Free...Free...Free

Have you noticed how gluten free, dairy free, fat free, sugar free, free…free…free diets are everywhere now.  It is amazing how many people from all age groups and geographic areas are requesting, either out of necessity or choice, to have a diet that is ‘free’ of something. 

Last summer one of my daughters needed to make the switch to a non-inflammatory diet that involved removing all gluten, dairy, and non-hydrogenated oils from her diet.  Shortly after, my other daughter (who is a vegetarian) was diagnosed with lactose intolerance.  Going gluten, dairy, non-hydrogenated oil free was a huge personal commitment on daughter #1’s part, and going dairy free was an absolute necessity on daughter #2’s part.  For me, it was a big adjustment when it came to food shopping and meal planning.  I’ve learned to read all the microscopic print on food labels (necessitating the use of ‘readers’ on a much more regular basis than my pride would like) and to watch carefully for items containing all forms of oil.  Do you realize how hard it is to find foods that do not contain gluten, dairy, and oil?!  It’s a needle in a haystack exercise that we do on a regular basis.

Fortunately the growing population demanding gluten free foods has resulted in some very good options.  We have some fan favorites in our house (King Arthur makes a fabulous bread mix that we all can eat and enjoy) and a wonderful bakery has opened up in our community that is absolutely fabulous.

This past weekend we had our family together for Easter and I wanted to make sure everyone was fed well, was happy and satisfied.  To accomplish this requires planning ahead and allowing time for baking and shopping at specialty shops.   Our all-time favorite place is Bam Bam Bakery in the Old Port.  They make the best of everything.  So I decided to make it easy on myself and buy what I could and make what I couldn't.  We were not disappointed.  Their bread is perfect for sandwiches, breakfast toast, Panini’s and I’ve even made croutons and little hors d’oeuvre toasts out of it.  It is quite multi-purpose and yummy to boot!  But really the choir singing, light-from-the-heavens moment comes when you taste their sweets.  Just to-die-for.  We’ve tried the many grocery store mixes and on-line recipes before but they are hit or miss and Bam Bam is always a full on bulls-eye.

  

(Images via: www.bambambakery.com)

When I do do the cooking at home, we have a few family favorites that have proven to be both easy and tasty.  In the sweets department, ‘Oh Henry’ bars are fantastic.  They are chewing and chocolaty and sooo yummy.

Find a great recipe for Oh Henry bars here

In the side dish department, quinoa is at the top of the list.  It is quick, high in protein, and tastes sooo good.  For added flavor I always cook it with “No-Chicken Chicken broth” to accommodate the non-meat eater in the family.  We like to add sautéed veggies and spices as well.  Toss in some cooked shrimp and it is a full-on meal.

The ever growing options in the gluten-free pasta department have made life a whole lot easier too.  On a night that we want something quick and easy we just throw the noodles in a pot of boiling water, add a delicious and easy homemade red sauce and we are good-to-go.  Here is my recipe for our family’s favorite red sauce:

28oz can whole tomatoes (undrained)
15oz can tomato sauce
1 tbl. olive oil (olive oil is an acceptable oil thank goodness!)
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tbl. parsley flakes
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2tsp. salt

Sauté the garlic in the olive oil.  Add the whole tomatoes and break up into small pieces.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes. 

The aroma and the flavor is amazing.  Enjoy!


Wanna go gluten free?  Here are some great cook books to try out: