7 Gluten-Free Ingredients Your Pantry Should Have
Gluten-free cooking is becoming more common as more folks discover they have food allergies. Chloe Coscarelli, the first vegan chef to win top prize on the Food Network's Cupcake Wars, shares her must-have gluten-free ingredient substitutes. Are they in your kitchen yet? From her debut cookbook, Chloe's Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way.
If you are preparing a recipe for yourself or someone else with a food allergy, check all ingredient labels carefully to make sure that they are allergen-free. It is up to the consumer to avoid ingredients that contain allergens, allergen derivatives, or have been exposed to cross-contamination.
GLUTEN-FREE SUBSTITUTES
Flour
Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour is an excellent product that can be used in many of my sweet and savory recipes calling for flour. It is made from a blend of garbanzo flour and potato starch, and can be found at your local grocery store or ordered online at BobsRedMill.com. There are many brands of gluten-free flour, but I get the best results with Bob's Red Mill. When substituting gluten-free flour in a recipe, make sure that the other ingredients you are using in the recipe are gluten-free as well, such as pasta, bread products, and seasonings.
Note that gluten-free flour can be used in almost all of my dessert recipes with excellent results, but it is very important to add xanthan gum as directed in the recipe. Also, baking time may vary when using gluten-free flour.
Pasta
Brown rice pasta is a delicious alternative to wheat pasta. You can use it in every single one of my pasta recipes. Brown rice pasta takes longer to cook, so be sure to boil it until it is tender with a soft bite. You can also use quinoa pasta, which has a beautiful golden color.
Bread
Gluten-free bread, often made from rice, flax, and almond flour can be purchased at your local natural foods market and substituted in all recipes calling for bread. It is usually found in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Soy Sauce
Gluten-free tamari can be found at your local natural foods market and used in place of soy sauce. San-J is a popular brand that carries organic gluten-free soy sauce.
Seitan
For gluten-free cooking, avoid seitan, which is made from pure wheat gluten. Instead, substitute extra-firm tofu or tempeh.
Hoisin Sauce
Gluten-free hoisin sauce can be found at your local natural foods market. Premier Japan is a popular brand that carries organic gluten-free hoisin sauce.
Bread crumbs
Use store-bought gluten-free bread crumbs or make your own by toasting gluten-free bread and pulsing it in a food processor until it becomes fine crumbs.
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Related Links:
Buy Chloe's Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way by Chloe Coscarelli
Why Vegetarians Are Less Likely to Be Overweight
Why Are Eating Disorders on the Rise in Older Women?
Just Because It's Gluten-Free Doesn't Mean It's Good for You
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