Thai Curry

Curry can be anything you want it to be!  Use your imagination, use whatever vegetables or meat you have in your fridge.  Here is a basic, classic recipe for a red curry but really, you can make it into whatever you want!  This is a QUICK recipe that can be prepared in a little over 10 minutes!

(Picture coming later 😋)

    Jasmine (or long-grain rice) prepared separately
    
    2 cups beef or chicken broth (I use GF chicken stock from Costco)
    1 can coconut milk (unsweetened)
    2 tablespoons sugar
    2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (Taste of Thai)
    1 teaspoon red curry paste (or more to taste) (Taste of Thai)*
    1 pound small red potatoes (cut into 1-inch chunks)
           ~~~~Bring to a boil~~~~
    1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs or beef (cut into 1/2 inch slices)** 
    1 large red pepper (thinly sliced)
    2 cups snow peas (strings removed)
          ~~~~Cook 5 minutes~~~~
    1 teaspoon cornstarch
    1 tablespoon COLD water
    1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

1. Prepare rice as label directs.  I prefer to use a rice make or a pressure cooker.

2.  Meanwhile, in a 4-quart saucepan, heat broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, curry paste, and potatoes to boiling over high heat.

3.  Once boiling, stir in the chicken or beef, rep pepper, and snow peas.  Cook for 5 minutes.

4.  In a small cup, mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of  COLD water.  Once dissolved, stir the cornstarch mixture into the broth mixture, stirring constantly while combining.  Boil 1 minute or until mixture thickens slightly and chicken just looses its pink color throughout.  Remove saucepan from heat.

5.  Stir in basil and serve.

Have fun and experiment!  You can use green or yellow curry paste.  I always add carrots, spinach, and bamboo shoots and usually omit the snow peas because my kids don't like them.  You can add eggplant too!

* I make a quadruple recipe for my growing kids so I just use the whole (little) jar of the curry paste.

**You can put frozen chicken into the pot with the broth and coconut milk (step 2) then pull it out as it starts to thaw, slice it up and throw it back in the pot!

Habanero Chili

Yum!  The best!  Thank you Maresa for sharing this recipe with me!  Serves 6, however I usually double or triple to feed my family!  It makes wonderful leftovers and freezes well too.

1 lb ground beef (lean round steak, cut into bite sized pieces browned with 3 Tbsp oil)
1 cup onion, chopped
1 red or yellow or orange bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1 cup beef or chicken broth (Costco chicken stock)
16 oz can of tomato sauce
16 oz can of black eyed peas, drained
16 oz can corn, drained
16 oz can kidney beans, drained & rinsed
1-2 habanero chilies, diced
1 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup (3 large) tomatoes, chopped

1.  In a large pot brown beef, then add and saute onion, pepper & garlic.
2.  Add everything else, bring to a boil and simmer 35-45 minutes.
3.  Remove bay leaf.  Serve with the following optional toppings:

• shredded cheese
• sour cream
• green onions
• sliced avocados

Classic (Gluten Free) Lasagna

1 lb ground sausage (check the label, there are some GF options out there)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
26 oz pasta sauce (Classico has multiple varieties that are clearly labeled GF)
1/2 cup water
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
15 oz (1 3/4 cups) cottage cheese 
16 oz mozzarella, shredded (divided)
6 Tbsp Romano or Parmesan, grated (divided)
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg, slightly beaten
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9 noodles

1.  Heat oven to 350*
2.  In a large pot brown sausage.  Then add onion and garlic and saute.  Add sauce and water.
3.  In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, 1 cup mozzarella, 4 Tbsp Parmesan/Romano, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, basil and egg.
4.  In a 9x13 casserole dish layer in the following order then repeat:

• 1 cup meat sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/2 the cheese mix
• 1 cup meat sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella

5.  The final layer is a little different:

• The last 3 noodles
• 1 cup meat sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella
• remaining 2 Tbsp of Romano/Parmesan.

6.  Cover with foil and bake for 50 minutes.  Then remove the foil and cook for another 10.  Cool for 10 minutes then serve.  

Sometimes the gluten free noodles take a little longer to cook properly.  You can cook it longer or just make this ahead of time and serve it the next day.  If you want to add a little twist to the classic lasagna and shorten the baking time you can use fusilli noodles, pre-cooked and use them instead.

Tortellini Soup

This is a favorite in both the summer and winter!  In the summer it's the best way to use up all those garden veggies and get your kids to eat them!  Or it's a yummy soup to warm you during those long, cold winter nights!

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (Costco has lots of GF options, my kids like the Chicken Apple)
1 cup chopped onion 
6 cups GF chicken stock (Costco)
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 16oz can diced tomato with liquid (or 3 large garden tomatoes)
2 cups thinly chopped carrot
1 cup thinly chopped celery
2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup ketchup
1 tsp Italian seasoning
          ~~~~Simmer 30 minutes~~~~
2 small zucchini thinly sliced
1/2 lb frozen GF tortellini* (or GF noodles & Feta)
1 bell pepper finely chopped (red, yellow or orange)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley (or 4 tsp dried)

1.  In a large pot brown sausage and drain.
2.  Add onion and sautee.
3.  Add broth, wine, tomato, carrot, celery, garlic, ketchup & seasoning.  Simmer 30 minutes.
4.  Stir in zuchinni, tortellini, pepper & parsley.  Simmer 30 minutes or until zuchinni is tender.
5.  Season with parmensan cheese and enjoy!

* Gluten free tortellini is hard to find!!  I've found very small bags in the frozen section at New Seasons and Chucks.  If you can't find them (or don't want to pay $10 for 5 small tortellini) you can substitute with any gluten free noodles and then add feta!  My kids like Bionaturae fusilli.

Dutch Oven Hashbrown Bake

We love to prepare this when we are camping on a beach along the Columbia River!!  Thanks to the Ashworths for this yummy recipe!  Simply bring a pack of classic bacon, a bag of frozen Ore-Ida shredded Hash-browns, a dozen eggs (lightly beaten with a little milk) and a 4 Cup package of shredded cheese.  This serves our family of five but my boys eat a LOT!  It would probably be sufficient for at least 6-8 people as long as they are not swimmers! I'll try to take pictures next time we make it and update this post with pics!  Here's a summary of ingredients:

1 Package Bacon
1 Package Frozen Ore-Ida Shredded Hash-browns
1 Dozen Lightly Beaten Eggs with a little milk
4 Cups Shredded Cheese

Cook the bacon first then discard most of the grease.  Reserve some of the grease for the hash-browns.  Set the bacon aside then brown the Hash-browns, about 10 - 20 minutes depending on the heat of the Dutch Oven.  Then add the egg mixture and cook for a few minutes, stirring almost constantly.  When the eggs are about cooked then add the cheese.  Remove from heat and serve.  It looks ugly but is Oh So Yummy!

Dutch Oven Pizza

This is our family favorite to take camping! I pre-make the dough and then freeze it a couple days before we pack up. I also pre-chop all the veggies and toppings. When we are camping everyone just selects their favorite toppings to build their very own personal pizza.

Preparation:

I use Bob's Red Mill gluten free pizza dough mix. It says it's for 2 pizzas but I divide it into 4 to make a nice thin crust that cooks great in the dutch oven. I place each ball, after it has risen, on parchment paper sprinkled with a thin layer of gluten free flour to keep it from sticking. Then I sprinkle more gf flour on top, place another piece of parchment paper on top and then slowly roll out with a wooden rolling pin.  I add more gf flour periodically as I'm rolling to ensure it won't stick to the parchment paper.  I stack them with 1 piece of parchment paper between each one and one piece on top, then wrap with saran wrap and stick in the freezer. My dutch oven is 12" so I try to keep them around that size.

Meanwhile heat up your briquettes...

Toppings I usually include (and add in this order):

  Pizza Squeeze (specifically says it's gluten free)
  Mozzarella Cheese
  Pepperoni
  Salami
  Canadian Bacon
  Basil (chopped)
  Garlic (diced with a little olive oil)
  Spinach
  Bell Pepper (thinly sliced)
  Olives (sliced - 1 small can is good for about 6 pizzas)
  Pineapple (chunk or crushed)
  Tomato (thinly sliced)
  Mozzarella
  Cheddar
  Feta

Cooking:

Place the prepared pizza (have everyone build their own pizza) with the parchment paper into the dutch oven.  Have briquettes evenly spread under your dutch oven and some on top.  Your dutch oven should come with instructions on how many to place under and over.  Typically for a 12" it would be about 9 on the bottom and 15 on the lid.  When we cook in the sand we usually add more on the bottom.  Cook for about 12 minutes or until evenly browned, you can tell when your pizza is fully cooked, the cheese should be bubbly and the crust will be browned on the edges..  For larger groups I like to use two dutch ovens at a time to speed up the "personal pizza" process.  I also have people split pizzas when they like the same toppings and then make them several pizzas to share so no one starves to death! 

Salad! It's what's for dinner!

We have a crazy schedule!  It's usually after 9pm before we are all home from various sports and activities!  Therefore we eat LATE!  My husband and I started eating salads for dinner about 5 years ago (2013-ish) I'd say about 98% of the time this is the salad we eat.   Sometimes we add smoked salmon, grilled chicken or whatever lunch meat we have on hand.  Most of the time though, it's too close to bed so we don't add meat.  We've found that we both sleep so much better if we stick to this!  It's a big salad, if you follow the portions below its enough for a whole meal!

Makes 4 Salads:

  4 handfuls Spinach - one handful per person
  1 Apple - 1/4 per person
  1 Bell Pepper - 1/4 per person
  20 Baby Carrots - about 5 per person (or 4 regular carrots - 1 per person)
  1 Avocado - 1/4 per person
  1 Roma Tomato - 1/4 per person
  4 Jalapeno and Garlic Stuffed Green Olives* (from Costco) -  diced, 1 per person
  4 Pickled Green Beans* (or other pickled item you like) - diced, 1 per person
  4 Tbsp Nuts - 1 Tbsp per person (pine nuts, pistachios, etc - whatever you like)

Slice everything into bite-size pieces and enjoy!

*by including pickled items as well as the tomato, apple and avo the salad is so moist you don't even need salad dressing.  I used to love salad dressing and thought people were weird if they didn't use it...just try it, you'll be surprised!  If you add the right ingredients and slice them small enough you don't need dressing, you'll save on the calories.  If it's still too dry, try adding a little Feta.  You can do it!

Fresh Asparagus and French Bean Salad

Salad:

1 pound French beans, stems removed
2 pounds asparagus, woody ends trimmed
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 Tbsp finely chopped chives
5 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut in quarters

Vinaigrette:
2 tsp Dijon mustard*
4 tsp balsamic vinegar *
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Fill a large pot with water. Bring to a boil and add beans and asparagus. Return to boil, lower heat and simmer about 2 to 4 minutes until vegetables are tender but still crisp. Drain and refresh under cold water. Let cool completely. 

In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, balsamic vinegar and olive oil until smooth. Season to taste. Set aside. 

Chop cooled vegetables and transfer to a salad bowl. Sprinkle with shallot, chives and bacon. Drizzle with vinaigrette and top with eggs. Makes 12 servings.

*What to look out for in your ingredients:

Dijon Mustard - There are many gluten free mustard options out there but beware, not all mustard is gluten free!  Here is a list of brands that have specifically marked their Dijon Mustard label with gluten free: Organiville, Koops', and Annie's.  French's says that that all of their prepared mustards are gluten free to less that 20 ppm except for its Tangy Sweet and Smooth BBQ Mustard, which does contain gluten.  However they recommend you always check the label as modifications may occur in their formulations.  They do state that the vinegar they use is ethyl alcohol, another term for grain-derived alcohol or ethanol, meaning that alcohol could be derived from wheat.

Balsamic Vinegar - Always check the label.  If it is good quality it will be gluten free.  The less expensive, the more likely it will contain additives - coloring, caramel, guar gum and corn flour are most commonly added to artificially simulate the sweetness and thickness that is naturally created from the lengthly aging process of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar.  It is these colorings and caramel flavorings in the lowest quality of balsamic vinegars which may or may not contain gluten, so always check the label!

Gluten Free Candy (Updated January 2019)

Here is the best updated gluten free candy list.  Remember, in general, special holiday shaped candies/chocolates should be avoided.  This is because they are usually made or packaged on shared equipment for the upcoming holiday.

This list is easy to read, nicely organized...
https://www.verywell.com/gluten-free-candy-list-562806

Remember, companies are getting better at labeling so always check the label!!  Happy Halloween!

Gluten Free Cornbread

In light of the coming holiday season, and thanks to my friend Charity for hounding me for it, here is the best gluten free cornbread recipe ever...and I'd be willing to say it even beats regular cornbread!  This can also be made vegan, although I haven't mastered that version of the recipe yet.  Thanks Bonnie for sharing this recipe with me!

Preheat oven to 400*
Grease 8x8 square baking dish

In a medium mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients:

   1 1/2 cups gluten free cornmeal (Bob's Red Mill)
   1 1/2 cups gluten free flour (Mama's Coconut Blend)
   1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
   1/8 tsp salt
   3 tsp baking powder

In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients:

   3/4 cup sugar
   1/2 cup vegetable oil
   2 eggs (V - sub 1/2 cup apple sauce)
   1 cup milk (V - sub soy or almond)

Combine the two bowls and mix til wet through.

Pour into the greased 8x8 dish and bake at 400* for 35 minutes.  Cornbread is done when you can insert a tooth pick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Sesame Noodles

My husband brought this recipe home from work and said "Make this gluten free! It's awesome!"  It was super easy to convert - just use gluten free noodles and soy sauce!

12 oz gluten free spaghetti (I use Bionaturae)
3 oz cooking oil
3 tsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (start with less unless you like it HOT)
4 1/2 Tbsp honey
3 oz gluten free soy sauce (I use Tamari)
6 Tbsp chopped green onions
3 Tbsp minced cilantro
4 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds (browned slightly in pan with no oil)
6 Tbsp chopped peanuts (roasted, but unsalted is best)


1.  Cook and drain the spaghetti.

2.  Heat oils and red pepper for 2 minutes, then add honey and soy sauce.  Pour onto and toss with the spaghetti.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

3.  When ready to serve, toss in the remaining ingredients. Serve cold.

Notes:  We tried it warm too.  It was good but we did decide we liked it better cold.  For other variations try adding snow peas, bell peppers, etc.  Add chopped, cooked chicken to make it a meal!

If you don't have one of these get one!  It's great for converting recipes and cooking in general...

Gluten Free Cheerios?!?!?!?

Update: YAY!!  They are finally here!!  I found them at Costco even!!  My kids went through 3 Costco boxes in 3 days and 3 half gallons of milk too!! ...hmmm, maybe not such a good thing! ;-)

I almost cried when I saw this!  I love Cheerios, my kids love Cheerios, whenever we have guests they want to eat Cheerios...it sounds like soon we will be able to have them in our house again!  Here is what I found from imaceliac.com about Gluten Free Cheerios:

Are the Gluten Free Cheerios Safe

79

• MAY 8, 2015
• CELIAC DISEASE, CHEX CEREAL, GLUTEN FREE, GLUTEN FREE CEREAL,GLUTEN FREE PRODUCTS

In February 2015 Cheerios came out with a press release stating they were making certain flavors of Cheerios Gluten Free by using a “proprietary process” to clean the oats so they meet the FDA requirements

of 20PPM or less.  When I read the press release I was more than a little skeptical.  When a marketing team from General Mills emailed me, I asked tons of questions and was still skeptical.  Then I went to General Mill to see how they are making the oats safe and my view changed.

I tend to be a “I don’t believe it till I see it” kind of person.  Unless someone I trust provides me with the information I want see it for myself.

For some completely unknown reason to me on Tuesday May 5, 2015 I had the opportunity to sit in a day long forum with 2 other Gluten Free bloggers, 1 Gluten Free magazine editor and 2 registered dietitians at General Mills headquarters in Minnesota.  Also in the room were Jim Murphy the President of Big G Cereals, Chad Hollowaty the Project Manager for Gluten Free Cheerios, the marketing team, the PR team, the R&D team, the testing team, the mill team, and Phil Zietlow who started the whole Gluten Free Cheerios process 5 1/2 years ago.

Chad and Phil

Let me pause right now – I WAS NOT PAID TO BE THERE AND I’M NOT BEING PAID BY GENERAL MILLS TO TALK ABOUT THE CHEERIOS.  I am sharing with you what I saw, my experience and my opinion.  Feel free to use your own judgement on the Cheerios.  I gain nothing either way.

So now that is clear let’s move on.

Let’s start from the beginning.

Why would a multi-billion dollar corporation care about making their top cereal brands Gluten Free?

The answer is Joyce.  You see Joyce is Phil Zietlow’s daughter-in-law and she is Gluten Sensitive.  Five and a half years ago Phil learned Joyce could not eat Cheerios without getting sick.  As a side note Phil is the THE PERSON who invented Honey Nut Cheerios.  Phil grabbed a few people from the mill and R&D to figure out how to make Cheerios Gluten Free.  Phil and his team spent ten’s of millions of dollars to figure out a way to make the Cheerios safe for Joyce.  Once the team created Gluten Free Cheerios Joyce got one of the first boxes and so did Lyle, a Celiac, who works in the mill on the project.

Why did it take 5 1/2 years to make the oats test below the FDA standard? 

Take the test below, can you spot the different grains in this photo?

Don’t cheat

Keep looking…

Ok here is the answer

To put this in perspective 1 lb of oats equals 1 box of cereal or 15,000 pieces of oats.  Industry standard for oats is to have 2% of something else in them.  If you aren’t Gluten Free having barley, rye, or wheat mixed in the oats isn’t a problem, but if you are GF that 2% will make you sick.  Now to meet the FDA 20ppm standard you can only have…. ONE non-oat grain in amongst the 15,000 pieces. That’s right only 1!

The goal for this project was to make Cheerios a safe product for someone with Celiac Disease to consume.  They were not willing to release the product until they were 100% sure it was safe and that they could consistently make it safe.

Gluten Free Testing

General Mills’ goal is to only have half of a non-oat grain in that pound and they are repeatedly meeting that standard, ie 9-12ppm.  If you doubt this, I met Steve House who works for Medallian Labs who runs all the tests.  He has a team working 24 hours a day to keep up with the testing.  I saw the lab, I saw the tests, and I saw the team.  They are using the R5 Elisa test which is the industry standard.  They test the oats throughout the entire process to ensure they are meeting their internal ppm goal, half of a non-oat grain per pound.

The nuts and bolt of this is: multiple samples are taken of the oats when they arrive at the mill, they are tested.  The oats are cleaned/sorted, multiple samples are taken and tested.  At this point none of the oats proceed unless they meet the standards. Once that batch passes, it is sorted again and tested again.  If it passes the oats move over to the grinding mill.  The oats are ground into flour, multiple samples are taken and tested.  If approved they are released to the cereal plant and made into Cheerios.  Every hour a box is pulled from the line, multiple samples are taken and tested.

Fridley Mill

When they say “cleaned and sorted” no water or chemicals of any sort are used.  The cleaning and sorting is all done mechanically in a brand new building at Fridley Mill.  We were the first group of non-General Mills employees to tour the building EVER. We climbed from the 8th floor down to the 1st floor of the cleaning house.  I saw the machines, I saw the oats, I saw the non-oats being removed, and I saw the finished oats. 

Oh and I looked like this while I did it:

Now let’s address your questions:

1. Are they using certified Gluten Free oats – No, there are not enough certified GF oats in the world.  If General Mills did use certified oats the entire supply of ALL certified GF oats would be used up in a week.  This is why their process of sorting and cleaning is necessary.

2. Are they using a dedicated Gluten Free facility? – Yes. The cleaning house is a dedicated facility, the grinding mill is dedicated, the train cars are dedicated, the cereal plant is dedicated and the packaging is dedicated.

3. What about GMO’s? – Yellow Box Cheerios is already non-GMO and will remain that way.  The other flavors do contain GMO’s. The oats are non-GMO, the GMO’s come in from the other ingredients involved in the flavored Cheerios.  At this time there is no plan to change this.  So if GMO’s are a concern for you, stick to the yellow box.

4. General Mills is just trying to take advantage of the Gluten Free trend? – The President of Big G cereals said they do not spend this kind of money on a trend.  They are also NOT increasing the price and they are NOT reducing the size of the contents of the box.  The move to Gluten Free Cheerios is a long term play.

5. Are the Cheerios ingredients going to change? – Four of the five cereals will stay the same, multi-grain was the only product that needed to be changed to remove Gluten grains.

6. When will they be on the shelves? – In July the first boxes with the Gluten Free seal will leave the cereal plants.  The goal is by mid-September to have all the old product off the store shelves and the new product on the shelf.  Do not buy a box of Cheerios unless it has this seal on it.

7. What flavors will be Gluten Free? – Yellow Box, Honey Nut, Frosted, Apple Cinnamon and Multi-grain

Some Interesting Facts

Honey Nut Cheerios is the #1 selling cereal in the US.

Once the 5 flavors of Cheerios hit the market, 30% of all General Mills cereals will be Gluten Free and 10% of cereals on store shelves in the US will be Gluten Free.

General Mills was so committed to this project that they broke ground on the cleaning house before the team even had the process 100% complete.  The leadership trusted the team to figure it and make it safe.

The cleaning house, all 8 stories, was built in 8 days.  The interior took longer but the exterior only took 8 days.

General Mills already produces over 800 Gluten Free products.

The technology used to sort and clean the oats is all over 50 years old.  The way in which they are used is the change that makes the difference.

Opening the Curtain

General Mills let us in, “opened the curtain” as they called it because of YOU.  The Gluten Free community did not want to take General Mills on their word that the “propriety process” was safe.  General Mills has never given full access to anyone regarding their products.  The doors are open for the Gluten Free community to see how it is done.  They want us to trust that these products are safe for Celiacs to consume, because they created them for Celiacs.  Here is what they have to say about Gluten Free Cheerios.

The common themes that I saw while at General Mills were: trust, empathy and dedication.  General Mills trusted that their team could figure out this huge problem of making oats safe for Celiacs.  The leadership and project team had empathy for all of us that can’t enjoy Cheerios.  And finally dedication.  A major company doesn’t spend this much capital, man power, real estate, and time to create a product unless it really matters to them.  Jim Murphy said it is a balance between business and service.

So now, what you all want to know:

Are Gluten Free Cheerios Safe?

Yes.  As a Celiac and a mom of Gluten Sensitive children we will eat the Cheerios.  Me, for the first time in over 5 years and the kids for the first time ever. 

If I had not met the people, seen the process, and seen the testing method I would still be skeptical.  Now that I’ve seen all those things, I will be eating them.

You can just take my word for it or do your own research, read other blogs, read the marketing pieces, and decide what is the best decision for you.

Much Gluten Free Love,

Pam

Cross-Contamination

Cross-contamination has been a recent topic of discussion on my cousin Sally's facebook page. She was officially diagnosed last week and has lots of questions about her new journey so when I saw this I thought I'd share. The following was taken from the Vitacost.com website under the heading of Celiac Disease Info.

Avoiding Cross-Contamination in Packaged Foods

By Rachel Begun, MS, RD

It happens to the best of us. We purchase a seemingly safe product only to find out later that it was contaminated with gluten.

The bad news is that we feel awful for days on end (except for those lucky few who are asymptomatic). The good news – yes, there’s a silver lining – is that feeling awful usually leads to a renewed dedication and sharpened awareness of the prevalence of gluten in certain foods.

For those of you who want to stay alert without first suffering, here are some tips for avoiding gluten in packaged foods:

Know the Signs

By signs I really mean symbols, the three third-party certification symbols.   The Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG), Celiac Sprue Association (CSA) and National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, in partnership with Quality Assurance International (NFCA/QAI), have all created gluten-free labeling certification programs that enforce the strictest gluten-free manufacturing standards on food companies seeking to feature their certification seal on gluten-free food packages.   Click on each link above to learn more about each program’s certification standards, become familiar with their seal, and see which food brands you can trust.

Get to Know the Reliable Manufacturers

Just because a food company doesn’t use a third-party certification seal doesn’t mean their products aren’t safe.   As the gluten-free market matures, more manufacturers are working with experts to implement their own validation and testing protocols.   You’re probably wondering how you can learn about these products without spending countless hours searching their websites, talking to their customer service departments and reviewing labels in the supermarket.   While you may have to do some of the above, here are a few tips to save you time:

• Become a member of a celiac support group so you can get reliable information from people who have already done the research.

• Get to know a manager or registered dietitian at your local supermarket.   Food companies educate these people about their gluten-free manufacturing practices knowing they will share this information with customers.

• Go to the gluten–free bloggers page of NFCA’s website. Companies typically share product information with the gluten-free blogging community knowing they will in turn share the information online.

Be a Smart Shopper

Packaged foods can be contaminated in the store. Be a smart shopper and avoid the following items:

• All bulk bin foods

• Foods that sit on shelves below gluten-containing flours, baking mixes and other products with crumbs or small particles that can leak through the packaging

• All bakery items made on site in the supermarket – unless they have a dedicated gluten-free baking facility

• Seemingly gluten-free prepared foods in the deli case or salad bar that can become contaminated from neighboring options that contain gluten
• 
  

However, the best advice for avoiding gluten contamination in packaged foods is to focus the diet on naturally gluten-free foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, poultry and fish, low-fat dairy, legumes, nuts and seeds.   This is not only good advice for eating safely, but also for eating healthfully.

National Foundation for Celiac Awareness

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness offers Vitacost.com website visitors weekly recipes and blogs about living the gluten-free lifestyle. For more updates from NFCA about celiac disease and gluten-free living, go to www.CeliacCentral.org/subscribe.

TAGS: CELIAC DISEASE, CROSS CONTAMINATION, GLUTEN, GLUTEN FREE, GLUTEN FREE FOOD, PACKAGED FOODS

Aug 17, 2012 2 comments

May is Celiac Awareness Month!

Pass this on to everyone you know!  May is Celiac Awareness Month!  Today, as I was walking out of my kids' school after my weekly volunteer, I was stopped by another parent.  The conversation lead to her not feeling good and she started listing all her symptoms.  As I'm listening I am checking off a list in my head..."yep, that's related to gluten!"  I don't know why but I guess I'm afraid to continuously be telling people maybe they should try going gluten free.  More times than not I skip it and don't say anything at all, I guess that's why I have this blog.  First I worry they'll think I'm just crazy, and then I worry that even if they believe me, they won't take it seriously.  I know I've said this before, but I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say "but I'm mostly gluten free."  Those people don't realize that it's in EVERYTHING (unless you killed it or picked it of course!)  It's great that you've cut back and you're not snacking on a loaf of bread everyday, however, your symptoms won't clear up until you have completely eliminated it from your diet!

But really, should I be more concerned about what people might think of me?  Or should I be happy that maybe one out of 10 people that I actually do bring it up with will take me seriously and be able to help themselves?  More people have issues with gluten than know it.  Most of those people that I don't bring it up with, probably have at least a sensitivity to it, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to check off so many of those symptoms on the list in my head!

I didn't realize it was Celiac Awareness Month until I got home from school and no, I didn't say anything to the other parent today.  For the rest of this month though, every time I start checking that list off in my head when people are talking I'm going to make a conscious effort to tell them about gluten!

Vitacost.com is celebrating Celiac Awareness Month with an extra 15% off select gluten-free favorites until May 29, 2015.  Check it out!

Gluten Free Orange Chicken

My cousin-in-law gave me this recipe a few years ago when she heard I was diagnosed with Celiac.  Ironically she called me up last week with her own, almost diagnosis of Celiac!  She had a high positive blood test result and is now waiting for her endoscopy result, although the doctors are already pretty sure she has it.  So this is for you Sally!

Before my diagnosis orange chicken was our go-to treat for a quick yummy meal.  As with many other things, I thought I'd never get to enjoy orange chicken again.  The first time I made this recipe however, we had to force it down, I used way too much orange zest (finely grated orange peel) so be careful of that.  When you measure it, don't pack it!  This is still my family's favorite treat, but it is no longer our quick go-to because it's not out of a box...from start to finish it takes me about 4 hours to make it right (this includes defrosting the chicken and marinating it, I'm not working on it the whole time so don't freak out).  On the other hand...it's not out of a box so it's all fresh ingredients and tastes SO much better!!

Ingredients:  (I usually double this for my family of 5...my boys eat a lot!)

• Sticky white rice (start this cooking first!  Actually if you soak it for a few hours before you cook it, it will be even better!)

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• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp orange juice (freshly squeezed is yummy but adds more time)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)

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• 1 Tbsp grated orange zest (don't pack the tablespoon)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar (I use 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root (or 1/4 tsp ginger powder)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp chopped green onion
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I use 1/8 tsp so it's not too hot for the kids)

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• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup cold water

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• 8 lbs Chicken Thighs cut into bite size pieces...more or less, just depends how much your family will eat.  The sauce will go a long way. I usually trim all the fat which is why it takes me longer but it tastes so much better.

• 3/4 cup gluten free flour (Mama's coconut blend is my favorite, but Namaste is good too)
• 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

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• 3 Tbsp Olive Oil (or more depending on how much chicken you cook, just don't let it dry out in the pan)

Directions:

1. Pour the water, orange juice, lemon juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce into a saucepan and set over medium-high heat.  
2. Stir in the orange zest, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, chopped onion and cayenne.  
3. Bring to a boil. Then remove from heat and cool 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Place the chicken pieces into a gallon size Ziploc bag.  When the sauce has cooled enough to not melt the bag, pour about a cup of sauce into the bag (keep the remaining sauce for later).  Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. In another gallon Ziploc mix the flour, xanthan gum, salt and pepper.  
6. Drain the marinated chicken in a colander and then add it to the flour mixture and shake to coat.  (If you double the recipe, reserve some of the flour mixture on the side and repeat this process 2 or 3 times, if you put all the chicken into the bag at once it's too much)
7. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Fry chicken making sure to brown both sides.  Drain on a plate lined with paper towels.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat.  Mix together the cornstarch and cold water well, then stir into the sauce.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Once thickened to your liking remove from heat.
9. Transfer chicken to a large serving bowl and pour the sauce over it. 
10. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Serious Stuff! ~ Symptoms & Related Health Conditions

I can't tell you how many times I've heard someone say they were just going to cheat this once or they'll just suffer the consequences because they really like a certain food!  Celiac is an auto immune disease which is related to and can lead to so many other health issues if not taken seriously.  Also, there is such a thing as "Silent Celiac" which is even more dangerous.  The silent celiac will eat something and think they are fine because they have no symptoms when really they are damaging their bodies!  Current research has shown that celiac disease affects 1 in 100 people and gluten sensitivities are even more common affecting 1 in every 3 people!

So what can happen if you don't take it seriously?  The following are only some of the symptoms and conditions that are associated with gluten intolerance:

Common Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance

• Skin rashes/eczema
• Joint pain
• Low energy, tiredness
• Chronic fatigue
• Chronic back pain
• Headaches
• Migrating numbness & tingling
• Stomach bloating/discomfort
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Mental Instability
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Feeling "Spaced Out"
• Inability to lose weight
• Inability to gain weight
• Developmental delays in children
• Failure to thrive
• Brain fog
• Menstrual problems
• Infertility

Source: Life After Bread, Get Off Gluten and Reclaim Your Health by Dr. Eydi Bauer, D.C.


Conditions Associated with Gluten Intolerance

• Thyroid Disorders
• Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Anemia
• ANY Autoimmune Disease
• Irrritable Bowel Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Lactose Intolerance
• Gall Bladder Disease
• Gastric Reflux
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Hypoglycemia
• Psychological Stress
• Schizophrenia

Sources: Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic by Dr. Peter H. Green, Celiac.com, and Full of It! The Shocking Truth About Gluten by Dr. Rodney Ford

GF Candy List 2014

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/glutenfreefoodshopping/a/GFcandies.htm

I love these lists!  They are updated frequently and often pertain to the particular holiday at hand.  Remember, holiday shaped candies (pumpkins, hearts, etc.) are usually not safe because they are made on shared equipment.

My boys dump out all their candy on the living room floor and trade the unsafe candy with their sister and cousins.  If we're not sure we just refer to the list!  Happy trick-or-treating!

Just as a quick summary of the main candies. The following ARE safe but always check the label:

• Baby Ruth
• Butterfinger Bar (original flavor only, NOT Crisp, Giant Bar, Snakerz, Medallions, Jingles, Hearts or Pumpkins)
• M&M's (all EXCEPT for pretzel-flavored M&M's and some special flavors with a risk of gluten cross-contamination)
• 3 Musketeers Bars (all flavors)
• Milky Way Midnight Bar
• Milky Way Caramel Bar
• Dove Chocolate products (all flavors EXCEPT for milk chocolate cinnamon graham/cookies and cream)
• Snickers Bars (all flavors)
• Almond Joy (all)
• Mounds (all)
• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (all except for seasonal shaped items, such as Valentine's hearts)
• Reese's Pieces (all except for Reese's Pieces Eggs)

There are lots more, check the link for a comprehensive list!  These are just some of my favorites :-)