How I Discovered I Had a Gluten Allergy

 

Why I Decided to Go Gluten-Free

 

I’ve always loved bread. My mother was a housewife in the old sense of the word—she stayed home while my dad went off to work, she cooked and she baked. Boy, how she baked: Vienna tortes, chocolate chip cookies, applesauce cake, chocolate éclairs, and, last but not least, homemade bread! I’ve grown up loving the smell of the yeast cake dissolving in water, the dough rising, and the warm comforting aroma of the bread just hot from the oven. Let’s face it, I was hooked.

 

Throughout my life, though, I’d had issues. Nothing too out of the ordinary—a little sluggishness, bouts of constipation—until I reached middle age, when my magic charm ran out and I gained a lot of weight. For my milestone birthday (the big 5-0), I had planned a big party to celebrate and to numb the pain of going “over the hill.” So—six months before, I embarked on the Atkins diet to get rid of those extra pounds once and for all. I did so well on that diet (I happen to love bacon and cheese!), that I went from a size 14 to a size 6 in six months.

 

Never did I exclude vegetables from my eating regimen—the only changes I made to were to eliminate breads, potatoes, and sugar from my life. The diet worked so great that I stuck to it more or less religiously for five years. I maintained a good weight and stayed around a size 7 or 8 during that time. At the end of five years, I figured I could add back the foods I had previously denied myself.

 

Looking back now, I realize that the symptoms that I experienced then coincided with me falling off the Atkins wagon. I was no longer able to go hiking anywhere without easy access to a bathroom because I had urgent (like “right now”) diarrhea. I had to stick close to home, basically because I was going every half hour.

 

Of course, I couldn’t live like this! I made an appointment to get a colonoscopy because I feared the worst—colon cancer. The gastroenterologist assured me that I did not have cancer and everything looked ok, except for what he called “micro-bleeds” the entire length of the small intestine. He couldn’t tell me what caused these bleeds but assured me that I didn’t have cancer or polyps.

 

With all this going on, I lost a quick ten pounds from losing all that fluid which, just as quickly, rebounded up to an extra 15 pounds that I just couldn’t get rid of. The diarrhea eventually stabilized but the weight did not come off. I never got up to a size 14 again but did feel bloated and gassy all the time—my stomach at times would look like I was 4 months pregnant.

 

Meanwhile, my nephew had been running the gauntlet of doctors trying to get answers for a mysterious illness that he had had since his mid-30s, 10 years or so. He was always getting sick and when I saw him during one visit back home, his face looked ashen and gray. I was really scared we would lose him. I was terrified to think that something could happen to my nephew.

 

Talking to my sister on the phone one day, she told me that a doctor had finally figured out what was wrong with my nephew. He had celiac disease, of all things! I had no idea what that was—I thought it was the same as Crohn’s disease, which I knew was something bad. However, the only thing that he had to do to live a normal life was to avoid anything with wheat in it. He was back to normal health and was looking great!

 

When I talked to my nephew about his experience with celiac, he explained to me that he was allergic to gluten, which is a protein found in wheat. He could not ever have it, but he’d found it fairly easy to avoid it and still eat well. When I asked him what his symptoms were, my ears perked up: he had uncontrollable diarrhea and bloating. In fact, he said once he went off gluten, he lost 20 pounds right away.

 

Thanks to that chance conversation, I chose to stop eating wheat. It hasn’t always been easy to know how to avoid gluten, because wheat is not just in your whole-wheat bread! You can find wheat in soy sauce, even, and I don’t understand why.

 

Here’s a partial list of foods where gluten might be hiding:

• Most flours (white or wheat)
• Maltodextrin
• Malt
• Rye
• Spelt
• Soy sauce (tamari is gluten-free, and so I’ve heard is La Choy brand)
• Barley
• Beer
• Hydrolyzed Plant Protein
• Farina
• Barley
• Grain vinegar (apple cider vinegar is ok)
• Grain alcohol
• Durum
• Couscous
• Graham crackers
• Kamut
• Modified food starch
• Olestra
• Packaged puddings
• Semolina
• Orzo
• Flour tortillas
• Cream of wheat cereal
• Croutons
• Most cornbreads (mixed with regular flour)
• Bran

 

This is by no means a complete list.

 

If you are concerned that you may have gluten sensitivity, you can ask your doctor to order a gammaglobulin test. Be aware though that unless you are actively consuming wheat products, i.e., gluten, the test usually will turn up negative.

 

In my opinion, your body will tell you whether or not you have gluten sensitivity, so I prefer to do my own challenge testing. Watch how your body responds when you stop eating certain foods for a week or so and then try and eat them again. You may notice that your tummy puffs up or you feel gassy and uncomfortable. Oftentimes, the effect will be immediate.

 

The reason for the puffiness or bloating is that gluten (if you are sensitive to it) erodes the lining of the intestine and can lead to “leaky gut,” where the impurities in the intestine lead out to the surrounding tissues and cause inflammation. This is just my own opinion, but I think that much of what we call obesity is just inflammation of the tissues as a response to attack on the immune system by an offending substance in the intestines, perhaps gluten.

 

I’ve will be including some resources if you want to learn more about gluten sensitivity, allergic response, and celiac disease.

 

Why is Wheat So Bad?

 

Though I’ve been interested in natural health and nutrition for many years now, I’ve only recently started learning about GMOs. GMO stands for “genetically modified organism,” and that means that the genetic structure of an organism (at the DNA level) has been changed. I’ve read recently that, a decade or so ago, scientists figured out how to grow a “supergrain” that could potentially solve world hunger. The idea was to pack even more carbohydrate into wheat (for example) so that in places like Africa and India, where harvests were meager, what little bit of grain farmers grew would yield more nutrition.

 

This is the last thing we needed in this country! Could we possibly have ended up with some of that carbohydrate-packed grain in our fields? If that is true, then it’s no wonder that obesity rates have skyrocketed, and younger and younger people are struggling with weight issues. Childhood obesity rates in the United States are at record highs.

 

While I have more reading and study to do on the subject of GMOs, I have a sneaking suspicion that this “supergrain” has somehow made it into the Western diet. We would do well to try and avoid GMOs if possible, and to try to eat food that comes from local and known sources. There are a number of products you can find that will substitute for mainstream flour and wheat products and I’ve tried some of them.

 

Take charge of your own health—after all, you have to live with yourself for the rest of your life, don’t you?

 

 

Gluten-Free Fresh Salmon Loaf

This is an updated version of one of my mother's go-to recipes: salmon loaf. She used canned salmon but I experimented with a fresh salmon steak that I had bought and didn't want to go to waste, or to make just another boring fish dinner.

Salmon can be thawed from frozen or bought fresh with the skin on but be sure the fish steak is cut lengthwise,  not across the bone. Costco has salmon steaks in their freezer section. A small hand-sized piece (or two smaller pieces together) is plenty for this recipe. 

Add your choice of vegetables to color up this fish dish: I cut the kernels from a few cobs of corn that I had boiled the day prior, along with a cup of frozen peas--throw them in a little water and they are ready in no time!

INGREDIENTS

One small (8-10 oz) salmon steak, either fresh or thawed from frozen

Small pat of butter for frying

1 tbsp olive oil

1-1/2 cups gluten-free bread crumbs or panko

1-1/2 tbsp butter

1-1/2 cups hot milk

2 eggs, well beaten

Juice of one-half lemon

2-3 lemon slices (optional)

1 tsp dill

Salt and pepper

One can whole corn, drained (optional) OR cut corn from the cob

1 cup frozen peas, cooked for a few minutes in 1 inch of water (optional)

Dried or fresh minced parsley

Cayenne pepper

White sauce or lemon sauce

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a skillet, heat the olive oil and part of the butter over medium-high heat. Rinse and pat dry the salmon steak, season lightly with salt, then add to the pan, skin side down. Put a couple of lemon slices on top of the fish and sprinkle lightly with dried dill seasoning. Turn down heat to medium as the butter gets brown. Cover and allow to sear for a few minutes, or until the fish flakes apart easily. Set aside to cool.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 2-quart bread loaf pan, preferably Corning® ware or other ceramic or non-stick bread pan.

When the salmon has cooled, break it apart with a fork and peel off the skin (if you use fresh salmon with skin), careful to be sure there are no bones anywhere. Remove skin and any bones and discard. Add salmon to a mixing bowl and continue to break into smaller chunks.

Add to the bowl: the 1-1/2 tbsp butter and the gluten-free breadcrumbs or panko. Add the hot milk, then the beaten eggs. Add dill seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice, about 1-2 tablespoons in all. Mix all ingredients together with a fork, taking care not to mash the salmon into too-small chunks. Add the drained canned corn (optional but recommended—I cut the kernels from a cooked cob of corn--so tasty!) and the cooked peas (if used) at this point. Lastly, mix in the fresh parsley. Pour mixture into a buttered bread pan or 2-qt casserole. (If you only have have dried parsley, sprinkle it over the top now.) 

Sprinkle a little cayenne powder over the loaf and bake in a 350° oven for 30-40 minutes, or until it is no longer wet.

Served with lemon-dill "béchamel" sauce

Serve with white sauce (also known as béchamel sauce), if desired, or lemon-dill sauce. (Lemon-dill sauce is white sauce with the addition of a bit of lemon juice and dill seasoning at the last stage of cooking.) You can find many recipes for white sauce, which is basically a butter-flour roux, milk added slowly whie cooked over boiling water. 

NOTE: If you don’t have access to fresh or frozen salmon steaks, you can substitute canned salmon. Drain well and remove any visible bones. 

No Bean Gluten-Free Tamale Pie

Tamale pie is a family favorite, but tailored to special diets like mine: I have been gluten-intolerant for 15 years and recently, I have to cut down on beans too. It's quick and easy to make, with ingredients you probably already have on hand. 

I like to use lean ground beef to cut down on grease and waste. Since the leaner cuts have less fat, you may have to add a tiny bit of oil to keep the meat from sticking to the pan during frying.

If you prefer less spicy, leave out the chopped green chilis.

INGREDIENTS

Meat Filling:

½ onion, purple or white, coarsely chopped

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 lb lean ground beef

1 14.5-oz can tomato sauce

1 8-oz can whole kernel corn, drained

1 small (4.25-oz) can chopped or sliced black olives, drained

1 small (8-oz) can chopped green chilis

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp onion salt

2 tbsp chili powder

½ tsp ground cumin

Cornmeal Topping:

¾ cup cornmeal

1 tbsp gluten-free flour of your choice (Bob’s Red Mill has a variety of baking flours)

1 tbsp sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

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1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 tbsp vegetable oil

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Shredded cheese, Monterey or cheddar, about ½ cup, optional. Add between meat layer and cornmeal topping layer before baking. 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a heavy bottom Dutch oven or other cooking pot, add the cooking oil and then stir the chopped onions until almost transparent. Remove the onions to another bowl and set aside. Add the ground beef and a few drops of oil if needed to keep beef from sticking. When the ground beef is nearly all browned, add back the onions to the pan, and stir well. Season with salt, pepper, onion salt, the cumin, and the chili powder.

Pour the can of tomato sauce into the meat mixture, then the olives and HALF of the green chiles (set aside the rest of the chilis for later). Stir well and continue to cook on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until heated through and the flavors combine.  Turn off heat and let rest while preparing the cornmeal mixture.

Cornmeal Mixture:

In a medium to large mixing bowl, add the cornmeal, the gluten-free flour, sugar, and baking powder. Whisk to combine well and mix out any lumps.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg, milk, and cooking oil, and the rest of the green chiles, then pour into the cornmeal mixture.

Next, spread the meat mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 Pyrex(c) baking pan, scatter the shredded cheese over the top of the meat, then drop the cornmeal-chili mixture using a small measuring cup (I use the 1/3 cup size) over the meat mixture, making sure cornmeal covers most of the meat mixture. Sprinkle lightly with red chili powder if desired.

Bake in a 425 oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow to rest in oven with heat off for 10-15 minutes as mixture will be too wet at first, until the liquid is absorbed into the cornbread topping. 

Chai Sweet Potato Pie

 

If you have yams or sweet potatoes and don’t know what to do with them, try this sweet and yummy dessert treat! Have on hand two cooked sweet potatoes (yams). Precook yams or sweet potatoes first, either cut into pieces and boiled OR microwaved whole for 8-10 minutes on high power. Carefully peel off the skins and hard parts and discard. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

INGREDIENTS:

1 unbaked pie crust (gluten free if desired)

2 c. cooked, peeled, and mashed sweet potatoes

1 can (15oz) evaporated milk

¾ c. granulated sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 large eggs

For chai flavoring, add ¼ tsp ground nutmeg and ½ tsp ground cardamom*

*Leave this additional step out if you prefer traditional sweet potato pie

INSTRUCTIONS:

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer until well blended. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the filling comes out clean. Let cool for two hours before serving. Add whipped cream topping if desired.

Easy Delicious Split Pea Soup with Ham Hocks

My mother used to make delicious (and economical to make) pea soup on cold days. She used a leftover ham bone but I find that ham hocks add so much more flavor and texture!

INGREDIENTS:

1 package dried split peas (12 oz)

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 carrots, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 bay leaf

2 large or 3 small ham hocks

Ham hocks can be found in the frozen aisle, you can store unused portions in your freezer

1 tbsp olive oil

1 box vegetable broth (can substitute 4 cups water)

Pepper, and little or no salt added

INSTRUCTIONS:

Using a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with lid, add the olive oil and stir in the onion, celery, and carrot. Sauté vegetables for a few minutes over medium high heat until they are tender, then add the broth or water. Immediately add the ham hocks to the pot. Add more water or broth to cover ham hocks. Allow to cook at medium heat for another 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain the peas and add them to pot, along with the bay leaf.

Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, covered, for 40-50 minutes, until peas have dissolved and ham hocks are tender and meat comes off the bone easily. If soup becomes too thick, add a little water and stir, then simmer to the desired consistency. It’s better for pea soup to appear a little soupy because it will thicken up later.

Check the seasoning. I usually don’t add salt because the ham hocks have so much flavor and saltiness. Add pepper, salt if desired, stir and serve hot. 

Makes enough for a whole family, or two very hungry people, with enough left over to enjoy the next day, and the next. Tastes great reheated!

Chicken and Shrimp “Gumbo Laya”

“Gumbo-laya” is my Cajun-Creole inspired version of a shrimp gumbo recipe, made up with the ingredients I had on hand. I’ve added okra and shrimp to my dish, but you could add the Andouille sausage I forgot to buy to make it even tastier. My ad lib gumbo recipe ended up as a mashup of gumbo and jambalaya, so “gumbo laya” it is!

I make no claims for the authenticity of the dish, but I can say it is definitely delicious!

Have all ingredients on hand and ready before beginning this dish.

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INGREDIENTS:

2 skinless, boneless whole chicken breasts

¼ c. gluten-free flour (I prefer Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1)

¼ to ½ c. avocado oil or a mixture of avocado oil* and canola oil

On top of the many health benefits of avocados, avocado oil has an exceptionally high smoke point. Cooking with oils at temperatures above their set smoke point can create trans fats – a leading contributor to heart disease, cancer and other chronic health conditions. Protect your heart and health with avocado oil. Source: chosenfoods.com/pages/avocado-oil-faq 

1 tbsp prepared minced garlic, or 1-2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

½ green or red bell pepper, diced fine

2 stalks celery, diced

½ white onion, diced

½ c. chopped parsley

6-8 c. prepared vegetable or chicken broth (approximately two 32-oz cartons); use first one box to thin the roux, and then the other at a later stage of cooking, to desired soup consistency.

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½ tsp. thyme

2 bay leaves

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 medium carrots, sliced (optional)

2 links Andouille sausage, sliced thin (optional)

2 tbsp. tomato paste

½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning for color (optional, but recommended)

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½ lb. fresh or frozen okra slices

½ lb. precooked tiny shrimp, or whole shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 c. long grain rice (optional)

Crystal brand hot sauce, or hot sauce of your choice

Gumbo filé seasoning (optional), just a pinch on each serving as desired

Filé powder, also called gumbo filé, is a spicy herb made from the dried and ground leaves of the North American sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum). Source: Wikipedia

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven on high heat. Add the minced garlic and brown quickly. Remove from pan and save for later. Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts and add them to the pot. Add a little more oil if necessary to prevent sticking. Quickly brown chicken breasts on both sides, then remove them to a covered dish to add back later. Reduce heat to medium, and add back the minced garlic. 

Add a little more oil and then the gluten-free flour to the pot, stirring well to make a paste (a “roux”). Allow to brown a little and then add the bell pepper, onion, and celery (the “Trinity,” in Louisiana cooking). You can add the chopped parsley now or later. Continue to stir, while adding a half-cup at a time of the first box of broth, to keep the mixture smooth. This will take about 15-20 minutes, ideally turning the mixture a darker shade of brown. Stir well each time, scraping the bottom and sides to incorporate all flavors into the roux. 

Roux is flour and fat cooked together and used to thicken sauces. Roux is typically made from equal parts of flour and fat by weight. The flour is added to hot oil on the stove top, blended until smooth, and cooked to the desired level of brownness. Source: Wikipedia

When you have used about half the first box (two cups or so) of the broth and the mixture is thickened but soupy, add the thyme and bay leaf. Add the rest of the first box of broth, and stir well. 

Next, add the carrots, chopped tomatoes, parsley, and Old Bay seasoning (if used). If you are using Andouille sausage, add it now. Add the tomato paste, and stir well. Add more liquid from the second box of broth, another two cups or so. Cover and cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. 

If you are using fresh okra, slice it now. Working with fresh okra is tricky because it becomes gummy. You can soak it in a bowl of water while you work and rinse the knife often. Many prefer frozen okra for this reason. Add the okra to the pot and continue to cook, covered, on medium heat. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, shred the chicken breasts with two forks to pull them apart, and prepare the shrimp. Add the shredded chicken and cook for a few minutes, then add the shrimp. Lastly, add the rice and turn the heat up until you get a gentle simmering boil. Keep pot covered and reduce heat to medium-low for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Rice is optional, but I like the texture it imparts to this “gumbo-laya” recipe!

Serve hot.

If you have gumbo filé on hand, add a tiny, tiny dash to each serving. Filé seasoning can be overpowering and give a weird taste if you add too much. 

I like Crystal brand or Louisiana hot sauce for more delicious flavor, but you can use your own favorite depending on taste. 

Makes 6-8 servings. Excellent for leftovers! 

Chicken Coconut Curry with Garam Masala Spice Recipe

This recipe for chicken coconut curry is from my memory of my friend's mother, who made the best chicken curry recipe when she was visiting from Hong Kong. I had never really cared for curry before, but Mrs. Sun made such a delicious curry chicken with coconut milk and raisins that I've been trying to capture it ever since.

 I prefer to make my own homemade curry powder using real Indian spices (garam masala) instead of prepared curry spice. You can use prepared curry if you are in a hurry, but when it comes to garam masala, making your own spice mixture is an the best. The aroma is heavenly!

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INGREDIENTS:

1 whole chicken, quartered and cut into pieces (remove skin and fat if desired)

1/2 to 1 large onion, chopped fine

Vegetable broth

Ghee (clarified butter)*

Ghee is a solid fat that results after butter is melted down and the clear part is preserved. Ghee is readily available in Indian stores; however, it is easy to make your own clarified butter by placing 1/2 stick (2 ounces) butter in a microwave-safe Pyrex measuring cup and heating on high for 20 seconds. Pour off the clarified top of the liquid butter, and discard the solids at the bottom. Coconut oil can be used in place of ghee or clarified butter, if dairy intolerant. Either of these oils tolerate high heat without burning.

1 can coconut milk

1 cup raisins

Salt to taste.

Curry powder can be used in place of garam masala, or added for more taste

As an option, coconut curry chicken recipe can be prepared with added vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, and green bell pepper. Prepare the veggies and cook as with any stew or soup.

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Spices for Garam Masala Recipe:

Ingredients can be found in Indian stores or available from Amazon.com. I would choose the smallest package available so your spices don't get stale in between use (unless you plan to make this recipe often!)

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon green or black cardamom seeds (or a combination of both)
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• 1 or 2 small dried red chiles, if desired (for a mild curry, exclude the chiles)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the garam masala spices until fragrant, 2 minutes or so. Turn off heat and allow spices to cool for a minute. Have a clean spice grinder ready. (I have an electric coffee grinder that I ONLY use for spices.) Grind the spices to a fine powder. Store unused garam masala spice in a sealed container. In a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven, put a tablespoonful of ghee/clarified butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat.

Buy spice grinder at Amazon.com

Add the garam masala spice, all or part as desired, to the oil and stir. Immediately add the chopped onion and stir well. Allow the onion to soften and brown slightly as you continue to stir it.  Add the chicken pieces to the pot and stir quickly to coat with spices.

Continue to mix the chicken with the onion and spices until chicken is just a little browned. Pour the vegetable broth to cover the chicken. Add the raisins.

Bring the broth just to a boil and reduce heat to medium-low. Allow the chicken to cook until done but still tender, about 25 minutes. Don't let the chicken continue to boil or the meat can become tough. Reduce heat to low and add coconut milk. Cook for a few minutes more. Do not allow coconut milk to boil. 

Serve over rice or by itself as a soup.

6-8 servings

How to Cut Up a Chicken (Video)

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