If you’re adhering to a gluten-free diet because you have celiac disease or other health conditions that benefit from avoiding gluten, this is one cookbook you’ll want on your cookbook shelf. But be sure to take a look at it if you’re interested in exploring a variety of whole grains, too — regardless of what else you eat!
Leslie tells us all we need to know about this dietary choice, even if we’re new to the topic. She explains what gluten is, she looks at the health issues that prompt people to adopt a gluten-free diet, and she introduces us to ancient and exotic gluten-free grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice. A chapter is devoted to basic grain cookery, including everything from cookware to modifications to change texture or enhance flavor (such as including seasonings and toasting grains before adding the cooking liquid).
The Bountiful Breakfast chapter includes directions for making nut and seed milks, smoothies and shakes, granola (Vanilla Hazelnut Granola, no less!), porridges, muffins, scrambled tofu, pancakes, and waffles. There’s even a breakfast soup!
You’ll find a handful of savory stews in the chapter on Main course sensations, along with loaves, pasta dishes, a quinoa casserole, and much more. You’ve come to the right book to dispel any lingering doubts about gluten-free recipes being boring. In this chapter alone you’ll find Shiitake and Kale Lasagna with Marinated Dried Tomatoes and Chevre as well as Red Lentil and Teff Loaf with Red Wine and Porcini Sauce.
There’s a chapter devoted to Sushi, and another on Savory Sauces and Tempting Toppings. For readers who want to experiment a bit without committing to an entire gluten-free meal, the Super Sides chapter is a great place to start. How about a Lemony Quinoa Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds or Spiced Yams with Pecans? Sweet indulgences include an array of cookies, puddings, pies, crisps, and bars. (I’ve put Mocha Coconut Rice Pudding and Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on my dessert menus for next week!)
This unassuming paperback includes over 100 intriguing recipes, with straightforward directions that put most of them in the easy-to-prepare category. A glossary of ingredients and a section of resources are helpful, too.
Leslie encourages the reader to cook “like an artist designing a meal, composing with gluten-free whole grains, flours, and pastas complemented by a rainbow of local, seasonal fruits and vegetables.” To get you started right away, we’re happy to be able to include on our recipe site three recipes from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook for you to try. (You’ll also find some recipes from a couple of Leslie’s other cookbooks.) Let us know what you think!
Whole grains are one of nature’s gifts that have nurtured people all over the world for centuries. These powerhouses—loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants—offer energy, great taste, and worlds of healthy eating pleasure.
Kasha, amaranth, teff, bulgar, cous cous, quinoa, corn grits and rolled oats cook quickly: 5-15 minutes. Besides the standard boil and simmer, you can toast, marinate, bake, sprout, sauté, and even presoak grains to produce different textures and flavors. Kasha, quinoa, oats, and amaranth are complete proteins and gluten-free. Other gluten-free grains are corn, millet, wild rice, sorghum, teff, and numerous varieties of rice.
A fabulous variety of whole grains provide culinary excitement without hours of labor. You can cook grains alone and together with other grains, in infinite combination with spices, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Once you know the proportion of liquid to grains you can make up your own combination. Sometimes it may require a little math because some grains require more cooking liquid than others. Don’t let the math stop you. Go a little wild and improvise. Add cooked grains to a salad, stir fry, soup, or garnish with fresh herbs or toasted seeds.
Organic and Gluten-Free Feta Cheese and Quinoa Salad
Some Grains need to be rinsed. Place a measured amount in a pot, or large bowl. Cover grains with three to four inches of water. Swirl grains with a chopstick or wooden spoon. Pour off any floating debris, grain hulls, twigs, etc. Repeat until the water is clear. Some grains such as barley, oats, and millet are dustier than others and require a longer rinsing period. Spelt, and kamut are fairly clean and rinse quickly. Don’t bother rinsing teff. It is too tiny, and has already been cleaned before packaging. I also never rinse kasha (buckwheat groats) or flaked or cracked grains like rolled oats, spelt flakes, kamut flakes, corn grits, bulgar wheat, or cous cous. Do rinse red, tan and black varieties of quinoa unless the package says pre-rinsed.
Special Ways of Cooking Grains
1- Dry roast rinsed grains before cooking them
* Alone or with:
* Spices
* Vegetables and Spices
* Nuts and/or Seeds
To make them fluffy, light, individual, dry and nutty flavored.
2- Sauté rinsed, uncooked grains
* Alone or with:
* Vegetables
* Spices and Herbs
To make them moist, tender, individual, rich and flavorful.
Use sesame, extra virgin olive, extra virgin coconut oils, butter and ghee
3- Soak rinsed grains in their cooking liquid overnight or 6-8 hours before cooking them. This makes them easier to digest and softer.
Want to be deeply nourished? Eat whole grains! Loaded with B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, iron, fiber, and valuable antioxidants not found in fruits and vegetables, whole grains give you tasty protection against cancer, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. In fact, I actually lost weight without trying by eating lots of gluten-free grains and gluten-free pastries.
Whole grains are important to everyone’s diet-and Leslie can show you how to mix and match whole grains with local, seasonal and organic produce for infinite easy to prepare gourmet meals.
Now that the weather here in New England is cooling off, lots of folks are starting to cook and bake. Good news, there are lots of fun, easy and quick recipes in Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook http://lesliecerier.com/cookbooks-gluten-free.html and many reviewers and foodies are loving this cookbook.
Here are some recent links which also offer recipes complete with photos of my latest cookbook.
The Savvy Vegetarian loved the “Millet and Carrots”served with the “Mushroom Sauce” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook. She says that Leslie Cerier’s gem of a cookbook is a collection of easy, quick and simple gluten free recipes. But she has packed a whole lot more than gluten free cooking into 223 pages.” Here is the link to read the full review:http://savvyvegetarian.com/articles/gluten-free-recipes-review.php
Then “Flora’s Kitchen, An Adventure in Gluten-Free Eating”, also blogged about my cookbook on Oct 10th. She said that “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review:
Veggielady4life also reviewed my cookbook and she said, “ I have to say this book is an excellent resource for both gluten-free as well as non-gluten-free cooks. It has a wonderful introductory section that discusses many of the most common gluten-free grains, many of which you probably use every day (without even realizing they are gluten-free!). Corn, millet, oats, quinoa, and rice are just a few examples. She discusses the origin of these grains, cooking methods, and recipe ideas for each one. I found this section extremely interesting, and I learned a good bit about each grain….” Here is the link to read the whole review along with photograph and recipe of the ”Tomato Lentil Stew with Kale” from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: http://veggielady4life.com/2010/10/08/tomato-lentil-stew-with-kale/
Well, all this talk about cooking and eating is making me hungry… so I am going to cook. Hope you have a great time feasting on your local harvest, too!
For more great recipes, and for upcoming cooking classes, please go to my website:
This cookbook is an informative and fun approach to preparing a full spectrum of gluten-free foods.
Perfect for people with and without gluten sensitivities; people who cook for those with gluten sensitivities; and nutritionists, dieticians, and other health professionals.
Included in the cookbook:
Cooking and baking with various sweeteners, oils, and seasonings
The magic of global flavors, using local produce, herbs, and spices
Delectable protein-based side dishes highlighting beans, soy foods, pasture-fed dairy, nuts, and seeds
Learn to cook like an artist as you master dishes ranging from appetizers to desserts and breakfasts to one-pot dinners, including pancakes, porridges, soups, salads, pasta dishes, pilafs, bread, sushi, and pastries.
by Leslie Cerier is just the book for me. It is a seasonal, gluten-free, vegetarian cookbook full of healthy, easy, family-friendly recipes. You might be asking yourself why I would ever cook out of a vegetarian cookbook, after all if you have read my blog you know we eat meat at our house. Honestly, we eat way too much meat, and getting more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in our diets is really critical….” Here is the link to read the complete review: