201 Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids
Author:Carrie S. Forbes
Publisher:Adams Media (2013)
Feeding your children is a full-time job– between picky eaters, constant media bombardment pushing bright, mascot-ladenboxes, cans and bags of junk food and peer pressure from classmates to have“cool” lunches and snacks, figuring out the daily menu is tricky! When yourchild or another family member has dietary restrictions, though, thatthree-times-daily task becomes even harder. A lot of allergy-free (andespecially gluten-free) ingredients, packaged foods and conventional recipesare not overly tasty, well textured or nutritious – and since children inparticular thrive on texture (followed closely by sugar, salt and fat), thedays of spoon-feeding baby food may seem like a long distant dream. Today,advances in gluten-free and vegan cooking have made allergy-free living notonly bearable but enjoyable. Kid- (and parent-) friendly, safe food was clearlythe goal of Carrie S. Forbes when she wrote 201 Gluten-Free Recipes for Kids.
isdefinitely not just a “kid food” book, packed with junk food made of sugar andrefined starches. Yes, there are “treat” foods and desserts – including chickennuggets and brownies – but good, wholesome meals are the main focus. Recipeslike Broccoli Quinoa Casserole (p. 123)and Fish Baked in Papillote (p. 118)are definitely more on par with the book’s aims, and their simple but elegantflavours will entice adults and children alike. Both meat and vegetarianentrees are featured in GFK, along with baked goods, salads, soups,sandwiches and sides. Of course, no meal is complete without dessert, and GFKis rife with those too. Holiday favourites like Sweet Potato Pie (p. 185) and weeknight treats like Chocolate Pudding (p. 206) get equalbilling here, and everything sounds good enough to devour right off the page.
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| Modified Split Pea Soup (p. 91) |
While most of my household doesn’t needto eat gluten- or allergy-free (myself and two second cousins being theexceptions), my social circle has a mosaic of various food restrictions, andspeaking from experience I know it can be an alienating factor at gatherings.The first recipe I decided to whip up from GFK was the most comforting,homey, people-pleasing thing I could think of – Forbes’ Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (p. 191). Making the dough was a snap,but unfortunately the resulting cookies were as flat as crepes – probably dueto a lack of xanthan or guar gum to properly bind the mixture. I triedchilling, freezing and baking the dough at different temperatures, but they allcame out the same. Their saving grace was their flavour – they did taste fantastic, if you can get beyondthe crispy, wafer-like texture. I had problems with other recipes in this bookas well. In the Pumpkin Spice Muffins (p.40)recipe, there is no indication where to add the milk – a crucial ingredient –and the Split Pea Soup (p. 91) was indesperate need of extra liquid and seasoning (especially since the stated yieldis 6 cups!). In addition to using easily 6 cups of water, I have also neverseen a chunky split pea soup, so I pureed the mixture and believe the texturewas much better for it. Luckily, most seasoned home cooks (gluten free or not) willbe able to remedy those ratio situations easily. One omission that might tripup cooks unused to working with starches is in the aforementioned Chocolate Pudding – the author neglectsto mention that the “¼ cup water, divided” needs to be half warm and half cold.I also noticed a potentially dangerous slip-up on page 150, which I hope willbe remedied in the next printing – Forbes’ SecretBeef Burgers (p. 150) are, if you are to follow the instructions, to beserved on whole wheat buns! Again, for those used to a gluten-free lifestylethis will not be an issue (since they will know wheat is a definite no-no), but if you are buying this book as a step intothis type of food restriction you may find yourself with unpleasant results.
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| Best Chocolate Chip Cookies (p. 191) |
Not all the recipes are problematic,however – I (and several of my friends) thoroughly enjoyed the Double Chocolate Cupcakes (p. 188), the Apple-Roasted Carrots (p.161) and the Cauliflower and Potato Mash (p. 163). All of these were not only delicious, buteasy and appeal to both adults and children alike – the Mash is now on permanent rotation in our home since it is a greatway to stretch the carbohydrate count out for my diabetic stepdad, and doesn’tcontain fresh garlic (which he is allergic to). When I make it for myself, Iadd a clove of minced garlic, and a dash of paprika to the mixture (and usuallyhave to add less liquid and fat – half of each, if not less, is sufficient.
One of the things Ifound disappointing was this book’s lack of photos. There is an insert ofselected pictures, but as with the cover photos they are not necessarily of theactual recipe. The cover photos are stock images, and the inner shots were doneby JenniferL. Yandle, who also photographed for Forbes’ other books. Being one wholoves to gawk at food photos while cooking, I would have liked to see more “real”ones, but I understand the necessity of using professional photographers for apublished book. Forbes’ blog, Ginger Lemon Girl, is a primeexample of her stunning photographs and is a website I frequent for the recipesas well.
Whilefiguring out meals for the whole family to share can be a cause of frustration,Carrie S. Forbes is on a mission to make the task a little easier. With a bitof cooking know-how, anyone can cook, bake and enjoy recipes from 201Gluten-Free Recipe for Kids, even if those kids are grown!
