Celiacs, You Can Make Almost Any Meal Gluten Free!

One thing that scared me, when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, was that I would be unable to have delicious food. I felt like I was doomed to eat cardboard for the rest of my life. The more I became educated about Gluten Free cooking, the more I was able to turn my favorite recipes into a Gluten Free meal. Most of the time, these recipes came out tasting amazing. Other times, the dishes came out bland and crumbly. Most first time Gluten Free cooks are at a loss as to how to make their recipes come out tasting delicious.

One thing that I learned is that when a recipe calls for All-Purpose Flour, you can substitute with the GF All-Purpose Flour. Here, I would advise you to add a teaspoon (sometimes more, depending on the amount of flour being used) of Xantham Gum. Xantham Gum works in a similar way as Gluten, by preventing the dish from being crumbly. It holds everything together.

The only recipes that you may have an issue with substitutions will be ones that ask for oats, granola, and some wheat ingredients. I have found MANY recipe books extremely helpful when I am in the kitchen. Here is a list of some recipe books that I use on a regular basis:

1. "4 Ingredients Gluten Free," by Kim McCosker and Rachel Bermingham: This book consists of recipes that are easy to make, and use inexpensive ingredients. This book contains more than 400 recipes.
2. "The Gluten Free Bible:" This book has many delicious recipes that come out absolutely mouth-watering delicious.
3. "Deliciously G-Free," by Elizabeth Hasselbeck: I LOVE this book. Elizabeth Hasselbeck writes beautifully about her experience with Celiac Disease, and she shares recipes that her family loves.
4. "Gluten Free Everyday Cookbook," by Robert M. Landolphi: This author wrote this book in loving dedication to his wife, whom suffers from Celiac Disease. He talks about what he and his wife go through, and he shares some of their favorite, mouth-watering recipes.

When I am in a pinch and want to find a recipe fast, I go online and use www.allrecipes.com. There are not many recipes that are Gluten Free on the site. However, once you become more GF cooking savvy, you will be able to make just about all your meals delicious and Gluten Free.

(photo courtesy of: http://cdn.blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/files/2011/12/Deliciously-Gluten-Free.jpg)