Rice, Lentil and Olive Salad

This has to be one of my favourite salads in my cookbook and since I really felt like it today, despite the snowy weather I decided to make it and share the recipe with you.. So just as I was about to finish the recipes I realized I didn't have any olives in the house and the snow was swirling around outside and I had no inclination to go to the store so I simply made it with out.. I did add a little more sea salt though because I knew I wouldn't have the salty olives in there.

So here you go

Rice, Lentil and Olive Salad
Free of dairy, wheat, yeast, eggs, corn, sugar, soy, nuts, nightshades and gluten


1 cup basmati rice (250ml)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup brown or green lentils (250ml)
1/2 onion
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup pimento stuffed green olives (175ml)
1/2 tsp sea salt (2ml)
1/2 tsp pepper (1ml)

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil (45ml)
2 tbsp lemon juice (30ml)
2 tbsp dijon or yellow mustard (30ml)
1 tsp thyme (5ml)
4 green onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste

To cook rice, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add rice, garlic, salt and pepper and bring again to a boil and cover. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes until water is absorbed and rice is tender.
Allow rice to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with fork and transfer to a large bowl. Meanwhile rinse lentils and bring 4 cups of water to a boil with half an onion and bay leaves. Add lentils and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until lentils are tender. Don't overcook or they will go mushy.
Drain lentils and discard bay leaves. I like to just mash in the cooked onion to give the lentils a little flavour. The onion has mostly dissolved with cooking. Set lentils aside to cool. In a bowl whisk together olive oil, mustard, lemon juice, thyme and shallots.
Add cooled lentils into the rice. Add dressing and olives. Salt and pepper to taste.Mix and refrigerate. Enjoy!

Snowy Day Shepherd's Pie

Today the snow is falling and so it is a perfect day to stay home and make a great home cooked meal.
If you have food allergies, sometimes making meals can be challenging.

I know when I first found out about my food allergies I wanted to be able to eat all the comforting dishes that my Mum always made, but sometimes that was just not possible.

It is amazing how some meals just bring back the feeling of home and love. Shepherd's Pie is one of those meals for me.

Mostly my Mother made Shepherd's Pie out of leftover roast beef. She had a big ol stainless steel grinder that she would attach to the kitchen counter and grind out the leftover beef and then make Shepherd's Pie with leftover gravy, peas and mashed potatoes.
She would make her gravy with flour and her mashed potatoes with milk.

I make my Shepherd's pie a little differently, and it is just as tasty. But you be the judge!

Originally Shepherd's Pie was made with leftover pieces of lamb and today that is what I used. Well I lie a little, I used ground lamb that I bought at my local butcher.

In a big frying pan brown your lamb in a little olive oil. Add in chopped onions, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Near the end of cooking I mix in a jar about 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and some soup stock ( I like to use Pacific Brand low sodium Vegetable Stock). I mix this up to get rid of the lumps and pour it into the lamb mixture to make a nice gravy. In another pot I cut up 3 large sweet potatoes and 2 medium white potatoes. Boil until soft and mash with a little of the potato water ( there is not need for milk in mashed potatoes). Then in another pot I boil some frozen peas. Once everything is ready I take a square glass dish and put the cooked lamb on the bottom, then the peas, topped with the mashed sweet and white potatoes. Pop in 350F oven for about 15 minutes and serve with steamed vegetables or a salad.

Let me know what your favourite comfort food is and how you have adapted it within the confines of your food allergies.

Avocadoes the Super Fruit

Avocadoes I think are probably my most favourite food, today that is. If you had asked me 20 years ago if I liked avocadoes I would have said, “Um, I have never tasted one.”

Yes, I am one of those who was raised on meat and potatoes and a little seasonal fruit every now and then. Foods like cilantro, avocadoes, arugula, and anything else that was green was probably not high on my list, nor was served at our supper table.

Then my life became all about food allergies and what the heck was there left to eat. Guess what, avocadoes were on the Can Eat List. So I tried one, and well I just loved them. They are so smooth and creamy and I can’t imagine how I had lived without them.

 I think I first tried them in a local vegetarian restaurant where they had made them into an avocado and onion salad with lemon juice, uembushi vinegar, olive oil and salt. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

Since that day I have never looked back and every time I go grocery shopping which is fairly often, I pick up at least 6 avocadoes.

My significant other was like me, and when we met a few years ago I tried to get him to eat avocadoes. He would always say “I don’t really care for them”, and” I would say,” have you ever tried them?” Now he eats more avocadoes a week than I do. His favourite way to eat them is sliced on toast or with a chicken sandwich. He also loves them with his eggs on the weekend, or on our homemade flax crackers.

My girlfriend always carries an avocado in her purse when she goes out just in case there is nothing on the menu that she can eat. She will ask the waitress to bring her some olive oil and lemon and voila she has a healthy snack.

I put sliced avocado into all my salads. Whether it is a green lettuce salad, a cabbage salad or kale salad, an avocado always makes it taste so much better.

Not only do they taste great, they are good for you. Full of healthy fats, fibre, oleic acid, which makes you feel full, and folate; so if you are pregnant add them into your diet. Avocadoes can help lower cholesterol, so why not pick up a few avocadoes at your local supermarket and add them to your menu planning.

If you enjoyed this article please share it with your friends and visit my on my Finally Food I Can Eat Facebook Page, or at www.deliciousalternatives.com
 

My favourite kitchen gadget

What is your favourite kitchen gadget?

As someone who is always cooking there are just some gadgets that I can’t live without.

Many of us are in our kitchen daily preparing meals for ourselves or family members. For me, food prep is essential as I have multiple food allergies and Celiac Disease.

Prepared foods are not an option for me and I am currently following the Paleo Diet in hopes of curing my leaky gut syndrome which I think I have had all my life.

From what I read, most illnesses especially auto immune diseases stem from the gut and the first step in healing, is to heal your gut.

Currently I am reading “Minding our Mitochondria” by Dr Terry WahIs. Having being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis her illness progressed quite quickly and she ended up in a tilt wheelchair unable to walk. A few years ago she decided to take her life into her own hands. Studying and researching how to heal her body. She found that the Paleo Diet was the answer along with certain supplements and electrical stimulation to help her muscles to heal. She is now able to walk and even ride her bike. Wow!

I have also read the PH Miracle Cure by Dr. Robert Young. He advocates that the only way to heal the gut and illness is go on a total vegetable ( greens diet) by juicing and making shakes. Along with supplements, colonic irrigation and keeping your body more alkaline you can heal your gut.

I am not sure what the answer is. All I know is I continue to search for the right diet for me. Along the way, I use my favourite kitchen gadgets.

Is there a kitchen gadget that you would find hard to live without?

I have 2 favourite kitchen gadgets. The first is my zester. I have 3 of them and they are all a little different. Whether I am zesting an orange, a lemon or grating ginger they are tools that I use daily.

I purchased one of them at my favourite kitchen shop, another at Lee Valley Tools and the third one at my local grocery store. They range in price from $13.95.

My salad spinner is another one of my favourite things. Be it cleaning lettuce, kale, cilantro, parsley or other greens I can’t imagine how I managed without it. I paid a little more for my salad spinner, but as I said, I can’t imagine being in my kitchen without it. Considering I am trying to push my intake of veggies up to 9 cups a day I eat a lot of salads and wash a lot of greens.

So what is your favourite kitchen gadget?

p.s. I just bought an Excalibur 4 tray dehydrator and I think it is going to be my new favourite kitchen gadget, or maybe I will have to write about my new favourite kitchen appliance?

I love my kale chips and flax crackers, they are delicious!

The Wheat Belly

The Wheat Belly

The Wheat Belly written by Dr. William Davis is an amazing look into what wheat has done to the health of our citizens in the past 50 years.

As he states in his book, “Wheat Belly explores the proposition that the health problems of Americans, from fatigue to arthritis to gastrointestinal distress to obesity, originate with the innocent looking bran muffin or cinnamon raisin bagel that you down with your coffee every morning.”

Just think about how much wheat is in our food. Think about going to the grocery store and of all the aisles that contain wheat products. The bread aisle; white bread, whole wheat, multi grain, seven grain, rye, pumpernickel, sourdough, French bread, baguettes, bagels, flax bread, pitas, dinner rolls, hamburger buns, hot dog buns and don’t forget the artisan bread. The bakery department with cakes, cookies and pies. The snack aisle with pretzels and crackers, followed by the baking aisle with bread crumbs, croutons, and flours. The dairy case has crescent rolls, cookies and frozen pies. Breakfast cereals, pastas and frozen foods, all contain wheat. Apart from the soap and detergent aisles and fresh produce wheat it in every product.

Bread dates back to before Christ and it always seems that to break bread with someone is a special event.

During the 19^th and 20^th centuries wheat changed little. Then in the latter part of the 20^th century what we called wheat changed. The wheat we grow today is so different from what was grown a century ago that we should be calling it by a different name.

The demand for a higher yield, decreased production costs and a longer shelf life was instrumental in the genetically changed wheat. But are we now paying for our mistakes?

Celiac disease in on the rise and one in 133 people are Celiac. Many others have an intolerance to wheat and gluten. Many people have no symptoms, but that does not mean their bodies are okay with consuming wheat. Look at the rise in cancer and diabetes. All this can be linked back to the time that we changed the type of wheat we are growing.

What really got me was Dr. Davis’s statement that, “ Did you know that eating two slices of whole wheat bread can increase blood sugar more than 2 tablespoons of pure sugar can? How can this be possible? We have grown up in the past 10 years of hearing eat more whole grains, it will do your heart good. Well maybe not. This cardiovascular doctor says that wheat is the cause of my illnesses including heart disease.

So what are we doing to our bodies?

A Neolithic breakfast would have been a meal of fish, game meat or some berries or insects.

 Today we start our day off with a carb and end it with a carb. Boxed cereal, which contains mostly cane sugar and processed wheat flour, muffins, biscuits, toast, oats, croissant, bagels, pancakes or a breakfast bar.

We then have a sandwich at lunchtime, or a bowl of soup and crackers, maybe even a doughnut at mid morning break. Dinner might consist of pasta or frozen dinner which will contain wheat. We don’t exercise enough and we wonder why diabetes and obesity is on the rise?

Foods that increase blood sugar also cause diabetes. Carbohydrates trigger insulin release from our pancreas causing visceral fat, which then causes insulin resistance and inflammation. Look at the common illnesses of our world, most are based on inflammation. Diabetics are told to cut fat, reduce saturated fat and include healthy whole grains, beans and legumes in each meal. Yikes what are they thinking, all these foods turn into sugar in the body.

Perhaps if we say goodbye to wheat, we might even say goodbye to diabetes and many other health related illnesses.

If you want a good informative read with a bit of humour thrown in, read the Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis, be informed about what you are putting into your body.

Websites and Food Blogs Galore

I am amazed at how many websites and blogs there are that deal with food, food preparation, allergies and especially gluten free cooking.

 I think gluten-free has taken on a whole life of its own and from what I have read, is now a million dollar industry. As I read the “ Wheat Belly” by Dr. William Davis I am becoming aware that we have done this to ourselves. Changing the structure of our wheat over 50 years ago so that it would bring in a higher yield, be resistant to bugs and feed the world we have created a wheat that humans can no longer digest. Hence, Celiac disease, gluten intolerance, IBS, and a multitude of other intestinal disorders.

Many of us are aware of the havoc that gluten wreaks on our systems as we get the full body symptoms after we digest wheat, but many others have no symptoms and are unaware of this silent and potentially deadly food we are consuming.

Cutting wheat out of your diet can seem overwhelming, but with so many websites and dedicated bloggers you will be amazed at how easy it can be.

Here are some of my favourite website/blog sites, check them out for lots of great info and tasty gluten free recipes.

Check them out

The Daily Dietribe- http://www.thedailydietribe.com/

The Stuffed Pepper- http://www.stuffed-pepper.com/

The Balanced Platter- http://balancedplatter.com/

Brittany Angell- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Real-Sustenance-Gluten-and-Dairy-Free-Recipes/149273335092266?ref=ts

The Gluten Free Homemaker- http://glutenfreehomemaker.com/

Gluten Free Find- http://www.glutenfreefind.com/

Gluten Free Frenzy- http://www.glutenfreefrenzy.com/

Daily Bites- http://www.dailybitesblog.com/

Nourished and Nurtured- http://nourishedandnurtured.blogspot.com/

Cook it Allergy Free- http://cookitallergyfree.com/

I will be writing a book review of The Wheat Belly in my next blog, stay tuned...

Blueberry Banana Muffins are my favorite

So what are your favorite gluten free muffins?
Care to share?
Hope you enjoy my recipe. Please adapt to your preference of gluten or not. If you are able to eat gluten simply replace with your own wheat flour, same amount applies.
3/4 chickpea flour
3/4 brown rice flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan or guar gum
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup oil( I like to use coconut oil but you can use safflower or sunflower oil)
4 bananas mashed
1 cup blueberries
Mash bananas in a bowl
Add oil, syrup and vanilla
Add in remaining ingredients and mix well. Add blueberries last. If mix is a lite dry you can add some water. I tend to use very ripe frozen bananas that I have kept in my freezer and they yield more liquid.
Spoon into muffin tins and bake 350F
for approx 30 minutes

My first blog attempt

Well here I am starting a new blog. I hope to be able to share my thoughts, my recipes and any other information regarding Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Food and Environmental Allergies that I may find along my journey to wellness.
I have had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome for over 26 years. I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my mid twenties, as it really wasn't easy to diagnose back then. Not being able to do what I want to do in life because of my health issues has been well, a real bummer to say the least, but through it all I have learned so much about myself, others, illness and health in general. I have met so many wonderful people along the way. Practitioners who were great, and some not so great.
Doctors who treat the whole body and actually listen to you are key in your wellness.
As of late, I have two wonderful doctors in my life. Dr. Jennifer Armstrong a wonderful Environmental Doctor who is top in her field across the world and Dr. Richard Nahas another top physician in his field. With their help and knowledge and I pursuing many different modalities of treatment.
One of those is hypnosis. When I first was told about hypnosis I was a little hesitant. Would I do strange things while in a trance? What could hypnosis do for me? I am happy to say that I love hypnosis and my hypnosis practitioner. She is so keen and has such insight and is eager to help me on my path to Wellness. If you want to check her out, visit her website at www.empowerhypnosis.ca, her name is Johanna Lynn.
I have also written and article about hypnosis and it was posted on Kris Carr's website, Crazy Sexy Life.com, as well as Johanna Lynn's website, so check it out if it interests you.
Through hypnosis I am learning so much about my thoughts, my past experiences literally from the time I was born and so much more. It has brought me to so many other healing techniques such a EFT ( Emotional Freedom Technique) and the idea of "We get what we expect". Louise Hay is another wonderful person who has for years taught us that positive affirmations make such a difference in our lives.
Here is her quote for today. " There is enough for everyone. The Universe is always full and always flowing."

One of my greatest accomplishments has been to co publish with General Store Publishing a cookbook that is near and dear to my heart. Finally... Food I Can Eat is a cookbook and dietary guide designed for those with multiple food allergies and food intolerances. It has been a wonderful way for me to share what I know with others and help them to know that you can eat birthday cake and Christmas time hors d'oeuvres even though you are allergic to dairy, wheat, gluten and other foods. It has been so well received in Canada and has been translated into French and goes by the title "Libre" We hope to get it into the USA next.

So if any of you are out there wondering what you can make that is healthy, tasty and free of top allergens, check out my website, my cookbook and my blog where I will post some of my new recipes that I am developing.
Sending love and good wishes out to all of you. See you back here soon with a new recipe!
Much love,
Shirley