The number of people in American that have cut out gluten from their diet has been rising over the years. Among those saying goodbye to gluten is staff reporter Ashvita Girish and in this new, weekly blog, she will provide recipes and her take on whether it’s worth making or not.
Goodbye Gluten
Ashvita Girish, Staff Reporter
About 3.1 million people around the United States follow a gluten-free diet. One of the main reasons for a gluten-free diet is celiac disease: an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine and is caused by a reaction to gluten, proteins found in wheat and other grains.
Despite the fact that celiac disease only affects 1 percent of healthy Americans, many families, including mine, follow a gluten-free diet for their general health.
Avoiding gluten can have numerous health benefits. Gluten is hard to digest and will affect the lining of your small intestine, more commonly associated with people with celiac disease. The small intestine is where all nutrient absorption happens. When gluten is cut from your diet, the lining will start to repair itself and your overall health may improve.
So each week, Goodbye Gluten will provide a gluten-free recipe for you to try. Happy gluten-free eating.
Thai red curry with sweet peppers and tofu
Thai red curry seems elaborate and exotic but don’t worry, this recipe takes thirty minutes to make and is better than any take-out Thai food you are going to find. This recipe is your basic game plan for a Thai curry and as you make it you can adjust and tailor the recipe to your liking. Ingredients 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 1-2 tbs red curry paste (depending on how spicy you like it) 8 ounce...
Vegetable Kathi Roll
Most nights, our dinners consist of a simple soup or sandwich. Because I had a little extra time on my plate yesterday I made paneer Kathi roll. Kathi roll is nothing but a curry or gravy wrapped in the Indian bread chapati. It is very simple to make and is a fulfilling meal. It pairs nicely with a sour cream dip. Ingredients 2 cup paneer 1cup chopped peppers (red, green, and yellow) I cup yogurt ...
Baked pesto pasta
Dinner is always an ordeal at my house. By the time we figure out what we want to eat it gets too late to prepare it. But on days like these, we have a go-to recipe, baked pasta. Just the simple act of baking pasta takes the meal to a whole new level. The way the cheese melts and forms a crust is heavenly. To make things even better adding goat cheese to your sauce will add an extra element of creamin...
Neer mor spiced buttermilk
Neer Mor is the south Indian name for spiced buttermilk. It is traditionally served as the end of meals because of its digestive benefits. It is also the perfect drink for the sweltering heat during the summer months because the blended yogurt cools the body from the inside out. It is an integral part of south Indian thalis and is a popular drink served to the gods in order to “relax” them. I...
Black Bean Noodle Stir-Fry
Over the summer I had many uncles and aunts come to visit us and during this time we cooked, we cooked a lot. I took this opportunity to experiment with different ingredients and recipes to find out which dishes my family could stomach and which ones were inedible. One of the peculiar ingredients was black bean pasta. It was a spaghetti-like pasta that was made entirely out of black beans. Despite my ...
Roasted butternut squash and herb soup
My mother and I have a newfound passion for gardening. We have a couple of fruit trees, some veggies, and most importantly a wonderful spread of herbs. Our rosemary, thyme, and oregano bushes are flourishing, and the combination of those three herbs perfectly blend with the rich, creamy flavors of the butternut squash. Ingredients ½ butternut squash 1tbs thyme 1tbs rosemary 1tbs...
Black bean salad
Black beans, vibrant green butter lettuce, and juicy red tomatoes together make this salad a beautiful centerpiece. This black bean salad is one of my mom’s favorites and is a refreshing way to liven up your meal. It is a fabulous side to any dinner party and the aromatic Mexican flavors will make you come back for more. It is a delicious and easy way to up your protein intake. A key component of this...
Goat cheese and veggie tart
This goat cheese and vegetable tart is the perfect way to start a lazy Sunday morning. It's perfect for brunch, and the generous amount of goat cheese keeps you full for hours. Making the filling does take some time because all the veggies are finely chopped. In order to make up for it, I found that using soft bread instead of a traditional tart crust saves loads of time and you still get the same...
Breakfast bruschetta
Scrambled eggs, fresh bread, and lots of cheese make the perfect breakfast. This breakfast bruschetta takes those ingredients and makes it a little more exciting. This recipe is so easy to make and the quantity is completely up to you. There isn’t a lot you have to cook for the recipe because you scramble the eggs, caramelize some onions and then just pile it all on some bread, it’s that simple....
Guava pudding
I love guavas. It reminds me of all the fruit stands I would see back in Chennai. Especially the ripe guavas that make amazing smoothies. All the memories came rushing back when I spotted them at the grocery store. Usually, guava pudding is made with milk and sugar, and starch, all that is just unnecessary. As long as you have sweet and juicy guavas and some bananas you will get an amazing pudding. Ingredi...
Baked pasta
When I am in a crunch and want a quick meal, this is my go-to recipe. Pasta is one of the simplest dishes to make, but baking makes a huge difference that takes this simple meal to another level. The couple minutes in the oven transforms the cheese layer into a bubbly crust that everyone loves. This pasta is a great hit with my 10-year-old brother and his friends because whenever they come over they ca...
Mango banana ice cream
The warm weather is fast approaching and what better way to welcome summer than to make mango banana ice cream? With its simple ingredients, this ice cream is so healthy you could eat it for breakfast. No worries if you don’t have an ice cream machine or food processor, as a powerful blender will do the job. Ingredients 2 ripe mangoes 2 ripe bananas 1 cup oat milk 1 tbsp vanilla extract ¼ ...
Carrot cake
My love for cream cheese runs deep, and what better way to increase my intake of this amazing creation than to pair it with carrot cake? Making carrot cake is all about texture and getting the right amount of spice in your batter. This recipe perfectly balances the sweetness of the cream cheese icing to the spice in the cake. Ingredients 3 cups blanched almond flour 2 tsp sea salt 1 tbsp g...
Hasselback potatoes
It’s amazing how something as simple as a potato can be cooked in so many different ways and always result in a mouthwatering dish that will make you come back for more. Potatoes are a good side for almost any meal, but in this recipe, we take the classic Hasselback potato and add some greens to create a full rounded meal. Ingredients 2 large russet potatoes 4 tbsps butter 3 cloves of g...
Gobi Manchiruan
Our new air fryer has been my favorite when it comes to roasting any kind of vegetable and recently has been working perfectly to make Gobi Manchurian. The only difference is instead of deep-frying the cauliflower florets, I cook them in an air fryer. This way you have less oil and you won’t even be able to tell the difference. Ingredients 4 cups of water 2 tsp of salt I cauliflower 3 tbs...
Chocolate banana bread
Get your shot of dopamine with this rich and addictive double chocolate banana bread. Banana bread is an easy bake. Even though it takes longer to bake, the results are always perfect, and this perfect double chocolate banana bread recipe is the cure for your sweet tooth. The gooey chocolate chunks that rippled throughout the bread are an added bonus that will leave you with a smile. Ingredie...
Oat chillas
A while back, my mom bought a large bag of oats. When we were at the store, she went on and on about all the dishes we were going to make with the oats, and by the time we were at the billing counter, I was looking forward to all those meals she had promised. Fast forward a couple of weeks, and that bag of oats is still untouched in the pantry. I figured it was about time we used them, so I decided to make a...
Black bean soup
This creamy and rich black bean soup is a family favorite and is a go-to recipe when I am craving some comfort food. It is packed with flavor and is perfect for the cold winter months. This soup has a mixture of black beans and kidney beans that have been soaked overnight and cooked salt water. Cooking them in salt water takes the regular black beans to a different level because it makes the flavors st...
Brownies
When I first started getting into gluten-free baking I always used a pre-made gluten-free flour blend, but as the recipes evolved, I was able to tweak my basic flour blend to different recipes. I noticed that having a single universal gluten-free flour blend will not get you the best results for all your recipes. For example, every time I made brownies I always felt the consistency could be better...
Banana ice cream
Ever since I bought a new ice cream maker, I have been going all out with new and improved flavors and weird combinations. My little brother is my go-to taste tester and he gets very excited whenever I plan to make ice cream. While most of the flavors leave him amazed, there have been some combinations, to put it lightly, that he will never try again. The base for all my ice creams is banana. Th...
Vegan chocolate cream pie
In my family, pies are always reserved for special occasions. This is because they take longer than regular deserts and because they are very rewarding, so it’s worth putting in the extra effort. I decided to make something extra fancy because it was my dad’s birthday, and he loves everything and anything that has chocolate. This chocolate cream pie is not only gluten-free, but it is also vegan. The filli...
Blueberry banana pancakes
This blueberry banana pancake recipe has been a staple in my family. The high content of buckwheat flour in the base makes it one of the most fibrous and nutritional breakfast foods. Buckwheat, despite having the word “wheat," is naturally gluten-free. Its flour produces surprisingly fluffy and light pancakes and has an earthy flavor to them. Buckwheat flour alone may not make the best pancakes ...
Almond and vanilla granola
Lately I have been craving granola. Seriously, I’ve been eating it every day for the past week. There is so much you can do with it, it’s great. When you say homemade granola some people may think of the boring plain honey granola but that doesn’t have to be the case. When making granola at home the possibilities are endless. For example, peanut butter and chocolate granola, granola infused with t...
Thattai
Thattai is another south Indian snack made primarily of fried rice flour. It is very similar to Murruku in which the components of the flour and ratios are the same. But because of Thattai’s flat shape, it doesn’t require any extra tools to get the desired shape. “Thattu” in Tamil means a plate or to hit and the way Thattai is prepared is by gently patting the dough until it forms a small ro...
Goodbye Gluten: Mullu Murukku
Every year during Diwali, it is a tradition in our family to make patchanam, which is a variety of quality Indian snacks for all of our friends and family. We take this opportunity to bond with the people around us and celebrate the festival of lights. Now, I am the biggest sweet tooth, and I wouldn’t look twice at the savory snacks prepared. I would go straight for the sweets, but Diwali wouldn...
Goodbye Gluten: Panzanella
Panzanella, very popular in the Tuscany region of Italy, is a salad made of stale bread soaked in the juices of fresh tomatoes and roasted peppers. It is very similar to bruschetta but has a few extra elements that take this dish through the roof. This dish really highlights the freshness of your ingredients and is perfect for family lunches. An important part of a Panzanella is the bread. I used a gluten-...
Goodbye Gluten: badam halwa
Badam, or almond, halwa is an Indian delicacy. It is very popular in the south and you can find it in almost every sweet stall you come across. During special occasions, it is tradition to give friends and family a little portion of the special dishes you have prepared in light of the festive season, and badam halwa is a go-to recipe. This addictive sweet brings back memories of when I was a little...
Goodbye Gluten: chocolate peanut butter brownies
Chocolate and peanut butter… what a magnificent combination. I don’t have the words to express how much I adore chocolate and peanut butter. Not wanting to wait for Halloween to satisfy my Reese’s craving, I decided to make a decadent chocolate cake with a peanut butter crumble. Now, this cake is made from a brownie recipe, but there is relatively less amount of flour compared to other bro...
Goodbye Gluten: berry smoothie
Berry picking was a regular event I looked forward to every year when I lived in New Hampshire. I still remember the cold mornings where my friends and I would get up early and rush out of the house to get to the fields. It's a different kind of joy I get when I make dishes with hand-picked produce, and making something as simple as a smoothie feels like a big deal because I know exactly where my berries...
Cheese biscuits
Gluten-free bread is the hardest type of bread to make. Making bread in general is a lengthy process, and making it gluten-free takes even more effort. Making sure you have the right proportions of flour to the liquid and ensuring that the resting and baking times are enough leaves a lot of room for error. With that being said, when it comes to cheese bread you have more flexibility because for an...
Classic bruschetta
During our most recent restocking visit to the grocery store, we found a rather peculiar looking bread loaf. I went to have a closer look and found out that it was gluten free. Now whenever I see something gluten free I go on a crazy buying spree, and because of the current circumstances, the unnecessary buying has only gotten worse. The loaf was primarily made of finger millet, ragi in Kannada, w...
Oat milk
Do you want your coffee to be more than just a morning coffee? If so, look no further, for I have a guilt-free way to enrich the first drink of the day. Oat milk is the best alternative to regular milk, and it takes less than 15 minutes to make. Because oats absorb water more easily than nuts, when blended together, they produce rich and creamy milk that can be used as a substitute in almost any...
Green bean stir-fry
These stir-fried green beans are simple to make and they are packed with nutrition. Mixed with three different sauces, these beans make a delicious side to any Thai dish. Ever since school started, the routine has kicked in and we were having the same kind of meals every day. Wanting something a little more exciting than rice and dal, I scurried through the kitchen and found all the ingredients ...
Bhele Poori
The word Chat, in Hindi, translates to “licking one’s fingers while eating”. Playing a big role in Indian cuisine, when going to an authentic Indian restaurant starting your meal without chat is a crime. Although chat is considered fast food it has numerous ingredients that make it moreish and keeps people coming back for more. Chat makes me nostalgic because it brings back the times ...
Mango banana ice cream
We recently bought the Whynter stainless steel ice cream maker and it was probably the best investment we have ever made. I have already made a mango banana ice cream and a chocolate one. Now that we have a machine that can pretty much turn any liquid into a creamy tub of goodness the possibilities are pretty much endless. I could literally pour chocolate milk into the thing and an hour later, boom w...
Ripstick Birthday Cake
I have been baking for friends and family for a long time and recently my treats have been the talk of the neighborhood. I had been deliberating the start of a business for quite some time but it was merely an idea. A couple of days ago this idea was fueled by a request from my neighbor asking for a birthday cake for her son. I figured this was my calling and plunged right into the action. Gro...
Oatmeal cookies
Gluten-free oatmeal cookies are hard to make and don’t always turn out the way I expect them to. I have made batches that are either way too hard or cooked to a crisp on the outside but still raw on the inside. After some digging and a sudden craving for these classic cookies, Carol Fenster’s oatmeal cookies are now my go-to recipe. This recipe has the perfect blend of flour and has the right p...
Dry Spaghetti
I experiment with dishes a lot and, while some of my attempts have been inedible, this one turned out to be a success. I started out thinking I was going to make spaghetti, but we didn’t have any marinara sauce so I had to improvise. Dry spaghetti seems easy enough but without the proper spices and measurements, it can taste like a spoon full of garlic. Dry Italian seasonings are the best for rec...
Egg bruschetta
Bruschetta has always been a famous dish in my family. My mom watched the relentless efforts of Julie, from the movie Julie & Julia, a million times. Julie makes an original tomato bruschetta and inspired by that one scene, and fascinated by the “red plumpness” of the tomatoes, my mom started making bruschettas for us. Ever since, we have improvised and tweaked the dish to align with our t...
Chocolate chip scones
Despite the fact that I wake up noon, breakfast is still the most important meal of the day and Elana Amsterdam’s chocolate chip scones are the perfect quick breakfast needed to jump-start the remainder of your day. This recipe is also a really good base for different types of scones. You can add fruit and different nuts to personalize them, but the simple chocolate chip is the best. Ingr...
Baked pasta
Baked pasta is one of those dishes that is very customizable. There are endless varieties of sauces, cheeses, and veggies that you could use, but when I need a quick meal, I like to stick to the basics. Making regular pasta is very easy, but when baked, it adds a special flavor and melts the cheese in just the right way to form a soft crust over the pasta. Ingredients Penne pasta Marinara sauce Cheddar cheese Mushroo...
Mini brownies with meringue filling
These brownie bites are one of my favorite treats to make because you can tweak and improvise on the filling and they will still come out just right. The possibilities wth this recipe are endless. For example, instead of a plain vanilla meringue, you could fold a couple of spoonfuls of your favorite fruit preserve into the meringue and add a little bit of extra tang to your filling. You can pretty...
Meringue cookies
Meringues are one of those simple treats that brings me so much joy. I remember when I was little, I spent hours watching Youtube videos of people making these delicate cookies. When I finally decided to give them a go, I was left with a puddle of egg and sugar. I messed up so bad and I was so disappointed that I didn’t try to make them for a very long time. After some time to heal, I gave it another chance and was ...
Veggie tart
Lately, I’ve been making a lot of savory dishes. Even though sugar is the best thing in the entire world, this veggie tart is very, very good. Making gluten-free tarts scared me because, without the gluten, it’s hard to make a crust that holds its shape. After some research and digging, Elana Amsterdam’s almond flour savory tart recipe is the only recipe I will ever use for tart crusts. The outc...
Carrot soup with coconut cream
Soups are one of those dishes that take no time at all. You can just throw some cooked veggies in a blender. I used to have this really amazing soup maker where you could put the vegetable you wanted and turn it on. It would saute, steam, and blend the ingredients and it would be ready in no time. Because it doesn't work anymore, I rarely make soups. Only because we had an abundance of carrots at ...
Homemade potato wraps
After going through multiple packs of the potato wraps I bought from Kroger, I thought I’d give them a go. To my surprise they turned out really well. The first couple of wraps were squishy on the inside but there were getting burnt on the outside. But I just added a little more flour and the key is to cook them for a longer time in a smaller flame. For the filling I just sautéed some vegetables...
Raspberry tarts
These raspberry lemon bars are so simple to make because you just make the base and you can add basically any type of preserve. This recipe has an oat base which adds a crunch factor to the bars. If you want them super crunchy, bake them for a long time on a low heat. And using brown granulated sugar adds an extra crunch to the base. I usually find most raspberry jams a little too sweet, so in order...
Vegetarian lasagna
I would like to think of this as my signature dish. Even though it is a simple vegetarian lasagna, I feel like I have perfected it. It is my go-to meal, whether I just want a nice dinner with family or if I have friends over. The key to the perfect lasagna is knowing your proportions, making sure you have enough sauce to cook the pasta and veggies and the right amount of cheese to form the perfect c...
Goodbye Gluten: mini bundt cakes
My family has never been one for big parties or extravagant gatherings, but when we finally decide to have people over we make sure it is a night they won’t forget. My mom has found a sudden interest in hosting a Valentine's Day party for our close friends and she is insanely excited about it. From the decorations that are going to be hung from the ceiling to the tiny pink flags that will be placed ...
Goodbye Gluten: Banana cake with maple cream cheese frosting
Next time you have overly ripe bananas you’ll definitely want to try this banana cake recipe. The banana cake comes out super moist, fluffy and is topped off with a generous dollop of thick maple cream cheese frosting. I love using bananas in my cakes because, in addition to adding sweetness, which can cut down the amount of sugar used, it also ensures that the cake is super moist and fluffy. ...
Goodbye Gluten: potato wraps
I went grocery shopping with my mom and I saw these gluten-free potato wraps. Gluten-free wraps are usually hard to find because they easily break and don’t hold the filling. But these potato ones looked promising. I tested the wraps using anything I could find in the fridge and I was very pleased with the results. Even though they might be a little messy to eat, it is definitely worth the mess. ...
Goodbye Gluten: cheese rolls
I never actually make any type of bread because I usually find the process too long. One small mistake and the bread won’t rise properly or the loaf comes out of the oven looking like a brick. As I am still in the process of mastering the gluten-free bread, these gluten-free cheese rolls are definitely something I will be making often. Instead of using a recipe dedicated to making breads and rolls, ...
Goodbye Gluten: Pongal
Pongal is a multi-day Hindu Harvest Festival of South India, particularly in the Tamil community. The festival lasts from Jan. 15-18 and dedicated to the sun god. According to tradition it marks the end of the winter months and welcomes the warm summer months to come.The festival is named after the traditional dish pongal which means to boil and overflow. Pongal is one of the most important festivals celebrate...
Goodbye Gluten: stir fry noodles
Stir fry is one of the great healthy, fresh, and tasty dishes you can whip up in no time. The simplicity of this dish is what makes it so great. Just by throwing some veggies in a skillet and adding spices you get a satisfying meal that is not only good for you but also gives you an opportunity to clean out your fridge. You can stir fry any vegetables and you won’t be compromising taste. I prefe...
Goodbye Gluten: cheese crackers
From the second the 4:15 p.m. bell rings, the only thing I think about is what I can eat the second I go home. But for the past few days, I have come home to a disappointing pantry. I rush into the house to get out of the cold, kicking my shoes off, I go straight to the fridge or the pantry. Because of my very lazy family, we almost have nothing appetizing in there. The same thing happened today. ...
Goodbye Gluten: masaman curry
I have always loved Thai food. Over the years my mom has made a variety of Thai dishes and my favorite is her massaman curry. A typical Thai dish is considered to have four main seasonings: salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. Without these elements, the dish is considered unsatisfactory or incomplete. Luckily this curry contains the saltiness from the soy sauce, sweetness from the jaggery, sourness from...
Goodbye Gluten: Mysore Pak
Paaka, also known as the extreme sweetness of the sticky sugar syrup, is used to prepare numerous Indian sweets. Add some ghee (clarified butter) and gram flour and these three ingredients create one of the most popular treats in South India. Inspired by my aunts’ recipe, the added cocoa powder gives this traditional treat a modern twist. Indian sweets are made of simple ingredients, but the procedu...
Goodbye Gluten: zesty soup for the soul
When you’re down with a cold or a fever, you tend to crave hearty warm food, you crave something that will arouse your numb tastebuds, something that will soothe your body and soul. My moms’ butternut squash and orange soup is the perfect potion to restore your body from any common illnesses. The zing of the orange zest awakens your senses and you will find yourself engulfed in the creaminess of t...
Goodbye Gluten: Carol Fenster’s eggplant roll ups
In our family, we usually don't make anything extravagant if we don't have to. On a regular weekday we just eat leftovers or whip up something easy. You can imagine how boring that can get. Recently, I was busy studying and keeping up with my classes, my parents we preoccupied with their work, and nobody had the time to prepare an actual dinner. I was getting sick of it. The same rice and beans...
Pizza
My grandmother is strictly vegetarian. She is so serious about her vegetarianism that she refuses to be within two feet of anything nonvegetarian. This being said, my family and I went to a dinner party where that had many varieties of pizza. My grandmother not knowing all the different varieties of pizza toppings, went straight for the pepperoni pizza, thinking it was tomatoes. This event encouraged...
Chocolate raspberry chiffon tart
In my family the phrase dinner party has an alternate meaning. Usually it brings joy and happiness because we get to entertain our guests, instead we panic. While my mom is desperately trying to get the food ready, my dad is frantically trying to to stay out of it. Thankfully I am in charge of desert and my go to recipe is Elena Amsterdams chocolate raspberry chiffon tart. It is a short recipe that's not very t...
Blueberry muffins
The walk home from the bus stop is a time where my mind wanders and recently all I could think about was a blueberry muffin with a soft chewy muffin tops and crumbly cake inside. This sudden craving motivated me to find a gluten free recipe for blueberry muffins. To add a little zing to the muffins I decided to make lemon blueberry muffins. The blueberries and lemon team up to give you a delightful...
Chocolate cake
It’s hard to find somebody that does like chocolate cake, but tell people it’s a gluten free cake and you’re likely to scare them off. But this recipe has made a nonstop appearance in family birthdays and other parties. This beautiful cake has a perfect balance between its moistness and its fluffy marshmallow frosting (highly approved by my 8-year-old brother). After wiping up the frosting,...
Peppermint brownies
My all-time favorite treat is our gluten-free peppermint brownies. This family recipe has a soft chocolate center and a crispy crust on the top (my favorite part) and the peppermint flavor takes these addictive treats to a whole new level. They can be baked in any shape imaginable and still come out perfect with the mini muffin shape a personal favorite as it provides more of the crumbly crust. ...
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