The Wheat-Free Cookbook: Tasty Gluten-Free Alternatives

Foodies with wheat allergies can finally rejoice in discovering delicious alternatives for their restricted diets. From everyday recipes to more elegant fare, veteran food writer Jacqueline Mallorca has transformed 100 recipes into delectable options for those who can't tolerate gluten.

From breakfast to dinner, you will be amazed at the comprehensive variety of these carefully tested recipes. Introducing ingredients such as flax, almond flour, quinoa, teff and brown rice flour, readers are now privy to dishes that were forbidden before: Nut-Crusted Salmon with Mustard Cream Sauce, Goat Cheese Pizza with Rice Flour Crust, Onion-Gruyere Tart, Hazelnut-Raspberry Cookies, and Amaretto Cake. Instead of heavy breads and dense cakes found in health stores, Mallorca has also discovered a way to create lovely artisan-style breads and desserts.

For those not familiar with the alternative grains mentioned in the recipes, there is a handy shopping index listing mail order companies and resources specializing in such ingredients. Mallorca also explains the usage of each grain in great detail, informing the readers of the wonderful choices we have in supplementing our diets with healthier options.

Try the following recipes from the cookbook. It will inspire you to modify your wheat-based recipes into healthier, tastier ones:

Almond-Lemon Cake

An extra-light cake in which high-protein ground almonds replace the anonymous white fat and white flour found in most bakery items. The simple lemon glaze makes a tangy texture contrast, but if you prefer, you can simply dust the top with confectioner's sugar.

Serves 8

2 cups almond meal, or 1 1/3 cups (6 1/2 ounces) whole almonds
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter the sides of a 9-inch round cake pan and line the base with a circle of parchment paper.

Combine the almond meal, rice flour, and baking powder and set aside. (If using whole almonds, grind in batches in an electric coffee mill for a floury texture.)

Beat the eggs lightly to combine; then beat in the sugar little by little. Beat at medium-high speed until the mixture reaches the ribbon stage, about 7 minutes. Sprinkle the lemon zest on top, and fold in the almond mixture one-third at a time. Transfer the batter to the pan and smooth the top.

Bake until the cake is golden and shrinks away slightly from the sides of the pan, and an inserted toothpick emerges clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Run a knife blade around the edge of the cake to loosen it, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Peel off the paper and let cool upside down, smoothest side uppermost.

Place the cake on a sheet of foil. Sift the confectioner's sugar into a bowl. Add the lemon juice and beat until smooth, 1 minute or less. Pour over the cake and smooth into a thin layer with a long knife blade, letting the excess drip over the sides. Let the cake stand until the glaze has set, about 1 hour. Transfer to a flat serving plate.

Zucchini Fritters

A tasty appetizer or side dish that cooks in five minutes. Long, slender purple or lavender Japanese eggplants can be substituted; like zucchini, their skins are so tender that they don't need peeling. Either one makes first rate finger food with a glass of wine.

Serves 4

1/2 cup grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano or thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon dried, optional
2 to 3 medium zucchini, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the cheese and rice flour. Break the egg into a wide, shallow dish and beat lightly. Add the herbs, if using. Add the zucchini slices to the beaten egg, turning to coat well.

Heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Meanwhile, place all the zucchini slices on the cheese-flour mixture, then turn to coat the second side. Fry until tender and golden-brown on both sides, about 4 minutes. (If cooking in batches, place on a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm in a low oven.) Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve warm.

(Recipes used with permission from THE WHEAT-FREE COOK, Gluten-Free Recipes for Everyone, by Jacqueline Mallorca ; Copyright © 2007, All Rights Reserved)