Gluten Free 4th of July? No problem!

Here are some GF alternatives for your favorite 4th of July treats!

Baked Apples

Do you miss having apple pie on the 4th? Here is an easy, tasty, and healthy alternative that will fill your house with the mouth-watering apple pie smell!

Ingredients:
Granny Smith Apples
Cinnamon
Stevia (or brown sugar if you prefer)
Nutmeg (optional)
raisins (optional)
chopped nuts (optional)

Core the apples and score the outside skin (take a sharp knife and cut around the outside middle of the apple) to prevent splitting of the apple during baking.  Place the apples in an 8x8 Pyrex and sprinkle them with cinnamon, stevia & nutmeg.  If you want you may sprinkle raisins or chopped nuts into the empty core as well.  Place the Pyrex into a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees and bake for about 45 mins or until apples are soft. Enjoy!


Gluten Free Options to throw on the Barbie:
Aidells Sausages - the Chicken & Apple are my favorite
Johnsonville Brats, Original


No-Mayo Coleslaw
Healthy, no-mayo coleslaw perfect for a warm 4th of July!

 

Ingredients:
Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw
Trader Joe's Shredded Cabbage
1/2 cup Dried Cranberries (or Blueberries or raisins)
1/2 cup Chopped or slivered Almonds
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Toss the shredded cabbage and broccoli Slaw together in a bowl. Add the almonds and cranberries and toss with enough olive oil and vinegar to coat every thing - be careful not to drown it!  For an added "zing" add Dijon Mustard to the vinaigrette. Serve cold!

Gluten-Free Grilling Tips

Gluten-Free Grilling Tips

"Summer afternoon, summer afternoon; to me those have always been the
two most beautiful words in the English language." -- Henry James, American writer

Summer is one of my favorite times of year and nothing says summer like a BBQ with friends!  Gluten-free BBQing is just as great as "glutenous" BBQing but here are some helpful tips to avoid going home with a stomach ache. 

If you are using your own grill at home and have grilled "glutenous" buns and burgers on it before you can avoid the gluten by buying a new grill top and new accessories.  If you are going to share your grill with gluten (like I do occasionally) here are some options.  Cook your food on a fish/veggie grill tray (see picture) so it does not touch the grill.  You can also create a buffer by cooking your food on or wrapped in aluminum foil.  Also, make sure you are careful to "flip" your food with GF tongs.  Happy BBQing!

Gluten Free Father's Day

We celebrated father's day with a mix of gluten-free and non-gluten free family members, however, the entire meal was GF and everyone loved it all!  Here are the recipes for some of what we had:

Chips with Salsa and Guacamole
Steak Kabobs
My Mom's Bacon and Broccoli Salad

Easy Guacamole
Ingredients:
2 avocados
1/2 red onion chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
A dash of garlic powder
1/4 cup Trader Joe's Fresh Salsa

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and enjoy!  Great with GF chips or fresh veggies!

Steak Kabobs
Ingredients:
Steak cut into 1" cubes

Bamboo Skewers (soaked in water for a 1/2 hour to prevent them from burning on the grill)
your favorite veggies cut into bite sized pieces, we used:
squash, red & green bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, red onions, & zucchini
pineapple chunks

Dry Rub Ingredients for the meat:
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
mix in a bowl and rub on meat

Skewer all of your desired meat and veggies!  Throw them on the grill & cook them until the meat is done!

Bacon and Broccoli Salad
1 teaspoon salt
5-6 cups fresh broccoli florets, blanched in batches in boiling water for about 1 minute and then plunged into cold water bath to stop cooking and preserve bright green color
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
1/4 cup of red onion, chopped
GF balsamic vinegar

Saute the onions in a few tablespoons of olive oil.  When the onions have
caramelized, mix together with the pre-blanched broccoli, crumbled bacon and slivered almonds. Sprinkle with balsamic vinegar & olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper to taste.
Serve room temperature or cold.

Summer Squash

My father-in-law's garden is in full swing this summer and has started producing beautiful veggies.  My husband and I were lucky to be the recipients of some of his summer squash and zucchini this weekend and we could not wait to get them on the grill.  Here is a easy recipe that works for both of the summer veggies:

Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper
Salt (optional)
The Veggies

Turn your grill on to medium.  Slice the veggies horizontally into 1/4 inch slices.  Sprinkle olive oil & lemon pepper on both sides of the vegetables (salt too if you want).  Grill the squash for about 5 mins each side and be careful when you flip them - you don't want to lose any between the grates.


 

GF Amazon Store!

I have "made" Gluten-Free Amazon Store with my favorite GF products.  All of these products have been taste-tested and approved by me, my husband or close friends and family. Enjoy!

Grilled Artichokes

Its been warming up in SoCal and a great way to cook veggies and keep our house from warming up is to throw them on the grill! Grilling artichokes is our favorite way to eat them. They are tender and smoky and great with grilled chicken.

Ingredients:

4 artichokes
1 lemon
1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 garlic powder

Artichokes prep: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the juice of one lemon. Trim leaves from the top of an artichoke and snip all remaining spiky tips from the outer leaves. Slice the artichokes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the choke and first few inner layers (the fuzzy parts) in the center until the bottom is revealed. As each artichoke is prepared, drop it into the lemon water to prevent it from turning brown.

When they are all trimmed and in the water, cover the pan and boil until the base of the stem can be pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the grill to medium and mix the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), oregano, salt and garlic powder in a bowl. Pull the artichokes out of the boiling water and brush both sides with EVOO & spices mix.

Grill the artichokes until tender and lightly charred, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter & enjoy!

If you like to have a dipping sauce you can melt butter and zest the rind of your lemon into it and serve on the side.

Tips: Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled. Also, if you are having guests you can do all the prep and then just throw them on the grill 10 mins. before dinner!

Official Bloggers!

We are officially bloggers! My husband & I have started this blog to help others and their families live a healthy gluten-free lifestyle. I have been eating gluten free for over 5 years and have lots of gluten-free tips, recipes, and much more to share. As a loving husband (who does not need to eat gluten-free) Jason has lots of tips too!

We are both Chiropractors - at 6’10” Jason is California’s Tallest Chiropractor - and share a passion for getting people well. Everyday we see people who are sick because of what they eat – Celiacs included. We know what a challenge it can be to make the changes in your diet as well as the rest of the changes that come with that – eating gluten free is a lifestyle not just a change in diet.

Together we have done it all – gluten free dating, gluten free wedding, cooking both gluten free and not so gluten free meals in the same kitchen, and everything in between.

Please e-mail us questions, comments, recommendations etc. We welcome all your feedback!