gluten free commentary

golden tumeric milk

Golden Tumeric Drink | (Vegan + Anti-Inflammatory)

July 26, 2019 — 1 Comment

Tumeric has been a real game changer as I am in the process of taking a holistic approach for fibromyalgia management for the first time in ten years. I’m working on a more comprehensive post soon to share my process and experience but for now I am elated to share this tumeric-rich vegan “milk” drink that I am now taking every day before bed.

Tumeric has so many health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties that are a great aid to those like me living with chronic pain. This warming beverage is just one way you can incorporate more of it into your diet. I’ve adapted my version from the recipe found on the Minimalist Baker blog.

Golden Tumeric Drink adapted from the recipe found on Minimalist Baker 

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups full fat coconut milk (about one can)
  • ¾ cup almond milk 
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil 
  • 2 teaspoons ground tumeric 
  • 2 teaspoons maple syrup 
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
  • pinch ground black pepper
  • (makes about 2 cups/ 16 ounces)

Preparation

  1. To a small saucepan, add coconut milk, almond milk, ground turmeric, ground ginger, cinnamon stick, coconut oil, black pepper, and maple syrup

  2. Whisk to combine and warm over medium heat. Heat until hot to the touch but not boiling – about 4 minutes – whisking frequently.
  3. Serve immediately, dividing between one 16 ounce mason jar
  4. Best when fresh, though leftovers can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
  5. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave until hot.

Glazed Banana Bundt Cake

January 16, 2019 — Leave a comment

I’m elated to be back in the swing of sharing recipe development and food photography for all of my loyal readers here in 2019. My return to basics begins with this luscious Glazed Banana Bundt Cake which I tastespotted on the interwebs a few days after the new year. Naturally, I had every ingredient in my pantry right along with frozen overripe bananas. This cake got rave reviews at a recent potlock and makes the perfect early morning or late afternoon treat with tea or coffee

Glazed Banana Bundt Cake

Ingredients

dry

3 cups all purpose gluten free flour blend
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoons salt

wet

1 + 3/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1+ 3/4 cup mashed banana (use overripe bananas)
2 eggs separated

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together dry ingredients, set aside
  3. In a Kitchenaid stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy
  4. Add in separated egg yolks and vanilla
  5. Slowly beat in flour blend and applesauce until completely blended
  6. Beat in mashed banana, use a silicon spatula of white sides of bowl ‘
  7. In a separate bowl, beat separated egg whites until stiff peaks form
  8. Fold egg whites into mixture as the last step (batter will be thick)
  9. Spray bundt pan generously with non-stick spray
  10. Slowly pour mixture into bundt pan
  11. Bake 45-55 minutes

Source: Life Made Simple Bakes

enjoylife grain and seed bars

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars | Product Review

January 5, 2019 — Leave a comment

With 2018 in the rearview every one is slowly getting back into the swing of the New Year and with that setting goals for cleaner, healthier, and better ways of being. Here on theglutenfreechef blog we promote whole plant based foods processed as minimally as possible but this doesn’t mean that busy active lifestyles don’t need a supplement here and there.

This is where our favorite gluten free snack brand; Enjoylife comes into play. As a brand Enjoy Life is all about taste-FULL worry-free snacks that are full of whole ingredients but free of the most common allergens; gluten, wheat, soy, dairy, and more. They have a huge product line that includes baking chocolate, cookies, snack bars and more. Currently, we’re snacking on their newest flavors of grain and seed bars; cranberry orange and lemon poppyseed.

Enjoy Life Grain & Seed Bars

enjoylife grain and seed bars

The Cranberry Orange Grain & Seed Bars re packed with purity protocol certified gluten free oats, three types of sorghum, plant-based protein, and fruit including tangy orange and sweet cranberries. They are the perfect am pick me up right as you get up in the morning or a lovely mid-morning snacks with a serving of greek yogurt or almonds. Even better this flavor or one of the other five including:

can fill the sneakiest late night sweet tooth craving. Each bar has only 5 grams of suga, 4 grams of protein, and only 120 calories. Whats’ better is you can literally see the real whole ingredients that make up each bar and with a simply ingredient list you can know what you are putting into your body.

Happy New Year | Where In the World Was The Gluten Free Chef in 2018?

January 1, 2019 — 1 Comment

Dear Readers,

We made it! One more year down one more year ahead of us. If you’ve been a long time follower of theglutenfreechefblog.com you’ve more than likely noticed a decrease in engagement from me throughout the year. For this I apologize. 2018 was a year of great sacrifice for me as it pertains to this blog and theglutenfreechef brand. I spent the majority of the year building my skills as a non-profit leader and growing 540, Inc. and 540WMain Communiversity.

Initially I thought I would be able to devote the same amount of time to both endeavors but early on last year I let go of this optimistic burden and decided that half doing many things marginally well made less sense than paring down my focus and doing a few things very well. This decision meant that for the first time, I would out this blog on the back burner of my creative focus since we started in 2012.

What to Expect in 2019

But don’t fret. This decision has been a blessing in disguise. This creative break has given me a renewed zeal for this blog and brand and allowed me to cultivate a refreshed and renewed interest in the way I am growing and investing in this blog and. Simply stated, I cannot wait to share all the amazing new recipes, digital content and more than I have planned out for this new year.

From the bottom of my heart I thank you for your patience and support in this journey that has continued for over six years and counting. As I’ve shared before, my present is the result of this website and I will never forget the blog that started it all. Here’s to new beginnings in 2019.

xoxo

theglutenfreechef

Scratch Bakeshop Does Gluten Free (and Vegan) Flawlessly | Gluten Free Restaurant Review

November 14, 2018 — Leave a comment

Scratch Bakeshop…

The female owned and operated boutique bakery founded on Park Ave continues to sling out “tough” cookies, naked cakes, french macarons and other pastries from their airy and trendy space now located in the Neighborhood of Art’s Russell Street.

Since their move to Russell, I’ve made my visits to “Scratch” a bi-weekly ritual of sorts on Sunday mornings where I stock up on their big chunky chocolate chip cookies, cherry chocolate chip muffins, and other confections that go well with brisk fall days and hot tea. However, Scratch is more than a boutique cakery nor is it your every day neighborhood baker. These ladies do it all from trendy layered naked cakes with fig fillings and instagram worthy cut out sugar cookies, to friendly moist muffins, pop tarts, and raspberry rhubarb donuts.

As the gluten free chef I look for all local bakeries to be able to do gluten free well and Scratch passes the test with flying colors. Gluten free and vegan at Scratch is not just a after thought or happenstance. It’s clear that these pastry chefs have studied and mastered the art of baking free of eggs, dairy, and gluten. I love that they create gluten free and vegan versions of many of the traditional favorites that most of us love but also infuse creativity and flavor into their gluten free -vegan creations with selections like cherry, blueberry lavender, apricot, and pumpkin fudge.  

A recent Saturday after dinner visit found me salivating over the Vanilla Cream Cheese Fig layered gluten free cake while my (also gluten free) brother tried his hand on this same cake with the addition of the delightfully delicious mini rice crispy treat. He was just as delighted as I was with his selections. Naturally it wasn’t a Scratch Bakeshop visit for me without the addition of a chunky gluten free chocolate chip cookie which in my view is the best chocolate chip cookie ever gluten free or otherwise.

In 2018 restaurants and bakeries need to be thinking about inclusion and food allergies. More than a trend for those like myself with the autoimmune disease celiac or other life threatening allergies; taking the time and the consideration to create food and pastry selections “without” the most commons allergens shouldn’t be an afterthought but just good business. Scratch Bakeshop is one of the few that takes the cake in this arena.

Rating 5/5

Photo credit: Scratch Bakeshop

Five Tips to Survive Summer While You’re Gluten Free | Guest Blog by Jamie Costello

July 24, 2018 — Leave a comment

Summer is here and that means more time in the sun and less time in the comfort of your own gluten free safe kitchen. Eating out and eating with friends and family can be stressful enough without needing to worry about cross contamination and well meaning friends using the right ingredients.

Fortunately, Guest Blogger Jamie Costello offers plenty of handy tips for you to stay safe and still enjoy yourself while being gluten free.

#1. Use Small Talk As An Opportunity To Teach Your Guests

Gluten can conjure up many surprises and there’s plenty of points to consider about it. Where you can, maybe use the free-flowing conversation as a chance to teach your guests about being gluten-free. There are many foods out there that one may not consider as containing gluten but providing them with some information on what you can and can’t eat may help them when they host any future parties. For example, many people might not know that you can’t drink beer. This is because it contains malt which is a source barley, and barley, of course, contains gluten.

Tip #2: Offer To Host The Event

It’s understandable to be a bit hesitant to eat at someone’s else’s house. So, why not host the party yourself? If you’re in control of what happens in the kitchen then you’ll find it much easier to make sure that the food is safe for you to eat. There’s plenty of recipes available that can be made gluten-free whilst still enjoying the scrumptious taste of your favorite dinner party foods. There’s a range of dishes to choose from including corn on the cob, hamburgers and gluten-free pasta salad.

Tip#3: Suggest Ideas To The Dinner Party Host

All you’re trying to do is make sure that you’re safe at the dinner party and it’s understandable that exceptions need to be made. Make some minor requests to the dinner host so that you can be sure your food doesn’t come in contact with other foods. For example, a nifty trick is cooking food on foil rather than directly on BBQ grills or ask that the food is prepared separately from where the main food is being prepared. This way the food’s protected and you save the risk of it coming into contact with something else.

Tip#4: Bring Your Own Dish

If it’s not possible to host the event at your own house there are always other options available. Why not prepare your own dish at home and bring it to the party with you? This way you can still get involved with everyone else and are less likely to feel left out. Contact the host to find out what they’re planning to have on the menu and then prepare your own accordingly. You can choose to either do it for everyone else or just do it for yourself, it’s entirely up to you.

Tip #5: If You’re Unsure, Just Don’t Eat It!

If you ever have doubts about any food you’re looking to eat, just listen to your gut and don’t do it. The last thing you’d want is to fall sick from eating it, so save yourself the hassle.

Jamie Costello is a nutrition student based in Manchester. He writes about many topics ranging from health supplements to dietetics research. When Jamie’ isn’t studying he enjoy swimming and keeping up to date with the latest sport news.

 

Top 5 Best Hemp Protein Smoothies | Guest Recipe by Scott Reid

July 3, 2018 — Leave a comment

Hemp protein is the perfect ingredient for making healthy, vegan and gluten-free smoothies which can be enjoyed by anyone. Whether you are on a health boost or looking to make your diet more plant-based, adding hemp protein into your diet is a great starting point.

Hemp protein powder is created at the very end stage when hemp seeds are being processed. The seeds are pressed for oil, and the remainder of the seed left behind is then ground down into a kind of hemp flour.

This flour is then processed further to create hemp protein powder. Hemp seeds contain virtually all the amino acids which are found in meat and dairy making them a pure source of protein and a really good addition to any vegetarian or vegan diet.

The protein found in hemp seeds is also really easy to digest and for our bodies to absorb, making hemp protein powders a really great beneficial ingredient for any diet.

Hemp protein powder is perfect for adding to smoothies because it tastes good and can come in a number of different flavoured versions as well. Check out this one from Focus Performance for a very good flavoured option https://www.focusperformance.co.uk/products/hemp-protein

You can try them in a number of different types of smoothies so try out these five great recipes as a starting point:

Hemp Protein with Peanut Butter Smoothie

If you love chocolate and peanut butter then this is the perfect smoothie for you, with a combination of nutty and sweet flavours. Packed with goodness, flavours and energy, this smoothie makes a great breakfast, providing a powerful and energising start to the day.  

Ingredients

  • Eight tbsps. of chocolate flavoured hemp protein powder
  • Two tbsps. of peanut butter
  • Two chopped, frozen bananas
  • Two cups of almond milk
  • Ice

Directions

Put all of the ingredients apart from the ice, into your blender and blend well. If required, add more ice and blend again. If you want to reduce the amount of sugar, then you can remove the bananas and increase the ice content. It will be a more watery consistency but still tastes good.

Hemp Protein with Pear Smoothie

If you are a fan of green smoothies you will love this combination with the bitter flavours of spinach sweetened up by the pear and banana. Packed with vitamins and healthy nutrients, this smoothie will set you up for the day.

Ingredients

  • One frozen banana
  • One chopped pear
  • One cupful of spinach
  • One tbsp. of ground almonds
  • Two scoops of hemp protein powder
  • One cup of water

Directions

Add all of the ingredients into the blender –as a quick tip put the spinach in last so it doesn’t get tangled around the blades. Blend until smooth and then serve.

Hemp Protein with Spirulina Smoothie

Renowned for its health benefits, spirulina works perfectly with hemp protein powder to create a tasty and incredibly healthy nutritious drink, for an extra boost.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One banana
  • One tbsp. of spirulina powder
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder
  • One tsp. of maca powder

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients into a blender and blend well until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

Hemp Protein with Cacao Smoothie

Perfect for chocolate lovers, this smoothie combines cacao powder with the nutty flavour of almond milk and all the goodness of hemp protein powder, providing a sweet tasting energising smoothie.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One chopped pear
  • Two to four tbsps. of organic raw cacao powder
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

  1. Hemp Protein with Blueberry and Mango smoothie

For fruity fans, this smoothie recipe is perfect, with the unusual combination of mango and blueberries providing a tangy, tasty experience.

Ingredients

  • One and a half cups of almond milk
  • One cup of frozen blueberries
  • Half a cup of frozen mango
  • Three tbsps. of hemp protein powder
  • One tbsp. of coconut oil
  • One tbsp. of ground flax seeds

Directions

Combine all of the ingredients in your blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately over ice to taste.

Hemp protein powder is packed full of goodness and is particularly beneficial for those on a vegan or vegetarian diet, as a great source of almost pure protein. Including it into tasty smoothie recipes is an easy and delicious way to include it into your daily diet.

Whether you opt for a peanut and chocolate rich smoothie or a lighter, fruitier version, you are sure to find a recipe to suit your taste buds. We have selected five classic choices here but you can combine any ingredients. Why not experiment and see what kinds of combinations you can come up with by trying out different fruit, vegetables and other flavours?

Scott is a sports and fitness writer and writes full time for Focus Performance. When not in front of his computer or spending time in the gym you can see him hanging out in his favorite coffee shop devouring the latest Stephen King novel.

Photo credit: Kitchen Nutiva //  The Healthy Family & Home