gfe--gluten free easily

Living gluten free easily by eating real food and a few gf processed foods

Don’t Limit Yourself to Recipes Labeled Gluten Free

Share on Pinterest
For affiliate links and as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Before I explain my statement, Don’t Limit Yourself to Recipes Labeled Gluten Free, let’s talk about Pioneer Woman. Do you know Ree, the Pioneer Woman? I bet you do. She’s also affectionately known as PW or PDub. Sound familiar? Ree’s a whole lot of fun and very popular. She’s been blogging since 2006 and is prolific in the number of posts, her photos with each post, and much, much more. I’ve met her twice before, albeit briefly, and she’s truly terrific.

UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Thanks to all who entered! I really appreciated all of your comments on how you’ve had success thinking outside the “gluten-free” label, eating naturally gluten-free food, and converting recipes to gluten free when needed. 🙂

Ree’s beautiful and has a delightful sense of humor. Well, as we Southern girls like to say, Ree’s a hoot! Well, today is Give Your Stuff Away Day and I have a copy of Ree’s first book and first cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl, that I need to give away. (I say her “first book” because she’s since come out with The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, an autobiographical love story, and a children’s book, Charlie the Ranch Dog.) 

Her cookbook is a complimentary copy that was included in my swag from the first BlogHer Food conference in 2009. I was talking with my fabulous friend, Therese, recently about her admiration and love of Pioneer Woman, too. When it comes to recipes, Therese especially loves PW’s Crash Potatoes … and at least 1,261 folks who left comments on the post agree with Therese that these potatoes are phenomenal. (Plus they’re naturally gluten free and dairy free! Must. Make. Soon.) 

Then as I’ve been decluttering this week for spring, feng shui (inspired by my dear friend, Stephanie), and Give Your Stuff Away Day, I realized I had this extra copy of Ree’s cookbook to offer to one lucky reader!

Some of you may be saying, hey, wait, Ree’s not gluten free, is she? No, she is not, but Ree, like so many other good cooks, has many naturally gluten-free recipes. In this book, there are almost 30 recipes that fit that category. For example, there’s Spicy Pulled Pork, Perfect Pot Roast, and Katie’s Roasted Corn Salad. Those are all real food recipes—my favorites.

Plus, there are quite a few others that can easily be adapted to be gluten free. Her Egg in the Hole recipe becomes gluten free when gluten-free bread is used. The same holds true for Ree’s meatloaf. How about Comfort Meatballs? Sound good? All you need to do is use certified gluten-free purity protocol oats and gluten-free Worcestershire sauce to make this recipe gluten free.

In her Beans and Cornbread recipe, the beans part of the recipe is naturally gluten free and the cornbread would be easily made gluten free with the simple substitution of gluten-free flour for the small amount of flour used and the use of gluten-free cornmeal. The remaining recipes that are not gluten free or easily adapted can be used as inspiration. How about topping your favorite gluten-free pizza crust with her Potato-Leek topping? Oh my goodness … that pizza topping looks simply amazing. But, of course, Pioneer Woman is well-known for her amazing recipes. She even beat Bobby Flay in a Thanksgiving Throwdown on the Food Network for heaven’s sake. 

There’s another reason I’m doing this post and giveaway, too. I was questioned a while back about sharing a link to a gluten-full recipe on my gfe Facebook page, even though I stated in my status what simple substitution needed to be made to convert the recipe to gluten free. If I recall correctly, the link was to truffles that contained beer. The simple substitution was to use gluten-free beer.

As I stated in my reply to the query on linking to a non-gluten-free recipe, I firmly believe that we should not limit ourselves to only those “things” that are labeled gluten free. We need to look at everything available and consider if we can make it work for us. Sometimes, there’s not even any work involved. All the real, whole food in your garden, grocery store, farmers’ market, etc., none of it comes with a gluten-free label.

The gluten-free labels come on those heavily processed items in a designated gluten-free section of the store. There is so MUCH more food available that we should be eating instead of the food labeled gluten free. (In fact, here are 20 terrific Gluten-Free Food Rules from Melissa of Gluten Free for Good.)

You guys know that I love to share gluten-free cookbooks with you all. There are so many wonderful ones available at the moment, now more than ever. Many have been written by personal friends of mine and I promote them as often as I can (with more reviews and giveaways coming soon!), but that doesn’t mean you should give up all other cookbooks or recipes. Usually, it’s the recipes that call for gluten-free specialty ingredients, like special flours, xanthan gum, etc. that are labeled as gluten free.

Yet, there are plenty more wonderful recipes in your local newspapers, magazines, and online that are naturally gluten free, or again easily “converted” to gluten free. Those naturally gluten-free recipes are the ones that you can teach family members and friends to make for you safely. They’ll also be the ones that will please your family and friends the most when you make them because there are no differences in taste and texture.

Here are some gfe examples of such recipes:

~ Coconut Meringues

~ Crustless Spinach Quiche

~ Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies in a Tin for Aunt Lorraine

~ Porcupine Meatballs

Porcupine Meatballs Photo

~ Sunset Shrimp Salad

The ingredients are just the real food that you’ve always enjoyed. So many recipes are easy to adapt to gluten free, too. If you find a macaroni and cheese recipe that looks good, substitute your favorite gluten-free macaroni noodles. (By the way, if you’re gluten free and and dairy free, you’ll want to try this recipe from Johnna of In Johnna’s Kitchen.)

I’m always on the lookout for naturally gluten-free or easily adapted recipes. If I’m looking for a recipe online, I almost never add gluten-free to the search, because I want to see everything that is offered and then I want to tweak the recipe as I please. Do your research to ensure that all the ingredients you use in your recipes are gluten free but please don’t limit yourself to recipes labeled gluten free.

Along those lines, another recipe that’s in Ree’s cookbook that is naturally gluten free is her Burgundy Mushroom Sauce. It’s very similar to a Mushroom Red Wine sauce recipe I made about a month ago. I had some dry Spanish red wine left over from a support group meeting as well as some mushrooms, so I Googled mushroom wine sauce and found a recipe—yet another recipe that was not labeled gluten free—which I adapted to create a rich gluten-free and dairy-free sauce.

Like Ree’s recipe, it was almost purple in color and absolutely full of flavor. Again, it’s not Ree’s recipe (you’ll have to get her cookbook for that), but it looks almost identical to hers and is awfully good!  I’ll probably get around to sharing my adaptation one day but just wanted to show you a “facsimile” of one of the many delicious recipes in this cookbook by the Pioneer Woman.

Whether you are gluten free or not (I have a lot of gluten-full readers, too!), if you also follow the Pioneer Woman, you’re saying, “Yippeeee! I love me some Ree!” This cookbook can be enjoyed by all for sure. And it’s more than a cookbook, it’s also a lovely pictorial of Ree’s family’s life on their ranch in Oklahoma—with many life lessons interjected. There are breathtaking scenes, kids and critters of all shapes and sizes, plus Ree’s great recipes.

The photography in the book is outstanding and it was all done by Ree herself, with the exception of the photos of her, which were all taken by her husband, aka Marlboro Man. That includes the cover shot … I bet that’s why she looks so radiant there.

Best of luck to all. Don’t forget to kick some clutter to the curb today for Give Your Stuff Away Day. That old dresser might be cluttering your life, but it may be the perfect thing (and much needed) for someone else. If you’re reading this after the Give Your Stuff Away Day, you can just donate to your local charity. After all, you’ll need room for your new cookbook!

Originally published May 14, 2011; updated June 26, 2021.

Free Email Updates to gfe

Please enter all required fields Click to hide
Correct invalid entries Click to hide

Comments

  1. Kelly Smith says

    Love real food recipes and living gluten-free! I also already like GFE on FB and posted about this giveaway on my wall!

    Reply

  5. Robin says

    I’d love to win her cookbook. She’s a hoot & I just drool over her food!

    And I already follow gfe on FB.

    Reply

  7. Susan Harder says

    Love her blog and her cookbooks.. I just started eating GF a few months ago and would love this cookbook

    Reply

  9. Molly Ongaro says

    I LOVE that you said this….we should not be limited in any way! We are gluten FREE ! 🙂 Thank you for the post!!

    Reply

  16. brooke @B & the boy! says

    This is an awesome post! 🙂 I recently participated in a group cookbook review of this book (I checked it out from the library), and I made four different baked goods with gluten free flours. All turned out lovely.

    Reply

  18. kxl164 says

    Like gfe on Facebook! Been trying to incorporate this into my life so what great timing for this opportunity!! Thanks!

    Reply

  25. Hallie @ Daily Bites says

    I agree with you 100%, Shirley, that we gluten-free-ers can find loads of inspiration in gluten-full recipes, even if we can’t make them exactly. I’d love a copy of Ree’s book. I remember watching her whoop Bobby Flay in the Throw Down…that gal can cook!

    Reply

  29. Lauren @ As Good As Gluten says

    I completely agree with your comments about not ignoring non-GF recipes (and naturally GF recipes). I appreciate GF recipes, but I have the most fun in the kitchen transforming non-GF recipes into GF recipes. The outcome is usually good and I love being creative in the kitchen.

    I would love this cookbook. I’ve heard so much about THE Pioneer Woman, but have never tried one of her recipes before. I need to change that!

    Reply

  33. Maureen says

    I have seen the author on different shows and she always comes across as so personable. The recipes look wonderful.

    Reply

  34. Paula says

    I love The Pioneer Woman, she has amazing recipes…and I’m with you, there are endless possibilities if you’re willing to convert recipes.

    Reply

  36. Patricia Mayhew Russell says

    I liked your gfe FB page. My friend, Debbie Ross, posted about you on her FB page. I’m so glad she did cuz now I found your fb page and blog. I agree with not limiting yourself. I am always converting “regular” recipes to gluten free. I even converted Paul Deen’s Southern Cornbread Stuffing to gluten free and my family LOVES it every Thanksgiving. Even the non-Celiac members. Please add me to the drawing for the book. I would SO love to have it. Thank you for doing this! 🙂

    Reply

  43. Beth Al-Ashail (Beach) says

    I am on face book & would like to try for the free cookbook ! Thanks for the chance !

    Reply

  52. Casey says

    I totally agree with you that one, PDub is hilarious and amazing , and two, life exists outside of GF cookbooks. Of course I have those, but most of my cookbooks are standard fare. With all of our food allergies, if I only cooked recipes that fit our profile, we’d eat the same three things all year. Cooking is about experimenting and improvising, not limiting yourself!

    Reply

  54. Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says

    I love how you wrote this! It’s so true! Who doesn’t love the Pioneer Woman?

    Oh and than you for your kind words to me about the chocolate pudding recipe! I’m so glad you liked it! I hope you’re enjoying a wonderful Sunday afternoon!

    Reply

  59. Jessica says

    I already like you and gfe on Facebook but somehow missed following @Shirleygfe on Twitter. I have now remedied that!
    Thanks for the giveaways and everything else!

    Reply

  62. Lizanne says

    I like your reminder to look beyond the glutenfree labeling. There is loads of food out there that is gf, in fact, if you shop your local farmer’s market you’d be hardpressed to find food that contains gluten!

    Reply

  64. Mary says

    I “friended” gfe on FB. Also, thanks for introducing me to The Pioneer Woman. The Crash Potatoes sound DELISH. I signed up to email subscription.

    Reply

  73. nosogirl says

    Cookbook sounds great! I’m always open to trying new recipes!

    julie_reuter92 at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  78. nik says

    Thanks for the great giveaway! Pioneer Woman & Tasty Kitchen are such excellent sites…really helpful recipes and tips.
    I’m looking forward to your Mushroom Red Wine Sauce recipe post…it looks super yummy!

    Reply

  79. Cathy says

    Thanks for offering Ree’s cookbook—she is awesome. Just made her Chicken Tortilla Soup last night—gluten free!

    Reply

  80. Beverly says

    Hi! Love Ree….her recipes, sense of humor and how she presents her recipes on her website (step by step explanations and pics.)
    And I completely agree with you about not limiting ourselves. Everyone can benefit from focusing on whole food cooking and eating naturally gluten free.
    As always, much gratitude for all that you do!

    Reply

  85. Linda says

    I’m with you on not limiting yourself. That’s one reason I like to list recipes that are not necessarily gluten free in my Surfing Saturday post.

    I’d love to win Ree’s cookbook. 🙂

    Reply

  88. Alisa Fleming says

    I am so, so curious about her recipes! This would be such a fun book to win. I actually love more traditional food cookbooks as they offer ideas, but more room for me to be creative!

    Reply

  91. Ricki says

    I loved what you had to say about using non-GF recipes and easy adaptations. I will never use “gluten free” in the search, either, unless I specifically want to see what the standard gf scone is like, or pizza crust, or something like that.

    And now I must go give something away, too–or at least tidy up so I’ll know what needs to go! 😉

    Reply

  97. Theresa says

    I agree, just because a book (or recipe) isn’t gluten-free, doesn’t mean you can’t draw inspiration from it or change it to become gluten-free!

    Reply

  102. Tressa @ Hecka-Good Recipes says

    I would so love to win this cookbook! I nearly bought it yesterday but decided I better stick to my budget.

    I do make a lot of her recipes from her website, my favorite being the Braised Shortribs with Goat Cheese Polenta. SOOOOOO amazing! And it GF. 🙂 You should definitely try it if you haven’t.

    Reply

  103. Brenda says

    I saw somwhere that Ree may be getting a TV show! There is a list circulating on Food Network possibilities….HMMMMM!

    Reply

  105. Kay Guest says

    Hey Shirley! You know I love Ree too! Like you say, so many of her recipes are naturally gluten free or can be made so. And I think she should have “I BEAT BOBBY FLAY” at the top of her blog! I LOVED that show where she won! Would love to be in the running for this book, if I’m not too late?
    Hoping Ree gets her own TV show & invites glutenfreeeasily to be her first guest!
    Kay

    Reply

  106. Maggi says

    Oh, the PW rocks! I loved her recipes even before Celic and I love to tinker with her recipes to make them GF. She’s quite an inspiration.

    Oh, and already on the FB bandwagon. Love your musings there too!

    Reply

  111. Cee says

    I’ve been interested in trying this cookbook! We’re vegetarian and gf but it sounds like there are so many recipes in this cookbook that would appeal to us–and that are totally kid-friendly!

    Reply

  122. Cherie says

    Looks like an interesting cook book. I am going to try to post it on my page….fingers crossed! 🙂

    Reply

  126. Jenny says

    I love taking “regular” recipes and creating them to be gluten free. Also Ree’s recipes that I have tried so far have been fantastic. I can’t wait to try more.

    Reply

  127. Ruth Charnow says

    Would love copy of Pioneer Woman enter me for free giveaway!Thanks! Facebook-RuToby Goldberg

    Reply

  132. Margaret T. Breese says

    My Landlady need’s all the “gluten free help” she can get…her cooking is basic since she’s had to go “GF”, and I try to help by “scouring the web” looking for recipes for her.
    **thwaps head**
    “Swap out”….should’ve thought of that myself.LOL, time to go “play” in my kitchen !!!!!
    THANKS!!!

    *hugs*

    LadyM

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Susan–I’m so happy you’re excited … excited giveaway winners are the best! 😉 FYI–I grabbed your mailing address, but removed it from your reply. Just don’t want you inundated with junk mail or anything like that.

      Congrats to you, dear! I think you’ll really enjoy Ree’s book. 🙂

      Shirley

      Reply

  138. Alta says

    I love Ree’s blog and cookbook (don’t enter me in the giveaway – I have the book already). I love her cornbread recipe. I used corn masa flour in place of the regular flour before, and it’s SO good in a cast iron skillet. I need to make it dairy-free too. That sounds really tasty right now!

    Reply

    • Shirley says

      Hi Alta–Way belated as your comment got “lost” amidst a bunch of comments on another giveaway. Great info on adapting Ree’s cornbread recipe! I have some corn masa flour in the pantry right now. 🙂 I think cornbread sounds tasty all the time. 😉

      Shirley

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *