Posts Tagged ‘gluten’

Cauliflower pizza crust- super easy to make GF, Paleo and grain free

IMG_3213I recall the days of making cauliflower pizza crust for my son when he was on the ketogenic diet.  My family found it surprisingly delicious.  At that time the recipe we acquired was a bit more labor intensive.  Being the hunter that I am, I found a new-to-me recipe that cuts down the preparation to 10 minutes but  do allow 55 minutes for baking time (can’t seem to reduce the baking time yet).  Did I mention the total recipe only requires 3 main ingredients?

 

2 pounds cauliflower florets, riced
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup soft goat cheese (chevre)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400F, then get to work on your crust.

Step 1: Begin by making your cauliflower “rice.”

Simply pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor, until a rice-like texture is achieved.

Step 2: Cook & Strain the rice.

Fill a large pot with about an inch of water, and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer.

Now here comes the secret:

Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel.

Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then SQUEEEEEEEZE all the excess moisture out! (Be careful not to burn your hands!)

It’s amazing how much liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust.

IMG_3212

Step 3: Make & Shape the dough.

In a large bowl, mix up your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices.

Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.

It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together!

Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, which is not to be confused with WAX paper– they’re very different!) ON a side note I used a silicone mat.  

Keep the dough about 1/3″ thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like.

Step 4: Bake!

Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400F.

It’s that easy and absolutely delicious.

Be well,

Lynn

P.S.  I need to spread credit where credit is due: thanks to www.detoxinista.com for this updated recipe.

My new favorite “rice”

faux_rice

 After Thanksgiving I’m usually “potato-ed” out.  I’ve consumed my fair share of roasted and sweet potatoes and yams.  The day after I’m ready for a different side dish to my standard protein fat and veggies meal.  Yet, rice doesn’t settle well with me even though I enjoy the flavor.  Often I make dishes for my family that include rice:  fried rice, curry, rice bowls, for examples.  But I’ve needed a substitute.  

I can’t believe how ridiculously EASY and FAST this is to make. I had heard of cauliflower rice but couldn’t believe that it could truly substitute rice: the consistency and the tolerance for juices.  Boy, was I wrong.  It’s absolutely delicious and even faster to make than rice!

Recipe:

Cauliflower (in a Vitamix or blender for 30 seconds until it’s seriously chopped)

Sautee the chopped cauliflower in a pan in oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add in your favorite vegetables and seasonings.   

fauxfriedriceIt’s that easy.  And perfect for us paleo fans as well.

Be well,

Lynn

Having GABA issues? There’s a link that you should know about…

GABA is made in all neurons of the brain, is recycled through our energy systems (mitochondria) and aside from seretonin, is one of the major calming mechanisms built in the body. GABA is integrated into many of the anti epileptic drugs on the market and understood to play a factor into seizure disorders.

Glutamate, an amino acid, is recyled through the mitochondria using an enzyme (referred to as GAD, glutamate decarboxylase) and converted to GABA.  If the GAD enzyme is compromised or shunted, GABA is not produced which means, no calm.  Instead glutamate perpetuates and anxiety continues to climb.  This is not a good situation.  

Gluten intolerance and celiac disease create an autoimmune response that can attack the GAD enzyme mentioned above.  Again if the GAD enzyme is compromised or shunted, GABA cannot be made and anxiety builds.  There is no calm.  

Anxiety disorders are at an all time high.  Could a root cause be a gluten intolerance? Absolutely.  Depending on the time that the exposure has occurred can impact whether removing gluten is enough. Regardless, if you experience anxiety, entirely remove gluten.   As Dr. Tom O’Bryan states…’if you are a gluten intolerant you cannot consume even a little amount of gluten just like you can’t be a little bit pregnant’. 

Be well,

Lynn

Organic, healthy food and products at a fraction of the price. Is it possible?

In the last couple of weeks I’ve been receiving a blast of emails recommending that I check out Thrive Market.  It’s a new website that sells 4000 popular food, beauty,  baby and kids, home goods at discounted prices.  The catch is that there’s an annual fee of $59 (less than $5 per month). BUT you can buy products at a fraction of the cost, up to 50% off, and the products are shipped FREE to your home!  

Think “Costco meets Whole Foods”

Thrive Market’s mission is also philanthropic.  For every annual membership purchased one free membership is donated to a low-income family.  

So I gave it a look and was impressed.  We just recently ran out of fair trade, organic decaf coffee and found a product at Thrive at 12oz and only $8.45.  My kids love the “Kind” bars which Thrive offers a 12-pack at $15.99  (only $1.33 per bar!).  16 Larabars (I’m a sucker for the peanut butter chocolate chip) is only $18.99.  A 16 oz bag of coconut sugar is only $4.95.  Makeup, moisturizers and hair products appear affordable.  For one order of Kind bars I will recoup my $5 monthly fee.   Plus I’m a sucker for FREE SHIPPING.

Take a look at Thrive Market and let me know what you think.

Be well,

Lynn

 

Healthy School Lunches

Awhile back I posted on the Facebook page “School lunch ideas” that were gluten and dairy free.  Still it’s helpful to get more ideas that can look and taste delicious and meet their nutritional needs with minimally 2 veggies, 1 fat and 1 protein.  

This parent really stepped it up in presentation and in options.  

40 Days of Gluten Free Lunches

Be well,

Lynn

What do grain-free sandwiches look like?

Dr. Hyman, a functional medicine physician practicing with a strong emphasis on nutrition just wrote an excellent article on how to create satisfying, palatable even delicious grain free sandwiches.  The options are endless. My two favorites: grain-free waffle sandwiches AND wrap anything in nori!  (I have a super easy waffle recipe that you can freeze and use throughout the week.  I’ll post that tomorrow).

http://drhyman.com/blog/2015/03/19/food-bites-with-dr-hyman-grain-free-sandwiches/

Be well,

Lynn

Gluten Intolerance is “fake”?

Articles are surfacing claiming that gluten intolerance is not an actual experience and that it’s a “fad” or even “fake”. I’ve had a few of my clients raise this issue with me. The facts are that even the ‘nay-sayers’ can’t argue that science is disproving gluten intolerance. I love research but I’m happy to say I didn’t have to do that for this argument. The well-respected, researcher, Chris Kresser did it for me.

Here’s his article.

When Gluten-Free Is Not a Fad

Be well,
Lynn