Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook (2 page)

For over two decades, I have been encouraging gluten-free sabbaticals for my clients suffering from various chronic health conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, chronic fatigue, neurological problems, and other ailments. The results have been nothing less than amazing.

Once, I received a call from a client who I had seen because her daughter had been diagnosed with celiac disease. This mom knew that the best way for her daughter to adapt to a gluten-free diet was to have her entire family follow the same plan. So she too changed her diet. A few months later, she called me and explained that for years she had been plagued by a terribly painful bunion and had been to podiatrists, naturopaths, and acupuncturists, but nothing brought relief. Three months after she switched to a gluten-free diet, her bunion disappeared. She wanted to know if I had ever heard of this before. Although I have seen troubling skin conditions improve, hearing return, irritable bowel symptoms resolve, migraine headaches disappear, and depression lift, I had to admit that I had never heard of a disappearing bunion.

Nutritionists and dietitians have known for some time that gluten must be strictly avoided by those with celiac disease, but only recently has research shown that eliminating gluten can help improve autoimmune, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and some neurological conditions. Gluten can even wreak havoc on thyroid function and may be a factor in the twin epidemics of diabetes and obesity. Many parents believe that eliminating gluten is one of the most helpful therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders. I, too, have witnessed dramatic positive behavior changes in both children and adults who have made the transition to a whole-food, gluten-free diet.

But changing your diet isn’t always easy, especially when it comes to gluten. Many of the foods that make up the typical diet today also deliver a megadose of gluten. Favorite all-American comfort foods like pizza, macaroni and cheese, cereals, sandwiches, desserts, and snack foods are laden with gluten. Our taste buds have had a long-standing love affair with this substance. I am excited to finally have an excellent cookbook to share with my clients. This book offers truly delicious gluten-free recipes.

But that’s not all. Leslie Cerier is part of an environmentally focused movement championing sustainable nutrition and food systems.
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook
dishes up environmentally savvy recipes that are healthy not only for your body, mind, and spirit, but also for our precious planet. Loaded with culinary tips for a sustainable kitchen, this long-overdue cookbook is a mouthwatering adventure into the greening of gluten-free cooking. It will satisfy the most environmentally conscious cook.

I have had the opportunity to teach green and gluten-free workshops with Leslie Cerier in the kitchen at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. It is a wild and exciting adventure as she works her culinary magic, sharing her creative genius with each enchanting, earth-friendly recipe that inspires us to cook green and gluten free. I know you will savor each nourishing moment you spend reading and cooking with this book.

—Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RD, LDN

Welcome to
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook
. This cookbook celebrates the earth’s bounty and approaches green and gluten-free cooking like a creative sport. I’ll confess up front that I don’t follow a gluten-free diet myself. I come to this exploration of a wide variety of gluten-free grains as a matter of choice. Over twenty years ago, when I heard that teff, quinoa, and brown rice, to name just a few gluten-free grains, were highly nutritious, I was eager to try them, and I’ve never looked back. Their flavors and usefulness—not any dietary restrictions—are what keeps me coming back for more.

In these pages you’ll find an exciting array of flavorful recipes that will help you embrace a wide variety of gluten-free whole grains and bring them into your kitchen in new and creative ways. Whether you come to this exploration of gluten-free grains out of necessity or just out of interest, you’re about to engage in an adventure that will open the door to a whole new realm of cooking—one where your senses come alive with the flavors, colors, textures, and aromas of vibrant and healthful natural foods. If you’ve been thinking that a gluten-free diet means doing without, think again. There’s a world of exciting ingredients to choose from. Embrace the possibilities!

If you’re new to gluten-free whole grains, you’re in for a treat. In this cookbook, your food choices are multiplied. We’ll explore ancient grains and exotic varieties of rice, and I’ll show you how to use them in ways you probably never dreamed of—everything from porridges and puddings to pilafs and pasta dishes. These recipes will help you get your day off to a great start with bounteous breakfasts that go way beyond toast (
chapter 3
). Then, in chapters
4
through
7
, you’ll find recipes that will nourish and nurture you throughout the day. Just be sure to save some room for a delicious, indulgent, and yet nutritious dessert (
chapter 8
). So let’s get started!

In
chapter 1
, we’ll take a quick look at some of the health issues that bring people to a gluten-free diet. For now, let’s take a step back and look at the issue from a more philosophical perspective. Everyone can benefit from eating a wider variety of whole grains. In fact, there are some schools of thought that certain forms of wheat intolerance arise from eating too much wheat. Even if eating gluten-free isn’t a necessity for you, why not be preemptive and start eating more alternative grains? Plus, all of the different grains come naturally packaged with a unique set of nutrients that help promote health in different ways. Reap all of the benefits you can by consuming a wide variety of grains—and a wide variety of other foods too, for that matter.

And just as exploring the wide world of gluten-free whole grains is good for your body, it’s also good for the planet. As we face global warming, we all know that it’s time for a big shift. We simply cannot continue with business as usual, including the standard American diet. Adaptability, innovation, and creativity will be key to our success in lessening our carbon footprint, and this is as true of the foods we eat as it is in regard to transportation and or how we get our electricity. By now, many of us understand that eating local, seasonal, and organic foods is essential for our health and vitality, and also essential to maintaining a sustainable way of life—and therefore key in ensuring the well-being of our planet.

So where do gluten-free recipes fit in? In my view, cooking with a wider variety of foods is an important part of the transition we need to make. Grains are a good place to start. For most people, they form the foundation of a healthful diet. And yet there is perhaps less diversity in the grains we consume than in any other major food group. Huge monocultures of wheat and other common grains have damaging impacts on the earth, especially when grown commercially using petroleum-based fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides. Because many varieties of gluten-free grains are more closely related to their wild cousins than the hybrids we’ve come to rely on, they can often be grown more easily, using less intensive methods. As a bonus, many of them offer superior nutrition and higher-quality protein than wheat and other common grains. That means more net nutrition from the same amount of land. And best of all, this approach to easing our impact on the planet offers a delicious culinary adventure.

A wide array of whole grains, including many gluten-free varieties, have been worshipped by thriving, creative cultures for centuries. Maize, or corn, was the foundation of early Mesoamerican cultures; rice has long been revered by Asian cultures; the Incas believed quinoa to be sacred; and the list goes on. Pairing sustainably grown gluten-free grains with the local harvest continues this ancient tradition. Let’s say yes to abundance!

No matter what brought you to gluten-free cooking, we all have one thing in common: we depend on our planet for our survival. So it only makes sense to be environmentally savvy about your diet. Whole grains truly are the foundation of a healthful diet—healthful not just for us humans, but also for our planet. You’ve probably heard about the devastation of rainforests to create grazing land, water pollution from feedlots, and the problems with methane from cattle. And chances are, at some point you’ve read or heard that eating lower on the food chain is more sustainable, so I’ll just offer the reminder that it’s far more efficient to eat grain ourselves than to feed it to animals and then use those animals for food. As food resources grow scarce for an ever-increasing human population, it becomes more important to eat less meat, or avoid it altogether. All of that said, I do believe that there’s a place for organic eggs and dairy products, especially when the animals that produce them are allowed to range freely and fed a diet that’s more natural for them (for dairy cows, that means grass-fed).

Another important way to make your diet more green and earth-friendly is to eat organic whenever you can. For me, it’s hard to understand why there’s still any question about the benefits of organic everything! Some people dispute that they’re superior for health or nutrition. While I disagree, I also wonder about this: Even if these foods aren’t better in terms of health or nutrition, they’re clearly better for the environment. And we depend on the environment for our very lives, so I’d say that’s a pretty huge benefit.

Of course, we can’t all afford to buy everything organic, and sometimes there just isn’t an organic option. Do the best you can, and focus on the areas where it makes the most difference. As mentioned, eggs and dairy (and any other animal products) should always be organic. Because toxins tend to accumulate increasingly as you move up the food chain, animal foods will have a heavier toxic load. Likewise, it’s important to use organic oils because toxins tend to accumulate in fats (in both plants and animals). Some commercial crops are more intensively sprayed and treated than others. You can find lists of these on the Internet to help guide you when purchasing produce. In the absence of a list, think about the qualities of the fruit or vegetable. If it has a thick, tough skin or grows underground, it probably isn’t as heavily treated as something leafy, tender, or succulent (bugs just love those!). I think it’s especially important to buy organic wine and fair-trade organic coffee and chocolate; this way we celebrate sustainable agriculture all over the world and support the farmers who toil on our behalf while we nurture ourselves and enjoy savory and sweet pleasures. If these purchases ever feel self-indulgent, realize that you’re purchasing organic not just for yourself, but for the good of the planet and all of her inhabitants. And if that doesn’t sell you on the idea, realize that buying healthful, high-quality food is probably the cheapest health insurance available these days.

You can also increase your green quotient by eating more seasonal, local foods (organic, of course). There’s no food fresher or more healthful than what you grow yourself, so grow a garden if you can. It’s also good for the soul. Yet we don’t all have the time, land, or resources to garden. The good news is, communities around the country are jumping on the local-food bandwagon. Seek out farmer’s markets in your area. It’s always nice to know exactly where your food came from and to meet the grower face-to-face. Plus, many of these small-scale growers use organic or biodynamic methods. If you aren’t sure, ask, and then support the organic growers. (For details on finding a farmer’s market near you, see Resources.)

Another good option is community supported agriculture (CSA), which creates a partnership between farmers and local consumers. In CSAs, members of the community invest in a local farm to cover its expenses, and in return they share in the harvest, receiving a weekly assortment of seasonal produce. CSAs may offer other products, beyond just produce—maple syrup, honey, artisanal breads, pasture-raised eggs, cheese, yogurt, and more—often at prices lower than what you’d find in stores. (These may be produced by the CSA, or by other local ventures.) Depending on the climate, some CSAs run all year, whereas others run for about six months. Some deliver to member’s homes or centralized pickup spots; in other cases, members pick up their shares at the farm. Some CSAs require members to work shifts on the farm, but many don’t. Some have potlucks, planting and harvesting parties, and other events for members to come together to celebrate community and sustainable agriculture.

While local products are always a sound choice for the environment, I think it can make sense to occasionally use imported, fair-trade products from sustainable operations, especially for exceptional and irreplaceable items like olive oil, cacao, maca, goji berries, coconut oil, and specialty rices. This allows us to enjoy the culinary adventure to the fullest while also supporting a global network of sustainable agriculture. This supports well-being around the globe, for both humans and entire ecosystems, and also helps preserve biodiversity.

Once you’ve stocked your kitchen with a bounty of delicious, healthful, and mostly organic foods, it’s time to get cooking! Think of yourself as an artist designing a meal, composing with gluten-free whole grains, flours, and pastas complemented by a rainbow of local, seasonal fruits and vegetables. Using a variety of cooking techniques, you can create different textures and an endless assortment of satisfying, flavorful meals. Aim to create a feast for all of your senses, engaging both your intuition and your intellect to experiment with colors, shapes, textures, and aromas. Even the sense of hearing plays a role, and your cooking will benefit when you remember to tune in to the sounds in the kitchen: sizzling, boiling, and even the rhythm of your chopping.

Heighten Your Creativity by Engaging Your Senses

Trust your senses to help you choose and create vital, lively foods. When planning your meals, shopping, and cooking, try to maintain the open and curious attitude of a child. See, smell, taste, and touch everything! When you choose what delights your senses, you’ll find that pleasure awaits you. Trust yourself and cook with your inner desires. Your palate—and your entire being—will be awakened, enlivened, and nourished.

Begin by choosing an exciting and abundant variety of local, organic, seasonal fruits, vegetables, and herbs, then select gluten-free grains, pastas, and flours to accompany them. Add modest amounts of beans, soy foods, nuts, seeds, and local, organic free-range eggs and dairy products from grass-fed animals. These foods are your basic palette. Play with their qualities by experimenting with various cooking styles and even cooking times. And don’t forget the finishing touches. Most dishes are enhanced by using accents of various spices, oils, and salty seasonings. By mixing and matching all of these foods and cooking techniques, you can create an infinite variety of dishes to keep you nourished all year long. Literally an entire world of cuisines awaits you.

If this approach sounds daunting, there’s one more sense you need to engage: your sense of adventure. Have you always been intrigued, if a bit intimidated, by that knobbly celeriac? Go ahead and buy one and give it a try in
Roasted Vegetable and Quinoa Casserole
. Interested in reaping the nutritional benefits of goji berries but not sure how to use them? You’ll find plenty of ideas in this book, from
Power Porridge with Goji Berries
to
Coconut Jasmine Rice with Goji Berries and Shiitakes
. Each time you go to the store, aim to try something you’ve never used before, whether produce, grains, pastas, flours, or beans. I’ve given you plenty of recipes using teff, exotic rices, and unusual ingredients like sea vegetables and maca powder. Use these recipes to gain confidence in cooking with unusual foods, and then the sky’s the limit.

Balancing flavors is central to cooking. We all have our own flavor preferences and some amount of experience in selecting and combining foods to experience the flavors we love. The recipes in this book will give you many new avenues to explore in your journey through flavors—and the aromas that are part and parcel of the flavor of food. So let’s take a look at how to work with the other senses while cooking, in the form of colors, shapes, and textures.

Colors

We humans are highly visual creatures, and the appearance of food has a huge impact on appetite and enticement. Even something as simple as using colorful bowls, platters, and plates adds eye appeal and enhances the appetite. Most grains and pastas have earthy tones that might serve as the backdrop for a dish. Or you could combine grains to create complementary or contrasting patterns. For example, in
Bronze Delight
, you can use brown teff to match the kasha, or ivory teff for contrast.

Vegetables, fruits, herbs, and even edible flowers will add color—whether in a wholesale way or as an accent. Brown rice garnished with red radish flowers served in a red bowl is sure to catch your eye. Alternatively, you might scatter minced red chiles and brilliant green cilantro over a serving of quinoa. Or how about Chinese black rice on a bed of glistening, sautéed, dark green leafy vegetables? A simple meal of corn on the cob served side-by-side with multicolored
Salsa Salad with Tomatillos and Pinto Beans
engages the eyes and invites us to eat. Adding chopped red bell peppers and onions to
Amaranth and Corn Flatbread
elevates this humble dish to gorgeous party fare. And be sure to take advantage of all of the interesting colors of vegetables available these days—one of the benefits of growing interest in heirloom varieties and other exotic produce. Colored bell peppers are an obvious choice, and also sweet and tasty. But be sure to branch out with other produce items too. Opt for purple potatoes, golden beets, purple carrots, or striped tomatoes.