10 Gluten Free Snacks

A gluten free diet is something that has become more common in today's society.

But what exactly does it mean to go gluten free?

Gluten free is a specific diet where you do not include the protein gluten in any of your meals. This is found in grains and wheat which is why there is an elastic texture with these food products.

People who are allergic to gluten have a celiac disease. This can cause inflammation in the intestines which can be extremely painful. However, some people are sensitive to gluten which can also cause some discomfort. Therefore, by being on gluten free diet allows you to control the symptoms and the discomfort.

Adapting to a gluten free diet may be daunting; however, you will be surprised how many options there are for you. This is because of the new trend of being on a gluten free diet, there are many pre-made foods that are labeled gluten free.

In addition, there are many easy gluten free recipes which you can make at home.

What Foods are Gluten Free?

• Beans

• Seeds

• Nuts

• Meat

• Fruit and Veggies

• Dairy products

• Croutons

Gluten Free Recipes

1. Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened

• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• 1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract

• 1/4 cup egg substitute

• 2 1/4 cups gluten free baking mix

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Prepare a greased baking sheet

3. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar

4. Gradually add replacer eggs and vanilla while mixing

5. Sift together gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt

6. Stir in chocolate chips

7. Using a teaspoon, drop cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet

8. Bake in preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes or until light brown

9. Let cookies cool down for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks

Source: All Recipes

2. Summer Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small red onion, peeled

• 1 -2 fresh chilies, deseeded

• 2 handfuls ripe red or yellow tomatoes

• 1 lemon

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Sea salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 410g tinned chickpeas, drained

• 1 handful fresh mint, chopped

• 1 handful fresh green basil, finely ripped

• 100g feta cheese

Directions:

1. Finely slice the red onion and chilies

2. Roughly chop tomatoes mixing them in with the onion and chilies

3. Combine all with juice, into a bowl and dress with the juice of half a lemon and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.

4. Heat the chickpeas in a pan, and add most of it into the bowl

5. Mush up the remaining chickpeas and add these as well

6. Marinate for a little while and serve at room temperature

Source: Jamie Oliver

3. Kalamata-Garbanzo Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 large garlic clove

• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt

• 2 tablespoons of fat-free milk

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin oil

• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

• 8 pitted kalamata olives

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• Chopped kalamata olives

Directions:

1. Drop garlic through food chute with food processor on; process until minced.

2. Add yogurt and next 6 ingredients; pulse 10 to 12 times or until desired consistency.

3. Garnish with chopped olives, if desired.

Source: My Recipes

4. Spiced Sweet Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 teaspoon chili flakes

• 2 teaspoon sumac

• 2 tablespoons thyme leaves, roughly chopped

• 2 tablespoons rosemary leaves, roughly chopped

• 3 garlic cloves

• Zest and juice 1 lemon

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 1/4 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 200 C.

2. Using a pestle and mortar, bash together the spices, herbs, garlic and some seasoning.

3. Spoon into a large bowl and stir in the lemon zest and juice, and the oil.

4. Add the potatoes and toss together.

5. Arrange, skin-side down, on 2 baking trays

6. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until soft inside and crisp on the outside

Source: bbcgoodfood.com

5. Crispy + Crunchy Kale Chips

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale

• 2 -3 tablespoons olive oil

• Course sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2. Remove the ends of the stems of the kale, rinse.

3. Make sure kale leaves are dry

4. Tear the leaves into bite size pieces.

5. Place the dried kale leaves into a mixing bowl. Pour the olive oil and massage into the leaves.

6. Place leaves on a baking sheet.

7. Sprinkle the leaves with a generous amount of course sea salt

8. Place into oven

9. Bake for 15- 20 minutes until the leaves are crunchy.

Source: withstyleandgraceblog.com

6. Corn Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fine-ground cornmeal

• 3/4 cup rice flour

• 1/4 cup tapioca flour

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 cup soymilk

• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions:

1. Sift together dry ingredients into a bowl

2. Add egg, milk and butter. Beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Do not overbeat.

3. Bake in a greased 8-inch square pan for 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.

4. Serve warm with honey and butter

Source: Food.com

7. Pecan Cracker Recipe

Whisk Together Dry Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup millet flour

• 1/4 cup potato starch

• 1/2 cup GF buckwheat flour

• 1/4 up nutritional yeast

• 2 teaspoons organic cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon caraway, to taste

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or dried crushed rosemary

Stir in:

• 1 1/2 cups pecan meal

• Ener-G Egg Replacer for 1 egg mixed with warm water

• 1/4 cup good olive oil

• 1/2 cup warm water or non-dairy milk, to start

• 1 teaspoon raw organic agave or brown sugar

Directions:

1. When dough is mixed, divide in half.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment or reusable Exopat.

3. Using oiled hands flatten and spread half the dough on the prepared baking sheet. Make as thin a layer as possible.

4. Use the edge of a rubber spatula to straighten outside edges.

5. Prick the dough with a fork

6. Score the flattened dough into cracker sized pieces

7. Sprinkle with sea salt

8. Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes till firm and slightly crisp.

9. Remove and allow crackers to cool on rack.

Source: Gluten Free Goddess

8. Bruschetta

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups grape, pear, or cherry tomatoes

• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

• 2 teaspoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1/8 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• Cooking spray

• 1 sliced gluten free French bread

• 1 garlic clove, halved

Directions:

1. Combine first 8 ingredients, and let stand 1 hour

2. Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

3. Add tomatoes mixture, and cook 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

5. Add bread; cook 2 minutes on each side or until toasted. Rub 1 side of each toast slice with the cut sides of garlic clove halves.

6. Serve tomato mixture over toast.

Source: My Recipes

9. Corn Dogs

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow corn meal

• 2/3 cup corn flour

• 1/3 cup cornstarch

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1 package hotdogs

• 2 quarts of vegetable oil

• 8 wooden popsicle sticks

Directions:

1. Line a rimmed sheet tray with paper towels and a wire rack. Remove hot dogs from their package and dry completely with paper towels.

2. Place a wooden popsicle stick into the length of each hot dog, leaving enough length at the end to use as a handle.

3. Heat oil in a 10"-12" heavy pot over medium heat until temperature reaches 350°.

4. Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and make a well in the center.

5. Whisk together egg and buttermilk in the well and combine with dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. Pour batter into a pint glass or other tall, skinny container, leaving a 1-inch space between the top of the batter and the rim of the glass.

6. Dip prepared hot dogs into batter, coating completely, and fry in batches of two for 2-3 minutes, turning halfway through fry time, until deep golden brown on all sides.

7. Drain corn dogs on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining hot dogs.

Source: Saveur.com

10. Chicken Quesadilla

Ingredients:

For making Tortilla

• 2 cups masa harina

• 1 1/2 cups water

• 2 pinches salt

For cooking chicken

• 2 chicken breasts, cut small

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 2/4 teaspoon ground pepper

• Salt to taste

Other ingredients

• 1 red onion, chopped

• 2 tomatoes, chopped

• Pickled jalapenos, chopped

• Cheddar cheese

Directions:

Making tortilla

1. In a large bowl, combine masa harina, salt and water together, knead it soft dough, keep aside for 10 minutes.

2. Make large balls out of the dough.

3. If you have tortilla maker you can flatten the dough in that, else roll the dough using a pin.

4. To avoid the dough from sticking to the surface, roll dough on a ziplock bag.

5. Cut a ziplock bag into two halves, place one on the board

6. Spray plastic sheet with non-stick spray.

7. Place the sough ball with the other plastic sheet

8. Using a rolling pin, roll it into a round shape.

9. Place a non-stick pan over medium heat

10. Grease with non-stick cooking spray

11. Place the rolled dough on it, let the bottom side cook for a few seconds.

12. Flip to the other side, let tiny golden spots form on the bottom; gently press the sides with a spatula.

13. Flip over and cook for a couple of seconds

14. Remove from heat and keep aside.

Cooking Chicken

1. Cut the chicken breast very small, add paprika, ground cumin, ground pepper and salt to it, combine well.

2. Cook in saucepan covered till the chicken has cooked well and the water has dried off. Keep aside.

Making Quesadilla

1. Place the tortilla on a clean surface.

2. Chop the onions, tomatoes, pickled jalapenos into small cubes

3. Shred the cooked chicken using a fork.

4. Top the quesadilla with little chicken, onion, tomato and jalapeno.

5. Garnish with cheddar cheese

6. Place a non-stick pan over medium low heat

7. Gently fold the topped tortillas into a half moon shape

8. Place the folded tortilla on the heated pan and immediately cover with a lid

9. Turn the heat to low, let the cheese melt and bottom side of the quesadilla turn light golden color.

10. Uncover the lid and flip it to the other side

11. Let the other side turn golden

12. Remove from pan

13. Serve warm with salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Source: thasneen.com