Author Archives: judishka

A Keen Disappointment

quinoa puffs
So little time, so many things to blog about…

Today I want to talk about a recent disappointment. I was very excited to find some quinoa puff cereal awhile ago and had lots of ideas for how to use it. I ended up using it last month to make a quinoa puff version of rice krispie squares. I have made gluten-free rice krispie squares, using the Kellogg’s Brown Rice Rice Krispies, and they are good. Not exactly the same texture as the original, but quite close in flavour.

I wasn’t sure my quinoa puff squares would work at all. The puffs were tiny and so light that when I was pouring them into my measuring jug, some of them floated away on me. I was impressed that they did not dissolve into nothingness when I mixed them in with the melted marshmallow, and I was able to pack the mixture into a pan easily enough. The problem ended up being the flavour. I, someone who prides myself on being open-minded, apparently wanted them to taste more like the traditional rice version. They tasted fine, just quite bland and sweet. They made me want to go out and buy all of the ingredients for the rice ones and make them right away, but I didn’t, as I do have more important things to make (and blog about) first. I’m glad I tried them, but I won’t make them again.

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Did Someone Mention Food?

“I don’t think any day is worth living without thinking about what you’re going to eat next at all times.”
― Nora Ephron

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Spring Cleaning

granola
Since going gluten-free, I have found breakfast to be a real challenge. I have never been a toast person, and most store-bought gluten-free bread is really only good for toasting. I also have found my appetite has changed. I don’t crave food the way I used to, and I am often not hungry at all when I wake up. This means I need something easy to eat that is filling and packed with real food.

I recently realized I needed to clean out my pantry, which led to the happy accident of a delicious version of homemade granola. The great thing about home cooking is that you get to put in lots and lots of whatever you like best. I worked off a recipe, but mainly based my amounts of things on what I had on hand.

I ended up with a cereal packed with protein and fibre that is not too sweet. It’s got sesame seeds, almonds, sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut. Whole quinoa makes a nutty addition to cereal when it’s roasted, so I threw in what I had on hand of that, plus several cups of quinoa flakes. I used up bits of dried fruit I had too: it’s loaded with apple pieces, chopped figs and raisins. It has a touch of vanilla and honey, as well.

The best part is having both a cleaned-out cupboard and tonnes of great cereal waiting for me first thing in the morning.

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Kalakand

kalakand

Kalakand is an Indian sweet. My mother, who was born in New Delhi, loves this treat. My brother and one of my sisters don’t think much of it, but my other sister and I adore it, just like our mother. We three kalakand lovers aren’t sad that it’s not to everyone’s taste, because that means there’s more for us.

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Chewy Cheddar Cheese Breads

cheesebreadstexture

I fell in love with these breads long before I stopped eating gluten. I love how simple they are to make. And I love their chewy texture.

I have made versions of them for brunches and they are always a crowd pleaser. And they are so fast to make. The most time-consuming part of the recipe is putting the batter into the muffin tins. The batter can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week.

The original recipe is for Brazilian-style cheese breads and uses queso fresco. Since I’m not trying to replicate a traditional pão de queijo, I use a variety of other cheeses.

I have made these with feta, Parmesan, chèvre and cheddar. Each type is delicious, but the cheddar are my favourite. They are good eaten both warm and cold, but, let me warn you, they are so addictive that if you start eating them warm, you might find you don’t have any left to find out exactly how they taste at room temperature.

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Mini Boston Cream Pies

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This dessert is easy to make, which makes it a great option whether you eat gluten-free food yourself or are entertaining someone who does.

You can, of course, make a full-sized Boston Cream Pie, but there are benefits to the small ones. First of all, they are much cuter and more of a showstopper, presentation-wise. Secondly, you can eat lots and lots of them because they are so extremely tiny. Each one is about the quarter of the size of a muffin.

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Who Would Have Thought the Old Cupboards Had So Much Flour in Them?

I am in the midst of whipping up two gluten-free desserts for a party tomorrow, and (not for the first time) was thinking about how gluten-free baking is more complex in part because you have a longer list of ingredients—you often have three flours plus some kind of a binder in place of wheat flour. This led me to wonder exactly how many non-wheat flours I have on hand. I did a quick survey of my pantry, and it turns out I have 15.

I’ve got:

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Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight

Welcome to my blog about life in a gluten-free kitchen. I am someone who has loved food and cooking for as long as I can remember. I have been avoiding gluten since December 2011 and been experimenting with gluten-free baking and cooking since late 2008.

One central theme that has come through is that, if you spend any time experimenting with gluten-free baking, you will have spectacular disasters. Even things that turn out okay are sometimes narrowly averted mishaps. However, when something works well, it is divine. And a success is even sweeter in the wake of flawed attempts. As well, my stubbornness seems to drive me to keep trying after complete failures.

I have had some very sweet successes, and I look forward to sharing them with you. À bientôt!