Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adults

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Contents

Chapter One

Spicy Cheesy Spread

1 cup grated cheddar cheese (Vegan Gourmet Cheddar Cheese Alternative is dairy-free) 2 tablespoons canned, chopped green chilies ¼ cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon chili powder 2½ ounces (about 60) gluten-free tortilla chips (Frito Lay Tostitos Bite Size Rounds Tortilla Chips are gluten-free)

(1) Preheat broiler.

(2) In a bowl, stir together the grated cheese with the chilies, mayonnaise, and chili powder. Use a knife to spread the cheese mixture over the tortilla chips.

(3) Place the chips on a baking sheet. Broil about 3 minutes or just until the cheese is slightly toasted.

Makes 20 (3-chip) servings

One serving—Calories: 41; Total fat: 2.4 g; Saturated fat: 0.3 g; Cholesterol: 0.7 mg; Sodium: 72 mg; Carbohydrates: 4.4 g; Fiber: 0.1 g; Sugar: 0.2 g; Protein: 0.7 g

Taco Dip

1½ tablespoons olive oil 2 green onions, sliced thin 1 (16-ounce) can refried beans ¼ cup water ¼ cup salsa ¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese (Vegan Gourmet Cheddar Cheese Alternative is dairy-free)

(1) In a small saucepan, heat the oil for 10 seconds.

(2) Add the green onions and sauté them lightly over medium heat until they are soft.

(3) Stir in the refried beans. Cook until the beans are soft, stirring frequently.

(4) Stir in the water until blended.

(5) Stir in the salsa until blended.

(6) Stir in the cheese until it has melted completely.

(7) Remove the pan from the heat and spoon the dip into a serving bowl. Serve this dip with gluten-free tortilla chips.

Makes 12 (¼-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 62; Total fat: 2.6 g; Saturated fat: 0.4 g; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Sodium: 238 mg; Carbohydrates: 7.3 g; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 0.4 g; Protein: 2.6 g

Almost Cheeseburger

½ pound lean ground beef 1 teaspoon dried onion flakes 1 pound shredded cheddar cheese (Vegan Gourmet Cheddar Cheese Alternative is dairy- free) ¼ cup milk (use casein-free soy or rice milk for dairy-free diets) 1 tablespoon ketchup (Heinz ketchup is gluten-free and dairy-free) 2 tablespoons yellow mustard

(1) Spray a skillet with nonstick spray. Brown the beef and onion flakes in the skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up the meat with a fork as it cooks.

(2) Lower the heat and stir in the cheese, milk, ketchup, and mustard. Continue stirring until the cheese has melted. Serve with gluten-free, dairy-free crackers or strips of bread.

Makes 8 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 123; Total fat: 4.8 g; Saturated fat: 1.2 g; Cholesterol: 33 mg; Sodium: 257 mg; Carbohydrates: 6 g; Fiber: 0.2 g; Sugar: 0.6 g; Protein: 13.5 g

Homemade Peanut Butter

1 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 teaspoon sugar

(1) Put the nuts into a blender.

(2) Put the lid on the blender and grind the nuts until they are very fine.

(3) Add the oil and blend well, stopping to scrape the sides of the blender frequently with a rubber spatula.

(4) Add the sugar and blend again until the mixture looks like peanut butter.

Note: If you like crunchy peanut butter, mix some finely chopped peanuts into your peanut butter.

Makes about 12 (1-tablespoon) servings

One serving—Calories: 79; Total fat: 7 g; Saturated fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 1.3 mg; Carbohydrates: 3.5 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 0.3 g; Protein: 2 g

Trail Mix

4 cups Rice Chex Cereal (General Mills Rice Chex Cereal is now gluten-free) ¾ cup raisins 1/3 cup dried cranberries ½ cup dry-roasted peanuts ¼ cup sunflower seeds ½ cup coconut flakes 1 cup pretzels (Glutino makes gluten-free pretzels) ½ cup dried banana chips

(1) Stir all of the ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly mixed.

(2) Store the mix in a large self-seal plastic bag.

Makes 16 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 118; Total fat: 4.9 g; Saturated fat: 1.2 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 77 mg; Carbohydrates: 18.1 g; Fiber: 1.5 g; Sugar: 7.9 g; Protein: 2.4 g

Homemade Granola

2 cups pure oats (Cream Hill Estates processes pure oats) ¾ cup slivered almonds ½ cup flaked, unsweetened coconut ½ cup cashews 1/3 cup brown sugar 1½ teaspoons allspice 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ cup butter (use dairy-free margarine for dairy-free diets) 3 tablespoons honey 1 cup pitted dates, each cut into thirds

(1) Preheat oven to 300°F.

(2) In a large bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, coconut, cashews, brown sugar, allspice, and cinnamon.

(3) In a small saucepan, melt the butter or margarine with the honey over low heat.

(4) Pour the butter-honey mixture over the granola mixture and toss well to coat all ingredients evenly.

(5) Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

(6) Add the dates, and mix to separate any clumps.

(7) Continue to bake about 15 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the granola is golden brown.

Note: When the mixture has cooled, it will hold 2 weeks in an airtight container.

Makes 12 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 505; Total fat: 12.3 g; Saturated fat: 3.2 g; Cholesterol: 10.2 mg; Sodium: 33 mg; Carbohydrates: 33.5 g; Fiber: 6.6 g; Sugar: 19 g; Protein: 5.2 g

Athena's Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds

This recipe was submitted by my 9½-year-old granddaughter!

2 cups pumpkin seeds fresh from a large pumpkin 1 teaspoon vanilla ¼ cup sugar ½ teaspoon cinnamon

(1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

(2) Cut the top off the pumpkin and scoop out the pulp that contains the seeds. Put the pulp in a colander and wash the pulp and stringy matter off the seeds under cold running water. Throw out the pulp, saving the seeds. Blot the seeds dry with paper towels.

(3) Spread the seeds in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the seeds with the vanilla, then with the sugar and cinnamon.

(4) Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake the seeds for 10 minutes or until dry and lightly toasted. The cooking time will depend on the amount of seeds and how dry they were when they were put in the oven.

Makes 16 (2-tablespoon) servings

One serving—Calories: 113; Total fat: 7.9 g; Saturated fat: 1.5 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 50 mg; Carbohydrates: 5 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 3.3 g; Protein: 4.2 g

Caramel Popcorn

¼ cup butter (use dairy-free margarine for dairy-free diets; Fleischmann's makes a dairy-free margarine) ½ cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons light corn syrup 2 tablespoons honey ¼ teaspoon baking soda 4 cups popped popcorn 1 cup broken walnuts

(1) Put the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and honey in a large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes and then stir the mixture.

(2) Add the baking soda. Stir carefully until the mixture is foamy.

(3) Microwave the brown sugar sauce on high for another 1½ minutes.

(4) Stir in the popcorn and walnuts until the popcorn is evenly coated with the sauce.

(5) Microwave the popcorn mixture for 1 minute.

(6) Spread the mixture onto a large sheet of wax paper. Let it cool at room temperature for 1 hour until it sets.

(7) Break the mixture into pieces. Store in a gallon-size, reclosable plastic bag.

Makes 11 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 160; Total fat: 8.9 g; Saturated fat: 2.6 g; Cholesterol: 12 mg; Sodium: 62 mg; Carbohydrates: 19.8 g; Fiber: 1.1 g; Sugar: 14.2 g; Protein: 2 g

Snack Puffs

½ cup butter (use dairy-free margarine for a dairy-free diet; Parkay margarine is dairy-free) 1 cup peanut butter 1½ cups chopped dark chocolate 1 (1-pound) box gluten-free, dairy-free puffed corn cereal (Arrowhead Mills makes a variety of gluten-free, dairy-free cereals) 1 (1-pound) box powdered sugar

(1) Place the butter, peanut butter, and chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50 percent power) for 1 minute.

(2) Remove the bowl from the microwave, and stir the mixture.

(3) Return the bowl to the microwave, and cook for 1 minute on medium. Stir, and continue the process of heating and stirring until the mixture is melted.

(4) Place the cereal in a large bowl. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the top to coat the cereal evenly.

(5) Stir the cereal to distribute the chocolate coating evenly.

(6) Empty the powdered sugar into a large paper bag and add the chocolate-coated cereal. Close the top of the bag securely.

(7) Shake the bag until the sugar evenly coats the cereal mixture.

Makes 24 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 227; Total fat: 24 g; Saturated fat: 1.8 g; Cholesterol: 0.7 mg; Sodium: 41 mg; Carbohydrates: 23.1 g; Fiber: 2.3 g; Sugar: 15.7 g; Protein: 4.2 g

Cereal Candy

3 cups gluten-free, dairy-free puffed rice cereal (Kallo Organic Puffed Rice Cereal is gluten- and dairy-free) 1/3 cup raisins 1/3 cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into very small pieces 2 tablespoons light corn syrup

(1) In a large bowl, stir together the cereal, raisins, cranberries, and peanuts.

(2) Melt the chocolate in a medium glass bowl in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until just melted.

(3) Stir the corn syrup into the melted chocolate.

(4) Carefully drizzle the melted chocolate mixture evenly over the cereal mix. Stir to mix.

(5) Spoon the cereal candy into cupcake papers, then place the filled cups on a baking sheet.

(6) Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

Makes 10 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 230; Total fat: 8.4 g; Saturated fat: 4.6 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 154 mg; Carbohydrates: 38 g; Fiber: 1.8 g; Sugar: 25.3 g; Protein: 3 g

Rock Candy

2 cups + 2 cups sugar 1 cup water ¼ teaspoon blue food coloring (or your favorite color)

You'll Need

Glass jar String Pencil Wax paper

(1) In a medium saucepan, heat 2 cups of the sugar with the water. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.

(2) Add the food coloring, and then slowly stir in the remaining 2 cups sugar, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.

(3) Carefully pour the mixture into a clean, quart-size glass jar. (You may want to use a funnel for this.)

(4) Cut eight pieces of string, each 6 inches long. Tie one end of each string to the pencil.

(5) Lay the pencil across the top of the jar so that the free ends of the strings hang into the sugar water. Lay a piece of wax paper over the top of the jar.

(6) After a couple of hours, you will see crystals starting to form on the strings. The longer you leave the strings in the water, the thicker the crystals will get. Pieces can be broken off and eaten, then return the string to the sugar water to start building crystals again. The crystals will continue to build for several days or up to a week.

Makes 8 (1-strand) servings

One serving (after several days of accumulating crystals)—Calories: 339; Total fat: 0 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 0 mg; Carbohydrates: 87.5 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 87.4 g; Protein: 0 g

Chocolate Candy

You may want to substitute the raisins or nuts with ¼ cup of any of the following additional food items: coconut; pitted chopped dates; dried cranberries or dried cherries; chopped walnuts, pecans, or cashews; or 1 tablespoon raspberry preserves.

½ pound dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces ¼ teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup raisins 1/3 cup plain salted peanuts or cashews

(1) Put the chocolate in a 2-quart glass bowl.

(2) Microwave on high for about 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until just melted (do not overcook).

(3) Remove the bowl from the microwave. Stir the chocolate until smooth.

(4) If the chocolate has not melted, return the bowl to the microwave, and continue to cook on high until shiny. Be careful not to overcook or the chocolate could burn.

(5) Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the chocolate again until smooth. Stir in the vanilla.

(6) Stir in the raisins and nuts.

(7) Drop the candy by teaspoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Refrigerate about 20 minutes or until firm.

Makes 20 pieces

One piece—Calories: 82; Total fat: 4.8 g; Saturated fat: 1.2 g; Cholesterol: 0.6 mg; Sodium: 15 mg; Carbohydrates: 9.26 g; Fiber: 1 g; Sugar: 6.8 g; Protein: 1.1 g

Cranberry Candy

1 (15-ounce) can cranberry sauce 1 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 (3-ounce) box raspberry gelatin 1 (3-ounce) box lemon gelatin ½ cup finely chopped almonds 3 tablespoons powdered sugar ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

(1) In a medium saucepan, stir together the cranberry sauce, 1 cup of granulated sugar, and the raspberry and lemon gelatins.

(2) Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in the almonds.

(3) Pour the mixture into a 9-inch square pan. Let the mixture cool, and then put it in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

(4) Cut the gelled mixture into 1-inch squares.

(5) Sift 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the powdered sugar, and the cinnamon together onto a piece of wax paper. Holding both sides of the wax paper, pour the sugar mixture into a gallon-size, self-seal plastic bag.

(6) Place six squares of gelatin into the bag. (An easy way to loosen the gelled squares from the pan is to run a rubber spatula underneath them.) Seal the bag, and shake to coat all sides with sugar. Remove the squares, and arrange them on a plate. Repeat with the remaining squares, working in small batches.

(7) When all the squares are coated with the sugar mixture, return them to the plastic bag. Seal it securely until ready to serve.

Makes 81 (1-piece) servings

One serving—Calories: 34; Total fat: 0.5 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 12 mg; Carbohydrates: 7.5 g; Fiber: 0.2 g; Sugar: 7.2 g; Protein: 0.4 g

Peanut Butter Cups

1½ cups chopped dark chocolate ½ cup creamy peanut butter

(1) Line twelve mini-muffin tins with mini-muffin paper liners.

(2) Put the chocolate pieces in a medium glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute, stirring the chocolate every 15 seconds until melted.

(3) Spoon 1 tablespoon melted chocolate into each muffin paper liner.

(4) Spoon 2 teaspoons peanut butter over the chocolate in each of the paper liners.

(5) Spoon 1 tablespoon melted chocolate over the peanut butter in each of the paper liners.

(6) Refrigerate the peanut butter cups for 2 hours or until they have hardened.

Makes 12 servings

One serving—Calories: 164; Total fat: 12.2 g; Saturated fat: 5.6 g; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Sodium: 58 mg; Carbohydrates: 16.2 g; Fiber: 2.3 g; Sugar: 12.8 g; Protein: 3.8 g

Tortilla Snack

½ teaspoon butter (use dairy-free margarine for dairy-free diets) 1 gluten-free flour tortilla or corn tortilla (Mission corn tortillas are gluten-free) ½ teaspoon cinnamon sugar (or ½ teaspoon sugar mixed with ¼ teaspoon cinnamon)

(1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

(2) Spread the butter on one side of the tortilla. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.

(3) Place tortilla in a small baking pan and bake for 4 minutes.

Makes 1 serving

One serving (made with a rice flour tortilla)—Calories: 140; Total fat: 2.4 g; Saturated fat: 1.2 g; Cholesterol: 5 mg; Sodium: 174 mg; Carbohydrates: 26.4 g; Fiber: 2.2 g; Sugar: 2.1 g; Protein: 0.01 g

Fun Roll-Up

1 tablespoon peanut butter 1 gluten-free flour tortilla (Don Pancho makes gluten-free flour tortillas) ½ small banana, sliced 2 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate

(1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

(2) Spread the peanut butter evenly over the tortilla.

(3) Lay the banana slices on one-half of the tortilla.

(4) Sprinkle the chocolate over the banana slices.

(5) Starting on the side with the bananas and chocolate, roll up the tortilla tightly.

(6) Lay the tortilla on a piece of foil or in a small pan and bake for 4 minutes or until the chocolate has melted and the tortilla is lightly toasted.

Makes 1 serving

One serving—Calories: 421; Total fat: 19.6 g; Saturated fat: 7 g; Cholesterol: 1 mg; Sodium: 165 mg; Carbohydrates: 55.2 g; Fiber: 6.1 g; Sugar: 20.7 g; Protein: 6.1 g

Rice Cake Bonanza

1 teaspoon peanut butter 1 gluten-free rice cake 1 teaspoon jelly (your favorite flavor) 1 teaspoon raisins ½ banana 2 marshmallows (most brands of marshmallows are dairy-free; AllerEnergy is one example)

(1) Spread the peanut butter on one side of the rice cake.

(2) Spread the jelly on top of the peanut butter.

(3) Sprinkle the raisins on top of the jelly.

(4) Slice the banana over the raisins, then top with the marshmallows.

Makes 1 serving

One serving—Calories: 191; Total fat: 3.2 g; Saturated fat: 1.7 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 59 mg; Carbohydrates: 39.8 g; Fiber: 3 g; Sugar: 21.7 g; Protein: 3.3 g

Creamy Pops

½ cup cranberry juice 1 cup milk (use casein-free vanilla soy milk or sweetened almond milk for dairy-free diets) 3 tablespoons sugar

(1) In a medium bowl, stir together the juice, milk, and sugar.

(2) Spoon the mixture into four Popsicle molds, or use 5-ounce paper cups.

(3) Freeze the molds for 4 hours or until frozen solid. If you're using paper cups, insert a flat, wooden stick in the center of the mold when the mixture is partially frozen, then freeze until solid.

Makes 4 pops

One pop—Calories: 77; Total fat: 0.04 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 3 mg; Sodium: 29 mg; Carbohydrates: 16.2 g; Fiber: 0.03 g; Sugar: 15.4 g; Protein: 1.6 g

Chapter Two

Lime Fizz

Use your imagination to combine different flavors of soda and sorbet. Try orange sorbet with orange soda, or lemon sorbet with cherry soda. ¾ cup cold Sprite ¼ cup lime sorbet (use dairy-free sorbet for a dairy-free diet)

(1) Pour half of the soda into a drinking glass.

(2) Spoon the sorbet into the glass.

(3) Pour in the remaining Sprite.

Makes 1 (1-cup) serving

One serving—Calories: 123; Total fat: 0 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 21 mg; Carbohydrates: 33 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 11 g; Protein: 0 g

Mint Lemon Fizz

2 cups cold water 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (juice from 2 lemons) 1/3 cup sugar 4 fresh mint leaves 4 cups cold Sprite Ice cubes

(1) Pour the water into a large pitcher.

(2) Pour the lemon juice through a strainer into the pitcher.

(3) Stir in the sugar until completely dissolved.

(4) Stir in the mint leaves.

(5) Leave the pitcher on the counter for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.

(6) Remove the mint leaves.

(7) Pour in the Sprite.

(8) Put some ice cubes into each glass; pour the drink over the ice.

Makes 7 (1-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 98; Total fat: 0 g; Saturated fat: 0 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 13 mg; Carbohydrates: 26.3 g; Fiber: 0.09 g; Sugar: 10 g; Protein: 0.09 g

Cherry Banana Shake

½ cup milk (use casein-free vanilla soy or rice milk for a dairy-free diet) ½ teaspoon vanilla 1 small ripe banana, sliced 6 maraschino cherries 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa 3 cups vanilla ice cream (Turtle Mountain makes dairy-free ice creams)

(1) Put the milk (or vanilla soy or rice milk), vanilla, banana, cherries, and cocoa in a blender.

(2) Cover and blend on high power until smooth.

(3) Add the ice cream. Blend on medium power until smooth. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 (½-cup) servings

One serving—Calories: 155; Total fat: 6.5 g; Saturated fat: 3.6 g; Cholesterol: 22 mg; Sodium: 23 mg; Carbohydrates: 27.4 g; Fiber: 5.2 g; Sugar: 17.2 g; Protein: 1.5 g

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Cookbook for Kids and Busy Adultsby Connie Sarros Copyright © 2010 by Connie Sarros. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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