Sugar Blues? Gluten-free Baking Without Sugar

Baking gluten-free without sugar: substitutions and tips.

An increasing number of comments and questions have revolved around sugar as a sweetener and how to substitute it in gluten-free baking. I thought the subject sweet enough to deserve its own post.

And since I recently started a sugar detox (I'm on day six sugar-free-, Darlings-- completely- no sweetener except a pinch of the herb stevia in my tea and smoothies), I thought it might be appropriate to refresh this post and bring it forward.

More to come on my sugar detox- soon.

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Top Ten Gluten-Free Recipes for 2010: My Faves

From cake to quinoa - my year's best gluten-free recipes

The annual ritual of creating top ten lists has commenced. Critics are choosing their top ten movies, editors have picked their Top Ten Books. Fashionistas have declared the year's best and worst trends of 2010 (jeggings- love 'em or hate 'em?). Do I dare leap into the scuffle and pluck ten gluten-free recipes as the year's best? And if so -- just how, exactly -- does one choose the golden top ten? The best of the best. Do I do as I did last year and let stats decide? (Might seem rather lazy, to repeat that process.) Or do I rely on my personal and often quirky preferences? (Could be controversial, especially if I was honest and chose peanut butter on ryeless rye bread toast as my number one.) Perhaps I should make a game of it and draw names from a hat. Randomness is appealing, in a way. (Though unsatisfying.)

I'll just do it.

I'll be bold. I'll be opinionated. I'll pick my g-free favorites from this year's recipes. Perhaps I need to define my criteria, though. How do you choose a favorite among the dozens you've created in a year? I'm proud of each recipe. After all, I enjoyed them enough to photograph them in all their gluten-free glory (unless, sadly, they were not photogenic, and that, Dear Reader, is a loss to the blog). And every recipe I shared passed the family taste test or they wouldn't stand a chance of appearing on Gluten-Free Goddess. You don't hear about the runner-ups, or the flat out failures that left your intrepid goddess weeping and gnashing her teeth. [Not really. I'm not the weeping kind. I swear like a character in Deadwood and take deadly aim at the trash bin.]

My criteria, then? Simple. A favorite recipe would be a recipe I'd make again. And share with company.

So with that in mind, away we go.

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10 Vegetarian Christmas Recipes

Here are a hand-picked few of my favorite gluten-free vegetarian recipes.

Winter Solstice- with a spectacular lunar eclipse- has blessed us with a turning point. Daylight now grows longer inch by inch. Or is that minute by wintry minute? In spirit, I suspect, it is both. Christmas is almost here, and the season celebrating rebirth, light, and sliding into credit card debt is in full swing. Carolers are caroling. Gift wrappers are gift wrapping. Egg noggers are nogging. The shiny New Year crouches right around the corner. And recipes are flooding my in-box for... ham? Roast beef? Rack of lamb? Wait a duck fat glistening minute, here.

Where are the vegetarian Christmas recipes?

I can't be the only person not forking a slab of meat on Christmas day. I can't be the single solitary soul who doesn't treasure bacon fat like it's a princess tiara. I'm not alone in my imaginings of a fresh and healthy vegan Christmas dinner--- am I?

Okay. Okay. I get it. I honestly do. I realize I'm in the minority here. That to most folks celebrating the winter holidays in all their myriad and nuanced diversity, meat is the centerpiece of celebration. I acknowledge that. I even accept that. Just because I've been a vegetarian 78% of my life doesn't mean I bury my head in the sand of denial. I cope. I deal. I go with the flow.

But just so you know? The UN thinks vegetarianism is not only a cool idea, it may be necessary to save the planet. So here's ten of my favorite vegetarian and vegan recipes for Christmas. With love.


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Gluten-Free Thanksgiving Recipes & Tips 2010

Need a gluten-free pumpkin pie recipe? No problem. And it's vegan to boot.

The Big T. Thanksgiving. Nothing sends shivers of trepidation up a gluten-free or dairy-free girl's spine like the mental image of Grandma's sage pungent 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 gruesome gut-twisting threat of thirty-six hours chugging Pepto Bismol is poised to strike on every holiday decorated plate- jovial forkfuls of tradition and conviviality aside.

It can be a nightmare.

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The Gluten-Free Diet Cheat-Sheet: How to Go G-Free

Gluten-Free ABCs for Going G-free

Gluten is the elastic protein in the grains: wheat, rye, barley, durum, einkorn, graham, semolina, bulgur wheat, spelt, farro, kamut, and triticale. Commercial oats also contain gluten due to cross contamination in processing.

Recipes that use flour (bleached white flour, whole wheat, cracked wheat, barley, semolina, spelt, farro, kamut, triticale) or vital wheat gluten are not gluten-free.

Semolina, spelt and whole wheat pasta, including cous cous, are not gluten-free.

Beer, ale and lager are not gluten-free. Brats, meats and sausage cooked in beer are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar, malt flavorings and barley malt are not gluten-free.

Recipes calling for breadcrumbs, breaded coatings, flour dredging, bread and flat bread, croutons, bagels, croissants, flour tortillas, pizza crust, graham crackers, granola, cereal, wheat germ, wheat berries, cookie crumbs, pie crust, crackers, pretzels, toast, flour tortillas, wraps and lavash, or pita bread are not gluten-free.

The vegan protein sub called seitan is not gluten-free; and some tempeh is not gluten-free (you must check). Flavored tofu may or may not be gluten-free. Injera bread (traditionally made from teff flour) and Asian rice wraps may be gluten-free, but are not necessarily gluten-free (check labels).

Barley enzymes used in malt, natural flavors, and to process some non-dairy beverages, chocolate chips, coffee and dessert syrups (and even some brown rice syrups) are not gluten-free. Always check.

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How to Live Gluten-Free on a Budget: 10 Tips + 2 Recipes

Farmers' market potatoes. Gluten-free and budget friendly.

How to live gluten-free on a budget? It's a legitimate concern. I feel your pain. $6.95 for a gluten-free baking mix? Ouch.

There's a lot of chit chat lately about food budgets, food prices, and stretching a dollar on Twitter and Food Blogs. Budget talk is in the air. Eating in and cooking from scratch is a trend now. And for those of us living gluten-free, a  trend unlikely to burn out soon. 

So if- like me- you are struggling to balance your cranky budget, here are ten tips and tricks to stretch the green and keep it tasty.

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How To Cook Quinoa in a Rice Cooker (with recipes)

Quinoa makes any dish special - even taco salad!

Last night I twittered about quinoa- where else but on Twitter (and by the way, Dear Reader, if you're not following me on Twitter, maybe you should; when the muse hits I share tidbits from my life- often from my kitchen- such as what I might be cooking, or thinking about cooking, or simply wrestling with out here in the lonely snow kissed desert) and my tweet stirred up some interest when I mentioned- in passing- how I cook my quinoa.

I do it the way I thought everybody did it. But judging from the response- even from seasoned vegetarian cooks- it appears my method of cooking quinoa might deserve a mention. So here's how I do it.

I cook it in a rice cooker. Fast. Simple. Rockin'.

In fact, quinoa is the easiest no-fuss grain you'll ever cook. It's healthy fast food. Cook up a batch ahead of time and you can stir up a fabulous light lunch (like the Lime Quinoa Salad with Mint) in a New York minute. Well, maybe a Los Angeles minute. A Venice Beach minute.

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Gluten-Free Baking Tips + Substitutions

I receive so many requests for substitutes in cooking and baking recipes (food allergies are on the rise, you know, not to mention those tender-hearted animal loving vegans- their smiling faces are popping up everywhere these days) that I thought I would write a post about what works- and what doesn't- in quirky Substitution Land. And...provide a permanent link to this vital information in the Karina's Kitchen sidebar. For your convenience, Bubbie. See how much I think of you, Dear Heart?

So now you can scoot your accommodating Aunt Sadie over to this Baking + Cooking Substitutions link when she calls you up to ask, For the love of Pete- how the heck do I fix you a mac and cheese casserole if you can't eat gluten or casein? You can now answer, Have I got a blog for you.

Of course, then she is sure to ask, Um, what's a blog?

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My Top Ten Gluten-Free Products

Gluten-free baguettes made with Pamela's mix.

My Top Ten Gluten-Free Favorites

[it goes to eleven]

These quickie reviews of my favorite gluten-free products are not sponsored by the manufacturers. I accepted no free samples, coupons, or other please-blog-about-us incentives.

1. Pamela's Amazing Gluten Free Bread Mix with sorghum and millet flour is the best tasting gluten-free bread mix by far. Seriously. I've made it with eggs and without eggs. Both ways are delicious. I've even made killer rustic baguettes with Pamela's (pictured above).

2. One of my favorite gluten-free pasta noodles is Ancient Harvest Quinoa Pasta, Spaghetti Style, Supergrain. It's non-starchy and has the bite of a good Italian linguine. For those unable to do corn, Tinkyada gluten-free pasta is also excellent. The Tinkyada White Rice Spaghetti is smooth and creamy (and even gluten-eaters love it). And the Tinkyada Brown Rice Lasagne with Rice Bran makes light, delicious lasagna.

3. Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix is the best all-around all-purpose baking and pancake mix. Why? It features buttermilk and almond meal. Beginners can use Pamela's mix as a one-to-one sub for wheat flour in gluten-free baking. For those who need a dairy-free vegan mix try Namaste Gluten-Free Waffle and Pancake Mix.

4. Highly regarded Bob's Red Mill has finally added a gluten-free polenta and cornmeal to their esteemed line of products. Lucky us! For those who love polenta and care about quality- we now have Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Corn Grits, Polenta and Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Cornmeal. Look for the GF symbol on the package.

5. Ancient Harvest Quinoa Flakes is a hot breakfast cereal rich in vegan protein and calcium. I enjoy it as a warm bowl of comfort drizzled with maple syrup. And I absolutely love using it in baking- especially in cookie, muffin, and cake recipes. Browse my quinoa recipes here.

5.5 I also enjoy Bob's Red Mill whole grain organic quinoa as pilaf, tabbouleh, and  a high protein alternative  to rice.  (If you also like rice and risotto, Lundberg Farms is the way to go.)

6. Stevia and flavored stevia extracts are a zero calorie all natural sweetener. Unlike some stevia products, Sweet Leaf has a clean sugar taste (no weird quasi-licorice aftertaste). I use it in coffee, tea, smoothies and cold drinks- because, frankly, who needs the extra calories on a daily basis? Note: stevia is a super sweet herb in the aster family- if you have aster allergies, please check with your physician before using.

7. Coconut Aminos is a raw coconut based (and fabulous!) gluten-free soy-free soy sauce  alternative. I use it in stir-fry and Asian inspired recipes.

8. MimiCreme cashew and almond based cream is thick and rich and vegan to boot. Use it in dairy-free recipes instead of dairy cream and sour cream.

9. Spectrum Organic Shortening is a neutral tasting non-hydrogenated vegan butter and shortening replacement in baking recipes. Great for cookies, biscuits and scones.

10. A perennial favorite here on the blog, vegan Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips are gluten, dairy, and soy free.

11. Organic Raw Blue Agave is a low glycemic natural vegan sweetener that is wonderful for subtle sweetening in sauces, beverages and baking.

Purchasing via these product links to

Amazon and My Amazon Store 

helps support this blog. 

Thank you!

Gluten-Free Bread Machine Tips

Pamela's bread mix baked in a Breadman bread machine.

I have good news. Especially for those of you living gluten-free. Help has arrived. Breadman now makes a very space-agey retro Jetsons-looking bread machine with- you guessed it- a gluten-free cycle. Fellow bloggers Kalyn and Alanna first alerted me to it, and as soon as I read about it, it went on my Amazon.com Wish List. Soon after it arrived at my door...courtesy of my mother.

First impressions? Gotta love the whole stainless and black look. Very cocina chic. But the big question is: Can this baby bake a decent loaf of bread? Long time readers know I like simplicity (well, that, and I simply have no room in my tiny kitchen for storing eighteen different bags of alternative flours) so I decided to try Pamela's new Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix for the Breadman's virgin voyage. It features sorghum and millet flour (and- best of all- it has no bean or soy flours- which I loathe).

First, I'd like to point out a minor complaint- the loaf sports an indent in the bottom from removal of the dough paddle. This gives the center three slices an uneven bottom edge. Solution? I cut these three pieces into triangles and will use them as crouton-toasts for soup- schmeared with pesto. Edit: My new solution is I reach in immediately after the mixing cycle (but before the rising cycle) and pull out the the paddle; then smooth over the top with wet fingers. Beyond the paddle issue- which is shared by many a bread machine- I have no real quibble. The machine delivered.

The attributes I like?

It's fast. The bread was baked in less than 90 minutes. I liked the crust option- you get to choose your crust preference- light, medium, or dark. I chose medium and the crust was delightfully crusty when toasted- something I've missed with gluten-free breads. I love a golden crust.

I sliced ten perfect slices (when the loaf cooled- you must wait, Babycakes, as hard as it is). It's not a huge loaf, obviously. But it is cute and chubby; and the ten square slices will make five perfect sandwiches.

The ends? We cut them up and dipped them into some fruity Napa Valley organic extra virgin olive oil. We licked our lips.

The bread mix.

I ordered a case of six from Amazon. I'm planning on making one mix into a pumpernickel by adding cocoa powder and caraway and molasses. And then, Dear Reader, I'm going to try my hand at cinnamon raisin bread. I've missed cinnamon raisin toast.

New Note: Don't need a bread mix? Want to bake your bread from scratch?

I've been experimenting with my own gluten-free bread recipes lately and have come up with my own recipes based on Pamela's mix of sorghum and millet flours.

Try my new favorite Gluten-Free Bread Recipe- works perfectly in this machine on 1.5 pound gluten-free setting.

Try my new ryeless Gluten-Free "Rye" Bread recipe.

Karina's Notes:

Some Readers have had trouble baking 2 lb. baking mixes (like Pamela's) in this Breadman bread machine (though it worked fine for me). So I experimented and found a solution, thanks to those who shared their tips below in Readers Comments. (Some readers have mentioned that the Zojirushi Bread Machine works fine with this mix.)

This machine's Gluten-Free cycle works best with a 1.5 pound loaf. If you make your own flour mix- this is perfect for you. Use recipes for a 1.5 pound loaf and choose the Gluten-Free cycle.

Some bread mixes- such as Pamela's- are a 2 pound loaf size. If you'd like to use a mix like this in this machine, here's what works:

Customize the cycle:

a.) Follow instructions for adding dry and liquid ingredients to the bread pan, assemble your dough ingredients, and snap the pan into place.

b.) Set your loaf size to 2 pounds and choose the Dough cycle.

c.) When the dough has mixed, let it rise for half an hour then choose the Bake cycle.

That's it. It worked beautifully for me.

As with all gluten-free baked goods and breads- remove the loaf from the pan as SOON AS possible. The longer a gluten-free baked good remains in a hot pan, the soggier it gets. It steams.

Please read through the bread discussion below for more tips and ideas- and don't miss the thorough commentary below posted by GF Dad- he's done his bread baking homework and was generous enough to share notes! Thank you, GF Dad!

Other notes- I've used Pamela's Amazing Wheat-Free Bread Mix to make pizza crusts and focaccia style round breads in cake pans, adding a little extra sea salt and Italian herbs, garlic and minced onion to the mix. Delicious!