Monday, June 6, 2011

Gluten Free Recipes For Those On A Special Diet

By Charlie Monaghan Carter


There are several reasons a person would need to follow a special diet and cook using gluten free recipes. Allergies, the suspected connection of with autism, and celiac disease are some of these reasons. The degree of suffering varies from very mild to very severe. However, even if symptoms are mild, the increase in energy and decrease in pain and other symptoms make it worthwhile to eliminate from your diet.

Grains like wheat, barley, rye, and others are where gluten comes from. It can be found in products you wouldn't suspect it to be in, such as ketchup, soy sauce, certain meats, thickeners, and other such products. Some people cannot tolerate even a very small amount, and must exercise great diligence in preventing ingesting it. Even the small amount from cross-contamination for machines in manufacturing is detrimental to some.

Many, many foods have been adapted to cook without it and still have a dish similar to the traditional ones. Special flours can be used, such as those made from rice, potatoes, and chickpeas, among others. You can also adapt cooking methods to eliminate thickeners altogether. These may have slightly different textures and tastes, but are still very good.

Oats can sometimes be tolerated, but sometimes cause trouble. There is a debate as to whether they contain gluten or not. Either way, some can tolerate them and some can't. The only way to determine which it is for you is to try it and see. If it is tolerable, then there are many dishes in which oat flour would work well as a substitute.

Commercially prepared foods are available without it, but the can be expensive. The best and least expensive way to insure the proper diet is to prepare your own foods at home, using special products. Suggestions are available for all foods categories, from appetizers to main dishes to desserts to salads. Substituting special ingredients is one way to cook safely. Also, revising how you cook to eliminate flour altogether is another option.

Chocolate cake is one example of a food that can be adapted. They can be made with no flour of any kind. Eggs are used as binders or thickeners. They are very tasty, meeting that craving for chocolate. They are spongier than when made the standard way, but very pleasing to the palate. Other foods can be made without the traditional ingredients and still have a pleasant taste and texture.

Beside just using flour substitutes, gluten free recipes can use substitute ingredients. Wheat flour, however, gives breads and cakes the ability to rise and hold up. You will need to add other ingredients such as egg whites, extra leavening, and xanthan gum to give a texture closer to what you are used to in some dishes.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment