Six Food Intolerance Living

Please visit my new blog at: 

www.claraogren.com

I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately everyone.  Things are really taking off with the move and there are just loose ends everywhere that need finishing.  It's a hectic mess right now but by this time next months, things should be a lot more settled.   :)

In the mean time, I have a nice treat for you!  For these upcoming hot summer months, this is a refreshing and quick drink and it has become a recent favorite of mine.  I make it all the time - breakfast, dessert, snack, you name it! 

Almond Banana Smoothie
from Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerance Living

Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla almond milk
1 ripe banana
2-3 drops liquid stevia (adjust based on the ripeness/sweetness of your banana)
2 drops almond extract
sprinkle of cinnamon
ice cubes
Optional: spoonful of flax meal, protein powder or chia seeds

Directions:
Pour all ingredients into a blender (I have a Vitamix) and blend on high just until ice and banana are completely incorporated.

Pour in a glass and serve.



Enjoy!

I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA lately.  This have been CRAZY around here.  There's big changes in the future.

The big news is that we're moving to San Diego!  It's something that's been a possibility for quite some time now but nothing was official May 1st and since then, things are moving FAST.  We need to be out there by June 21st so we're trying to get everything lined up and set.  It's still just stressful at the moment so I haven't really had much time to get excited about it.  Plus, having spent most of my life on the East coast, I'm pretty nervous about living on the West coast.  Earthquakes, coastal breezes and lack of water have never been an issue for me.  The East coast is blessed with plentiful (sometimes all too plentiful!) water, beautiful, thick grass and trees and solid, firm ground.  Hubby, however, was born-and-raised in San Diego so he's helping me adjust and it's great that he already knows the area.  We've visited quite a bit over the years and I have a few favorite spots of my own so I take comfort knowing that I'll get to enjoy them whenever I want.  We went out there last week for a house hunting trip and found a bright, spacious condo that even had a garage - it's tandem which was a new thing to me (but apparently pretty common on the West coast) but I'm loving the storage potential! 

Anyway, posts will still be trickling in slowly for a while and will hopefully pick up as I get settled.  The blog will see some big changes too as I take out the metro-DC content and add in new San Diego stuff.  I hope you all will keep tuned in through all the changes!  :)

Thanks!

If you're a gluten-intolerant reader, you've no doubt heard of Ginger Lemon Girl.  She's known for her easy, frugal and delicious gluten (and now dairy and soy) free baking.  We became fast friends a year or so ago and have chatted nearly everyday since.  Well, I'm excited to say that yesterday, I was mentioned on her blog! :)

It was also about a year ago that my husband switched offices and told me that not only were a couple of his co-workers also gluten free, but that one was also allergic to nuts and another was vegan.  Of course, my initial reaction was: "Ooooo, what can I make for everyone to enjoy?"  It definitely has to be something baked .... definitely something chocolaty (because really, who can deny chocolate?) and definitely something gluten and nut free that was also vegan.  Enter Ginger Lemon Girls Amazing Everyday Chocolate Cake (scroll down to see it, her also Amazing Everyday Carrot Cake is listed first).  Yum.  So yum in fact that Hubby downs it in a minute without one "This is gluten free, isn't it" word or look.  From the first time I made it, it's been in heavy rotation in our house - with one addition to Carries original recipe - chocolate chips.  How to make a chocolate cake even better?  Add more chocolate - 1/4 cup of Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to be exact!  I always felt it gave it just that extra bit of decadence. 

So, I knew the recipe I wanted to make for my husbands co-workers, now I just needed to convert it.  It had eggs and I often used almond milk in the recipe.  Second part - easy.  I used Tempt Unsweetened Original Hemp Milk instead of almond milk.  But eggs - how do I replace eggs?  Not being intolerant to eggs nor vegan, I had never tackled the problem.  But with a little research and creative thinking, I figured it out and made an awesome cake.  It's slightly more dense than Carries original Everyday Chocolate Cake but hey, who says that's a bad thing?! ;)  And the best part was that EVERYONE in the office could have some, enjoy it and eat together.  There's nothing more rewarding than having your food bring people together. 

And really, isn't that what all us home cooks are doing?  Bringing our families, extended families and friends together, for one moment in an entire day, together around a table.  Food in which everyone can partake and enjoy.  Hopefully, that's what my version of Carries awesome cake can do. 

To see Carries post and pictures that will have you salivating, please go to her blog.

Just want the recipe already?  Here it is:



Gluten, Dairy, Soy Free and Vegan Chocolate Cake
Created by Carrie Forbes, GingerLemonGirl
Adapted to be vegan by Clara Ogren, Six Food Intolerant Living
Makes: 1 8x8 pan (doubles well for a 9x13 pan) or 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
1/3 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup unsweetened original flavored hemp milk
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup allergen free chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the  dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips.  In a medium bowl, mix together all the wet ingredients.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spray an 8x8 cake pan with non-stick cooking spray or grease with grapeseed oil.

Pour batter into greased lined cake pan.

Bake cake for 18-25 minutes. Test the cake for doneness with a toothpick

Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting with your favorite gluten, dairy and soy free, vegan icing.
 
 
Enjoy!  :)

 
On their website, Amy's announced recently that they will be rolling out several new products.  As usual, all of Amy's products are all-natural and many of them also cater to special diets.  There are many people who, in addition to gluten free, are also dairy free and some are also soy free (either completely soy free or only soy protein free).  Amy's has addressed these diets in several of their new offerings.

Gluten and soy free:
Summer corn and vegetable soup

Gluten and dairy free:
Gluten free chocolate cake

Gluten, dairy and soy free:
Rice Macaroni with non-dairy cheeze (too bad this contains yeast! :( )
Single serve rice crust roasted vegetable pizza (this is only soy protein free as it contains soy lecithin; contains yeast)
Roasted vegetable tamale (with a side of black beans)
Hearty spanish rice and red bean soup
Curried lentil soup
Tomato basil pasta sauce (which also is light in sodium)
Southwestern black bean chili

So far, I have tried the Roasted Vegetable Tamale.  It was delish!  A bit small for me (I like a big lunch), but I just paired it with a large salad and was in hog-heaven!  Yum!  I will definitely be on the look-out for the other GDSYWP-free products that I can have - especially that Hearty Spanish Rice and Red Bean Soup, that just sounds amazing to me!  :)

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!  I thought I'd take this opportunity to share some GDSYWP-free Irish recipes!

Cottage Pie from Recipezaar
A Traditional Irish Boiled Dinner (Corned Beef and Cabbage) from Wellsphere.com
Gluten-Free Shamrock Sugar Cookie Recipe from About.com (sub butter with Spectrum spread)
An Irish Stew from Gluten-Free Cookery
Potato Leek Soup from FoodIreland.com (use safe milk and butter and in place of half-and-half use coconut cream, more milk or Mimic Cream!)
Irish Lamb Stew from AllRecipes.com (replace flour with an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend)

A variety of Irish Soda Bread Recipes - a naturally yeast free bread! :):
One from the Gluten Free Goddess, Karina
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #1 from Living Without
Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Irish Soda Bread, #2 from Living Without

And, of course, who could have a Saint Patrick's Days without beer? There are plenty of gluten free options! Add some green food coloring and you're all set!

I should preface this post with one fact: I am NOT a beer drinker.  Call me crazy, but I've never, ever liked it.  Growing up, my father used to brew his own beer in an storeroom that was immediately below my room and I got to have the pleasure of smelling the hops and yeast while he brewed it and while it fermented.  So, obviously, I definitely don't like the smell.  But, I never liked the taste either.  It's too bitter and ... well, something, for me.  I have tried many types before going GF thanks to my beer "connoisseur" father and husband, but I honestly just could never take it.  So, I am providing this information to you based soley on what I've read about them on the internet.  I can offer you no opinions on this matter but thought that it was important to share with my blog readers who may not know that even when gluten free, yes, too, beer is possible!  :)

The three most commonly found brands in the United States are:

Redbridge - Produced by Anheuser-Busch, Redbridge is arguably the most commonly found gluten free beer.  This rich, full-bodied lager is brewed from the natually gluten free sorghum grain.

New Grist - Made at Lakefront Brewery, a locally-owned microbrewery in Milwaukee, this beer is brewed from sorghum, hops, water, rice and gluten-free yeast grown on molasses.  A crisp and refreshing Session Ale.

Bards Tale Beer - Founded by two Celiacs, this company brews the "Original Sorghum Malt Beer" with their own proprietary malted sorghum.  Using only sorghum, yeast, hops and water, this American-style Lager has a medium body and an amber color.


Less popular gluten free beers that are available domestically are:

Tread Lightly Ale - Brewed by the New Planet Beer Company, this beer is made from fermented sorghum and corn, hops and yeast. This beer was inspired by the American Pilsner and has a light taste and body, low caloric content and does not have the aftertaste of other sorghum-based beers.

Ramapo Valley Brewery’s Passover Honey Beer - A blue ribbon Honey Beer, this unique beer is Kosher certified for Passover.  It is bright golden in color and has notes of honey and hop.  The main fermentable is amber honey, molasses is used for flavor, nutrients and color and noble hops add a touch of bitterness to balance the honey sweetness.

While the age-old, B.R.A.T (Bananas, Rice, Apples and Toast) diet is popular for gastrointestinal distress, what is one to do when toast isn't an option?  Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink  is made with a base of banana puree, brown rice and applesauce to be easy on stomachs while also providing electrolytes and nutrients.  At around 100 calories for an 8-ounce glass, it is comparable to other dairy-free milks and is safe for to those with any of the top eight food alleriges.

Overall, these beverages have a smooth texture with the consistency of watered-down milk, which is thin enough to help calm upset stomachs or to consume when not feeling well.  It comes in four flavors:

Original - This is similar in flavor to unflavored, original rice milk with just a hint of banana.

Vanilla - Slightly sweeter than the orignal flavor, this flavor had only a slight vanilla flavor but had a strong vanilla smell.

Cinnamon Toast - Although this had intense cinnamon toast scent, it wasn't overly "spiced" providing a light cinnamon flavor.  I imagine this flavor would be great cooked into baked goods like muffins or cakes.  This was my husbands favorite flavor.

Chocolate Honey - This was my favorite flavor despite my dislike of the flavor of honey.  Actually, I personally didn't taste honey, just a light chocolate flavor.

In addition to being an excellent product, Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink company donates 10% of its profits to various food and medical charities, including St. Jude Children's research Hospital, Feed The Children, Celiac Society, Autism Speaks, and others.

Visit Organic B.R.A.T. Wellness Drink on their website, Twitter or Facebook.

Disclaimer: While I was provided with free samples of this product, my opinions are my own and were not swayed in any way by the company.

If you live in the DC Metro Area and are gluten free, you are in luck!  The Bethesda location of RAKU Asian Dining is a wonderful option for gluten-free sushi.  At the bottom of the menu, "Gluten Free Tamari Available By Request" is clearly printed in bold.  However, the restaurant does not have a dedicated gluten free menu (for more information on ordering sushi safely, please read my previous article on the matter).  I was told to speak with my server on a dish-by-dish basis to evaluate it's status.

My server that day was a gentleman named "Pong" who was very polite, attentive and accommodating.  He was very knowledgeable on what was safe but on the few things he wasn't sure of, he gladly went to talk to the chef before I placed my order.  Surprisingly, the cornmeal crusted calamari was not safe, nor were the buckwheat noodles - apparently both are made with some wheat.  There was a pumpkin soup that was safe as well as many sushi options.  I didn't mention my soy intolerance, only my gluten intolerance, because A) I did not confuse poor Pong even more and B) I was going to avoid everything with gluten in it anyway, that would include all their soy based sauces (with the exception of their wheat free tamari for dipping, which I simply told Pong I didn't need).

I recommend the Nigiri Sushi Appetizer (ask for no sauce on the eel to make it safe) and the Double Salmon Roll, which comes topped with an awesome spicy mango sauce.  It was so good, I ordered 2 of those!  Both pair well with the refreshing, not-too-sweet Peach Iced Tea.   The portion sizes are decent, the food presentation is very nice and the restaurant decor was eclectic and fun.

This restaurant has only three faults that I could find.  First, parking, which of course is an issue in general in Bethesda.  Second, and a major issue in my opinion, is the lack of a waiting area.  One is forced to stand pressed against the wall behind the hostess table or in the entry way as other patrons squeese by you.  Finally, this place can get very busy.  I luckily went right when they opened at 5:00 pm and was given a roomy booth and were well paid attention to, however, when I left around 6:30 pm, the restaurant was packed full and was pretty noisy.  For our gluten free needs, I would highly recommend going early to better assure helpful and attentive service.

A menu and contact information can be found on their website.

Spaghetti squash is a wonderfully versatile winter squash.  Rich in beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, potassium and fiber, it is also healthy.  Use the naturally stringy spaghetti squash in place of pasta in spaghetti, eat as a side dish topped with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper, or make this healthy, portable, delicious breakfast!  And, it's husband approved!  :)


Squash Egg Muffins
from Clara Ogren, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com

Ingredients (for each muffin):
Oil spray
1/8 cup spaghetti squash, cooked
1/4 a piece of thick-cut Esskay Turkey Bacon (or whatever bacon you have and however much you want!)
1 tsp or 3g Daiya cheese (I mixed both the cheddar and Italian blend flavors, next time, I think I'll use 2 tsp)
1 scrambled egg
Diced scallions, optional, for garnish
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
1) Spray a squirt or two of oil spray into muffin opening.
(I forgot to take a picture of this step, but I'm sure you get it.)

2) Place squash into muffin tin, pressing into the bottom and on the sides.

3) Place bacon on top of squash.


4) Top bacon with 1 tsp of Daiya cheese.


5) Scramble an egg and pour on top.  Garnish with scallions, pepper or whatever you like.


6) Repeat this process for as many muffins as you would like to make.

7) Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes, until cooked through.


8) Gently pull muffins out of muffin tin and enjoy!

Today I want to talk about something somewhat food related, though not entirely. Today I want to discuss affording the food that we need to buy for our special diets. We all know that it's not cheap. I've given lots of tips before on how to make it more affordable, but really, with the various flours, alternative products, and gas spent running to all the different stores (because it seems no one store can carry everything we need!), it's just an unavoidably expensive way of life. Aside from doing all the tips and tricks that I mentioned before, another way I make this life doable is through budgeting. Everyone has a different way, I'm sure. And, like with most things, one style may work for one person, it may not work for another. Today I want to share the way that works for my family.

First of all, a bit of background. My husband and I have debt. Most Americans have debt. You, reader, probably also have debt. Being a bit vulnerably honest here, we have quite a bit of debt. We have school loan debt, wedding debt, lived-off-the-credit-cards-when-we-had-no-income debt, and of course, some naive, what-was-I-thinking, stupid debt. In spite of that, Hubby and I have excellent credit. We always paid our bills even if it meant sacrificing other things, we've never missed a due date and we're always on time. However, when it came to the leftover money for our food, entertainment and household, we didn't always know how to manage the money. We did our best but really, we just didn't have a plan.

About 3 years ago, we decided to try budgeting. For the first few months, we tried several different techniques including writing down everything with pen and paper and then reviewing it, making a humble little spreadsheet and then the "envelope" technique. Everything sort of worked, but nothing gave us the organization we wanted, the ability to fix our mistakes and to plan ahead for those big "oh crap" once or twice a year bills. So, I set out to find such a program and luckily, it was out there.

That is when the program You Need A Budget (YNAB) entered our lives. This program addressed all our above issues and even went a step further. The program creator, Jesse Mecham, developed four practical rules to budget by (like "giving every dollar a job" and "live off last months income") and they're smartly built into the YNAB program. In the last 3 years and with the help from this program, we have been able to put literally thousands of dollars into the bank and have even been able to budget for some new, non-necessary things what we just wanted - like a Wii. This was all while still putting a good chunk of change towards our debt, paying for my expensive diet, and buying other things we needed. I can not imagine having done all of this before budget. It would have been pay the debt OR buy the Wii OR buy expensive gluten free flours, but now, those "ors" are "ands" - and we couldn't be happier about it.


Oh and let me add that A), I am in no way affiliated with YNAB (other than me and my now fuller bank account being very happy customers) and B) that this review was by no means solicited by the makers of YNAB or anyone affiliated with YNAB.

I have mentioned before that I'm not a big cereal person and that as such, I didn't want to pay more money for specialty cereal, that I would just get general store cereal that happened to be gluten free. Well, that has changed. Introducing Natures Path new whole grain, gluten free cereals, Crunchy Maple Sunrise and Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise.

Both contain an impressive ingredient list which contain corn, rice, flax, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth. The cereals are organic, kosher, and a good source of fiber (3 grams per serving) and omega 3's (f0.15 grams per serving). They are also soy, nut and dairy free - score!

These cereals are not only good for you, but taste great too. As the name suggests, both are intensely crunchy and have great texture with the mixture of large corn puff balls, rice puff ovals, small crunchy balls that I think are quinoa or amaranth and multi-grain flakes. As the names also suggests, one has a maple flavor which I find is quite strong (which I like, it reminds me of the maple frosted doughnuts I used to get) and one has a vanilla flavor which is fairly mild but is great with vanilla flavored rice milk.

With the nutrition of the whole grain and the delightful flavor, these cereals are definitely winners. I found them locally for $3.99 each and they are worth every penny. Seriously, run out and by them ... Now ... They're that good. Yum!

One of the most asked questions from gluten free novices is "Can gluten free flours be substituted for wheat flour one-for-one"? The short answer is that gluten free flours do not substitute one for one with wheat - however, gluten free blends can. Let me explain.

Gluten is what gives wheat elasticity and thus provides that chewy, doughy texture. Gluten also retain gases during the baking process which enables dough to rise, makes it stronger and less likely to collapse. That combined with it's light crumb is what makes wheat the "perfect" grain and why many of those who came before us worked exclusively with it. No other flour combines all those properties into one the way wheat does. So, in order to recreate those properties, we must combine flours and make blends. By combining a grain (brown rice, sorghum, millet, etc) with a starch (corn, potato, tapioca, etc), we are able to imitate wheat by having the grain (flavor and nutrients) and the chew (from the starch). Better yet, if we combine multiple grains and multiple starches, we get even closer to wheat because each grain and starch has their own unique properties and "bring something to the table" so to speak. There are a plethora of other types of flours like bean flours, coconut flour and nut flours and those all have different properties that they can lend too. Finally, we can give flour blends a "stretch" factor and help them bind and emulsify together better by adding xanthan or guar gum. Very little is needed and it adds yet another wheat-like property to gluten free baked goods. So, a blend of flours and starches can mimic wheat and can be replaced one-for-one whereas a single gluten free flour (only brown rice or only sorghum, etc) does not have all the properties needed to replace wheat on its own.

While understanding and learning about all the different flours can be intimidating and difficult at first, the sheer variety provides numerous opportunities for creativity, an assortment of flavors, and ensures that there will be at least one blend that you will enjoy. Personally, my favorite all-purpose mix is this one, though I freely admit that I'm probably just a bit biased since I created taht mix myself! ;)

The chickpea miso tamari offered by the South River Miso Company offers the soy intolerant an exciting opportunity. Living soy free makes enjoying Asian cuisine a real challege. Although there are several other prepared Asian sauces that one can use, none the distinct flavor (which the Japanese call "umami") or versatility of soy sauce. However, chickpea miso tamari has a very similar flavor to soy sauce and is just as versitile.

According to their website,

In Japanese, tamari means "little puddle" and refers to the savory liquid that collects in a vat of miso. Our genuine tamari is similar to its cousin, soy sauce, but much sweeter and lighter in taste. Friends who buy directly from our shop come back year after year, declaring that there is no seasoning comparable to South River Miso Tamari. Gathered from the vats of chickpea miso -- Made from deep well water, organic brown rice, organic chickpeas, sun-dried sea salt, organic sea vegetables, and koji culture. Aged in wood for a minimum of 3 months.

As this tamari takes so long to make and is only made in small amount, this sauce is often very limited. If you are interested in this sauce, please order as soon as possible. The South River Miso Company tries to ensure that there is enough to go around by rationing everyone to only one or two bottles per order. So if you're interested in trying some, be sure to order soon!

While both the words miso and tamari typically mean soy, the South River Miso Company uses chickpeas instead of soybeans to make a naturally soy free miso paste. They also make two additional soy free miso pastes - one from azuki beans and one from chickpeas and barley (though this flavor is not gluten free).

As I am a big proponent of "practicing what you preach," I thought that I should provide allergen-free candy for Halloween. I figure that if I want others to provide allergen-free options for me and others, then I should provide the same to trick-or-treaters.

So, I made my sign (please realize that I'm not an artist! LOL) which said "ALLERGEN-FREE Candy Available. Please Ask." To my dismay, no one asked. Though, I only had about 20 kids come by. Regardless, I think that this is something that I will do every year and maybe one day, some one will ask! ;)

I don't know about you, but sometimes, I really need a quick meal - but not just any quick meal. It has to be safe for me, healthy, and tasty enough for my Hubby to eat. Store bought rotisserie chickens are my answer - many stores (I've found some at Costco and Giant) offer gluten free ones and are labeling them accordingly. There are several rotisserie eateries that are safe too (Chicken Out and Crisp and Juicy). At around $5 each, they can be the answer to healthy "fast food."

Below are my top 10 favorite things to do with a rotisserie chicken:

• For a super quick meal, pull pieces of the roasted chicken, place on a plate then make instant mashed potatoes or instant microwaveable brown rice then heat up a can of your favorite vegetables or use the frozen microwave steam ready ones.
• Make Spanish Skillet, using diced or shredded rotisserie chicken for the 1 cup of cooked chicken.
• Chicken sandwiches - shred the chicken, add mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato and onion to brown rice or corn tortillas and serve with chips
• Stir-fry asparagus or other vegetables(s) in sesame oil, toss in chicken until warmed through, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top
• Shred the chicken and use it to make a Cobb salad
• Make chicken salad (I like mine with mayonnaise, dijon mustard, finely diced celery and onions, lemon juice and dill relish) and serve that on brown rice or corn tortillas or on chips
• Shred the chicken and top pasta and your favorite pasta sauce
• Shred some chicken and put it in tacos with your favorite toppings
• Barbeque chicken - pull pieces of chicken off, place on a plate and top with barbeque sauce. This can be eatten off a plate or put inside a brown rice or corn tortilla. Serve french fries and a salad on the side.
• Then, after you've eaten chicken for a few nights and picked off all the meat you can, make fresh, homemade soup. Even if you think you'd gotten all the meat you can off the carcass, you'll be surprised at how much more comes out as you simmer it. Use this recipe to make homemade stock in the crockpot. Then, take out the skin, bones and other inedible things. Put the stock and any edible meat into the blender, blend until all the meat is pureed (and the broth is light). Pour back into the crockpot, put it on high and put in noodles, rice, vegetables or whatever you want until cooked through. This is my absolute favorite out of all of the meals. I always freeze a container or two for when I'm sick.

I hope I've shown you that it is possible to have a very fast GDSYWP-free meal that is still delicious!

When I went gluten free, one food I missed dearly was onion rings. I've always loved the flavor of onions and anything crunchy so naturally, onion rings became one of my favorite guilty pleasures. Recently I decided to try to come up with a gluten free replacement. After some trial and error, I finally developed a recipe that I believe will rival any gluten-filled version.

Gluten Free Onion Rings
from Clara Ogren, http://www.sixfoodintolerance.com
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 quart peanut oil (or however much is needed to fill your pan)
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup corn meal
2 teaspoons Lawrys Seasoning (or other all-purpose seasoning mix)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups dairy-free buttermilk (2 cups of your favorite dairy free milk, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, stir and let sit for 3 minutes)
2 sweet yellow onions (preferably Vidalias)
coarse Kosher salt

Directions:
Pour peanut oil into a dutch oven or other deep frying pan and heat to medium high heat.

Measure brown rice flour, cornmeal, Lawrys and garlic powder into a mixing bowl. Wisk together well.

Pour dairy-free buttermilk into a separate, wide, large bowl.

Slice onions into rings.

Place one quarter of the sliced onions into the dairy-free buttermilk and let it sit for 1-2 minutes.

One at a time, take a ring out, cover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess, dip back into the dairy-free buttermilk, then recover in the flour mixture, shake off the excess again, then drop into the hot oil.

Repeat until there are 3-5 onion rings in the oil at a time. Let them sit in the oil for a few minutes until the outside is browned and onion is cooked.

Take out of the oil and place on a cooling rack. Sprinkle with coarse Kosher salt while the onion ring is still hot.

Tips:

• These freeze and reheat (in the oven) well.
• White rice flour can be used in this recipe but the brown rice flour lends a nice brown color to the finished product and it more nutritious than white rice flour.
• Make sure not to get the oil too hot otherwise it will brown the flour before the onion is cooked.
• Shaking off as much of the flour as you can is very important. If you do not shake off most of the excess, it will gather in the milk causing a mess or in the oil and burn.
• Do not overcrowd the pan, doing so will lower the temperature of the oil.
• Try using this batter for breading other vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, asparagus, etc) to make tempura.

Can you see what's wrong with this picture? (click on it to enlarge it)

Case and point for my number one recommendation for living gluten free.

Unsafe soy-free food list (unsafe ingredients and where soy often hides) *

I've worked pretty hard to come up with a list of unsafe soy-free foods (like this one for gluten) and I think I have finally done it! If you see any mistakes or think something should be added, please leave me a comment and I'll look into the matter further. I hope that this list will help all the soy-free newbies and keep you safe!

Always or typically contains soy:
Abura-age (sliced deep-fried tofu)
Atsu-age (deep-fried tofu)
Bean curd (typically made from soybeans)
Chocolate (many contain soy lecithin) *
Concentrated soy
Curry pastes (many contain soy oil) * ~
Edamame (parboiled green soybeans)
Gan-modoki (a soy dumpling)
Glycine max
Hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP)
Isolated soy protein
Kinako (Japanese for soybean flour)
Koya tofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Kyodofu (freeze-dried bean curd)
Mayonnaise (most contain soy oil) *
Margarine (most contain soy protein or soy oil - Earth Balance makes one that does not) *
Miso ^
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Nimame (stewed soybeans)
Okara (soybean pulp)
Pad Thai sauce (many contain soy protein or soy oil) * ~
Peanut butter (many contain soy oil) *
Shoyu
Soja
Soy-based meat alternatives
Soybeans
Soybean curd
Soybean paste
Soya
Soya bean
Soy bran
Soy butter
Soy cheese
Soy curd
Soy fiber (can be found in baked goods, as well as processed meats, sausages, hamburgers, etc)
Soy flour
Soy grits
Soy ice cream
Soy infant formula
Soy isoflavones
Soy isolate fiber
Soy lecithin *
Soy margarine
Soy meal
Soy milk
Soy nuts
Soy oil *
Soy panthenol
Soy protein
Soy protein concentrate
Soy protein isolates
Soy sauce
Soy sprouts
Soy whipped topping
Soy yogurt
Tamari ~
Tempeh
Teriyaki ~
Textured soy flour (TSF)
Textured soy protein (TSP)
Tofu and tofu products
Uno-hana (soy pulp)
Vegetable oil (usually all or part soy oil) *
Vitamin E (a preservative typically derived from soy)
Worcestershire sauce (in the US, the Lea & Perrins brand is safe)
Yuba (tofu skin)

The following may contain soy. You'll have to read the ingredients and/or contact the manufacturer:
Bouillon cubes
Broth
Canned tuna (may contain vegetable broth which may have soy)
Diglycerides
Fish sauce ~
Flavoring
Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP)
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP)
Ice cream (many contain soy lechithin) *
Imitation bacon bits
Imitation crab and lobster
Isolated vegetable protein
Methylcellulose
Mixed tocopheryls (a preservative often derived from soy)
Monoglycerides
Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
Natural flavors
Natural flavoring
Oyster sauce ~
Popcorn, microwavable
Protein
Protein extender
Protein filler
Stabilizer
Starch
Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
Thickener
Vegetable fat
Vegetable fiber
Vegetable gum
Vegetable protein
Vegetable protein
Vegetable shortening
Vegetable starch
Veggie burgers

* Soy oil and soy lechithin are non-protein forms of soy and may be tolerated by some soy-intolerant or soy-allergic people.

~ There are several Asian sauces listed, but there are several that are soy free.

^ Soy free miso made from beans and chickpeas can be purchased from South River Miso.