Knowledge is power when it comes to celiac disease and gluten-free living. Lucky for us Shelley Case, RD, (pictured above) author of the Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide and acclaimed celiac and gluten-free nutrition expert offers a FREE newsletter and FREE handouts online.

Her newsletter offers timely news, recipes, great information, and special discounts. She offers many handouts on all sorts of topics like general information on celiac disease and the gluten-free diet, nutritional information, and a gluten-free diet guide for families. Check out the links below!

Get the handouts here: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/handouts.php.
Sign up for the newsletter: http://www.glutenfreediet.ca/ezsignup.php.

Tina Turbin

http://www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

This recipe is from Glutenfreeda, so she deserves the credit for this. It worked for me without a bread machine, so I know if you follow these simple steps, you will have success too.

INGREDIENTS

2-1/2 cups GF flour mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 eggs
1 egg yolk

DIRECTIONS

1. Place your GF flour in a food processor.

2. Add the salt, oil and eggs.

3. Pulse processor until mixture resembles dough.

4. Remove from the bowl and place on a just lightly GF floured surface. Be sure not too much flour!

5. Knead your dough, folding over and turning over until the right consistency appears like bread dough. If the dough gets too dry and just add your egg white. It shouldn’t need it. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and cover.

6. Allow the dough to rest for at least 20 minutes and not less. Be patient.

At this point the recipe calls for actions with the pasta machine which I did not use. I know many people want to make pasta that do not have machines, so I tried this and it worked.

7. I rolled out the dough carefully with my rolling pin and then cut it with the ravioli cutter.

8. I changed the recipe again by placing filling in the middle and resting another square or round on top and sealing the edges. Put a touch of water on the edges and seal and use a fork to push down the edges better.

See my fillings:

Spinach

Basil

Sweet Potato

9. Cook the ravioli just a few at a time in boiling, salted water. Cook for about 2 minutes if the inside is not uncooked meat you are using. If you are using uncooked meat in your filling boil is a 4-5 minutes at a low rolling boil. They will start to float.

10. Drain your ravioli  in a colander  if you do not have a slotted spoon.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

You sure won’t miss your old favorite pie crust recipes when you taste this delicious one! I love to mix and match nut flours and these three are three of my favorites, in this ratio. Everyone raves when I use this recipe. Use for fruit pies, hearty quiches, tofu cream pies and even meat pies. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

¾ c hazelnut flour

¾ c cashew flour

2 tbsp coconut oil (melted or soft)

¼ c maple syrup

¼ tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees. Mix ingredients well.

2. Press into your pie dish.

3. Bake 12 minutes in center of oven.

4. Cool completely.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

Gluten-free crêpes are great for special occasions and holiday brunches. You busy gluten-free cooks can make a stack of versatile gluten-free crêpes ahead of time. Use a blender to make really fast and easy crêpe batter. Wrap and freeze them for a fast and convenient special-occasion dessert.

Serve with raspberry sauce, or your favorite fruit sauce, and add a dollop of whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar, for an easy and delicious brunch dish.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS

Crêpe Batter:

1 1/4 cups milk OR your favorite dairy free milk substitute

2 large eggs

1 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour mix (Use your favorite blend – see tips)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

Light olive oil or canola oil to grease skillet

Raspberry Sauce:

1 pint fresh raspberries OR thawed, unsweetened frozen raspberries

1 teaspoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup gluten-free powdered sugar

Garnish:

1/2 pint fresh raspberries for garnish

1 cup whipped cream for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Crêpe Batter:

1. Pour milk and eggs into a blender pitcher or a medium mixing bowl.

2. Add gluten-free flour mix and salt.

3. Blend just until combined and smooth. The batter should be the consistency of thin pancake batter. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time if the batter is too thick. Batter can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for one day.

To Cook Crêpes:

1. Heat a low-sided 8-inch skillet or crêpe pan over medium high heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon oil to the skillet and brush to coat the bottom of the skillet. (Do this before making each crêpe.)

2. Pour 1/4 cup of batter into the heated skillet. Swirl the skillet until the bottom of the pan is covered with batter.

3. Cook the crepe for about 1 minute- the crepe should be barely moist on top. Use a thin spatula to loosen the edges of the crêpe, slide the spatula under the crêpe and gently flip it upside down. Cook for about one more minute, just until golden and transfer crêpe to a cooling rack or plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Raspberry Sauce:

1. Puree raspberries, lemon juice and sugar in a blender. For a seedless sauce, strain raspberry puree through a mesh sieve.

2. Cover and refrigerate or freeze. Makes about 1 1/4 cup strained sauce.

To Assemble Crêpes:

Drizzle 1 tablespoon raspberry sauce over each crêpe and roll up. Drizzle more sauce over rolled crêpes and garnish with whole raspberries and whipped cream (optional).

Yield:  Eight 8-inch crepes (serves 4 to 8 )

Tips:

1. Use a blender to make really fast and easy crêpe batter!

2. Make crêpes ahead of time. Wrap each cooked crêpe individually in plastic wrap and place all in a freezer bag, label and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and warm in a 300 degree oven about 5 minutes before serving.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

m.t.

In Fresh from Elizabeth’s Kitchen, author Elizabeth Kaplan utilizes her abundance of culinary education credentials and sincere care throughout her cookbook on each and every page to give us a variety of family-friendly gluten-free recipes. You can enjoy her well thought out personal recipes in a box form her own Gluten Free company, The Pure Pantry.

Elizabeth has a flair for developing recipes and cooking. She has a real eye for capturing “the moment”; the book is full of captivating still photography that invites you into her world, her family, and her kitchen.

I was pleasantly surprised at the range of recipes this book offers with a full chapter devoted to one of my favorite meals, breakfast. She presents so many ideas she makes breakfast fun all over again.

I tried out the recipes for Quick Cranberry Nut Coffee Cake, Lentil and Root Vegetable Soup, Asparagus and Leek Risotto, Sticky Toffee Pudding with Warm Caramel Sauce, and they all turned out absolutely delicious!

In my estimation, this book is one of the finest gluten-free cookbooks available. I also can not say enough about a woman who can run a family, run a company and write her own book.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m., t.t.

     There are many ways to enjoy gluten-free pizza. You can buy it pre-made, make it from scratch at home, or order it in a restaurant. You can find recipes for pizza dough and various combinations of toppings in gluten-free cookbooks and gluten-free websites. American restaurants such as Uno Chicago Grill, with 200 locations, serve gluten-free pizza. You can look up restaurants that accommodate gluten-free patrons with gluten-free pizza online through gluten-free restaurant websites.

     An easy way to make gluten-free pizza is by buying already-prepared gluten-free pizza crusts which your child can top with his favorite toppings. Whole Foods Gluten Free Pizza Crusts come two to a package. They are thick, almost like a deep-dish crust, chewy, and tasty. You can also make your own pizza crust from pre-made mixes or by making your own mix from gluten-free pizza dough recipes. Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust Mix makes two 12-inch gluten-free pizza pie crusts. It tastes delicious, and you can even fold the crust over easily. If necessary, you can make the crust egg-free. Some pizza crust recipes, which you can find online or in gluten-free cookbooks, can be rolled out, just like traditional wheat dough, and can be made thin (new York style) or thick (Chicago style), versatility that your celiac child will enjoy. Then you and your child just need to load it with his favorite toppings and stick it in the oven.

Tina Turbin

Author Mary Capone teaches us fine classic Italian dishes from her roots in the Italian Countryside.
Upon reading The Gluten-Free Italian Cookbook, I felt a sense of warmth from the author as she opened her heart and the doors to her “world”—her past, her family, and her heritage. Mary grew up in New York in the kitchen and around an Italian table with family meals being the excitement of the day. Platters of food adorned the table, and laughter and love, which was in every dish.

Mary’s travels in Europe after college brought her to her roots, her love—Italy. Crossing the border she knew instantly she was at home. When she returned to her father’s village, she was taught the secrets of simple Southern Italian cuisine, which she brought back to the States, opening “Marie’s Crêpes”—European crêpes made to order.

Mary started having signs of an auto-immune disease shared by her grandmother, who eventually died from the disease. Mary was told it was genetic and nothing could be done. She spent years searching for solutions. As with many celiacs, she finally diagnosed herself, had the blood test performed, and it was confirmed. She had celiac disease. She began to regain her health as she began eating gluten-free.

The gluten-rich diet of her ancestors was her new nemesis. Rather than looking at all she must avoid, she yearned for recreating those lovely dishes in a cuisine she could eat—one by one. The transformation evolved in her own kitchen as she created healthy gluten-free alternatives.

In 2005, with a recipe book full of one-of-a-kind dishes exuding the flavor, aroma, and love of Italian food, Mary opened the Wheat-Free Gourmet Cooking School in Boulder, Colorado. The spirit and joy in her cooking school is what inspired her to share her recipes with the gluten-free community.

Each of Mary’s recipes has a concise yet personal prelude setting a lovely scene for the forthcoming dish. Each story reflects on the pleasure and love she imparts now to the reader. Not only is this a cookbook you’ll treasure and have on your shelves to use for years to come, it is a story, a life story Mary shares openly. Her personality shines through—a peaceful, artistic culinary soul. I for one feel as if I made a friend, by owning this book alone.

The dishes in The Gluten-free Italian Cookbook are nutritious, earthy, truly Italian, and bursting with flavor. I get a sense of the aromas just reading the recipes. Each one offers a dairy-free version simply explained and well-tested. She has vegetarian options as well. Many beautiful photographs accompany the book as well as a hint of family, scattered amongst the pages, letting the reader in on her family album.

This is a cookbook devoted primarily to gluten-free Italian meal options, not just desserts.  With dishes such as Eggplant Caponata (Caponata di Melanzane), mushrooms and Olive Tapenade Crostini, Aunt Caramel’s Baked Stuffed Artichokes (Carciofi con Pane e Salsiccia), Our Daily Bread, Seafood Pizza and Mary’s Traditional Dairy-Free Ricotta, one is never at a loss for a culinary adventure resulting in an aromatic and love-filled meal—from Mary’s heart to yours.

This is one of the most pleasurable “reading” cookbooks I have had the opportunity to have, read, and own. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone looking for a healthy alternative to cooking—simple gluten-free. “Mangiare bene, bere bene e’ vivere bene.” To eat well, to drink well, is to live well. This is how Mary likes to live her life, and shares a part of that living through this cookbook.

I give this book a thumbs up, Mary is a delight and it is HIGHLY recommended by me! 
Tina Turbin
www.glutenfreehelp.info

It’s rare to find a recipe that is capable of catering to the needs of the gluten-free, food allergy, diabetic, vegetarian and vegan communities—all in one recipe. Debbie Johnson’s cookbook, Fun with GF/LG Foods, is full of such recipes, and what’s more, the book available in the handy eBook format.

This cookbook is the first of its kind in that every single recipe in it is free of gluten, sugar, and the common food allergens as well as digestion-friendly and low-glycemic. Allergic to tree nuts? No problem. Lactose intolerant, vegetarian, or even vegan? Debbie offers alternatives for you for most of her recipes.

Not only are Debbie’s recipes accommodating, they’re also great-tasting, my favorites being the onion and broccoli quiche and the cherry-almond tart—simple to make and simply delicious!

The 75 recipes are easy to follow with tried-and-true instructions from Debbie, who has been eating low-glycemic foods since childhood and has been gluten-free for years. She was also the chef and owner of a restaurant, where she created and served these well-loved recipes. Her culinary background is evident in her flavorful and simple-to-follow recipes.

I have observed that people underestimate the effects of gluten and sugar on our health. Thanks to Debbie, we have a whole collection of recipes that allow people to enjoy food without these ingredients.

Debbie doesn’t just share recipes, she also helps us improve our own cooking by giving us tips such as how to make cream sauces without real cream or how to make a proprietary-blend, low-glycemic sweetener. These tips are invaluable when it comes to making you a gluten-free master chef yourself.

Don’t forget the unique eBook format! As Debbie shares on her website, http://glutenfreefun.com, there are several advantages to this. eCookbooks are handy because you can save recipes as your own Word file, changing the recipe as you please to suit your needs, and then print which recipes you want to use. If there are any spills or messes, you can just reprint, and it is oftentimes easier to work with a single sheet of paper rather than a bulky book when cooking. If you do want to have a hard copy cookbook of your own, you can just print the eBook and bind it yourself.

I highly recommend ordering Fun with GF/LG Foods, especially for those who are not only gluten-free but need to maintain a low-glycemic diet. You’ll not only add 75 recipes to your repertoire, but you’ll gain from Debbie’s experienced advice to improve the quality of your homecooking.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

k.m.

Betty Crocker has already made waves in the gluten-free community with their delicious gluten-free baking mixes for brownies, cakes, and cookies.

Betty Crocker went gluten-free after two women in the company found themselves in the world of gluten-free living—one of them diagnosed with celiac disease and the other one forced to go gluten-free for the sake of her child.

Now Betty Crocker has a recipe book with 280 gluten-free recipes and tips for cooking and shopping—for only $11.50.

Click on the link below to order your copy:

http://bettycrocker.k-online.biz/cgi-bin/C47C96C3/mac/additmdtl.mac/showItemDetail?loadItem=MRB206

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info

You can make whole grain gluten-free breads, crackers, and muffins at home with delicious gluten-free recipes. I recommend making double at home and freezing the rest to conveniently add them to your child’s lunches to reduce preparation time. As “dessert,” you can make fruit kabobs or make gluten-free muffins and cookies at home with your celiac child. Avoid filling your child’s lunch box with packaged, processed sweets and refined carbohydrates.

It’s important to make sure your child understands the importance of avoiding foods with gluten. He needs to understand that he never trade foods with his friends. You can let his teacher and cafeteria staff  know about his diet needs so they can keep an eye on him. If possible, explain to your child’s friends (and their parents) how important it is that your child eat his own special foods, explaining that he might become quite ill from eating their lunches.

Finally, change things up so your child doesn’t get bored and can get the nutrients he needs in a well-balanced diet. I recommend leftovers such as homemade soups, macaroni and cheese, and lasagna, which have high nutritional value and can add variety to sandwiches and other lunch staples. Using leftovers also saves lunch preparation time and can be cost-efficient as well.

Tina Turbin

www.GlutenFreeHelp.info