Table of Contents
Also by Roben Ryberg:
The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book
You Wont Believe Its Gluten-Free!
The Gluten-Free Kitchen
Recipes by Roben Ryberg:
Eating for Autism
Dedicated to everyone who believes in the impossible.
And thankful for God, friends, and family who
make it possible.
Acknowledgments
Id like to thank three of the youngest first testers of the chocolate cakes in this book, Braden, Corice, and Carter. Gluten-free or not, these kids know food!
Thank you to my other young friends, Ajaya, Tess, and Maddie, for grabbing the nearest stools in my kitchen to see whats cooking and give the latest recipes a try!
Thank you to my foodie friends, Cassandra, Stacie, and Sara. To my children for their amazing support. And to my dear friends, who accept my newest food science theories and are happy to share their taste buds and feedback.
And finally, to the people at Da Capo, especially Katie, who somehow take my words and recipes and turn them into a work of art worthy of a bookstore and your kitchen.
Foreword
As a dietitian and a person with celiac disease, I have often counseled patients new to gluten-free living with the news: Youll have to learn to cook. Not because you want to, but because you have to ... it is the only way to have the foods you want. Gluten-free, readymade products and mixes are more expensive than their wheat counterparts. Cooking gluten-free helps to control costs, allows you to create foods that you can eat if you have other food sensitivities, and provides fresh foods.
Of course, cooking from scratch isnt always practical. I remember a time when my daughter wanted an Easy Bake Oven for her birthday. Life was so busy, I thought, Mommy wants an Easy Bake Oven, too. How I loved the microwave then and I still love it today. I learned to cook meats without turning them to rubber and to steam vegetables just right. However, what I couldnt do was prepare my favorite gluten-free foodsmuffins, cupcakes, or even a casserole. For these items I either went without or resorted to a day of baking to have these foods on hand. This also meant having a pantry filled with specialty flours and gums, a separate set of pans and utensils, and timelots of time!
Convenience has become a way of life. We want food fast, we want it now, and we dont always want to have to work to get it. Some people use their oven to store pots and pans they never use; others frequently order take-out. Those of us living gluten-free are no different. Few people have much time these days to do a lot of cooking. Because its just plain easier to choose convenience over preparing meals, like other Americans, those of us who must live gluten-free dont have the healthiest diet when we live fast-paced livesbut the health consequences of resorting to take-out or fast food restaurants are even more serious.
Now, Roben Ryberg has changed all that. With Gluten-Free in Five Minutes, she has combined a few simple, common ingredients into amazingly easy gluten-free dishes, baked goods, and snacks you can make in the MICROWAVE! (My favorite is the cornbread, which is wonderfully moist.) Finally, I can have my cake made from scratch and eat it when I want it, too. This book provides the luxury of convenience with homemade goodness and healthier lower-cost foods. It is a must for anyone who needs to prepare quick and safe foods using little time and equipment.
The number of people living gluten-free has increased significantly in the last 10 years, largely due to increased awareness and medical and public education about celiac disease. The estimated prevalence of celiac diseasean autoimmune disorder that can lead to damage of the small intestine and malabsorption and malnutritionin the United States is 1 in 100 people. In addition, a new set of conditions has emerged, known collectively as non-celiac gluten intolerances. The number of people with non-celiac gluten intolerances is estimated to be seven to eight times the 3 to 4 million people with celiac disease. (Non-celiac gluten intolerances are a general reaction to gluten but are not autoimmune, nor do these conditions damage the small intestine.) The outward symptoms for all gluten-sensitive conditions can be very similar to a number of other GI problems, making it hard to diagnose them.
No matter the cause, anyone requiring a gluten-free diet for medical reasons has no other treatment options. To stay healthy, they must follow a gluten-free diet for life.
Ryberg has found a way to address a real need. Gluten-Free in Five Minutes is a great resource for anyone who wants to follow a healthier gluten-free diet but has a very busy lifestyle; for anyone who wants to cook but needs meals to be quick to prepare; or for anyone who does not have the typical bevy of gluten-free flours and equipment on hand to bake from scratch. A handful of common ingredients, a microwave, and a few minutesnow that is all it takes to have delicious gluten-free food.
Cynthia Kupper, RD, Executive Director
Gluten Intolerance Group of North America
Introduction
There are moments in all of our lives when we feel compelled to reach for the impossible, think outside the box, and walk on the wild side. This is one of those moments.
Twenty years ago, when I first started creating gluten-free recipes, most gluten-free baked goods were not so tasty and were often heavy, gritty, or dry in texture. Since then, the industry-standard approach has been to use blends of three or more alternative grains to mimic wheat flour. As gluten-free baking evolved, the food became betterbut the process became increasingly complicated and time-consuming for the home cook.
Now, with just a few ordinary ingredients, one gluten-free flour, a bowl, a fork, and a microwave, you can make delicious singleservings of breads, rolls, cakes, tortillas, and much more. Together we will make really tasty gluten-free food, astoundingly fast. Now you can quickly prepare that sandwich for lunchincluding the breador have a piece of chocolate cake right when you crave it. Gluten-Free in Five Minutes will show you how.
People like great fresh food. I know I do. Unfortunately, special diets often mean settling for lessgoing without or purchasing packages of gluten-free breads, rolls, and cakes at great expense, hoping theyll be edible. Sounds appetizing already! I picture the scene in my head: Where are those $2.00 (each) rolls? Oh yes, let me dig them out of the freezer, defrost them, and then toast them just a bit. Maybe this will help them taste better ... or not. Otherwise, we buy or mix pricey flour blends that take up lots of cabinet space, and we bake a whole loaf of bread knowing most of it will go into the freezer. If you are new to the gluten-free diet, it may seem like I am joking. If you already live the diet, you know it is reality.
Of course, Im grateful that these days, one can go to the store and find better gluten-free product labeling and more foods available than ever before. But we pay dearly for the convenience.
Gluten-Free in Five Minutes gives you an amazing alternative. Now you can have two fabulous slices of fresh bread, truly ready in minutes. You can have dessert every night if you want it. These baked goods are moist, fresh, delicious, and no more freezer burn. But most importantly, these recipes give you social freedom. Maybe theres a dinner party youd like to attend, but you need to bring something safe to eat. Your child receives a last-minute invitation for a party and he wants to have cake too, like everyone else. A barbecue is happening down the street and it would be nice to grab a hot dog or hamburger roll. Or maybe youd just like to be able to eat with friends without having to plan too far in advance. All that is possible!
