Gluten is the protein portion of wheat, rye, and barley grains. People with celiac disease or a gluten allergy cannot digest gluten. When ingested, gluten damages the lining of the small intestines, causing symptoms such as weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, gas, abdominal cramps, and/or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Eliminating gluten from the diet allows the lining of the intestines to heal and the symptoms to subside.  It is important for people who cannot tolerate gluten to avoid it in their diet by finding alternative food substitutions.  Listed below are some ideas and “safe” foods allowed on a gluten free diet to replace commonly consumed foods.

Grains – this food group contains foods such as bread, pasta, cereals, cookies, cakes, etc.  Almost all foods in this group, unless specially marked, will not be “safe” to consume on a gluten free diet.  Alternative choices can include breads, pastas, cereals, and other grain products made with corn, rice, potato, soybean, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa flour.  Specific items include corn tortilla, rice cereal, gluten-free bread, pasta made with corn, rice or quinoa, etc.

Milk and Dairy – Foods in this group can be safe but many of them have added ingredients that contain “hidden” gluten.  Plain milk (non-fat, reduced-fat, and whole), cheese (cheddar, swiss, parmesan, Colby, etc.), cream, eggs, and condensed and evaporated milk are gluten-free.  Check labels on the following products for “hidden” gluten (*see back panel): yogurt, cheese products, sour cream, and nondairy creamer.

Ingredients that may indicate there is “hidden” gluten: hydrolyzed vegetable protein, flour, malt or malt flavoring, modified starch and modified food starch, and soy sauce.

Fruits and Vegetables – All plain fruits and vegetables (fresh, canned, and frozen) are gluten-free.  Foods from this group that should be avoided are: fruits or vegetables containing sauce (e.g., broccoli with cheese sauce or pie filling), fried or breaded fruits/vegetables (e.g., fried zucchini), etc.

Meats, Beans/Legumes, Soy, Meat Alternatives – 100% meat, seafood, poultry or pork, canned fish (salmon, tuna, sardines, etc.), dried beans, unflavored nuts and seeds, most canned beans, and peanut butter are gluten-free.  The following foods should be avoided unless specifically marked as gluten-free: meat patties, canned meat, sausage, breaded fish, and processed meats (e.g., hot dogs, luncheon meats, meatloaf), etc

You can go gluten-free with this recipe…

Shrimp and Avocado Pasta

1 – 15oz box of quinoa pasta (you can use any variety of gluten-free pasta, I just prefer quinoa!)

¾ lbs shrimp

1 small avocado, cut into chunks

1 ½ cups cherry tomatoes, halved

3T gluten-free soy sauce

1T brown sugar

1T rice vinegar

1T fresh basil, chopped

~3T olive oil

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Make sure not to overcook gluten-free pasta!  Once it is cooked toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, toss to evenly coat all pasta to prevent from sticking.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet; then add shrimp, soy sauce, rice vinegar and brown sugar.   Cook until shrimp are no longer see through .  Add tomatoes and basil just before shrimp are done cooking, let all ingredients simmer and remove from heat.  Toss shrimp mixture and chunks of avocado with pasta and serve!

Written by Ashley Deppe, Registered Dietitian Intern & Chef

I adapted this recipe from one I found on www.epicurious.com. I made a couple exactly as indicated (deep-ish fried), and then I lightly browned the rest and threw them in the oven. There wasn’t much of a difference, so I wouldn’t even waste my time with all that oil. Check it out:

My Favorite Falafel (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/My-Favorite-Falafel-231755) adapted from epicurious.com

Ingredients:

1 cup canned chickpeas

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped (about 1 cup)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 cayenne pepper

4 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon baking powder

4-6 tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons of canola oil

chopped tomato for garnish

diced onion for garnish

diced green bell pepper for garnish

mini whole wheat pita bread

Directions:

• Place chickpeas and onions in food processor. Add parsley, cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.

• Sprinkle in the baking powder, 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. Place mixture in a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for several hours.

• Form the chickpea mixture into patties about 2-3″ in diameter. (Patties will be easier to brown than falafel balls.)

• Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a frying pan and lightly brown the falafel on both sides. Then put them on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.

• Throw falafel into a mini pita and garnish with onions, tomatoes, green pepper and whatever other veggies you like.

If you have tahini, the original recipe suggests that you thin it with water and drizzle it over the falafel. I tried to get tahini at Whole Foods and almost had a heart attack when I saw it was $6 a jar. Instead, I threw on some of my homemade hummus for even more delicious chickpea flavor.

Have you tried falafel? What are your favorite garnishes?

Post submitted by: Eunice Mendoza

Eunice is a dietetics student, looking forward to her final year of school and the opportunities that lie ahead of her as a future RD. Aside from being a fan of food and fitness, she loves reading, music playlists, football (go Steelers) and cats. You can learn more about her at www.food4fitness.wordpress.com.

At first I was a bit hesitant because French food has a reputation to be a bit fussy and not for the novice cook.  After some research I found that crepes are relatively easy to make, require only a few ingredients, and cook up pretty quick!  There are a lot of recipes out there but I chose the French crepe recipe from allrecipes.com.  I only made a couple revisions; I used margarine instead of butter, in between crepes I sprayed the pan with nonstick cooking spray instead of butter, used a whisk instead of a hand blender, and I let the batter sit in the fridge for a couple hours.  I’ve read in a couple other recipes that letting the batter sit makes for a thicker batter but this step isn’t necessary.

I filled my crepe with veggies I had on hand in my fridge.  Be as creative as you want with your filling, there are no rules here!  I sautéed some spinach, onions, and mushrooms then threw in some already cooked shredded chicken.  I also wanted to have some kind of sauce in there and found a great recipe for a light alfredo sauce.  This sauce really completed the crepe and I will definitely be making it again.  (The sauce did come out a little thin; so I might add some cornstarch next time to thicken it a bit.)

The crepes turned out great and I even got a little help in the kitchen.  French food must be the language of love because it got my boyfriend to jump in and help make the crepes!  A few tips to keep in mind when making the crepes:  make sure the pan is hot, your first one probably won’t be a keeper, be generous with the nonstick cooking spray in between crepes, and have fun!

Post submitted by Amanda Sauceda, aka The Roadie Intern (She too has a love of music, food, & nutrition!)

So, here’s the truth about pizza–it is simple, easy, effortless–really it is!  Thursday night found me rushing home after a very long work day and dreaming about pizza.  Now, granted I could have opted to go out, but with all the tomatoes in my garden there really is no reason to go out for it. Let me give the step-by-step process of creating your own pizza in a jiffy:

Some of my favorite combinations:

• Caprese-sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil
• Greek-black olives, artichoke hearts, oregano, feta, tomatoes, salami
• Thai-peanut sauce, carrots, bell peppers, cilantro, chicken, red onion
• Classic-pepperoni, shredded mozzarella, basil, oregano, tomato sauce

And here is what I threw together the other night:

• Artichoke hearts, French feta (there is a difference in taste and milk base than Greek feta), sliced tomatoes, pepperoni, mushrooms, & basil

Here’s the thing, don’t feel as though 1) you have to have sauce, 2) you have to follow a recipe, or 3) everyone has to have the same thing. If you are looking to shave calories opt for a thin crust, lighten up on the cheese, skimp on the meats, and load up the vegetables!  This is a great thing to do with kids, because you can give them the freedom to build their own creations.  It’s fun–even for big kids (aka adults). Stop yourself before you pick the phone to order a pizza and opt for making your own next time!  Let me know how it works out for you!

Hope you enjoy making your own!

Wendy’s Roasted Salsa

The last semester at school left me with some pretty long days.  On Mondays/Tuesdays you would find me coming home from work only to walk right out again for my night class.  I had little time to do much of anything.  Oftentimes I would chill my face in the fridge trying my hardest to find something to eat; there were never any good leftovers on those days!  I would then switch to the pantry and the only thing I took away was a memorized layout of every spice and boxed item we had.

On one of these manic Mondays I remembered my mom had bought some quinoa that weekend.  I had only tried the grain once before and after reading the label I realized how easy and quick quinoa was to make.  Done in fifteen minutes and all you add is water, score!  This was one of my more creative days and I decided that I would make the quinoa as a rice bowl kind of dish.  After making the quinoa I threw in some green beans that I had steamed in the microwave, some leftover pieces of steak, and kidney beans then ta-da dinner was prepared!!  I took a biscuit that we had leftover from Sunday morning’s breakfast and I was good to go.

After some research I realized that quinoa is often used a side dish but this quinoa bowl always leaves me satisfied as my main course.  The beauty of this dish is that it can be easily modified to whatever you have on hand.  The best time I made it was probably with the steak but since I often don’t have that I have added in some canned shredded roast beef.  Two more great things going for this recipe are that it’s a one pot meal so you’re not left with little to wash and there isn’t much preparation involved either!

Below are two versions that I have made.  If you make your own quinoa bowl comment on how you personalized the dish.

~The Roadie Intern

Tonight, I dine alone.  Which means “keeping it simple!”  I returned home after work feeling pretty hungry and craving some coffee–I only made one latte before I rushed out the door to meet my first client this morning (clearly not enough).  The garden is always calling my name when I return home.  After a full day of sun I am anxious to see what new treats will have emerged while I was away. So first, I head out to my garden to search for new ripe treats.  I picked green beans, zucchini, and a ton of tomatoes.  The fresh smell of vine-ripened tomatoes made my crave a tomato sandwich.  This is a simple one…

I have a bunch right now, because my beets are just coming into season. Here’s the thing–they cook just as quick as spinach!  What do you like to do with spinach leaves?  Think about beet greens as though they were just any other green, but with more nutrition!

Beet greens are loaded with Vitamin K & Vitamin A and only have 8 Calories in 1 cup!

Tonight I decided to keep things very simple. I’m on my own for dinner tonight and I am craving something really good for me.  <Pause> Good for you is not synonymous with no taste!  So, cast that thought away!  (ahhh, thanks!)

My dinner tonight also includes a shocking ingredient…rendered bacon fat.  Yes, I know—say it with me–bacon fat!  It’s that good.  Yes, it’s not great for you.  1tsp of bacon grease has 38 Calories (all of which is FAT).  Yep, not great for you; however, bacon fat has loads of flavor so a simple teaspoon goes a long way!

Sautéed Beet Greens with Marinara & Quinoa

Ingredients:

Sea salt to taste

Grilled Pesto-Infused Eggplant and Tomato Stacks

After a wonderful evening on a friends boat last night we decided to sleep in a bit (to 6:30am).  What better way to wake up than to cinnamon scones. I had buttermilk in my refrigerator…needing to be used…and cinnamon / sugar mixture leftover from muffin making this past weekend.  Hmmm, cinnamon scones!  No, not like the Starbuck’s variety.  Scones are similar to a sweet biscuit–not a cake!  I have to admit, I have tried numerous recipes over the years for scones, and I always come back to this basic recipe and manipulate it however I like.  Of course, I had to start with my cinnamon latte first!

I hope you enjoy this basic and simple recipe, too:

2 cups Flour (I used 1 cup white and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour)

• In a food processor (or a bowl w/a pastry blender or 2 knives) mix flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar
• Cut up butter in cubes (make sure it’s cold, too) add to flour mixture and pulse until small crumbs appear
• Add in buttermilk and pulse just until the crumbs are moist–don’t overmix!
• Dump mixture on to a lightly floured surface and knead about 3-5 times (no more!)
• Pat out into a flat disc about 1″ thick
• Cut into pie pieces
• Use a pastry brush (or your fingers) to brush the tops with buttermilk and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture
• Bake for 12-15 minutes (I prefer baking mine on either a baking stone or cast iron–cast iron always wins in my house!)
• Enjoy the smell, the texture, and the flavor in every bite!