Nothing sends shivers of trepidation up a gluten-free dairy-free girl's spine like the mental image of Grandma's white bread dressing, or shimmying slabs of Aunt Ida's pumpkin pie. It's a butter and wheat flour gorge fest with danger at every turn- the gut-twisting threat of thirty-six hours chugging Pepto Bismolpoised to strike on every holiday decorated plate. Jovial forkfuls of tradition and conviviality aside.
It can be a nightmare, Darling.
If you're lucky, your family is tuned in to the ins and outs of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, and they are well aware of the angst and anxiety food centric holidays can trigger for those of us who need to be vigilant about each and every spoonful of food that enters our quirky gluten-free universe.
If you are blessed, they are thoughtful and well schooled in where gluten might lurk (turkey broth, marinades, gravy, seasoning packets, spice blends, traditional stuffing, cornbread mixes, crackers, pie crusts, soy sauce). And they don't ask questions like, You can eat "whole" wheat crackers, right? with the emphasis on the word whole as if somehow, the word itself makes the wheat magically safe for gluten sensitive folks to consume (it doesn't).They won't sigh when you politely decline a slice of Aunt Ethel's pecan pie and say, Why don't you just eat the filling and not the crust?They won't hold up a pitcher of turkey gravy and whisper, A little bit won't kill you.Or my own personal favorite, Oh, go ahead... I have food allergies and I cheat.
Right.
If these persuasions are foreign to you, then you, Dear Reader, have much to be thankful for this holiday season.You are blessed with a clan that gets you, loves you without judging you, and honestly cares about every morsel that enters your fragile autoimmune universe.
So this post is for them...
The attentive Moms and Dads, compassionate Aunts and Uncles, smart-as-a-whip Grandmas and Bubbes, sisters, brothers and best buds who believe that if food is love, Thanksgiving should be fun and worry-free and delicious.
For everyone.
No big whup.
Because after all- we know true love has great taste.
Karina xo
Key Tips for a Safe and Delicious
Gluten-Free Dairy-Free
Holiday Season
If you're new to gluten-free living here's a Gluten-Free Diet Cheat Sheetto print out and keep handy. Because gluten is devious. Label reading is a must.
Marinades, broth, soy sauce, and bouillon may use wheat or barley in flavors and seasonings. Although I urge you to check your turkey for gluten-free status, most I've seen are safe- if you avoid the seasoning or gravy packet.
Bottom line?
Know your bird. Know your source. And know your ingredients, Dollface.
TIPS: For thickening gravy, whisk in a tablespoon or two of sweet rice flour. Or make an arrowroot starch slurry. {Potato flour is another choice- but be careful you don't add too much and end up with gelatinous, thick gravy you have to slice to serve}
For a non-dairy sub in pumpkin, squash and sweet potato recipes try using coconut milk- it's creamy and delicious (full fat tastes best). If you can't do coconut milk, soy milk or almond milk works beautifully. {Rice milk is rather thin. Hemp milk is an acquired taste and may be too grassy for the uninitiated.}
Another tasty non-dairy vegan choice is orange juice or apple cider. Cook carrots or cubes of winter squash with a splash of orange juice or apple cider for a lovely vegan flavor boost. Drizzle a touch of pure maple syrup.
For creamy mashed potatoes that are dairy-free I use a combo of light and fruity extra virgin olive oil and my favorite gluten-free vegan buttery spread. For creaminess, whip in some warm non-dairy milk- coconut, soy, and nut milks all work. A light gluten-free broth works, too. The trick is don't beat the potatoes to death until they're gluey (what did a potato ever do to you? Be kind).
For a dairy-free vegan butter sub in baking, my new favorite fat is organic coconut oil. I love the texture and subtle coconut flavor.
Hate coconut oil? Try organic expeller pressed canola oil or grape seed oil (both have very neutral flavor). Any of these work well in muffins, quick breads, bread, cookie bars and cakes. When one half to one cup butter is called for in a recipe, these oils will usually work- though I typically start with a little less than the amount of butter called for and see how the batter looks.
For a vegan butter substitute in pastry and gluten-free pie crust recipes I'd choose Earth Balance sticks, Spectrum Organic Shortening or organic coconut oil.
For stuffing, simply follow your favorite recipe and substitute toasted cubes of gluten-free cornbread, corn muffins, or a loaf of store-bought gluten-free white bread. Or try my personal favorite stuffing recipe- Cornbread Stuffing with Curried Apples and Cranberries.
For a crunchy bread crumb topping, try my Crunchy Gluten-Free Breadcrumbs (process toasted gluten-free waffles into perfect golden crumbs- they make a delicious topping that can be quite the conversation starter- waffles? Really?). And no, a (true) waffle is not sweet.
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| My gluten-free veganpumpkin praline pie with a fabulous crust. |
For a classic cookie crumb pie crust use Pamela's or Midel's Gluten-Free Gingersnaps or Pamela's cookies (Lemon or Ginger or Chocolate, depending upon the filling) processed into crumbs. I use Joy of Cooking's classic cookie/cracker crumb recipe and simply substitute with gluten-free cookies. For a butter replacement, try organic coconut oil, a good tasting vegan spread like Earth Balance.
Read on for more tips and my Gluten-Free Wheat-Free Thanksgiving worthy recipes ...
Brunch
Eggs Diablo on Soft Polenta Hot Buckwheat Cereal with Cinnamon Apples Pancakes
Butternut Pecan Scones
Pumpkin Bread- a big loaf
Pumpkin Donuts with cinnamon sugar
Pumpkin Muffins
Pumpkin Pie Bread
Pumpkin Scones with Maple Nutmeg Icing
Appetizers and Snacks
Crispy Potato Sticks with Roasted Tomato Salsa Jalapeño and Lime Hummus Raw Cashew Hummus Roasted Eggplant Tapenade Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Baked Grape Tomatoes with Basil Cornbread Crumbs
Fried Zucchini Chips in Lime-Mint Dipping Sauce
Pecan Crackers
Breads
Pumpkin Corn Muffins Pumpkin Muffins Pumpkin Pie Bread Savory Scones with Rosemary Sweet Potato Cornbread Vanilla Cornbread
Karina's Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls
Pueblo Bread- with green chiles
Skillet Cornbread with Green Chiles
Zucchini Bread
Vegan and Vegetarian Dishes
Lasagna Vegetariana Maple Roasted Acorn Squash Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach, Chick Peas and Maple Vinaigrette Quinoa with Butternut Squash + Cranberries Quinoa with Roasted Brussels Sprouts Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries in Baked Acorn Squash
Pumpkin Polenta with Salsa Fresca
Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
Spaghetti with Artichoke Hearts, Raisins + Pecans
Soups
Butternut Chili Celery Soup with Fennel Curried Butternut Soup Purple Cabbage and Sweet Potato Soup Pumpkin-Sweet Potato Soup Roasted Vegetable Chowder Spicy Pumpkin Soup with Coconut Milk Turkey Soup
Coconut Chick Pea Soup
New Mexican Stew with Ground Turkey and Green Chiles
Roasted Hatch Chile Stew with Sweet Potato
Thanksgiving Sides
Calabasitas (Santa Fe Style Succotash) Cider Roasted Vegetables Cornbread Stuffing with Apples and Cranberries + Baked Acorn Squash Crunchy Gluten-Free Bread Crumbs for Topping Karina's Kicked Up Colcannon Pinon Rice Bake with Artichokes, Goat Cheese Pomegranate Glazed Green Beans and Portobellos Quinoa Salad with Baby Spinach, Apples or Pears in Maple Vinaigrette Quinoa with Butternut Squash + Cranberries Ruby Applesauce with Cranberries Two Potato Salad with Sweet Potatoes Zucchini Gratin
Acorn Squash with green chiles
Dijon Roasted Vegetables
Quinoa Mushroom Pilaf
Roasted Winter Vegetable Ragout with Shaved Parmesan
Santa Fe Brown Rice Bake
Omnivore Recipes for Thanksgiving Weekend
Baked Mac and Cheese Beef in Pomegranate Sauce Beef + Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash Holiday Turkey Enchiladas with Sweet Potato Jazzed Up Turkey Tetrazzini Pineapple Salsa Chicken Enchiladas Pork Roast with Brown Sugar Apricot Sauce Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie with Black Angus Beef Turkey and Sweet Potato Enchiladas Turkey Nachos
Autumn Rice Bake with Beef and Cranberries
Garlic Chicken Lasagna
Stuffed Cabbage with Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa and Sausage
Sweets
Apple Cake with Cranberries Applesauce Crumb Cake CranberryCrumble Pumpkin Bread Pudding Pumpkin Bundt Cake Pumpkin Cake with Maple Frosting Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Icing Pumpkin Pie- easy Pumpkin Praline Pie with Coconut-Pecan Crust(Dairy-free and Vegan!)
Apple Crispwith quinoa flakes
Coconut Flour Apple Cake
Pie Crust Recipes
Pumpkin Bars- the best!
Sweet Potato Pie
Happy Cooking and Baking!
