Produce Spotlight: Garlic
The holidays can be the most difficult to navigate for anyone who is newly eliminating wheat, gluten or other grains from their diet. The biggest, baddest food holiday of them all generally comes bearing treats of all shapes & sizes: and it’s nearly inescapable. Fear no more gluten-free friends, help is here!
We’ve been collecting some extra special recipes to help you get through the next few weeks!
Glazed Roasted Turkey
Gordon’s Christmas Roast Goose (what will be on our table next week!)
Roast Beef Tenderloin with Port Sauce
Turducken (Not gluten free)
Be aware that self basting, pre-stuffed birds or those with even homemade gluten containing stuffing will be off limits to those with gluten allergies. If there’s wheat in the bird, consider the whole thing contaminated. Also, gravy mixes contain gluten more often than not, but a simple gravy from pan drippings and corn starch mixed with cold water can easily be whisked up. Some hams can contain gluten, so choose carefully & don’t be afraid to ask questions before you bring one home. Ham glaze is also a frequent glutenous culprit.
Though the equivalent of the traditional boxes stuffing mix is available, I think we all can agree that stuffing made from scratch is better than anything out of a box…
Sausage Stuffing
Cornbread Stuffing
Stuffing Rolls
Soft Dinner Rolls
Some boxed mashed potatoes do contain things other than potatoes… fresh is best! Roast potatoes are also an option, I love the little baby taters! Yams or sweet potatoes prepared with marshmallows should traditionally be gluten free.
Veggies are gluten free! Be sure to incorporate some side dishes into your meal. Green bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup, not gluten free! Though I did spot a gluten free cream of mushroom soup for the first time in nearly five years just recently so it could be done! Cheese sauce mixes often contain flour, as do many recipes to make it from scratch (from a roux) but it is possible to do so without.
Cranberry sauce is super-easy to make and can be done weeks in advance. With a few canning jars, you can make it months ahead of time (and without any canning supplies!). The recipe on the back of a bag of cranberries will do (and doesn’t take long at all) but I like to jazz it up with the zest & juice from an orange or two! A pour of orange liqueur adds something special to it as well! Just say no anything can shaped…
There are lots of store-bought pie crust mix brands out there, but you’ve got plenty of other options too!
Two-bite pies
Mini-pies
Individual ramekins of pie (my favorite!)
Crustless like this
Or like this
Paleo, coconut flour crust
Raw, cashew crust
Or a press-in pie crust
Not that you have to have pie or anything…
There are lots of other things like fruitcake, Lindt & Pot of Gold chocolates, Christmas pudding, mincemeat & many traditional cookies that may contain gluten, so always read the labels carefully before sneaking even one.
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