Who doesn’t like mac ‘n cheese?  As one of the greatest comfort foods, this is the dish we all remember from when we were kids.  There’s something about it that just relaxes us, let’s us know things are going to be ok.  It’s calming.  Therapeutic.  And being one of those few foods that, with just one spoonful, can take you back to being a kid, it can be disheartening to say the least when you have to take it off your menu.  Well, turn that frown upside down!  You are about to enjoy the best mac ‘n cheese you’ve had since you were in grade school.

When I was first diagnosed with dairy and wheat issues, I figured I would never eat mac ‘n cheese again.  At the time I had never seen a gf/vegan version.  So, no problem, I thought, I’ll just make my own.  Yeah, right.  After trying some of the almond, rice and soy based cheese alternatives out there I soon realized that while it might be possible to create a “mac and cheese” type food, it certainly wasn’t the dish I remembered.  No, what I created back then wasn’t comfort food.  Not even close.  So, like a lot of you, I gave up.  Thankfully, I decided to try again.  Thanks to, who else, a kid.

About a week ago, my youngest daughter, who can’t eat dairy either, was hell-bent on having mac ‘n cheese for lunch.  But you can’t have dairy, I explained.  But what about “our cheese”, she asked.  Can’t you just use it to make our own?  As I stood there, pantry door open, staring at my little one looking up at me with those big blue eyes it came to me.  This just might work.  I may not have to stand idly by as my little daughter misses out on one of the best comfort food staples of childhood.  You see, ”our cheese” is how my 5 year old refers to the Daiya cheese we use.  Hhhmmm, Daiya melts pretty good I thought.  Tastes pretty good too.  Yes, yes…you know, this just might work.

The Line Up

GF cooked pasta of your choice (corn based, rice based, quinoa based, etc)
Alternative milk of your choice (we prefer rice or almond)
Daiya vegan cheese
Earth balance vegan butter
Salt & Pepper
Paprika
Turmeric
Onion Powder

The Game Plan

This recipe is amazingly simple to make.  You’ll notice that I haven’t included any measurements or amounts for any of the ingredients above, and that’s on purpose.  This recipe can be very easily adjusted to suite your own tastes - like more cheese?  Less cheese?  More sauce?  Less sauce?  Thick sauce?  Thin sauce?  By playing around a little, you will quickly find the ratios that work for you.  Now, with all that said, there are some “rules” you’ll want to follow to get it to turn out right.

First thing you’ll need to do is cook your pasta according to package directions.  When done, rinse in colander under hot water (this will rinse the pasta, but help keep it warm when you need to add it to the cheese).  In a medium sauce pan, heat a small amount of milk over medium heat.  Once heated enough, start adding the cheese, a little at a time.  This is where your own tastes will come into play.  You’ll keep adding cheese and maybe more milk, until you get the right thickness to your sauce.  You want to be careful not to boil it, and stir constantly as you add the cheese to help it melt.  Once the sauce is as thick as you want it, remove the pan from the stove and start adding the pasta.  Again, add a little at a time, stirring as you go.  You don’t want to add more pasta than your sauce can handle.  Finally, add a little salt, pepper, paprika, turmeric & onion powder to taste.

Now, get out a big bowl.  Fill with mac ‘n cheese.  Grab a comfy blanket.  Have a seat on the couch.  Relax and enjoy.

There are two things that I really love.  Making things myself and making healthy versions of unhealthy things.  When I found this recipe for Peppermint Patties on Elana’s Pantry, I immediately knew I wanted to try it.  The ingredients are incredibly simple, they are really easy to make and, forget for a moment that these can technically be called candy, they are really good for you!

The two main ingredients in these delicious little goodies are coconut oil and dark chocolate.  I know some of you may be thinking that coconut oil is too high in saturated fat to be considered “good for you”, but I’m telling you right now, don’t let the fact that coconut oil contains saturated fat scare you away.  There is plenty of recent research out there that shows there are different types of saturated fats and some are actually beneficial (like you needed things to be more confusing right??)  Much of the saturated fat found in coconuts is medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which include the healthy fats - lauric acid, caprylic acid and capric acid.  Of particular interest to those of us with Celiac disease is that MCFAs have been used to help in the absorption of nutrients.  Now I don’t know about you, but I am always looking for ways to help my gut heal and absorb all the nutrients it can.  When I think of the constant beating my gut was subjected to prior to going GF, it’s no wonder it still forgets how to do it’s job some days.

As far as chocolate is concerned, I know a lot of you love hearing that it has health benefits.  I mean, it’s not that you want to eat that chocolate, it’s that you need to because it’s good for you, right?  Well, maybe.  While it’s true that chocolate contains flavonoids which act as antioxidants, you need to eat the right chocolate to get all that good stuff.  Milk chocolate ain’t going to cut it.  If you are looking for the, “but it’s good for me” reason to eat chocolate, you need to stick with dark chocolate.  Bitter is better.  Dark chocolate contains a huge amount of antioxidants, up to 8 times the number found in strawberries!  That’s why you want to use a chocolate with a high percentage of cocao for this recipe.  Remember, we’re trying for health here just as much as we are for taste.

And speaking of taste…these are good, very, very good!

The Line Up

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp peppermint oil (organic if you can)
1/2 to 1 cup dark chocolate chips, melted (whatever brand you use, make sure they DO NOT contain milk)

The Game Plan

In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint oil, mixing with a spoon.  Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth.  Freeze the mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer.  Using a 1-1/2 tsp scoop, or small spoon, measure out little balls onto a parchment lined plate.  Place the plate in the freezer to firm up the mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer.  Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper.  Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip & remove).  This part can trip you up - If your chocolate is too hot when dipping the patties in, it will just melt right off and not stick.  Your chocolate needs to be cool enough not to melt the patty, but not too cold that it’s too thick.  Getting it just right may take a little practice.  Place patties on parchment paper to harden (takes about 10 minutes or so).

I’d love to tell you how these patties stored, but, in our house, they didn’t last very long at all.  If eating one is healthy, then eating six must be great for you.  At least that’s what I kept telling myself…

There are sometimes when I just don’t want pasta.  Or I simply forget to buy some.  And for the longest time, I would either drag myself to the store to pick some up, or I would find myself staring into the fridge at six o’clock, trying to revise our dinner plans at the last minute.  Well, the last time this happened, I decided to try something new.  I mean I had already thawed out the sauce and I was in my comfy clothes - I was not changing plans this time!  And guess what?  I was very pleasantly surprised!

Because I had no pasta, I needed something else that would become flexible and maintain its form when boiled.  I knew it wouldn’t be the same with just a big plate of mushy veggies with sauce on it.  No, I needed something that would fool me into thinking it really was plain old pasta hidden under all that sauce.  Hhhmmm…what about carrots?  We usually keep the big ten pound bag of organic carrots from Costco in our fridge at all times.  They’re cheap, they last just about forever and as I found out, have more uses than I originally thought.

I washed and peeled my carrots and cut off the ends.  I then cut them into very thin strips, about the width of linguine.  The key is to cut them thin enough so they cook quickly, but not so thin that they won’t maintain their form when cooked.  Once I had cut enough that I figured would be good for the four of us (which was A LOT), I dropped them into my pot of boiling water.  The great thing is that they took about the same time to cook as regular pasta - about 10 minutes or so.  I just kept fishing one out and trying it until it was no longer crunchy.  I drained them like I would regular pasta and they were ready to use.

The next time you find yourself craving a sauce covered pile of spaghetti and realize you don’t have pasta in the house, or you just want to try something different, you should give this a try.  It’s extremely healthy, tastes great and the neutral flavor of the carrots really lets you appreciate the flavors of your sauce.  And any excuse not to change out of comfy clothes has got to be worth trying.

In my opinion, some of the absolute best meals you can have are those that really only contain two things - meat and veggies.  Most meals that are made up of these two simple ingredients are generally quick to make and won’t heat up your house in the summer, especially if you like to grill.  The meat provides protein, long-chain fatty acids, B vitamins, iron and zinc - all of which are desperately needed by us Celiacs.  And of course the veggies provide a wide range of vitamins and minerals that do everything from support our immune systems to maintain strong bones to reduce inflammation and help with digestion.  The key thing to remember when you’re loading your plate with veggies is that the more naturally colorful it is, the more benefits you’ll get from eating them.

We originally found this delicious recipe in one of the Costco recipe books that they hand out every holiday season.  The great thing about it is that it didn’t really take much tweaking on our part to make it GF, as it was pretty good as it was.  Since finding it, we’ve made these for holiday parties, get togethers and on those hot summer days when we have zero interest in heating up the kitchen any more than it already is.

The Line Up

2 TBSP canola or grapeseed oil
1 lb ground turkey
2 cups finely chopped white mushrooms
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1-1/2 TBSP crushed garlic
1/3 cup Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tsp GF Worcestershire sauce (we use Lea & Perrins*)
Romaine hearts

Garnishes
Diced or grated carrots
Diced cucumbers
Chopped peanuts
Sliced green onions
Diced red peppers
Avocado

The Game Plan

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add turkey and stir, breaking ground turkey into small pieces.  Stir in mushrooms, ginger and garlic.  Continue to stir and cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until the mushroom liquid has evaporated.

Stir in Bragg’s and vinegar.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes to blend flavors.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

Arrange lettuce leaves on a platter.  Spoon the filling into the lettuce leaves and garnish as desired.

*Just a note, we’ve heard, though haven’t confirmed, that the Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce sold outside the US is not GF.  The sauce sold in the US however, is GF (says so right on the bottle).

Well friends, as we speed towards the inevitable fall, it seems as though summer - as always - isn’t going away without a fight.  Just as I’m starting to welcome the idea of cooler days, I see it’s supposed to be about 100-degrees for us here this weekend.  Ugh.  While I do love summer, I’m not a huge fan of triple digit temps.  It’s too hot to be outside, it’s uncomfortable inside and even we find it hard to want to cook anything.  We will however, bust out the blender.

I’m sure many of you have had an Orange Julius at some point in your life, and this recipe is a take off that unique and tasty drink.  It’s cool, refreshing and will help get you through these final, oh so hot days of summer.

The Line Up

2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup non-dairy milk (we usually use rice milk)
2-3 TBSP sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
1 TBSP vanilla

Ice cubes (as many or few as you like.  A few will give you a thin drink, a lot will give you an icy/slushy drink)

The Game Plan

Add to blender.  Blend until smooth.

We absolutely love this time of year, when we are right in the midst of all the wonderful food summer brings!  Right now, organic strawberries have been on sale at amazingly low prices where we live and we have been taking advantage of that on an almost daily basis.  Fresh strawberries on our cereal, in our smoothies, in our ice cream, in our popsicles, in our quinoa, in our salads and the list goes on and on!  But, even with all that, our favorite way to enjoy these wonderful little red fruits is mounded on a fresh, homemade shortcake with a bit of homemade coconut milk “whipped cream” thrown in for good measure.

Ahhhh, summer…

The Line Up (Shortcakes)

3/4 cup Teff
3/4 cup Brown Rice
1/4 cup Millet
1/4 cup Potato Starch
1/4 cup Tapioca Starch

1 tsp Xanthan gum
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Salt

3/4 cup Coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk)
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Canola oil
1 tsp Vanilla

The Game Plan

Whisk together dry ingredients.  In a large bowl, blend sugar and canola oil.  Add vanilla.  Add dry mix and milk alternately until a stiff dough forms.  Drop by large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Sprinkle with sugar and bake at 350-degrees for 25-30 minutes until golden and firm.  Makes 6.

When cool, cut cakes in half.  Spoon strawberries over middle, cover with tops, spoon on more strawberries and top with coconut cream.  Enjoy your summer evening!

You know, it always cracks me up when I hear people talking about how the gluten free diet is so restrictive and they are so sad that they are missing out on certain foods…sniff…poor things…

Have you been feeling deprived lately?  Once you take a bite of this sundae, you’ll be just fine.

The Line Up

Gluten Free Brownie (either your own recipe, one of the many pre-packaged mixes available, or a delicious fudgy brownie from The Celiac Maniac)

Scoop of GF/DF “ice cream” (we LOVE Turtle Mountain’s Coconut Milk Ice Cream)

Drizzle of chocolate ganache (see recipe below)

Sliced up strawberry

Chocolate, Coconut Milk Ganache

1/2 cup Full Fat Coconut Milk
1 cup GF/DF Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Slowly bring the milk to a slight boil.  As soon as it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add the chocolate chips.  Let sit for about 1 minute, then whisk until smooth.

You can refrigerate any unused portion.  It will get solid in the fridge and you can either use it in its firm form to make truffles (yum!) or simply microwave until liquid to drizzle over cakes or more ice cream!  We think it should last about a week or two in the fridge, but ours never lasts that long so we’re not quite sure…

By: The Maniac
January recipe in the Celiac Maniac 2010 GF/Vegan Calendar

Nachos are one of my favorite snacks, and when I was diagnosed with dairy allergies, it was a little depressing - ok really depressing - knowing that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy these anymore.  They just aren’t the same without cheese you know?  Oh, I wanted to try cheese alternatives, but it seems like every single one I looked at had casein in it - will someone please explain to me how something with casein as an ingredient is dairy-free??  So, eventually I couldn’t live in denial any longer and accepted the fact that I would never enjoy my nachos again…poor me…

But wait!  Don’t feel too bad for me yet - this story does have a happy ending after all.  (I know, you feel better don’t you…)  Thanks to a fairly new company, even if you’re gluten-free and can’t eat dairy, there’s absolutely no reason why you can’t enjoy a big ole plate of my beloved nachos, piled high with “cheese”!  Yes, my friends, the cheese in the picture above is not really cheese at all, but a non-dairy alternative from Daiya Foods (actually, it’s free of all common allergens - no soy, casein, lactose, gluten, egg, wheat, barley, corn, whey, rice & nuts).  So the next time you’re in the mood for some nachos - have at it!  They’re quick, easy and best of all - you won’t be missing a thing!

Hold on now, the cheese isn’t the only great thing about these nachos, oh no.  Rather than buying a big bag of pre-made tortilla chips, we make our own, using Food for Life’s Corn Tortillas.  What makes these special you ask?  Well, for one thing they’re made from freshly sprouted 100% organic whole kernal corn - not corn meal or corn flour.  Not only does this give the tortilla a much better taste, but it has some health benefits too.  Sprouting increases the vitamin content, neutralizes phytic acid (a substance present in grains that inhibits absorption of nutrients) and produces enzymes that break down amino acid protein bonds to promote digestibility of the entire grain.  I don’t know about you, but I’m all for easier digestibility.

Now, you’ve waited long enough - go make your nachos!

The Line Up

GF/Homemade corn tortilla chips (made from Food For Life Sprouted Corn Tortillas)

Shredded vegan cheddar cheese (we use Daiya)

1 can black beans

Black olives, sliced
Tomatoes, sliced
Avocado, sliced

The Game Plan

Preheat oven to 325-degrees.
Cut tortillas into triangles, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt and arrange on baking sheet in single layer.  Bake tortillas for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly browned.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Arrange tortilla chips on a plate, cover with black beans, black olives, tomatoes and top with cheese.  Microwave until cheese is melted.  Top with avocado slices.
Enjoy!

By: Tammy & The Maniac

While it seems the rest of the country is dealing with snow and a deep freeze, we are stuck with temps in the mid-40’s and rain…sigh…It’s January and I want to be dealing with snow and cold temps too!  Oh well…to show what a good sport I am, I figured I’d post a quick, easy and warm meal for all my friends who are currently dealing with a grumpy old man winter.  Doesn’t it make shoveling all that snow easier to deal with, knowing you have a nice warm dinner waiting for you when you’re done? 

You can thank me later.

Crock Pot Beans - The Line Up

1 lb dry pinto beans
1 small red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
2 heaping tsps salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 TBSP chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 cup honey (or brown sugar)
2 TBSP Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or wheat-free soy sauce)
1/3 cup ketchup
About 1 cup water

The Game Plan

Soak beans overnight.  Now, this is the part that always got me before.  Either I wouldn’t remember, or I just wasn’t sure how much water to put in, or I didn’t think I had the time.  Don’t let this keep you from experimenting and partaking in the wonders of the very frugal, very generous dried bean!  Write it on the calendar, set your timer to go off before bedtime, write a big note and tape it to your forehead - do whatever you need to do to remind yourself to put those dried beans (rinsed) into a large stock pot and cover with water.  I usually put the water almost to the top, just to make sure those beans have enough room to soak up some water and puff up a bit.

In the morning, drain the beans and put them in the crock pot.  Add your chopped onion and jalapeno, then pour in your can of diced tomatoes.  Give it a stir.  Add spices, honey, Bragg’s and ketchup and stir until combined.  Add just enough of the water to cover everything, usually about 1 cup.  Put the crock pot on low and…get this..WALK AWAY…I REPEAT…WALK AWAY.  Your dinner is now taken care of!  In about 6-7 hours on low, your beans will be hot and yummy, without any fuss!  We like ours with homemade GF Vegan Cornbread (see recipe below), topped with some Earth Balance Vegan Butter and honey.  But beans are a great side dish, or topped with onions, cheese (vegan or regular), sour cream (regular or we use plain soy yogurt instead), or try topping baked potatoes with them.  Very warm and satisfying, they make a great go-to meal before the big game or any busy week night that you don’t want to stand in front of the stove after working all day or for when you are cold, wet and tired from dealing with all the snow!

Gluten-Free/Vegan Cornbread - The Line Up

1-1/4 cup cornmeal (I used Bob’s Corn Grits - but see note below**)
1/2 cup Sorghum flour
1/2 cup Brown rice flour
3/4 cup Potato starch
2 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp Baking soda
2 tsp Baking powder
1-1/2 tsp Sea salt
Optional: try 1 tsp of chili powder added in for some spice, or maybe some green chilis

1/2 cup honey (or brown sugar)
3/4 cup HOT water

1 TBSP Flax meal mixed with 3 TBSP Hot water

1/2 cup Applesauce mixed with 1 tsp Baking powder (or try Egg Replacer for 2 eggs)

The Game Plan

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.  Lightly grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet or 10×10 baking pan.  Whisk together dry ingredients (1st 8 ingredients) in a large bowl.  Mix your flax meal w/ water and your applesauce with baking powder.  Add the honey, hot water, flax meal mixture and applesauce mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon.

Pour batter into prepared skillet or pan and bake, on center rack in oven, for 30-40 minutes.  It will be golden brown on top and the sides will start to pull away from the pan.  I only make this in the skillet, so I let mine go closer to the 40 minute mark.  I believe the baking pan will take a little less time, say closer to the 30 minute mark.  Go ahead and press lightly in the center of the cornbread, it should give slightly, but be fairly firm to the touch and bounce back a bit.  If it sinks and sits there, it’s not done yet.  It’s way easier to under cook these than over cook them, as the applesauce gives them plenty of moisture.  Like we said, these are great served hot, with some Earth Balance Vegan Butter and honey drizzled on!

** Note - if using grits, I mixed them with about 1/2 cup non-dairy milk and let them soak for about 20 minutes before adding to the recipe.  Otherwise, they didn’t soften enough and the cornbread was a bit crunchy.  Not good.

Well, the hectic pace of Christmas is behind us.  On one hand, it’s so depressing to think that wonderful time of year is now an entire year away again, but on the other, I’m tired from being so ridiculously busy for the last month that I almost welcome taking decorations down (except those lights outside…those puppies will hang, lightless, for at least another month).

One thing I really enjoyed this holiday was the food.  Having been diagnosed early this year, this was my first Christmas where I couldn’t eat any gluten, dairy or eggs.  And while there was a ton of food out on the table that I couldn’t eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, my wife did an amazing job of keeping a lot of delicious food in front of me - simply put, I ate like a pig and it was great. 

Ever since I was diagnosed this past January, I’ve battled with setbacks, possible issues with other foods and just trying to figure it all out.  Like a lot of other Celiacs, when I didn’t feel better in 2 days, I thought I was having other issues, but I think the healing process is just taking longer with me (I ate a ton of food this past week - and a lot of it was stuff that I didn’t think I could have (sugar, certain grains) - and I feel great).  I talk to people all the time that tell me how they gained 20 lbs as soon as they went GF, but so far, I’ve dropped about 25lbs.  Thankfully it was all weight I could stand to lose anyway - I’ve got abs!  - but I think the majority of the weight loss was because I just wasn’t eating.  I had felt so bad for so long, once I knew what the problem was I became so nervous about everything I was eating - I figured it was easier to feel good if I just didn’t eat much at all or was very selective about what I did eat.  Not going to gain much weight eating carrots, apples and spinach.  The thing is, I never stopped to think that in order to heal faster, I should have been eating - supplying my body with the nutrients it needs to fix itself.

Anyway, now that the holidays are behind us, I’ve actually got some leftovers…er…did have some leftovers (my body’s been loving the extra calories and I’ve since finished off every last bit of “extra” food we had).  One of the best breakfasts I put together from these leftovers was this great sandwich.  With a fresh smoothie to wash it down, I was in heaven.  What a way to start the day!

GF “Leftover” Breakfast Sandwich

2 slices The Celiac Maniac GF/Vegan Rosemary/Kalamata Olive bread
1 sml organic zucchini, diced
Organic yellow onion, diced
Leftover beef tenderloin, cut into small pieces
3-4 thin slices Daiya Cheddar Style Cheese

Heat a little olive oil in a pan over medium heat.  Add zucchini, cook for about 2 minutes, or until softened.  Add onion, cook for another 2 minutes, or until slightly opaque.  Add tenderloin and cook for another 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.  Toast bread.  Place one slice of bread on plate and add veggie/meat mixture.  Top with Daiya cheese and other slice of bread.

Smoothie

3/4 - 1 cup frozen blueberries
1 medium sized carrot
8oz organic unfiltered apple juice
4-6oz lite coconut milk
1 good tsp vanilla extract

Add everything to the blender and blend until smooth.  Enjoy!

Now go eat!