Need ideas for gluten-free dinner for new parents

[Cairycat]

The new mom can't tolerate gluten, and they don't like very spicy. Those are my only parameters. I don't mind spending a little on say, gluten free pasta, but I don't want to spend a bunch. Thanks for any help!

[applegrove]

1. My brother celiac and he makes apple crisps often as desserts. Stir fries.

Last edited Wed Sep 13, 2017, 03:47 PM - Edit history (2)

There are more and more good gluten free products in the grocery stores these days. Tacos with the right type of shell and spice mix. Fiesta chicken. Traditional meat, veggies and potato meals. Once you get going it is not hard to cook that way.

[Warpy]

2. Grilled meat, baked potato with butter or sour cream (read the label)

a veg or salad on the side, oil and vinegar for dressing (bottled dressings can contain gluten), fruit and cheese for dessert.

Unless they're vegans, people with celiac are easy to feed. You just have to cook it yourself so you know what's in it, most prepared foods are out.

[JDC]

3. Chicken, Steak, Pork, Ground Turkey. Egg/cheese Frittata with Veggies etc

One of our sons has Celiac. Stuffed Red Peppers with Ground turkey is a big hit. Don't use bread crumbs, use rice. Parmesan cheese also serves as a good binder.

Salad w/ gluten free dressing (Watch out for Blue Cheese), potato and you are set

[Freddie]

4. Something with rice?

Roast chicken with rice pilaf and a veggie? The packaged rice and seasoning mixes (Knorr) may not be gluten-free but there's lots of recipes out there for rice pilaf, it's easy.

[zipplewrath]

5. Corn starch

You can replace corn starch for flour in recipes where it is used as a thickener. Corn flakes can replace bread crumbs in alot of recipes. Rice is a good starch replacement, as well as potatoes. Corn chips instead of crackers. Rice crackers can work too.

[Warpy]

6. Corn flakes can contain gluten

and they sneak it in there under various names. Ditto corn chips.

Corn starch for thickening has to be mixed in a little cold water, first, or you get a blob of glue.

Sweet rice flour is a better option for a flour replacement in thickening gravies or stews. It's also easy for non celiacs to use up since it doesn't clump when you make pan gravy with it.

I tend to stick to things I cook myself or prepared foods that are labeled gluten free in the health food store. Prepared foods in the supermarket are a crap shoot and celiac is too dangerous to play games with.

[teezy]

7. Not dinner, but...

So many ideas! Gluten-free dinners are so easy if you just do like a meat and potato. Cabbage rolls are a good gluten-free recipe. Stuffed peppers, too.

One of my all-time favourite breakfast or lunch meals is to take those frozen diced hashbrowns, cook/brown them, press them in to the bottom and up the sides of a pie plate, and then fill it with an egg mixture with whatever veggies you want. And bake it.

As for dessert... can't go wrong with poached pears with a mascarpone or sweetened ricotta filling, baked apples or grilled pineapple with either a run sauce or dulce de leche sauce.

[Major Nikon]

8. Polenta

You can either make it from scratch or it's available in most markets pre-made in sausage like tubes. Slice it about 1" thick and brown it in a hot skillet with peanut oil or some other high temperature saute oil.

[Freddie]

9. Dessert can be tricky

Unless you have plain fruit or ice cream. Our pastor has celiac and whenever we have a church pot luck dinner someone always brings Rice Krispies treats, which he loves. Old fashioned rice pudding is good too.

[japple]

10. Just got this recipe today. My friend served it to me earlier this summer. It was garnished with

strawberries and blueberries because they were in season around here. Now that peaches are in season, I am thinkiing of making this with peaches and raspberries (either fresh or frozen).


Almond Cake
2 c Almond Flour
1 c sugar
1/2 c powdered sugar
2 egg whites
Pour these ingredients into food processor. Blend well. Don't over do. Butter bottom of spring form pan or 8" 8" square pan. Bake at 350 for 15-18 min.
Topping
8 oz mascarpone cheese
8 oz whipped cream
4 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Almond extract (optional)
Blend together and spread over top and sides of cake. Garnish with slivered almonds and strawberries or other fruit. 😛this makes a beautiful cake

Edit to add instructions. For the topping, whip the cream with the 4 tbsp sugar and then fold into softened mascarpone, then blend in almond extract. Use as frosting for the cake, then decorate with fresh fruit such as sliced grapes, berries, strawberries or peaches.

[trof]

11. I found gluten free gnocchi today.

Having friend to dinner who is gluten intolerant.

[Squinch]

12. Pot roast?

[NotASurfer]

13. If you want dinner rolls, try one of the Brazilian cheese bun recipes

aka Pão de Queijo. There are different kinds just like there are different kinds of dinner rolls. I've made this one, adapted for dairy-free, which is pretty close to a popover:

Ingredients
1 large egg
112 gm almond milk (1/2 cup)
55 gm canola oil (1/4 cup)
125 gm tapioca flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 C grated cheddar "cheese" (preferably medium or sharp)
1/4 C grated Parmesan "cheese"

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place egg, milk, oil, tapioca flour, and salt in blender and blend until smooth.
Add cheeses and pulse 2 times.

Immediately pour batter into a mini muffin tin (if your muffin tin isn't non-stick, spray lightly with non-stick spray first), filling each well about 3/4 full, or just slightly less.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes before removing rolls from pan. Serve warm. 



A couple of notes:

I've found that weighing the key ingredients works better. Measuring flour sometimes gets me these hollow volcano things, not bad but not really what I'm looking for!

Since it's hard for some of us to get the batter exactly even the first time, I tend to try to underfill each one a little. I can go back and even out if there's batter left over.

No mini-muffin tin? A regular muffin tin works OK, fill each well about 1/4 full to get 12 buns.

I'm making this for somebody who's also on a dairy-free diet. It should work just as well with milk and real cheese, but I haven't tried it.

Like I mentioned, if you're not into popovers, there are other variations out there that will be denser. For that matter, they probably have these in the freezer section of a well-stocked grocer by now.

[PennyK]

14. Easy: look at low-carb websites

Low-carbing is almost always gluten-free and you'll get tons of new ideas. We've been using cauliflower and zucchini as substitutes for starches for ages.

[thbobby]

15. Excellent website for GF recipes

Many gluten free recipes, cookbooks. In addition you can request email recipes (Usually a couple per week, but varies).

I have been gluten free for about 4 years and this site has helped a lot.

Bread, desserts, some ideas for main courses.

[https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/]

[Demsrule86]

16. I recently was diagnose with Celiac after ending up in the hospital...probably had it my whole life.

it is an adjustment, but I feel so much better.

[Cairycat]

17. Thanks, everyone, for the great ideas and links!

I knew this group would come through for me.

Here's what I decided to make:

Chicken pot pie (gravy thickened with cornstarch) with gluten-free biscuits
Israeli salad (chopped salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, parsley)
Poires Helene (pears poached in a vanilla syrup with warm chocolate sauce)

[Cairycat]

18. Shoot, I forgot to add

I'm one of a number of people in my church making meals for these new parents. The coordinator found this website, www.takethemameal.com which I was rather impressed with. Nice to have an online schedule, and see what other people were taking. There's recipes, a web store, and a blog.

I get to see a brand-new baby tomorrow night!

[irisblue]

19. okay, I bookmarked a couple of recipes thanks