Topic: Orthodox Trapeza Recipes for Celiac/Gluten Sensitivity

[Maria]

Are there any Gluten Free (GF) bread and trapeza recipes (meals after the Divine Liturgy) that are also soy/legume family, corn, and egg-free?  

My sister has two boys that are seriously ill with celiac/gluten sensitivity, but they are also terribly allergic to any legumes (soy/peanuts/beans), agave, and corn that are often found in vegan/celiac recipes. Note that most corn and soy are also Genetically Modified Organisms. These two boys have been hospitalized numerous times and yes, diagnostic tests have been done to confirm their severe allergies and sensitivity to gluten.

Since chickens are fed a mixture of barley, oats, corn and soy, my nephews cannot eat eggs, chicken, and turkey either.

We used to use the Foods For Life Gluten-free Rice Bread until this bakery added agave as a sweetener. Incidentally, agave has been associated with diabetes. Whenever I have eaten food with agave in it, my blood sugar would drop dangerously low, and my pre-diabetic condition would worsen. Now that I avoid agave, my blood sugar is more stable. My sister has full blown diabetes (Type 2) that is still not under control. Her boys are pre-diabetic and cannot handle agave.

Thus, I am asking for any recipes that anyone would be willing to share.

Please note: this thread is not open to debate about those with celiac or severe allergies. Disparaging remarks will be reported as off-topic.

[Quinault]

The "Gluten Free Mama" flour is pretty darn good. It is almost interchangeable with regular flour if you add some xantham gum. I am planning to make the no knead bread with it once it is cooler out to see if it will work. No knead bread uses honey or sugar to feed the yeast, otherwise it is basically flour/water/yeast/salt.

[Maria]

The "Gluten Free Mama" flour is pretty darn good. It is almost interchangeable with regular flour if you add some xantham gum. I am planning to make the no knead bread with it once it is cooler out to see if it will work. No knead bread uses honey or sugar to feed the yeast, otherwise it is basically flour/water/yeast/salt.

I just looked at her website: http://store.glutenfreemama.com/mamas-scone-mix-2-lb-package/

The package of scone mix looks so good except for the sugar they contain.
The almond and coconut flour mixes are wonderful.

Thank you. I will share this information with my sister.

[Quinault]

The scones are very, very, good. Making scones without sugar wouldn't be making scones though. Scones kind of have to have sugar of some sort. Otherwise you are making biscuits, not scones.

The pie crust and pizza crust mixes are also quite good. And making biscuits out of her flour mixes is quite easy.

[Maria]

The scones are very, very, good. Making scones without sugar wouldn't be making scones though. Scones kind of have to have sugar of some sort. Otherwise you are making biscuits, not scones.

I was thinking of using xylitol or stevia if that is possible.
Could apple sauce be used in place of sugar by reducing the liquid content?

Grading some cheese on top would create the look of scones too.

[Quinault]

I wouldn't use applesauce instead of sugar, it would make it very heavy and not very palatable. Banana would be better, but even that wouldn't be ideal. You would be better off just halving the sugar instead of replacing it.

Diabetic cookbooks like to replace sugar with other things. Normally it is just better to reduce the sugar to get a nice result. In terms of health, the issue is our desire for sweet things moreso than the sugar itself. If you can get your personal taste preferences to adapt to less sugar rather than replace one sweetener for another, you are better off.

[Maria]

I wouldn't use applesauce instead of sugar, it would make it very heavy and not very palatable. Banana would be better, but even that wouldn't be ideal. You would be better off just halving the sugar instead of replacing it.

Could one use a fruit puree with apricots or peaches?

With diabetes, we are trying to avoid sugar, even fruit sugar if possible.

Do you know anyone who has used stevia or xylitol for baking scones or cookies?

[Quinault]

You can, I wouldn't. The texture will suffer greatly. And I am all about texture in baking.

[Maria]

Diabetic cookbooks like to replace sugar with other things. Normally it is just better to reduce the sugar to get a nice result. In terms of health, the issue is our desire for sweet things moreso than the sugar itself. If you can get your personal taste preferences to adapt to less sugar rather than replace one sweetener for another, you are better off.

Exactly, and we have done just that. Our home is sugar-free, but we call each other "honey." Bakery items are too sweet for us.

[Quinault]

For scones I would eliminate the sugar altogether, add a splash of fresh juice for elasticity, and some dried fruit if desired.

[Maria]

For scones I would eliminate the sugar altogether, add a splash of fresh juice for elasticity, and some dried fruit if desired.

Sounds good. Thanks.

[Quinault]

For me the hardest part of GF baking is texture. I don't like that crumbly/grainy texture most GF products have. I'd rather not have it at all over having a poorly constructed replacement.

[Quinault]

I do use fruit/veggie purees in certain dishes. I have a cookbook called something like the sneaky chef that I use as a guideline on which puree to add to what recipe.

[Maria]

For me the hardest part of GF baking is texture. I don't like that crumbly/grainy texture most GF products have. I'd rather not have it at all over having a poorly constructed replacement.

I have a cookbook for egg-free, sugar-free, or fat-free cooking that uses puree.

I agree with you that some of the puree recipes can be a disaster since the bread can be heavy and sink in the middle. If I am the only one eating it, it is not worth the effort. I do not need to gain any more weight!

[Maria]

How do the pancakes rate?

I have tried but have given up because they end up being very doughy.

[Quinault]

I haven't tried GF Mama's pancake mix. I would be more likely to just use the flour mix to make pancakes anyway.

[NicholasMyra]

Oh my.

Uh

Perhaps some sort of bread could be fashioned out of rehydrated crushed fruits, flaxseeds and almond flour?

This is quite singular.

[elephant]

Dear Maria,

I have an intestinal disorder and when it flares up I avoid grains and sugar.  It isn't a "fad" or an imaginary allergy and I'll say no more as I don't need to justify my diet.  You can pm me and I will send you a few recipes that I have found successful enough to share with people who are not on a restrictive diet.  I've found almond flour to be the best alternate. Coconut can be very good but is generally combined with lots of eggs for moisture, so would not suit your needs.  I make almond flour and fig bars that need no sugar and are so good I have to hide them from myself.  Also chocolate cookies made from tahini, cocoa, a little rice flour, stevia and honey.  There is a sweetener made from chicory root which is quite expensive but yields a texture much like sugar, and has no side-effects like the artificial sweeteners.  Love, elephant

Love, elephant

[Maria]

Dear Maria,

I have an intestinal disorder and when it flares up I avoid grains and sugar.  It isn't a "fad" or an imaginary allergy and I'll say no more as I don't need to justify my diet.  You can pm me and I will send you a few recipes that I have found successful enough to share with people who are not on a restrictive diet.  I've found almond flour to be the best alternate. Coconut can be very good but is generally combined with lots of eggs for moisture, so would not suit your needs.  I make almond flour and fig bars that need no sugar and are so good I have to hide them from myself.  Also chocolate cookies made from tahini, cocoa, a little rice flour, stevia and honey.  There is a sweetener made from chicory root which is quite expensive but yields a texture much like sugar, and has no side-effects like the artificial sweeteners.  Love, elephant

Love, elephant

Please feel free to share any of your recipes here.

Has anyone tried the Trader Joes brown rice pasta?
Whenever I have follow the instructions, the stuff comes out grainy and sticky.
No one wants to eat it. What could I be doing wrong here or is that the nature of the stuff?

[elephant]

Almond Fig Bars

2 1/2 cups BLANCHED almond flour (I order from Honeyville)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 cup honey (or a little less to taste) 
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla 
Orange juice, apple juice or water as needed

1 generous cup dry figs  (or a combination of figs, raisins, prunes) 
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla

I like to make this in my food processor, but think you could use a mixer, or do it by hand
Mix almond flour with salt.  Separately combine honey, oil and vanilla and add to dry ingedients, mixing thoroughly.
Add enough liquid to form a firm dough.  I've used egg instead with very good results.
Remove dough and wrap well then chill for at least half an hour.

Grind up the figs (you don't need to wash the food processor) and then add the lemon juice and vanilla
to make a paste.  If you don't have a food processor, I think a meat grinder would work, maybe a strong blender.

Divide the dough into 3 pieces.  Roll each one out into a rectangle about four inches wide 12 inches long between
two sheets of plastic wrap or baking parchment.  Spread a third of the figs down one side of the dough lengthwise. 
Using the sheet fold the other half over the filling and make sure the edges are pushed together well. 
Move to a baking parchment lined sheet. 
Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.  A few minutes after you remove from oven cut into squares. 

I've made these with an alternate filling of cocoa powder, almond flour, honey, stevia and vanilla.  My husband liked that version better.

[mabsoota]

i am in the uk so don't know your brand of rice pasta, but generally rice or corn pastas need to be boiled very quickly (high heat) in plenty of water in order to give a texture similar to wheat.

it is best to put it in a creamy sauce (doesn't have to be dairy, a tomato based sauce with a little corn flour thickener would give a creamy consistency) in order to hide the slightly strange texture.

wheat free pasta does not work well when tossed with a little oil and fresh herbs, italian style. the oil just makes the pasta soggy around the edges and the herbs don't stick to the pasta.
you're better off cooking the rice as rice (instead of pretending it's pasta!) and adding some lovely stir fried vegetables (plus meat or egg as needed). remember brown rice needs more water and much more cooking than white rice.
you should not cook it in a japanese / chinese rice cooker, unless you have a preference for chewing little pieces of cardboard. rice cookers only work for white rice.
 

the best way to cook brown rice is to do the (vegan/sugar free/gluten free) west african recipe 'jollof rice', which is really really yummy.
i discovered it by working with some africans who were simply unable to talk to me one day because of a heated debate about jollof rice (was the ghanian style better or the nigerian one?). i gave up trying to get their attention and asked them for a recipe.
when i tried making it at home, i realised why they were ignoring me, as it was so delicious!
i brought some to work one day, and soon became an honorary african 

actually, i can't find a vegan version on line, but i remember i did it vegan. i now have my own recipe in my head that does not use any weights or measures, so there is no point in me writing it down.
maybe it was a fasting season when i made it, but you can follow this recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Jollof-Rice/

and simply miss out the chicken and add more spices or a stock cube. you could also do it with other meats or fish (add fish just after the veg so you don't cook it too much).
to make it a balanced meal, simply add some stir fried or boiled/steamed/whatever mixed vegetables on the side.

i hope you will excuse the detour on this thread about jollof rice (especially when you discover how delicious it is!)
 

[Maria]

I will try making this jollof rice vegetarian style. Sounds interesting.

Has anyone here heard of Ultimate Lectin Defense (TM)?
The website that sells this food supplement claims that it helps with all kinds of digestive upset including gluten intolerance. However, it sounds TOO GOOD to be true. I did not order it.

[mabsoota]

if something cures a huge list of diseases, you can be sure the doctors have found it too.
if no doctors or dieticians have heard of it and only one website knows the 'secret', of course you should be suspicious.
i know someone who died from drinking a 'cure for cancer' that was actually poisonous to the liver.
it could have been the cancer that killed him first, we are not sure, but it certainly didn't cure him.

contrary to popular internet belief, doctors and scientists actually don't going around covering up miracle cures that cure all diseases with just a few doses! if they found one that really worked, you can be sure it would be marketed openly and very widely available so that the inventor would make a good salary!
 

[Maria]

if something cures a huge list of diseases, you can be sure the doctors have found it too.
if no doctors or dieticians have heard of it and only one website knows the 'secret', of course you should be suspicious.
i know someone who died from drinking a 'cure for cancer' that was actually poisonous to the liver.
it could have been the cancer that killed him first, we are not sure, but it certainly didn't cure him.

contrary to popular internet belief, doctors and scientists actually don't going around covering up miracle cures that cure all diseases with just a few doses! if they found one that really worked, you can be sure it would be marketed openly and very widely available so that the inventor would make a good salary!
 

Oh, the Internet ads are more crafty than to accuse doctors of covering up miracle cures.
Instead, they accuse the FDA or Big Pharma of doing dirty deeds and batting for Monsanto, Dole, and other bio-engineering firms who are creating those FrankenFish and other GMOs. From what I have been reading, it is the GMOs that might be causing a lot of digestive disorders, not gluten.

Just wondering: Is quinoa gluten-free? I was thinking of making some kind of casserole using quinoa and perhaps some grass-fed lamb.

[Opus118]

if something cures a huge list of diseases, you can be sure the doctors have found it too.
if no doctors or dieticians have heard of it and only one website knows the 'secret', of course you should be suspicious.
i know someone who died from drinking a 'cure for cancer' that was actually poisonous to the liver.
it could have been the cancer that killed him first, we are not sure, but it certainly didn't cure him.

contrary to popular internet belief, doctors and scientists actually don't going around covering up miracle cures that cure all diseases with just a few doses! if they found one that really worked, you can be sure it would be marketed openly and very widely available so that the inventor would make a good salary!
 

Oh, the Internet ads are more crafty than to accuse doctors of covering up miracle cures.
Instead, they accuse the FDA or Big Pharma of doing dirty deeds and batting for Monsanto, Dole, and other bio-engineering firms who are creating those FrankenFish and other GMOs. From what I have been reading, it is the GMOs that might be causing a lot of digestive disorders, not gluten.

Just wondering: Is quinoa gluten-free? I was thinking of making some kind of casserole using quinoa and perhaps some grass-fed lamb.

Quinoa is not a grass, so it is presumably gluten-free.

By the way, I am pro-GMO and disparaging remarks are in the eye of the beholder.

I wrote a research grant that dealt with a probiotic approach to Celiac disease. It didn't get funded, however.

[Quinault]

Quinoa is gluten free in its natural state.

[Maria]

I just got an email showing a link between Round Up and Autism.
This story also mentions that eating GMO foods, especially those sprayed with Round Up can cause digestive disorders.

Could eating non-GMO foods improve the health of those suffering from Celiac?

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/posts/?s=Round+Up+%2B+Autism

May 2013 issue

The herbicide sprayed on most of the world’s genetically engineered crops—and which gets soaked into the food portion—is now linked to “autism … gastrointestinal issues such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, colitis and Crohn’s disease, obesity, cardiovascular disease, depression, cancer, cachexia, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and ALS, among others.”

[Maria]

One serious problem some people have had to encounter during Trapeza ...

People who bring food resent being asked if there is egg, margarine, gluten, or soy in their food. When people suffer from serious allergies and/or celiac disease, what can they do?  Some parishioners present with a holier than thou judgmental attitude. They believe the pop lay psychologists who teach that anyone who has allergies or celiac obviously does not trust in the Lord, so they must be a hypochondriac. Worse, some priests have actually advised their parishioners not to complain or ask what is in the food, but to suffer silently. So, when those afflicted just sit there hungry with only water in their hands, people ask why they are not eating. However, if we bring our own food, people say we are selfish not to share. Even if we were to bring food to share, people would say that it tastes awful and that we should be bringing popular processed foods.

So, we are damned if we do, and damned if we don't.

Does anyone have a really great recipe?