|
To convert a recipe that usually contains gluten into one that's gluten-free, you need to make some simple substitutions. For the most part, with the exception of flours you use when making baked goods, the substitutions are simple — just swap one for the other.
- Beer: Some foods, especially deep-fried foods, may call for beer in the recipe. You can use either the gluten-free beers available online or try cider instead.
- Binders: A binder is just something that holds foodstuff together. Because gluten provides elasticity and stretch to baked goods, adding binders to foods that don't have gluten-containing flours in them is a good idea. Binders include xanthan gum, guar gum, gelatin powder (this is cool, too, because it adds protein and moisture), and eggs.
- Breadcrumbs: No-brainer here. Anyone who's ever eaten a piece of gluten-free bread (especially without toasting it) knows that breadcrumbs aren't hard to come by. You can buy gluten-free breadcrumbs from specialty stores or online, but if you can't or don't want to get those, consider using any gluten-free bread: Put the bread in a plastic bag and smoosh it into the size of crumbs you want. You can even toast the crumbs if you want added crunch or need dry breadcrumbs instead of fresh ones. Crushed cereals work well in place of breadcrumbs, too. Also consider using mashed potato flakes or quinoa flakes.
- Bun: Consider using a lettuce wrap, corn tortilla, or of course, gluten-free bread. Some good gluten-free buns are available online and at specialty shops.
- Coatings: If a recipe calls for some type of coating, you have several options. You can consider using a gluten-free flour, as well as any versatile gluten-free mix you have lying around, such as a mix for bread, muffins, or pancakes. Cornmeal or corn flour (masa) with seasonings mixed in adds an interesting texture, and crushed barbecue potato chips (gluten-free, of course) are awe-inspiring. You may also want to look into commercial brands of Cajun-style coatings, usually marketed as seafood seasonings. Many of those are just cornmeal with some spices added.
- "Cream of" soups: Use chicken broth and sour cream or half-and-half. Remember to add the food the soup is a cream of — mushroom, celery, potato, and so on — to complete the soup.
- Croutons: Homemade croutons are actually very easy to make. Most recipes for croutons suggest you use stale bread, but that's not the best idea for gluten-free bread, because you'd probably end up with crumbled crouton crumbs instead. Cut fresh gluten-free bread into the size cubes you want and deep-fry them. After you drain and cool them, roll them in Parmesan cheese, spices, or any other flavoring you like.
- Fillers: Filler is a highly technical culinary term for something that fills stuff in. Yum. Generally not something you hope to see on a label, fillers aren't always a bad thing; they may be in meatloaf, for example, where the recipe often calls for breadcrumbs, crackers, and other filler-type materials to add, well, filling. Gluten-free bread or breadcrumbs are obvious substitutions here, but also consider leftover corn bread, mashed potato flakes, or even an unsweetened cereal that you've crushed up.
- Flour: Many recipes call for flour, usually to serve as a thickener (see the suggested thickeners in this list). Also consider using gluten-free flours such as rice flour, sweet rice flour (they're different), potato starch, sorghum flour, garbanzo/fava bean flour, and Montina (Indian ricegrass flour).
- Flour tortillas: The obvious substitution here is corn tortillas. Some new gluten-free flour tortillas are on the market now, and you can find recipes for homemade tortillas online or in cookbooks. Other wrap substitutions include rice wraps (found in Asian markets) or lettuce.
- Pie crust: One easy way to make a pie crust is to take your favorite cereal and smash it into tiny crumbs, add some butter (and sugar, if the cereal isn't sweet enough), and then press the mixture into the bottom of a pie pan. Some good gluten-free crackers and cookies work well the same way. Some pie crusts are supposed to be cooked before adding the pie filling, and others aren't. The fact that the crust is gluten-free doesn't change whether you need to cook the crust before filling the pie. Also check out some of the gluten-free pie crust mixes available on the Internet and at specialty stores.
- "Special" sauce: You can make their "special" sauce with just mayo and ketchup, both of which are gluten-free!
- Soy sauce: Most soy sauce has wheat in it (and the label clearly indicates wheat), but you can find brands that are wheat-free. (By the way, tamari — a thicker, Japanese soy sauce — is not always wheat-free, so check the label.) Either use a wheat-free soy sauce or try Bragg Liquid Aminos. You may also want to get adventurous and try an Asian sauce like fish sauce (careful — it's really fishy!) or oyster sauce.
- Teriyaki: Because most soy sauce has wheat in it, most teriyaki (which is made from soy sauce) does, too. A few brands of wheat-free teriyaki sauces are available, but don't be afraid to make your own.
- Thickeners: Many recipes call for flour as a thickener, but lots of alternatives are available. For sweet things, try using a dry pudding mix or gelatin. ClearJel works well with acidic ingredients (unlike cornstarch), tolerates high temperatures, and doesn't cause pie fillings to "weep" during storage. Arrowroot flour, agar, tapioca starch, and cornstarch are also excellent thickeners. So is sweet rice flour, which comes from sticky or glutinous rice (despite the name, it really is gluten-free). And remember that muffin or cake mix you have lying around. Not only do mixes thicken the recipe, but the sweet flavor is a pleasant surprise.
|
