G-Free & Joyful Holiday Season

• Holiday G-Free Dessert Recipes
• Giveaway
• Local Events & News

Wow, December has really flown by, and it’s so easy to get swept away sometimes in the holiday swirl.

For many people, the holiday season is one of the most challenging times to be gluten-free. I’ve highlighted some of my favorite tips for staying SANE and gluten-free here from Simply Gluten-Free Magazine. 

Of course, this time of year is pretty much  about desserts, yes? Some of us aren’t all about mixing 5 different gluten-free flours and whipping out the xantham gum. I’ve collected a list of NATURALLY gluten-free desserts over the years—tried and true recipes that aren’t specialty cooking, but just happen to be marvelously gluten-free.

Remember, these foods are only GF if you use GF ingredients. And as always, check labels to avoid surprises.

There’s a range of allergy-friendly, grain-free, low sugar and completely decadent options, but there are enough options to choose from that you can surely find something that works for your lifestyle/food restrictions that you and your family can enjoy together.

• Baked apples
• Candied orange peel (DF, EF, SF, NF)
• Caramelized bananas or Bananas Foster
• Candy canes! Dipped in (dairy free) chocolate or plain (DF, EF, NF)
• Chocolate bark (DF, EF)
• Chocolate mousse (NF)
• Christmas pudding/plum pudding
• Crème brulee (NF)
• Cheesecake-use any gf cookie crumbs for the crust, or do a crustless cheesecake (NF)
• Chocolates: make your own with a mold or buy
• Chocolate covered: strawberries, cherries, almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, etc. (can be DF or NF)
• Clementines (DF, EF, NF)
• Clementine cake (DF)
• Custard (NF)
• Dessert soufflé
• Dried fruit (DF, EF, NF)
• Divinity (DF, NF)
• Flan
• Flourless tortes
• Fondue, using chocolate and a variety of fruit and GF cookies (DF*, EF, NF)
• Fruit crisp (any gf flour or quinoa flakes for topping) (DF, EF)
• Fruit and whipped cream (EF, SF, NF)
• Fudge (EF)
• Gelato
• Hard candies (DF*, NF*)
• Hot chocolate (EF, NF)
• Ice cream/frozen yogurt (check labels!)
• Jello (DF, EF, NF)
• Macaroons
• Mango with sticky rice (DF, EF, NF)
• Marshmallows (DF, NF)
• Meringue cookies (DF, SF, NF)
• Marzipan (some say glucose derived from wheat, so beware)
• Nut or seed brittle (DF*, EF)
• Panna Cotta (EF)
• Pavlova (meringue cake) (DF)
• Peanut butter cookies (DF) or a nut free, sunbutter cookies
• Poached pears (DF, EF, SF, NF)
• Popcorn clusters or caramel corn (EF)
• Popcorn cake (EF)
• Pralines,<–this version is dairy free (EF)
• Pumpkin seeds (DF, EF, SF, NF)
• Pudding
• Pudding pie with almond or cookie crumble crust
• Rice pudding ( EF, NF)
• Rice krispie bars using puffed rice or gluten-free rice Krispies (EF)
• Roasted chestnuts. (DF, EF, SF) Not quite dessert, but an amazingly seasonal yummy snack.
• Sorbet (DF, EF)
• Toffee (EF)
• Truffles (EF)
• Watermelon (DF, SF, EF, NF)
• Zabaglione

dairy free (DF), egg free (EF) and soy free (SF), NF (nut free) *=check labels

Not that these are healthy by any stretch of the imagination, BUT Martha Stewart has a slideshow and recipes of 40 holiday candies, all of which (at a quick glance) are GF. Of course, you need to make sure the chocolate is GF, be mindful of cross contamination, etc. but this is an easy way to keep traditions without venturing into specialty flours and unfamiliar territory.

My personal favorites? My Bittersweet Chestnut Fudge and my Vegan Pralines.

Oh, right, and there’s holiday food, too. I’ve got a G-Free Turkey and Ham list for 2014.

Local Events & News:

• My fellow nutrition professionals: for the month of Dec, my gluten-free handout set will have a special bonus for the holidays–an added handout on a gluten-free vegan diet.
• DC Area Metro Celiac OrganizationMeeting Date: Saturday,  December 6, 2014 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Tenley – Friendship Heights Library.The topic will be “Navigating Through the Holiday Season Gluten-Free.” 2nd annual Gluten Free Cookie Exchange. Click HERE  to find out the details about the cookie exchange and how to participate! 
  
• Consumer Reports has a fascinating article about eating gluten-free in their Jan ’15 issue. The section on rice was very well done and has important info.
• I’m submitting this abundance of goodies to Gluten Free Wednesdays. GFW is co-hosted by Shirley of gluten free easily, Linda of Gluten-free Homemaker,  and Lynn of Lynn’s Kitchen Adventures.

Harris Whole Health offers individual sessions and group classes to help people eat healthier and feel better! Cheryl works with people to feel and look their best with a range of specialties, including Celiac Disease, food allergies, pregnancy, breastfeeding, vegetarian and vegan diets, preventing diseases and “whole foods” eating. Let’s get you on your way to achieving your goals. For an appointment with Cheryl Harris, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, please click here, email or call 571-271-8742.