Delicious Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Delicious Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

a dessert baked with love

My mother is the type of woman who believes in making things from scratch and that everyone should have a delicious dessert at Thanksgiving. When I finally committed to a 100% gluten-free diet, this became a bit of a challenge, at least as far as I concerned. Although I was happy with apples baked in cinnamon and sugar, store-bought gluten-free apple pies, and gluten-free brownies from Betty Crocker's delicious mix, my mom wasn't satisfied until she came up with this delicious treat. It's so good, even the glutenites* at your table will dig in!

*Yes, I am working really hard to coin this phrase, but doesn't "glutenite" roll off the tongue so much better than "people who can eat gluten" or "people who are not gluten-free?"

(Scroll down for complete recipe)

Delicious Gluten-Free Apple Crisp

Yields: one 8x8 pan

Hands on time: 30-45 minutes (includes peeling, slicing and paring the apples)

Total time: approximately 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

For the apples

• 4 cups of apples peeled, sliced & pared (about 3-4 medium apples--I use Granny Smith or similar)
• 2 mounded teaspoons of cinnamon
• 3-4 tablespoons white sugar
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

For the crisp topping

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven at 350 degrees.
2. Put apples in a greased 8x8 baking pan, sprinkle with orange juice, and then mix to coat apples.
3. In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle on apples and mix.
4. Combine the brown sugar, brown rice flour, and ground cloves in a separate bowl and mix.
5. Soften the butter or margarine and knead into the rice-flour mixture. Mix thoroughly.
6. Crumble the rice-flour mixture over the apples.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes. Apples should be soft when you poke them.
8. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

Enjoy!

P.S.

In the past, I've always weaved the pictures and recipe instructions together. However, I thought placing all of the recipe instructions at the end might make it a little more user-friendly, and it seems to be what most "food bloggers" do. I hope you like it!

Gluten-Free Spicy Vegetable Soup

Gluten-Free Spicy Vegetable Soup

tasty, hearty, & easy-to-make

This is probably one of my all-time favorite recipes--gluten-free or not. My mom shared it with me roughly ten years ago, and my family never gets sick of it. The list of ingredients is fairly short, but the finished product is filled with a variety of vegetables, just the right amount of spice, and a decent helping of protein. While the process is quite simple, the results are amazing! And the best part of all--it provides a well-balanced dinner while dirtying just one pot. If you ever have to bring a dish to a church potluck, this is a winner.

First, the ingredients: 

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 diced red or green bell pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large jar (approx. 30 oz.) Chunky Garden Style spaghetti sauce*
• 1 large can (approx. 10 oz.) diced tomatoes, partially drained
• 1 bag (16 oz.) frozen mixed vegetables
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes**

*I use Prego Fresh Muschroom or Tomatoes & Garlic. Both are labeled gluten-free.

**You can substitute chili powder, but you will need to increase the amount.

Don't forget--Add at end to taste:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar (optional--helps cut acidity)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Now, the instructions:

Cook the ground beef or turkey in a large pot, stirring until browned and broken up. Drain fat if needed. 

Add onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until limp. FYI: The celery usually takes the longest.

Add spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes, frozen vegetables, and crushed red pepper. 

Cover and cook at least 10-15 minutes or until the frozen vegetables are thawed and thoroughly cooked. 

Add sugar, salt, and pepper if needed.

Bon appetit!

P.S.

This soup pairs wonderfully with my Simple Gluten-Free Cornbread. 
Click below for the recipe.

Keeping Your Kitchen Safe

Keeping Your Kitchen Safe

some easy tips to avoid cross-contamination at home

If your significant other is anything like my husband, he (or she) makes many sacrifices to help you stay gluten-free without losing all interest in eating. And if you are anything like me, the last thing you want to do is ask him (or her) to make one more sacrifice and make your kitchen entirely gluten-free. The good news? You may not have to. Implementing a few simple ideas may be enough to keep your kitchen safe and everyone in your house happy.

PROBLEM: Keeping gluten-free and traditional pasta separate Look at the picture below. Can you tell which pasta is gluten-free and which is made from traditional wheat flour? Neither can I.

Two are gluten-free, but which two?

SOLUTIONS: 1) Buy gluten-free pasta in unique shapes or colors For a unique shape, try penne (shown above), shells or fusili. For a stand-out color, look for spinach- or squash-flavored pastas, which will be naturally tinted green or orange. A new shape or unusual color may not impact taste, but it will give you confidence the next time you serve spaghetti. 2) Use an easy labeling system To help tell our pasta jars apart, I simply tied a colored ribbon to the ones containing gluten-free pasta. Simple, elegant, and easy.

An orange ribbon indicates "gluten-free,"
while clear glass containers keep me organized 

PROBLEM: Gluten sticks to my colander when I drain gluten-containing pasta

SOLUTIONS: 1) Always drain the gluten-free pasta first & scrub thoroughly I drain my gluten-free pasta and plate it up, and then I drain the gluten-containing stuff for my husband and son. When it is time to clean up, I submerge the colander in a pot or sinkful of hot water, and then scrub and rinse repeatedly. 2) Buy a gluten-free-only colander and make sure the rest of the family knows it's off-limits While you are at it, you may also want to consider buying a dedicated toaster and try to stick to non-porous utensils, like plastic. 

PROBLEM: Gluten-containing crumbs in my otherwise gluten-free margarine or jam

Which one would you dip your knife into?

SOLUTION: Buy one brand (or flavor) of margarine and jam for yourself and one for your gluten-eating loved ones When it comes to cross-contamination, it is always best to play it safe. While the above problem could also be solved by teaching every member of the household how to butter their toast without smearing whole-wheat crumbs into the container, it is a lot easier to say, "This is mine. Don't touch it." 

This seems to work best when the "hands-on" product is something the rest of the family loves (e.g. I eat peach and apricot jam, while my husband and sun revel in strawberry). As an added perk, I get to experiment with different flavors, and my husband never has a reason to complain.

Who says you have to share?

Hungry for More?

Check out these links to gluten-free cross-contamination articles

Keeping a Safe Gluten-Free Kitchen (Suzy Schurr, Celiac Central)
Cross-Contamination (Canadian Celiac Association)
Cross Contamination (Coeliac UK)
Ask the Celiac Expert: Q & A (Shelley Case, RD, Gluten Free Diet)

Have a great cross-contamination prevention tip? Leave a comment and pass it on!

Concerned about cross-contamination and looking for advice? Leave a comment and let me know how I can help. I'm here for you!