flour that may be used as a wheat flour substitute - using yogurt and sour cream, arrowroot powder or corn starch, an extra egg or two will add texture to the bread product that you are working on making.

Potatoes may be stuffed and used as sandwich substitutes. Potatoes may also be used as toppings, chips, to create crackers, or even bread. Mashed potatoes can thicken gravy, soup, pudding.

Corn is great in bakes, puddings, stews, salads, souffles, mixes mashes, and can even be used to top those dried tomato muffins, or tomato soup muffins that are making a comeback. The recipe is simple: 1 cup corn meal, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 2 tablespoons sugar,1/2 cup cooked corn, 2 eggs, 1 can condensed tomato soup, 1/2 cup yogurt. Mix the ingredients together, and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 - 20 minutes if using a baking tin, 20 - 25 minutes if using a square pan.

Corn meal cakes are traditional like corn bread, corn muffins, johnny cake; pie crusts, puddings or bakes.

Quinoa is high in protein, an excellent choice for many meal items such as stuffings, toppings, crouton substitutes, in salads, soups, and may be found in better grocery stores; although, I was unable to find quinoa in either Tops Food Market or Wegman's.

Rice is a staple in many people's diets, and is sold in various varieties such as long grain, dessert rice, wild rice, short grain, and numerous other types of rice. This grain uses a lot of water to cook, and tastes best when cooked in a rice steamer. Rice may be used in puddings, stuffings, puffs, bakes, fillings, soups, crakcers, mashed stews, crusts, and cereals.

Rice flour tends to be as fine as cake flour, and may be used as a substitute for wheat-based cake flour in most recipes, given the addition of a tablespoon of arrowroot powder per cup. Rice flour may also be used in puddings, fillings, to thicken gravies, for souffles, puffs, and thin phyllo dough.

Granola is an excellent thing to make to satisfy desires for cereals, sweets - made of oats, there need be neither wheat germ nor wheat in the recipe. Adding a cup of corn syrup or molasses to two cups of granola, placing the mixture into a square cake pan (need not be greased), and baking at 250 Fahrenheit for 1 hour, will give any amateur a granola bar. If you have a toaster oven, try making granola balls, or use leftover tart tins to make granola tarts, bake these at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes (toaster ovens tend to heat faster). If you have a toaster oven, these things tend to heat faster than conventional ovens do. Also, please avoid cutting the Teflon, use a plastic spoon if you must, after the granola cools.

Flax seed is also a good source of protein, adds texture to cooking, and fiber, too - breads, flat breads, quick breads, muffins, cookies, cakes, tart crusts, pie crusts, soups all get a little zing when flax seed is added. This product of the flax plant may be substituted for wheat germ, flax seed has a wonderful flavor.

Soy flour is frequently used with corn syrup and or molasses to formulate the oatmeal bar's leading competitor, namely the breakfast bar. Gluten-free and high in protein, the soy flour powered breakfast bar is a leading contender among many consumers for corporate snack dollar. Soy flour is used in the pricey health bars that are presently all the rage with consumers, and is an excellent source of protein.