Camper Connection

Celiac Disease

How to Adapt Recipes

Most foods can easily be adapted to become gluten-free. Use the following guidelines for gluten-free cooking:

1. Focus only on the ingredients that need to be modified. In some cases if a recipe calls for flour it may be omitted, such as in the case of breading or flouring meats. Concentrate on the major flavors, for example serve simple vegetables while gaining skills on how to use spices. Think “omit” or “substitute” while reviewing a recipe. It is also helpful to begin by marking problem ingredients in a recipe.
2. Avoid recipes that rely on convenience foods. Whenever possible make sauces and gravies (that are often used in casseroles and soups) from scratch.
3. Browse gluten-free cookbooks for some of your favorite nongluten-free recipes. Compare proportions of liquid to thickener. Flour and other ingredients that act as thickeners are compared to the amount of liquids in the recipe, attempt to keep the proportions similar for your recipe. Given the same amount of liquid, it takes less starch to thicken than flour (cornstarch vs. corn flour).
4. Use commercial or home-made gluten-free substitutes. For example, gluten-free macaroni, bread and corn tortillas.
5. It is not necessary to make anything more complicated than it already is. But do take family health concerns, likes, dislikes and food dollars available into consideration.