Gluten Free

LIVING BEYOND GLUTEN!

There is life beyond a diet of gluten containing foods! A gluten-free diet may be easier to follow than you think. For some people, digesting gluten can cause undesirable symptoms such as weight loss, abdominal cramping, anemia, malnutrition and even emotional distress. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, kamut, spelt, barley, rye and malts. Gluten can also be found in certain food additives. When reading a label, beware of anything that lists modified food starch, dextrin, and “natural flavorings”. Historically, the human diet did not contain gluten. Our ancestors survived on a protein-rich diet complemented by vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and certain grains such as rice, millet, wild rice, and buckwheat. By following a gluten-free diet, you will find that these symptoms disappear over time, the body will begin to HEAL!

There are many easy to find products that you can add to your gluten-free diet. The following are some of my suggestions:

Company Products:
Authentic Food Flour Products Flours to use in baking
Panadini Pure Lentil Bean Pastas
Baron’s, Trader Joes Savory Thin Rice Crackers
Trader’s Joes Rice Almond Bread, Bean Bread
Arrowhead Mills
Julian Bakery Wheat Free All Purpose Baking Mix
Breads
Enjoy Life Protein Bars, Cookies
Dreamfields Pasta
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats
La Tortilla Factory Gluten Free Wraps
Nana’s Cookie Company Gluten Free Cookies Cookies
Quest Gluten Free, Low Carb Protein Bars
Kay’s Naturals Gluten Free Cereal

• www.celiac.com
• www.authenticfoods.com

What to avoid?

• Wheat Couscous Spelt
• Rye Kamut Soy
• Oats Teff Beer

What can I have?

• Corn, Arrowroot, Quinoa, Rice, Wild rice millet, Wheatgrass, Buckwheat, Amaranth, Barley grass, Tapioca, Barley malt vinegars (apple cider, balsamic, rice), Bean flours, Potato based vodka, tequila and wine

As with any healthy diet, we want to make optimal choices in respect to our other food groups. On a gluten-free diet, be mindful of choosing:

Optimal Protein Choices

• Lean chicken & turkey, Eggs, Cold Water Fish (salmon, halibut, cod, mackerel), Shellfish, Lean red meats - 2-3 x per week, Lamb (saturated fat), Game, Whey protein

Optimal Fat Choices

• Raw nuts & seeds (not peanuts), Macadamia nuts (sat fat), Freshly ground flaxseed meal, Cod liver oil, Olive oil, Flaxseed oil, Avocado (sat fat), Coconut milk or oil

Optimal Non-Starchy Vegetable Choices

• Arugula, Asparagus, Bamboo shoots, Bean sprouts, Beet greens, Bell peppers, Broadbeans, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage,Cassava, Cauliflower, Celery, Chayote fruit, Chicory,Chives, Collard greens, Coriander, Cucumber, Dandelion greens,Eggplant, Endive, Fennel, Garlic, Ginger root,Green beans, Hearts of Palm, Jicama, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard, Green onions, Parsley, Radishes, Radicchio, Snow peas, Spinach, Spaghetti squash, Tomatoes

Optimal High Fiber Starchy Carbohydrate Choices.

• Squash, Artichokes, Leeks, Lima beans, Okra, Pumpkin, Sweet potato, Turnip, Legumes, Black beans, Chickpeas, Cowpeas, French beans, Northern beans, Kidney beans, Lentils, Navy bean, Pinto bean, Brown rice, Steel cut oats

Optimal Low GI Fruit Choices

• Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Elderberries, Gooseberries, Loganberries, Raspberries, Strawberries

Optimal Moderate GI Fruit Choices

• Melons, Cherries, Pears, Fresh apricots, Grapefruit, Oranges, Peaches, Plum, Kiwifruit, Pitted prunes, Apples, Avocadoes, Tangerines, Lemons, Limes, Nectarines, Pomegranates, Passion Fruit, Persimmons, Plums

Sample Menus:

Day 1

Breakfast - 2 whole eggs/2 egg white omelet with broccoli.
Snack - 1 Medium sized orange, 10 macadamia nuts
Lunch - Turkey-avocado wrap using a gluten-free wrap
Snack - PaleoMeal shake with berries
Dinner - 1 cup lentil soup; 6 oz grilled chicken, 1 cup steamed cauliflower

Day 2

Breakfast - Hot rice cereal, ½ cup raspberries
Snack - PaleoMeal Shake with banana
Lunch - Grilled chicken and cabbage salad with rice wine vinaigrette (rice wine and olive oil mixture)
Snack - Apple and 10 almonds
Dinner - 6 oz grilled salmon, 1 cup sautéed spinach, 1 cup black bean soup

Snack Ideas:

• unprocessed sources of lean proteins (chicken, eggs, roast beef)
• Guacamole or hummus with rice crackers
• 1 tbsp almond butter with ½ apple
• Fruit
• Fresh cut vegetables with hummus
• Coconut water
• Almond butter with fresh berries
• 10 nuts
• Quest Bar

 Gluten Free Kale Chips Recipe

These light-as-air crispy kale chips are gluten-free, vegan, and guilt-free. Season with sea salt after baking, to keep them airy and crisp.

Ingredients:
1 head of Lacinato kale, aka Tuscan kale
Olive oil
Sea salt

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. Separate the leaves and wash the kale thoroughly in cold water. Pat dry.
3. Slice out the tough center stem, then cut the leaf crosswise into 3-inch pieces.
4. Toss into a large shallow roasting pan (or use a baking sheet).
5. Drizzle with olive oil and massage the pieces to coat each piece. Spread them evenly in the pan, in a single layer.
6. Pop into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Stir gently to loosen the chips and separate them. Bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes or so, until good and crispy.

Sprinkle with sea salt and serve.

HEALTH NOTE: Inflammatory, low in calories, low in calories, Vitamin K , Calcium Vitamin A, potassium, Lutein-, and High in Fiber.

Options:
Tamari: Before baking sprinkle (lightly!) a touch of gluten-free tamari sauce and massage it with the olive oil. A little goes a long way- so don't overdo it. And skip the sea salt.

Lemon Pepper: Spike it with lemon pepper after coating with olive oil.

Greek herbs: Classic Greek herbs such as mint, lemon peel, garlic, and oregano are marvelous with kale.

Serves 3-4.
Gluten Free Grilled Polenta with Ragout

Free of: egg, soy, nut, sugar, oil*
Yields 16 slices

This colorful and flavorful dish is wonderful served alongside grilled chicken or fish. Accompanied by a salad, it makes a perfect light entrée.

Polenta

 6 cups Dairy Milk Alternative

 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

 2 cups medium or coarse ground yellow cornmeal

 Olive oil*, for brushing (optional)

Ragout

1 1/4 cup Vegetable Stock
1 large yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 Japanese eggplants, or 1 small globe eggplant, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1 red bell pepper, seeded, ribbed, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

2 zucchinis, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 cups Chopped Tomatoes or 
1 (14.5-ounce) can chopped tomatoes

1/3 cup hand-torn fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Basil sprigs, for garnish (optional)

To prepare the polenta: Combine the milk, thyme, and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer; do not boil. Decrease the heat to low and gradually add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.
Continue whisking until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the side of the pan, about 20 minutes. Pour into a nonstick 8-inch loaf pan. Smooth the top with a spatula, gently pressing to compact the polenta. Allow to cool about 45 minutes. Cover with 
plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

To prepare the ragout: Heat a large skillet over 
medium-high heat, add the onion and 1 tablespoon of the stock, and steam-sauté for 3 minutes. Add the remaining stock, eggplant, garlic, and salt, and sauté, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper,
zucchini, tomatoes, basil, and pepper, and sauté for 3 minutes. Cover and simmer the vegetables over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are just softened, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Season to taste.

Preheat the grill or broiler. Turn the polenta out onto a cutting board and slice into sixteen 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Then, slice each piece diagonally, forming 2 triangles. Transfer to a cookie sheet and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Grill or broil each side until lightly browned, 
1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to serving plates. To serve as a starter or side dish, arrange 2 slices of the grilled polenta on a plate and spoon the ragout on top, garnishing with basil sprigs. As an entrée, arrange 4 slices per plate.

Gluten Free Ratatouille

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds eggplant, cubed
2 red bell peppers, cubed
2 cups zucchini, cubed
2 cups red onion, chopped in 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons minced garlic
6 cups peeled, seeded and diced tomatoes
1 fresh bay leaf
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:
In a medium sau a e pan over moderate flame, heat half the olive oil. Saute eggplant, peppers and zucchini until tender. Remove from the pan and set aside; add the rest of the olive oil to the pan. Saute onions and garlic until translucent. Add tomatoes, bay leaf and salt and pepper to taste. Cook slowly over low heat for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have reduced a bit. Remove the bay leaf. Add basil to garnish. Salt and pepper to taste.