Forbes - The everything gluten-free slow cooker cookbook

Avon, Massachusetts When you go gluten-free, many people assume that you are doomed to a life of bland, tasteless food. This is a common misconception. By using everyday ingredients such as meat, vegetables, herbs, and spices, it is possible to create simple, delicious, and naturally gluten-free meals. Using a slow cooker to create these meals makes the process even easier. Suddenly learning that you have to follow a gluten-free diet due to health problems can be an extremely overwhelming diagnosis. Yet, because of the increased awareness of celiac disease and wheat allergies in recent years, more and more gluten-free foods are becoming readily available.

A growing number of chain restaurants now offer gluten-free menus, and its become common practice for grocery stores to add gluten-free labels to safe foods on their store shelves. However, the high cost of specialty gluten-free food items, both in restaurants and stores, can become a huge financial burden for families. By making your own gluten-free meals, you will not only be saving money, but you will also be feeding your family much healthier meals. You will have more control over the ingredients in your foods, along with making sure the foods are safe by preventing cross-contamination in your home kitchen. Hopefully, you will use this cookbook as a guide for learning the basics of gluten-free cooking. It will provide you with an abundance of gluten-free main dishes, side dishes, breads, desserts, holiday recipes, and even kid-friendly favorites to make sure there is something for everyone even when youre on a limited budget.

Many of the recipes include foods that are fresh and inherently gluten-free, such as poultry, meat, vegetables, fruits, eggs, and dairy. Additionally, some recipes offer substitution suggestions for other food intolerances so that you can easily make meals that are also dairy/casein-free or vegetarian. The best part about all of these recipes? You get to make them using the convenience of a slow cooker. Being gluten-free is a challenge on the best of days, but by making use of a slow cooker to do the work for you, it not only makes life easier, but also gives you peace of mind that you can follow this diet and do it well. This cookbook uses several different sizes of slow cookers and its recommended that you have a large slow cooker and a small/medium-sized slow cooker to be able to make all the dishes.

Take a break from oatmeal and try this fruity quinoa instead! Serves 4 Ingredients 1 cup quinoa 2 cups water cup dried mixed berries 1 pear, thinly sliced and peeled if desired cup dark brown sugar teaspoon ground ginger teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon cloves teaspoon nutmeg Place all ingredients into a 4-quart slow cooker. Stir. Stir.

Cook for 2 hours on high or around 4 hours on low or until the quinoa has absorbed most of the liquid and is light and fluffy. Per Serving Calories: 297 Fat: 3 g Protein: 6.5 g Sodium: 14 mg Fiber: 5 g Carbohydrates: 64 g Sugar: 32.5 g

A regional dish from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, this simple baked oatmeal is sweet and hearty.

Serve cut in squares and drizzled with maple syrup for breakfast, or for a unique dessert serve warm with ice cream. Ingredients Serves 6

3 cups gluten-free rolled oats 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs, gently whisked cup butter, melted cup brown sugar 1 cups milk

1. In a large bowl mix together the oatmeal, baking powder, and salt.
2. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, melted butter, brown sugar, and milk. Mix together thoroughly.
3. Lightly grease a 4-quart slow cooker. Pour oatmeal batter into the slow cooker.
4. Cover slow cooker and vent lid with a wooden spoon handle or a chopstick. Cook on high for 34 hours or on low for 67 hours. Make sure to keep an eye on the dish in the last hour of cooking to be sure it doesnt burn.
5. The baked oatmeal is finished when the edges are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

   This oatmeal is almost like a cake or brownie in texture; if you want a more creamy-textured oatmeal, add an additional cup of milk to the batter before cooking.

Per Serving Calories: 387 Fat: 14 g Protein: 9.5 g Sodium: 616 mg Fiber: 4 g Carbohydrates: 58 g Sugar: 30.5 g Cheesy grits is a favorite dish to bring church potlucks and luncheons. This recipe combines eggs, bacon, and cheesy grits all in one pot. Serves 8 Ingredients 1 cups gluten-free Bobs Red Mill regular yellow grits (also known as polenta style; not quick-cooking) 4 cups water 1 teaspoon salt teaspoon ground pepper 4 tablespoons butter, divided 6 eggs 1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled 1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Pour grits, water, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of butter into a greased 4-quart slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
3. 30 minutes before serving, whisk eggs together and cook them in a saucepan over medium heat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter for 45 minutes until eggs are cooked through.

   Fold scrambled eggs into the cooked grits in the slow cooker. Add crumbled bacon and cheese.

4. Cook on high an additional 30 minutes to melt cheese and heat bacon through.

Per Serving Calories: 525 Fat: 40 g Protein: 17.5 g Sodium: 906.5 mg Fiber: 1.5 g Carbohydrates: 25.5 g Sugar: 0.5 g You can spread this on toast or gluten-free biscuits. It can also be used to turn an ordinary gluten-free cracker (Glutino is a wonderful brand) into a delicious snack or appetizer. Ingredients Yields about 8 cups 2 pounds peaches, peeled, pitted, and chopped cup (about 6 ounces) dried apricots, chopped 1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbits in unsweetened juice, undrained 2 medium oranges 1 small lemon 2 cups granulated cane sugar 2 (3-inch) sticks cinnamon

1. Add peaches to a food processor or blender along with the apricots and pineapple (with juice).
2. Remove the zest from the oranges and lemon. Add to the food processor or blender. Cut the oranges and the lemon into quarters and remove any seeds, then add to the food processor or blender.