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One of my kids decided I should have a website for all my gluten-free (GF), casein-free (CF) and egg-free (EF) recipes. So, he put this together for me - thanks sweetie. It is a work in progress so I will be adding to it all the time.
I am by no means an expert, just a mum trying to help one of my kids overcome his allergies and autism and,at the same time, keep the rest of the family satisfied. These recipes and tips are the result of much trial and error. To find out how a gluten and dairy free diet can help autism visit some of the sites on the "Links" page : GFCF Diet and Autism 'Useful Information' contains tables of all the information I wished I had all together in one place when I started using recipes from the internet - imperial to metric measures, alternate names for things, flour, egg substitutes, links, etc. (*All the recipes on this site use Australian Standard measures.) These tips are just a few things I have learnt along the way. I hope there is something of use to someone out there.  Have two sets of measuring cups and spoons. Use one set for the wet ingredients and the other for the dry. If you intend using recipes from the internet, buy some measuring spoons and cups in US sizes. These are available at some kitchen shops and department stores. Recently I found there are more US sized spoons in shops than Australian Standard sized. I have measuring spoons which have the ml equivalent marked clearly to avoid any confusion with my Australian standard measures. Scales with both metric and imperial measurements are also very useful. When you find a baking recipe you like and intend to make regularly, you can save a lot of time and mess by multiplying the amounts of dry ingredients, mixing them all together and storing in a large container. This way all you need to do is add the wet ingredients. Some maths will be required to determine the amount of dry mix to use. (*Do not add yeast to mixes, add this when actually making the recipe.) A wire whisk does a great job mixing the dry ingredients. Vinegar is added to bread recipes to correct the ph of the water and also act as a bread improver. A commercial bread improver does the same job (make sure it is GFCF). Lemon juice and vitamin C can also be used. Humidity, freshness of flour, brand, and type of flour can all affect the amount of liquid required in a recipe. If you change the type of flour called for in a recipe this may affect the amount of liquid required. Gluten-free batter has a way of going from to too dry to too wet very quickly, so add any extra liquid (if need be) slowly, about 1 tablespoon at a time. Baking paper (parchment/silicon paper) makes life a lot less sticky – I use it for everything. When using paper patty pans, brush or spray the inside of the paper with oil. Otherwise you will leave half of your baking behind on the paper. When using besan in a recipe don’t taste the batter or dough. It really tastes awful raw, but the bitterness disappears when cooked. Check Asian and Indian stores for ingredients (especially flour). They are much cheaper than a health food shop, have a greater range, and often sell larger packages. Check your local library for recipe books. GF, allergy, and vegan cook books are all good choices for suitable recipes. |
