Gluten Free Holiday Brunch

Do you serve a holiday brunch?
Here are some gluten free brunch ideas. Some can be made ahead.
Some may not be suitable for Hanukkah (I am uneducated in this area)
Merry Christmas/Happy Hanukkah!

Holiday Brunch
Beverages

Citrus punch http://wp.me/prAld-W5
INGREDIENTS
1 can (46 oz) pineapple juice
2 cans thawed frozen orange juice
½ can thawed frozen lemonade
6 cups lemon-lime soda
DIRECTIONS
In a large pitcher, combine all of the juices and mix well.
Add the soda and mix well again
Serve over ice and garnish with lemon and orange slices.

Caramel Coffee
INGREDIENTS
½ cup whipping cream
1 tbs icing sugar
½ cup chocolate caramel bits **
5 cups of hot brewed coffee
2 tbs butterscotch topping.*
DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, beat the cream until it begins to thicken.
Slowly add the sugar as you beat.
Beat until you get stiff peaks.
In a wide mouthed coffee carafe, stir the toffee bits into the hot coffee.
Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream
Drizzle with butterscotch.

* Be sure it is gluten free
** You can use an electric chopper to make gluten free chocolate caramels into bits. (the finer the better)

Christmas Cider
INGREDIENTS
4 cups apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, combine the juices and sugar.
Place the cinnamon sticks and cloves into cheesecloth and tie it up.
Place the cheesecloth bag into the pot and bring the contents to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag.
Pour into cups and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Food

Scrambled Eggs http://wp.me/prAld-W8
INGREDIENTS
2 eggs per person
1 tbs milk per egg
Salt and white pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and milk until smooth.
Warm your lightly greased skillet over medium heat.
Pour in the egg mixture and gently move a spatula across the bottom of the pan as the eggs begin to set.
Continue to run the spatula along the entire bottom of the pan until the eggs are cooked. (no visible liquid)
Scrambled eggs can be kept in a 200ºF oven for up to ½ hour in a covered casserole.

Home Fries
Cook 1 potato for each guest the night before and cool in the fridge over night.
For 6 servings:
INGREDIENTS
6 precooked and peeled potatoes, cut into bite sized cubes
1 small onion, minced
Gluten free seasoning salt (see recipe below)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat a well greased skillet over medium heat.
Toss in the potatoes and onion.
Sprinkle liberally with seasoning salt
Cook, stirring occasionally until you get brown crispy edges.
Home fries can be kept in a covered casserole in a 200ºF oven for about ½ hour.

Gluten Free Seasoning Salt
INGREDIENTS
3 tbs sea salt
1 tbs paprika
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs onion powder
¼ tsp ground sage
¼ tsp ground mustard
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients and store in a spice jar.

Johnny Cakes
INGREDIENTS
¾ cup corn meal
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup GF all purpose flour mix
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1 large egg
¼ cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Mix together the corn meal and milk and allow to stand at lest 10 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients and mix, just until combined.
Bake in a greased muffin tins (or line them with papers) at 350ºF 15 to 20 minutes.

French Toast Muffins
INGREDIENTS
2 cups gluten free all purpose flour mix
1 tsp guar gum
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup margarine, melted.
Maple syrup
Icing sugar for dusting
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400ºF.
Line muffin tin with paper liners.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, guar gum, sugar, soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In a small bowl, Whisk together buttermilk, eggs and melted margarine.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add buttermilk mixture.
Mix gently, just until incorporated. DO NOT OVER MIX!
Fill muffin papers ½ full.
Bake 10 to 15 minutes.
Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Insert a steak knife into the top of each muffin and pour a small amount (1 tbs) of maple syrup on top.
Sprinkle with icing sugar
These are fabulous both hot and cold.

Crustless Bacon and Spinach Quiche
INGREDIENTS
6 large eggs
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tbs gf biscuit mix (see below)
½ cup crumbled bacon
¼ cup minced onion
½ cup chopped spinach
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Lightly grease a large quiche dish.
In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and cream together.
Add the biscuit mix and cheese and beat well.
Add bacon, onion and spinach.
Pour into prepared dish and bake for about 40 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned.
A knife inserted into the center of the quiche should come out clean.
Let rest for 15 minutes, serve.
This can be made with crumbled turkey sausage instead of bacon.

Turkey Patties
INGREDIENTS
2 lb lean ground turkey
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp sage
1 tsp white pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Form into 3 inch patties.
In a large, lightly greased skillet, cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes on each side.
Patties should be golden brown and juices should run clear when they are pierced by a fork.
These patties can be kept wrapped in foil in a 200ºF oven.

Gluten Free Pecan Sticky Buns
Topping
¼ cup melted margarine
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup chopped pecans
Dry ingredients
2 cups GF all purpose flour mix
1 ¼ tsp guar gum
½ tsp salt
1 tsp geletin
1 tsp egg replacer
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbs ground almond
2 ¼ tsp yeast
Wet ingredients
2 tsp. instant mashed potato flakes
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup melted margarine
½ tsp vinegar
2 tsp honey
3 eggs
DIRECTIONS
Divide the margarine into 12 muffin tins.
Blend brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on margarine.
Sprinkle on the nuts.
In a mixer bowl, blend the dry ingredients.
Blend potato with water and add to dry ingredients.
Add remaining wet ingredients.
Beat on high for 2 ½ minutes.
Divide the dough into prepared pans and let rise in warm kitchen for 25 to 35 minutes.
Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes.
Turn out of pans while still warm.

Fruity Yogurt Cups
INGREDIENTS
(For 6 servings)
3 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
½ cup blueberries
½ cup sliced strawberries
½ cup raspberries
2 cups GF granola (see below)
DIRECTIONS
Spoon 1/3 cup of granola into dessert dishes.
Spoon ½ cup yogurt on top.
Evenly distribute the fruit over the yogurt.
Garnish with a mint leaf.
Gluten Free Granola
INGREDIENTS
4 cups certified GF oats
1 cup non fat dry milk powder
½ cup finely chopped walnuts
¼ cup toasted hemp seeds
3 tsp ground cinnamon
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup water
½ cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the oats, milk powder, walnuts, hempseeds and cinnamon.
Ina small saucepan, over medium heat, bring the brown sugar and water to a boil.
Remove from heat and mix in the oil.
Pour over the oat mixture and toss to coat.
Pour into a 10” X 15” baking pan.
Bake 35 to 45 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool, stirring occasionally.
Store in an air-tight container.
Makes about 6 cups.

Fruit Salad
INGREDIENTS
1 large honeydew melon, cut in half length-wise
2 star fruit, sliced (drizzle with lemon juice to keep them from going brown)
2 papaya cut into cubes
2 large bananas, sliced into coins
1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 mango, cut into cubes
1 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup small green seedless grapes
4 seedless mandarines, sectioned
DIRECTIONS
Cut the honeydew in half, remove seeds and, using a melon baller, make melon balls until the melon is all removed from the skin.
Set the melon balls aside.
Slice a small amount of the skin off of each half so that they become (bowls)
In a very large bowl, gently toss together, the pineapple, mango, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes and mandarine sections.
Divide the fruit evenly into the “melon skin bowls”
Garnish each with banana slices and star fruit slices.
Place the “bowls” on your table with a jug of fruit salad “dressing” between them.
Fruit Salad Dressing
INGREDIENTS
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbs lime juice
2 tbs brown sugar
DIRECTIONS
Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

For a smaller crowd, you can hollow out the bottom of a pineapple with
1 cup honeydew melon
1 star fruit, sliced (drizzle with lemon juice to keep them from going brown)
1 cup cubes papaya
1 large banana, sliced into coins
½ can pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup cubed mango
½ cup blueberries
½ cup strawberries
½ cup raspberries
½ cup small green seedless grapes
2 seedless mandarines, sectioned
Use ½ the dressing recipe.

Gluten Free Apple Pizza
INGREDIENTS
(serves 6)
2 small GF pizza crusts
5 large apples, peeled cored and sliced
4 tbs brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbs gf all purpose flour mix
1 tbs soft butter
Butter for spreading
½ cup grated cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350ºF
Lightly butter the pizza crusts and place on cookie sheets.
Spread the apple slices evenly over the two crusts.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon, flour and butter until crumbly.
Spread the mixture evenly over the apples on both crusts.
Sprinkle with grated cheese.
Bake for about 10 minutes or until apples are tender.

Celiac and Loved Ones

This is a letter for those with Celiac disease to give to their friends and loved ones so that they understand your disease and what you need from them.
Please feel free to copy this letter and pass it on to others. If you would like to publish it in your blog or newsletter etc. go ahead! All I ask in return is that you add a link to http://celiacandwhat.wordpress.com (it would be nice if you tweeted about it too)

Dear friend/loved one:
I have been diagnosed with Celiac disease, an autoimmune disease of the small intestine caused by a reaction to gliadin, a gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
The symptoms vary from person to person but the most common visible symptoms are bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, and brain fog (inability to think clearly)
Children with Celiac disease will display a failure to thrive and in some cases behavioural issues.
The hidden symptom, that every Celiac suffers is a truncating of the villi lining in the small intestine (villous atrophy) The villi are responsible for the absorbtion of nutrients in the body, and when they are damaged, as in Celiac disease, the body suffers from malnutrition and in rare cases, death.
Celiac is also considered a neurological disorder.
Celiac disease is not the same as a wheat allergy.
Because I have this disease, I must live gluten free. This is not a diet. I cannot “cheat” ever.
It is important to note that it takes only a minuscule amount of gluten to make me sick, therefore gluten free foods that are exposed to wheat, rye or barley are not acceptable.
I don’t expect anyone to live gluten free because I do but please don’t be offended if I bring my own food to informal gathering or decline an invitation to go to a restaurant that does not have a gluten free menu.
My grocery bill is going to increase by a lot, even if I make my own foods from scratch.
I will also might need to take extra supplements such as iron, B-12, multivitamin, magnesium, and probiotics.
If I tell you that I cannot eat something, understand that I am not being picky – I am looking after my health.
What I need from you, more than anything, is understanding and support.
If you require more information, check out any or all of the following web sites:
http://www.glutenfreewithauntjayne.com
http://www.celiac.com
http://www.celiac.ca
http://www.glutenfreefaces.com
Thank you for your understanding.
Take care of you,
Love me

Charity Running

“We do so much to spread the word about Celiac Disease. What if you or your child was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and you didn’t have the money to provide the right food for sustainable health? We all know Gluten Free Food can be expensive. How many food banks or soup kitchens cater to the Gluten Intolerant? Just think about the numbers for a second. It would take 4 football stadiums to fit all Celiacs who fall below the poverty line. When my son was diagnosed, the weekly grocery budget had to adjust dramatically. Since my recent diagnosis, the weekly trip to the health food store blows the food budget out of the water. I can’t imagine what other families go through when shopping for food. At times they literally have to make a decision between rent and food.”

Charity Running.

Turkey Patties

INGREDIENTS
2 lb lean ground turkey
¾ tsp salt
1 tsp sage
1 tsp white pepper
½ tsp ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.
Form into 3 inch patties.
In a large, lightly greased skillet, cook over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes on each side.
Patties should be golden brown and juices should run clear when they are pierced by a fork.
These patties can be kept wrapped in foil in a 200ºF oven.

Christmas Cider

INGREDIENTS
4 cups apple juice
2 cups cranberry juice
¼ cup packed brown sugar
3 whole cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
DIRECTIONS
In a large saucepan, combine the juices and sugar.
Place the cinnamon sticks and cloves into cheesecloth and tie it up.
Place the cheesecloth bag into the pot and bring the contents to a boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove and discard the cheesecloth bag.
Pour into cups and garnish with a cinnamon stick.