This is part II of our series on Celiac Disease Awareness Month. Read part I, finding food freedom with celiac disease.
Dinnertime at my university was a free-for-all. With 20,000 students and just four dining halls, you had to go in with a game plan. My friends and I would split up to search for an empty table, text each other when one of us was successful, and then drop off our backpacks to claim our spot before heading to the various buffet lines.
While most of us grabbed whatever food caught our eye, my friend Ritika took her time, carefully reading every tag that listed the description and ingredients. She explained she had celiac disease and needed to be sure everything she ate was gluten-free.
The taste of gluten-free foods can be bland, and the texture can be dry, gritty, and crumbly. But they’ve also come a long way in recent years, so people with celiac don’t need to forgo pizza, pasta, cake, and other baked goods anymore. Many foods are also naturally gluten-free, including fresh fruits and vegetables and most dairy products. Here are four gluten-free recipes that are packed with flavor.
BANANA OATMEAL PANCAKES
These pancakes use oat flour instead of all-purpose flour. They’re fluffy, easy to make, and naturally sweet from the bananas, so we didn’t even need maple syrup!
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2½ tsp. baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 1½ cups oat flour
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- ½ cup milk (we used oat)
- Gluten-free cooking spray
Instructions
Add all ingredients except cooking spray to a blender. Blend until smooth. Let batter rest for 5 minutes to thicken.
Heat skillet over medium heat. Once warmed, grease with cooking spray. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Once the pancakes start to bubble, flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Repeat with remaining batter, adding cooking spray as needed. Makes 4 servings.
PIZZA BITES
Most pizza crusts contain gluten from wheat flour, but this pizza dough is made with gluten-free pancake mix and seasoned with a blend of flavorful herbs. We made them in a mini muffin pan, which made a great snack or light lunch.
Ingredients
- Gluten-free cooking spray
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. basil
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1⅓ cups gluten-free pancake mix
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Gluten-free pizza sauce
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, add eggs, garlic powder, basil, and oregano and mix well.
Add pancake mix, water, and olive oil. Stir until fully combined.
Fill each muffin tin ¾ full with batter. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top. Spoon pizza sauce over cheese. Add another layer of cheese. Bake 7-8 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before taking out of pan. Makes 24 servings.
SALMON TACOS WITH PINEAPPLE AVOCADO SALSA
This recipe is an example of how many foods are naturally gluten-free! None of these ingredients have gluten. Just make sure the tortillas are corn, not flour.
Salmon
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. brown sugar
- 1¼ tsp. chili powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 1½ lb. salmon, cut into filets
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Cabbage slaw
- 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- ½ tsp. salt
- 2 Tbsp. Greek yogurt
Salsa
- 1½ cups finely diced pineapple
- ½ avocado, cubed
- 1-2 jalapenos, diced
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 Tbsp. lime juice
- For serving
- Chipotle aioli
- Corn tortillas
Instructions
In a small bowl, mix salt, sugar, and spices for salmon. Rub into salmon until well coated.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add salmon, skin side down, and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook an additional 4-5 minutes until salmon feels firm.
Remove salmon from pan and place on plate. Use a fork to flake it into medium-sized pieces.
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients for cabbage slaw and mix well.
In another small bowl, combine all ingredients for pineapple salsa.
Assemble tacos with slaw as the base, salmon in the middle, and top with salsa and chipotle aioli. Makes 4 servings.
APPLE CRISP
One of our favorite desserts is apple crisp. To make it gluten-free, swap regular flour for gluten-free flour and use gluten-free oats. We couldn’t even tell the difference!
Ingredients
Gluten-free cooking spray
Filling
- 4 cups peeled and chopped apples (we used Fuji)
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 2 Tbsp. gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp. milk (we used oat)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. salt
Crumble topping
- ½ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour with xanthan gum
- ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ tsp. gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, mix all filling ingredients until combined.
In a medium bowl, mix crumb topping ingredients with a fork until it forms chunky crumbs.
Pour filling into baking dish and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping on top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Makes 6 servings.
Craving something sweet?
There’s always room for dessert! Here are some treats with a healthier twist:
