What to Cook for a Gluten Free Guest: Appetizer

I often hear from people who aren't gluten free themselves, but want to practice hospitality toward a friend or family member who cannot eat gluten.

Go you - awesome and brave hosts and hostesses! For a gluten free guest, there is absolutely nothing better than being served food made with love and care (and without gluten!).

I've posted before on how to host a gluten free guest (see parts 1, 2, and 3 here). This gives the basics of how to prepare and serve food for the gluten intolerant folks in your life, and it's a good primer on gluten free cooking.

However, what I've heard most often lately is: "Okay, so then WHAT do I cook?"

Beginning today I'm going to post a whole week of recipes that you can easily make safely even in a gluten-filled kitchen. Appetizers, entrées, desserts, and even fun beverages. Soups, salads, and meaty-meaty-meat dishes. Are you ready?

Let's serve up some yummy gluten free food!

Appetizers

Chips & Salsa or Guacamole
This one is the easiest of the easy. Purchase some gluten free tortilla chips (Mission and Food Should Taste Good both make gf tortilla chips). Purchase some salsa (Jacks and Tostidos salsas are gluten free). Pour the salsa into a super clean bowl, and pour the chips into another super clean bowl (avoid using a basket, as these can hold in crumbs). Ta dah!

Or, if you're adventurous, you can make your own salsa:

Gluten free Salsa



Ingredients (chop all ingredients on a clean plate or new cutting board - avoid using old or wooden cutting boards, as these can soak up gluten):
1 cup finely chopped tomatoes
1/4 white onion, finely chopped
1 small hot peppers, finely chopped
1 small green pepper, finely chopped
1 T. chopped cilantro
1 T. vinegar (any kind EXCEPT malt vinegar is gf)
1 t. lemon or lime juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 t. cumin

Directions: Stir. Serve. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Guacamole





Ingredients (again, chop all ingredients on a clean plate or new cutting board):
2 ripe avacados, diced
2 garlic cloves, mined
1 1/2 t. lemon or lime juice
1 1/2 t. Worchestershire sauce (Lea & Perrins is gluten free)
1/2 t. salt

Directions: Mash. Stir. Serve. Enjoy!

Free tip: Leave one avacado pit in the guacamole bowl if you don't want the guac to begin turning brown.

Tomorrow... appetizers part two, for those of you who aren't big salsa and guac fans. Stay tuned!