Be Free For Me Blog

The last couple of weeks have been packed with tons of gluten-free news to muse over… here are a few of the highlights that have come into my inbox:

A new cookbook To View: There’s a new gluten-free cookbook out by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, fellow celiac and co-host of  The View: Deliciously G-Free: Food So Flavorful They’ll Never Believe It’s Gluten-Free. I don’t have a copy of this cookbook yet, but the “look inside this book” option on Amazon.com highlights a comprehensive content page listing breakfasts, appetizers, main courses and dessert sections, along with chapters on organizing a “G-Free” kitchen and “Getting Fit with G-Free”. Looks like it might be worth checking out. Get it on Amazon.com for only $18.00 and eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.

Pizza in the DC Sky: Check out this great write up on gluten-free pizza being offered at Washington, DC area restaurants. I love the writing style of the author, a gentleman whose wife is gluten-intolerant. This article also lists pizzerias in the DC area that carry gluten-free pizzas. One restaurateur who was interviewed for this article, Fuel Pizza, a North Carolina-based chain that began offering gluten-free crusts two years ago notes “We went from selling 50 [gluten-free pies] a week at eight cafes to selling 300 a week” and continues that offering a gluten-free pizza, “helps our bottom line”.

This is a good article to send to your local pizzeria that you’ve been trying to convince to carry gluten-free pizza.

Are you kidding me? When I read the first line of this article I laughed out loud. Here it is: “The gluten-free diet is not only for people with Celiac disease, but also for people looking to lose weight.” Ahmmmm… the person that wrote this article obviously hasn’t checked out the oodles of gluten-free goodies and snacks that I’ve discovered over the last few years. =) The article continues to say that it is “impossible to eat out” with celiac disease, and the gluten-free diet is “beneficial to everyone”. Arghhh.  Misinformation! I hate reading articles like this!

On the other hand -  here is what Dr. Oz has to say about eating gluten-free to lose weight…
In Part 1 of these videos from the Dr. Oz show that were shown a couple of months back,  Dr. Oz  warns people who believe a  gluten-free is the answer to loosing weight, “Gluten free diets do not help you lose weight,” and continues to say, “They actually can cause you to put on more weight.”

However, in the other parts of this video series I wish that Dr. oz encouraged folks to get tested for celiac disease before tackling  the gluten-free eating challenge.

Forget the Superbowl… Udi’s heads to the Sundance Film Festival
Udi’s Gluten-free bread headed to the Sundance Film Festival this past week to hand out gluten-free goodie bags and to score a touchdown with the celebs at the big event. Udi’s went to the festival to “promote the message that switching to gluten-free foods can be seamless and that those with a gluten intolerance aren’t alone.”

Tips for Hosting an Informal Gluten-Free Dinner Party
Carol Fenster was written up this week in the San Francisco Chronicle in an article that reviews how to host an informal gluten-free dinner party. Some great ideas on keeping the menu basic, having dairy-free as an option too, and remembering to keep things simple… so the hostess can enjoy the gathering too.  Carol Fenster is one of the foremost experts on gluten-free cooking and the author of several popular gluten-free cookbooks including: 125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes, Gluten-Free Quick & Easy, 1000 Gluten-Free Recipes, Gluten-Free 101, and 100 Best Gluten-Free Recipes. Carol also consults worldwide and speaks frequently at national conferences.

Sometimes days are too busy. So often my morning promise to prepare a recently found recipe for dinner goes by the wayside after car pooling, heavy traffic or work hours that extend oh-so-close to the dinner-hour.

This is when Caesar’s Stuffed Shells with Cheese in Marinara Sauce fits the bill.

This frozen meal, goes from freezer to plate in moments, and offers a generous sized portion, that can be shared along side a fresh garden salad.

Made with fresh, high quality and natural ingredients these stuffed shells are made from rice flour and stuffed with seasoned ricotta, and topped with a flavorful marinara sauce.

Convenience, great taste and busy days are all the reasons this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe goes to Caesar’s Gluten-Free Stuffed Shells with Cheese in Marinara Sauce. Congratulations and mangia!

Want to buy? Check out these links on Amazon.com (Note: One of the links is for the Caesar’s Gluten-Free Stuffed Shells with Cheese in Marinara Sauce,
and the other is for just the gluten-free stuffed shells…. you add your own sauce!)

Caesar’s Pasta Gluten Free Stuffed Shells with Marinara Sauce Entrée

Conte’s Gluten Free Stuffed Shells, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 3)

I love baking. The mixing, the blending, the smell of a good gluten-free goodies baking in the oven. I love to make sweets for myself, and for those in my life…  just because.

After all, cake isn’t just for birthdays. Celebrations should happen daily. Got a “B+” on that math test? Time to celebrate! Mom home from a business-trip after being gone all week? Time to celebrate! It’s the little things in life that are sometimes the most overlooked, yet those that bring the biggest joys into our lives. The kind of joys that put a smile on your face, and a bounce in your step.

And to celebrate these tiny joys, cupcakes made from Pamela’s Cake Mixes are perfect.

I love the convenience of adding just a few ingredients and mixing up a batch of gluten-free cupcakes.  Afterward I frost and decorate each one uniquely… for each special someone in my life. I learned early-on the perfection in decorating doesn’t matter one bit. After all, as the old saying goes… it’s just the frosting on the (yummy, gluten-free) cake… so go nutty-crazy with the frosting & sprinkles.

Celebrating every day wonders and joys are the reasons this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com goes to Pamela’s Cake Mixes. Congratulations…and have fun celebrating!

Want to buy Pamela’s Cake Mixes on Amazon.com? Take advantage of FREE Super Saver shipping. Here are the links:

Pamela’s Products Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix, 21-Ounce Packages (Pack of 6)
Pamela’s Products Classic Vanilla Cake Mix, 21-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)
Pamela’s Products Vanilla Frosting Mix, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)
Pamela’s Products Dark Chocolate Frosting Mix, 12-Ounce Bags (Pack of 6)

Chinese New Year was this week, and if you’re like many celiacs and those on a gluten-free diet it’s can be a  bummer not to be able to enjoy a traditional feast with family & friends at your local Chinese restaurant.

So instead of going out to eat this year, plan a Chinese New Year Gluten-Free Celebration at your own house. But where will you find the recipes for your favorite Asian Foods? Dumplings, Crispy Spring Rolls, Mu-Shu Pork, Potstickers, Kung Pao Chicken… and more?

Thanks to Laura B. Russell, everyone on a gluten-free diet can now enjoy these Asian favorites at home, and can find the recipes in her cookbook,  “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen – Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, & More”. Talk about good fortune!

This cookbook is one of my all-time favorites (this is coming from a gal that has a cookbook library spanning three 6’ long shelves!). Every page of this cookbook features a recipes that “I just have to try” with instructions that are easy to understand, along with basic prep and cooking techniques. I also love the reference section at the front of the cookbook, which has become a go-to while shopping for Asian food ingredients.

Some of my favorite recipes in “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen – Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, & More” include Gingery Pork Pot Stickers, Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad, Fiery Ginger Sauce, Shrimp & Sweet Potato Tempura Pancakes. All bursting with flavor.  All delicious. All keeper-recipes.  I will make these recipes again, and again, and again. No more bland “Steamed Chicken & Veggies” for me – the only thing I can eat at my local Chinese restaurant.

This is why I was thrilled when I found out that this WIN-It-Wednesday on BeFreeforMe.com was going to be sponsored once again by Laura B. Russell and “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen – Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, & More” .

It’s no ancient Chinese secret that Chinese food, as well as Japanese, Korean, Thai and Vietnamese can be jammed packed with gluten and dairy containing ingredients. But Laura B. Russell allows celiacs and dairy-free folks everywhere the chance to enjoy Asian cuisine once again.

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and tell us what Asian dish (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai or Vietnamese) you miss the most since going gluten and/or dairy free. (Me? Potstickers!)

A total of FOUR (Yes… 4!)  BeFreeForMe members will be selected to win the “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen – Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, & More” Cookbook. Two (2) winner will be randomly selected from the entries received before Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST, and two (2) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the entries received between Wednesday, February 1 and Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

Good luck, believe in good fortune… and as always,

Be Free!

Order your copy of “The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen Cookbook” on Amazon.com and take advantage of FREE SuperSaver Shipping! Here is the link to order: The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen: Recipes for Noodles, Dumplings, Sauces, and More

With any New Year, resolutions are made and promises are etched in stone. A New Year is a reason to turn over new stones, and is often the best time to try something new… to expand your horizons.

And over the past few years, I have challenged myself to try new recipes and new cooking techniques every Chinese New Year. This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Monday, January 23. So, as you can imagine the wok is getting primed, rice noodles purchased, and ginger, gluten-free soy sauce and other Asian staples stocked.

2012 is the year of the dragon. In the orient, dragons are symbolic of wisdom, knowledge, and the quest to learn more. So what a perfect time to expand your cooking horizons and taste buds, and introduce a little Asian influence into your families gluten-free dinner line up!

In celebration of Chinese New Year, BeFreeForMe will strive to expand your cooking horizons and assist you in taking in a bit more knowledge when it comes to your culinary visions. BeFreeForMe will be featuring some awesome Asian dishes in our Daily Thought emails (like our Warm Asian Noodle Salad and Toasted Sesame Green Beans and Asparagus) and also be featuring one of my favorite gluten-free cookbooks, Laura B. Russell’s, The Gluten Free Asian Cookbook, as the next two week’s Win-It-Wednesday’s sponsor. So make sure you check back next Wednesday to enter to win (and the following week for a second chance entry)!

Welcome back Dumplings, Crispy Spring Rolls, Mu-Shu Pork, Potstickers, Kung Pao Chicken and more! And hello 2012!

This week’s Friday Favorite goes to one of our favorite snacks… Calbee’s SnackSalad Snapea Crisps – a crispy salad treat!

We love these crispy peas that are made into fun to eat snacks because they are tasty… and nutritious.

With no artificial flavors or colors these snow pea-shaped crispy snacks are the perfect way to get your veggies and enjoy them too.

Calbee says that their purpose is in their name. “Salad” means they will bring you the wholesome goodness of the entire fruit or vegetable, and “Snack” means they crafted it to be eaten more enjoyably.

Although we love eating them straight out of the bag, many gluten-free folks I know add them to the top of their dinner salad for a crispy crunch, or as an appetizer dipped in some lemon hummus.

Any way you snack it – these crispy peas are delicious!

All these reasons are why this week’s Friday Favorite goes to Calbee SnackSalad Snapea Crisps. Congrats!

Want to Buy? Check out this deal on Amazon.com with FREE SUPER SAVER SHIPPING! Calbee Snack Salad Snapea Crisps, Original Flavor, 3.3- Ounce Bags (Pack of 12)

Note: Made in a facility that also manufactures products containing wheat, milk, soy, shrimp, and fish.

This week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe goes to a fantastic new yogurt that I recent discovered… Green Valley Organic Yogurt.

This is the real stuff too… REAL DAIRY yogurt that is lactose-free. Creamy. Rich. Real dairy.

I love all the yogurt  flavors, including Vanilla, Blueberry, Honey, Plain and Peach,  but my favorite is the Strawberry. Creamy, rich and just sweet enough, I found myself scraping the sides and bottom of the cup for more… it was just that good.

This lactose-free, gluten-free yogurt is great for those that are sensitive to lactose, as well as gluten. The yogurt also contains 10 live and active cultures, is probiotic rich, and kosher. I’m loving that it is organic too.

Green Valley Organics also makes other lactose / gluten-free dairy products including kefir and sour cream. YES… REAL SOUR CREAM! =) Creamy, dairy-full sour cream.

No wonder Green Valley’s logo is “Peace. Love. Dairy.”

I met the folks at Green Valley Organics at a tradeshow last year, and they are a great bunch of great people. They are passionate about the products they make, and are so happy to make  top-notch dairy products that all of us gluten/lactose free  people can enjoy… and love!

For all of these reasons Green Valley Organics gluten and lactose-free rich, creamy dairy products are this week’s Friday Favorite on BeFreeForMe.com. Cheers!

Note: Want to buy these lactose and gluten-free products? Check out the “Where To Buy” page on the Green Valley Website.

Question:

I am interested in eating vegetarian, at least some days of the week, but I am on a gluten-free diet. Can you give me more information about vegetarianism along with some nutritional pointers and tips to accomplish this?

Answer:

What exactly is a vegetarian? Here’s a quick primer on the different types of vegetarian diets:

• Vegetarian: avoids beef, pork,  poultry and fish
• Vegan: avoids beef, pork, poultry, fish,  eggs, milk products and any products derived from animal products (e.g., gelatin, honey)
• Ovo-Vegetarian: eats eggs but not dairy products, beef, pork, poultry or fish
• Lacto-Vegetarian: eats dairy products but not eggs, beef, pork, poultry or fish
• Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: eats milk and eggs but not beef, pork, poultry or fish

Health Benefits: Plant based diets are high in fiber, phytochemicals (naturally occurring compounds such as antioxidants) and a variety of vitamins and minerals, plus they are low in saturated fat. Research has found that vegetarian diets are associated with a lower risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer. In addition, vegetarians tend to have a lower body mass index.

Budget Benefits: Pound for pound pulses (aka legumes- dried beans, peas and lentils), grains and even gluten-free pasta cost less than meat, fish or poultry. One of my favorite gluten-free protein-substitutes, that are also easy on the wallet, and loaded with vitamins and fiber, are pulses. Both dried and canned, they tend to be a budget and nutritional staple for gluten-free vegetarians.

One of my suggestions if you use canned beans or lentils is to drain and then rinse them off with cold water under a colander prior to eating or using in a recipe. This will reduce the sodium content by up to 40%. Rinsing can also reduce the “gassy” effect some people experience after eating beans.

Check out the recipes and tips for incorporating pulses (legumes) into the gluten-free diet that were developed by Shelley Case and Carol Fenster.

Gluten-free whole grains are also another healthy vegetarian option. Another FREE resource is  “Whole Grains and the Gluten-Free Diet” by Carol Fenster and Shelley Case. It is loaded with practical tips for getting more whole grains in your diet, nutrition information and recipes.

More Nutritional Tips for Eating Gluten-Free & Vegetarian: Like any diet, eating a variety of foods will best assure that you are getting the required nutrients your body needs to thrive. However, it is important to focus on the following key nutrients when following a vegetarian gluten-free diet. Examples of foods containing these nutrients are included:

• Protein- pulses, soybeans, tofu, nuts, seeds, amaranth, quinoa, wild rice, teff, buckwheat, gluten-free oats, eggs and dairy products
• Iron- seeds (pumpkin, flax, sesame, sunflower), quinoa, amaranth, gluten-free oats, teff, sorghum, millet, soybeans, pulses, almonds, peanuts, dried apricots, prunes and raisins, cooked spinach, baked potato (with the skin), green peas, acorn squash, Brussels sprouts, blackstrap molasses, enriched gluten-free bread products, cereals and pasta.
• Zinc- pulses, nuts, seeds, amaranth, buckwheat, teff, quinoa, gluten-free oats, wild rice, sorghum, gluten-free “Chex” brand cereals, milk, cheese and yogurt
• Calcium- tofu made with calcium, calcium fortified orange juice, calcium fortified soy milk, chickpeas, green soybeans, collards, kale, spinach, beet greens, turnip greens, bok choy, Brazil nuts, figs, dairy products
• Vitamin D- fortified orange juice with vitamin D and calcium, soy milk, fortified rice milk, fortified almond milk, gluten-free “Chex” brand cereals (rice, corn, honey nut, chocolate and cinnamon), eggs and milk
• Vitamin B12- soy milk, other non dairy fortified beverages (rice, almond), gluten-free “Chex” brand cereals, Glutino “Sensible Beginnings” cereal,  eggs, milk, yogurt and cheese

Learn to substitute gluten-free vegetarian options. Get creative and try your favorite recipes without meat. For example, make vegetarian chili by leaving out the ground beef and adding an extra can of black beans. Or make fajitas using extra-firm tofu rather than chicken. You may be surprised to find that many dishes require only simple substitutions to make them healthier… and even tastier too!

Discover new gluten-free & vegetarian recipes: Looking to get inspired to get cooking vegetarian? Try new recipes and see how simple eating gluten-free and vegetarian can be. One of my favorite cookbooks to help you get on the right track is “125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes” by Carol Fenster. This cookbook offers tasty and easy gluten-free and vegetarian recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacking. Here are two of my favorite recipes –  Butternut Squash Soup with Chipotle Cream and Quinoa Pilaf with Pine Nuts and Dried Fruit.  A must-have this book is available on Amazon.com and is available with free super-saving shipping.

Ask Shelley Case is a feature of BeFreeForMe.com. It is published the second Tuesday of each month. Shelley Case, RD is a Consulting Dietitian, Speaker and Author of Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide. Visit Shelley and get more gluten-free tips & info at: GlutenFreeDiet.ca

With the New Year here  it seems that everyone is chatting about better health and overall wellness. But besides getting regular exercise, and watching every single gluten-free morsel we eat, is there anything else we can do?

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to learn as much as I can about increasing my overall wellness. I actually carry a notebook and have been making note of things to research, things to discover more about, that will increase my overall health.  One of the things I jotted down last week was “probiotics”. What are they? How do they help celiacs? What is the best way to get them – by food, or by supplements? And (the one that I have trouble understanding) if probiotics are bacteria how could that possibly be a good thing?!

That is why I was thrilled when Jamieson Direct, a manufacturer of quality natural healthy products for over 50 years,  and the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness or the NFCA  (I love this organization!) contacted BeFreeForMe to let us know they were having a teleseminar  regarding probiotics and their role in gastrointestinal health… including the gluten-free diet, IBS, celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.

This is a live seminar (which means I can ask all my questions!) and it will be hosted by Dr. Daniel Leffler, a world-renowned gastroenterologist and celiac disease expert, who is also the Director of Clinical Research at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and on the faculty at Harvard Medical School (many of us may know him from his speaking engagements at national celiac conferences or from the book he authored, Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting & Thriving Gluten Free) and Shelley Case, a registered dietitian who is a leading international expert on gluten-free nutrition and celiac disease, the author of  The Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, and member of the Medical Advisory Boards of the Celiac Disease Foundation and Gluten Intolerance Group in the United States and the Professional Advisory Board of the Canadian Celiac Association (many of us know her from her Ask Shelley Case columns on BeFreeForMe.com).

The seminar will take place on Wednesday, February 1 , 2012 from  8pm – 9:30pm ET. It is free to attend, but the spaces are limited, so make sure that you sign-up soon.

Ten lucky participants of the teleseminar will be randomly selected to win a gift pack containing Dr. Leffer’s book, Real Life with Celiac Disease: Troubleshooting & Thriving Gluten Free), Shelley Case’s book, The Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, and a 2-Month supply to Jamieson Probiotics.

But… the BeFreeForMe.com members are a lucky, lucky, lucky crowd. We have a sneak peak to win the gift packs on this WIN-It-Wednesday blog!

Here is the scoop…

One (1) winner will be randomly selected to win a gift pack that is mentioned above from the replies / entries received on this blog post before Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 11:59 PM EST, and one (1) more winner will be randomly selected to win from the replies / entries received between Wednesday, January 18 and Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:59PM. SO – make sure you enter two times to win!

How can you win?
Easy!

Reply to this blog and let us know your commitment to stay “well” this new year  (Me? #1. – I will never skip a breakfast in 2012 and; #2. – I will try to keep things “simple” to keep the stress levels down !)

Good luck, Be well, See you at the teleseminar on February 1st  … and as always.
Be Free!

This week’s BeFreeForMe Friday Favorite is one of my all time favorite go-to frozen meals: Amy’s Light & Lean Soft Taco Fiesta Meal.

These meals are delicious… they have a zip of cilantro (which I love), that is  layered with organic vegetables, organic brown rice, corn tortillas and black beans. In fact, it is hard to believe that these meals have only 220 calories. These meals are the perfect trifecta that I am looking for to keep my New Year’s resolutions:  Tasty, low calorie and easy to prepare. Jackpot.

As well as the Soft Taco Fiesta Meal, the Light & Lean Meals also come in  many other varieties, including: Black Bean & Cheese Enchilada, Pasta & Veggies and Spinach Lasagna to name just a few.

This week’s Friday Favorites on BeFreeForMe goes to the Light & Lean Meals since they are all under 300 calories, have less than 5 grams of fat, and are only 6 Weight Watchers points in the Points Plus program. All the while tasting delicious!

These meals can be found in most grocery stores, and will be available SOON through Amazon.com. To sign-up to get notified when this item becomes available on Amazon.com, check out this link: Amys Light & Lean Soft Taco Fiesta Bowl, 8 Oz (Pack of 12)

Congrats, Amy’s!