Carrot/Radiccio Slaw

Yesterday I decided to finally do something with the half head of cabbage that has been sitting in my vegetable crisper for a few weeks. I planned on using it to make a low-calorie vegetable soup. After making the soup, I found I had a couple of cups of diced cabbage left over. I wanted to make a more interesting salad so I looked around the crisper and found some radiccio and shredded about a half a head of that as well. Then I added some grated carrot, diced apple and about a half a cup of red seedless grapes and a few raw walnuts. I made a vinaigrette out of walnut oil and rice vinegar, drizzled in some agave nectar for sweetness and then added a teaspoon of mayonnaise. The dressing seemed to need more bulk but I didn't want to add any more mayo so I tossed in a couple tablespoons of plain, unflavored nonfat yogurt. The result was this dish, which was so good that even my husband, who is not a fan of radiccio, loved it. It is naturally gluten-free and lower in fat and calories than the usual slaw.

Carrot/Radiccio Slaw

2 cups diced green cabbage

1 large carrot grated

1/2 small head of radiccio, shredded

1 small apple (skin on) diced

1/2 red seedless grapes (sliced in half)

1 oz. or less raw walnut pieces

1 T walnut oil

1T rice vinegar

dash of agave nectar (or honey)

1 heaping teaspoon mayonnaise (I used Best Foods)

2 T plain unflavored nonfat yogurt

salt and pepper

Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together walnut oil and rice vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk in agave nectar and mayonnaise. Pour over vegetables and toss. Add yogurt to salad and toss again. Salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 8 servings if using as side dish

Karen, herself

Gluten-free Travel, the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The hiatus in my blogging this Fall was the result of several trips: ones to San Francisco and Phoenix in October and the mother of them all— a 10-day Mediterranean Cruise in November. The photo above is yours truly at Santorini, a Greek Island. 

I thought since my last GF travel blog sparked some interest that I would update it with my more current experiences. Most of them were good—some not so much. My little weekend jog to San Francisco for a Naginata seminar was easy and good as I stayed with my sensei and she and I prepared gluten-free pasta salad to take with us to the seminar for lunch. It was such a hit that we shared it with several other people (also we made way too much!). Breakfasts were rice cakes with peanut butter as we stayed with yet another friend in San Jose where the seminar was and there wasn't much time for food prep. Dinners were at Chinese and Japanese restaurants in San Jose. I approached the Chinese one with trepidation, fearing all I would eat was a bowl of rice and steamed vegetables sans sauce. How wrong I was. This little hole-in-the-wall place (Bo Town) was wonderful. They didn't have wheat-free soy sauce, but they made several suggestions about things I could have which included a corn-egg soup, a whole steamed fish with vegetables, etc. There was one other person in our group who needed to eat gluten-free and we certainly did not starve. Similar situation at the Japanese restaurant in San Jose's Japantown (I think it was Minato). No wheat-free soy, but a friend ducked into a grocery store nearby and grabbed some bean sauce that was wheat free that we used as a substitute. Then I did sushi and rice for the rest.

Phoenix was even better. We were staying in a resort that had condos so I could have a kitchen and we discovered the Phoenix Whole Foods right away and stocked up on fruits and veggies, tofu, soy milk and a couple of things to make dinners. Breakfasts were tofu scrambles for the most part or cottage cheese fruit and brown rice bread. I also brought a little GF rolled oats with me to make oatmeal. We didn't eat in the whole time, though. I discovered a great restaurant in Scottsdale: Bloom. Fantastic food and service. The decor is very contemporary. Fusion cuisine. They went out of their way to make sure I had not only safe, but delicious food. Would definitely go back.

We were staying near a JW Marriott Hotel which has 5-6 restaurants and we tried 3 of them: Blue Sage Cafe where we had lunch a couple times and Meritage Steakhouse and Ristorante Tuscany. They were all good and all were happy to deal with my gluten and other food issues. The best of the three was definitely the Tuscany. We saved it for our last night and the chef, Brian Archibald came out to meet me and go over my food sensitivities with me. Everything there is made to order and they really took care of me. This was one of the best experiences I have ever had dining out gluten free. They even had warm GF bread for the bread basket (from a local GF bakery - Gluten Free Creations) they made GF pasta with a fresh tomato sauce for a pasta dish and I had shrimp scampi to die for. My entree had sauce too...no naked food that night. It was like being a normal person again and for that I thank them from the bottom of my foodie heart. For all the Marriott restaurants, I booked online and told them ahead of time about my gluten issues, so they were well prepared. I also used my restaurant card with my food allergies listed on it.

Ok., so that was the good, or most of it, anyway. Having had such wonderful experiences and after my previous good experience flying American Airlines and ordering a gluten-free meal, I was expecting a similar good trip to Europe, especially since we flew in Business Class this time. Unfortunately, my good luck did not extend to the trip on AA. Business Class is definitely nice and the seat, the leg room, all the pampering...no complaints there. Imagine my heartbreak while everyone else was dining on their choice of three entrees, starters, salad, etc. I am served an overcooked overseasoned (to the point where it was inedible) but gluten free meal. It was more like spicy mush, to tell the truth. If if weren't for the seasoning, I would pass it off on the flight attendants overcooking it, but even proper heating wouldn't have saved the slop I was served. Mush that was supposed to be quinoa, canned green beans (which I am allergic to) and overcooked chicken pieces that someone dropped a bottle of chili powder on). I took a couple bites and then pushed it away. I starved and then dug out my reserve rice cakes and peanut butter. It seemed to me that a couple of things on the regular menu would have been ok, so on the way back, I cancelled my GF meal and took my chances. It was a smart move. I had a fine meal and no problems. I know enough about how things are cooked and what to avoid that I can pretty much manage on my own. It must also be the case that a little cross-contamination does not cause symptoms in me.

We stayed in a Starhotel in Genoa, Italy for a couple days before departing on our cruise and the waiters in their restaurant were fantastic. They brought out GF crackers for me, made GF ravioli, and several wonderful dishes with sauces and everything! One dish was duck breast with pears and a wine reduction sauce. Another was sirloin steak with asparagus and cheese. No bad food, no reactions. The way it should be. I wish I could say the same for the food on the cruise. Unfortunately, Costa Cruises, while making sure no one gets sick, does not seem to care whether people with gluten or food allergies have the same level of food as the rest of their guests—which, by the way, also wasn't that great. They go as far as to reserve a section of the kitchen for dealing with food allergies, which is great, but they seem to be afraid to go any further. I had boiled potatoes and vegetables and naked meat and fish for 10 days. I was a very unhappy camper. I was also hungry most of the time because we tended to eat lunch early because of our schedule (we were on a MacMania cruise and had seminars all day) and then we had the second seating for dinner, which meant that I ate lunch at noon and dinner at 9 p.m. The only food in between was either the pizza buffet or high tea (gluten-laden cakes, etc.), which I couldn't eat, a side salad with no protein or ice cream. Guess which I chose. We were forbidden to bring any outside food onboard so things were bleak for me. Luckily I disobeyed that rule as I suspected they wouldn't have rice cakes on board and I brought a box of GF crackers and my handy individual serving sizes of foil wrapped natural peanut butter with me. I hid them in my lingerie drawer! 

Thanks to Costa Cruises and our weird schedule, I ate a whole lot of ice cream and gained 5 lbs despite the naked food and boiled potato fare. It was either that or get a headache from not eating for so long. I choose ice cream over a headache any day.

Breakfasts we ate at the buffet most days. Having just started eating eggs again, I really pushed it eating eggs every morning, but that or salty bacon were the only protein I could have. One morning we ventured into the dining room for breakfast. I had to sit at the GF table (the leper table, as I called it). I had high hopes of getting GF french toast or pancakes. No deal. They had GF bread, they had eggs, but taking that last step to put them together and make GF French Toast was impossible. So more eggs but at least I had toast. Sigh. 

So now I am home and cooking for myself again and dealing with the excess weight. After I lose the 5 extra lbs., I am making French Toast for sure...and writing a long ugly letter to American Airlines. Here's hoping your travels are all good ones. Comments appreciated.

Karen, herself

Gluten-free Holiday Fare

Happily, most of the recipes in my Thanksgiving repertoire are naturally gluten-free. The only exceptions are the stuffing for the turkey and the gravy, which are easily managed with gluten-free bread and rice flour, respectively. I like to make soups and usually feature one in my holiday meals. This year I made my favorite, the curried butternut squash soup from The Silver Palate Gourmet Cookbook (vintage 1980's). The first time I made this soup I followed the recipe faithfully and the soup was inedible because the recipe calls for 4 teaspoons of curry powder. I may have had fresh curry powder, but in any case, I had to throw the whole batch out. Since then, I have made some adaptations to the original recipe, mostly in the way that I prepare it, but most definitely in the amount of curry powder I use. I usually cut the recipe in half and then use a slightly larger squash than called for (— how do you determine whether a squash is medium sized anyway?). Then I add more stock than is called for because I like my soup on the thin and silky side, rather than heavy and chunky. I also cut down on the butter and I make my own curry powder minus the ginger, tumeric and mustard. Here it is. It is always a hit.

Curried Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2" cubes

(use a vegetable peeler and if need be, microwave the squash for 1 minute first to soften)

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

1-2 teaspoons curry powder

1 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped (plus a bit more julienned for garnish)

1/2 cup apple juice

4 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish

Melt butter in heavy stock pot or dutch oven. Place onion in pan, sprinkle with curry powder, salt and pepper and sauté on medium-low heat until onions are transparent (about 10 minutes). Add squash and apple pieces and continue to sauté a bit, then add stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to simmer for 20 minutes or so or until squash and apples are soft. Puree in batches in a food processor or use an immersion blender. (In my experience, the food processor gives a smoother texture).  Return soup to stockpot or dutch oven and heat, adding apple juice. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve hot with julienned apple and toasted pumpkin seeds. Sometimes I add a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche too. 

Feeds 6 to 8, depending on serving bowl.

Low blood sugar and migraine

So I have once again fiddled with my diet. Now, on top of avoiding gluten, corn sugar, almonds, ginger and all the migraine causing things like: nitrates, msg, caffeine, aspartame, etc., I am also watching my sugar intake. Why, you may ask, would I want to eliminate or drastically curtail yet another food group? My reasons are threefold and all have to do with the high-glycemic value of most non-gluten containing grains.

1: I cannot get control of my weight since going gluten-free.

2: I have noticed a correspondence between low blood sugar episodes and my migraines.

3: I seem to get sugar “crashes” during exercise which makes problems No.1 and 2 worse.

I have known since high school that skipping meals, fasting, or waiting too long between meals is a sure recipe for a headache of any kind. So, for years I have made sure I eat something every 3-4 hours. The trouble is, as I have gotten older, I have noticed that this doesn't ensure I won't have a sugar “crash” which can and has brought on a headache. I even tried making sure I ate protein with my snacks, and it didn't seem to matter. 

Ten years ago, I gave up regular coffee at breakfast (which was a HUGE sacrifice for me) and noticed that the sugar crashes stopped. Great, I thought. Then a few years ago I noticed that if I had jam on my morning toast, I would have a sugar crash a couple hours later. After I gave up gluten, I started indulging in buckwheat frozen waffles for breakfast...with fruit and maple syrup (avoiding the corn syrup, of course). One day in May of 2007 I ate that for breakfast and had one of the worst sugar crashes of my life and as luck would have it, just as the weakness, lightheadedness and shaking started, I saw a bright light from the glare of sunlight reflecting off a window and — bam! Classic migraine (with aura). My day was shot. I took a triptan drug (Amerge) but it took 2 hours to work and I felt lousy the rest of the day.

Two weeks ago I had a ham sandwich on Tapioca Bread with lettuce, tomato and a few baby carrots and I grabbed a couple of potato chips off my husband's plate (!) and an hour and a half later in the middle of teaching our Naginata class, I had the mother of all sugar crashes. I had to stop practicing and since I hadn't thought to bring food with me, my only choice was to get orange juice out of the vending machine and chug it down while I sat on the bleachers waiting for the shaking to stop. Not good.

I had to find a way to eliminate refined carbs from my diet. Not easy when you have an egg allergy that you are not sure is a real allergy or just an intolerance and a moderate cow's milk allergy. I am a lifetime member of Weight Watchers and I had been struggling trying not to eat too many carbs. I looked on the WW forum under restricted diets and noticed that all the gluten intolerant and allergy sufferers were doing the “Core Program” which is based on real food, whole grains, etc. Sounds good, but I had avoided it because of the egg and milk problems I had. Same with South Beach Diet. Most breakfasts that are low carb seem to revolve around eggs.

I decided to try doing the Core program like the first phase of South Beach for 2 weeks and see if I could handle the eggs a little. At first it worked like a dream. I lost the sugar crashes and the sugar cravings and seemed to be ok with a little egg. Then on the third or fourth day I crashed big time. Could barely get out of bed I was so fatigued. I happened to be reading a book by Dr. Diana Schwarzbein about the importance of balancing carbs, protein and fat, especially if your adrenals are burned out...which I suspect mine are. Dr. Schwarzbein says that if you eliminate carbs altogether in that situation, you burn out your adrenals even more and will end up even more fatigued. So, I added some whole grains back in and things are going better now. I am not really missing the refined carbs now and they will taste even better when they are a rare treat instead of an everyday craving. Headaches have been fewer and really only resurfaced after I weakened and ate some chocolate the other day (!). Breakfasts are the most challenging, but I am rediscovering tofu as an egg substitute. Check out my lamb sausage tofu scramble. It's delicious and not too time consuming if you cut up the tofu ahead of time and refrigerate.

Lamb Sausage and Tofu Scramble

2 oz. loose lamb sausage (nitrite-free)

2 oz. firm tofu cut into small cubes

olive oil

1 green onion

1 T fresh mint, minced

1/4 cup or so cucumber, chopped

1/4 cup or so yellow squash, chopped

1 mushroom, chopped

1/4 cup tomato, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

pour a little olive oil in a non-stick skillet on medium heat

add lamb sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon

add tofu and cook until heated through

add squash, cucumber, mushroom and tomato and cook a minute or two

season with salt and pepper

add green onion and mint and cook another minute

makes one serving (5-6 WW points if you’re counting, depending on how much oil you use)

(note: lamb is pretty greasy, you won't need much oil, just enough for flavor)

Enjoy! You won't be hungry until lunch!

Karen, herself

Gluten-free Air Travel

Travel, particularly air travel, for those of us on a gluten-free diet is tricky. Adding migraine avoidance to the mix makes advance preparation absolutely essential for a pain-free travel day. With airlines no longer serving meals in coach and substituting boxes of junk food for purchase, bringing a healthy meal on board with you is key. You might be able to find something other than fresh fruit in the airport, but why chance it? Also, if you have a long day of cross country travel coming up, as I do tomorrow, a whole day eating nothing but fruit and water doesn't sound like much fun. The solution is to pack your own lunch and bring it with you. 

Whenever I travel I make sure I have gluten-free and migraine trigger free food with me. This time I am taking Real Foods Multigrain Corn Thins in a zip-loc bag, a few EnviroKidz Organic Crispy Rice Bars, some cut up celery and some apples for snacks. (You never know when you might get hungry, especially if your flight gets delayed. Better to bring extra things to tide you over). For breakfast I am taking gluten-free lemon poppyseed muffins I baked a couple weeks ago and froze and for lunch a smoked salmon and wild rice salad with blueberries. I made the salad this morning and have it cooling in the fridge. Tomorrow morning I will take it out and put it in a thermal lunch box with an ice pack so that it stays nice and cold until I am ready for it. I'll make sure I grab a plastic fork from a concession in the airport and buy a bottle of water and I'm set to go!

Smoked Salmon Wild Rice Salad with Blueberries

1 package (4 oz) smoked salmon (preservative-free)

1/2 cup or so fresh blueberries

1 cup sautéed vegetables (I used asparagus, yellow squash, zucchini and wax beans sautéed in 1 tsp. lemon-infused olive oil (O & Co) with a little minced garlic, salt and pepper)

1  1/2 cups cooked wild rice

2 tsp. basil vinaigrette (see recipe below)

salt and pepper to taste

(makes 2 servings) (6 Weight Watcher points per serving)

Slice salmon into slivers. In a medium bowl mix salmon, rice, vegetables and basil vinaigrette. Toss. Adjust seasoning. Add blueberries and gently mix. Divide into travel containers and refrigerate. Pack in a thermal lunch sack with a cold pack.

Basil Vinaigrette (from most recent AARP Magazine)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 T finely minced shallots

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

juice of half a lemon

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

In a medium bowl, combine the mustard, shallots and salt. Slowly whisk in the vinegar, lemon juice, and oil until the mixture is emulsified. Add the basil and chill for 30 minutes.

Note to Migraine sufferers: None of the above ingredients cause any problems for me. Even the mustard and vinegar are ok in small amounts. Your triggers may be different from mine. Substitute where necessary.

Try packing a gluten-free lunch on your next trip and see how much better you feel—physically and emotionally. Not to mention that those sitting around you will be jealous!

Bon voyage!

Karen, herself

Brown Rice and Black Bean Salad

Some people balk at leftovers. I embrace them. My favorite lunches have leftover chicken or pork tenderloin as a major component. This particular lunch was easy to put together with leftover brown rice and canned black beans and tuna. I added a bit of broccoli that I steamed in the microwave and some fresh tomato, shredded red cabbage, then tossed it in a bit of homemade vinaigrette and—lunch! Healthy, gluten-free, full of fiber and very satisfying.

People often say they have no time to make healthy meals, especially lunches, but with a little advanced planning and some imagination, you can eat well without spending all day in the kitchen. The day I made this salad I had a busy morning, so I put brown rice in the rice cooker, pushed the “on” button and off I went on my errands. When I came back a few hours later, it was lunch time and my rice was ready for me. Then a couple minutes to steam a cup of broccoli in the microwave, slice off a bit of previously washed cabbage and tomato, open a couple cans—you get the picture. Pretty quick.

These days I work at home and my lunches are leftovers from the previous night’s dinner or a big salad with leftover meat or fish. When that fails, I steam some vegetables, add rice or not and maybe open a can of tuna or salmon or add some tofu. I never spend more than 15 minutes making lunch and my salad dressings are all homemade, stored in recycled jelly jars. So  my advice is to think positive and invest in a good salad spinner and a rice cooker. Buy some good olive oil and start experimenting. 

За ваше здоровье!

Karen, herself

Beet and Peach Salad

I love pairing fruit with vegetables in the summer. I especially like fruit and cheese added to summer salads. My typical lunch is a big salad with leftover meat or fish from the previous night’s dinner. The most common fruit I use on salads is apple, but in summer I lover the addition of stone fruits—peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots. The other day I used leftover roasted beets (you can also use canned) and fresh peaches to a salad with pork tenderloin. I topped it off with mild fresh goat cheese (Chavrie is my favorite brand) and a homemade olive oil and champagne vinegar dressing. The natural sweetness of the beets is enhanced by roasting with a bit of olive oil and the sweet/savory mix of the beet and peach with the cheese is heavenly, I think. If you don't like goat cheese, feta also works well here. I suppose blue cheese would also be good, if you like it. For me, more aged cheeses can be problematic and cause headaches. I happen to be allergic to blue cheese, so that is reason enough for me to avoid it.

In addition to being naturally gluten free, this kind of salad has the added benefit of being great for those watching their waistline. As a lifetime member of Weight Watchers I weigh my meat or fish to be added to the salad. Two ounces of  pork or beef or three ounces of chicken or fish are pretty standard for lunch salads and are quite enough if you are adding fruit and cheese. The Chavrie cheese is only 1 Weight Watcher point per 2T so it is ideal for adding to salads and pasta. I rarely use more than 1T at a time so it only adds a half a point to my meal. I also measure out my salad dressing to keep the points and calories low. If you are a migraineur who cannot eat vinegar or citrus, the Chavrie is soft enough to dress your salad without a typical dressing. I use it to stretch out my vinaigrette and make it creamy. Just toss the salad well—as the French say: “Fatiguer la salade”. It is an idiom that just means to dress the salad, but it makes me smile, because I think of it as mixing it well to tire it out!

With Farmers’ markets in full swing now that is my choice for keeping the cost down on organic salad greens. I am also fortunate to have friends who give me vegetables from their gardens and I even ventured into growing my own this year. No harvest yet, but things are growing and looking good. Much great eating in sight down the road.

Karen