Gluten- Free 101

Today one of my friends mentioned that she is going on a gluten- free diet, and was wondering what kind of foods were both gluten and dairy free (she is also lactose intolerant). So I thought this would be a good opportunity to talk about the diet itself. I guess it would be a good idea to start by demolishing a few myths about the diet.

Myth #1: "Wheat- Free" means "Gluten Free"
Truth: Even if a product is wheat- free, it could still contain rye, barley, or other grains that are not gluten- free. You need to check the label to make sure that it doesn't contain any of these grains.

Myth #2: Saying no to gluten means saying no to grains.
Truth: There are actually several grains such as rice and tapioca that are gluten- free. The key is to make sure that you only eat these grains, not the ones that contain gluten.

Now that we've taken care of that, we can really dive into what it means to be gluten- free.The good news is that there are so many more resources now than there used to be. Back when I first went on the diet, there was very little awareness about gluten- free dieting, and my mom had to get the necessary supplies via mail- order and make everything from scratch. Now there are all sorts of recipes and gluten- free products available. However, I still have had to give up a lot of things. When on a gluten- free diet, it is very hard to eat out very often. Although restaurants have been attempting to offer gluten- free options, cross contamination is very likely, and it is not guaranteed that the food will be completely gluten- free. As a result, the best option is to simply cook your own food and eat at home. I hope that I have been providing some good recipes that can be used.

So when it comes to cooking gluten- free, it is very important to make sure that there is no cross- contamination. It is a good idea to designate certain utensils as being used for gluten- free cooking only. In my house, we use a double toaster. One side is designated as gluten- free only. It is important to take these steps since even a small amount of gluten can cause problems in some people.

The other important thing is to ALWAYS read labels. You should never assume that something is gluten- free. So when you are buying ingredients for use in recipes, it is important to make sure that the ingredient is gluten free. Otherwise that ingredient could cause some problems.

Here is a list of some foods that are gluten free:
Rice (white or brown)
Fresh fruits and Vegetables (I eat these a lot)
Corn
Tapioca
Eggs

These are some foods that are sometimes gluten- free. I have listed brands that are gluten- free.
Lunchmeat- You will need to check the label very carefully. If you are also allergic to milk, you should only get the kind that is already packaged (Since the slicers are also used for cheese).
Ketchup and Mustard (Heinz is gluten free)
Fried foods- You need to be very careful with these. Some foods can be coated with flour and oil can be contaminated. Your best bet is to make these yourself.
Hamburger and hot dogs- Ball park hot dogs are gluten free. Hamburgers can sometimes contain bread crumbs and other fillers that are not gluten free. Your best option is to buy the meat and make the hamburgers yourself.
Mayo- Not all kinds of mayonnaise are gluten- free. You should check the label. This is also true for products that contain mayo, such as potato salad.
Broth- Boullion cubes usually contain wheat, so I don't reccomend using them. Pacific Natural Foods makes gluten- free broths

Foods that are NOT gluten- free
Bread and other baked goods (unless specifically listed as gluten- free)
croutons
colas
beer  (for those of you over 21)
pasta (unless specifically listed as gluten- free)
MOST cereals (for a list of gluten- free cereals, check my resources)

This should start you out pretty well. If you have any additional questions about going gluten-free I recommend Living Without magazine, which contains tips for living with food allergies. Gluten- Free Living for Dummies is also a good book for people who are going gluten- free. I also have several other recipe books that I can recommend if you need additional resources.

Spice Rubbed Pork with Quinoa

Since this is my first time posting in awhile I'll just say that junior year has started and that means a lot has been going on. We're finally on Midwinter Break which means that I finally get a chance to cook my favorite recipes.

So this is a recipe that I found in the April 2011 issue of Food Network magazine. It turned out really well and the quinoa went really well with the pork. I would also recommend serving it with salsa verde as it really went well with the spices in the pork.

Here's the link to the recipe:
 http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/spice-rubbed-pork-with-quinoa-recipe/index.html