Gluten Free Cookbooks

Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne (Cookbook Review)

October 18, 2016 By Joi Sigers

“No Meal Should Be Defined By What’s Not There.” – From the Back CoverIf you have to (or just darn choose to) eat gluten free, building a great library of gluten free cookbooks is essential. While your run-of-the-mill cookbook can easily be tweaked to turn non-gluten free recipes into gluten free recipes, I feel it’s always best to approach a recipe from this stand point: It’s gluten free and proud of it. You can rest easier when someone else has already tested the gluten free flour for you when it comes to baking. Even with the best of intentions, gluten free flour doesn’t always behave like we expect it to.

For these reasons, I always get up on my stump and preach to the gluten free masses.. “Build a strong gluten free cookbook library!”

Gluten Free for Good by Samantha Seneviratne is a wonderful – downright perfect, even – addition. The beautiful cookbook features 100 recipes that are simple, wholesome, delicious and just happen to be gluten free.

Some of the Wonderful Recipes Include:

Gingery chicken soup with spinach and eggs (gorgeous)
Coconut-lime granola with cashews
Spanish tortilla
Bread and butter pudding
Almond oat pancakes with blueberries and lemon
Pot of beans
Sole with vegetables en papillote (in parchment)
Cold chicken and rice noodle salad
Simmered halibut in a roasted tomato sauce
Green chickpea cakes
White pizza with blistered tomatoes
Sweet pea and ricotta ravioli (with a browned butter sauce)
White bean dip with preserved lemon
Breakfast pudding with chia, coconut, and cacao nibs
Parmesan cheese crackers
And many more… (see the ones perfect for the upcoming holidays below!)

With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, the following recipes will prove EXTRA valuable…

Raspberry Cream Tart with Pistachios (pictured above in all its glory)
Stuffed dates with pomegranate and honey (absolutely beautiful, festive and colorful)
Hazelnut thumbprint cookies
Roast chicken with whole-grain sausage stuffing
Caramel walnut clusters
Raspberry hazelnut scones
A simple loaf of bread
Mocha cardamom almonds
Peach raspberry swirl fruit leather
Carrot cake with coconut cream cheese frosting
Macaroon brownies
Blondie bars
Crispy chocolate peanut butter bars (Just 6 ingredients!)
Upside down plum cake
Garlic saffron asparagus
Carrots with miso-orange butter (Again, just 6 ingredients.)

One of the recipes I’m most excited about is the one on page 43, Cinnamon Buns. I plan on making these Thanksgiving morning. Before my oldest daughter and I had to give up gluten and wheat, one of our most delicious holiday traditions was our Thanksgiving morning Cream-Filled Pastry Puffs. Before beginning my Thanksgiving meal marathon each year, I’d make these beautiful pastries and my family would enjoy them throughout the morning while watching parades on television and peeking in on the marathon.

I’m pretty entertaining when in the throes of a cooking marathon.

After we had to give up gluten/wheat, the pastries became history. Ever since, I’ve been trying to find a gluten free substitute for these pastries – something as beautiful to look at, aromatic to smell, and delicious to dive into.

I do believe these cinnamon buns will be just what I’ve been looking for and I’m all shades of excited.

This is simply a wonderful cookbook, front to back and cover to cover. I love that the recipes are clear, concise, and simple. Many gluten free cookbooks have earned their reputation for being overly complicated and they’re notorious for calling for FAR too many ingredients with each recipe. In fact, when doing my first browse through a gluten free cookbook, the first thing I look at is the length of ingredients.

Gluten Free for Good (Amazon link) keeps the ingredient count down while keeping the recipes delicious.

I also love the fact that the recipes are so creative. These aren’t recipes you’ll find online anywhere. They are highly creative and nothing short of gorgeous.

About the Author: Samantha Seneviratne was a food editor at Good Housekeeping, Fine Cooking, and Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food before starting her blog Love, Cake, which was a 2015 finalist for the Saveur Blog Awards. She is also a recipe developer, food stylist, and the author of The New Sugar and Spice. She lives in New York City.

Why I’ve Included this Book in the Category “Christmas Gift Guide for Cooks”

Cookbooks make excellent gift ideas for cooks – especially for those of us who have to eat gluten free. Gifting a GF cook with a gluten free cookbook shows just how thoughtful you are. Cookbooks are gifts that will be enjoyed for years. Want to know a cool bonus? They’ll think of you each time they use it!

You can (and should!) find Gluten Free for Good on Amazon.

Note: I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review. The opinions are entirely my own.

Paleo Cookbook Review: Sheet Pan Paleo

February 5, 2016 By Joi Sigers

When I was sent a copy of a new gluten free, paleo cookbook, Sheet Pan Paleo, to review, I was ecstatic. As a newbie to the world of Gluten Free eating (my body’s idea, not mine) I’m now obsessed with adding as many gluten free cookbooks to my library as possible. The fact that this one is both gluten free and “Paleo” made it even more exciting.

Ironically, the very day before this cookbook arrived in the mail, I watched a Pioneer Woman episode where she made a few meals entirely on one sheet pan. I found myself thinking (and even announcing to my cat), “One pan to clean…” I must’ve said it three times within the 30 minute show.

One. Pan. To. Clean.

I love cooking as much as anyone, and probably more than most, but the cleanup? Not so much.

This cookbook is FILLED with recipes that’ll allow you to mess up one pan and only one pan. I think you’re going to love the simplicity of the meals, too. I mean, come on, does it get any easier and less complicated than tossing your ingredients together and roasting/baking/or broiling them?

Talk about a fast supper. You could come home from work, toss everything together and pop it in the oven… then by the time you’ve gotten comfortable and done a few household chores and waited hand and foot on the cat – supper is ready!

I can’t help thinking about this summer – when I come in from a long day at a state park, a hike or from working in the yard – the easier the meal, the better. Sheet Pan Paleo means I can get a healthy meal together in minutes and have it in the oven and me in the shower in no time at all.

Recipes Included in Sheet Pan Paleo:

Korean-Style Short Ribs with Red Cabbage
Ginger and Garlic Marinated Flank Steak Lettuce Wraps
Whole Baked Trout with Lemon, Fennel, and Rainbow Carrots
Salmon with Caper and Raisin Cremolata and Potatoes
Sweet Potato Hash with Baked Eggs
Zucchini and Sweet Potato Fritters with Chipotle Aioli
Coconut Shrimp with Spicy Chili Dipping Sauce
Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Garlic
And Many More…

Sheet Pan Paleo is ideal for anyone…

…… interested in eating healthier
…… who has to/chooses to eat gluten free
…… who has to/chooses to eat paleo
…… who is looking for easy recipes
……. who wants to feed their family healthy meals

A Recipe from Sheet Pan Paleo

About the Author: Pamela Ellgen is a paleo food blogger, certified personal trainer, and author of the books Psoas Strength and Flexibility and Modern Family Table; Savoring Fresh Whole Foods with the People You Love. Her work has been published on The Huffington Post, LIVESTRONG, and Spinning.com. She lives in Petaluma, CA, and may be found at pamelasmodernfamilytable.com.

Sheet Pan Paleo (Amazon link) is a great, no-nonsense collection of easy to make, delicious, and healthy Paleo/Gluten Free recipes. The book is paperback, 259 pages in length, and does not have pictures. A big plus is the large, easy to read print. Click through the link for more information.

The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook (Review)

January 13, 2016 By Joi Sigers

The Cooking Light Gluten-Free CookbookSomewhere around November 12, 2105, I saw a cookbook I simply HAD to have (as in couldn’t possibly find a way to live without another day), The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook.

For one thing, I’ve always been a huge fan of the Cooking Light magazine. A lot of recipes I use on “repeat” actually had their origins in recipes pulled directly from this great magazine.

Add to this the fact that I collect cookbooks AND have to eat gluten free…. how could I not want this cookbook in the worst possible way???

I told my husband that I’d seen something I wanted for Christmas and when I gave him the details, he simply sat down and ordered me a copy. Win, win. I got the cookbook and didn’t even have to count it among my Christmas presents.

As soon as the cookbook arrived, I flung myself onto the couch in the den and devoured it – cover to cover. I was thrilled to see that it was even better than I’d expected.

The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook Lasagna Recipe

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna Recipe

Recipes from The Cooking Light Gluten Free Cookbook Include:

Diner-Style Onion Rings
Tempura Green Beans with Mild Cayenne Sour Cream
Eggs Blindfolded over Garlic-Cheddar Grits
Egg and Cheese Breakfast Tacos with Homemade Salsa
Breakfast Tortilla
Chickpea Bajane
Indian-Spiced Salmon
Filet Mignon with Fresh Herb and Garlic Rub
Three-Cheese Baked PenneTeriyaki Pork and Vegetables with Noodles
Cornmeal-Crusted Tilapia Sandwiches with Lime Butter
Ham, Cheese, and Apple Panini
Chipotle Salmon Burgers
Chewy Gooey Marshmallow Cookies with Minichips
Mocha Cream Brownie Wedges with Fresh Raspberries
Pina Colada Cheesecake Bars
Vietnamese Beef-Noodle Soup with Asian Greens
Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Cream Sauce
Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Baked Vegetable Lasagna
Pizza Margherita
“The Works” Pizza
Pepperoni Pizza
Chicken Enchiladas
And many, many more beautiful and delicious gluten free recipes!

I love this collection of gluten free recipes – they’re unique and creative, without costing a fortune to make. The ingredient lists aren’t complicated, which is something else I love. I’ve come to absolutely hate recipes that read something like this: 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/2 cup almond meal, 1 tsp sorghum flour, 1/3 cup oat flour, pinch of xantham gum, 2 tbs fava bean flour, and 4 pinches potato starch…

Uh, no.

These recipes are break from the “gluten free insanity” that makes my skin crawl. These are recipes I use and recipes that you’ll use as well. It’s a perfect addition to your gluten free cookbook collection and I whole-heartedly recommend it.

See The Cooking Light Gluten-Free Cookbook on Amazon for more information.

Review: Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook

December 20, 2015 By Joi Sigers

Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook

Most of us who have to eat gluten free are more than a little familiar with Bob’s Red Mill. In fact, when I first learned I had to start eating gluten free, it was Bob’s Red Mill foods that made me think, “This isn’t going to be so bad.” In fact, one of the first things I ever made, White Chocolate Muffins with Bob’s Red Mill Rice Flour, made me realize that not only was this not the end of the world but was, rather, the beginning of a whole new, exciting world.

And a delicious one, at that.

I always feel 110 percent safe using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free products because they went so far as to build a separate gluten-free packaging division complete with specialized machinery to make sure that their products maintain their gluten-free purity.

When asked if I’d be willing to review Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook: 281 Delicious Whole-Grain Recipes, I was, understandably excited. A whole cookbook dedicated to a brand of food I loved? Sign me up.

In addition to 281 gluten free recipes, Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook a very useful Gluten-Free Grains Primer with everything you need to know (cooking methods, origin..) about grains such as Amaranth, Buckwheat, Millet, and more. A lot of other favorite ingredients and foods are covered as well. A lot of knowledge is covered in a relatively few amount of pages.

Recipes Included in Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten Free Cookbook:

Salted Caramel Banana Waffles
Roasted Pepper Breakfast Bake
Banana Breakfast Cookies
Emerald Smoothie
Chorizo, Kale, and Teff Soup
Spanish Tomato Soup
Roasted Cauliflower and Buckwheat Salad
Snap Pea, Sorghum, and Taragon Salad
Greek Quinoa Skillet
Asian-Style Amaranth Burgers
Ancient Grain Huevos Rancheros
French Chickpeas and Quinoa with Poached Eggs
Grille Portobellos with Pesto Quinoa
Salmon Amaranth Cakes
Millet, Beef and Basil Lettuce Wraps
Corn Free Millet Cornbread
And many, many more unique gluten free recipes….

As you can tell in a few of the recipes I listed above, this cookbook has a lot of unique, creative, and highly original recipes. What’s more, you’ll be introduced to many foods you probably haven’t met before. As a foodie, I always find that to be a highlight of the week – getting to experience cooking with and eating new foods and ingredients. It keeps things interesting and keeps you on your culinary toes.

If you’ve never cooked with quinoa, trust me, you’re going to fall in love. The flavor, the appearance – there’s nothing I don’t love about it.

About the Author: Camilla V. Saulsbury is a food writer, cooking instructor and creator of the healthy cooking blog powerhungry.com. She has been featured on The Food Network, Today, Good Morning America, and Katie, and in the New York Times. She is also a fitness trainer and endurance athlete.

Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook is paperback, includes 32 pictures, 281 recipes, is 326 pages in length, and is available on Amazon. I think it’s a must have in any gluten free kitchen.

See Bob’s Red Mill Everyday Gluten-Free Cookbook for more information!