Tag: gluten-free

Gluten-free Crunchy Coconut Chicken Drumsticks

September 16, 2013

Coconut crusted gluten-free Chicken Legs — Gluten-free Crunchy Coconut Chicken Drumsticks

I wasn’t sure what to do with a bunch of chicken drumsticks that had thawed during our freezer disaster but I knew I wanted to do something gluten-free and out of the ordinary, and these coconut-quinoa encrusted drumsticks fit the bill.

I got inspired while searching the internet for chicken leg recipes and came across this one for Crunchy Coconut & Lime Drumsticks from The Family Feedbag, so I took the recipe and tweaked it a bit to meet my wheat-free household’s needs. And, I didn’t have a lime but I did have a lemon, so that filled in. Instead of the chile powder called for, I used a Cajun spice mix. Just a small change.

The bigger changes came from making the drumsticks wheat-free by substituting spelt flour for wheat flour, and quinoa flakes for Panko bread crumbs. While spelt does contain a gluten protein, it is different enough from wheat gluten that many gluten-intolerant people can tolerate spelt just fine. To make this recipe completely gluten-free, swap out the spelt flour for almond flour. In fact, next time I’m going to make these with almond meal and I think they would be even better.

I love using quinoa flakes in place of bread crumbs in lots of recipes. Quinoa flakes make a very simple gluten-free breadcrumb solution.

I also skinned the drumsticks simply because I don’t like chicken skin. You can leave it on, of course, when you make your own version..

My family gave this recipe a double thumbs up for deliciousness and has already asked me to make it again.

Here’s the recipe for fun and different chicken legs.

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Gluten-free Crunchy Coconut Chicken Drumsticks.

3 lbs. chicken drumsticks (about 12), skinned
1 lemon
3/4 cup spelt flour or almond flour/almond meal
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. Cajun spice mix (I use a blend from the Savory Spice Shop. You can also use plain chile powder.)

Place the skinned (or not) chicken into a dish. Zest the lemon and reserve the zest, then slice the fruit and squeeze lemon juice over the chicken. The acid will start marinating the chicken. If you have time, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours.

Spread the flour or a plate. Beat the eggs in a bowl large enough to fit a drumstick.

In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon zest, shredded coconut, sea salt, and spice mix.

Create an assembly line:

Roll the drumstick in flour.
Dip it in the egg.
Roll the drumstick in the coconut mixture.

Place the drumsticks on a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet leaving space between each one. Put the sheet into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until the chicken brings a meat thermometer up to 180 degrees F. For best results, turn the drumsticks after around 25-30 minutes to brown all sides.

Can Autism Be Affected By Diet?

July 9, 2013

According to the spring, 2013, issue of the Dieticians in Functional Medicine (DIFM) newsletter, autism and other developmental disorders can be influenced by inflammation from what we’re eating.

“In this land of plenty, the standard American diet (SAD) may be causally related to a child’s developmental disability. There is much in the literature that supports healing the body and using food as medicine. Literature has established the presence of gastrointestinal (GI) inflammation in many children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This evidence persuasively suggests that GI inflammation may exacerbate ASD symptoms and, conversely, that dietary interventions can ameliorate GI inflammation in at least some children, improving overall outcomes.”

A 2006 study found that 70% of children on the autism spectrum (ASD) had GI issues including acid reflux, diarrhea, constipation, and malordorous stools. Another study, this one in 2002, found that autistic children put on gluten-free/casein-free diets for one year experienced increased social connectedness, improvement in transitions, and improved willingness to learn.

The Feingold Association has long studied the link between behavior and ADHD and additives like food dyes and colors (FD&D).

Food sensitivity testing can fine-tune an autistic child’s diet and take out the guesswork. You might discount the impact of what your kid is eating on how they are acting, but you won’t know until you radically change their diet just how much they are affected. Because food sensitivity reactions may manifest up to four days after exposure, it can be impossible to determine for yourself if foods are having any impact. When a person is in chronic inflammation, there is no way to make any meaningful connections between foods and behavior or thought processes. It’s only by reducing the overall inflammatory load very scientifically –with the help of a qualified nutrition professional– that these connections will become glaringly apparent.

Worldwide Demand for Quinoa Up Threefold

February 22, 2013

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”), the mother grain of the Incas, has become the darling of the foodie and health-nut world.

quinoa farmer — Farmer Geronimo Blanco shows his quinoa plants in Patamanta, Bolivia. (Juan Karita, The Associated Press)

Deliciously nutty, quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein, perhaps because it’s more of a seed than an actual grain, even though we use it like a grain. Naturally gluten-free, quinoa flour offers an alternative to wheat in baking, and quinoa products like pasta can be found on supermarket shelves.

I love quinoa and often cook it for dinner in place of rice. You can basically add water to dry quinoa and cook it as if it were rice, or put it in a Glorious One-Pot Meal for an easy and healthy repast. Quinoa flakes can be eaten as a quick hot cereal, but I like to use them in place of bread crumbs in recipes like these gluten-free salmon burgers.

One unfortunate side effect of quinoa’s rising popularity is the stress it is putting on traditional farmers in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia to abandon ancient land management technique in hopes of harvesting more and more quinoa for the booming market. Quinoa has become a cash crop in the fragile ecosystem of the Andean highlands.

I hope they find a solution to meet demand without destroying part of our world and making quinoa and the Andean highlands a casualty of modern commerce.

Diet Fads Through the Ages

February 19, 2013

Fad diets drive me crazy. Mostly because they have very little to do with achieving health.

CNN posted an entertaining look at diets through history beginning with Lord Byron’s vinegar-and-water diet in the 1820s, touching on the memorable grapefruit and cabbage soup fazes of the mid-twentieth century, and going full steam into the Scarsdale diet of the 70s, the Atkins diet of the 80s, South Beach, Weight Watchers, The Zone, and more.

The latest fad that has gotten everyone on the bandwagon is the gluten-free craze.

Now, I understand that Celiac Disease is real and many people experience internal inflammation after consuming wheat products, but wheat is not universally bad for everyone. In fact, according to Dr. Alessio Fasano of the Celiac Research Center, only 7% of the population, or 1 out of every 133 people, actually has Celiac Disease, though up to 30% may have some sensitivity to wheat.

While you must have been eating wheat to receive positive test results for Celiac Disease, an easy way to discover if wheat or gluten is making you feel badly is to eliminate wheat and other gluten grains (rye, barley, spelt, kamut) from your diet for two weeks… and then eat something containing wheat, like a piece of bread.

If you have a wheat sensitivity, over the next 2-3 days you might then experience anything from belching, bloating, distension, gas, diarrhea or constipation to dizziness, nausea, foggy head, vision problems, fatigue, or even tingling or other nervous system sensations.

Or, maybe you won’t feel anything different at all, like most people. The great majority of people can tolerate wheat just fine.

Watch out before you fall victim to a fad and then needlessly eliminate an entire food group and its nutrients. If you suspect wheat is a problem for you, it’s worth doing your own elimination test and challenge before taking the pledge to go gluten-free. Just because something is popular and trendy doesn’t always mean it is the best thing for your body to do.

Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan Cream Pie Recipe

November 15, 2012

A few years ago, a friend passed along a recipe for a dairy-free cream pie that was so scrumptious that I’ve since taken the concept and adapted it to make other variations. It’s a delicious dessert that will wow a crowd of regular eaters as much as those vegans, gluten-free’rs, and raw foodies at your table. I wish I knew from where it originated, but I’ll just have to settle for telling you that I was not the original creator.

You can make the tart in advance all the way through step 2 and complete step 3 just before serving.

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Banana and Coconut Cashew-Cream Tart

Gluten-free, Dairy-free Vegan Coconut Cream Pie — Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Vegan Coconut Cream Pie

Makes 1 nine-inch tart

For Tart Shell:

1 1/2 cups whole pecans
Pinch of coarse sea salt
1 1/2 cups pitted dates
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup

For Filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight and thoroughly drained
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup, and more to taste
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
3/4 cup desiccated coconut
3 or 4 ripe but firm bananas

1. Make tart shell: Coarsely chop pecans and salt in a food processor. Add dates; pulse until thoroughly combined, 15 to 20 seconds. Add syrup; pulse just until combined and mixture sticks together. Press nut mixture firmly and evenly into a 9-inch pie plate, wetting your fingers as needed. Set tart shell aside.

2. Make filling: Grind nuts to a coarse paste in a blender. Add water, syrup, and vanilla scrapings; blend until smooth, about 5 minutes, scraping sides as needed. Mixture should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Set aside 2 tablespoons coconut; add remainder to blender, and process to combine. Pour into prepared shell, spreading evenly.

3. Thinly slice bananas on the bias; arrange in slightly overlapping rows, beginning at edge of tart. Sprinkle with reserved coconut; serve immediately.

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