Spaghetti Squash Lasagne (gluten free) November 18, 2007

We recently took the Real Age test and one weakness in our diet was not getting enough vegetables. Yes, even eating mostly vegetarian meals we don’t always get 5 servings of vegetables every day. A diet high in vegetables is not only high in vitamins and nutrients but also fiber.

I decided to make this recipe, Spaghetti Squash Lasagna, which I originally found on Dr. Zorba Paster’s website, which is loaded with vegetables. I don’t see this recipe on his website any longer but there are quite a few recipes which are healthy and tasty. I modified the recipe to add more veggies (mushrooms and chard). The recipe is already naturally gluten free. You could add different vegetables, like zucchini, too. Best of all, it is delicious!

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna

Makes 6 servings

1 large spaghetti squash

1 large onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 bunch chard, stems sliced and leaves cut into small pieces

1 can 28 oz. Crushed tomatoes

2 teaspoons basil, dried OR 6-8 fresh basil leaves, torn by hand

1 tablespoon oregano

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups skim-milk mozzarella cheese, grated

¾ cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARE SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

Cut squash lengthwise (it will be hard to cut, be careful with the knife), then scoop out seeds. Place squash halves cut side down in microwave dish with ¼ cup water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 10-13 minutes. (I cook for 15-20 minutes at high altitude.) Squash is done when a fork pierces it easily.

While squash is cooking you can get all of the remaining vegetables washed and prepared.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In frying pan, sauté oil, onion, red pepper and garlic for 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add chard, tomatoes and seasonings. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Separate strands of squash by pulling a fork through the flesh of the spaghetti squash lengthwise. Fold squash into vegetables in skillet, mixing thoroughly. In casserole dish, alternate layers of squash mixture and mozzarella. Top with parmesan. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown.

Comfort food – Golden Curried Pea Soup November 16, 2007

I just love this soup, it is so creamy, hearty and tasty.  I got the recipe from the cookbook “Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons” by Nava Atlas.  I changed the recipe slightly because it called for 2 vegetable bouillon cubes which I can’t find in a gluten-free version.  I use a mixture of water and gluten-free vegetable broth to equal 8 to 10 cups of liquid.  I also use more curry powder.  This soup is easy to make but note that you should start 2 to 2 1/2 hours ahead of time.

Golden Curried Pea Soup

6-8 servings

From “Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons” by Nava Atlas

The complementary protein of the peas and rice make this easy winter soup a natural choice as a hearty main dish.  Make a simple, palate-cooling salad of cucumbers dressed in yogurt to go along with it.

  2 Tablespoons canola oil

  1 cup finely chopped onion

  8 cups water or mixture of vegetable broth and water to equal 8 cups (I use about 10 cups at high altitude)

  1 large potato, peeled and diced

  2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced

  1 pound dried yellow split  peas, rinsed

  ½ cup raw brown rice, rinsed

  2 bay leaves

  2 teaspoons good quality curry powder or garam masala, more or less to taste

  1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

  salt to taste

Heat the oil in a soup pot.  Add the onion and sauté over moderately low heat until golden.  Add all the remaining ingredients except the salt.  Bring to a simmer, then simmer gently, covered, until the peas are mushy, about 1 ½ hours (here at high altitude I simmer for at least 2 hours).  Stir occasionally.

When the peas are done, adjust the consistency with more water as needed, then season to taste with salt.  This soup thickens considerably as it stands;  thin with additional water and adjust the seasonings.

Calories: 179

Carbohydrate: 29g

Total fat: 3 g

Cholesterol: 0g

Protein: 6 g

Sodium: 3 mg

Latent and Silent Celiac Disease November 11, 2007

This article from celiac.com brings up research about a group of people who were diagnosed with celiac disease as children and tolerated the introduction of gluten into their diet and continued to consume gluten as adults.

Some of the patients (13 of the 61 tested) had no damage to their intestines, a condition known as latent celiac disease.  48 of the patients without symptoms showed celiac-related intestinal damage, which is known as silent celiac disease.  Loss of bone density was more common among the patients with silent celiac disease. 

“The researchers concluded that even with no symptoms, most people diagnosed with celiac disease as children go on to develop active celiac disease as adults. Such patients should undergo screening for villous atrophy, and osteopenia, and should be encouraged to resume their gluten-free diet in the event that villous atrophy is detected. “

The article was written by Jefferson Adams.

Thai Ginger Chicken November 10, 2007

 

 

This is a delicious, rich tasting meal that is like a stew because it has lots of sauce.  The coconut milk (even using the lighter version) makes it rich and creamy.  I found the original recipe in a Real Simple magazine and I’ve changed it to make it less fattening by using lite coconut milk.  I also use zucchini instead of eggplant.  It takes about 25 minutes of hands-on time and about 30 minutes total time, so it is fairly quick to make.

 

Thai Ginger Chicken (gluten free)

 

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems removed
• 4 ounces canned, diced mild green chiles (OR 3 jalapenos, seeded and chopped)
• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 2-3 medium to large zucchini, halved length-wise and sliced
• 2 13.5-ounce cans unsweetened lite coconut milk
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari (soy) sauce
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut up
• 2 cups cooked white or brown rice

Place the cilantro, chiles, ginger and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a food processor and pulse until combined.  Heat the remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and zucchini and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.  Bring to a simmer.  Add the reserved cilantro mixture, the remaining salt, and the chicken.  Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens slightly, about 7 minutes.  Serve over rice.

You know you have Celiac Disease if . . . . . November 9, 2007

I found a list of funny celiac disease truisms on the Yahoo group SillyYaks and this website.

Here are some of my favorite ways to know you have celiac disease:

• You’ve disinherited loved ones for putting their knife in your mayo (or almond butter).
• You weep at picnics, parties, receptions and fast food joints.
• Someone complains of IBS, and you tell them to quit eating gluten!
• At least once a day you fake a smile and say, “Sorry, I can’t have that.”
• You eat before you go out to eat.
• You bring your own soy sauce to the sushi restaurant.
• Your grocery bill is bigger than your neighbor’s mortgage.
• You know that grabbing the first serving of something is a medical necessity, not greed.
• You have several bags of “flour” sitting in your freezer so it won’t spoil.

I have a couple to add:

• You discover you need reading glasses when you try to read labels on products.
• You become an expert on gluten.
• You worship your local restaurants when they make you something delicious and gluten-free.
• You get emotional when you see gluten-free pizza at a restaurant.
• Your idea of extreme risk is ordering food off of a menu.

What are yours?

Thai Kitchen “Mushroom” Rice Noodle Bowl – Review November 8, 2007

Thai Kitchen has a number of Rice Noodle Bowl products that are gluten-free.  I tried the Mushroom variety for lunch.  It is very easy to prepare:  peel back the paper lid from the bowl part ways, take the 3 packets out and empty them into the bowl which contains the rice noodles.  The packets are:  oil, seasonings, and dehydrated vegetables.  Add boiling water and cover for 3 minutes.  Stir and enjoy! 

The rice bowl was tasty, as good as the soup I get at our local Thai restaurant.  If I had some tofu on hand I would have added some diced pieces to increase the protein content and some diced green onion and cilantro would have made it really authentic tasting.  I would buy this again.  It would be a good item to take with you and enjoy if you can’t find any gluten-free food.  It is a satisfying warm lunch that is quick and easy.

The nutrition facts:  they list the nutrition for a serving size being 1/2 of the container.  That would be a really small meal.  I think most people will eat the whole bowl themselves which means it contains 220 calories, 3 grams fat, 44 grams carbs and 4 grams protein.

Gluten-Free in Greece November 5, 2007

This summer my husband and I went on a special trip to Greece.  I was concerned about being able to get my gluten-free restrictions across to people in restaurants.  I had some good experiences and some bad.  Most of the time I found people who spoke at least some English but sometimes “gluten-free” is a hard thing to get across.

Before I left I printed off several gluten-free messages in English and Greek that I found on celiactravel.com.  I took several because sometimes if you give the card to a waiter and it goes to the kitchen you don’t get it back.  These cards were helpful.  I also studied Greek recipes before we left so that I would be familiar with how different dishes were cooked and with what ingredients.  For instance, Moussaka is made with Bechamel sauce, possibly with wheat flour, and bread crumbs so I know I couldn’t order that dish. 

The first part of our journey was a bike tour so we had 3 English/Greek speaking guides who helped me communicate with the chefs at restaurants.  This was a big help.  I enjoyed many delicious Greek specialties like Briami, Giant Beans and many fish dishes.  I also had taken some gluten-free bars which came in handy.  The bike tour (cyclegreece.gr) staff had treats for rest stops like figs, apricots, nuts and fruit which were all gluten-free and  nutritious.  At breakfast I missed not having some carbs.  I needed more than fruit and eggs and yogurt, all of which was great but I wanted bread.  I didn’t find gf bread but I did find some rice cakes in a small store in a small village.  What a treat they seemed to be!   I carried them with me and then found more in various stores throughout our trip. 

One naturally gluten-free Greek treat was yogurt with honey and walnuts.  I have found Greek yogurt here in Idaho.  It is much thicker than the yogurt we’re used to.  I love this treat although I don’t have honey as good as the honey in Greece.  The creaminess and tartness of the plain yogurt combines well with the sweet honey and crunchy walnuts.

Another treat I found at breakfast bars at restaurants was tahini (sesame seed butter).  I spread it on my rice cake and dribbled sweet honey on it.  Yum!  Greek salads were always a good choice and always fresh and wonderful. 

I had a few bad experiences when we were staying in Prasonisi, Rhodes for the windsurfing part of our trip.  The 2 restaurants there did not offer many choices that were gluten free and I did get sick.  They just weren’t the kind of restaurants we had been visiting on the other islands.  I was desperate and had quite a few rice cakes with peanut butter and yogurt and fruit.  It is hard to eat those all day, though.  I must have had something fried in contaminated oil.   Other restaurants on Rhodes were very good and helpful with my special diet.

 Overall the trip was wonderful and it was fairly easy for me to get gluten-free food.  Enjoy your trip to Greece with confidence and safety with some simple planning. 

Another reason to stick to a gluten-free diet November 1, 2007

Here is a study from Italy about the relationship between a gluten-free diet and enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma (the name given to the type of gut cancer associated with celiac disease).  The study concludes that a strict gluten-free diet is protective towards the development of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma.