Tag Archives: dietary restrictions

Going to Someone Else’s Thanksgiving While Gluten-Free

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there is more to thanksgiving than food

Are there any holidays more centered around food than Thanksgiving in America? Every holiday seems to have some sort of traditional food associated with it, but we all know Thanksgiving is all about the feast. Having a disease that is controlled solely by limiting the consumption of certain foods can make Thanksgiving pretty difficult to fully enjoy. It doesn’t help that a lot of traditional Thanksgiving dishes (stuffing, gravy, pie…) are made with wheat. There are a lot of really great recipes out there for gluten-free Thanksgiving dishes, but those only really solve the problem for gluten-intolerant folks if they are hosting the dinner or are somehow willing/able to cook the entire meal themselves. As a twenty-something with family in the area, I have so far only been a guest to Thanksgiving meals. In light of this, I think I am fairly qualified to offer some advice to those of us who are not cooking Thanksgiving dinner, but still would like to enjoy the holiday.

Try to lose the attachment to the food part of Thanksgiving. I don’t want to delve into a lot of boring thankfulness clichés, but there is more to Thanksgiving than just the food. Yes, people can go on and on about what they are most excited to eat, how they are fasting and exercising in anticipation of the meal, pinning or compiling recipes, and even making timelines (that start three weeks ahead of time!) to make sure all of that food gets cooked. That is a lot of frenzy. And it is easy to get caught up in it. But what about hanging out with the younger kids, if there are any, at your party? Or catching up with relatives? Maybe your group goes for a fall walk or plays football or makes some sort of craft? If you don’t, maybe this could be the year that you start a non food-centric tradition?

Bring something. I have made gluten-free pumpkin pie and brought it to a Thanksgiving before. This might be tacky, but I’ve also brought my own gluten-free gravy. I would check with your host first to make sure they are okay with it, but most likely they will be glad of it. Especially because they may already be feeling guilty about the lack of gluten-free options for you and others at their party. If money is an issue, vegetable sides are usually pretty cheap to make. Try to bring something that requires minimal additional preparation or can be covered while it is heating, because space in the kitchen will probably be limited, and also there will likely be lots of gluten flying around that you wouldn’t want to end up in your food.

If it’s appropriate, ask your host about what ingredients are in certain dishes. This one is a little touchy, because you don’t want your host to feel like you are guilt-tripping them for not feeding you. But if there is a quiet moment, ask them nicely if they would mind telling you the ingredients of a few things that you think have a good shot at being gluten-free. Remember though, that they are not running a dedicated kitchen and so will likely not be paying attention to cross-contamination from spoons, sieves, drips, or splashes.

And try to remember:

Thanksgiving is not the only day of the year for eating. The thing is, there is no sort of magical cooking force-field around this day that only allows certain foods to be prepared on it. If you are really, really sad about missing out on one of your favorite foods at Thanksgiving, you can make you own gluten-free version of it the next day.

Happy celebrating!

Recipe // Gluten-free Chicken Adobo

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When I was young, I lived in the Philippines for a bit. I fell in love with the food while I was there, and I have continued to make a few of the dishes ever since. My absolute favorite food at that age was chicken adobo. I don’t think I really have a favorite food anymore, but this is certainly one of the dishes I love the most.

This is an especially great recipe because it is fairly cheap to make, and the portions can be modified easily to make a small or large amount of food.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp canola oil, separated
1 large onion, sliced
8 cloves garlic, sliced
4 bay leaves
1/2 tsp black peppercorns, whole
6 pieces chicken, such as bone-in thighs or drumsticks (with skin)
1 C white vinegar
1 C soy sauce (wheat-free tamari will work, as always, I used  La Choy soy sauce, as it does not contain wheat but has more of a soy sauce flavor)

The pictures I used for this post are from a larger batch than the recipe described that I made for a potluck. Imagine smaller amounts. :)

1. Heat 1 Tbsp canola oil over medium heat. Add sliced onion, stir until it begins to soften, then add garlic, continuing to stir occasionally.

2. (Optional step, that improves the texture a bit, in my opinion) While the onions and garlic are sautéing,  heat other tablespoon of canola oil in a flat pan, browning each side slightly.

 I know, uncooked meat is gross looking. I said chicken adobo tastes good, not that it looks pretty!

3. Add bay leaves and peppercorns to onion and garlic mixture. Stir to combine. Add chicken to onion mixture, then add soy sauce and vinegar. Simmer over medium-low heat until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over rice, with chili paste on the side.

Notes:

To make this dish soy-free as well, you can use coconut aminos. I have a Filipina friend who loves her dad’s chicken adobo that he makes with it!

You can usually find bay leaves that are much cheaper and much more fragrant than those found in the spice aisle in the Hispanic section of your local grocery store.

The longer you can cook this, the better.

Don’t eat the bay leaves.

Happy eating!

Are Oats Gluten-Free? The Oat Dilemma for Celiacs

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are oats gluten free?

There still seems to be some confusion swirling around regarding whether or not oats are gluten-free. Hopefully this summary of what I have learned over the years will prove helpful for those of you trying to figure this sometimes confusing world of gluten out!

The short answer:

Oats are gluten-free.  In their natural form, they do not contain the protein that harms people with celiac disease and is present in wheat, barley, and rye.

The long answer….

Oats that are not grown in a dedicated field, and processed in a dedicated facility, cannot at this time be considered gluten-free. Crop rotation (4th grade history, anyone?) is said to have been invented/advocated by the first US president George Washington (although it looks like the ancient Romans, as well as some Asian culture came up with it first. For more details, here is a nice Wikipedia article). In general, this is a very good practice, as it prevents the soil in the fields from being stripped entirely of nutrients, and allows for more plentiful harvests. For those of us who are sensitive to gluten, however, this practice has allowed the dreaded “contamination” to infiltrate almost every single batch of oats grown and harvested, as the fields are often alternated between wheat and oats. There is no way to ensure that a few “volunteer” wheat plants don’t pop up during the oat rotation, and make their way into the harvest, and thus into our stomachs.

As if that weren’t enough, oats are also usually processed in the same plants that wheat (aka flour) is processed in. This means that there is a lovely flour/gluten coating on all of the machinery that makes oats and other grains fit to eat (for the rest of the population, anyway).

All that being said, there are some brands of oat growers/processors that grow their crops in dedicated fields, and process them in a dedicated facility. Bob’s Red Mill and Trader Joe’s, are some examples.

BUT….

There are a very few Celiacs (my little sister included) who are quite allergic to oats, regardless of their gluten status. This is thanks to a protein called Avenin, which in some celiacs mimics the effects of gluten. See this article and this article for some of the super geeky science-y details. I will warn you though, the sample sizes in these studies are quite small, which affects how valid the results of a study are.

So, as you can see, the issue is still a little convoluted. From personal experience, I can tell you that I eat certified gluten-free oats without any problems, as can other Celiacs that I know. My sister, however, cannot, and from my research, I have found that she is not alone.

Gluten Free Beer // Rainy City Ales

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The other day I had the pleasure of interviewing two bright young men of the newly-named Rainy City Ales in Ballard. They are a startup gluten-free brewery, specializing in innovative  ways of making gluten-free beers. The company consists of Ryan, who has a background in chemistry, and Justin, who majored in international business and foreign languages. It’s a pretty dynamic pairing, with Justin having the “crazy” ideas and Ryan using his scientific knowledge to determine whether they will work. They each work full time at their day jobs while developing their business and recipes. They have been brewing beer for several years, but they have only recently decided to start moving towards sharing their talents with the public.

I learned a lot about brewing from this interview- these guys really know their stuff! Most beers on the gluten-free market are very heavy on sorghum and buckwheat. According to Justin, “We don’t do that at all. We use a little bit of sorghum, but mostly we use sweet potatoes.” The magic of sweet potatoes is the enzyme beta-amylase, which is only present in barley and sweet potatoes. Barley, of course, is not gluten free, and so they use sweet potatoes as their base starch. This enzyme is necessary for the breakdown of starches, which is part of the brewing process. For depth of flavor, they use grains- which at this point are roasted lentils and millet. Since they process all of their own ingredients, they can taste their products at each stage as they go along, and adjust accordingly.

Neither of these two gentlemen are gluten-free, but some of their friends are.  As Justin put it, they started brewing gluten-free beer “when we tried out what they had to deal with, especially with beer- because we love beer- we’ve gotten it down so that we actually like the beer we make better than most beer that you can buy, gluten-free or not.” Being able to consume gluten allows them to compare more accurately whether a gluten-free beer tastes like its gluten-containing counterpart. In fact, their goal is to eventually have their beer sold in stores, in the “regular” beer section. They want to make “great beer that happens to be gluten-free.”

According to them, the current gluten-free beer market is very homogenous, and also low-alcohol.That is what they are trying to change. Their current beers contain about 6% alcohol, as opposed to the typical 3%. Using separate ingredients allows for a lot more variation in recipes, so they can make many different types of beer.

I was there on the first day a batch was ready, so they tasted it first to make sure it was carbonated enough. It was, and so we proceeded to drink it. It was pretty tasty. It is very, very light in color, due to its nontraditional ingredients (which is part of the reason they have begun roasting their grains, as I mentioned above). The taste, however, was stronger than the color suggested. It was certainly much  better than any other gluten-free beer I had tried. If you are looking for a good-tasting, small business-produced beer, I definitely recommend Rainy City Ales!

At this point, they are making about 15 gallons of beer per week. They are scaling up very quickly, but (as of our interview) they are not an official business. The suggested donation per 6-pack (sold in re-used bottles) is $10, and if the bottles are not returned for the next go-round, it is $12. They also have 18oz bottles available. These guys are super friendly and willing to let people taste their beer. Oh, and all of their major ingredients are sourced from within 150 miles of Seattle, if not from western Washington! If you want to find out what their latest batches are and when they are ready, you can follow them on twitter at @RainyCityAles, where they announce most of their availability. You can also “like” them on Facebook.

Happy drinking!

Gluten-free Lemon Meringue Pie

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One of the best parts of winter is the abundant supply of flavorful, fresh citrus. I had a few Meyer lemons from my CSA lying around, as well as an abundant supply of eggs, so I made a lemon meringue pie! This was my first attempt. I used this recipe by Alton Brown from www.foodnetwork.com for the filling and topping, and the recipe on the Bob’s Red Mill Rice flour package for the pie crust. Overall, it turned out pretty well. Here are my notes:

1. The pie crust recipe needed a little more liquid than the recipe called for. My mother taught me to always use ice water in pie crust. I had read somewhere that vodka or vinegar are good to use in pie crusts (something to do with the acid I think), so I poured about a tablespoon of vodka over three ice cubes, swirled it until it was ice-cold, and added it to the mixture. More like bartending than baking! If you keep your vodka in the freezer this step would be even easier.

2. This pie crust is really crumbly. If you can afford it, I would say use a gluten-free pastry flour blend. The rice flour is a little cheaper though, so I circumvent the rolling-out difficulties by not doing it at all. I grab handfuls of the crumbly dough mixture, squeeze it in my fist, and then press it into my pie dish in sections with my fingertips. No one can see the weird crater-like texture once the filling is in it!

3. One of my favorite cooking secrets is to use room-temperature egg whites to make meringues. This will give you those coveted stiff, shiny peaks every time! It was even easier to do with this recipe because the filling is made with egg yolks. When I separated the eggs, I put the whites in a liquid measuring cup, and put that on my stove-top while my pie crust was baking to bring them to room temperature a little faster.

And there you have it. Happy eating!

Seattle Sans Gluten // Cupcake Royale

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A few evenings ago I went to Cupcake Royale‘s Ballard location to try out their gluten-free cupcakes. We decided to try one of each of the two flavors they had in (well, on, to keep them separate from their gluten-containing fellow cupcakes) the case, salted caramel and cream cheese frosting, both on chocolate cake bases. They were both really good, and at $3.50 per cupcake, they were not unreasonably priced for a gluten-free pastry (or really even for a “regular” pastry in sweets-loving Seattle!)
Of course we had to get them with coffee- I opted for a decaf americano from their espresso bar. I love the combination of sweet things with black coffee!
The cream cheese frosting was really good. It’s my favorite kind of frosting, but I usually don’t eat it on chocolate things. I know a lot of people like the two together, so I can see why they chose this as one of their flavors.
The salted caramel-frosted cupcake was my favorite. It had enough saltiness to balance out the sweet flavors. It was so rich and satisfying. The flavor of the frosting also went really well with the chocolate of the base.
One total cupcake each may have been a little much, as they were not small and very rich. But you can tell that we liked them because all we left were crumbs!

Cupcake Royale currently has 5 Seattle locations: Capitol Hill, Ballard, Madrona, West Seattle, and Bellevue. If you have a craving for something sweet and gluten-free, I recommend checking them out!

Gluten-Free Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Looking for gluten-free recipes for Valentine’s Day? I have some ideas for you! I think the sexiest type of meal is the “small plate” style of eating, where most of the food is very flavorful, bite-sized, and served in small portions to share. These would be great recipes for a fancy meal with that special someone, or to have out on the coffee table while you share a few bottles of wine with friends! All of these recipes are fairly simple, so you can spend more time with the people who are important to you and less time stressing out in the kitchen. They are also all easy to transport, so you could bring some to a Valentine’s Day party!

Savory

1. Seared Scallops with Orange and Vermouth (foodandwine.com)
2. Grilled Zucchini Roll Recipe with Herbed Goat Cheese and Kalamata Olives  (cookingcanuck.com)
3. Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Medjool Dates (closetcooking.com)
4. Steak Bites with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce (foodnetwork.com- Rachael Ray)
5. Caprese Skewers (culinarycory.com)

Sweet

1. Cashew Butter Chocolate Strawberry Bites (glutenvygirl.com)
2. {Flourless} Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies (chocolateandcarrots.com)
3. Creamy Chocolate Coconut Pudding (Gluten and Dairy-free) (eatingforwellness.net)
4. Mocha Mousse (elanaspantry.com)
5. DIY Salt Caramels (thekitchn.com)

Happy eating!

Gut Healing After Gluten Contamination

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I’m feeling mostly better from my gluten run-in the other day, but I still feel a bit off. I’m very fatigued, tired, I’m still having tummy aches, and I just feel kind of unbalanced. Even though I haven’t tried all of these, I thought I would share a few recovery supplements and strategies that I have come across both in my work (I work at a naturopathic clinic and supplement store) and from personal research. If I try any of them and I think they work, I will let you know!

L-Glutamine Powder
This is a powder you can mix with water and drink. I’ve heard it tastes really terrible, but it can be very helpful for some people. From WebMd:
“Glutamine is the most abundant free amino acid in the body. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Glutamine is produced in the muscles and is distributed by the blood to the organs that need it. Glutamine might help gut function, the immune system, and other essential processes in the body, especially in times of stress. It is also important for providing “fuel” (nitrogen and carbon) to many different cells in the body. Glutamine is needed to make other chemicals in the body such as other amino acids and glucose (sugar).”
From what I’ve learned, L-Glutamine can be very helpful in gut healing. People use it for all kinds of intestinal issues, such as chemotherapy recovery and Crohn’s disease. Due to the fact that Celiac’s Disease leads the body to attack its own intestines, this is a key area to heal as soon as possible to help the body recover. I also like that this is an amino acid, meaning it is already present in the body, so it doesn’t mess too much with the body’s systems.

Omega-3 Acids
Omega-3 acids are thought to help with a large array of health problems, from arthritis to allergies to depression. They are also thought to assist in decreasing intestinal inflammation. They can be found in some foods, such as fish, walnuts, and flax seeds. You can also buy fish-oil in the form of gelcaps or liquid. Fish oil supplements are supposed to be better than plant-based omega-3 acid supplements, because they are already in the form that your body uses them in, making them easier for your body to use and absorb. Just make sure that the fish oil you buy is of high quality, and has been tested to make sure there are no heavy metals or other contaminants in them. A therapeutic dose is around one gram of omega-3s a day. To determine how many omega-3s are in your fish oil, look at the nutritional information panel. Near the bottom they will usually list, in milligrams, the amount of EPA and DHA (types of amino acids) in one “serving.”  The total of these numbers is the amount of omega-3s. Aim for 1,000 milligrams, or one gram, taken with a meal.

Probiotics
I mentioned these before, but they bear mentioning again. Tom and Ali from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen (nourishingmeals.com) recently wrote a great post about making lacto-fermented vegetables, which are a cheap and easy way to get both probiotics and vegetables into the diet. Here is what they had to say about the benefits of probiotics for those who suffer from intestinal illnesses:
“Lacto-fermented vegetables provide a viable source of probiotics (at a cost well below most supplements) to heal and maintain a healthy gut. These beneficial microorganisms attach to receptors in our guts that send a signal to the immune system that says everything is okay, no need to overreact to foods and other things entering the gut, let’s keep everything calm. If you are dealing with multiple allergies, chances are your gut is out of balance and is in need of a daily dose of beneficial microorganisms.”
Not to mention they are tasty!

Gelatin
Hear (read) me out! I’m not talking about the gross processed stuff we try not to think about when we eat Jello, I’m talking about the nutrient found in chicken bones and marrow that are great for the joints and the gut. This is fairly simple to get into your diet, just make chicken stock with chicken bones (if you are feeling really adventurous and have access to them, you can use chicken heads and feet, too). Chicken stock already feels like such a healing food, and gelatin is just one more reason to drink it when I’m feeling unwell!

Nothing too fancy here. Just a few natural ways to aid the body in returning to normal. Note: I am not a health professional! This information is not intended to treat or diagnose any illness, and is merely information I have gleaned and hope can be of assistance to you!

This picture doesn't really have anything to do with anything. But look! A bunny!

What do you do to help heal your body and return it to its natural balance?

 

Tips for Dealing with Gluten Contamination

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Well, it happened. The other day I was “contaminated” with gluten. The past few days have been pretty uncomfortable. Everyone reacts differently to gluten contamination once they’ve eliminated it, but my main symptoms are stomach cramps, brain fog, melancholy, and a lot of… bathroom tips. Delightful, no?

Here are some of the things I’ve found that help, either through researching or personal trial and error:

1. Sleep. This one is almost not a choice. All my body wants to do when I am sick like this is rest and rest. I find that letting this actually happen, instead of fighting it, speeds my recovery.

2. Give your stomach a rest. I think it’s ok to take a little break from food to give my stomach and intestines a chance to recover, instead of dealing with an onslaught of new substances when they are already kind of freaking out. When I do add foods, I start super slow, sipping something like gatorade or pedialite and then eating something simple like cereal.

3. Use diaper cream. Ok, this one is super embarrassing, but I am sacrificing my dignity for the sake of others! This stuff is seriously a miracle after one bathroom trip too many. Find some with Zinc Oxide in it, like Balmex.

4. Rebuild intestinal flora. In the next few days, I will be sure to eat a lot of yogurt and drink a lot of Kombucha to restore the natural balance of the healthy bacteria in my intestines that were “flushed out.” For an extra intestinal flora boost, I’ll take high-quality probiotic supplements (you can find these in health food stores).

I brew this kombucha myself. You can buy it at the store, but you can make it for much less money. Watch out for a post on how I do it!

5. Take Vitamins. I always take a multivitamin, but I feel like they are especially important while I am not absorbing nutrition very well. I’ll most likely supplement with some extra D and B vitamins for energy.

6. Wait. When it comes down to it, I just have to give my body time to heal. It will return to balance on its own, as long as I support its efforts!

Note: I am not a doctor or health professional! These are things that worked for me, and hopefully they work for others.

Gluten-Free Superbowl Survival Guide

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So, I’ll admit, I really don’t care about the Super Bowl for the actual game. I keep forgetting which teams are in it, and I’m not even sure what roman numeral is supposed to be denoting which Super Bowl it is this year. I DO know that Madonna, M.I.A. and Nicki Menage are playing the half-time show, so I’m looking forward to what I hope is some over-the-top fabulousness. And I’m also looking forward to some fun ads, and hanging out with fun people. The tricky part for people with dietary restrictions is, obviously, the food side of the Super Bowl tradition. Here is what I plan to do to survive (and thoroughly enjoy!) the party:

1. Eat before I go
I’m not going to absolutely stuff myself ahead of time, but I’m not going to starve myself either. I’ll probably eat something pretty satisfying, so if I see something that looks really good there that I can’t eat, I won’t feel too deprived.

2. Bring Gluten-free beer with me
I’m not a huge beer drinker, but something about the Super Bowl makes me want to join in on the good-ol-’American fun. I will most likely be taking Red Bridge, since I know I like it and it’s affordable. Hint: people might be curious and want to try it! If they do, I’ll pour some out of my bottle into a cup, or give them their own, as they may have eaten gluten and the traces on their lips can contaminate the mouth of my bottle.

3. Bring food that I can eat along
This is a good opportunity for me to be a good guest, as I’m bringing food, and also a good opportunity for others with allergies or sensitivities to feel accommodated and cared for. Since I don’t know the people I will be spending the Super Bowl with very well this year, I’ve asked the person I do know well about any other allergies in the group, so I can make my dish accommodate their needs as well.

Here is a little list of links to recipes for gluten-free superbowl foods:

Chocolate-Dipped Potato Chips (Spoon Fork Bacon)
Asian Hot Wings with Cucumber and Scallion Sour Cream Dipping Sauce (Bon Appetit)
Caramelized Maui Onion Dip (Sunset Magazine)
Gluten-Free Fried Chicken (My own-shameless, I know!)
Grilled Bacon Jalapeno Wraps (Submitted by Miss G. on allrecipes.com)

And that’s pretty much it! With these few little preparations, I’m all set to have a good time ignoring football and hanging out with people!

Happy cheering!