10 Reasons to Grow Your Own Herbs

i thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

- e e cummings

Day 14 - Sprouts Abound

Reasons to Grow Your Own Herbs:

1. They are beautiful

2. They are alive.

3. You can save a lot of money.

4. Cook with the freshest ingredients.

5. Save yourself a trip to the store.

6. The only way to guarantee no pesticides. 

7. It's satisfying to grow something yourself.

8. They smell wonderful.

9. Embrace your artistic side picking out a variety of pots. 

10. You start to truly appreciate your food. 

Bonus reason: You can be 100% sure they are gluten-free ;) What, you thought I wouldn't mention that on a gluten-free blog? Pish. 

Have more reasons? Feel free to leave them in the comments!

Why Kale is Crucial to People with Celiac Disease

When I was first diagnosed with celiac disease, it was because my nurse practitioner (NP) was looking for an obscure tropical parasite that she suspected was ravaging my body. You can read more about that here. Unfortunately, the answer wasn’t as easy as a round of antibiotics. Instead I got a lifelong disease that would completely change my entire lifestyle. But in the process of figuring out my diagnosis, my NP ordered a full round of blood work. And what she found was scary.

Even though I looked like a healthy, strong 26 year old (ah—I was so young. C’e la vie!), my labs were completely out of whack. Especially my electrolytes. And the biggest red flag of all? My calcium was terribly low.

Pre-Colonoscopy Hospital Gown Selfie! In my defense, there's not a lot to do in a clinic waiting room but read curled-paged magazines and feel anxious. Sent this to my spouse with the caption "shit's going down."   

But why? I asked. You’d be hard pressed to find anyone in this world who loved ice cream and cheese more than me. How could my calcium be low?

Well, what some of you may know who have had the disease for a while, and what some of you new-bies or “just curious” readers might not know, is that celiac disease wreaks havoc on your intestines when you are eating gluten*. This causes massive damage to your intestinal villi which leads to nutritional deficiencies. In laymans terms: I could eat all the calcium I wanted, but my body wouldn’t absorb it.

Oddly enough, the year previous to my diagnosis I’d volunteered for a research study on bone density and received a bone scan. The head researcher ended up following up with me, and asked me if I had malabsorption problems. I said no, and he said I better start eating more foods with calcium. I think this was his polite way of saying I have old lady bird bones.

Sweet Chili-Lime Kale (recipe below)

Anyway, how does this all relate to kale? Well, like most greens, kale is gluten-free. It is also a nutritional powerhouse. Although kale is considered trendy, it’s for a very good reason. Kale has huge health benefits, and not just to people with celiac. But I would say, especially for people with celiac.

First of all, kale packs a huge punch when it comes to calcium, having a higher calcium content per calorie than even milk! This is great for us gluten-free foodies, because many of us have suffered from calcium deficiencies our whole lives without even knowing it. (My many broken bones throughout childhood should have been a hint though…)

One of the other labs that came back very low was iron. Now, this was also troubling to me. I was a vegetarian for three years at the end of high school and beginning of college and knew that I was having trouble finding enough iron rich foods for my diet. But by the time I was diagnosed with celiac disease, I was eating meat all the time. I’d actually become quite a whiz at the grill and was eating more ribeye than your average Texas cowboy. But I was still iron deficient.

Kale Garlic Superfood Stir-Fry (recipe below)

Well, kale has the answer there, too. Kale has more iron per calorie than your average steak! Although keep in mind that kale is low-calorie, so you need to eat a healthy amount.

Now, I know I’m not the only person with celiac who is deficient in calcium and iron. In fact, calcium and iron are two of the most common nutritional deficiencies in people with celiac disease.  And yet, there is a food that is high in both, AND has many other health benefits. How amazing is that?

And if I haven’t convinced you yet of the importance of kale for gluten-free girls and boys, here are a few more important facts about kale:

1) Kale is packed with fiber. Keep that colon clean, people!

2) Eating kale can help reduce your risk of cancer and heart disease**. Really, that should be reason enough to give it a try!

3) The Cleveland Clinic is calling Kale the “king of leafy greens” because kale is a powerhouse of nutrients. Not only is it full of calcium and iron, but also lutien, Vitamin C, and Vitamin A***

Convinced? Here are some recipes to get you started on your own conquest of kale!

Sweet Chili Kale

Lite Lime and Pinto Bean Salad

Berry Good For You Kale Juice

Kale Garlic Superfood Stir-Fry

Its Easy Being Green Juice

Recipes soon to come: Kale Chips and Turkey Kale Cabbage Stir-Fry

Recipes I Want to Try By Fellow Bloggers (outside links):

* SAVORY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES WITH WHITE BEANS AND KALE by Boy Meets Bowl

* CARROT-CORIANDER VINAIGRETTE OVER KALE by Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef

* GLUTEN FREE KALE QUICHE by Gluten is My Bitch

* KALE SALAD WITH QUINOA, TANGERINES, AND ROASTED ALMONDS by Gluten-Free Goddess

* ZUPPA TUOSCANA by The Girl Who Ate Everything

Cited Sources: 

*Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/celiac-disease/basics/definition/CON-20030410

** Stanford Cancer Institute. http://cancer.stanford.edu/information/nutritionAndCancer/reduceRisk/

*** Cleveland Clinic http://www.clevelandclinicwellness.com/DailyDose/archive/2012/01/30/Daily-Wellness-Tip-1-30-12.aspx

Happy Unofficial National Sweet and Sour Chicken Day

"Craving is a good thing. In matters of culinary art, craving creates wonders." - Andy Paula

I don't know if you heard, but yesterday was a very important day, aka National Pancake Day. Now, I had every intention of celebrating. I even went out and bought syrup! But for the last few days I've had a huge craving for sweet and sour chicken--a craving that overwhelmed even my love of pancakes. I know, but what can I say? The heart wants what the heart wants.

So I declared yesterday unofficial sweet and sour chicken day. You're welcome. 

Ingredients: 

1 pound raw boneless chicken breast tenders

½ cup frozen pineapple tidbits (or chunks)

1 cup frozen mix of sliced red bell peppers, onions, and green bell peppers

1/3 cup cornstarch

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

¾ cup white sugar

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce

½ teaspoon garlic salt

pinch of salt 

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x11 pan with vegetable oil.

Step 2: Cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Take two small bowls. In one, put the cornstarch. In the second, add the two eggs, and beat.

Step 3: Add vegetable oil to a small pan and turn to medium heat. Dip each chicken piece in the cornstarch (just a warning—touching cornstarch is about as pleasant as running your nails down a chalkboard), covering completely, and then dip in the egg liquid, covering completely again. Step 4: Carefully place the chicken into the oil (spoiler alert: oil is hot and splashes if you drop things in it!). If your chicken isn’t covered by the oil, cook for 1-2 minutes and then flip, cooking for another 1-2 minutes, until lightly browned. If your oil does cover your chicken, 2-3 minutes or so works well.

Step 4: In your greased pan, add the frozen vegetables and pineapple tidbits.  Transfer the browned chicken pieces to your pan.

Step 5: To make the sauce, mix your apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic salt, sugar, salt to taste, and ketchup. Pour on top of your chicken/vegetable mixture.

Step 6: Cook your delicious entrée for 50 minutes, stirring halfway through (more often if you’re motivated).

Serves 4-6.

On Making “Cauliflower Wings” and My Thoughts on Imitation Food

"Imitation cannot go above its model." - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

Last night I made “imitation wings.” I signed up for this gluten-free food box subscription (Groupon: the Achilles heel of the adventurous but cheap) and one of the foods came with a recipe for cauliflower wings. It sounded fun and it meshed well with my quest to eat more vegetarian. Plus, I have a lot of cauliflower in my fridge which is teetering dangerously on the edge of going to that big white cabbage in the sky.

 So, I thought, hey, why not? I followed the recipe--it was pretty good--but I found myself feeling disappointed. My spouse scarfed it down, confused, as usually, by my mixed emotions. “What?” he asked. “These are awesome!”

But I just didn’t like something about them, and I couldn’t figure out what. The sauce was decent, they were cooked just right, and the dip was filled with oniony goodness. I should have been thrilled with a successful new recipe. But something was wrong.

Then I realized it.

They weren’t chicken wings.

I was expecting to eat chicken wings.

The search for more vegan/vegetarian recipes has brought me back to a food trend that I’d almost forgotten about: imitation everything. You see, this ain’t my first imitation rodeo. I went through this trend when I went gluten-free.

When I first was diagnosed with celiac, I tried to make imitation everything. Imitation gluten-free bread, imitation cake, imitation pancakes, imitation, imitation, imitation. Some recipes were successful, some sucked more than Edward on Bella’s face.

But I learned something very quickly: making “fake” versions of the foods I loved would never taste exactly the same, and trying over and over was frustrating. It usually led to me missing those foods that I couldn’t replicate even more.

I realized that if I was going to make a huge dietary adjustment, my food based happiness was going to stem from learning to embrace the foods I could eat. I think this is true for vegan/vegetarian eating as well.

Imitation meat. Imitation protein crumbles. Imitation cheese. Seriously, have you tried imitation cheese? I’m going to follow the old truism here--if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

I’m tired of seeing fruits, veggies, and legumes that are smashed, shaped, and forced into trying to taste like something they’re not in the name of imitation. All these foods have natural flavors that should be celebrated, not hidden to try to create something artificial. After all, embracing and enhancing the natural flavors of your ingredients is what makes for the greatest recipes.

That’s not to say that there aren’t excellent imitation foods and recipes out there. In fact, I know there are, and I certainly appreciate them. The world would be a much bleaker place without gluten-free brownies. But I’m just saying, if you make a piece of cauliflower and cover it in BBQ sauce and expect it to taste exactly like a chicken wing, you’re likely to be disappointed. But if you embrace it as cauliflower, you can really appreciate what you’re eating. 

Instead of trying to make an “imitation wing,” why not try to make the best damn BBQ cauliflower out there? 

My Anti-Raisin Broccoli Salad

"Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chips cookies are the reason I have trust issues." - Unknown

You know how people say you should never grocery shop hungry? I know that’s usually so you don’t over buy, but my true fear is that I’ll gorge myself on everything I bought the moment I get home. Whenever I’m pretty sure this fear is going to materialize, I buy broccoli salad right before I hit up the check-out line. I picked broccoli salad as my go-to grocery day snack for two reasons: it’s a vegetable hidden by the delicious taste of bacon, and also, bacon.

Fortunately it’s pretty filling (I think it’s mostly the gas produced by the broccoli, but still…) so the rest of my groceries can usually make it to the cupboards unharmed. 

But I do have a complaint about grocery-style broccoli salad, and that is one pesky ingredient. I think you know what I’m talking about. RAISINS. Not only do they taste gross, but I think I'm especially bitter at raisins because those little grapes could have become wine. Such lost potential. 

Lets face it. Raisins are the oompa loompas of the food world. Small, icky, and just plain wrong.

So this is my new and improved version of broccoli salad, heavy on the bacon, failed-wine free, and…

Argh, sorry, forgot what I was going to say. I started thinking about bacon again. Anyway, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

5-6 cups broccoli florets

¾ cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup white sugar

3 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

8 strips of bacon, cooked and crispy

½ red onion, finely sliced

Directions:

Step 1: In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, white sugar, vinegar, and salt. Add bacon, cranberries, and sunflower seeds. 

Step 2: In a larger bowl, toss broccoli florets and onion. Slowly pour the small bowl mixture over the tossed mixture in the larger bowl. Stir until all pieces are equally coated. Enjoy!

Serves 4-8 sides. 

Black Bean and Corn Vegan Chili

"Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances of survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein 

Vegan chili! Yum yum yum. As you can see, the quest to make more vegan dishes continues. Although, I have a confession to make. I've outlined this recipe as vegan, but I did add a little sour cream at the end...

(Remember this? Oh, how I miss Sex and the City!)

Making great vegan recipes is hard. I never realized how much I rely on meat and dairy for flavoring my dishes. I will admit, this one was very good vegan, but sour cream just gave it that extra something. 

I don't know. I'd love more tips on how to create delicious vegan foods. I'm getting the hang of it, but need more inspiration. 

Anyway, this recipe is perfect for the winter time, even though in California winter is like, long sleeve weather.  Maybe a decorative scarf. One quick sidenote: I'M SO GLAD I GOT OUT OF MINNESOTA.

Here is a picture from last year, taken from my car, which I was stuck in for FOUR HOURS on the highway, completely snowed in. And before you lecture me on the dangers of driving during a blizzard (I KNOW. I just said I was from MN!), I was trying to get to the hospital where we were short-staffed. Still, big mistake. 

Even though I live in not-hell now, and am completely warm and sunny today, the horrible snowstorm pictures popping up on my facebook are enough to make me crave something hot for my belly. So here it is. High-protein vegan chili, with a vegetarian alternative. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 onion, diced

2 cups cooked black beans

1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 can corn

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup cooked quinoa

16 oz salsa verde

2 teaspoons chili powder

¼ teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon cilantro (fresh and torn)

Sour cream for topping (if making the non-vegan version)

Directions:

Step 1: In a small skillet, heat butter on med/low until melted. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large pot on low heat, add black beans, tomatoes and corn (NOT strained), cooked quinoa, salsa verde, and onions. Mix well, then add chili powder, cumin, and cilantro. Increase heat until chili is boiling. Then reduce to simmer and leave, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve hot!

Serves 5-8. 

(

(ahhhh, that's better!)

Truffle Fries Street-Food Style

"In a lot of ways I think food is starting to take the place in culture that rock and roll took 30 years ago, in that eating has become incredibly political. And just as the street has always dictated fashions on music and other things, its starting to happen that way in food." - Jonathan Gold

I went to eat street food in San Francisco with co-workers a few weeks ago and one of the girls got truffle fries. This was the first time I'd heard of such a thing, and they were incredible. I decided I had to make them for myself.

After searching around online to figure out what kind of truffle oil to buy, I found that truffle oil is actually a pretty controversial thing (as far as food goes, at least haha). There are a lot of purists out there who think truffle oil is an abomination because it discourages people from using actual truffles, and tastes far less superior to the real deal.

But if you've been reading my blog for a while, or know me in person, you probably know my opinion before I even knew I had one on this. Who cares! If it tastes delicious, if its easy, if it works for you, then ignore the elitists. Food should be fun. Truffle oil fries are fun. End of controversy, in my opinion at least (and as my spouse will tell you, I'm always right)!

So, to all you stuck up chefs, smirk at my lowly truffle oil if you must. I'll be too busy stuffing my face with these amazing fries to notice!

Ingredients:

3 russet potatoes

4 tablespoons white truffle oil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh grated Parmesan

Coarse salt

Directions:

 Step 1: Peel your potatoes (my least favorite step!). Then cut to your ideal fry size (this will effect cooking time—I did mine traditional fry size). Soak cut fries in cold water for one hour.

Step 2: Preheat oven to 425F. In a small bowl, combine truffle oil, garlic, and parsley. Pat dry the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Toss potatoes and oil mixture until every fry is coated.

Step 3: Lay fries out evenly on a cookie sheet (I had to use two!). Cook for 25 minutes, then flip. Cook for an additional 25 minutes, then take fries out of the oven. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and coarse salt. Crank your oven up to 500F and cook for an additional five minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and enjoy!