Archive for the ‘gluten-free’ Category
Eating Out: Asking for Something Wonderful and Getting It
If you are eating out and you have special dietary restrictions – even if you’re just trying to lose a few pounds – the conventional wisdom is that you should always ask the server to have your food prepared in ways that suit your needs.
I’d heard this a thousand times, but I’d never actually done it. It always seemed scary and a little rude. “Why should I have them do something special for me? I’ll just have salad and water. Poor, pitiful me, etc, etc.”
Have I ever mentioned that martyrdom runs in my family?
Last night I realized that I was going to have to shake off the sackcloth and ashes because not only were MJ and I were going out with friends to celebrate the completion of three work related projects, but I also have four additional work-related dinners out planned over the next two weeks. You heard me: five dinners out in a two week period!
What a potential nightmare for someone who is trying to avoid wheat and dairy, let alone not gain 15 pounds in the process!
So last night, I screwed up my courage and asked the cute young server with a super hip haircut if I could just get them to throw some roasted veggies and a salad for me – essentially taking the sides and making them into a meal. I figured that wouldn’t be too much trouble, right?
She looked at me blankly and I said, “I’m on a gluten-free/dairy-free diet.”
“Oh,” she replied. “Let me go talk to the chef. He knows what’s got gluten in it and what doesn’t for everything on the menu.”
Even though the restaurant was hoppin’ – it was a Saturday night after all – a very tall man dressed entirely in white with a strong accent came out to the table. “What can I do for you?”
I explained the situation, while my table mates looked on with interest.
“I can make you whatever you want. What do you want?”
Great! All except for the part that I hadn’t thought it through to quite that level of detail.
I started the bit with the roasted veggies and salad and he looked absolutely disgusted.
“I can make you something wonderful,” he said. “What would you like?”
I actually put it back in his hands. “That sounds great. Why don’t you just whip me up something wonderful.”
He actually smiled. “Do you like shrimp?”
“Yep.”
“I will make you something wonderful.”
And you know what? He absolutely did: a rich tomato based seafood stew with a spicy gluten-free thickening agent that could be added at the table. There were baby mussels, salmon, scallops, and shrimp. Not only was it delicious, it was also absolutely gorgeous. I was completely satisfied and didn’t feel deprived at all. In fact, I actually felt a little special, because when the server sat it down at my place with a flourish she smiled and said, “And here’s something wonderful for you.”
So, assuming that you’re at a restaurant where real people are cooking real food, don’t limit yourself for fear of asking. Because even though it was busy, I actually got the impression that the chef (who came back by to check on my satisfaction) and the server actually had as much fun making it – and serving it – it as I did eating it!
I can only hope that the other four nice restaurants in the area will be just as accommodating! I’ll be sure to keep you posted on my culinary adventures!
As promised: Simple Peanut Sauce
Makes 1 cup
“Peanut sauce is quick to make and delicious with cooked vegetables or with pasta.”
1/3 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup hot water
1 tablespoon San-J Organic Wheat Free Tamari sauce (or any other gluten-free soy sauce).
1 tablespoon vinegar (cider or seasoned rice)
2 teaspoons of sugar (or organic agave nectar)
2 (to 6) garlic cloves, minced
1/4 to 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small sauce pan, then heat gently until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Add more water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Per tablespoon: 38 calories, 1 gram of protien, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams fat, 38 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol
We served this over brown rice spaghetti, topped with chopped scallions with a generous side of roasted vegetables.
I’ve also served it over acorn squash with excellent results – and it’s not too bad straight off the spoon either!
Recipe taken (and modified from) one of my favorite cookbooks of all time: The Peaceful Palate.
Time Saving Tip: Rice Pasta
Last night, we forgot to start the rice (to go with the Caribbean Black Beans) and before we realized it, it was 8:00 and we were both way beyond hungry!
On a whim, we decided to try serving them over rice pasta. I mean even though it’s pasta, it’s rice, how bad could it be?
Well, in fact, it turned out to be pretty darned good. Not only that, it was colorful, because we used the open bag of Mrs. Leeper’s Rice Vegetable Twists.
So, if you’re like us – that is, one of those people who sometimes forget the put the rice on some 50 minutes before you need it – keep a bag of rice pasta on hand. It’s fast, easy, and (dare I say it, lest you figure out what a food geek I truly am?) fun!
Eating Your Way to Health: Reducing Inflammation
Great article from U.S. News and World Report on creating a diet that reduces inflammation in your system!
Inflammation, normally part of a healthy immune response, is increasingly thought to play a leading role in encouraging a number of major killers, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and Alzheimer’s. Dangerous chronic inflammation occurs when the immune system stays turned on and starts attacking healthy cells and tissues-triggering, say, cancer-causing genetic mutations or the bursting of artery plaque. What you eat, though, helps determine how much inflammation you produce. Certain foods promote it, while others are inflammation-fighting superstars, says nutritionist and family physician Ann Kulze, author of Dr. Ann’s 10-Step Diet.
Check out their recommendations of what to go for and what to avoid here. Admittedly, I don’t usually read US. News and World Report, but you’ve got to love any list that actually tells you to “go for” more wine and chocolate – within reason of course!
Now the funny thing about seeing this article this morning (as well as the one on pomegranates that I posted a few days ago), is that all week I’d been thinking about writing about these berries that I had started eating, which 1) are classed as superfoods and 2) reduce inflammation. Serendipity or synchronicity? Or both?
Just as a quick reminder, superfoods are foods that have high concentrated nutritional value that many physicians and holistic health practitioners believe also have healing properties.
While exploring warm wheat-free breakfast options (as drinking frozen hemp shakes in Northern New England gets increasingly challenging as you roll into winter) I came across a hot cereal recipe comprised of gluten-free oat bran, flax meal, and organic shelled hemp seeds. It was suggested that you also toss in some goldenberries, goji berries, and mulberries to “make it a tropical treat.”
No problem I thought. I like tropical treats. But what the heck is a goldenberry?
Well, it turns out that a goldenberry is one of those superfoods that reduce inflammation. As are goji berries and mulberries.
While you can buy them directly from Navitas Naturals (which has one of the most beautiful websites I’ve seen in a while), I admit that I tend to order things through Amazon for the convenience, since I tend to also be ordering things from Nutiva at the same time and, sadly, because it’s cheaper.
Just as an aside, it never ceases to amaze me that all of the healthy stuff is always about 15 times more expensive than the crap out there. Just think how many bags of Cheetos you could get for one bag of goji berries. Not that you’d want that many bags of Cheetos, mind you, even though they are technically gluten-free! 
The good news, however, is that the goldenberries, goji berries, and mulberries are so dense with nutritional value that you really don’t need that many in order to feel satisfied. Notably, since I’ve started eating a handful or so of them straight out of the bag (I’ve never gotten around to making the cereal that I bought them for!), I’ve actually stopped eating other calorie dense, quasi-expensive gluten free nutrition bars and organic nuts that I had been snacking on during the day. And finally, assuming that the legions of doctors and health care practitioners out there singing superfood’s praises are on to something, you’ll probably save a bundle over the long term by reducing future medical bills and lost productivity due to the experience of chronic illness!
Even if you’re not a fan of raisins or other dried fruits, check these out. The goji berries are reminiscent of dry cranberries, the mulberries figs or nuts, and the golden berries sweet tarts. They’re really quite delicious! And seriously, check out the nutrition on these things: in addition to sugar, which granted there is a lot, there are also a ton of vitamins, fiber, and even protein!
Recipe: Caribbean Black Beans
Serves 4 (generously)
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
3 (to 6) garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 dried)
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
4 1/2 cups drained cooked black beans (three 16 ounce cans)
3/4 cup orange juice
salt and ground black pepper to taste
Saute the onion and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions begin to soften. Add the ginger, thyme, and allspice and saute, stirring often to prevent sticking, until the onions are very soft, for about 5 more minutes. Stir in the beans and orange juice and cook on low heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens slightly. Use a heat diffuser or a double boiler if necessary to prevent scorching (I didn’t have any trouble with it). Mash a few of the beans with the back of the spoon (or a potato masher) for a thicker consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve over rice.
Per 8 ounce serving (not including rice): 252 calories, 5.3 grams of protein, 13.1 grams of fat, 26.1 grams of carbohydrate, 1.61 mg sodium, 0 mg cholesterol.
Taken (and modified) from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home.
Not low calorie, but guaranteed to stop your wheat cravings in their tracks!
Filed under: calories, food, gluten-free, product recommendations |
Leave a Comment Pamela’s Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Cookies.
This is the only one we tried, but it was so good that I don’t have an compunction recommending the others as well!
Although the texture was a little dry, the chocolate was amazing!
There are 4.5 servings per box and I ended up with a serving and a half!* MJ, the aspiring-gluten-free cookie monster, decided they were just as tasty as the “real” thing. In fact, his exact words when I asked if I could have one of the cookies on his saucer were: “No. The consequences would be too dire.” He says that he meant that they would be too dire for him (and that really wasn’t a poorly veiled threat), but I’m not so sure
If you’re gluten-free (or trying to get there) but you can’t imagine giving up cookies, etc., these could get you at least halfway there. But beware, at 170 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving, proceed with caution. But to tell you the truth, they’re so rich that one cookie (or half a serving) will just about about it!
Let me know what you think.
* One serving = 2 cookies
Gluten-Free Pasta (Product Review)
Let me start this off with a used to be simple-truth: I don’t eat pasta.
But the minute that I realized that I had a wheat allergy, all I wanted was pasta. Go figure.
So, the other day at the grocery store, I picked up three gluten-free pastas: Tinkyada Brown Rice Elbows, Mrs. Leeper’s Corn Pasta Elbows and Vegetable Twists.
Tonight, MJ and I tried both Mrs. Leeper’s pastas with an Italian meat sauce, made with local buffalo.
Yum!
After all of the horror stories that I had heard about wheat-free pasta alternatives, I was a bit leery, but it was delicious. Additionally, it was much lighter than the whole wheat pasta that I had been eating on the rare occasions that I had to eat it. And, even more to the point, I didn’t feel terribly bloated or gassy after I was done! (TMI, I know.)
This is definitely going into the rotation.
We made enough so that we can toss some (cold) into the hot sauce tomorrow. Apparently if you nuke it, most wheat-free pasta turns to mush! I’ll let you know, because we purposefully made more than we were planning on eating as an experiment.
So, if you’re gluten-free and missing carbs, you won’t miss them with this pasta. It truly was divine. And I’m sure that the 2002 Vintage Orpheus Petite Sirah from Lolonis didn’t hurt!
Cooking directions: 7 to 9 minutes. I went closer to 7 so that I’ll have a better chance of reheating without causing it to disintegrate! Regardless, you can always just make what you want.
It really was surprisingly good! In fact, it’s fair to say that I enjoyed it far more (in terms of texture and heaviness) than regular pasta!
HUGE shout out to Hannaford Supermarkets!
I am so impressed.
MJ and I live several miles away from the store where we typically shop and it’s a pain to have to run in on the weekends when we’re out of something.
This weekend, we took a field trip to the local Hannaford, which is still 10 minutes away, but is a heck of a lot more convenient than heading back into town to go to the coop.
Last year Hannaford underwent a fairly serious renovation and reportedly added more organic and healthy products to the their product line. However, since our normal grocery store is on my way home from work and Hannaford is in the opposite direction, we never made it down there. Our mistake.
A few days ago, I was looking online to see if any store in my area carried a particular brand of gluten-free bread. The store finder turned back two stores within 15 miles, one of them Hannaford.
Let’s just say that I was shocked by how much good stuff they had in there! I was also thrilled to see that they had an entire gluten-free section marked out and carried a better selection of gluten-free bread, snacks, cookies, ice cream, and prepared foods than most coops or health food stores in the area!
But the thing that impressed me the most – and if I was a mother with small children I would never shop anywhere else – was at the checkout lines there were only organic snacks, ranging from gluten-free, no processed sugar cookies and brownies to almonds, cashews, and walnuts! Does your kid want a cookie but you don’t want the sugar crash? No problem.
Then to make things even better, as I was flipping through the Healthy Choices magazine (free) that they publish monthly, there was a picture of an interracial couple! Pretty liberal for mainstream advertising!
Then, the icing on the cake, I got home and found that Hannaford has a list of all of the gluten-free products in the store! In addition to a section on the website dedicated to people with gluten-allergies, they also have similar pages for those people who need to reduce cholesterol, manage diabetes, prevent osteoporosis, etc!
I swear, if I gave out an award (and this might encourage me to make one up) they would most certainly get it!
Way to go! If you have a Hannaford near you with a Nature’s Place Section (and you have special dietary needs) I heartily recommend checking them out!
And even if you don’t have one near you, print off those healthy recommendation lists and take them with you next time you go shopping!
Seriously! Bravo!
P.S. Where do you shop for healthy food? What big name stores carry the most variety and best quality health food options in your area?
What’s for Dinner? Finding Gluten-Free Alternatives to Old Favorites
As you may remember, one of my all time favorite winter foods (well, anytime foods since it’s cool year round where I live) is Lentil Barley soup. Problem is, barley is on the no-fly list now that we’re gluten-free!
So, I have been searching for alternatives. My first effort wasn’t so bad right out of the pot. The good thing, though, is that it seasoned right up after a couple of days in the fridge. It’s milder than my previous lentil offering, but it’s equally good in its own right.
So, highly recommended, but give it time to season. And again, I’m talking days, as opposed to hours.
Check it out: Lentil Soup from The Moosewood Cookbook, Revised Edition.
I also made my old standby, tabouli, for tomorrow’s lunch. This, time, however, I substituted red quinoa for the bulgur. Not only is it yummy, it’s also quite beautiful.
I’ve been pouring though my favorite cookbooks looking for new ideas. I’ll post them as I test them out!
What’s your favorite gluten-free recipe? I’d love to hear it!
Recipe: Lentil Soup (Gluten-Free)
“This is a very easy fat-free lentil soup that just about cooks itself. Only one pot is needed, so cleanup is easy.”
3 cups of dried lentils
7 cups water
2 tsp. salt
6 to 8 medium cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups chopped onion
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
2-3 carrots, sliced or diced
1/2 to 1 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. oregano
lots of freshly ground pepper
1 large can of tomatoes (this is a KJ cheat step)
red wine vinegar to drizzle on top
(Note: I skipped the vinegar as vinegar is acidic; try lemon juice for a less acidic option if you’re following an alkaline based diet).
1. Place lentils, water, and salt in a kettle. Bring to boil, lower heat to the slowest possible simmer, and cook quietly, partially covered, for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Add vegetables (except tomatoes) , herbs, and black pepper. Partially cover, and let simmer peacefully another 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Chop the tomatoes in the can and then add tomatoes (and liquid). Let the soup cook for at least 5 minutes more.
4. Serve hot, with a drizzle of vinegar on top of each steaming bowl.
Modified slightly from The Moosewood Cookbook, New Revised Edition.
Recipe: Hummus (Gluten Free)
Someone mentioned to me that the hummus that they were buying at the store was processed in a plant that also processed wheat.
I’ve been recently making my own hummus. It’s cheaper, it’s better, and it’s easier than you might think.
Given that it is also gluten-free, I thought I’d share!
This is probably the simplest of the recipes with which I’ve been experimenting (taken [and modified slightly] from one of my favorite cookbooks: The Peaceful Palate).
“Hummus is a creamy garbanzo pate that makes a delicious sandwich spread, or serve it as a dip with fresh vegetables….”
6 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley
2 – 15 ounce cans of garbanzo beans
6 Tablespoons tahini (sesame seed butter)
4 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Place garlic and parsley in food processor (I actually use my blender) and chop into very fine pieces. Drain the beans, reserving the liquid. Add the beans to food processor along with the tahini, lemon juice, cumin, paprika, and salt. Process until smooth. The mixture should be moist and spreadable. If it is too dry – and it will be – add some of the reserved bean liquid to achieve desired consistency .
(I added between 2 and 3 Tablespoons of liquid)
Makes four cups.
Amazing Gluten-Free Blog
Karina’s Kitchen is an amazing resource for those of you who are (or who need to be) gluten-free! I’ll definitely be working my way through her recipe archives and posting reviews as the season moves forward! I’m particularly excited to try the Butternut Chili! In fact, since I am the primary cook at my house, I’m pretty sure it will happen sometime this week! I’ll be sure to let you know how it turned out!
Not Your Mother’s Rice Cake
I remember eating rice cakes back in the day when Weight Watchers still had exchanges!
They looked like cardboard and they tasted pretty much like cardboard too! More to the point, they were just about as appetizing as the cottage cheese and salsa mixture that they tried to pass off as dip! Shudder. Thank goodness those days are over!
So, you may be wondering why I’d try rice cakes again given my oh so fond associations?
Well, to tell you the truth, I was desperate.
For those of you who don’t know, I am exploring the possibility that I may have a wheat sensitivity, which means that I am cutting gluten (that is, WHEAT) out of my diet. Unfortunately, I had recently become addicted to whole grain (that is, wheat!) pita bread and hummus, which prompted me to investigate my options.
(Though I must admit, I felt pretty darned virtuous that I had given up wheat and all I really missed was pita bread! It could have been much, much worse!)
None of the gluten-free bread looked particularly interesting and, sadly, there was no gluten-free pita to be found.
Sucking it up, I decided to check out the rice cake section. I figured with enough hummus it couldn’t be that bad, could it?
Much to my pleasure and surprise, I discovered Lundberg Organic Rice Cakes! Made with brown rice, these are very tasty. I am currently loving the Toasted Sesame and am also quite fond of the Flax and Tamari and the Tamari and Seaweed!
The good news is that there are so many different flavors – and they are so sufficiently different – I’m going to be hard pressed to ever get bored. And I haven’t even scratched the surface on the sweet ones!
So far, I have eaten them plain and topped them with hummus or homemade refried black beans and salsa. Pretty darned good.
I’ll be writing more about my new gluten-free diet as time passes. I started on September 29 and after the massive sugar withdrawals subsided, it really hasn’t been too bad. In fact, it’s been absolutely fine.
You know, it only takes 21 days to make a habit. I’m two-thirds of the way there!
Heaven is a German Chocolate Cake Jocalat Bar
As I have gotten more health conscious, the one guilty pleasure that I have consistently allowed myself was protein bars – you know, those candy bars masquerading as health food?
I was originally hooked on Balance Bars – that is, until I read the label and saw that they had fish gelatin in them! Really?! That sounds about as appealing as, well, fish jelly.
I then went to the dark chocolate Zone Perfect bars. I especially liked the Mocha one, because, seriously, how can you go wrong with coffee and dark chocolate. Even though it has the right protein to carb to fat ratio and, importantly, there’s no fish gelatin(!), there are still a lot of chemicals, sugar, and gluten.
When I finally committed to cutting out processed sugar, processing chemicals, and gluten (for at least four weeks) that left me with LARABARS.
Now, Michael J and I have been eating LARABARS for a while now. He’s a bigger fan than I am.
I always used the justification that I wanted more protein for my 200 calories (LARABARS typically have around 3 to 6 grams of protein, compared to the 12 to 18 in the other bars).
But, to tell you the truth, it was really all about the chocolate and, well, let’s be clear, the sugar! And, though LARABAR was trying with their Jocalat line, the ones that I’d tried just weren’t quite cutting it.
Until today.
Enter the newest offering in the Jocalat line: German Chocolate Cake.
Made from dates, pecans, almonds, unsweetened chocolate, unsweetened coconut, extra virgin coconut oil, and cocoa powder, this thing is truly a little chunk of heaven.
In all fairness, the Chocolate Hazelnut (which I tried day before yesterday) is also quite good, but the German Chocolate Cake is, literally, divine.
If you haven’t tried LARABARS, they’re definitely worth a taste.
Besides being great for you, and great tasting, they also have a very cool corporate philosophy:
Our Food Philosophy: Simple. Pure. Delicious.™
LÄRABAR firmly believes that the foundation of a sound mind, body and spirit is derived from what you eat. And what you eat is healthiest and most satisfying when it’s in a whole, natural state.
Our company name comes from an ancient belief that food falls into two categories:
BECKONING FOODS
which beckon consumption again and again, sapping the body of energy without any real health benefits, Today, they’re called “junk foods.”HUMM FOODS
on the other hand, resonate with energy in a whole, natural state. When consumed, they cause you to feel vibrant and alive.You can expect an unmistakable urge to humm after every LÄRABAR bar you eat.
Let the humming begin!
How can you not like a product from a company that uses a concept like Humm Food as part of its marketing?!
We are currently stocked with Ginger Snap (excellent), Apple Pie, Cinnamon Roll, Peanut Butter Cookie, Chocolate Hazelnut, German Chocolate Cake, and Pistachio (my former favorite).
These bars, unlike the competition, are not only organic, but also gluten free, dairy free, soy free, non-gmo, vegan, and kosher.
Check them out; I’m sure you’ll find something to like!
Let me know what your favorite is, because – believe it or not – I haven’t tried them all and am always open for suggestion!
