Interesting articles I've read over the summer

Cat and Kitten, 2008  Photo by A. Stahl

I wanted to share a few interesting news articles that I've been reading over the summer. You see, I never really stop reading. I have friends who ask questions about "gluten free" or celiac disease, or whether or not a certain cross-reactive food is passed on in animal milk and that sort of thing... and I get the bug to go researching.

The only problem with this bug, is that I haven't been trained as a dietician or nutritionist, so I can only access whatever medical paperwork is publicly available or readily found via search engines. So, while these things are interesting, it's best to discuss these papers with knowledgeable gastroenterologist, dieticians and nutritionists who are well versed in Celiac Disease.

I read an eleven page document from The New York Times on "The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food" by Michael Moss. My take-away from the article was that we need to be very proactive and aware of the psychology of marketing and that if we are to partake of junk food, that we keep it to a very limited amount. Not because it is too sugary or too salty - but because it is so addictive and it can affect us for a long time to come.

The more interesting articles I was reading happened to do with the evolving spectrum of celiac disease. I've long believed that "gluten sensitivity" or "intolerance" happens to be part of celiac disease, even if it is as of yet, not recognized as such. Voilá, attitudes are changing in the medical community.

"Gluten Sensitivity (GS) is a state of heightened immunological responsiveness to ingested gluten in genetically susceptible people. It represents a spectrum of diverse manifestations, of which, the gluten sensitive enteropathy known as [Celiac Disease] is one of many."
Celiac Disease and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: The Evolving Spectrum

"It is now becoming apparent that reactions to gluten are not limited to [Celiac Disease], rather we now appreciate the existence of a spectrum of gluten-related disorders. The high frequency and wide range of adverse reactions to gluten raise the question as to why this dietary progein is toxic for so many individuals in the world."
Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification

"Sub-clinical, or hidden, gluten intolerance is a health problem at epidemic proportions in certain populations in the United States and remains largely unrecognized by conventional medicine."
Dr. Daniel Kalish

Some acquaintances of mine were discussing some myths that were driving them crazy about Celiac Disease and I mentioned that wheat grass being gluten free was one of my major concerns, after seeing it featured in "Bedtime Stories" and another film ("Working Mom"?) as a safe option for Celiacs who wish to keep a healthy diet.

The problem is not that wheat grass is gluten free, but that the processing involved often causes the actual product to not be gluten free, and really that Celiacs need not be eating any of the grains (sprouted or not) provided from gluten containing grains because it is just too risky for accidents to happen. It took a lot of looking on my end to find an article that discussed these issues with wheat grass, and I found it at About.com's Celiac section.

"...while wheat grass and barley grass in their pure forms are considered gluten-free, it matters how they're harvested and how products containing them are produced.
...if a farmer allows some of the grasses to begin producing seeds prior to harvest, then that particular crop will contain gluten.
...if a manufacturer of supplements produces gluten-containing products alongside or on the same equipment as it's using for gluten-free labeled products, then those products can be cross-contaminated unless special precautions are taken, and they may contain gluten."
Are wheat grass and barley grass gluten-free?

What the article doesn't discuss is that there is a propensity of people with celiac disease to also be allergic to wheat, barley, rye or oats. If one doesn't know that they are additionally allergic, as well as intolerant -- this can cause some massive issues that are just not worth it.  If you do wish to go there, it is best to be sure you only acquire gluten free certified wheat or barley grass, and that you are certain you are not additionally allergic like I am.   It is very unpleasant if you are, and react as I have been.

Another article that I found was related to gluten traces in gluten free foods. This study was referenced in a recent DZG magazine and I went to find the actual article to read on my own. Basically, the DZG translated the article for a German audience, so I had the benefit of the study in both languages. Double plus! The study is entitled "Might gluten traces in wheat substitutes pose a risk in patients with celiac disease? A population-based probabilistic approach to risk estimation." and was put out by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.  The "short" of the article is that there has not been enough study and that some Celiacs are more sensitive than others and will react to trace amounts while others do not. We need to adopt the 20mg/kg gluten threshold for the United States.


I have been hearing some things out there in cyber space about fermentation of grains making it gluten free or suitable for individuals with celiac disease. This is patently untrue, and mostly has been skewed from a few, very small sample-size studies.

Here are the basics:

"Because enzymatic breakdown of gluten proteins often leads to small, difficult to degrade, toxic peptides, the partial breakdown of wheat, rye, or barley proteins during seed germination or in the malting process probably will not usually eliminate toxicity even when there is no trace of the large original proteins remaining. Thus, malt extracts and other hydrolysates of wheat, rye, or barley proteins (including beers) might retain some toxicity. Nevertheless, when such extracts are used in a product in very small proportions, as a flavoring, for example, the amount of toxic peptides present in the final product might be so small as to be negligible. Again, however, good scientific studies are lacking."
http://wheat.pw.usda.gov/.../topics/Celiac.vs.grains.html

"The sourdough fermentation may enhance the recovery from intestinal inflammation of coeliac patients at the early stage of the gluten-free diet.
PURPOSE:
This study aimed at investigating the effect of corn, rice and amaranth gluten-free (GF) sourdoughs on the release of nitric oxide (NO) and synthesis of pro-inflammatory cytokines by duodenal mucosa biopsies of eight coeliac disease (CD) patients."
http://cassies-candida-carbs.blogspot.de/2012/03/study-on-fermentation-of-grains.html

There was a study done in Italy with 13 patients:

"The Italian study was designed to assess how 13 Celiacs responded to eating baked goods made with wheat flour treated with lactobacilli and fungal protease. The study, Safety for Patients with Celiac Disease of Baked Goods Made of Wheat Flour Hydrolyzed During Food Processing was published in the January 2011 issue of the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology."
"...methods used to assess gluten damage in the participants -- blood tests for anti–tissue transglutaminase antibodies and small bowel biopsy have potential for false negative results. "
Is fermented sourdough wheat bread safe for Celiacs?

"These results showed that a bread biotechnology that uses selected lactobacilli, nontoxic flours, and a long fermentation time is a novel tool for decreasing the level of gluten intolerance in humans."
Sourdough Bread Made from Wheat and Nontoxic Flours and Started with Selected Lactobacilli Is Tolerated in Celiac Sprue Patients

The only issue with the studies is that it is such a small sample size, it was not done with a double-blind and they did not test individuals with the rather broad spectrum of celiac disease. There is no long term study, and you could not sign me up for this test with the reactions I have. Heck, I'm reacting to gluten grains in the fields now!


The other interesting bit of research I went into was the myth of there being traces of gluten in dairy products from animals. Based on testing, no significant amounts of gluten peptides have been detected in cow’s milk.

However, Lactose Intolerance Can Be A Symptom Of Gluten Intolerance. That actually was one of the many symptoms I had as a teenager before we figured out that my entire health issues could be pinned on Celiac Disease.

Here's the research I was able to find:

• Gluten Peptides in Human Breast Milk: Implications for Cow’s Milk???
• When Dairy Intolerance Joins Celiac Disease 
• What About Dairy Sensitivity? 
• How is lactose intolerance related to celiac disease?
• Mucosal reactivity to cow's milk protein in coeliac disease.
• Capsule Endoscopy Detection of Ileal Mucosa Alterations due to Cow Milk Malabsorption in a Celiac Patient
• Mucosal reactivity to cow's milk protein in coeliac disease
• https://tinyurl.com/of79nce   
• Intolerance of celiac disease patients to bovine milk is not due to the presence of T-cell stimulatory epitopes of gluten.

Here's hoping that you had a wonderful Summer and are easing gracefully back into school.

Jennifer

German Black Forest Cherry Cake

Today, I'm going to show you how to make a German Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzwälder kirschtorte). This is a rather involved recipe, so plan on taking several hours to make this your first time.  Please note that this is neither GAPS or PALEO. This is simply a delicious gluten free variation of a traditional German cake.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
140g Dark Chocolate
75g  Butter
6  Eggs
180g  Sugar
100g  Gluten Free Flour of your choice (I used Bette Hagman's Featherlight Mix)
1 teaspoon guar gum, xanthan gum or 10g pixie dust
50g  Corn or Tapioca Starch (really you can use either)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.

 Melt the chocolate with the butter in a water bath. Set aside.  Separate your eggs, and whip the egg whites into a stiff marshmallow-like consistency and set it aside.  Mix the egg yolks with sugar until they are foamy. Carefully mix in the chocolate with the yolk mixture. Add in the flour, starch, gum/dust and baking powder in with the egg yolk mixture. Carefully mix the egg white mixture in until it is just coming together. Be careful or the whites will fall!

Take out your springform of choice and line it with baking paper. (Alternatively, you could butter and flour the pan, but you have to take extra care that every bit has been equally covered and floured or it will stick terribly!)

Carefully pour the cake mix into the springform and bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Cool the cake in the form on a cooling rack.  Once it is cooled, carefully run a knife along the edges before turning out on the rack. Slice in half carefully (you may use dental floss, a knife or another cake cutting method) and set each side on a rack until you are ready to use it.

Personally? This is where I would say "eh, no." and use my 10" cake tins. This will require very quick thinking to get this in a European oven this way.  As you can see in the photos below, I chose that option and halved these cake layers in half. Directions below will follow that.

Topping:
800g  Sour Cherries (Cherry pie filling - homemade or store bought) Reserve 500 ml of the juice.
4 level tablespoons of corn or tapioca starch (again, keep in mind your allergies!)
2 tablespoons of Sugar
100 ml  Kirschwasser (This is a specialty liqueur - if you want, you could use cherry juice instead)
800 ml Whipping Cream
3TBS Vanilla flavoring
Candied Cherries or Maraschino Cherries
Chocolate chips, flakes or sprinkles (really, this is your choice more than what everyone else does)

Separate the cherries from their juice. Set aside. Mix your starch, sugar and around 50ml of the reserved juice together.

Take the rest of the juice and bring it to a light boil. Add in the sugar/starch mixture. Allow to cook for a few minutes before removing from heat and re-adding the cherries. Add in half of the kirschwasser and mix well.

Take the cake halves and use a brush to paint the rest of the kirschwasser on them.

Place the bottom cake layer on a plate and put half of the cherry mixture on it evenly. Take another layer and do the same with the other half, this will be placed on another layer in a bit.

Take your whipping cream, sugar, vanilla and whip this like crazy until it is really thick. You can add in some tapioca or cornstarch to keep this staying "high" for several hours or overnight.

Place some of this whipped cream on top of the bottom layer prior to putting another cake layer over it. place whipped topping on this layer and place the already dressed layer on top of this. Add some more whipping cream. Place the top layer over it and add more whipping cream. Decorate as you wish at this point, and cover the sides as best as you can.

This is how the inside of the cake will look:

Tradition is to divide this up into 14 or 16 slices, adding a spritz of whipped cream on each and then decorating that with a cherry and chocolate on top.

As you can probably see, I divided mine into 10 since I used a set of smaller cake tins than my springform.

This will need to go into the fridge (very carefully!!) for several hours before you can serve it.

End product:

I do suppose that if you were in a rush and you did not really wish to follow the directions for the chocolate cake, you could use Betty Crocker's GF Devil's food cake or a similar GF boxed cake recipe in a hurry. I have done that before, though not with a boxed mix. I just used my handy-dandy chocolate cake recipe and went "Booyah! Lookit! I did it all on my own without having to cook anything or separate eggs! YAY!" - but, it's not really Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte ... it's close though!

You need to do what is best for your allergy issues, rather than what is best to = the traditional dish though. So if the kirschwasser is a no-go for you, use cherry juice. No worries!

This will last in the fridge overnight or so, but the whipped cream will start to go flat. So, really, plan on serving this in the evening for a party. And whatever you do, by all that is holy and sacred - do not skimp and use cool whip instead! That will just be plain nasty.

Let me know if you get a chance to make this. I would love to hear how you enjoyed it.  We've been able to pass this off to unsuspecting friends and family and they were certain it could not be gluten free. 

Birthday Cakes, Breakfast bento and pasta, oh my! - First Week of June

Why yes, I am a Whovian!

This week has been a whirlwind to say the very least! My oldest son turned five on Saturday. Now, normally I'd be on top of things, but, I went to the doctor last week and was put on bed rest due to a sinus infection and upper respiratory infection.  So, I planned, but getting things implemented was another story.

Refurbished tins from canned food, inspired by this pin

My son expressed that he wished to have a Disney "Cars"-related birthday. So I went hunting up logos I could print and then tape to some tins I was saving from canned goods.  I made up some gift bags for us to be able to pack away some of the doughnuts and a slice of cake for all the children; and I'd purchased and wrapped a coloring book each for all of the children who were present and had put their names down on them.

Handmade Stoplight Goody Bags

I'd run around and found my doughnut recipe, and got those made up. (Husband failed to get a photo of this, they were delicious nonetheless!) We made organic fruit salad (we'd printed a logo that said "Organic Fuel" that we found here), which was gone by the time the party was over. Wow!

Traffic signs that we incorporated into our decorations

The day rolled on by, and none of the baking except for the doughnuts had been done. The doughnuts were slightly burnt, but I knew we could save them if we could get some chocolate glaze going. I've been keeping packets of chocolate glaze laid by for such an occasion since I do not like chocolate glaze on the boxed cupcakes.

Traffic Cones we used for the party

We had put the youngest to bed so he could nap, and the eldest was running from room to room and kept asking when our guests would arrive.  I realized the doughnuts weren't done and I was starting to freak out, while my husband just puttered around the house looking busy.

We had just enough glaze to ice half of the doughnuts, which meant that I had to make a clear glaze. I thought we had powdered sugar upstairs. I thought wrong! Nope, in the basement and our guests had arrived.

One of our younger guests is allergic to many foods, and I was very concerned about him being able to have something other than the fruit salad at the birthday party; so we decided to make the birthday cake as allergen free as possible.

We'd gotten the party banner up, we'd set out the plates, cups, silver and were just finishing up the cake. The doughnuts were nearing completion and I had a panic attack about the fruit salad after my in laws had arrived and my next set of guests came in the door.

Thank G-d, we got it all done. I apologize for the quality of this photo, as my husband took it rather quickly while children were begging to eat and my oldest really wanted to blow his candles out.

This cake recipe is gluten, egg, dairy, soy and nut free.

The recipe for this cake is originally in German. Below is the translation and the changes I made to it.

Schnelle Schokomuffins ohne Milch und ohne Ei
Author: wuschel-

125g Flour*
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4th teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon guar gum**
65g Sugar
1 packet of Vanillezucker (you can substitute for 1 teaspoon Vanilla)
3 tablespoons of Cocoa***
50ml Oil
100ml Water
1 tablespoon Vinegar

Mix all dry ingredients and then slowly add the wet ingredients while mixing, just until it comes together. Fill in muffin forms and  bake at 180°C for around 20 minutes.
*Use Gluten Free Flour of your choice, this could work with almond flour.
**Guar Gum is my addition.
***If you do not wish the cake to be chocolate, do not add cocoa. Simply add flour in the same amount.

Since we were making this for a sheet cake, we had decided to place baking paper on two cookie sheets and just be really careful about pouring and setting it in the oven. We cooled these on a couple cookie racks and it was ready to go rather quickly.


The icing on the cake is based on Wilton's Buttercream icing, but since I didn't have a lot of time, I modified the recipe slightly and used more rice milk so that it would spread thinner as it had to cover two very thin 9"x13" layers. At this point, I've made Buttercream so much that I don't even use the recipe any longer. We substituted the German Alsan Bio non-dairy butter (Similar to "Earth Balance" in the USA) and I thinned the icing by tripling the milk amount with rice milk.


By Monday, I was STILL beat from Saturday. I overslept, so the children and I stayed home.
Tuesday, I was able to pack bento for the children's breakfast and also for their lunch. I used Tchibo's new lovely snack towers for the children's breakfast.

Roses made with Roast Turkey and Boiled Eggs, a Banana, and Grapes

Rice, Steamed Carrots and Turkey Breast

 The children's lunch was turkey breast (not breaded), steamed carrots, rice and yogurt. I know, not imaginative, and not GAPS-y. I can't change that as our options are limited with the kindergarten. Amazingly though, the children ate 80% of what is in this glass clip box! I'm impressed.

Father in law's birthday card and presents

In addition to kindergarten, Tuesday was my father in law's birthday. So, I was in a bit of a rush to finish his present, which included a handmade card and apple cobbler.  I was in such a rush to complete everything and make it on time to our dinner reservation (as well as sneaking the cobbler into their apartment) that I completely missed getting a photo of it! Noo!!

I figure it will even out in the end considering I plan on making one for us later in the month. ;)



Wednesday, I was able to get out Maultaschen and some snacks for the kids to eat for breakfast.

Maultaschen, made with Trudel Marquardt's Recipe

Below is the translated recipe for Trudel's Maultaschen. Note that this is also neither PALEO or GAPS.

Maultaschen by Trudel Marquardt

Noodle Dough:
300g gluten free flour (My husband uses Schär as recommended by Trudel)
3 Eggs                                                                  
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Psyllium Husk
3-4 Tablespoons Water (depending on the size of the eggs)
1 Tablespoons of Sunflower oil

Mix all ingredients until they make a strong dough (do not overmix!) and roll it together and place into plastic wrap in your fridge for around 30 minutes.

After your dough has sat in the fridge for a while, you will want to roll it out on a well floured surface. Cut out your Maultaschen and add about 1TBS-2TBS of the filling of your choice in the middle while carefully pinching together all sides.

You really can fill this with anything that you want to, this time we chose to put in some ground beef with a little herbs. Her recipe gives more instruction on that.

Once your Maultaschen have been filled, you will cook these in salt water for around eight minutes.

We filled ours with hamburger meat and some seasonings, and used a vegetable broth for the soup. You really can use any soup, so have fun playing with this recipe!

Thursday however, we are celebrating my son's birthday at kindergarten, which necessitated chocolate cake and icing.

Gluten Free Chocolate Birthday Cake

Normally, I would use this Annalise Roberts' White Cake recipe from the cookbook "Gluten-Free Baking Classics" for birthday cake and modify as I need to.

However, I was very pressed for time, so I used the new "Frei Von" brand of Chocolate Muffins from REWE. I usually modify their box mix with a couple tablespoons of molasses and walnuts, but I decided the nuts were just too much for the kindergarten party.  I buttered (with Alsan-Bio) two 9" round cake tins and floured them with cocoa. 25 minutes in the oven and both layers were done.  A few hours and some Buttercream later, Birthday cake!

If you make the Annalise Roberts recipe, to make it into chocolate, remove about 3/4 the flour and replace with cocoa. Add in 2TBS of molasses and you have got yourself a chocolate cake to die for.

 Here's how the table looked at Kindergarten with the Lightning McQueen birthday Candle:

JD's birthday, 2013

Since TB has pink eye, he wasn't able to be at the birthday party, and received a slice of cake to enjoy at home:

Birthday Cake

I'm terribly sorry at the lateness of this post, but I figure you are probably wondering what is going on in our kitchen these days.

Tuesday and Wednesday's Bentos

 I'm terribly sorry for the delay in getting these up, but I've been battling an infection and only just got back from the doctor yesterday. I'm supposed to take things slowly, drink lots of fluid and rest. Good thing we're having a 4 day weekend, right?

Without further ado, here are the meals we had on Tuesday morning and Wednesday, with the addition of our Wednesday dinner. :)

I was feeling rather unimaginative on Tuesday. Basically I questioned what I could put together quickly because I had overslept. Voilá, Breakfast.

I apologize for the quality of the photos in this post. I really could have done a lot better than this.

Breakfast Bento, Left to right: Applesauce, Yogurt, Gherkins

Then I had lunch to contend with. No time to make it, so I just threw together what I could while I ran around thinking I had no time. I had forgotten that I had moved the clock ahead almost fifteen minutes in the kitchen so I could keep us on time all the time. Whoops.

Cut up Bratwurst with organic ketchup

Ketchup, Yogurt Dressing, Salad with sprouts and potatoes

Packed Breakfast and Lunch

 Not bad for a quickly packed lunch, eh?  This is how it all turned out packed. The thicker looking bag has everything wrapped in a towel. Since they are thermal bags, this kept the meal warm until lunch time.

 

Wednesday's Breakfast: Chocolate Cupcakes for a party, cheese, applesauce
Gherkins, Boiled Egg. Lunch: Rice and Carrots, Southern Sausage and Monte

Wednesday was a bit more difficult. The children were having a going away party for a classmate whose mother is soon to give birth. She'll be SAHM'ing both her little one and the new baby for the next year.  Benefits are better here, and life would be much easier doing that so quickly after birth.

So, we have some cupcakes packed along. This is unusual since the kindergarten likes to keep things low sugar.

Packed Lunch and Breakfast

This is how it all ended up packed. Breakfast in the blue box, Lunch in the larger purse. It's just easier to hand one off to the children to carry, rather than having to carry both down the steps and into the car, as well as out of the car and to the classroom. I wasn't sure if I trusted them entirely carrying the lunch bag though. My youngest has a habit of wanting to drag it rather than carry. We're working on that. 







Now for the recipe portion of today's post. I wasn't feeling good and I was really having a hankerin' for a meal I haven't had since I have gone gluten free. I asked my mom to send along the recipe, and my husband was nice enough to make it all up from scratch for me. He didn't think we would end up eating everything all at once, or within two days. Um, it is that good. It's gone as of 4pm today.

Chicken Pockets

Since I live in Germany and do not have US Base access, I don't have the ability to get a gluten free packet of American Ranch Dressing. So, I had to make my ranch dressing before we moved forward. This means we had to get two spices that were not already included in our spice rack. I'm not entirely sure where all of these recipes are from other than my mom. If these look familiar to you or you know where they came from, please do let me know and I'll be more than happy to give credit where credit is due.

Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix
This versatile mix can be used to make a dressing for salads, a dip for fresh veggies, or topping for baked potatoes.
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley           
1/2 Tbsp. dried chives
1/4 Tbsp. dried tarragon           
1/2 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. Salt                   
1/4 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder
In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in an airtight container.
Attach this to the Jar:  Ranch Dressing Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise           
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Ranch Pressing & Dip Mix
In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk and dressing & dip mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

 So, we had the dry mix made up and put in a small Lock & Lock container ready and waiting. My husband went ahead and made a whole chicken breast up on the stove, and began to mix the following recipe for yeast rolls. Instead of cooking these as directed, you'll do something else with them.

Mock Angel Biscuit Rolls
1 packet yeast               
1/8 cup warm water
3/4 cups lukewarm milk (scald then cool)               
1/8 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt                   
1 egg
3 Tbs shortening               
1 1/2 cups Gluten Free flour mix (up to 1 cup reserved if needed - we needed it)
1 1/2 tsps guar gum               

Combine 1 cup flour with guar gum, set aside. Dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar . In a 2 1/2-quart bowl add milk, sugar, salt, eggs, shortening and 1 1/2 cup of flour with guar gum mixed. Beat on low speed scraping bowl constantly (30 seconds). Beat on medium speed scraping bowl occasionally (2 minutes). Stir in remaining flour until smooth. Turn dough onto well (use out of the reserved flour) floured surface.  Roll around lightly to coat with flour. Gently roll dough 1/2 inch thick with floured rolling pin. Cut with a floured biscuit  cutter. Cover and let rise until doubled (40-50 minutes).  Bake in a preheated oven 450 degrees for about 10-12 minutes.  

*You can roll into balls and make divided rolls in a muffin tin. Brush tops with melted butter before baking.

**Roll out into a circle and cut into wedge pieces.  Roll up like crescent rolls and bake after rising time.  Make sure to have a well floured surface to roll these out on or they will stick and be messy.  You might want to brush them with melted butter before rolling and after rising.

***For sweet crescents, brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with cinnimon and sugar before rolling into shape.  Brush tops with melted butter.

So, instead of making these into biscuits/rolls,  you'll roll these out into about 10-12 rectangles. These will be your base for the pockets.

In your food mixer, you will want to mix the following:

2 cups cooked boneless chicken
1TBS chopped chives
salt to taste
1 Cup crushed seasoned bread crumbs (I would just put a little of the Ranch with that too)
3 oz cream cheese
2T milk
1/2 c melted butter

 Preheat your oven to 350°F.  Carefully spoon out this mixture onto the rectangles and fold shut. Brush the outsides with butter and roll both sides into bread crumbs prior to placing onto a pan with a baking sheet. Bake these for 20 minutes.

This should be your end result:

Chicken Pockets

Happy baking!

Exciting new things!

 This past Saturday, I received something new in the mail! (Sorry for the poor lighting) I had heard last week that Coeliac UK had a gluten free magazine, so I went ahead and ordered myself a copy to see what I thought about getting a subscription.

This is my copy.  It was a very good read. It had around 62 pages and lots of information inside, including new gluten free products, an upcoming vendor fair in June, the latest from their conference in May, and the latest diagnostic information as well as recipes.

Oh my goodness, recipes!! There are recipes in there for breads and meals. Scones! I've been hunting a recipe for gluten free scones for ages, and hadn't found anything close to the real deal, and there is a recipe for scones in the Summer 2013 issue! Stay tuned, I will definitely be trying that one out!

 Also, I went to our local ToomMarkt here in Germany, and found that Schneekoppe has a new set of products out. There area actually three new pastas available that are easily made at the office, in a hotel kitchenette or your dorm or home.

I thought, hey, that is neat! let's see if it is gluten free wheat starch free, and if it is, I'll go ahead and try it!  I'm not being paid for my review, and considering I keep coming into contact with people with Celiac who are traveling through, this may be worth reviewing and sharing the information on my blog, right?

The pasta packets are all gluten and lactose free, but they are not corn free. (I've not found any gluten free items here that are pre-packaged without corn just yet.)

You can click on the images and it'll enlarge, or you're welcome to check out the items on the website as well. If you live here in Germany, feel free to either order online or ask your local REWE Gruppe store if they will carry it for you.

I tried the Tomate-Basilikum on Saturday, and it really tastes a lot like Spaghetti-Os. I was actually surprised I remembered the taste of it, considering that I hadn't had any in almost a decade!

Each of these pasta packets makes up 2 servings. I thought it was going to be one of those laughable "oh two servings, right? ha!" - no. It makes up two whole bowls of pasta.  You will want to either make half of a package or have another person to share with you.

My husband said it "tastes ok" - but I don't know if that is good or bad. He's notoriously very quiet about things unless he absolutely hates it. I pressed a bit more and  he says, "It isn't nasty, it could be bought again."  I guess this means we could stock something like this in our pantry?

The Zuchinni-Käse is also lactose free, so this is safe for GFCF individuals visiting or living in Germany. Oh my goodness, it is so delicious. It tastes about like a cheese soup, the noodles are absolutely lovely and I ate a whole bowl myself. We got the kids to try it, they're not so great on soups, but they both said it was very good.


It really wasn't as thick as the photo on the packet. The tomato one was DEFINITELY as thick as the images on the package. It was absolutely delicious and I would love having this one again.


I may order the Pilz-Creme to try at a future date. 

 These ran around 3€ at our local store, but it looks like they're on sale through Schneekoppe at the moment for under 3€ a package.

These are definitely worth keeping on hand for a day when you just haven't time to spend in the kitchen!

Here is hoping you have a wonderful week ahead!

Blintzes!

One of my favorite foods that I love to eat around Shavuot are Blintzes. My husband knows this recipe by another name, Palačinke. You may know it by another name, depending on your cultural background.

Note: This is not a GAPS or PALEO, but GLUTEN FREE recipe. Many Jewish holidays do not lend well to the GAPS Diet, and as our journey has started out, we're trying to work around these issues. Until we've worked them all out, I will continue sharing safe, gluten free recipes.

  The version that I enjoy involves four steps. First, you make the crepes. Secondly you make the filling and wrap it firmly inside the crepes. The third step involves baking.  The Fourth step - patience and a cold refrigerator.

The recipe really isn't complicated. We use the Schär Mix C for our flour mix, but I believe if you follow the directions, most any gluten free flour mix will lend to this. I would advise however, if you get this recipe in mind, remember that it will take several hours until pay-off, so you might want to make this in the evening if you plan on having it for breakfast, unless you plan on doing the pan-fry version. Those are pretty much immediate pay off.

The key here though, is to make your crepes and blintzes on the same day, or they'll make a huge fall-apart mess like mine did tonight. Normally, crepes are more forgiving than mine were. But, I let mine go a day and a half between making my blintzes. (whoops!)

See? They fell all apart.
That's ok though, my kids really will not care come morning,
and we'll have a BEAUTIFUL breakfast for Shabbat. :)

Anyhow,  there's probably about a thousand different ways (or more!) to make blintzes.

For the crepes, you will need:

100g Flour

2 Eggs

250ml Milk (If dairy free, simply use your milk of choice. We've done it both ways!)

1 TBS Vanilla sugar or vanilla flavoring

2 TBS melted butter (or non-dairy butter substitute)

a pinch of salt

You mix this together and go ahead and heat your pan. When it is sufficiently warm, go ahead and pour a bit of the batter into your pan. This will NOT be a thick batter. These will be extra thin and only take about two minutes to cook in the pan. It takes a little trial and error with the first couple, but you'll get it!

When you're done, just keep piling the crepes onto a plate. You'll need these later.

I've used three different fillings for this recipe.

For dairy free, I've used the following formula: 250g soft tofu, pureed; 1 egg 3 Tbs. sugar. 

For dairy filling #1, I used the following: 250g of Quark with 1 beaten egg white, sugar (to taste), cinnamon and vanilla flavoring dusted in to taste.

For dairy filling #2, I used the following: 250g Cottage Cheese with 4 Tbs Sugar, cinnamon and vanilla to taste.

Really, with this recipe, it's whatever YOU like. Many people add fruit as well, and some people do not use sweet fillings at all.

One way I found best to measure out the cheese filling, is to use a metal ice cream scoop. I got a smaller size (1TBS) measurement so I just use 2-3 of these and then roll each crepe before frying or baking. (This is the scoop I use: WMF 1881876040 Eisportionierer 4,5 cm)

This is Dairy Filling #1 mixed with one egg.
I decided to try something new.

You'll wrap these similarly to spring rolls, and from here - either fry them in a pan, or bake in the oven. I prefer mine baked in the oven.

This is about 3 tablespoons of filling.
You can fill six blintzes with this recipe.

You can wrap this way and roll, or wrap the bottom
and then roll the sides together before rolling further.

When you have finished rolling your blintz, it will look like this.
This is the shape it will keep once baked in the oven.

If you choose the pan fry option, this blog has great directions on how to keep it from coming apart. 

If you decide on the oven baking route, you'll want to go ahead and preheat your oven to 350°F., before you make all of the wraps and butter a 9 by 13-inch glass dish or baking pan for your blintzes. 

Buttered glass dish.
An easy way to do this is to save your butter wraps.
You would be amazed how much butter remains on those.

Once you've managed to squeeze in as many blintzes as you can into the baking dish/pan, you'll want to use some melted butter (or butter substitute) to cover the tops of the blintzes. Bake these for around 15 minutes in your oven.  Once the dish/pan has cooled enough that you can touch it, you'll want to put the blintzes into your refrigerator until they are quite cool.

When you are ready to eat them, dust lightly with confectioner's sugar, or you can make a sauce to pour over the blintzes. (Example sauce here)

Happy Baking! Remember this recipe next year at Shavuot.

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

Photo by Jennifer Stahl

It's that time of the year again, BIRTHDAY TIME! - I wish there was a way to prepare ahead for these, but each child at kindergarten pretty much has free reign in deciding what they want for their Birthday Brunch, so I'm kept in the kitchen a bit more than usual in May and June.

Today's recipe is Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins/Cupcakes. I say "Muffins" because that is what cupcakes are here in Germany. The only thing "muffin-y" about them, is their shape.

This recipe is not Paleo or GAPS, as I'm not sure if I could convert this one due to the fact it's the first time I've made it, and the chocolate batter has to be a bit runny. I'm not certain that a cup and a half of almond or hazelnut flour would lend to that as easily as my all purpose flour mix.

I do want to note that if you are baking this item in the UK or in the rest of the EU, you will need this guide to help you change over the measurements. And, as I mentioned in my previous post, I use something that's between Bette Hagman's All Purpose Flour Mix and Carol Fenster's General Baking Mix #1, which can be found here at CSA Celiacs Helping Celiacs.I'm sure whatever gluten free flour mix you are using with this will be fine.

I made minor tweaks to the Chocolate Cheesecake Cupcakes from Nestlé Tollhouse, in that I used 1 teaspoon (US) of guar gum, and I did not have any (and do not use any Nestlé products) chocolate chips from the United States.  I did however have a box of Schokoladen Raspeln (Grated Chocolate) and a few small chocolate chips from a gluten free cake mix that I didn't use. I also did not cover the cupcakes with any melted chocolate. I felt like that was overkill for a tiny brunch where my kids are sure to eat their two cupcakes + a little bit of their breakfast and be sugared up until lunch at One O'clock.

As far as recipes go, this was a rather simple and straightforward recipe. The only issues I personally have with it, is that the recipe does not really separate the directions into "This is for the chocolate cake" and "this is for the cheesecake". I had to read the recipe three times to be sure that all the ingredients were there and what they were being used for specifically.  That can be frustrating to new bakers, but for an INxJ, who trends towards the slightly perfectionist side, it is quite annoying.

Since I have only one Kitchenaid Mixer Bowl, I made up the chocolate cake mix first, and poured it into a liquid measuring cup. I figured this would lend to easier pouring into the cupcake molds.   My hunch was correct, and I'm terribly sorry I did not take a photo or two of these steps. My oldest was running around and asking if I was making "muffins" and whether he could have one, as well as whether I could turn on Disney Junior for him, so finding the camera was the least thing on my mind other than how I'd get these done in time, their lunch packed and them changed all before 9 o'Clock, when we should be in the kindergarten saying hello to his teachers.

The step of semi-melting the chocolate actually took two times microwaving at 30 seconds each in our microwave. So, keep that in mind - it will depend entirely on your chocolate and your microwave as to how quickly this part would be done.  I was a bit skeptical about it coming together with the cheesecake, but it did!

I did end up in a slight quandry wondering how to get the cheesecake into the cupcake molds, since there were no hints in that direction on the recipe. I decided that using a small ice cream scoop (this one: WMF 1881876040 Eisportionierer 4,5 cm) was probably the best way to go. If you're careful about how you measure it (not heaping scoops), it will spread cheese cake to all of the cupcakes. I was not careful and two of them are only chocolate.

The only thing that I would change in retrospect, would be to re-mix the chocolate batter with a spoon prior to pouring. I did end up with some extra chocolate bits in the bottom, so I spread those on top of the last remaining cupcakes and popped those in the oven while I was dressing the children.

All in all, I had the cake mixed in about 30 minutes, and it filled around 20 cupcake molds. I cooked them separately in the oven on top-bottom heat at 180° (350°F) for 18 minutes for the first batch, and 20 for the second. 

Photo by Jennifer Stahl

Isn't that lovely?  This was still cooling when I took this photo, but I did go ahead and try it after the photo was shot. YUM! 

I haven't as of yet put the cupcakes into the refrigerator, but they will be going in there soon. They've only been finished for the last thirty minutes.  I did try a piece after taking this photo, and it is very tasty. Not too sweet, not terribly bland or unsweet either. Definitely something for the person who isn't keen on cakes that are on the sweeter side like my last blog post on Coconut Cake.

For the dairy free among us, I've heard that you can use silken tofu (the very spreadable sort) to replace the cream cheese. In the United States there is a soy alternative for cream cheese, but I've not found anything like that here.  I'd not tried making cheesecake with silken tofu, so perhaps that is something I can try in future for those of you out there that need that option.

I hope this recipe is something that you also enjoy, and that you now know that making something like this isn't complicated or worth a panic attack over. (Believe you me, I've been there!)  I'm not sure when I'll be making this again, but I am saving this for future birthday or party ideas for the kids.

If you have any questions, feel free to pop them in the comments and I'll do my very best to answer them.

Humpday Readings - Gluten Free Food in the News

tulip, photo by A.Stahl

Today has been a terribly busy day. Cleaning the house, getting meals prepared, sending one child off to kindergarten while the other remains out sick, and trying to tend to my own illness. In the meantime, I got caught up on reading my email, recent information disseminated to me on Google Plus, and checking out the recent news on Gluten Free, Celiac, and Gluten Sensitivity on Google News.

Below are the interesting things I have found. All of these are not GAPS/Paleo friendly, but I'm sure with some tweaks, can be.  The other news is simply encouraging as it gets the news out about Celiac related disorders.

Culinary expert, food writer and Top Chef judge Gail Simmons grew up in Toronto with a passion for food. Her mother, Renée Simmons, on old friend of mine, is a talented cook and Gail grew up with a fine culinary background. Gail is Food & Wine magazine’s director of special events such as the spectacular Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. Just in time for Passover, here are a couple of her favourite Passover desserts. Passover recipes are always gluten-free as flour and flour products are banned during the eight days of the holiday.
Globe and Mail: Try these decadent (and gluten-free) desserts for Passover

Celiac sufferers can now take their pick of clearly labeled gluten-free matzo baked by small-batch producers like Lakewood Matzoh, and from large manufacturers such as Yehuda and Manischewitz, both of which have released gluten-free “matzo-style” squares during the past few years.
The two manufacturers label the products this way because they use tapioca starch and potato starch as their base. And matzo made without one of five grains — wheat, barley, oats, rye or spelt — does not fulfill the religious commandment to eat matzo during the Passover Seder. But many gluten-intolerant customers don’t care.

The Jewish Daily Forward: Passover is time for gluten free gluttony 

“People mistakenly think going gluten-free is a magic bullet to weight-loss, which isn’t necessarily because of the gluten; it’s because you’re cutting back on your calories,” Greenwaldt said.
Cutting out processed foods and eating fruits, vegetables and lean meats is obviously a healthy choice....
CBS Minnesota: Good Question: Is A Gluten-Free Diet Healthier For Most Of Us?

Oregon now has six more gluten free options when it comes to dining out:

Generally in America, not all restaurants are willing to offer gluten-free products — many believe gluten contamination is inevitable and don’t want to deal with the liability or the hassle of ensuring ingredients stay separate. Fortunately, many of the restaurants that have made the gluten-free commitment are right here in Eugene. Here are the city’s notable gluten-free hotspots, spanning six different varieties of food.
The Daily Emerald - Gluten Free Hotspots in Eugene

The GFCP list of certified companies is quickly growing and continues to attract major Canadian retailers and multi-national brand owners. "Enquiries for the GFCP are coming in from all over Canada,” states Bill MacLean, Vice President, Sales and Marketing from ACG. "With the addition of Ms. Chabot, we will be in a much better position to also service French Canada and the Maritime Provinces."
Gluten-Free Certification Program (GFCP) Ramps-Up Presence in Quebec and Eastern Canada

  ALCAT Worldwide applauds recent commentary in Scientific American about how gluten sensitivity, as opposed to allergy, is mediated by the innate immune system.  The guest blog was written by esteemed science and health writer Julianne Wyrick.  To read the article visit: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2013/03/04/gluten-sensitivity-what-does-it-really-mean/
ALCAT Worldwide Applauds Gluten Sensitivity Commentary in Scientific American

 Kelly Dorfman, nutritionist and author of “What’s Eating Your Child,” joined staff writer Mari-Jane Williams to talk about transitioning children to a gluten-free diet. Here is an edited excerpt.
Charlotte Observer: Gluten Free for Kids

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/02/23/3872598/gluten-free-for-kids.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/11/5252886/alcat-worldwide-applauds-gluten.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/03/11/5252886/alcat-worldwide-applauds-gluten.html#storylink=cpy

Well that seems to round things up rather nicely. What interesting diet-related news have you found this week?

Manic Monday

Image found via Pinterest

Here we are the week before Passover, and I'm having a Manic Monday. I had a look around my kitchen and apparently, being sick takes a whole new meaning to "let's not clean the kitchen this weekend". Ya'll, I don't know how to tell you this, but I generally will keep a kitchen floor you can eat off of. Honey, I don't think anyone's pet would eat off our floor at the moment. That's a scary thought.

I'm in the midst of finding the last of our leavened items in the house, and we have a bunch of dusting, deep cleaning, vacuuming and mopping to do. Thank G-d for steam mops!

We've used most everything up that we need to, I'm just ready for the rest of it to be over, as we're in the end stages of rearranging our house. Once I'm done in the kitchen and our new guest room / resting room, we will get started in our dining/living room, and then the bedrooms. We know for sure that there is no food in the kids' room, so we're down to the rooms that generally do have food in them, or did at one time.

I've been thinking about what I can blog about during passover, but truth be told - we will not be keeping a completely GAPS-y Passover. One of the commandments is that we eat unleavened bread during the week, so we will be having unleavened bread.  We will also be having angel food cake. So, here's me sticking out my tongue at that.

We did have a very interesting thing to pop up in reference to the Easter celebrations at kindergarten. The kids will need to have a bread bunny (something like this, this or this) brought for them that morning.  YIKES! It's during Passover. No yeast!! Not to mention I'm trying to keep their meals as GAPS as possible. How will I pull this off?

I know! The sweet potato rolls that I made before, I'll just modify them slightly to look like this. My mom had sent me the link on Pinterest. Problem solved. Bunny rolls that are not only unleavened, but GAPS friendly! What a load off my back.

Insanity of insanities, I've been sicker this last week than I had been before. The kids had fever, one had conjunctivitis, and the other had chest congestion. So, I've been on around the clock duty, which means I've had to knock back on any fancy baking or cooking - and I've gone back to the basics of GAPS: Bone and Meat Broth. Lots of it.

We've had lamb/beef bone broth, and we've had chicken bone broth. This is where I do break from approved GAPS foods, I have no issues with using rice. We typically will use Basmati or Jasmine, and I cook it in bone broth in our rice cooker, and will usually steam vegetables in the veggie basket at the same time, unless we're making a steamed fish dish. I also have no issues with potatoes, as we tend to use them in a similar fashion. If they aren't made with broth, we make a broth gravy or will bake them, fluff, stuff and top with other healthy items. I also am looking at introducing millet, amaranth and quinoa. Bad non-GAPS-y me.  However, these are gluten free seeds that are high in nutrition that is very difficult for me to get otherwise.

Why I depart from GAPS on this - well, I do not think that any one grain, root or other food item should be the sole focus of a meal. Variety is key.  And when there are issues of malabsorption, you don't get to be so picky when you do not react to those organic grains. I will not be using them as main features in our meals, but as something to highlight on special holidays and perhaps Shabbat.

Which is why I was so excited this weekend to see this news item:

Quinoa and Orthodox Judaism's relevancy problem

The question of long-term vitality of Judaism may ultimately come down to the question of relevance and whether Orthodox Jews are seen more as keepers of the faith or gatekeepers of the faith.
http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/the-fifth-question/quinoa-and-orthodox-judaism-s-relevancy-problem.premium-1.509725

If you don't have a free account with Haaretz and are interested in news from Israel, you can register for 10 free news stories a month. That is just about the right amount for me, to be honest, as I scan many of their issues via Google News, and know exactly what I want to read.

So yay! It's not just Sephardim who are eating Quinoa this year after this ruling. I'm interested to see if this will also count in Millet and Amaranth or not in the coming years. This is a relevant and interesting subject to me as someone keeping gluten free, as keeping an Ashkenazi non-gebrokts and strict anti-kitinyot Passover is too strict for our dietary needs. But, we can easily keep up with a Sephardi Passover, and get everything we need that way. I've done it both ways, and there was just much more freedom with the Sephardi Passover for us, and it has been a much more enjoyable experience all around. You can read about those differences here and here and here.

Honestly, I think this is the first Passover season that I have not experienced panic-y feelings about. I'm not worried about my kombucha, milk kefir or the fact I have resting grains of tibicos in my fridge. We've scrubbed the fridge down and kashered it already, and we've done the same with our oven. All that is left, is our microwave oven and our toaster, once we get the other items cleaned up and out.

Image found here on Pinterest.

I found myself an interesting unleavened bread idea that I will be testing out today.  It was shared on Google Plus (I can't remember who shared it originally) and was listed as a possible item to try for Saint Patrick's Day. I figured save it for Passover, so we'll be making it up to test tonight. I'm praying it works. You know how it is sometimes with gluten-free recipes!

While I have not been feeling particularly chatty this past week, I did see some interesting things come across the blogs I follow for discounted and free kindle books, and it looks like a couple came in that would be interesting for those following a GAPS-y or Paleo/Primal lifestyle. They are not all free, but they are at a pretty good price to learn more about things without breaking your bank. Trust me, I know all about that last $3 being "too much", so if you can't afford it on your version of Amazon, just put it on your wish list and get it when you can. Choose your hard, and don't push yourself where you do not have to. OK?

If you click the images, you will be taken to the Amazon page for these kindle books. Please do note, I have NOT been paid for the reviews of these books, I simply found them interesting and I only get a very small kickback on people purchasing these books. If they are free, I don't get anything.  The reason I am sharing these books is because I found them helpful and they are not break-your-bank expensive.

"This brief guide will give you everything you'll need to know to begin incorporating this healthy and natural elixir into your life.

Discover the origins of the fermented Kombucha tea.
Find out the many health benefits you can enjoy.
Find out the best places to buy Kombucha
Classic Recipes to make at home
Other fermented foods and much more."

"Making kefir in your home kitchen is easy and inexpensive.  In How to Make Kefir - A Beginners Guide you will learn:

• How to make a delicious, healthful beverage bursting with probiotic power
• How to make dairy, water, coconut and nut milk kefir
• How to store your kefir
• How to care for your kefir "grains"
• How to troubleshoot kefir gone wrong"

"You are about to embark on a culinary journey with quinoa (keen-wa), the new miracle seed that will add a boost to any healthy diet, or change those diets that aren’t so healthy. This report not only teaches you how to cook quinoa, it also provides thirty of the best recipes one can find to showcase this delicious seed. "

"In this concise and detailed manual to the Paleo diet, you will learn exactly what you need to eat while utilizing the Paleo diet, what type of activity you should engage in, and exactly what to expect while on the diet. "

"30 Days Of Amazing Paleolithic Lunches hands you paleo recipes that are super easy to prepare yet very delicious.  It shows you that preparing healthy meals does not have to be boring and time consuming."

"This guide teaches you how easy it is to add nutritious whole foods to your lifestyle through a simple juice.

Juicing Recipes for Beginners - Delicious Juice Recipes for Losing Weight Feeling Great and Improving Your Health is the latest from the Best Selling author of Raw Food Diet for Beginners, Susan Ellerbeck."

"99 Delicious Paleo Recipes offers great recipes for those who are on the Paleo diet or just wants a healthy way to eat. The Paleo diet is the diet of our ancestors. The Paleo diet is a simple and healthy way to lose weight by eating foods we have been designed to eat. Who thought that eating like the cavemen would taste so great!"

"If you want to avoid gluten, this book will help you to cook the best meals for your grain free diet. Our grain free gourmet cookbook will give you dozens of the best grain free recipes for your grain free cooking. You can find delicious lunch and dinner recipes, recipes that will help you to fill up on healthy food that just so happens to be grain free!"
<-- This one does not seem to be Paleo or GAPS, so you'll need to modify some of the recipes.






I hope and pray that these are helpful to someone, even if they are no longer free by the time you see this post.

Another interesting thing I've been up to this weekend was watching a documentary called "Genetic Roulette: The Gamble of Our Lives". If you have not seen it already, please do watch it!! It has a lot of helpful information. The only inaccuracy I found in it was the chef that mentions that x years ago there was no Celiac Disease aka wheat allergy. A) Celiac is not Wheat allergy and B) It has been around for over 2,000 years. . . so take that end with a grain of salt. Otherwise, this documentary was one of the best I've seen on the issue in a long while.

What all have you guys been up to out there in GAPS-y land?