Gluten Free Healthy Food

The researchers went on to question the application of cocoa (flavanols) to blood pressure due to the fact it implies eating lots of chocolate (sounds easy enough to me), stating :

To me, further proof that cocoa and dark chocolate is good for our health (blood pressure in this case) is great news. I still expect that the *best* way to get the benefits of those flavanols is to essentially eat plain cocoa and/or 99%-cocoa baking-chocolate, but that sounds a bit rough. So, I will get my cocoa in other ways, and the more the better. But, even if cocoa flavanols can produce an exercise-like benefit, I will still stick with regular exercise in addition - so as to burn off the calories that come with the chocolate.

Now, just in time for this news, my wife has also created some interesting ice-cream-free and milk-free "milkshakes" that are loaded with cocoa. I hope to get the recipe for those up online soon. She basically uses frozen fruit as the base, and lots of cocoa... and, it tastes just like a chocolate milkshake when finished. I've enjoyed between 3 and 4 dozen of these low-cal chocolate "milkshakes" already this summer (mmm!), and it may well be a great way to get the benefits of cocoa without all the usual accompanying calories. Stay tuned, and happy chocolate-eating!

What I found surprising is not the result of their research, but why they need to do "research" at all. Many of us have known for a long time that gluten-free bread recipes that use buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and the like produce a much higher quality and more "real" bread. In fact, I'd say these researchers at Teagasc need to just start looking at some of the recipes on this Gluten-Free Blog and other such blogs, to perhaps make some further observations about improving gluten-free bread recipes, like:

Although we have not published all of our favorite bread recipes on our Gluten-Free Recipe Library and/or here on this Gluten-Free Blog in the past, we have quite a few posted that make use of some interesting mixes of grains, including:

The gluten-free recipes above still contain some of the basic "starch" type flours, but they all also include additional higher-nutrition grains like quinoa, buckwheat, teff, and such. Each recipes varies in its formulation, as each was created with different objectives. E.g., the Gluten-Free High-Fiber Multi-Grain Bread was pretty much all about getting as much fiber and nutrition into a gluten-free bread recipe as possible, while also getting great texture and taste.

The next thing in the report that I found somewhat interesting was this quote: "Teagasc food researchers working at Ashtown and Moorepark are investigating the conditions required to produce a dairy-based ingredient with properties similar to gluten in a gluten-free dough system".

Well, guess what... again, I think these researchers should look around the Internet gluten-free blogs and such to gain some insight into what is already known to work. We have been using isolated whey protein in gluten-free baking to simulate "gluten", since before writing about it here on the Gluten-Free Blog back in 2007. If used properly (i.e., determining the right proportion to use per-recipe), it really can create that binding-power that is similar to gluten, while still being gluten-free. And, I am sure others have used various dairy-derivations to create some gluten-like binding power in their recipes too.

Oh well... maybe the researchers just have a pile of cash or a grant or something they need to find a way to spend. But, even if that is the case, it'd be nice if they started with what is already known and see if they can extend it even further. Like all Celiac / gluten-free / wheat-free persons, I welcome any further improvements to my gluten-free bread recipes.

Here's a picture showing the under-side of the crust... that nice golden-brown color leads to a wonderful crisp, crunchy, and firm base for your favorite toppings.

In case you missed the link in the first paragraph, here is a LINK TO THIS DELICIOUS GLUTEN-FREE THIN-CRUST PIZZA-CRUST RECIPE.

No matter how long you have been on a Celiac-disease-safe gluten-free diet, chances are that pizza may be one of those often-missed foods for you. So many people I meet with Celiac Disease (or otherwise avoiding gluten) ask about how to make a great pizza-crust that they can create without too much problem. Many have tried pre-made store-bought frozen types and have expressed their disappointment in the results, which leads them to the next step : baking a nice gluten-free pizza from scratch (it is quite possibly the best way to ensure a great pizza!) So, here is another recipe option for your gluten-free diet that we hope helps you make a great GF Pizza on your own and without too much trouble.

And, for those of you with gluten-intolerance that are *tempted* to consume gluten-containing pizza (and occasionally give-in to that temptation), I really hope this type of recipe helps you remain on a strict gluten-free diet and avoid the negative consequences associated with consuming gluten.

Happy pizza-baking and eating everyone!

Next, I personally apologize for not being very active here on the Gluten-Free Blog in the past month or so, as I have been busy with home-remodeling activities during our first Winter at our new house -- I have tried to create what is the near-term vision of our "perfect kitchen" for baking all those wonderful wheat-free and gluten-free delights. (this may remain the long-term vision too, as I don't think I can do this again)

I believe that after this round of work, the new gluten-free kitchen is complete after a few months of hard work -- removing/lowering a large wall, building a new counter-top in its place, refinishing what turned out to be beautiful cabinets once I finished stripping the paint from them and sanding, staining, and re-varnishing all of the doors (ughgh!). But, in the end, it is hopefully worth all the effort.

Here is one view:

We wanted a very OPEN kitchen, with plenty of counter-space and preparation area, with baking and cooking pans and utensils close at hand (there is a pot-hanger above the stove; though it does not show in the picture. In addition, we wanted to be able to entertain and immerse ourselves in the action and conversation even as we prepared meals, snacks, and desserts for our guests. We also like to demonstrate our gluten-free cooking techniques to those that wish to observe, and this new kitchen makes all of that possible in a way no other kitchen could.

From the kitchen, we can now see people entering the house (over the stove -- it is a clear view to the entry way) and then continue to interact with guests as they work their way throughout the living room and dining room areas too. There is a large fireplace in the middle of it all (though, we have yet to use it) that we have considered converting into a "brick oven" instead. Aside from the fireplace in the middle of the room, it is all wide open.

Finally, we also wanted to enjoy the view of the outdoors from our kitchen. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen working on recipes (gluten-free desserts and many other GF items), and the existing kitchen blocked the view considerably : no longer the case! Now we can bake as we take in the scenery of the surrounding valley here in Eastern Ohio. Even in the Winter time, the new design is marvelous at getting ample natural light into the kitchen.

The kitchen is getting quite a bit of use, and it has yielded some new recipes and variations that we plan to post on our Free Gluten-Free Recipes Library when we get time. My wife has recently come up with a very nice crispy thin-crust gluten-free pizza crust recipe that I am quite a fan of : that is the first recipe I need to get online when I have time. It is not dairy-free though (it uses whey-protein in it), but if you can consume a bit of dairy, you will enjoy the crispy crunchy crust that holds up when loaded down with cheese and sauces -- it does not just fall apart or crack when you pick it up, but stays quite nice and crispy.

I will *try* to get that recipe up here in a few more weeks. I still have another project that is being wrapped up, including taking care of book supplies. But, I will get the recipe posted. Thanks for patience.

The picture may not capture the scale of this thing: it is fairly large, and will definitely feed quiet a few people -- though I did not measure it, it is perhaps 4" thick. The last time I reviewed the Shabtai gluten-free products, there was a variation on this theme called a Seven Layer Gluten-Free Devils Food Cake that we rather enjoyed. This version is as good or better. The rolled layers of cake and creme-filling make for a giant Ho-Ho or such, and I can nearly guarantee this dessert will be a hit with children on a gluten-free diet. The rolled layers of creme keep the chocolate cake nice and moist throughout and the taste and texture is pleasing. Like the other desserts, it no longer contains the partially hydrogenated oils. We finished this cake/roll off over the period of a few days, and it remained consistently enjoyable for the duration.

Meltaway Cookies/Bars

These Gluten-Free Meltaway cookies/bars, are still rather good (like the first time we reviewed them). The one thing we did notice was that they are definitely best at room temperature (as compared to right out of the fridge), as the room-temp warmth helps bring out the cinnamon, nuts, and chocolate flavors that were otherwise a bit lost in the taste of basic starches and oils. They have a decent overall texture and taste, and are OK for a commercial gluten-free cookie, though I have to say I much prefer my homemade cookies and bars over these -- there is no comparison -- but, for quick access to a cookie, these will work fine.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found these gluten-free cookies to be more enjoyable than the aforementioned meltaway variety, and thought that they are perhaps best likened to a gluten-free Chips-Ahoy (tm) or similar packaged commercial chocolate-chip cookie -- again, I can almost guarantee that kids are going to like these (adults too, most likely). They lack some of the texture that the gluten-containing commercial variety has, but they are pretty decent little cookies that we had not problem finishing off over a few days time - I actually found it rather easy to eat 8 or 10 at a time! The texture is just a bit powdery, but still crunchy enough to be plenty enjoyable. The nut meal in the recipe is definitely what gives these cookies a needed boost - I think that without it, they would fall into the very-basic GF cookie category. And, the loads of mini-chocolate chips on top also finish the product off nicely for both taste and texture, and help overcome any other shortcomings. These are a solid 7-8/10 rating. You can bake better ones at home if you have the time, but these cookies make a compelling case for bypassing the home-baking effort at least part of the time.

In Summary
I am so glad that Shabtai removed the hydrogenated oils from their formulas. Shabtai markets these desserts as Kosher / parve, Gluten-Free, Lactose Free, Casein Free, Dairy-Free, and Soy Free(they are labeled as such). This free of most mainstream allergens approach perhaps leads to whey I still find their recipes (ingredients) rather basic, and many of their products rely on a similar core blend of starches, palm fruit shortening, and so forth... but, when you remove gluten, dairy, and so on from recipes, there are only so many options available for large-scale baking perhaps.

I did not get around to fully reviewing a few of the other Shabtai items - like the Raspberry Roll (we reviewed last time) which was still quite nice (my wife's favorite out of the bunch), and the Honey Cake which also had a unique and pleasing honey taste. The only dessert varieties I did not care much for this time were the Lady Fingers (still just powder in my opinion) and the Brownie Bites (overly sweet - overwhelmed the chocolate flavor; and I did not care for the thicker, but not necessarily chewy, texture). Perhaps opinion and taste preferences are going to vary, I am sure.

Regardless, for commercial gluten-free desserts, they hold their own in the market. I am not sure how widely available they are throughout the USA, but I have seen them in the refrigerated section at various gluten-free diet and specialty-diet stores. The Shabtai Gourmet / Cinderella Sweets gluten-free desserts mimic many commercial desserts (gluten-containing) rather well, and they should be a hit with children especially.