Did you know that May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month? A proclamation by the New York State Senate, in tandem with many promotions, articles, and events by celiac groups has been responsible for the tremendous buzz about this often misdiagnosed disease. In this week’s Intro to Cooking installment, not only will you get some background info on celiac disease, but some tasty gluten-free tips!

What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is the proper name for those with intolerance of gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale (and for most, oats). Many conventional foods, including cereal, pasta, bread, beer, cookies, and other processed foods, are off-limits to those with Celiac disease. There is no known cure for the disease, and its only treatment is a lifelong commitment to a gluten-free diet. Accidental ingestion of gluten can result in nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea,  rash, or a host of other symptoms.

OMG you can’t have bread?! What do you eat? Will going gluten-free help me lose weight?
Contrary to popular belief, going gluten-free is not a surefire weight loss strategy. For those with Celiac disease, elimination of gluten may help them gain weight, because the ingestion of gluten blocks the absorption of proper nutrients and result in malnutrition. However, eliminating gluten from one’s diet and focusing on eating lots of fruits, vegetables, beans, lean meats, dairy, and other whole foods will contribute to a healthier lifestyle. Still, Celiac Disease Awareness Month is all about promoting wholesome, tasty, gluten-free alternatives to the foods we love! Read More »

I’m a runner, and I have celiac disease, which means I’m always on the lookout for fresh, healthy recipes that will satisfy my sensitive and insatiable stomach. So when I stumbled upon a blog called The Runner’s Kitchen, I knew I’d hit the jackpot. Its runner-author, Megan, is always serving up creative and tasty dishes that are simple to follow and great for inspiration beyond the poor-college-student-rice-and-beans diet that seems to account for much of my caloric intake.

My personal favorite of hers is a recipe for Spanish Ratatouille, which I’ve modified slightly below. It’s great to make in one big batch, either to portion out over the week (it reheats nicely) or to serve when you’re trying to impress the roomies. Besides being gluten-free, this hearty, filling, and flavorful dish is also vegetarian!

Ingredients

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
salt & pepper
1 large red onion
3 cloves garlic
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 eggplant
1 jalapeño
2 jars roasted red peppers
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained
3 cups (dry) brown rice, cooked (optional) Read More »

Do you loooove breakfast, so much so that you often eat it again for lunch, and dinner? You could pull off the thrice-daily cereal routine -and yes, I’ve been a culprit – but as great as three servings of Frosted Flakes tastes, I’ve got a dish for you that is as wholesome as a hot breakfast, delicious as a quick lunch, and hearty as a home-cooked dinner. It’s easy, it’s quick, and it’s ethnic to boot.

It’s shakshouka!

Native to North Africa and the Middle East, shakshouka is a breakfast often served straight out of the skillet, with a side of pita bread in which to stuff the piping hot concoction. However, I am a celiac, which means I’m gluten-intolerant (can’t eat anything containing wheat, barley, or rye).  I’m also a distance runner, and I’m constantly looking for more protein to stay full and rebuild muscle. Hence, the following recipe, which reflects my own spin on the ethnic favorite. The chickpeas and black beans offer lean, healthy proteins and the rice, a staple in the celiac diet, allows this classic breakfast to transition easily to lunch or dinner.

Yeah, it might be hard to pronounce, but this stuff is easy to make.
See for yourself!  Read More »

Chocolate and Peanut Butter. Seriously, is there anything better? These cookies are flourless (gluten free!), fabulous, and perfect for a quick pick-me-up for yourself and friends when everyone is in need of some serious sugar therapy.

What You Need:

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

1/2 cup chocolate chunks

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 small bag of mini peanut butter cups Read More »

[I swear this is not a PMS list -- though after compiling it I realized that's exactly what it looks like.]

This is my tribute, my thank you, my ode to certain foods for being so delicious (albeit not very nutritious) that I consume them in mass quantities and therefore am forced to spend far more time at the gym than I’d like. In no particular order the foods that I’d do anything for are:

1) French fries: Regular, sweet potato, waffle, frozen, deep fried to crispy, baked – I don’t care how they were cooked or in what form I get them, but I need them and I need them with like half of a bottle of ketchup. They’re vegetables though, right? No matter how much I eat, I always always always have room for fries, whether I order them or you do. I especially have room if you ordered them and I got a side salad.

2) Nutella: It’s really versatile if you consider all of the pairing options. Fruit like strawberries and bananas are begging for Nutella and it’is fantastic on bread or waffles or crackers. I am such a mixer that I also add it to ice cream and cake and you can use it in pies to line the graham cracker crusts with chocolately goodness (well, I do). Despite the mixing options, my favorite way to consume it: off of a spoon, straight from the jar. Read More »