Saturday, September 22, 2012

Super Yummy Nightshade Free BBQ Ribs


ok, so they don't look pretty, but they taste good! we served them with steamed broccoli and mashed roasted cauliflower. Yum!

Ribs are easy to prepare, but BBQ sauces have tomatoes and peppers in them, and rubs have paprika and cayenne (also peppers) in them. Since nightshades and I don't get along, that was a problem. We've been doing some research, and after some trial and error, we've come up with some ribs that are yummy and don't have the offending nightshades.

Super Yummy Nightshade Free BBQ Ribs (adapted from a recipe found here)

Baby back ribs
Fauxmato BBQ Sauce
Sweet Dry Rub

Remove membrane from back of ribs. Place ribs on a sheet of foil on a cookie sheet and sprinkle dry rub on one side, then rub it in. Turn over and do the same for the other side. Let sit for 15 or 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees while ribs are resting. Spread bbq sauce on both sides of the ribs. Place a sheet of foil on top of ribs and fold over all sides, sealing the ribs into a packet. Bake ribs in oven for at least 2 hours. We've baked them for 2 1/2 hours and they've just fallen apart before we even got them on the grill. Experiment and see what works best with your oven. After removing from oven, carefully open foil and spread more bbq sauce on the ribs. Throw (or gently place) ribs on the grill for about 10 minutes each side. Be careful not to have the grill too hot or to leave them on too long as the sugars will burn instead of caramelizing. Remove from grill and enjoy!

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Nightshade Free Sweet Dry Rub


When I made ribs this week, I first had to make the BBQ sauce and the dry rub.

BBQ rubs usually have paprika in them, but paprika is made from peppers and I can't eat it, even in small amounts. Because of the lack of paprika and the presence of black pepper, this rub is a bit peppery instead of spicy.

Sweet Dry Rub (adapted from a recipe found here, other ideas are there as well)
6 Tbl brown sugar
3 Tbl Sea salt or Kosher salt (you want a coarse salt that won't soak into the meat right away)
3 Tbl ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp mustard powder

Mix ingredients together and store in a cool, dry place.


This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Fauxmato BBQ Sauce (Tomato Free)


I made ribs this week, which meant I finally sat down and tried to figure out our BBQ sauce recipe. This version tasted close to the one Mr M made awhile ago (but didn't document) that we've been trying to re-create since. This sauce gets a Korean BBQ sauce flavor from the sesame oil and ume plum vinegar, but it's not over-powering. In the past we've used a bottled Korean BBQ sauce that was really good that contained whole sesame seeds, so you could easily add a tablespoon or two of whole sesame seeds as well.

Fauxmato BBQ Sauce

4 c fauxmato sauce
2 tbl worcestershire sauce (recipe found here, mix together the ingredients below)
     1/2 c cider vinegar
     2 tbsp coconut aminos
     2 tsps water
     1/4 tsp mustard powder
     1/4 tsp onion powder
     1/4 tsp ground ginger
     1/4 tsp garlic powder
     1/8 tsp pepper
     1/8 tsp cinnamon
1 tbl sesame oil
1 tbl ume plum vinegar
1/3 c brown sugar
1 tbl coconut aminos (soy sauce substitute)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp molasses
1/4 tsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 bay leaf

Simmer for about half an hour. Remove bay leaf and use sauce. Freeze or refrigerate leftovers. Great on ribs and chicken.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, as well as free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Dragging Through More Food Issues


LMS with creepy googly eyes. Ick!

We've been having food issues again. I had to stop buying the pre-made guacamole because the peppers in it were giving me problems. Nobody makes guacamole that doesn't include hot peppers. It's not a huge deal, but it was convenient to have packets of guac sitting in the frig for whenever I wanted to use it.

Along the same lines, the paprika in BBQ rubs is also a problem. And every store bought rub and recipe I've found all include paprika. In case you were wondering, paprika comes from peppers. Grrrr.

We've also had to eliminate most rice products. LMS has been in denial about this for months now, but I noticed some time ago that our weekly pasta night was giving her intestinal issues. I've also noticed that pasta and rice were triggers for her- she would ask for seconds, then thirds of whichever was being served. Since she doesn't do this with other foods and I react the same way when I eat trigger foods, I was able to recognize it for what it was. I was also reacting after my morning bowl of gf rice crispies mixed with rice granola, topped off with rice milk. Yeah, it was a lot of rice.

We still have our gf rice crispies mixed with rice granola, but now we top it with hemp milk. I'm not super fond of the taste of hemp milk, but I'm not reacting as much and I still haven't come up other breakfast options. We've stopped eating rice and pasta and are substituting with cauliflower rice, spaghetti squash "noodles", and zucchini noodles. I have a package of kelp noodles and one of shiritake noodles in the frig, but we haven't been brave enough to try them yet. Some day soon....

We're doing better now that we're limiting the amount of rice we're eating, and I think it's helping me lose weight. Yay!

Over the last couple years as we've tried to figure out these food issues, I've noticed just how much what I eat affects how I feel physically and mentally. The physical part is fairly obvious, but the mental is the hardest to deal with, I think. I hate the fuzzy thinking, the memory problems, and the heightened anxiety levels. My motivation to do things plummets and my ability to focus and get things done also disappears. Combine that with my recent illness and we have the reason why I still haven't finished my current painting projects.  Thankfully I'm finally feeling better all around and have started making progress again. Now if I can just keep the status quo from getting disrupted....

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Ranch Burgers {Gluten Free, Dairy Free}



I know, two recipes in a row? It won't happen again, I promise :)

Yesterday I posted the onion rings I made, and mentioned the ranch burgers I served them with. I'm sure the picture wasn't super helpful in explaining what our version of a ranch burger is, so I'll explain.

Mr M used to season our hamburgers with a mixture of spices and such, which usually included tamari sauce (gluten free soy sauce) and worcestershire sauce. Both contain soy, though, and are no longer on the approved foods list.

So what to add to our burgers?

We came up with the idea of adding powdered ranch mix to the meat. Ok, maybe we saw the idea somewhere, but I'm not sure where. In any case, it sounded like a good idea, but then we needed a dairy free ranch mix that would still taste similar to "real" (i.e., Hidden Valley) ranch.

Then I remembered seeing a recipe on a blog I follow for dairy free mock ranch dressing.

Since we use the recipe as she wrote it, I'll refer you back to her blog for the recipe. I like to mix up a double or triple batch so it's ready whenever I want to use it.

Ranch Burgers

1lb burger (beef, elk, etc)
1-2 tbl dairy free ranch mix

Sprinkle the dry mix over the burger (I just eyeball how much I think will be good- more will give a stronger, yummier flavor), then mix well to incorporate the mix into the meat. Form into patties and toss 'em on the grill.

When done, serve with grilled veggies and some gluten free onion rings.

LMS isn't fond of lettuce, so we don't usually wrap our burgers in lettuce, but that is always an option. We also don't add any other toppings (not that there are many that we could actually eat) because the ranch mix gives such a good flavor to the meat that we don't need additional condiments, though Mr M likes to melt some cheese on his. And we just use a fork to eat it- less messy that way :)

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free, and {of course} free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Gluten Free Onion Rings




It's been years since I've had onion rings, and lately I've been thinking I'd like to make some. After doing some searching, I found a recipe here that looked pretty straightforward and simple. I did have to change some of the spices, but I think the result tasted great. Though I did remember part of the reason why I haven't had onion rings in so long (aside from the whole gluten free thing). All the oil in fried foods doesn't agree with my stomach :(

This recipe makes onion rings that are coated in a nice, light tempura-like batter. Yum!

Gluten Free Onion Rings
adapted from anaseidel.com

1 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1- 1 1/2 cups water
1 large vidalia (sweet) onion, peeled and cut in thick rings, then separated

Mix the dry ingredients, then add 1 cup of water. Mix and add more water if needed. (I used 1 1/4 cups of water) Batter should be on the thin side. 
Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
Heat some oil in a pot over medium heat.
After the batter has rested for 5 minutes, place some onion rings in the batter and turn them over to coat them.
Let the excess batter drip off (I used a fork), then carefully place in hot oil.
Turn once to allow even browning, then remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
Repeat with remaining onion pieces and batter.
Enjoy!

I served the onion rings with ranch burgers (recipe tomorrow!) and grilled veggies. Yum!



Gluten Free Onion Rings
adapted from anaseidel.com

1 cup rice flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1- 1 1/2 cups water
1 large vidalia (sweet) onion, peeled and cut in thick rings, then separated

1. Mix the dry ingredients, then add 1 cup of water. Mix and add more water if needed. (I used 1 1/4 cups of water) Batter should be on the thin side. 
2. Let the batter sit for 5 minutes.
3. Heat some oil in a pot over medium heat.
4. After the batter has rested for 5 minutes, place some onion rings in the batter and turn them over to coat them.
5. Let the excess batter drip off (I used a fork), then carefully place in hot oil.
6. Turn once to allow even browning, then remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
7. Repeat with remaining onion pieces and batter.
8. Enjoy!



This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, corn free, peanut free, nut free, coconut free, soy free (depending on the type of oil you use to fry the onion rings- be sure to check the label), and {of course} free of tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, sorghum, tapioca, and shellfish. Always check labels before using to make sure the ingredients and/or manufacturing conditions haven't been changed.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Blogs I follow and what we eat

Little Miss Sunshine, finally healthy and growing properly

I've recently been asked by several people about going gluten free, learning to read labels, dealing with restricted diets, and everthing else that goes along with it. I've been directing people to this post, but since I wrote it 2 1/2 years ago, I thought I should update it a bit.
I no longer follow very many gluten free specific blogs. Given all the dietary restrictions we have, I follow a variety of paleo/primal/vegan/allergy blogs. {hee hee} Listing paleo/primal with vegan seems counter-intuitive, but it works for us.
Anyway, here's the most helpful blogs I follow, mostly for recipes. I rarely follow recipes as they're posted, since I'm getting better at using them as a starting point and tweaking them for dishes we can eat.
The Spunky Coconut
The Food Lovers' Kitchen I have their cookbook, and it's great!
Cybele Pascal
Elana's Pantry
The Sensitive Pantry
The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen they also have a great cookbook
Civilized Caveman
Comfy Belly
Gluten Free Goddess

These blogs host linky parties, so they're a good source of random recipes and new blogs to check out. I'm always searching for someone else who has the same dietary restrictions and who posts recipes. Hasn't happened yet, but I keep hoping :)
Allergy Free Vintage Cookery
Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

An athlete's perspective on dealing with celiac, which helps me as I work to overcome damage caused by years of nutritional deficiencies. He also writes well-researched and well-written articles on various gluten free topics, which I find very informative.
No Gluten, No Problem

As I've mentioned before, we have a fairly restricted diet that doesn't include a lot of processed foods. I'd like to eat less rice crispies and rice milk, but at this point it's our best breakfast option.

Breakfast is usually rice crispies sprinkled with Enjoy Life cinnamon crunch nut and gluten free granola with rice milk. We were eating rice Chex and cinnamon rice Chex, but the BHT was giving both of us problems. The Kellog's Gluten Free Rice Crispies also contain BHT, but it doesn't seem to be as much, since it doesn't bother us (yet). If (when) it does, we'll switch back to Erewhon gluten free rice crispies, which don't have BHT, but are more expensive. In the past we've done green smoothies, but I got out of the habit over the winter and haven't quite picked it up again.

Lunch is usually leftovers from the night before (ie, meat and veg). Occasionally we will do nori rolls or meat rolls (lunch meat rolled up with veggies inside), and there's always fruit in a bowl on the counter that we can grab a piece from.

Dinner is a variety of dishes. We do rice pasta once a week, rice once every week or two, and quinoa and beans occasionally- I'd like to do more, but haven't yet found recipes we like. Mostly the meal is made up of meat and assorted veggies. We don't eat potatoes, but mashed roasted cauliflower and mashed baked squash make pretty good substitutes. We eat fish, chicken, pork, and elk (instead of beef), and I'm always looking for new recipes that incorporate them. I'd actually like to eat less meat, but that's just not an option right now unfortunately.

Snacks are usually fruit or the occasional Larabar (they're made with nuts, and most nuts are on the bad list these days, so we don't eat them often, but they're easy to keep in my bag). Treats are homemade sorbet (still need to post that recipe), smoothies, Yummy Earth lollipops (the ones made with rice syrup, not tapioca syrup), and occasionally fruit strips (corn syrup free, of course). I keep trying different recipes for snacks and treats, but none of them has worked out well enough (or agreed with us well enough) to be added into our repertoire.

We try to eat as balanced a diet as possible, but we're also trying to overcome years of nutritional deficiencies caused by the untreated celiac. As a result, we take Juice Plus+ supplements (instead of a traditional multivitamin), calcium, D3 and a chewable B (6, 12, and folic acid) vitamin. We also take digestive enzymes and I take CoQ-10 because I sleep better when I do (I actually have dreams, which never happened before I started taking it) and fish oil. We do have to be very diligent about reading labels on vitamins and other supplements. I once had a reaction to a vitamin I was taking that claimed to be gluten free, but was manufactured in a shared facility. A lot of supplements are made with soy or corn ingredients, which drastically decreases the brands that we can choose from when buying supplements.

We only occasionally eat out- there just are not a lot of options for us right now. In the past, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries was a great option. Their limited menu offerings mean you don't have to worry about the french fries being fried in the same oil as the chicken nuggets. They're also good about preparing your burger without a bun, wrapped in lettuce. Unfortunately, potatoes just do not agree with me, so we haven't been to 5 Guys for awhile. The pad thai at Noodles and Co are gluten free (I always let them know I have celiac just to make sure) and can be ordered without eggs. We don't have a restaurant close to us, so we don't eat there very often. Chipotle's burrito bowl has been a go-to meal in the past, but they cook the meat and rice using soybean oil, and I've been progressively having more and more problems when we eat there. And you have to be careful about anything they touch with their hands- so no lettuce or cheese. Outback Steakhouse has a great gluten free menu (it tells you how to order in order to avoid gluten), and their employees seem to be fairly knowledgeable. I've never had problems eating at Outback.

That's all I can think of for now, but I do need to add a disclaimer. These are things that work for us, but may not for others. I am not a doctor, so consult with yours before changing your diet. Good luck!

Monday, May 14, 2012

Birthday Cupcakes

Chocolate wacky cake cupcake with raspberry frosting

LMS had a few friends over for a birthday party last Saturday. After playing and the obligatory pinata busting [which required help from Mr M- don't buy pinatas from Target- they're impossible to break. Mr M took a whack at it and the loop tore out of it- the sides didn't bust out.] we had cupcakes and strawbery sorbet.
I used the same recipe that I used for her birthday cake, but used the chocolate gluten free option this time. I used the same frosting recipe (substituting raspberries for strawberries again), also, but didn't overbeat it this time and it turned out a lot better. I also made the same strawberry sorbet that we made for her birthday.

It was all very yummy!

Friday, May 11, 2012

What we eat: Birthday dinner

 

Little Miss Sunshine turned 6 last week.
For dinner, she requested noodles (of course!), jello, fruit salad, and root beer.

Noodles: Tinkyada Little Dreams shaped rice noodles with faux mato sauce, pepperoni, sausage, and sauteed shredded veggies
Jello: blue jello
Fruit salad: fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries
Root beer: Jones brand (doesn't contain corn syrup)

For cake and ice cream she requested a lemon cake with raspberry frosting and strawberry ice cream. And she wanted the cake to have "rings", by which she meant layers.


I used this recipe for the cake, using the gluten free and lemon options. It's called Wacky Cake, and dates from the Depression when eggs, milk and butter weren't plentiful. This is great for us, since that means it's naturally vegan! No substituting with flax eggs- yay! I used Authentic Foods GF Classical blend and it turned out pretty good. A little dense, but the texture and flavor were quite good. The blend does contain tapioca flour and potato starch, so we won't use this recipe too often- I could definitely tell I was eating things I shouldn't be.

I used this recipe for the frosting, using raspberries instead of strawberries. I think I used about 1/2 cup of lightly smashed raspberries instead of the 3 Tbl strawberry puree. It's been quite some time since I made frosting, and I ended up beating it a bit longer than I should have so it went grainy. It was also a bit grainy because of the powdered sugar I used- it clumped pretty bad, even after sifting it. The frosting didn't look super appetizing, but it tasted fine.

I'll post the recipe soon that I used for the strawberry ice cream, which is really a sorbet. Since we had to take coconut milk out of our diet we couldn't use the super easy ice cream recipe that we've used in the past.

All in all, it was a yummy dinner and there was only a minimal amount of things we shouldn't be eating :)

Monday, May 7, 2012

Celiac, vitamin deficiency, and shinsplints

photo courtesy of LMS

Several years ago, before we found out I had celiac, I had a very extensive physical done, and my vitamin D levels were low, as was my calcium. They weren't sure why I was low, but ever since I've taken supplements to correct the deficiency.

I read a post awhile ago that was eye-opening. I originally found Pete's blog pre-celiac diagnosis, when I was looking for info on closed ski resorts in Colorado, which he wrote an interesting book about. Once I went gluten free I started reading his blog, which as a fellow gluten free athlete, though I'm nowhere near his level, is quite helpful and encouraging.

Pete says that the athlete they highlighted had bad shinsplints that were caused by low levels of vitamin D and calcium. He goes on to say that this is a common occurrence in athletes with celiac that hasn't been diagnosed. Once she went gluten free her vitamin levels increased, her bones got stronger, and her shinsplints went away.

Hmmm. Sounds like me. Only I'm not a champion runner :)

Seeing the connection between vitamin deficiency (Ca and D) caused by the untreated celiac and shinsplints and stress fractures was good for me. As I've mentioned before, I've had problems with chronic shinsplints since I was in college. I've seen progress recently, which I attributed to the physical therapy I've been doing, but after reading Pete's post, I think it's a combination of the PT and the vitamin supplementation. Years of intestinal damage and low vitamin levels doesn't get undone overnight, unfortunately.

I'm coming up on my 3 year gluten free anniversary this month, but I'm only a couple months past my 1 year "free of everything my body doesn't like" anniversary (less than that if you count from when I eliminated almonds and coconut). I think I've made more progress this past year than in the previous two. I know LMS has improved more this past year. I sorted her clothes a couple weeks ago, and she's finally outgrowing a lot of her clothes. She didn't grow much the last two years, so it's nice to see evidence that her growth is picking up again.

Yay for progress, and yay for progress validated!

Monday, January 30, 2012

What we eat: Christmas dinner


This is over a month late, but better late than never, right?

Turkey
Red, white, and blue jello salad (my mom's recipe)
Mashed potatoes and gravy
Homemade applesauce
Olives
Gluten free cheddar chive biscuits (store bought)
Apple cider

Vanilla ice cream (a variation of this)

The jello salad, mashed potatoes, and biscuits weren't on our list of ok foods, but since we fudged less than at Thanksgiving, there were fewer problems this time. Thankfully LMS is getting better at recognizing when she needs to run (not walk) to the bathroom. The accidents are getting fewer and farther between. Yay!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Our Gluten Free Disney World Experience

Last weekend was our first time at Disney World. We've been to Disney Land several times, so we knew basically what to expect, but as everyone warned, DW is huge!

The Parks
We ended up with one day for each of the DW parks, and for the most part, that was enough. A lot of the rides are similar (if not the same) as rides at DL, so we knew right off which ones we weren't going to do (the teacups, for one). We did some of the shows- some were good, some were beyond cheesy. We could have spent more time watching shows and riding rides that we've ridden at DL and standing in line to meet characters, but since we didn't have time to spare we skipped over those.

We took LMS on several roller coaster type rides, and she loved them all! We always kept a tight grip on her, but every time we looked over to make sure she was ok, she had a great big grin on her face.

The Hotels
Our days were pretty long, which is a pity, since we didn't get to enjoy our hotels. We weren't able to make our reservations as early as I would have liked because we had to resolve some schedule issues, so a lot of rooms were already filled. We wanted to stay at a resort hotel for at least Friday night so we could catch the shuttle directly to the start line. Other hotels also ran shuttles, but they weren't as close to the resort.

We ended up staying the last three nights of our stay at Shades of Green, which is for military personnel, and our first two nights at the Yacht Club, because SoG didn't have any openings the first two nights.

Both hotels were very nice, but our room at SoG was bigger than the one at the YC and was half the price. Oh well. If we do this again we'll make sure we make our reservations further in advance. We did get to try out the pool at SofG, which LMS loved, but missed the pools at the YC.

The Food
I was a bit nervous about eating without getting glutened, but we didn't have any problems. I had several pages saved on my iphone and I referred to them at mealtimes- which restaurants had gluten free offerings, as well as which specific gluten free foods could be found in which restaurants.

We ate breakfast in our hotel room (gluten free cereal and coconut milk), then had lunch and dinner at the park (or Chili's restaurant outside the park). We only worried about staying gluten free and didn't focus on all the food sensitivities. While we reacted to the foods we ate, it wasn't horrible.

We only ate at counter service restaurants. Apparently you have to make reservations for all the sit down places, but I wasn't willing to mess with that since I didn't know where we were going to be at any given day/time. We also skipped the buffets because I don't trust them. People use tongs to get food and then touch the tongs to the bun or whatever on their plate, then put the tongs back in the container of food. That's more than enough to cause me massive amounts of discomfort and pain.

We ended up eating hamburgers on gluten free buns (no lettuce because it was in a buffet line), french fries, chicken strips, a salad with chicken, and gluten free cheese pizza. Not a ton of variety, but our meals were prepared by the manager each time, and dedicated fryers were used for the fried items. We got enough to eat, and we didn't get glutened. Definitely a success!

We also stopped in Downtown Disney so we could go to the Babycakes NYC bakery. I was curious to see if their products were any good. We got a pumpkin cupcake, a lemon cupcake, a chocolate frosted donut, and a slice of pumpkin chocolate chip loaf. It was ridiculously expensive (seriously, even for gluten free baked goods, it was expensive), but tasted very good and had great texture. Like hard-to-believe-it's-gluten-free-and-vegan-good.

Unfortunately, while the products are vegan, they do use potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch, and sorghum flour. I can handle the first three within reason, but sorghum flour does not agree with my body at all. Even so, it's a good thing we don't have one of these nearby, or I would be tempted to spend way more than I should getting gluten free treats :)

We had a lot of fun on our vacation!