royal cherry-pecan scones.

It doesn’t take much for us to get excited about food, especially sweets and breakfast treats. Today, in light of the Royal Wedding, we’re all fired up to make a batch of our (royal) cherry-pecan scones! Dense and crumbly, slightly flaky, and bursting with hints of cherry and coconut, we recommend a piping cup of black coconut tea to go alongside. Happy wedding, Charles and Katie!

Cherry-pecan scones
The flavors in these scones can easily be switched up: consider dried apricots and mini chocolate chips, or dried mango and pineapple. You can use a food processor to make this recipe, but use the pulse feature to avoid overworking the dough.

makes 8 scones.

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapoica starch
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 large eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup light coconut milk, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 475°F. Position rack in lower third of oven.

In a large bowl, mix brown rice flour, potato starch, tapoica starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, sugar, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until butter is in pea-sized chunks. Stir in cherries and pecans. Set aside in refrigerator.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, and coconut milk. Remove dry ingredients from refrigerator and stir in egg mixture until just combined. Do not overwork.

Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a 1-inch-thick round. Using a sharp knife, cut into 8 wedges. Transfer each wedge to a light-colored, ungreased baking sheet. Brush the top of each scone with coconut milk, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool on baking sheet.

gluten-free butter crackers.

Remember coming home from school when you were young? Chances are you were absolutely STUH-HARVING from all that play on the playground, and dinner felt like an impossibly distant promise. That’s when your mom would pull out a beige, waxy sleeve of Ritz crackers, slap some peanut butter on a few, sandwich them up, and give you the richest, most appreciated snack of the day.

Keep that memory close, because — chalk it up to nostalgia — we wanted to create a recipe that captures the buttery crispness of the Ritz cracker. We haven’t found anything quite like it on the gluten-free supermarket circuit, and, hey, there are millions of kids coming home from school starving. Every single day! Let’s give ‘em something good to eat…

. . .

Gluten-free butter crackers
Light, flaky and incredibly crisp, these butter crackers won’t last long in anyone’s house!
See why the measurements are in weight

Makes 20

65 g xpandex Expandex® (1/2 cup)*
80 g brown rice flour (1/2 cup)
30 g sweet rice flour (1/4 cup) + more for dusting
10 g granulated sugar (1 tablespoon)
4 g coarse kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon) + more for sprinkling
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper and put a third sheet of parchment paper on the counter. Set aside.

Pulse flours, sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add cold butter and pulse in 1-second intervals 8-10 times or until mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs. With machine running, add 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon heavy cream through feed tube until mixture just comes together, adding more cream by the teaspoonful if mixture looks dry. Dough should come together into several clumps, but it will look smooth and hold together when crimped in hand.

Sprinkle third sheet of parchment with sweet rice flour and turn dough out from the bowl of the food processor. Sprinkle dough with a little more sweet rice flour and gather into a ball. Flatten slightly and roll out to an even 1/8-inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. If dough sticks, sprinkle with the smallest amount of sweet rice flour possible to prevent sticking. Using a floured 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter or a 2 1/2-inch glass, cut rounds out of rolled out dough and place onto parchment-lined cookie sheets about 1 inch apart. Regather dough and repeat the rolling and cutting process until all the dough is used.

Place baking sheets in freezer for 15 minutes, then remove from freezer, brush lightly with egg yolk mixture, and sprinkle each cracker with coarse kosher salt to taste. Place baking sheets in middle of oven and bake 20-25 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through baking time, until deep golden brown in color. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

*Expandex® modified tapioca starch is a revolution in gluten-free baking. It enhances the texture and appearance of bakery applications so those living a gluten-free lifestyle can enjoy the foods they love.

are you ready for eggs?!

photo illustration by notion:creative

If you’re one of the millions — maybe even billions — of people who celebrates Easter, you will most likely have eggs coming out your ears for the next few weeks. And — fun fact — did you know that eggs cook beautifully in the microwave? They do. And that is one of The Lab’s most tried-and-true standbys, especially for quick on-the-go breakfasts.

. . .

GF egg-wich
Get the bread toasting while the egg cooks in the microwave, and in about 3 minutes flat you’ll have a piping hot and delicious egg sandwich to get your day started on the right foot!

2 slices gluten-free bread of your choice
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk or milk alternative
salt & pepper to taste
1 slice deli turkey breast
1 slice cheese of your choice
nonstick cooking spray
butter to taste

Begin toasting bread. Meanwhile, coat a small rectangular or square tupperware with nonstick cooking spray (use a tupperware that is slightly larger than the bread you’re toasting). Crack eggs into tupperware, add milk and salt & pepper, and whisk to combine.

Cook egg in microwave for 90 seconds on high power or until fluffy and cooked through (cooking time varies in the microwave, so keep a close eye on your eggs the first time you try this).

When bread is finished toasting, butter lightly, place cheese on buttered slice of toast, top with turkey breast, cooked scrambled eggs, and second piece of toast.

Viola. A breakfast of champions.

. . .

Or if you wanna get fancy, try poaching your eggs in the microwave! Bon Appétit recommends this method: Fill a 1-cup microwaveable bowl or teacup with 1/2 cup water. Gently crack an egg into the water, making sure it’s completely submerged. Cover with a saucer and microwave on high for about 1 minute, or until the white is set but the yolk is still runny. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the egg to a plate.

springtime risotto.

When a band of hungry rehearsing musicians shows up in The Lab’s kitchen on a gorgeous springtime evening, food must show up fast and in great quantity. And if you follow our Tweets (@glutenfreelab), you know that we’re looking for any excuse to whip up something that features last weekend’s gift of pork belly. Commence Operation Springtime Risotto. (Incidentally, and in the meantime, everyone was kept happy with some Meyer lemon Vieux Mot cocktails!) So together in a pot goes some leek, some rice, some asparagus & crimini mushrooms, some chicken broth & wine, and out comes a deliciously creamy, intensely-flavored springtime meal. Give it a whirl; you won’t be let down.

. . .

Springtime risotto with pork belly, asparagus and mushrooms
Serves 6

5 cups chicken broth (we like Better than Bouillon)
6 slices cured pork belly (or thick-cut bacon), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large leeks, thinly sliced and rinsed well in fine-mesh sieve
1 1/2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice (about 10 ounces)
3/4 cup dry white wine
12 spears asparagus, cut on bias into 1/2-inch pieces
12 crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

FOR GARNISH
Fresh Italian parsley leaves
Additional finely grated Parmesan cheese
Meyer lemon olive oil (we like Merchants & Millers)

In a medium saucepan, bring broth to a simmer; cover to keep warm. Place cut pork belly in a large saucepan and turn heat to medium. Cook until dark brown and crisp, stirring occasionally. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons drippings, reserving for later use. Add leeks; cook until soft but not brown, stirring often, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice to pan; stir 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; stir until absorbed, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup warm broth to saucepan; stir until broth is absorbed. Repeat adding broth and stirring until rice is tender but still firm to bite and sauce is creamy, stirring almost constantly, about 23 minutes total.

Meanwhile, heat a medium skillet — cast iron, preferably — over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon reserved drippings. Add sliced mushrooms, stir to coat with drippings, and allow to cook until deep golden brown, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and add asparagus to pan. Stir to coat and allow to cook just until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes more, stirring occasionally.

Add cooked mushrooms and asparagus to risotto along with chopped parsley, butter, and 2 tablespoons cheese. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Divide risotto among 6 bowls. Top risotto in each bowl with crisped pork belly, parsley, additional cheese and Meyer lemon olive oil.

get’chure gluten-free dog, here!

hot diggity dog illustration by notion:creative

Baseball is America’s favorite pastime. So as the baseball season is ramping up, we find it our civic duty to inform our readership of the ballparks that offer gluten-free food options. Gluten-free hot dogs and hamburgers and fries and beer, oh my!

Aramark heads up most parks’ food concessions, and it’s hard not to give them props for debuting what was believed to be baseball’s first gluten-free concession stand at Coors Field in Denver, Colo. (GO TEAM CELIAC!) That was back in 2009, and we’re now starting to see the ripple effect of that single gluten-free concession stand as other ball parks begin including GF options that include hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, fries & chips, cookies & brownies, and, arguably most important of all, gluten-free beer.

The Gluten Free Lab’s home team is the band of misfits, the San Francisco Giants, who we have supported since even before they won the world series in 2010. But going to a game just got more appealing since there are now gluten-free hot dogs available at AT&T Park! A quarter-pound GF hot dog (Saag’s) can be purchased for $7.75 from the Budwiser Brew Pub in Promenade Section 112. GF kettle snacks and GF Redbridge Beer are also available. And let’s not forget about the second annual Celiac Disease Awareness Night, which is scheduled for Monday, June 6, 2011 at 7:15pm (more deets here). Last year ticket-holders were presented with a gluten-free sandwich and samples from gluten-free vendors like Miglet’s Cupcake Shop and Mariposa Baking Co. Pica Pica Maize Kitchen was also there, serving up samples of mini arepas. There was gluten-free beer from Redbridge and a raffle.

If you’re not in the San Francisco Bay Area and are curious about ballparks in your neighborhood that are serving up some gluten-free fare, The Savvy Celiac has put together a great list with links to each concession stand’s offerings, which you can view here.

Batter up! Let’s join the rest of America and watch some ball!

april/may 2011 GF events.

Check out our ad hoc calendar of gluten-free-friendly events that just may be happening in your neck of the woods…and if you know of anything else fun that the GF community ought to know about, too, help us stay in the know! Post the info in the comments!

ARIZONA

Southern Arizona Gluten Free Food Faire
April 30, 2011
Holiday Inn 4550 S Palo Verde Rd Tucson, AZ
10AM – 2PM

CALIFORNIA

Gluten Free Cooking Club
April 11, April 16, May 14, June 18, 2011
Bennett Valley area, Santa Rosa, CA
$30 per person per class, 3-hour demonstrations
gfcookingclub(at)aol.com

Ayurvedic-Vegetarian Cooking Class
April 16, 2011
Dillon Beach, CA
Menu includes rice, soup (dal), vegetable curry, a sweet dish, chutney & salad.
$45 includes all ingredients, a full meal & a recipe booklet
11 AM
http://www.mccleary.de or vmccleary(at)aol.com

Celiac Disease Foundation – Education Conference & Food Faire
May 14, 2011
Hilton Los Angeles 555 Universal Hollywood Drive, Universal City, CA
8:00AM – 4:00PM

Second Annual Celiac Disease Awareness Night at AT&T Park
June 6, 2011
2010 World Series Champions San Francisco Giants vs. Washington Nationals
7 PM
friss_kdfriis(at)aol.com

Camp Celiac Summer 2011
July 21-25 or July 25-29, 2011
Camp Arroyo, CA
Waiting list slots available
www.celiaccamp.com

CONNECTICUT

Greater New Haven Celiac Group – 15th anniversary luncheon
April 30, 2011
Elizabeth’s Restaurant, Rocky Hill, CT.
12-3:30PM
100% gluten free buffet, non-members welcome
$25 per adult, $12 for children under 12 and free for children under 3
RSVP to Lisa Turcotte at kayariley(at)yahoo.com

“A Night of Laughter” – Gluten Intolerance Group of ShorelineEast
May 14, 2011
Old Lyme Senior Center, Town Woods Road, Old Lyme, CT
6PM
shoreglutenfree(at)sbcglobal.net

KENTUCKY

Celiac Awareness Tour
April 16, 2011
Clifton Center – Louisville, KY
9AM – 3PM

ILLINOIS

Gluten Free/Allergen Free Cooking Expo
April 29 – May 1
Wyndham Hotel – Lisle, IL
10AM – 4PM each day

NEW YORK

NYNJ R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids) Meeting
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
7:00-9:00 (EST)
Krutz Auditorium, Nyack Hospital
Nyack, NY
Meetings are free
Contact Gabrielle Simon (nynjrockmom(at)yahoo.com) for more information.

NORTH CAROLINA

Asheville Gluten-Free Food Faire
April 30, 2011
Doubletree Biltmore, 115 Henderson Road, Asheville, NC
11AM – 2PM

Charlotte Gluten-Free Expo
April 30, 2011
Blake Hotel, 555 South McDowell St. Charlotte, NC
9:30AM – 3:30PM

TEXAS

Children’s Spring Party and Recipe Exchange
GIG Lone Star DFW
May 21, 2011
Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas in the Southeast Conference Room
9AM – 11AM
RSVP for children’s activities/optional recipe exchange kidsclub(at)dfwceliac.org

WASHINGTON D.C.

Gluten Free Labeling Summit
May 4, 2011
Washington, D.C.
www.1in133.org

why passover is awesome for GFers.

That’s not to say that Passover isn’t awesome just in general. It totally is because it commemorates the story of the Exodus wherein the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery. But on a note that’s more relevant to gluten-free eating and the gluten-free lifestyle, no leavened bread is eaten for the duration of Passover, which, this year (2011), falls April 18 – 26. Sure, there’s a lot of Matzo (flat unleavened bread) but if you start looking around cooking blogs and magazines, you’ll see that recipes turn away from typical wheat-based foods and get creative with other ingredients. Some recipes may still call for a very small amount of mazo meal, but it’s usually such a trivial amount that it can easily be substituted — measure for measure — with a good ol’ almond meal, GF flour or starch.

What’s not to love about THAT?!

Here are some great Passover recipes to get you started down the path of gluten-freedom:

SAVORY:
grain-free matzo @ Real Food Forager
grain-free matzo crackers @ Real Food Forager
cauliflower matzo au gratin @ Matzo Outside the Box
dora’s gefilte fish @ One for the Table
wolfgang puck’s braised short ribs @ One for the Table
tangy spiced brisket @ smitten kitchen

SWEET:
six favorite passover recipes @ Cascade Patch
peach noodle kugel @ The Pioneer Woman Cooks
17 flourless dessert ideas @ smitten kitchen

And a whole cache of Passover-friendly (read GF-friendly) recipes that sound delectable from one of our favorite recipe resources, epicurious.com:

SAVORY:
pistachio and dried-fruit haroseth
spicy potato stacks
branzino & roasted baby vegetables with tarragon-chive oil
spice-rubbed cornish game hens with haroseth stuffing
potato, carrot & zucchini kugel
salmon & whitefish cakes with horseradish cucumber sauce

SWEET:
almond olive-oil tuiles
lemon-almond tuiles
coconut macaroons
crunchy pecan cookies
flourless chocolate-walnut cookies
flourless chocolate cake with toasted hazelnuts & brandied cherries
brandied peach compote cake
walnut & almond cake with orange-pomegranate compote
honey nut cake in soaking syrup
lemon cheesecake
chocolate truffle pie with orange-champagne sabayon & strawberries
almond macaroon torte with chocolate frosting & orange compote
hungarian chocolate-walnut torte
walnut-date torte
almond-lemon torte with fresh strawberries

gluten-free baked tofu with sweet potato curry

That right there? That’s lunch! This was a surprise hit born out of starving necessity last night…a quick throw-together Sunday evening meal that did NOT lack in flavor and produced just enough leftovers to make it to the office for lunch. It’s 4 o’clock. Is that too soon to be hungry for more tofu & curry?

. . .

Gluten-free baked tofu with sweet potato & shiitake mushroom curry
Serves 2 with a bonus serving for lunch the next day!

FOR TOFU
1 1-lb block extra-firm tofu
1/4 cup gluten-free tamari
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate (or 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed OJ)
juice from 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon hot chili garlic sauce (optional)
FOR CURRY
1 large leek, white & light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thinly
1 large shallot, halved lengthwise & sliced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled & diced
2 teaspoons gluten-free fish sauce (vegans substitute Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
1/2 teaspoon red curry paste (or more to taste)
1 1/4 cups coconut milk
15 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed & sliced
1/2 cup frozen petite peas
juice from 1/2 lime

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Remove tofu from packaging and remove excess liquid by wrapping in a kitchen towel, and weighing down with a cutting board and a few cans of tomatoes. Let stand 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients for tofu in an 8-inch glass baking dish spritzed lightly with non-stick cooking spray, tamari through hot chili garlic sauce. Unwrap tofu from kitchen towel and cut crosswise into 8 slices. Place in tamari mixture, turn to coat, and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.

While tofu bakes, start making curry: In a small bowl, combine coconut milk, fish sauce and red curry paste, stirring to combine. Set aside. Place the sliced leek in a fine sieve and rinse under tepid water to remove all grit. Set aside. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat. Add leek, shallot and ginger, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sweet potato; stir to incorporate. Add coconut milk mixture and shiitake mushrooms. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Uncover curry and stir in frozen peas and lime juice. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To serve, place a heaping spoonful of curry in a bowl and top with two slices of baked tofu.

build your own breakfast cereal.

What do you get when you add coconut, dried mango and chopped pecans to corn flakes? A delicious one-of-a-kind breakfast cereal custom made by Custom Choice Cereal! Check it:

You — or your kids/husband/best friend/et cetera — are gluten-free (duh). Off-the-shelves cereals can leave so much to be desired (flavor, anyone?) so you log onto Custom Choice Cereal to mix up your own custom creation of breakfast cereal. You start by choosing a base (GF cinnamon granola, GF organic corn flakes, or GF organic good morning flakes) and then mixing in any number of dried fruits, nuts, or even more cereal base if you’re crazy like that. Kinda like when you add your own toppings at the frozen yogurt shop: You can get as wild or stay as safe as your tastebuds demand.

How about GF cinnamon granola + dried apples + walnuts?

Or GF good morning flakes + chia seeds + sesame seeds + pineapple + goji berries?

Or GF corn flakes + hazelnuts + dried cherries + pistachios?

The possibilities are endless.

Custom Choice Cereal is a dedicated gluten-free facility (even their cleaning supplies are GF!) with an admirable dedication to raising awareness about celiac: “We see raising awareness for celiac disease as a big part of our daily job. We hope to be able to promote diagnosis and improve the quality of life for all people suffering from celiac disease or gluten-intolerance.” Each bag of custom cereal weighs in at 12 ounces (about the same size as an off-the-shelves box of gluten-free cereal) and can be easily customized and ordered online. And while you’re there, check out their blog for lots of interesting tid-bits about their company and about the gluten-free world at large.

new online resource: allergy eats.

A new site! Where you can locate or rate a restaurant based on its level of “allergy friendliness”! Allergy Eats is in its beta-testing phase and has plans to include more features than what’s currently online…although that’s not to say that there aren’t already a number of valuable resources included on this site. The primary feature we’re impressed by is how one might search or rate restaurants that offer allergy-friendly dining. As a user, you’re first prompted to choose your allergen(s) from the list provided, including peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, wheat, gluten, fish, shellfish, sesame and soy.

The idea is that food bloggers, restaurateurs, and regular ol’ folks who dine out can log onto this site and help other allergy-conscious diners find safe places to eat.

We’re excited by the new crop of restaurant resources popping up all over the internet. Do you have any that you like, contribute to or use on a regular basis?