Living gluten-free this holiday season

More and more people nowadays are living on gluten-free diets - whether that be because they have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease (an autoimmune disorder in which the lining of the small intestine becomes inflamed and damaged over time with exposure to gluten - a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and triticale); a test ordered by their healthcare provider has revealed a gluten sensitivity; or they just found that they feel better when they stay away from gluten.


Many of my patients find that, when they cut gluten out of their diets and, instead, base their diets on gluten-free cereals, such as quinoa, millet, amaranth, teff, and buckwheat (which is unrelated to wheat, despite what its name suggests), they experience less bloating and bowel irregularities, less fatigue and allergy symptoms, greater levels of energy and mental clarity, as well as a stronger immunity.


Those people who are new to a gluten-free diet often find themselves at a loss for what to eat and how to create tasty meals without the omnipresent gluten. Holidays and social events can be a challenging time when dishes full of gluten abound and family and friends are not always understanding of your particular needs. I have found that the simplest way to navigate social situations with food is to offer to contribute a dish - that way you will know that there will be at least one item you can safely eat. If gluten is a major symptom-trigger for you, then stick to your own dish. It isn't worth the risk of getting 'glutenized' if you are going to feel sick for three days after that. If gluten causes you minor discomfort that you prefer to avoid on a regular basis in order to feel your best, but you really love the holiday goodies, then you might decide it's worth the trade-off to have a few nibbles, but be sure that the bulk of what you're eating doesn't contain gluten (or any other foods you know your body reacts adversely to).


This Thanksgiving, I improvised in creating my own gluten-free stuffing. I received very positive feedback and was quite pleased with the outcome myself, so I thought I'd share my recipe with you. It's very quick and simple, and it tasted surprisingly similar to traditional stuffing. (The secret lies in the flavor imparted by the celery, onions, and thyme, which are an integral part of any stuffing recipe. ;))


delicious gluten-free stuffing recipe:

(feeds about 6 people)


ingredients (use preferrably organic whenever possible):


1 cup quinoa (uncooked)

1 medium acorn squash

extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion

1 bunch celery stalks

a few twigs of fresh thyme (or a few pinches of dried thyme if fresh is not available)

sea salt

pepper

1/2 cup dried cranberries

raw pecans


Start with cooking the quinoa by following the instructions on the package.


**Note: there are a couple of different ways to cook quinoa - you can either cook it like rice and measure out the proper amount of water, or you can boil it like pasta and strain it in a fine-mesh sieve, which is how I like to do it. I find that 17 minutes in boiling water is the perfect amount of time for just the right texture to my personal liking. I usually cook up a big batch (2 cups of dry quinoa) to last me for the better portion of the week and keep it in my fridge. That way, I have it handy to use in various dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as needed. If you want to save yourself some time the day you are preparing this dish, you might want to pre-boil your quinoa the day before.


Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees F.


Wash the acorn squash and cut it in half. Scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on the flesh-side of both pieces, then place them face-down on a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until tender to the fork. The underside will become nicely browned and caramelized. Set aside to cool.


Meanwhile, thoroughly wash the celery stalks to remove any dirt and chop the celery and onion. At medium heat, add enough olive oil to your pan to lightly coat the bottom. Once the olive oil has heated up, add in the celery and onion. Sautee for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly and adding in thyme, sea salt and pepper to taste.


Next add in the cranberries and stir, then the cooked quinoa. After stirring the mixture thoroughly, remove from stove.


Once the acorn squash has cooled down enough, peel off the outer dark-green skin and cut the flesh into cubes by cutting first length-wise and then cross-wise on a cutting board. Gently fold the squash into the quinoa mixture, as the flesh will be rather soft.


Transfer the stuffing to an 8 in. X 8 in. pyrex baking dish. At this point, if you are not ready to eat, you can refrigerate the stuffing and heat it in the oven later. Or place it right in the oven for just a few minutes to make sure the entire mixture is warm.


Just before serving, sprinkle with raw pecans. If you want, you may honey-glaze the pecans beforehand. Simply melt a couple of teaspoons of honey in a pan and add the raw pecans, stirring continually at low to medium heat, taking care not to burn the nuts. As soon as they begin to brown, transfer them to a plate to cool. The pecans will become crunchy as they cool off and dry. You might have to break them apart like brittle, then sprinkle on top of your dish.


**Tip: I also love serving these on salads with pomegranate seeds and goat cheese - another holiday favorite!


ENJOY!! :) ... and feel free to give me feedback on how the dish came out for you!