gluten free by nature — casein, soy and entirely almost sugar free…

Life has shifted into high gear this summer. As a result, some weeks have passed since my last post. My mother-in-law, whom I adore, was here from South Africa for almost a month. With her she brought updates of how our family and friends are doing as well as stories about the World Cup and  the excitement buzzing in and around the country. We took her up to Newport for 4th of July and into New York City another weekend. We truly had such wonderful quality time. A day after her departure, my sister came to visit from Colorado with her daughters. My children were consumed, spending every waking moment with their cousins. Arousing oneself at 3am, ahem…”just to see if anyone else was awake and ready to play” was not uncommon either. As tired as we were, we had to laugh. We couldn’t blame them for trying to make the most of every second together.  It was too sweet. We said farewell, settling back into our routine. In came the dog days of summer, out went our air conditioner.

Hot. Muggy. Sleepless. Cranky. For 14 days. Straight.

We finally emerged from the basement yesterday after the repairman left. We’ve been quarantined there for the duration of our sweltering misery. As much as this whole ordeal has been difficult, I watched in horror as the Pakistani people suffered through floods, devastation and death. Truth be told, I have no right to complain about my air conditioner. Compared to them, my ordeal has been a walk in the park. Nothing like a swift kick of perspective to put me in my place.

Not to get too deep on you or anything.

To celebrate our new-found life above ground, I made us this creamy and decadent frozen treat. It ended up being a great way to “ease” ourselves back into the kitchen while warding off this heat and humidity.

Side note #1: you can use more ice (if you want to eat it with a spoon à la Wendy’s Frosty). Just a word of warning though: the more ice you add, the harder it is for your blender to process. I found 4 cups of ice was just enough before it went into “too thick” mode. Side note #2: My chocolate bar has very little sugar in it so adding 4T of honey was just right. Be cognizant of the amount of sugar in your chocolate bar and adjust the level of honey accordingly. Side note #3: Go ahead and make this vegan by swapping out the honey  for your  sweetener of choice.

Ingredients:

1 bar (3.5 oz) 70% cocoa chocolate (I used Alter Eco brand. I heart them.)
2 cups filtered water
1 cup cashews, soaked for at least 4-5 hours
4 Tblsp raw honey
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp GF vanilla
4 cups ice

1.) Soak 1 cup raw cashews in about 2 cups filtered water for at least 4-5 hours. Drain and discard the water. Rinse the cashews thoroughly. Set aside.

2.) Place a saucepan over medium low heat. Break your chocolate bar into small pieces and melt stirring with a spoon (not a whisk). Be careful that it doesn’t burn.

3.) Add 2 cups filtered water to your blender. Add the cashews. Blend about 45 seconds, until the cashew milk is creamy. Add the honey, coconut milk, melted chocolate and vanilla. Blend about 30 seconds. Add 4 cups ice and blend about 15-20 seconds. If you let it sit more than 10 minutes you may have to add a little more ice to return it to frozen consistency.

Makes 4 good sized servings.

Hluhluwe Game Reserve

In honor of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, I am posting about our holiday to South Africa. Yebo. It’s an entire year later. But, amidst other life changing events such as the birth of our daughter and a move cross country – I concede that it has taken me a year to get to it.  As some of you know, my husband was born and raised in South Africa. He only came to America in his twenties for business. We happened to meet during that fateful work trip and the rest – as they say – is history.  Sigh.

When he and I lived in England, we were  fortunate enough to make it back to South Africa for yearly visits. Relatively speaking, it’s a short trip from the UK. Since we’ve lived in the US (and since we’re now a family of five) it’s become much more difficult. He’s gone back a few times without me and the kids, simply because there are multiple flights and time zones and almost always 36 hours of travel involved. Last year, however, we seized the moment and took a family trip over while my husband was in between jobs.  When else can you take a 5 week vacation?  My love happens to be the only person in his entire family that does not live in South Africa. He has very close relationships with his family and friends so we tend to stay for an extended period of time when we make the journey.

I took my first trip to South Africa in the late nineties and you may think it sounds cliche – but it changed me. Fundamentally. Africa is such a beautiful place. And I feel extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to see it, feel it, smell it, taste it – take it all in. My husband is from a divided world. First world and third world are wrapped up into one big bundle. Up until my visit to Africa, I truly believed the life I led in the US was a simple existence. My time there was both eye opening and humbling. It was what I expected yet so far from it. And I learned quickly that things operate much differently over there. Nothing is rushed. When you’re there, you’re on Africa time.

Over the last 12 years, I have fielded all sorts of questions. Did my husband grow up with lions in his backyard? Does his family wear traditional tribal garments? Unlike what most people envision, the cities of South Africa are rather cosmopolitan. (Rural areas are a different story). So, what is it like there?  Napkins are called serviettes. Stoplights are referred to as robots. And they drive on the other side of the road. There are shark nets in the ocean.  And there are hills,  not unlike those of San Francisco. It is incredibly lush and green. And hot. Like Florida hot. There is no shortage of avocado and papaya trees. And it’s not uncommon to see and hear monkeys hanging out (with their young) along the side of the road. Yet just up the street from them you’ll find the shopping mall.  It’s the dichotomy of the surroundings that makes it so beautiful.

We felt it was important to show our children the place where their father spent his childhood and introduce them to the people who figured so prominently in it. We  fit a surprising number of activities into a very short period of time. We brought our children and their cousins into the bush on safari. We had the privilege of witnessing the beautiful wedding of some dear friends. Any chance we could we went frolicking in the ocean waves. And we accepted every braai invitation that came our way (see next paragraph).

Braai, (pronounced bry – as in the name Bryan), is an Afrikaans word meaning ‘roasted meat’. It is a ritual and it is beloved.  It involves grilling meat for hours over an open flame. I should probably clarify because there are significant distinctions between the American BBQ and the African braai. First: no gas grill. Ever. I once casually asked about using gas and I don’t recommend it to anyone. I was almost excommunicated. Second: very few sides are served alongside the meat. No pasta salad. No watermelon. No chips and guacamole. It’s all about the meat. Finally, games or activities are rarely played. Swimming? Quite possibly. Volleyball? Heck no. To be fair, any sporting type events usually precede the braai in the form of boat related activities (i.e., waterskiing, tubing, fishing, etc).

When we braai, we hang around the grill, have a beer and catch up on what’s been happening in life. Since we’re strictly using charcoal here – this takes hours. Which is fine because we’re on Africa time. The men gather around the braai and sometimes I snicker to myself and half-heartedly expect to catch a glimpse of them engaging in neanderthal-like banter, pounding their chests, “me love meat, me hungry.” Grunt. Personally, I have never seen so much meat in my entire life. It’s fascinating. Steaks are almost always represented. No braai is complete without boerwors (traditional farmers sausage). But, my family is particularly fond of sosaties (kebabs marinated in a curry-like sauce).  Hungry? See recipe below.

During my first few visits to South Africa I was able to eat out quite often – that was before my diagnosis. And I thoroughly enjoyed the food.  There is a huge Indian influence on the East coast of South Africa. And then you have the wonderful Malay (Indonesian) cooking of Cape Town.  Since so many different cultures colonized South Africa (as it was directly on the trade routes) there truly is an amazing melange of food influences: from the indigenous tribes to the Dutch, Portugese, French, English, Indonesian and Indian.  Some of the most well-known food items from South Africa are koeksisters, mielie meal, biltong and potjie (pronounced poy-kee).  Potjie is a fragrant stew slow-cooked over a open fire. The meat that emerges from the cast iron potjie pot is just fall-off-the-bone goodness. Little interesting factoid: the potjie is the original Dutch oven.

Another mind blowing statistic? South Africa has eleven official languages. The people of South Africa are some of the warmest people I have met in my travels. I have been welcomed into their family, into their country with open arms. I know the World Cup is going to be wonderful for the people, for the country as a whole. I am a bit sad that we are not going to have the chance to witness this historical event in person. But, we are watching the coverage on television being sure to catch as many games as possible. Side note: I have so many photos from my first visits to South Africa on film (not in digital form). As such, I sadly cannot include any of my first impressions of the country here.  Perhaps I can achieve that  goal by this time next year :)

This is my own American version of sosaties. I chose to make them a bit more family friendly by omitting the spice (read: heat). My children have yet to fall in love with spicy hot food so I erred a bit on the wimpy side! If you like it hot, feel free to add in some spicy curry powder or a pinch (or two) of cayenne.

chicken sosaties

1.) Toss 1 pint grape tomatoes with 2 tblsp grapeseed oil and some salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes.

2.) Meanwhile, crush 1/8 tsp saffron between your fingers and place it in a heat proof glass bowl. Pour in 1 cup hot water. Let sit for 15 minutes while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

3.) In a medium saute pan add
2 -3 tblsp oil and
2 medium sizes onions, minced
Simmer for 5 minutes then add
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cardamom seeds, crushed (easy way? smashed under the blade of your knife)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Simmer for another 5 minutes. Then add in the roasted tomatoes and saffron.

4.) Gently crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon, fork or a potato masher. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Stir in 1 cup coconut milk. Turn off the heat. Let cool while preparing the chicken.

5.) Thread  1  1/4 to 1  1/2 lbs chicken onto skewers . You could use thighs or boneless chicken breasts here cut into 1 inch pieces. I managed about 5 pieces per skewer. And I ended up with 5 skewers.

6.) Place kebabs into a 2 inch deep glass baking dish and pour the marinade over it. Turn the kebabs to ensure the marinade is coating all sides of the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bring to room temperature before grilling. Set on a hot grill until done. Ours took about 15-20 minutes.

Just to set the record straight, I have never ventured into the land of making my own nut butter. I always dismissed it, speculating that it was too complicated or time consuming a task. Now that I have made it – and understand how easy it is – I’m a little sad that I waited so long. Oh, how I have been missing out. Seriously missing out.

The desire to fiddle with making my own nut butter came out of the need for us to be on a pretty strict rotation diet. The pecan butter we were eating by Artisana contains cashew butter. But, we have our own (separate) rotation day dedicated to cashews. Sadly, I came up empty handed in my search for a (strictly pecan) nut butter. I understand why manufacturers do it: cashews render the pecan butter extra creamy.

Without cashews, some liquid was going to be necessary to achieve a spreadable consistency. Honey was sounding a bit heavy for the job at hand. Then I remembered my love: the maple masala pecans I made a year ago after sampling them at the farmers’ market. If you’ve never given them a try you should: pecans and maple syrup are such a stellar combination.

Pecans, like macadamia nuts, have a higher fat content than most other nuts. But, don’t let that scare you off, it’s the good kind (mono and polyunsaturated). According to The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry pecans have the highest antioxidant level of any nut out there (yes, even more than the beloved walnut). They are also a great source of protein, iron, calcium and B-complex vitamins. Never mind that eating nut butter satisfies your appetite. For a snack,  spread some on apple slices or banana halves. We had it for lunch in the form of pecan butter and jelly sandwiches. The sky is the limit – go ahead, shake it up a little bit!

Side note: You don’t have to use soaked and dehydrated nuts. I choose to do so because I digest them much more easily (ahem, without any of the lovely side effects of un-soaked nuts: gas, bloating, discomfort).

2 cups pecans, soaked overnight in filtered water with salt, thoroughly rinsed, then sun-dried (or dehydrated) for 12-24 hours.
4-5 tablespoons maple syrup (I prefer Grade B)

1. ) In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the dried nuts for about 30 seconds, until they resemble coarse crumbs.

2.) Through the feeder tube, with the motor running, pour in the maple syrup one tablespoon at a time. The pecans will form a ball of sweet, spreadable nut butter. Scrape down the food processor and transfer nut butter to an airtight container. Refrigerated, mine lasted a full week. We ate it all before the nut butter had a chance to spoil. The second batch shared the same fate. I simply cannot comment on the spoil factor. Sorry!

3.) Makes about one 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup heavenly maple-y pecan goodness.

I’ve been away for a while because of our recent relocation across the country: we said farewell to Colorado in late March and arrived in New Jersey just as the moving truck began to unload our belongings.  A few rooms  still remind us that we are knee deep in boxes. But, overall we are getting there. As much as you can get there with three little ones in tow. It’s comic relief, really. How does one unpack any of one’s belongings with less than five minutes of uninterrupted time, you ask?? Perhaps I should rephrase that: Q: how do you eat an elephant? A: One bite at a time. My father has bestowed these words of wisdom upon me since I was a young girl.  I refer back to them quite often, actually.  It’s surprising the number of circumstances to which they can be applied.

As sad as it was to say goodbye to the Rockies, living in New Jersey really and truly is a new adventure for our family. Spring is in full bloom. And, seriously, if you’re lucky enough to be able to choose the time of year to move – well , this is it babycakes. Each day that passes is like a little present: something new pops up out of the ground, tulips are emerging, bushes are showing off their colorful buds, and trees are leafing out – all seeming to say – we welcome this much needed post-winter stretch….

The kids and I have been outside so much. Exploring parks, riding bikes on trails and adventuring in our wooded back yard. My children have bestowed the name of “the forest” upon New Jersey. Which is understandable seeing that we come from the “high plains” of the Rocky Mountain West, a place more  akin to The Central Plains than densely wooded areas in the East. To them, this truly is the forest. It’s too sweet.

This oatmeal recipe is something I started making last fall topped with gently stewed apples and cinnamon. I’ve continued to make it since then because it works so well with our rotation diet. That is the beauty of this recipe: it can be changed right along with the seasons. Millet has an inherently savory taste. But, topping it with the strawberries and maple syrup compote balances it quite nicely. And it’s hearty enough to get you through until lunchtime. For more protein-filled breakfast ideas, you can see my post here. Side note: If you don’t want to grind the millet (or don’t have a blender) you can simply cook the whole millet as is. The more water you add, the creamier the oatmeal.

This recipe is also my submission for this months Go Ahead Honey, it’s Gluten Free “Breakfast in Bed” hosted by the lovely Naomi over at Straight Into Bed Cakefree and Dried.

for the oatmeal:
1 cup uncooked millet, ground to a powder in your blender
3 cups filtered water (add 4 cups if you like it really creamy)
pinch salt

for the strawberry topping:
1 cup organic strawberries, pureed in a blender (you won’t need to add any water)
1/4 cup maple syrup (I prefer Grade B)
2 cups hulled and diced strawberries

1.) Put the millet, water and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. You’ll need to stir it occasionally until all the water has been absorbed. If you’re cooking the millet whole, you’ll need to cook it longer – say, 25 minutes.

2.) Place the pureed strawberries and maple syrup in a saucepan and simmer on medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add in the diced strawberries, simmer two more minutes and remove from the heat.

3.) Pour the strawberry compote over the millet. Enjoy. Serves 2-3.

In its April/May issue, Living Without Magazine published an article detailing the world of gluten free labeling. The author features yours truly in the article – and chronicles my frustration and sadness about the state of affairs with the current labeling “system.”  My son sadly was a bit of a guinea pig and there are thousands of other children out there who are suffering because of – to put it plainly – inaction. Last year, I wrote an article about Wellshire Farms, a company owned by Whole Foods who continued to sell (and voluntarily elected NOT to recall) two of their contaminated frozen kiddie items simply because a “recall would constitute an admission of guilt.”  How is that for business ethics?

Sadly, there aren’t a huge amount of choices out there for breakfast meats, deli meats, etc that are gluten free, casein free and soy free. However, I’ve made a conscious choice: I’d rather go without than support said company through the purchase of their products.

I was both excited and honored to be asked to contribute my story to Living Without. As a long time subscriber I have come to greatly value the articles, recipes and baking tips.  Simply put, the magazine gives me hope,  inspires me. Reading about others who have lived a journey that parallels ours is in so many ways comforting. Knowing we are all connected – it’s a powerful thing. For the full article, click here.

One of my beloved readers inquired about  good way to weave protein into the most important meal of the day: breakfast.  She was explaining to me that she finds it difficult to eat something healthy, wholesome and “powerhouse” enough with so little time to prepare it. I totally agree. It is a challenge. It doesn’t really matter if you’re on your way out the door to work, to bring the kids to school or en route to catch the bus or subway. Heck, I am blessed to be able to stay at home with my children and I still struggle to eat a meal that is going to sustain me and give me the energy to push through the morning.

I’ve discovered a way the helps me along – I only hope it gives you some guidance. Most Sundays, I spend a few hours cooking. As hard as it is to set aside this time, the payoff is well worth it. I prepare a few things for the week and I literally have to grab and go. Or just reheat. And I have a nutritious protein filled meal waiting for me. This winter I have made and refrigerated large batches of both chicken and butternut squash soups. Vats of oatmeal. And loads of muffins.

Here are some suggestions for things you can eat in a pinch:

leftovers: Perhaps you may find it a bit odd, but often times I will have something savory for breakfast. Just yesterday, I had a leftover bowl of spaghetti and turkey meatballs. Another time, I had leftover home-made chicken fried rice. Both are hearty protein-filled meals  – and I was good to go. Some people can’t even conceive of eating dinner-like foods in the morning. But, my husband is South African and he’s a big fan of the savory breakfast. And I’ve been happily converted. Don’t get me wrong, most mornings I do awake with (American) breakfast foods on my mind. But, let’s just say I have adopted an open-minded approach…

oatmeal: make a pot of teff, quinoa, amaranth, millet, sorghum (grain), rice or buckwheat oatmeal. Or, like me, make a porridge containing some or all of these together. Add some honey or maple syrup and some cinnamon. In winter, slice in some banana. In summer, fold in some berries. I always double the recipe so I have leftovers for later in the week.  Don’t have time to babysit the pot? Make it in a rice cooker. All that is required is reheating (you may need to add a little liquid) and you’re good to go.

waffles: Make a double batch of waffles adding a scoop of protein powder and up to 2 tablespoons extra liquid to the batter. Just drop the leftover waffles in the toaster or if you have time, reheat them in the waffle iron for 2 minutes. I think they taste better this way but both ways are fine. If you don’t have time for syrup – spread with nut butter and go. Don’t have nut butter? I recently saw this recipe for 2T whipped coconut oil + 2T butter (ghee) + 1T honey = coconut spread. Yum!

soup:  soup travels well in an insulated coffee mug. You don’t even need a spoon: you can sip it as you go.

eggs: I adore eggs but I cannot eat them right now because I am nursing my daughter and she does not tolerate them. Back when I could still eat them, I used to take leftover roasted potatoes and veggies and toss them in a brown rice wrap with some scrambled eggs. (Practically) instant power breakfast. I am a proponent of eating the whole egg (for the biggest nutritional bang for the buck). They are truly a fantastic food source (5 1/2 grams of protein per egg, rich in vitamin B, iodine and selenium).

granola:You can make your own variation depending on what tickles your fancy. But, I have a recipe here for granola that we really like. Instead of dried fruit you can really jazz it up with seasonal fruits. In summer, we love to slice fresh peaches on top. And berries, berries and more berries. One great way to add more nutrients to this? Add some walnuts.

fruits with nut butter: apple slices with (any) nut butter. Banana  spread with nut butter. Fat, protein, vitamins. Need I say more?

pancakes: Since we’re not doing eggs right now – pancakes and french toast are a bit tough. Until we found an egg-free pancake recipe here. I often change it up   (always using whole grain flour) just so it gives us some freedom with our rotation diet. I’ve made buckwheat, sorghum and teff pancakes all with great success. Leftovers are perfect for on the go snacks.

smoothies: so good. so good for you. There are about 1 million possible smoothie combinations.  So, there is something for everyone. And it doesn’t get boring. In winter, I like mango and banana pureed with some coconut milk. Summertime is all about the berries. In autumn, you could do carrot/apple or apple/pear. In springtime, we are fortunate enough to have plentiful greens to choose from. Protein powder is the perfect companion for these shakes. My favorite as of late is adding 1 tablespoon of ground hemp seeds (ground in my spice grinder) – for an added 11 grams of protein. Another suggestion would be to add in some raw cacao powder for an additional 5 grams of protein.

muffins: try these – they are so hearty. Not only do they have 3 grams of protein per muffin, they are high in calcium, iron and manganese. Who couldn’t use more of that? You can keep them at room temperature for a day or two. After that, refrigerated is best. They are great for snack-time too. Inspired by the lovely Ali over at Whole Life Nutrition. side note: in place of the sorghum flour, I  have also used chestnut flour with great success.

dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups teff flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot starch
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

wet ingredients:
1/2 cup grated (peeled) pear, firm but ripe
1 cup grated organic carrot
1/4 cup (mild-tasting) grapeseed oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup
1 cup warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Whisk dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
3. Combine all wet ingredients (I used a box grater for the carrot and pear).
4. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mix just until combined so that no flour is visible. Using an ice cream scoop, transfer batter into a muffin tin.
5. Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool. Enjoy!

Makes 12 delicious muffins.

Several weeks ago I received an email from Lauren, blog owner of www.celiacteen.com. Here is a 16 year old young woman who has a very big heart. Feeling a sense of helplessness for the Haitians devastated by the earthquake, Lauren came up with the idea to create a recipe book full of recipes “that mean home to us” in order to raise money for the victims. Over 70 people heard the call. Over 90 recipes are included.

Lauren is Canadian, so all donations are going to the Canadian Red Cross. And amazingly enough, the Canadian government is matching ALL contributions through February 12, 2010. The book has only been for sale for 48 hours and already she’s raised close to $2800.

Lauren has more information about the book on her site. I, for one, am so honored to be a part of this effort. But, I am also very proud of Lauren for making such an impact for so many in need.