Cook du Jour shares recipe for gluten free pumpkin pie

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Cook du Jour shares recipe for gluten-free pumpkin pie

Priority one: Gluten free. The words imply that something is lacking. But to Monica Varah, gluten free is the only way. It took a while for her to be converted, however. There was a time when Varah likened gluten free to taste free, and she secretly hoped her family’s medical issues wouldn’t require a gluten free lifestyle. But they did, and the relatively simple switch has provided immeasurable benefits. After witnessing her son’s calmer demeanor and improved focus, and the disappearance of her husband’s ulcers and IBS symptoms, Varah became a believer. Long ago there was not the plethora of gluten free products that exists today, she notes, and those that were available were generally not very flavorful, providing a “constant reminder of what we couldn’t have.” So she decided to make tasty gluten-free food a priority.

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Holiday helper: Holidays don’t seem quite the same without a festive Thanksgiving dinner, so Varah created a Gluten Free, Dairy-Free Pumpkin Pie recipe that everyone seems to enjoy. Her husband, Jason, and children, Julian, and Cosmo, have been encouraging throughout, and with their support Varah has evolved into an expert chef. Going gluten free is not difficult, she notes, only requiring simple adjustments. Hummus wraps can be as easy as combining a can of garbanzo beans with lemon, tahini, parsley, garlic and salt pulsed in the food processor and spread inside a corn tortilla. Ice creams can be prepared with a base of coconut milk, maple syrup and fruit. “Ice cream takes awhile,” she said, “but the house smells so good.”

Perfect solution: As a yoga instructor and massage therapist, Varah doesn’t have time to indulge in complicated recipes. So she has simplified her life by planning ahead to have healthy food available for her family. Sliced apples in a little oil, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and pecans can be the perfect breakfast solution. Rice, Indian lentils, black-eyed peas and beans offer a nutritious dish for her family when Varah is away at evening classes. For snacking, carrot chips and hummus are popular choices, and she keeps a container of baby greens on hand to complement heirloom tomatoes, a can of artichoke hearts and a homemade dressing of olive oil, vinegar, garlic and parsley. Sometimes dandelion greens are added to provide an additional spark. “One of these days, my sons will go out on their own,” she said. “They need to know that their options aren’t limited.”

Gluten Free dairy free Pumpkin Pie

Crust:

Ingredients

2 cups rice flour, gluten free Bisquick or other gluten free baking mix

1 cup almond meal (flour)

¾ cup Spectrum Shortening

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor, then add the shortening spoon by spoon. When the mixture starts to come together in pea-sized pieces, add the water.

2. Wrap the mixture in plastic wrap so you can form into a ball with your hands. Roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper, and then place it into an 8-inch pie pan. Cook at 350 for 5 minutes.

Filling:

Ingredients

1 15-ounce can of pumpkin

2 cups of Silk Pure Coconut, Almond Breeze or other milk substitute

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla

½ cup maple syrup

Directions

1 Mix everything together and pour into the pre-baked crust.

2 Top with cinnamon or a leaf made from a little pie crust dough.