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How to Convert any Recipe to Grain Free
You don't need to throw out your cookbooks. Use this list as a guide, you can easily convert any "normal" recipe into a grain-free, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free or anything else free with a little bit of know-how.
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Pasta or Noodles |
Bean Vermicelli - made from mung beans, from the asian/noodle section of Coles/Woolworths or from Asian Grocers. Make sure you buy the one with just bean and water (some brands add cornstarch) Buckwheat Pasta - read the label and make sure it is 100% buckwheat Grain-free pasta from GlutenGrainFree If you can't tolerate any of the above try using a vegetable peeler and peeling long thin strips from squash/zuchinni and carrots, steam very lightly or eat raw. Works surprisingly well. |
| Rice | Quinoa - not technically a grain, although it looks and acts like one. Available from health food stores or the health food section of larger supermarkets |
| Cous Cous | Quinoa - as above |
| Bread | Use our bread recipe or look in our links page for online retailers. |
| Breadcrumbs | Almond Meal (this really works well)
OR Grain-free Breadcrumbs. Put some grain free bread through the blender. You can get grain-free bread from www.deeks.com.au or make your own. |
| Sugar | Stevia (ratio of 1 tsp to 1 cup) - experiment with quantity as strength of stevia can vary brand to brand and it gets a weird aftertaste if you use too much.
OR Xylitol. A bit easier to use as it looks like sugar and easier when using it as a replacer in recipes (this can be made from corn cobs or birch trees) Maple syrup, honey and cooked mashed sweet fruits or root vegetables also work well when baking cakes. |
| Gravy/Thickeners | Use Potato starch or arrowroot to thicken sauces and gravy. |
| Flour - plain | For sweet recipes I use 1 part almond meal, 1 part coconut, 1 part potato starch.
OR NUT FREE - For each cup use 3/4 cup of Quinoa Flour and 1/4 cup of arrowroot or potato flour. or equal parts quinoa, buckwheat and arrowroot or potato flour (this mix tastes the best I think) |
| Flour - self raising | For each cup of flour as 1/2 teaspoon of bicarb and 1/2 tsp of cream of tarter. |
| Pastry | Make your own. This website has some good versions.
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| Egg | Depends on what you are cooking. Eggs acts first as a binding agent and secondly as a liquid. You can often just add a little more liquid. Then look at what you can use as a binding agent. Chickpea flour (Also called Besan flour) has good binding properties. As also is butter, arrowroot and potato starch. See recipes for more info. |
| Tabouli | Use Quinoa instead of Burghal. No will will tell the difference. |