Gluten-Free Surprises
“Gluten-Free” as a food concept in our
daily lives has a relatively recent history. Looking at our supermarket
shelves, abundantly stocked with items termed Gluten-Free, it is hard to
believe that 20 years ago, you might have been lucky to find a single package
of Gluten-Free baking mix. Celiac Disease (CD) was barely becoming known and
it’s diagnosis and treatment were still in their infancy.
Celiac Disease is the result of a
body’s intestinal immune response to eating gluten, an abundant protein in
wheat, barley and rye in our food. The missing autoantigen, identified as
tissue transglutaminase, leads to inflammation of the small intestine,
diarrhea, malabsorption of vitamins and other nutrients and results in the
variety of symptoms associated with chronic CD.
It is estimated that 1 in 100
individuals are now affected worldwide. It’s causes are genetic, dietetic and
other factors, such as gastrointestinal infections. CD has a fascinating history. The disease probably cropped up at the time
when our ancestors diet shifted from hunter-gatherer to agricultural sources
and some could not easily adapt to the new antigen -gluten in their food. A
Greek physician described “Coeleac Affect”
in 1st century AD, but it took 17 centuries before it was again
described in England without much notice. Dietary intervention in children was
attempted in early 20th century with mussels and bananas with mixed
success. The bread shortages in the
Netherlands during WWII led to the first observations of positive improvements
in children with CD and after 1990 CD was readily diagnosed using immunological
tests.
My awareness of this topic goes back
some 20 years, when I had to set up a drawer for “Gluten-Free” cooking in our
kitchen, as our younger son was diagnosed with CD and I vowed to cook him a
Gluten-Free Thanksgiving dinner. Such endeavors have become easier with time,
but coming up with tasty and different dishes for such meals is a challenge. On
a visit last month our daughter in law Marie shared with me an intriguing
recipe, which I only attempted recently with a couple of modifications. Roast
cauliflower has long been a favorite on our table, but this recipe gives it a
new twist. It’s surprising flavor and
relative ease of preparation were worth the effort.
White
Cauliflower Pizza with Artichokes
In a Cuisinart pulse a small head of
broken up cauliflower until the consistency of rough rice. You should have 3
cups. Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment
paper. Squeeze out any excess moisture from the riced cauliflower with a paper
towel. In a large bowl mix: 3 cups riced cauliflower, 1 egg beaten with salt
and pepper, 1 cup coarsely shredded mix of mozzarella and provolone and 3
minced garlic cloves. Mix thoroughly by hand. Spread the ‘dough’ thinly on
parchment lined pan, shaping in an oblong shape and pat it down to firm. Bake for 20 minutes until slightly browned
around the edges. Remove from oven and
spread with another cup coarsely shredded mozzarella-provolone mix. Sprinkle the top with ½ (14 oz. can) drained and chopped
artichokes, ¼ cup sautéed kale or thinly slivered sundried tomatoes. Return to
oven and roast at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes until cheese is melted and
crust is crispy around the edges. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, cut in
wedges and serve.
Roasted Beets
with Caramelized Onions
This can be a hearty side dish or salad. Roast 2 large red and 2 large
yellow beets in a 400 degree oven for an hour, cool, peel and cut in bite size
¼ slices. Heat 2 tblsp. olive oil in a large pan and sauté 2 medium onions
quartered lengthwise and sliced in thick slices. Cook onions on moderate heat
with stirring for 20 minutes. Make dressing; 2 tblsp. cider vinegar, 1 tsp.
chopped capers, 1 tsp. whole grain Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp. salt, ¼ tsp. pepper, 3
tblsp. olive oil. Mix the caramelized onions with the dressing and toss well
with the beets. Toss with 3 oz. crumbled feta cheese and serve sprinkled with
toasted pine nuts.
Surprising and tasty combinations of
ingredients are always welcome.
(I. Winicov
Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and
Well for Less than $5.00 a Day: the Smart-Frugal Food Plan”; website:
www.winicov-harrington.com)
No comments:
Post a Comment