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| 7 months. No, that's not a wig. |
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Recipe: Stuffed Eggplants (Gluten & Dairy Free)
My husband used to tell me he didn't like eggplant. He didn't like raisins either. Then I made him this dish, and he no longer complains about either. There are more complicated versions of this recipe out there, but I like to keep things simple, so this is how I usually make them. The flavour is a little bit sweet from the raisins, making it kid friendly, and it's a great way to introduce them to a vegetable that is usually a hard sell. If you prefer, add some hot pepper or some cumin to deepen the flavour, or a squeeze of lemon juice.
Ingredients
(Serves 4, one eggplant half per person)
2 large eggplants
1 (19 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic,minced
1/2 cup raisins (large Sultana raisins are best, check to make sure they are gluten free)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
(Oven 350F)
1-Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, and lay on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt on cut parts, and let sit for 15 minutes. The salt will draw out the bitterness. Rinse eggplants and dry.
2- Place eggplants cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes, or until the inside flesh is cooked and soft, and can be scooped out. Let cool until easy to handle, and scoop flesh out into a large frying pan with olive oil. Break into small, bite sized pieces. Leave skins aside for stuffing.
3- Add tomatoes, garlic, onion, cinnamon and raisins. Cook over medium heat until onion is cooked and mixture has thickened, approx. 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4- Fill eggplant skins with mixture and serve.
If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate. Heat in a 350F oven until warmed through to serve.
Ingredients
(Serves 4, one eggplant half per person)
2 large eggplants
1 (19 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic,minced
1/2 cup raisins (large Sultana raisins are best, check to make sure they are gluten free)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
(Oven 350F)
1-Slice eggplants in half lengthwise, and lay on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt on cut parts, and let sit for 15 minutes. The salt will draw out the bitterness. Rinse eggplants and dry.
2- Place eggplants cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for approx. 20 minutes, or until the inside flesh is cooked and soft, and can be scooped out. Let cool until easy to handle, and scoop flesh out into a large frying pan with olive oil. Break into small, bite sized pieces. Leave skins aside for stuffing.
3- Add tomatoes, garlic, onion, cinnamon and raisins. Cook over medium heat until onion is cooked and mixture has thickened, approx. 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4- Fill eggplant skins with mixture and serve.
If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate. Heat in a 350F oven until warmed through to serve.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Recipe: Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini
Traditionally this recipe is made with flour and regular breadcrumbs, as well as cheese, but I make them gluten and dairy free for my son. They have good flavour and look like they were a lot of work to make, but really they're simple. They work well as a side dish.
Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
(Serves 4, 1/2 zucchini per person)
2 large zucchini
150 g sliced mushrooms (approx. 1/2 pack sliced mushrooms), diced into small pieces
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1 onion, diced
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: shredded mozzarella or grated Parmesan
Feel free to stuff your zucchini with anything you like. Bell peppers, spinach, mashed chickpeas, all would make great stuffing.
Directions
Oven at 350F
1- Wash zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on baking sheet and cook for approx. 15 minutes, or until inside is cooked and easily scooped out. While zucchini is cooking, finely chop mushrooms, onions, and parsley, and mince garlic.
2- Remove cooked zucchini from oven and scoop out flesh when they are cool enough to handle. Reserve skins for stuffing. Place flesh of zucchini in a large frying pan with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and parsley. Add breadcrumbs and enough oil to moisten mixture (1-2 tablespoons to start, add more if needed later.) Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and onions are cooked and mixture begins to stick together.
3- Remove from heat and stuff mixture into zucchini skins. If using cheese, sprinkle on top. Sprinkle zucchini with a light layer of breadcrumbs and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven until breadcrumbs are golden. Serve immediately.
For more recipes, check out the Recipes Tab.
Gluten Free Stuffed Zucchini
Ingredients
(Serves 4, 1/2 zucchini per person)
2 large zucchini
150 g sliced mushrooms (approx. 1/2 pack sliced mushrooms), diced into small pieces
1/2 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1 onion, diced
1 handful parsley, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
Optional: shredded mozzarella or grated Parmesan
Feel free to stuff your zucchini with anything you like. Bell peppers, spinach, mashed chickpeas, all would make great stuffing.
Directions
Oven at 350F
1- Wash zucchini and slice in half lengthwise. Place cut side down on baking sheet and cook for approx. 15 minutes, or until inside is cooked and easily scooped out. While zucchini is cooking, finely chop mushrooms, onions, and parsley, and mince garlic.
2- Remove cooked zucchini from oven and scoop out flesh when they are cool enough to handle. Reserve skins for stuffing. Place flesh of zucchini in a large frying pan with mushrooms, onion, garlic, and parsley. Add breadcrumbs and enough oil to moisten mixture (1-2 tablespoons to start, add more if needed later.) Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat until mushrooms and onions are cooked and mixture begins to stick together.
3- Remove from heat and stuff mixture into zucchini skins. If using cheese, sprinkle on top. Sprinkle zucchini with a light layer of breadcrumbs and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Place in the oven until breadcrumbs are golden. Serve immediately.
For more recipes, check out the Recipes Tab.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan
Monday: Red Lentil Soup & Stuffed Zucchini
Tuesday: Stuffed Eggplant with Tomatoes & Raisins with a Side of Steamed Rice
Wednesday: Gluten Free Pasta with Meatballs
Thursday: Stuffed Poblano Peppers & Spanish Rice
Friday: Chickpea & Spinach Stir Fry over Quinoa
Friday, March 22, 2013
The Struggle for Balance Continues
Every time I think we've gotten our son's diet under control, new things pop up. I know that this is common, that people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity often have problems with other foods, but that doesn't make it any less frustrating. The past few weeks, my son has been breaking out in rashes, and his appetite has gone through the roof again. He also has several inflamed glands, which is a source of concern for us.
He used to be completely dairy free, but over time we introduced goat milk, and that went well. Then, we introduced some cow's milk, a bit at a time, to see how his body would react. It went well for a while, but now I'm not so sure. On top of that, last week his mouth broke out in a rash after eating peanut butter. Some days he gets a rash when he hasn't had either milk or peanuts, so now we're kind of stumped.
So here's what we're going to do.
An elimination diet. We've done this before, but I know that food sensitivities can change at any time, so we're going to do it again. This is never fun, but it's important that we figure out what's going on with his body. He's started eating adult sized portions again, which usually only happens after he's been glutened. The other day he ate: 1 bowl of cereal with milk, a peach, a bowl of cantaloupe, 4 slices of gluten free bread with jam, 2 bowls of soup, 2 cucumbers, 2 fruit cups, 1 bowl of chili, 2 slices of cheese, 1 bowl of yogurt, 2 tortillas, 3 eggs, and 4 slices of roast beef. He was still so hungry he was begging for more food. Actually whining and begging and pleading for more because he was so hungry. He's four years old.
Four years old and in the 40th percentile for height and weight, despite how much he eats. I worry that he's not absorbing enough nutrients. So on top of the elimination diet to see what foods make him break out, we're also adding a probiotic to his daily vitamin. We don't feed him a lot of processed food, but we're going to increase his intake of fruits and vegetables, lentils and beans. We're also going to be keeping a detailed food journal and fill in a chart that will demonstrate whether he's getting an adequate amount of vitamins and nutrients every day.
Our doctor has scheduled a follow up ultrasound for his glands, and we're going to get allergy testing done again, even though we know he's young and the tests aren't always accurate at this age.
Spring has arrived, and this year the spring cleaning has everything to do with cleaning up his diet. It's pretty good right now, but there's always room for improvement. Wish us luck!
He used to be completely dairy free, but over time we introduced goat milk, and that went well. Then, we introduced some cow's milk, a bit at a time, to see how his body would react. It went well for a while, but now I'm not so sure. On top of that, last week his mouth broke out in a rash after eating peanut butter. Some days he gets a rash when he hasn't had either milk or peanuts, so now we're kind of stumped.
So here's what we're going to do.
An elimination diet. We've done this before, but I know that food sensitivities can change at any time, so we're going to do it again. This is never fun, but it's important that we figure out what's going on with his body. He's started eating adult sized portions again, which usually only happens after he's been glutened. The other day he ate: 1 bowl of cereal with milk, a peach, a bowl of cantaloupe, 4 slices of gluten free bread with jam, 2 bowls of soup, 2 cucumbers, 2 fruit cups, 1 bowl of chili, 2 slices of cheese, 1 bowl of yogurt, 2 tortillas, 3 eggs, and 4 slices of roast beef. He was still so hungry he was begging for more food. Actually whining and begging and pleading for more because he was so hungry. He's four years old.
Four years old and in the 40th percentile for height and weight, despite how much he eats. I worry that he's not absorbing enough nutrients. So on top of the elimination diet to see what foods make him break out, we're also adding a probiotic to his daily vitamin. We don't feed him a lot of processed food, but we're going to increase his intake of fruits and vegetables, lentils and beans. We're also going to be keeping a detailed food journal and fill in a chart that will demonstrate whether he's getting an adequate amount of vitamins and nutrients every day.
Our doctor has scheduled a follow up ultrasound for his glands, and we're going to get allergy testing done again, even though we know he's young and the tests aren't always accurate at this age.
Spring has arrived, and this year the spring cleaning has everything to do with cleaning up his diet. It's pretty good right now, but there's always room for improvement. Wish us luck!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Gluten Free Gnocchi in a Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
This is quite honestly the simplest thing you will probably ever make, yet the flavour is incredible and the texture rivals any good cream sauce. I use this sauce as a pasta sauce, but it could easily be used for chicken or even pork. I used to make a really complicated sauce from scratch, with milk and gluten free flour and spices, but now I rarely bother. This is just easier. It is too much dairy for my son, so it's something I usually make for my husband and we serve our son some pasta with tomato sauce.
There is some discussion around whether blue cheeses are gluten free. Some types were once made by molding on bread, but most are no longer produced this way. Make sure the brand you purchase is indeed gluten free.
Ingredients
(Makes enough sauce for 2 packages of gnocchi, or one 450g bag of regular pasta.)
1 box Campbell's Stock First Cream Stock (Gluten Free, but always check labels)
1 piece (approx. 150-200 g) Gorgonzola cheese ** I just buy a wedge at the local supermarket, and add until the sauce tastes the way I like.
2 pks. Gluten Free Gnocchi, or one 450g Bag GF Pasta
Directions
1- Pour Cream Stock into a sauce pot and heat over medium heat.
2- Cut Gorgonzola into cubes and add to pot a few cubes at a time, whisking until melted. Taste after every few cheese cubes have melted, and stop adding when the desired flavour is achieved. I like mine strong, so I usually use the whole piece.
3- While the sauce is cooking, boil water for the pasta. Drop in the gnocchi. They only take about 2-3 minutes to cook. When they float to the top, skim them out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl. Do not rinse.
3- Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss to coat. Season if desired with some black pepper or chopped parsley.
This sauce looks and tastes decadent, but is beyond simple to make. It's pretty much a non-recipe if I've ever seen one. This is perfect for date night.
You're welcome.
There is some discussion around whether blue cheeses are gluten free. Some types were once made by molding on bread, but most are no longer produced this way. Make sure the brand you purchase is indeed gluten free.
Ingredients
(Makes enough sauce for 2 packages of gnocchi, or one 450g bag of regular pasta.)
1 box Campbell's Stock First Cream Stock (Gluten Free, but always check labels)
1 piece (approx. 150-200 g) Gorgonzola cheese ** I just buy a wedge at the local supermarket, and add until the sauce tastes the way I like.
2 pks. Gluten Free Gnocchi, or one 450g Bag GF Pasta
Directions
1- Pour Cream Stock into a sauce pot and heat over medium heat.
2- Cut Gorgonzola into cubes and add to pot a few cubes at a time, whisking until melted. Taste after every few cheese cubes have melted, and stop adding when the desired flavour is achieved. I like mine strong, so I usually use the whole piece.
3- While the sauce is cooking, boil water for the pasta. Drop in the gnocchi. They only take about 2-3 minutes to cook. When they float to the top, skim them out of the water with a slotted spoon and place them in a large bowl. Do not rinse.
3- Pour sauce over cooked pasta and toss to coat. Season if desired with some black pepper or chopped parsley.
This sauce looks and tastes decadent, but is beyond simple to make. It's pretty much a non-recipe if I've ever seen one. This is perfect for date night.
You're welcome.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Gluten Free Weekly Menu Plan
Monday: Gluten Free Gnocchi in Homemade Tomato Sauce
Tuesday: Thai Curry Chicken Soup (from cookbook of the month)
Wednesday: Fish Cakes & Salad
Thursday: Roast Chicken & Vegetables
Friday: Cabbage Rolls (from the freezer)
Friday, March 15, 2013
Winners Have Been Chosen
Thank you to everyone who participated in the BlueWater contest. Three winners were selected at random from Rafflecopter, and I've sent an email out to the winners notifying them of their win. Packages will be mailed out by Monday.
The response to this giveaway was fantastic, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time to not only read Celiac Baby! but to also enter the contest. For my readers outside of Canada, I'm working on holding an international giveaway in the near future.
Thank you again, and congratulations to the three winners!
The response to this giveaway was fantastic, and I want you to know how much I appreciate you taking the time to not only read Celiac Baby! but to also enter the contest. For my readers outside of Canada, I'm working on holding an international giveaway in the near future.
Thank you again, and congratulations to the three winners!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
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