Ground spices and cross-contamination with wheat

Cleaning out grinders with bread is a common practice here in Asia. Whether it be meat grinders or spice grinders. In another post I've warned against store-bought ground beef that is not safe on a gluten-free diet. When is comes to spices, I give the same caution.

I have also seen Uyghers in Central Asian markets feed naan (flat-bread) through their spice grinders whenever they grind a different spice. The bread absorbs the previous spice's odor prior to grinding a new spice, so as not to get chili tasting cinnamon, etc. However, this also introduces gluten into your ground spice.

Therefore, buy your spices already ground from a manufacturer you trust, or buy them whole and grind them yourself. Freshly ground spices are not only gluten-free but bursting with flavor that will enhance whatever dish you are making. For grinding at home, use a spice grinder, blender, magic bullet, or coffee grinder. Or, if you don't need them ground super well, a good old fashioned mortar and pestle should do the trick.

WARNING: ground beef is NOT gluten-free

Lasagna, tacos, hamburgers, chili . . . ground beef is an absolute staple in many of our favorite foods. However, months after I had started my gluten-free diet in China, I was still having issues. The culprit? Store bought ground beef. After talking to the butchers at the grocery store, I discovered that they "clean" their meat grinders by running a few slices of bread through it at the end of the day. A fantastic time-saving solution for them, but unfortunately a big cross-contamination disaster.

The solution? Grind your own beef. Meat grinders are very cheap to purchase and simple to use. Then, you buy a slab of beef, cut it into approximately 2 inch square pieces, and feed it through the grinder. This option also lets you choose what quality of beef you want (I usually ask for whatever cut has the least amount of fat). Rather than using bread, I recommend simply washing the meat grinder immediately after use, to avoid raw meat getting dried on to all those moving parts. Ground spices are also affected by this practice. Click here to read more.

Italian Vegetables and Chicken - over pasta or rice

Perfect for zucchini lovers and fast to make. This is my Mom's creation. I love how it takes zucchini from being just a side and creates a complete meal out of it. Delicious over rice or pasta.

Chop up:

·      1 zucchini

·      1 red pepper

·      1 red onion

Combine:

·      6 T butter, melted

·      1 t garlic powder

·      1 t McCormick Italian Seasoning

·      1/4 t salt

·      Dash of black pepper 

You will also need:

·      1 pound of chicken, diced

 

Put a large fry pan or wok on the stove and turn the heat to high.

When the pan is hot, add the chopped veggies and then immediately pour the butter with spices mixture over the veggies and stir.

Simmer 5-10 minutes, occasionally stirring.

Add 1 pound of cooked chicken, diced, or remove veggies from pan with a slotted spoon and cook 1 pound of diced chicken in the seasoned butter left in the pan.

Serve the Italian vegetables and chicken over rice or pasta. Without chicken, this makes a great vegetable side for any meal.

 

Stove-top Popcorn

Once you pop you can’t stop. A tasty gluten-free snack that is ready in minutes.

1. In a large pot or wok add 1/2 cup oil.

2. Put in 5 popcorn kernels and turn heat to high.

3. As soon as the 5 kernels begin to pop, immediately add 1 cup plus 1/8 cup kernels.

4. Shake pot over heat and continue shaking every 15-30 seconds until popping slows.

5. Remove immediately, salt to taste and ENJOY!

Warning: Once you've tried this, it will ruin your taste for microwave popcorn.   : )

Note: If you buy your popcorn kernels in a foreign country, you may wish to freeze the kernels for 48 hours when you bring them home. This should kill any larvae that could be waiting to hatch and potentially save you from a pantry moth headache in the future.

How to make Pumpkin Puree

Pumpkin anything always brings memories of language tutoring on autumn afternoons the first year I moved to Asia. My classmate served the most delicious baked pumpkin goods and taught me the essentials of Pumpkin Puree. This friend also taught me Stove-top Popcorn - a staple in my home.

1. Cut a small pumpkin in half.

2. Place the two halves face down in a pan of shallow water.

3. Place the pan in the oven and cook on a high temperature until the pumpkin is soft (a fork goes in easily) – this will steam the pumpkin.

4. The skin will then easily peel off or you can scoop the pumpkin out with a spoon.

5. Mash or blend it to make a puree.

Pumpkin Muffins

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together:
2/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup potato starch
1/3 tapioca starch
1/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup sticky rice flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon

In separate bowl, whisk together:
2 large eggs
1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin
1 cup milk
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Stir together wet and dry ingredients.

Pour into muffins cups or greased muffin pan.

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (15-25 minutes).

Makes 16 muffins.

Notes:

If you do not plan to eat the muffins within a few hours of making them, double the vegetable oil and that will keep them tasting fresher longer.

If you're living overseas and can't buy canned pumpkin or wish to use fresh pumpkin, see my How to make Pumpkin Puree post for an easy way to make it from scratch.

(muffin recipe adapted to be gluten free from Joy of Cooking)

Chile Relleno Souffle

Fast. Easy. Certain to be loved by your kids . . . add rice and beans on the side for a complete meal.

Ingredients:
7 oz whole green chiles
½  lb. grated jack cheese
½ lb. grated cheddar cheese
2 eggs beaten
1 T corn starch (or any type of gluten free flour)
6 oz evaporated milk
¼ t salt
8 oz tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Grease an 8x8 inch pan. 

3. Line pan with chiles. (Open and lay them flat).

4. Sprinkle grated cheese over chiles.

5. Beat together eggs, flour, salt and milk. Pour over cheese and chiles.

6. Bake for 35 minutes.

7. Pour tomato sauce on top and spread to cover all.

8. Return to oven and heat for 5 minutes more or until sauce bubbles.

Cambodian Crepes

Use these for any recipe that calls for crepes.

 As a child growing up in Southern California I had a lot of Cambodian friends. Their families came to the US as refugees - fleeing the Khmer Rouge. This is a recipe they brought with them. I now consider it a gluten free staple.

Mix together:

1 egg – beaten with fork

1 cup – fine rice flour

¾ cup water

tumeric powder - a sprinkling to add color/flavor

1. Use small omelette pan on medium heat.

2. Use a ‘dime’ size amount of oil for each crepe.

3. Use 1/8 cup of batter for small and thin crepes, or ¼ cup batter for thicker 10” crepes.

4. Spread batter thinly . . . turning and tilting the pan helps.

5. Stack crepes between paper towels or store them between wax paper.

NOTE: Whenever I go to Thailand, I pick up a few bags of fine rice flour. These same Thailand brands of fine rice flour are also sold in most Asian Supermarkets in America and they are a much finer grind of flour and much cheaper too!

Forget Birthday Cake . . . Ice Cream Pie!

I don’t miss cake in the least. I did not grow up eating birthday cake; instead I always requested my Mom’s ice cream pie.  Far more delicious than your typical birthday cake, this is a must for any ice cream fan and the best gluten free dessert I've ever tasted.

Ice Cream Pie

1 package Pamela’s Simplebites Extreme Chocolate Mini Cookies, crushed
1/2 cup butter, melted
16 oz Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge
8 oz Cool Whip
1/2 gallon of ice cream
8-10 additional cookies or chocolate chips (optional)

Place cookies in a large zip lock bag. Using the side of a hammer, crush the cookies until they are a course powdery consistency.

Use a fork to mix crushed cookies into melted butter until coated evenly resulting in a moist cookie crust mixture.

Place cookie crust mixture into 9 inch (22cm) glass pie dish. Spread evenly and use fingers to press crust up against and cover sides of pie pan.

Place in freezer for 10 minutes.

Soften ice cream on counter for ~5 minutes. Cut carton of ice cream in half. Place ice cream into pie crust in large chunks and then use fingers to press down and spread until ice cream is at least level with top of pie dish. Be fast so your hands don’t get too cold. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Stir up the fudge in the jar, then carefully spread onto pie in one thick layer. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Stir up the cool whip in container, then spread in thick layer onto pie. Freeze for 10 minutes.

Press 8-10 cookies lengthwise into pie for decoration, or sprinkle with chocolate chips (optional).

It is best to let pie harden for at least 2 hours before serving.

Cover with foil and keep in freezer.

Note: A glass pie dish is best to avoid damaging your pie pan, since you'll use a sharp knife to cut the frozen pie when serving.