I haven’t always had a good relationship with mushrooms. In the past, they didn’t agree with me, and now I suspect it was my body crying out for attention. I had the same problem with red wine — my body was trying to tell me that something in my system was causing me a lot of harm. Since I’ve been gluten free, I’ve been able to enjoy mushrooms *and* red wine without any problems. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Mushrooms”
Category: Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush
Gluten-Free Grains: Sorghum
It’s been a while since I focused on a gluten-free grain, and I need to remedy that. Particularly since I’ve been enjoying so many great ones lately. And since sorghum is a grain that Americans don’t eat that often, I thought it was time to introduce it here.
I bought a bag of sorghum at my local 99 Ranch Market (a great resource for Asian ingredients), and, typically, put it in the pantry for, well, about a year. I simply didn’t know what I wanted to do with it. Then, as I was looking on the shelves for a grain to prepare for a week’s meals, I spotted the sorghum. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Grains: Sorghum”
Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Cauliflower
Yeah, cauliflower. The vegetable kids love to hate has become the belle of the culinary ball. While I won’t go so far as to say it’s a perfect replacement for high-carb foods, I feel pretty comfortable saying cauliflower is delicious on its own.
The trick is in the preparation. My vague recollection of childhood cauliflower is that the stuff was served boiled and flavorless. This was, I am sad to say, typical of the era. Vegetables came from a can, were cooked on the stovetop until whatever flavor remained was eliminated, then served. I make fun of my mother’s anti-vegetable stance, but her palate never served a chance (this despite my grandmother being an otherwise awesome cook). Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Cauliflower”
Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Spaghetti Squash
I have a sort of love-hate relationship with squash. I mean, yeah, I cook with members of the squash family all the time, but it’s not something I get all that excited about (roasted butternut squash soup being an exception). So when spaghetti squash became the darling of food bloggers, I was all “meh”. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Spaghetti Squash”
Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Rice Noodles
Every Friday, my colleague and I go out to lunch. Most days, we eat at our desks, followed by a walk (for me). But on Fridays, we make it a point to get out of the office. This helps contribute to what is known as work-life balance (also, less boring lunches!).
Inevitably, despite our best intentions, we head toward the local Vietnamese restaurant for a big bowl of pho. Fridays are my carbo-load days, which is how I justify scarfing down the enormous bowl of salty, savory, amazing soup. Yes, I’m overdoing one nutrient, but I will run it off the next day. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Rice Noodles”
Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Carrots
I love carrots. There I said it. I. Love. Carrots. I love raw carrots. I love raw carrots with hummus (a bit too much, if you want my opinion). I love cooked carrots. I love carrot puree. I love carrot soup and (gluten-free) carrot cake. More on that below.
I also love carrot salads. I mean, I love carrots in salads, but I also love salads that feature carrots as the main ingredient. Another thing we’ll get to below. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Carrots”
Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Millet
Somehow, quinoa became the poster child for gluten-free grains. In restaurants, it’s a code word for “gluten-free menu item”. And I’m not gonna say anything bad about quinoa. We eat it frequently, and I have a colleague from Peru who makes the most amazing quinoa salad for office parties. If only he’d share his recipe…
Personally, I think it’s time millet earned some of the love that has been showered on quinoa. Millets, which are the tiny seeds of grasses, are commonly grown in Africa and Asia, and come in a variety of types. Pearl millet is often sold in the United States. According to Wikipedia, millet has been cultivated by humans for about 10,000 years. Continue reading “Gluten-Free Ingredient Crush: Millet”