Making Grill Parties Safe

Kayleigh here. Every summer, we all look forward to that unique flavor in foods that can only come from dragging out and firing up the old outdoor grill. For many, it is the chance to perfect that burger recipe, or to figure out how to sear that salmon steak to lock in all the juices. For most, it's a great excuse to have a few parties and enjoy some outdoor time with good friends and neighbors. For gluten intolerant folks...those hotdogs look tasty, but when was the last time that grill was even scraped down, much less cleaned?

An interesting fact to note- gluten can actually be removed from a surface if it is thoroughly heated for a good length of time, like the cleaning cycle on your oven. Short of requesting that the cook heats the grill up to 500 degrees for a half hour in between their food and yours, the best thing you can do is sacrifice getting pretty grill marks on your food and ask that they cover a small section in aluminum foil to keep your stuff separate from the rest. Bring your own utensils for them to use, to avoid stray crumbs, and make sure the cooked food goes straight onto your plate and skips the serving tray. It may sound a little pushy, but it is a lot better to be safe than to get glutened and have your buddy feel bad about it.

We do have some good news out of this- there are loads of good gluten free cookout foods available pretty much everywhere. Most sausages are completely gluten free, and will often say so pretty predominantly on the front of the label. Gluten free preformed hamburgers can be a little trickier to find, but looking for ones that are labeled as 100% beef can quickly narrow down the playing field, so you just need to check the back to make sure their facility did not contain wheat products. As for veggie burgers, most of the main brands are unfortunately out, but a trip down the organic/natural foods aisle should grant you at least one safe variety. Finally, fresh produce should be entirely safe, and most common condiments are as well (just double check the label). Do stay away from the teriyaki burgers (unless they were made specifically with gluten free sauce), and opt out any spice mixes that you do not get to okay in advanced- stick with the one ingredient spices.

Finally, as with making all gatherings safely gluten free, try to get anything you want from buffet-style tables first, before they can get cross contaminated through people double dipping or spilling a few crumbs here and there. If you brought a dish to share, save out a little portion for yourself in another container just in case. And offer to bring your own buns or bread, so the host does not need to get anything special for you- you probably already have some on hand anyways. Worst comes to worst, you can always use a bed of lettuce or tortilla chips on the plate and take a fork to it.

 

Jason here. I’m pretty lucky in that sausage hot dogs are my favorite cookout food. They are easy to find in a variety of different flavors, so getting two or three means pretty much everyone will find something they enjoy. I love getting together with some friends, so bringing a sheet of tinfoil and some gluten free buns is never an issue. 

 

On the days where the cookout gets rained out, be sure to have a backup plan. Sometimes it’s as easy as throwing the sausages in the oven or stovetop, but other times it takes a bit more creativity. I’ve found that brining some nacho’s with salsa or cheese dip to be a great back up plan. They can be picked up last minute from a grocery or convenience store, and require zero prep. If you have a little extra time, you can always throw to together some homemade dip. Our friends always seem to enjoy it when we bring over our spinach queso dip.

No matter what your style, don’t let gluten scare you away from spending some times with your friends and enjoying a cookout.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Kayleigh here. I will make no secret of it- I occasionally get a massive craving for a big, gooey cinnamon bun. Cinnamon raisin toast or cinnamon oatmeal with cream cheese just don't quite do it at these times. I need a real deal spicy, icing- covered sugar bomb.

This recipe came into being when I was trying to figure out a way of making one of those decadent giant cinnamon rolls you would get at a diner. Making a whole dozen would just make me feel guilty by the end, so I whittled the ingredients down to make just four of the monsters. Next time you feel like really treating yourself on the weekend, try this recipe out. Make it the night before, then reheat it and add frosting in the morning- it will still taste just as good the next day.

Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Ingredients:

For the rolls:
1 Medium Russet or Golden Potato (slightly larger than your fist)
2 TB Butter
1 Egg
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 ½ ts Baking Powder
¼ ts Baking Soda
½ ts Xanthan or Guar Gum
1 ts Apple Cider Vinegar
2-3 drops Almond Extract
1 Pinch Salt
1/3 Cups Warm Water
½ Cups White Rice Flour
½ Cups Sweet Rice Flour
½ Cups Tapioca Starch
1 ½ ts Instant Yeast

For the Filling:
3 TB Butter, room temperature
1 ts Maple Syrup
1/3 Cups Brown Sugar (lightly packed)
2-3 ts Cinnamon

For the Icing:
½ Package Cream Cheese ( 4 oz) at room temperature
½ Cups Powdered Sugar
¼ ts Vanilla Extract
Splash of Milk


Directions:

1) Well in advanced, peel the potato and cut it into rough 1 inch cubes. Boil them in water until very soft, then drain and mash with a fork. Add the butter to let it melt in.
2) If you have the time, then just leave the mashed potato out until it reaches room temperature- you can put the butter and cream cheese next to it to start warming them up. If you're shorter on time, throw it in the fridge until they're simply warm, or place their bowl on ice for 10 or so minutes.
3) To the mashed potatoes, add the ingredients from egg through salt and combine well (no lumpy potatoes!). Add the water to the mixture, then the flours one at a time. Add the yeast last, to make sure it doesn't start losing potency before you're done forming the rolls.
4) Set the dough aside, and combine all the filling ingredients in a smaller bowl. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan and set aside.
5) Lay out two strips of plastic wrap, then coat one side of each with cooking spray or melted butter. Sandwich one of the dough balls in between the buttered sides, then use a rolling pin to flatten it into a roughly 10 x 12 inch rectangle.
6) Remove the top layer of plastic wrap, then cover the dough evenly with the cinnamon sugar filling. Roll it up carefully and evenly, then using a wet knife cut the log into four equal rolls. Place these in the baking pan.
7) Set the rolls aside for roughly one hour, or until the bottoms of them have spread to cover the whole pan. Sprinkle the outsides with extra cinnamon if desired. Then, in a 400 degree preheated oven, bake them for 20 minutes or until the tops are brown.
8) Optional- Five minutes before the rolls are done, you can take them out and brush them with additional melted butter. Or, as my parents like to do it, drizzle some maple syrup on top and sprinkle chopped walnuts- the baked maple syrup will help them stick.
9) While you wait for them to cool, combine all the ingredients for the icing. Spread it on slightly warm rolls just before serving.

Alternate rolling method:
When I made this last batch, I really did not feel like dealing with the plastic wrap and rolling pin method, so to save on time I tried rolling them by hand- they don't roll out as thinly or evenly, but that doesn't change the taste! And I'm sure that kids would love doing it, if you divide the dough into eight and gave them kid-friendly portions.

So, to start, wash and dry your hands thoroughly, then spray one with a thin coating of cooking spray. Pick up one quarter of the dough and stretch it out across your greased hand- I got mine to about 2 1/2 inches wide and 8 inches long.

Spread the filling onto the face up side, then roll it from your fingertips downwards into the right shape. When you are ready to move onto the next roll, be sure to wash and dry your hands thoroughly and recoat one in oil to prevent sticking.

Jason here. I realize now, I have missed many breakfast items since I have had to cut all gluten from my diet. There were pop tarts, various cereals (captain crunch I’m looking at you), toaster strudels, and cinnamon rolls. Well luckily for my Kayleigh has been amazing and always trying to fill that gap, including these tasty cinnamon rolls.

The taste is definitely what I remember with a sweet cream cheese icing, and a different kind of maple and cinnamon sweet bun. The only missing factor was the stretchiness which gluten tends to add. I was very happy that we got to use one of Kayleigh’s Christmas gifts which was Ceylon Cinnamon. Ceylon has a lighter taste, without the bite of standard cassia cinnamon. The reduced sharpness lends itself to a sweeter taste for me, which makes it perfect for dessert recipes like ice cream and these cinnamon buns. If you haven’t tried Ceylon Cinnamon (true cinnamon), we highly recommend you pick some up.