Chocolate (Veggie) Brownies and eating your veggies

Early in my journey to unravel how to deal with IBS/food allergies I avoided foods, such as vegetables, that were difficult to digest. That was hard because I love vegetables but the foods that had previously been my friends seemed to create digestive issues for me. I ended up sick in bed, sort of like Pumpkin in photo above. Now I've learned how to make veggies my friends again. In fact, veggies cover at least half or more of my plate at meal times.

It's all in careful selection of veggies and how you prepare them. Vegetables, improperly prepared, can trigger IBS attacks. You can slice, dice, chop or eat them whole but peel them and cook them. They don't have to be mushy but they should be cooked beyond tender crisp. Don't eat them raw. That's asking for trouble.

Certain veggies that are higher in insoluble fiber than others can't be tamed for the IBS tummy no matter how you prepare them. Most can be made tender and delicious by roasting but I haven't had much success with fennel and celery root to name a few.

Since eating enough veggies often is of concern for IBS sufferers, why not kill two birds with one stone. Get your sweet fix and your veggies with Chocolate (Veggie) Brownies. Many IBS sufferers can tolerate chocolate in small doses as long as they eat it with a hearty dose of soluble fiber. Use dark chocolate or allergen-free chocolate to avoid dairy which can trigger IBS attacks. Remember to exercise self-control and limit yourself to just one (moderately sized, of course) because over-indulgence is the source of many an IBS attack.

Chocolate (Veggie) Brownies

2 ounces of fresh spinach

1/4 cup plain or vanilla rice milk (or soy)

1 cup raw zucchini, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup agave nectar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1 T. ground flax seed
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 tsp. instant coffee or espresso crystals

1 cup buckwheat flour (or unbleached white flour if can be tolerated)

1/2 cup brown rice flour (or oat flour)

1/3 cup dark cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 Ener-G egg replacer or 2 egg whites (Whole eggs can be an IBS trigger.)

1 10-oz. bag Enjoy Life allergen-free chocolate chips or other dairy-free chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking pan. In a blend or food processor, blend together the spinach and zucchini to a smooth puree. Add the agave, maple syrup, oil, flax, coffee, apple cider vinegar, milk, egg replacer or egg whites, and vanilla, and blend to combine. Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry and whisk together to combine. If this batter is too stiff, add a tablespoon or two more of rice or soy milk. Add in 2/3's or all of the chocolate chips. I reserved about a third to melt and spread on the top of the finished brownies.

Pour or scoop the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the brownies are firm to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Sprinkle the the top with extra chocolate chips. Allow to melt and then spread over the top with a knife. An alternative topping would be a dusting of extra cocoa powder and cinnamon.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting. You should get about 12 brownies. After cutting the brownies, wrap them individually for freezing. That way you won't be tempted to over-indulge.

Quinoa Sunflower Seed Clusters

There are some people who have to learn lessons the hard way. Then there's a second category of people who have to repeat learning the same lesson more than once the hard way. I think I fall into the second category when it comes to food.

The problem is whenever I get to feeling pretty good I get more cocky about what I eat. That would be the case this week. I made a fat-free fruit compote with a topping made up of ground rolled oats and buckwheat flour. Even ground, uncooked oatmeal is too hard to digest for someone with gastroparesis/IBS. Bottom line, don't eat uncooked oatmeal in any form. That is unless you enjoy being miserable for two to three days.

Well, fortunately that has passed. And Pumpkin, the cat, and I are celebrating leap year with some beautiful tulips, sent from a friend who was our house guest last week. Also, to prove that I've learned my lesson about uncooked oatmeal, I decided to alter a recipe which uses that dreaded ingredient. I changed the original recipe, called Quinoa, Apricot and Nut Clusters, by leaving out the nuts, dried apricots, eggs and rolled oats, and renamed it Quinoa Sunflower Seed Clusters. I left out the dried fruit because that is another ingredient that is "lethal" for someone with my problem. Here is the recipe with my modifications and optional ingredients for those who can handle eggs, rolled oats, dried fruit and nuts. Individuals with IBS-type symptoms should use egg whites only, rather than whole eggs. Finely ground nuts may be tolerated in some cases.

Quinoa Sunflower Seed Clusters

(Makes approximately 20 clusters)

These clusters are a healthy alternative to cookies. Two clusters have approximately 320 calories, 11 g. fat, 49 g. carbs, 10 g. protein and 5 g. fiber.

3/4 cup quinoa

1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes (or old-fashioned oatmeal) Note: The quinoa flakes are much more digestible than the oats. Just eat the clusters in moderation.

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds (I grind them but you may leave them whole.)

1 cup peeled, drained canned apricots (finely chopped) or replace this with 1 cup chopped dried apricots or whole dried cherries

Optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts (Walnuts, pistachios, almonds, cashews work well.)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup agave nectar or maple syrup or honey (Avoid honey if you have IBS.)

2 T. safflower, sunflower or other vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Egg replacer for two eggs plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten (or use equivalent egg whites)

Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the quinoa, return to a boil, cover and reduce the heat. Cook at low heat until the quinoa is cooked or about 15 minutes. For those with normal stomachs, the quinoa should be slightly undercooked or about 12 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a large, rimmed cookie sheet. Bake, fluffing with a fork occasionally, until the quinoa is pale golden, about 30-35 minutes. Let cook in a large bowl.

Spread the quinoa flakes or oats on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add the flakes or oats to the cooked quinoa. Spread the sunflower seeds on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. If grinding the seeds, allow to cook before placing in a coffee grinder. Add the seeds to quinoa mixture and allow to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Toss the apricots (dried or not dried), optional nuts, sugar and salt with the quinoa mixture. Beat the agave nectar, maple syrup or honey, vegetable oil, and vanilla with egg replacer or eggs. Stir into the quinoa mixture.

Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, lightly spray with pan spray. Spoon 1/4 cup batter onto sheet for each cluster or use an ice cream scoop. Space the clusters about 3 inches apart. Flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crisp, about 25 minutes. Note: If you are using egg replacer, you may need to leave the clusters in the oven slightly longer. When done, remove from the oven and let cool. The clusters store well for several days in the refrigerator. Freeze extras.

Hot amaranth cereal with toasted pumpkin seeds and IBS tips

My belly is a lot more peaceful now, just like Pumpkin at the right. I have gastroparesis, akin to severe IBS, and food intolerances. I have tried eliminating certain foods and that has helped but not enough to make my stomach anything close to tolerable. It wasn't until the past two weeks that I discovered how to have a fairly peaceful belly.

My secret is every morning I split my breakfast in half and eat just half. I save the other half for a late morning snack. How does this help? Like others with slow digestive systems, I can never overload my stomach or I'm looking for trouble. Basically, my digestive system is so slow that by morning the next day, dinner from the previous night has still not left the building so to speak. If I try to shove a full breakfast in my stomach too, I'm going to have symptoms of bloating, nausea, digestive distress all day. Just a little breakfast doesn't produce those symptoms. I put a little in the tank to give myself a bit to go on and give dinner a chance to be fully digested. Then I put a little more in late morning and I'm set.
It really seems to be working. I haven't felt this well in months. Of course, there are lots of other things I do as well to manage my stomach situation but this trick is the frosting on the cake. It changed a barely tolerable situation into a totally tolerable one.

Other standard strategies individuals with IBS or other digestive disorders should put into practice every day include:

• No processed foods


• No dairy


• Cook all veggies or fruits (with the exception of ripe, soft fruits e.g. peaches)


• Avoid red meat


• No caffeine


• No carbonated drinks


• No artificial sweeteners


• No high fiber grains or vegetables


• No fried foods or artificial fats


• No popcorn


• No high fat foods


• No egg yolks (I can't eggs at all. I'm allergic.)


• Approach legumes, such as beans, cautiously.


• No coconut milk (too high in fat)


• No alcohol


• No whole nuts. Make sure they are ground up. (I can't eat nuts at all because I'm allergic.)

There are many other rules that I live by in order to keep my stomach "functioning." I'll share them through my blog.

Here is one of my favorite breakfast foods that I do the half now/half later strategy with.

Hot Amaranth Cereal with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries

Amaranth is a wonderful grain with a sweet, nutty taste. It seems like I'm eating a dessert when I have it because it's so yummy. It's also a super grain, high in protein and even calcium. It's very digestible, and I never have any problem with it if I do the half now/half later strategy. The pumpkin seeds are well tolerated if toasted. You also can grind them to make them more tolerable. Note: I add 1 T. of ground golden flax seed but I had to work up to this amount over several months.

1/4 cup whole amaranth grains (available at health food stores)

2 T. toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup cranberries, cooked until soft in 2 T. grape juice concentrate

1 T. ground flax (optional)

1 T. vegan rice protein powder (optional)

1 tsp. olive oil or other oil

In a medium saucepan, toast the amaranth grains in olive oil for a few minutes. In the meantime, heat 1 cup of water to boiling in the microwave. Add the boiling water to the grains. Toss in the ground flax and protein powder. Cook the grains uncovered for 15 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Serve with 1-2 T. of cranberry sauce and 1-2 T. of toasted pumpkin seeds. But don't forget to split it in half first. Of course, this is not necessary if you don't have my problem.

IBS symptoms continue to plague me

This blog is continuing to evolve over time just as has my journey to try to find a solution to my stomach/IBS-like issues. I have suffered for years with daily discomfort and sometimes disabling stomach and digestive problems that doctors have labeled as gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach) which is a fancy way of saying severe IBS. At the time I received my diagnosis, I was happy because at least I had a name to put with my symptoms. But then there came the shrugs of doctors' shoulders when asked what could be done to help me. There was no cure, no medication, nothing they could hold out to offer me hope for relief.

That left me with only one solution. Begin my own search for answers and remedies. I have been pointed in many directions by naturopaths, other "experts" and well-meaning friends who believed they would be able to solve or at least lessen my symptoms. Some of these side journeys have been beneficial, such as uncovering food allergies through elimination or rotation diets.

It was on one of these side journeys that I began this blog as a chronicle of my experiences on a rotation diet. Now I realize that despite my hopes, the rotation diet won't be a solution but rather another piece in the puzzle to improving my condition. That's not to say that I won't continue to follow a diet free of the food allergens that aggravate my condition.

In future blog entries, I will address my ongoing experiences in looking for ways to improve/reduce my gastroparesis, IBS symptoms, maintain good health and eat well. I believe, by way of experience, I have become something of an expert and want to share whatever I can that will help others. In the meantime, I am keeping the faith that this journey will lead me to improved well-being. And my animal companions always keep me smiling.

Gluten-free chocolate (or carob) peppermint ice cream sandwiches for Valentine's Day

We still have snow on the ground but Valentine's Day is coming. But today is cold and blustery again. I'm sure hoping spring is almost here especially after the long winter we've had in Idaho with nearly double our normal snowfall. I'm looking forward to Valentine's Day more than usual this year as a great way to celebrate friends and loved ones, and the coming of spring.

Here's what pumpkin does on a cold winter day.

Today I'm craving chocolate and mint. Give me anything with chocolate and mint, and I'll be your valentine. Actually give me mint chocolate any day of the week. Carob will do the trick too. I modified a recipe from a cookbook, called Eating for IBS, by Heather Von Vorous, for peppermint ice cream sandwiches to make them gluten-free and egg-free. They are absolutely delicious, easy to make, and safe if you have digestive issues. I have to hide them from the non-allergic folks in my household because they would disappear faster than you can say, "Yummy!"





Gluten-free Chocolate (or Carob)Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

(makes about 4-6 sandwiches, depending on how large you make them)

For the "ice cream:"

1/2 cup granulated organic sugar
1 T. tapioca starch (or corn starch)
2 1/3 cups vanilla or plain rice milk (or soy milk)
egg replacer for 2 eggs (or egg whites from two eggs)
1 tsp. peppermint extract


Prepare the egg replacer, whisking until foamy. Set aside. In a large saucepan, whisk together sugar and tapioca starch. Then whisk in the rice milk. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently, and boil whisking constantly for one minute. Remove from heat. Whisk several spoonfuls of hot rice milk mixture into the egg replacer. Then whisk the egg mixture back into the saucepan of hot rice milk. Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture returns to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Place in the refrigerator to chill until freezing in an ice cream maker. Or as an alternative, freeze the mixture in the freezer and remove to let it thaw slightly just before assembling the sandwiches. Either procedure yields a tasty treat. Note: You also can mix in some "safe " chocolate shavings or mini-carob or chocolate chips to the ice cream mixture just before it freezes.

For the chocolate (or carob) mint sandwiches:

1 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or use carob powder)
1 tsp. g/f baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil (your choice)
1 tsp. mint (I really love mint but if you don't use slightly less)
egg replacer for 4 eggs (or egg whites from 4 eggs), nice and foamy


Sift first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, and whisk together until thoroughly combined. In a small bowl, whisk together oil and egg replacer. Then add liquid mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined. The original recipe recommended covering and refrigerating the mixture until firm. I skipped this step and it works fine.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with cooking spray. Drop the dough by tablespoons, evenly spaced on the cookie sheets. Dampen your hands with cold water and flatten the balls into nice round cookies about 1/4-inch thick. You can make them bigger if you want "large" sandwiches. Bake 8-9 minutes until set but not hard. If cookies are large, they may take longer to bake. Keep an eye on them as they are baking. Remove the cookies from the pan to cool.

To assemble the ice cream sandwiches:

Soften the peppermint ice cream slightly. Spread some between two cookies. The filling should be at least twice as thick as the cookies. But I won't tell if you make it thicker. Press the cookies together gently. Put the sandwiches in a container and freeze until firm. When hard, wrap them individually in plastic wrap for storage. To serve, remove from the freezer a few minutes early to allow them to soften a bit.

I've been tagged

Lea has tagged me. Now that I have been tagged, I am supposed to list seven random things about myself, post the rules, then link back to the person who tagged me and tag seven more unsuspecting bloggers.
Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share seven random and weird things about yourself.
3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Random, weird things about myself:

1. My husband has this old dilapidated car that he says he loves but he always makes me drive it. The car is so bad it has a rock for an emergency brake. That's right. When you park, you have to get the rock out and put it behind the rear wheel so the car won't roll away. Several times, I've driven away without the rock and then my husband accuses me of losing his emergency brake.

2. I was called Susie Creamcheese in college because I was too nice and didn't do any wild stuff. But then I went on one of those college tours to Europe and got nicknamed Vino. I don't know why because I didn't drink.

3. I'm afraid of heights. Even a ladder is too high up for me.

4. But I'm not afraid of spiders. I've always felt sorry for them during the winter so I let them live in my house. But now my cat, Pumpkin, has ruined their winter hideaway because he hunts them down and gobbles them up.

5. I rode an elephant when I lived in Thailand. I wanted to buy one and bring it home but they eat too much, 100 pounds of hay a day.

6. My husband and I got rid of our TV when our kids were young but now we have seven TVs. We collected them all because our son was working at a place that went out of business and he adopted all of their leftover television sets for free. We've actually given several away but still have seven.

7. I used to build tree houses when I was a kid. I had five treehouses at one time. I wanted a different one for every day of the week but ran out of suitable trees.

New "taggies:"

Terilynn at http://www.thedailyrawcafe.com/

http://gluten-free-blog.blogspot.com/

http://iamglutenfree.blogspot.com/


http://www.fatfreevegan.com/

http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/


http://myglutenfreecookbook.blogspot.com/


http://culinaryobsession.blogspot.com/

Snacks

This blog entry is for individuals, like myself, who want some healthy snacks that are low-carb and free of food allergens, including gluten, dairy, nuts, peanuts and eggs. Actually, they are quite yummy even if you don't have those food issues.

I have hypothyroidism, along with food sensitivities. To help manage my weight, I try to eat only two small servings of whole grains and one to two servings of fruit each day. Another words, it's kind of a low-carb diet, but a healthy one because I eat lots of veggies instead of tons of protein. As you can see, my cat, Oreo, prefers the low-carb diet as well. She wasn't supposed to be checking out the sole filets that were defrosting on a plate but you know cats. They beat to their own drum.

Avocado and Ground Seed Gluten-Free Snack

Gluten-free whole-grain tortilla (small or half a 10-inch one) such as quinoa, rice flour or amaranth

Avocado

Lemon juice

2 green onions, thinly sliced

Ground pepper and salt

Veggies for the top (cucumber, baby greens, watercress, lettuce)

Ground seed mixture

How to make ground seeds: Get a jar, fill it half way with ground flax seeds, one-fourth with ground sunflower seeds and the remainder with ground pumpkin seeds. You can grind the seeds in a coffee grinder. Shake the mixture to evenly distribute all three seeds. Now you have a tasty, healthy seed blend that provides lots of omega fatty acids. And so does the avocado. Store the jar of seeds in the refrigerator.

To assemble your snack: Mash up one-fourth of the avocado with the onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in about one tablespoon of the ground seeds. Spread on your tortilla of choice and top with your chosen veggies.

Homemade Hummus

Hummus is totally vegetarian and a delicious source of healthy protein, fats and fiber. It's so easy to make, and the extra stores well in the refrigerator. With this recipe, you'll never be tempted to buy hummus in the store again. You can make it for a fraction of the cost, and it's healthier.

One 16-oz. can of garbanzo beans (low sodium preferred), drained and rinsed

1/4-1/3 cup of tahini butter (made from sesame seeds) Note: You'll find it in the peanut butter section.

4 T of olive oil

2-3 T of lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Optional: You can jazz it up by adding chopped parsley or spices such as cumin and cayenne pepper

Note: You can make the hummus lower in fat by using less olive oil and more lemon juice. or substituting some white wine vinegar for 1 T of olive oil.

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and puree into a thick paste. Scoop out the hummus into a food storage container. For one snack, use 2 T of hummus. Serve it with rice crackers, rice cakes. Another tasty idea is to make meat roll-ups. Spread some hummus on a slice of meat and roll it up. If using deli meat, select products that are free of gluten and other allergens as well as preservatives.

Blueberry-glazed chicken for Day 1

I think I've hit a milestone on the rotation diet. I no longer have to look at my rotation foods guide when I'm deciding what to eat on a particular day. This way of eating is definitely coming naturally to me now. It also has been beneficial to me. It's helped me uncover some foods that were the cause of some of my symptoms. It's forced me to eat some foods and try some recipes that are actually quite tasty and healthy.

I've also discovered that you don't have to be completely rigid about this plan. After all, we live in a real world and sometimes your family or friends want to go out to eat. Sometimes you screw up and forget to buy a particular ingredient(s). Sometimes you're just craving something that's not on the rotation plan for that day.

It's really all right to bend the rules a bit. Don't get stressed out about this. Use the Oreo philosophy: just curl up in a red pillow and chill. With Oreo's philosophy in mind, I've decided to alter my rotation of proteins to make it easier for me to remember and manage. Now, I rotate chicken, fish, turkey, fish in that order. Keep it as simple as possible. Same thing with nuts, seeds and oils. I can't eat nuts or peanuts (allergic) so I do sunflower and pumpkin seeds/oil one day, then olive oil, safflower oil, and finally sesame/tahini and avocado in that order.It's not perfect and not quite what the plan lays out but at least I'm getting those healthy mono unsaturated fatty acids.

Keep that in mind if you're considering using a rotation plan. The idea is to vary what you're eating, not to make yourself a prisoner to what you're eating. Your ultimate goal is to keep your body from deciding to launch its defenses against a food that it perceives as the enemy.

Here's a great recipe I discovered for Day 1. It uses blueberries and chicken as the main ingredients. I served potatoes (purple, yellow, white or red) and steamed zucchini on the side. My family loved it even though they're not on a rotation diet.

Blueberry-glazed chicken

1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup red cooking wine
3 T. maple syrup
1 tsp. dijon mustard
3 T. pomegranite juice
optional for seasoning the chicken: garlic powder, paprika, parsley (1 tsp. each)
1/2 tsp. salt and black pepper


Preheat over to 400 degrees. Bring the first five ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for up to 30 minutes. Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Combine desired seasonings from list above and sprinkle on the chicken. Place on a roasting pan.

Wash and quarter potatoes. Toss with cooking oil and salt and pepper. Spread on a baking pan. Roast both chicken and potatoes at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Pull the chicken out and baste with blueberry glaze. Return to oven and roast an additional 5-10 minutes. Serve chicken with additional blueberry glaze plus roasted potatoes and steamed zucchini on the side.

Buckwheat recipes for Day 4

Buckwheat is another one of those gluten-free "supergrains." Actually, buckwheat is a fruit seed. So does that make it a "super flower seed"? Whatever it is, buckwheat is a nutritious food. The protein found in buckwheat contains the eight essential amino acids. It's rich in B vitamins as well as phosphorous, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper and manganese. Buckwheat also gets credit for being high in fiber and flavenoids, and a good oil source of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (an essential fatty acid). If that isn't enough, it helps lower blood pressure and glucose levels, and reduces cholesterol. Sounds like everyone should be eating it instead of wheat. Some places where it is widely cultivated and consumed are China, Russia, Poland, Canada and France.



Get acquainted with buckwheat and its health benefits by giving some of my Day 4 recipes a try.



Shopping List: buckwheat groats (Kasha), buckwheat flour, buckwheat soba noodles, cherries, apples, pears, sweet potatoes, bok choy, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, shrimp, pollock.


Hot Apple Kasha or Bengali Buckwheat: see picture posted December 28
(for one serving)

1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup kasha
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1/2 tsp. cardamon seeds or coriander seeds
1/2 peeled, diced apple
1 cup water
1 T. apple juice concentrate
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon


Heat olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add kasha (buckwheat groats) and seeds. Toast for a few minutes, stirring the kasha and seeds. Add the water with apple juice concentrate and other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until moisture is absorbed. Serve with milk, additional cooked apples, walnuts or almonds.





Shrimp and Broccoli over Soba Noodles

Note: Soba noodles are a delicious way to get your buckwheat.
Recipe serves 2

2 cups cooked soba noodles
1 T. dry sherry
3/4 cup paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 T. Chinese chili sauce (less if you don't like the heat)
3/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 T. water
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups chopped bok choy
salt and black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add the soba noodles and cook until tender. Drain.
Place the shrimp in a bowl with the sherry, paprika, garlic and chili sauce. Stir to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer. In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the water, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the broccoli and bok choy. Stir fry for several minutes until veggies are tender crisp. Add the shrimp mixture; stir fry to another 5 minutes until the shrimp are pink and opaque. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute or until the sauce thickens. Add the soba noodles, stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve.

Amaranth flour tortilla recipe for Day 3

Amaranth, another gluten-free super grain, is the staple of Day 3 recipes. Amaranth packs a wallop when it comes to nutrition but the whole grains can be a bit tricky to work with. It took me three tries before I realized you have to toast the whole grains first before you cook them. No wonder some folks and cats, like Oreo, prefer convenience when it comes to food as you can see from the picture. Oreo investigates a display of pre-packaged energy foods set up by my husband for a newspaper article he was writing.

Amaranth has an interesting history just like quinoa. Amaranth was a staple food to the Aztecs who believed the grain had supernatural powers. Human sacrifices to the grain lead Spanish conquerors in the 1500s to ban its use. As a result, the grain virtually disappeared except for in a few remote places where it was cultivated in Mexico and the Andes.

You don't have to be on a rotation diet or eating gluten-free to enjoy Amaranth. This alternative grain is both nutritious and tasty for anyone. Keep both Amaranth flour and the whole grains on hand.

Amaranth is amazingly versatile as I am discovering. You can cook it as a cereal, grind it into flour, pop it like popcorn, sprout or toast it. Before I discovered grains like amaranth, I thought that brown rice was the only whole grain alternative to wheat. Amaranth is far superior nutritionally with 15-18 percent protein as well lysine and methionine, two essential amino acids that are usually not in grains. It contains calcium, iron, potassium, phosphorous, and Vitamins A and C. Compared to wheat, it has three times the fiber and five times the iron. It also is credited with having two times more calcium than an equivalent serving of milk.

Main ingredients list for Day 3 with amaranth, and menus and recipes follow.

Shopping List: whole amaranth grains, amaranth flour, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, gluten/free baking powder, taro veggie burgers (Hawaii Taro Co.), fresh spinach, 1 red onion, frozen green beans with baby carrots, sunflower and olive oils, cornish game hens, olive tapenade, soy milk, toasted carob powder, frozen mango chunks.

Breakfast: Cooked amaranth whole grains topped with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds.

Lunch: Amaranth flour tortilla served with a taro veggie burger (Hawaii Taro Co.) spread with olive tapenade. A spinach, red onion ring and green bean salad tossed with sunflower oil on the side.

Snack: Smoothie made with 1 cup soy milk, 2 T. carob powder, 2/3 cup mango chunks.

Dinner: Roasted cornish game hen served with steamed green beans and baby carrots.

Amaranth Flour Tortillas

1 1/3 cup Amaranth flour

1/3 tsp. salt

1/4 cup sunflower or olive oil

2/3 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup warm water

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder. Mix in the vegetable oil. Add the water, working the liquid into the dough. Add additional flour if needed. Shape the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Divide the dough into 6-8 balls. Lightly dust a pastry board and roll out each ball into a circle about 1/4-inch thick. Heat a heavy skillet. Cook the tortillas about 30 seconds on each side. Keep them wrapped in aluminum foil or a damp towel until ready to eat. Extras store nicely in the freezer.

Grilled lime salmon with avocado sauce for Day 2

On Day 2 I can eat corn or rice for grains so it's easier to utilize some already prepared foods. If pressed for time, I reach for Nature Path corn flakes or Bob's Red Mill rice cereal for breakfast. Food for Life brand brown rice tortillas make great wraps for lunch. Other foods on the menu for Day 2 include wild Alaskan salmon, fresh avocado and avocado oil, mustard greens, red or green cabbage, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, jicama, tahini or sesame seeds, and peaches. Below is the menu plan and recipes for avocado dressing, tahini dressing and grilled lime salmon. Pumpkin, at right, will do whatever it takes to get some salmon.





Breakfast: Nature Path cornflakes served with frozen peaches (thawed) and rice milk, and sprinkled with 1 T. toasted black sesame seeds.





Lunch: Brown rice tortilla wrap with grilled salmon, 1 sliver of avocado diced, and 2 cups chopped veggies, including mustard greens, purple cabbage and water chestnuts. Drizzle the wrap ingredients with tahini dressing, roll up and enjoy. Save some of the tahini dressing for dipping.





Dinner: Grilled lime salmon served on a bed of sauted chopped jicama, water chestnuts, mustard greens, and green and purple cabbage, and drizzled with avocado dressing.








Avocado Dressing Recipe
2 ripe avocados
1 lime or lime juice
1 clove garlic (optional)
1 tsp. sea salt
2 T. red wine vinegar
1/4-1/3 cup avocado oil (or olive oil if not on rotation diet)

Scoop the flesh from avocados into food processor. Add chopped garlic and other ingredients and pulse until blended. Stop and taste. Adjust seasonings if needed.

Lime Tahini Dressing

1/2 cup tahini

1/3 cup lime juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped (optional)

2 T. low sodim soy sauce (optional)

1/2 tsp. salt

water

Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water to desired consistency. Store extra in a container in refrigerator.

Grilled Lime Salmon

1 fresh lime or lime juice

2 salmon steaks

1 tsp. avocado oil or olive oil

Dash of salt

Dash of black pepper

Brush the fish with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place on a grill pan and grill either in over or barbecue. When done, squeeze on some lime juice. Serve on a bed of greens with extra avocado slices and drizzled with avocado dressing,

Quinoa recipes

The rotation diet has forced me to incorporate more alternative grains into my menus. I've discovered a whole new world of grains with quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat (kasha). These gluten-free grains are actually superfoods nutritionally. Quinoa, the grain I plan my meals around for Day 1, is an ancient grain with origins tracing to the Andes Mountains of South America. It was one of three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the Inca civilization. Quinoa (pronounced "Keen-wa") contains more protein than any other grain, an average of 16.2 percent, which means it rivals the protein content of meat. It's also a complete protein with an essential amino acid balance close to ideal. It's a versatile grain as I've come to find out. Each time I sample a new recipe it leaves me begging for more just like Pumpkin, my orange kitty, at the right. Recipes and menu plans for Day 1, a new round, which features quinoa, are below. Other key ingredients for these meals are safflower oil, mushrooms, lettuce, zucchini, peas, beets, kiwi, blueberries and starfruit.


Breakfast: Ancient grains quinoa flakes with blueberries

Lunch: Homemade quinoa flour roll with pea soup (recipes below)

Dinner: Quinoa/mushroom veggie burger (recipe follows) with grilled portabello mushrooms and zucchinis, and sliced star fruit


Quinoa and Mushroom Burger Recipe
Difficulty rating: medium
(pictured with starfruit at right)

2 cups cooked quinoa
1/4 tsp. cumin seed
1/4 tsp. coriander
8 chopped mushrooms
3 T. safflower oil
1 can garbanzo beans
4 T. quinoa flour or brown rice flour
2 egg equivalents made with egg replacer
Additional safflower oil and pan spray for cooking
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the quinoa according to instructions on package. In the meantime, put the mushrooms, garbanzo beans, spices and safflower oil in the food processor and blend until it forms a thick paste. You may need to add more oil. Put the quinoa, along with mixture from the food processor, into a large bowl and blend. Add the egg replacer and additional quinoa flour and mix. Shape burgers from the mixture. If the mixture is too wet, add additional quinoa flour. Cook the burgers in a heavy skillet with oil. The mixture makes about eight good-sized burgers. Extras keep well in the freezer. To freeze, place each burger on a square of wax paper, stack them up, and store in a ziploc bag. The wax paper trick will help you remove one at a time for heating and eating. Serve quinoa/mushroom burgers on homemade quinoa buns (next recipe).


Quinoa Flour Hamburger Buns
Difficulty rating: hard
Note: I altered a gluten-free bread recipe to make these buns. They are extremely dense in texture.

1 3/4 cup quinoa flour
1 cup tapioca starch
2 T. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. xanthum gum
2 tsp. yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1 1/4 sea salt
2 tsp. cider vinegar
2 T. safflower oil
3 eggs or equivalent of egg replacer
parchment paper

Mix together the wet ingredients in stand mixer. Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients, beating together on low. Place the mixer on a speed of 2 to knead the mixture for four minutes. Add more flour if needed to reduce stickiness of dough. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop out balls of dough for the hamburger buns, space them evenly on the baking sheet. Allow to "rise" in a warm place for at least 30 minutes. Keep in mind that these buns will not rise like wheat rolls or bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the buns to cool completely before slicing.

Fresh Pea Soup with Mint
Difficulty rating: easy
(serves 2)
1/2 T. safflower oil
1 rib celery, green parts only, cut into small pieces
Optional: 1 scallions, green parts only, cut into 4-in. pieces, and 1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups peas, fresh, or frozen, thawed
1/8 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the celery tops and optional scallions and onions. Cook, stirring for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
Add the broth and bring to a boil. Add the peas and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Carefully transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor. Add the mint leaves and puree until smooth. Serve warm or chill for at least one hour before serving.

Menus for Day 4

I discovered a delicious hot breakfast cereal, Bengali Kasha (buckwheat cereal), that I wish I could eat every day but that would probably get me into trouble. Pumpkin, my little nibbler cat, could care less. He'd just as soon drink water.

Breakfast: Bengali Kasha with pear, apple and tahini topping

Recipe for 1 serving:
1 tsp. canola oil
1/2 cup coarse-ground kasha or buckwheat
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1 cup rice or soy milk or water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 each apple and pear, sliced thin
1 T. tahini

Heat oil in heavy saucepan. Add kasha and fennel seeds and toast for several minutes. Stir in milk or water, vanilla, cardamon, salt. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to lowest setting, cover and simmer until moist, about 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, cook apple and pear slices until soft. Spoon into bowl. Top with apple/pear combination and 1 T. tahini.

Lunch: Grilled halibut with warm buckwheat salad

• grilled halibut reserved from another meal
• 1/2 cup buckwheat (kasha) saved from a previous meal
• 1/2 cup each. bok choy and chard, chopped
• 1 tsp. canola oil
• 1 T. honey mustard vinaigrette

Spray a skillet. Heat canola oil. Saute veggies until tender crisp. Throw in halibut and heat. Add buckwheat. Stir and cook all ingredients until warmed. Place on a plate and top with vinaigrette.

Dinner: My family and I went out to eat.

Menus for Day 3

I went all out and made Grilled Tuna Steaks with Olive
Tapenade and Basil Oil for dinner and Pumpkin
Amaranth/Flax/Sunflower Seed Pancakes for breakfast.
It definitely didn't seem like I was deprived by being on a
rotation diet. In fact, I haven't felt that way at all on this
food-eating plan. If anything, it has forced me to experience
new foods and not just eat the same old stuff day in and day out.
As you can see, Pumpkin and her canine pal, Kona, were
hoping and waiting for me to share some of my creations in the kitchen.









Breakfast: Pumpkin Amaranth/Flax/Sunflower Seed Pancakes topped with pumpkin puree and toasted pumpkin seeds

• Amaranth pancakes
• 2 T. pumpkin puree mixed with agave nectar for syrup
• 1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1 Shelton's gluten-free turkey sausage for those not on rotation plan

Recipe for Amaranth Pancakes (makes about 6 medium pancakes)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree ( I used canned.)

2 T. agave nectar

EnerG egg replacer for 1 egg

1/2 cup amaranth flour

2 T. ground flax

1/4 cup ground sunflower seeds

1 tsp. g/f baking powder

1 T. sunflower oil

2 tsp. pumpkin spice

1/4-1/2 cup water or more if needed

pan spray and additional oil for pan

1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds and 2 T. additional pumpkin puree mixed with 1 tsp. agave nectar for topping per serving

(optional: carob chips)

Just mix it all together. Heat your pan. Cook the pancakes. Keep them warm in the oven while you are making additional ones. Toast the pumpkin seeds. Heat the pumpkin puree topping in the pan. Serve topped with pumpkin puree and toasted pumpkin seeds

Lunch: Taro veggie burger topped with olive tapenade on a soy flour tortilla

• Hawaii Taro Company veggie burgers
• Sauteed spinach, endive, red onion
• 1 T. olive tapenade per veggie burger
• Soy flour tortillas (follow recipe from previous post)
• 1 T. olive oil for cooking
  
  

Dinner: Grilled Ahi Tuna Steaks with Olive Tapenade and Basil Oil Topping

• Tuna steaks
• Olive tapenade
• Steamed green beans
• Sauteed spinach, endive and red onion
• Sauteed winter squash with sage

Recipe for Ahi Tuna Steaks with Olive Tapenade and Basil Oil

1 bunch fresh basil

1 cup olive oil

Olive Tapenade (purchased)

bag of fresh spinach

1 small red onion

2 Belgian endive

1 acorn squash (peeled and diced)

2-3 T. olive oil

4 tuna steaks

Make basil oil. Separate basil leaves from stems. Blanch leaves in boiling water until they wilt. Then drain and plunge into icy water. Drain and squeeze dry. Blend leaves with 1 cup olive oil in blender or food processor. Let stand for 2 hours, then press mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. I didn't do this part. I just used it without straining. The basil oil will keep in refrigerator for a week.

Prepare spinach, endive and onion for sauteeing in several tablespoons of oil. Cover and keep warm. Repeat with acorn squash or other winter sqash.

Brush tuna steaks with remaining olive oil. Salt both sides. Pepper is optional if you're not on rotation diet. Grill until medium done. I did this in a grill pan on the stove but a hot charcoal fire would be great. Serve on warm plates, placing tuna on bed of veggies. Spread tops with olive tapenade and drizzle with basil oil. My husband said these were better than any steak he'd ever eaten.

Dessert: Sunbutter/Carob Cups

1 bag Sunspire vegan carob chips

1/4 cup Sunbutter (sunflower butter)

1 mini-muffin pan

Melt carob chips in microwave. Stir. Spoon 1 tsp. or so into each section of the mini-muffin pan. Top with 1 tsp. sunbutter. You can top with additional melted carob chips but I forgot to do that. Refrigerate until set. Makes 12 cups. Very scrumptious.

Menus for Day 2 of Rotation Diet

I discovered there are some foods I can eat on the rotation diet that I don't have to make from scratch. On Day 2, I really took advantage of them. I found some delicious gluten-free corn tortillas and brown rice tortillas from Food for Life and corn flakes from Nature's Path. I could eat these everyday but then it wouldn't be a rotation diet. Oreo scopes out some non-gluten-free lunch stuff for my husband.






Breakfast: Gluten-free corn flakes, apricots and rice milk

• Nature's Path corn flakes (gluten-free)
  
• 3 apricots


• 1 cup rice milk


• 1 tsp. each black sesame seed and poppy seeds
  
  

Lunch: Salmon wrap with greens and cabbage and lime tahini dressing

• Food for Life brown rice tortilla


• grilled wild salmon brushed with 1 tsp. avocado oil
  
• sauteed mustard greens, water chestnuts, purple cabbage in avocado oil


• 1 T. tahini dressing
  
  

Recipe for Tahini Dressing:

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 cup tahini

1/2 tsp. salt

2 garlic cloves (It tastes great without. I can't use garlic on this rotation day.)

water or white wine vinegar (not allowed for me)

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add more liquid for desired consistency. Extras save well in refrigerator

Dinner: Ground turkey burger tacos with avocado dressing and shredded cabbage

• Food for Life Sprouted Grain corn tortillas
  
• turkey burger taco meat (no seasoning except salt)
  
• diced avocado


• shredded green and red cabbage


• avocado dressing

Recipe for Avocado Dressing:

2 ripe avocados

juice of one lime

1 tsp. sea salt

2 T. white wine vinegar or water

1/3 cup avocado or corn oil

Blend all ingredients until smooth in a food processor. Add liquid for desired consistency.

Lemony Sole Recipe for Day 1

Here is the recipe I promised for Lemony Sole Roll-ups. I made it for Day 1. I cheated and used lemon even though it wasn't part of Day 1's food options.

Lemony Sole Roll-ups

serves 2

Ingredients:

2 sole fillets

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. black pepper

1 cup yellow squash sauteed in 1 tsp. sunflower oil

1 tsp. additonal sunflower oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tsp. sunflower oil mixed with 2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Serve with roasted red potato wedges.

Directions:

Start the roasted potatoes first. Wash potatoes. Cut into wedges. Toss with oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and thyme. Place in a shallow baking pan that has been sprayed once with pan spray. Bake at 450 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

Start the fish about 15 minutes before potatoes are done.

Season both sides of sole fillets with salt and pepper. Spread 2 T. of sauteed squash evenly over the top. Roll up each fillet into a cylinder and secure with a toothpick.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and add the fish roll-ups, seam side down. Cook 2 minutes. Then add white wine. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes more.

Transfer fish to plates. Add the additional sunflower oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest to the pan. Heat and mix. Remove from heat and spoon half over each fish roll-up. Remove the toothpicks and sprinkle the fish with the parsley.

Serve with roasted red potatoes, sauteed chard and mushrooms. Add a sprinkle of toasted pine nuts to the top of the chard.

Four days of Rotation Diet menus: Day 1

I've learned a lot in just the short time I've being using a Rotation Diet to plan my menus. It definitely takes planning and organization and no mindless eating. You need to sit down every week with your list of allowed foods for the four-day plan and list out what you're going to eat each day. Be sure to include snacks and beverages. Search for recipes if needed. Make sure you keep your furry friend under control when using the printer to print recipes. As you can see Pumpkin was ready to do battle with my printer. Check what ingredients you have on hand and make your shopping list. Always keep in mind you're going to all this trouble to make yourself feel better. Don't give up easily because it may take several weeks before you see the benefit.





Here's my menu plan for Day 1 of a four-day cycle. I will keep posting menus daily. I am using rice milk at every meal as I have not found any acceptable replacement milks at this point. I can drink some soy but it affects the effectiveness of the thyroid hormones that I take.





Day 1:


Breakfast: Hot quinoa with blueberries and pine nuts
1/3 cup Ancient Grains quinoa flakes cooked
1/2 cup blueberries
2 T. pine nuts
1/2 cup rice milk

Lunch: Tortilla wrap with veggies and chicken
gluten-free quninoa/potato flour tortilla (I used the same recipe from my previous post but changed the flours to half quinoa and half potato flour.) These were scrumptious but a bit crumbly.
2 T. pine nuts
2 cups sauteed chard
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms
1/2 cup sauteed zucchini
1 tsp. safflower oil
2 oz. grilled chicken cut into pieces
1/4 cup roasted beets tossed with balsalmic vinegar on the side. Below you see Oreo eyeing my plate of beets. To make the beets, clean and trim whole beets. Wrap each beet in aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for up to one hour depending on the size the beets. You may need to test with a fork kind of like testing a baked potato for doneness. After the beets cool, peel and slice. Toss with 1-2 T. of balsalmic vinegar and a bit of salt. Tip: if you can handle the beets when they are still a little warm, they will really soak up the flavor of the vinegar.





Dinner: Lemony stuffed sole with yellow squash and roasted red potatoes
4-5 oz. sole fillet
1 cup sauteed yellow squash
1/2 cup oven-roasted red potatoes
1/2 cup sauteed mushrooms
1 cup sauteed chard
1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
Note: I wasn't supposed to have lemon or pumpkin seeds on this day but I won't have them again for four days. This diet isn't perfect so what the heck.

Next up: The recipe for the lemony stuffed sole and Day 2.

Thoughts on the Rotation Diet and some recipes for Round 1

I started out very gung-ho on the first four-day round of my rotation diet. I think I was a bit of an overachiever and wanted to do this perfectly. It's a good thing Pumpkin was there (as you can see in picture to the left) to keep me grounded. Here are some lessons I learned after just four days.

• Lesson 1: If you're going to follow your plan perfectly and never cheat--- have a really big family to feed or lots of freezer space.




• Lesson 2: Start out slowly. At first, try rotating one category, such as protein or grains. Gradually add in new categories over the course of several rotations. This isn't what I did but now I will follow my own advice.




• Lesson 3: Sometimes you're going to foul up and eat something two days in a row. Remind yourself, that it's still better for you and your food allergies than eating the same thing day in and day out.
  

With those lessons in mind, here are some other recipes I tried for round 1.

Recipes for days when you can eat amaranth or soy flour, and arrowroot.





Amaranth Drop
Biscuits




For breakfast, I made up a batch of these. I thought they were pretty tasty but my son, who doesn't have to avoid gluten, tried one and only one. He normally gobbles up biscuits by the handfuls. My advice is cut the recipe in half unless you have someone in your house who will help you polish these off.





Ingredients:

• 1 cup amaranth flour


• 1 cup arrowroot starch


• 2 tsp. honey or other sweetener


• 4 tsp. gluten-free baking powder


• 1 tsp. baking soda


• 1 tsp. xanthum gum


• 1/2 tsp. salt


• in place of 2 eggs, use an additional teaspoon of baking powder, 1 T. of liquid, 1 T. of vinegar or your favorite egg replacer


• 1/2 cup almond oil or other allowed vegetable oil or shortening


• 2/3 cup allowed milk or water or a mixture of the two

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees


• Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together


• Add the vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix together


• Mix in the milk/water. Increase the liquid by 1 T. if you are skipping eggs and egg replacer and add 1 T. of vinegar. Or add in the eggs or egg replacer at this point.


• Drop by teaspoonfuls onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or well greased


• Bake for 10-12 minutes. They were yummy and flaky! I saved the extras in the freezer. I'm not sure yet how they will be the second-time around since I have to wait four days, unless I want to sneak one out of sequence. (Note: I actually did thaw one out four days later and they were still quite tasty.)

Soy Flour Tortillas

These tortillas are quick and easy to make. The amazing thing is you can change the type of flour you use each time you make them. They also require no yeast.






Ingredients for 4 small tortillas:

• 1 1/3 cups flour (you can use soy, amaranth, buckwheat or a mixture of flours. Your choice.)


• 1/3 tsp. salt


• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used sunflower oil.)


• 2/3 tsp. g/f baking powder


• 1/3 to 3/4 cup warm water or milk of your choice (or a mixture of the two.)
  
  

Directions:

• Mix the flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.


• Add oil and mix with spoon or fingers to combine.


• Add water or milk or combo. Mix until a sticky ball forms.


• Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest for at least 30 minutes. I made it early in the morning and allowed it to rest all day in the fridge before using it.)


• Divide the dough into four balls.


• Dust a pastry board with additional flour and roll out each ball of dough into a circle approximately 1/4-inch thick.


• Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. I pre-sprayed the pan with pan spray. Cook tortillas 30 seconds on each side or until dough looks dry, puffy and brown spots form on both surfaces.I saved extras in the freezer.
  
  

Note: These were yummy even though they were made with soy flour.

Pumpkin kept himself busy with a makeshift toy while I was cooking the
soy flour tortillas. Wouldn't it be nice to be so easily entertained?

Starting the Rotation Diet

Going on a rotation diet sounded too complicated when I was first diagnosed with food intolerances several years ago. I was barely listening when the naturopath told me that people with multiple food allergies need to rotate foods on a four-day schedule to avoid developing new intolerances. I was too busy mourning the loss of cinnamon rolls, ice cream and omelets, some of my favorite foods. I didn’t want to hear about this complicated plan where I would have to eat compatible foods. Well, guess what? I didn’t listen, and now I have additional foods to avoid.

My goal is to share my experiences as I learn to eat following a rotation diet. The goal of a rotation diet is to reduce your exposure to the same foods because this may increase food sensitivities. I am following a four-day rotation diet where compatible foods are divided into four days by food families. The idea is not to consume the same
food more than once every four days and no foods of the same family more than once every two days.

The theory behind the rotation plan is that all foods are either plant or animal-based, and divided into families according to their origin. With some food groups, in certain individuals, an adverse reaction to one member of a family may result in a similar reaction to other members of the same group. For instance, someone with peanut allergy is likely to be or become allergic to other legumes, such as soybeans or peas.

On my plan, I avoid dairy, eggs, gluten, onions, garlic, caffeine, asparagus, lima beans, peanuts, pineapple and bananas. I pick the foods for my four-day meal plan from a list provided my doctor. Each day there are choices for beverages, grains/flours, fruit, legumes/nuts, oils, protein, veggies and miscellaneous.

Here are the foods I selected by day for Week 1.

Beverage- Day 1: almond milk, peppermint tea Day 2: rice milk Day 3: soy milk
raspberry tea Day 4: macadamia milk

Grains/Flour- Day 1: buckwheat Day 2: quinoa Day 3: rice Day 4: amaranth

Fruit- Day 1: apple, pear, raspberry Day 2: blueberry, kiwi Day 3: peach, apricot Day 4:
mango, cranberry

Legumes/Nuts- Day 1:almond butter, walnut Day 2: tahini, sesame seed, hazelnuts, poppy seed
Day 3: carob, sunflower seed, green beans, black beans Day 4: garbanzos, peas, pine nuts

Oils- Day 1: almond, walnut Day 2: safflower Day 3: sesame Day 4: olive, sunflower

Protein- Day 1: ground turkey Day 2: sole Day 3: chicken Day 4: tuna


Vegetables- Day 1: kale, cauliflower, broccoli, sweet potato, spinach Day 2: zucchini, yellow squash, mushroom, chard Day 3: brussel sprouts, cabbage, mustard green Day 4: carrot, parsnip, winter squash, endive

Misc.- Day 1: Black pepper, cinnamon, cardamon, nutmeg, stevia, turmeric Day 2: chili, cumin, parprika Day 3: yeast, ginger, saffron Day 4: basil, sage, oregano

At first, it looked like I would have to scrap all my favorite recipes. I started getting creative and here are two of my recipes I came up with for Day 1 of the first week.

Hot Apple Kasha for Breakfast
Note: I’d never had this before and discovered it was really quite good.

½ cup kasha (buckwheat groats)
1 ½ cup water
1 cup apple juice
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg and cinnamon
1 apple, peeled and chopped
1 tbs. safflower or olive oil
Nuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, dairy or non-dairy milk (optional)

In a heavy saucepan, heat oil. Add kasha and toast for several minutes.
Add water, apple juice, spices, diced apple, raisins and nuts. (Raisins and nuts can be reserved for topping.) Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Serve hot. Top with milk, brown sugar, raisins, seeds or nuts, if desired.






Indian Turkey Burgers with Sweet Potato Chips for Lunch or Dinner

For the potato chips:
Get the potato chips started before working on the burgers.
Peel 2 sweet potatoes and cut thinly with a Mandolin slicer. Place in a bowl and toss with 2 tbs. of allowed oil, black pepper and salt. Spread the chips on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until crispy at 450 degrees F (approximately 20-30 minutes).






For the turkey burgers:

While the potato chips are baking, mix well in a large bowl these ingredients:

1 pound of ground turkey (93 or 99 percent fat free)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. black pepper
½ tsp. nutmeg
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped finely
1 tbs. almond or other allowed oil

Divide the meat mixture into four patties. Heat oil in a grill pan, add the burgers and grill.

Serve the turkey burgers with sautéed kale or spinach, if desired. Drizzle the burgers with cinnamon oil (mix 1 tsp. of oil with 1/8 tsp. cinnamon).

Cats inspire "Ginger Cats" recipe

I can’t imagine cooking without my cats in the kitchen. All I have to do is clang a few pans around in the kitchen, and my feline crew reports for duty. They include Oreo, an 11-year-old female, and Pumpkin, a one-year-old male. The kitchen seems like an appropriate place for two cats with food names. Sometimes, they invite their dog pal, Kona, an eight-year-old female Golden Retriever.

The trio entertains me with their antics while I cook. There’s something reassuring about having them with me while I undertake the challenges of learning how to cook appetizing menus on a rotation diet due to multiple food allergies.

I was diagnosed with multiple food allergies about a year ago after suffering with environmental allergies/asthma all my life. Hypothyroidism and a rare stomach disorder, called gastroparesis, are other cooking challenges. I've tried eliminating offending foods, only to develop new allergies. Just about every food, if I eat it too often, becomes an enemy. Now I undertake the challenge of following a rotation diet, where I rotate all foods and eat them only once every four days. By following such a plan, my body doesn't get enough of particular foods to label them as enemies. I’m sure there are many of you, like me, who can benefit from having a place to gather and share ideas about rotation diets and food allergies/intolerances.

My cats and dog have warmed my heart and cheered me up on many a day when I haven’t felt up to par. It seemed fitting to name this site and my first posted recipe after them. I was thinking of gingerbread cookies but thought, what about “ginger cat” cookies. I altered a Finnish gingerbread men recipe to be free of many allergens. After rolling out the dough, I used hand-drawn, paper cat patterns to cut out big cats and little cats. As you can see from the picture, Oreo was pleased with the results.

Recipe for Spicy Ginger Cats

(Words of wisdom from Oreo: “Cats get better with age.” The same is true of the Ginger Cats. Wait a day to eat them, and the spicy flavor will be more intense.)

2/3 cup Spectrum all-vegetable shortening
½ cup maple syrup (add up to ¾ cup if you like them sweeter)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
¾ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼- ½ teaspoon cayenne (optional, if you want the cookies beyond just spicy)
1/8 teaspoon each ground cardamom, ground coriander and ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons gluten-free baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup garbanzo bean flour
1 ¾ cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthum gum
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
¼-1/3 cup water
For decorating: melt 77 % cacao dark chocolate or Sunspire vegan carob chips

Directions:
Cream shortening and maple syrup together in a medium bowl. Add spices and beat well.
Add baking soda, salt, flours, xanthum gum, cider vinegar and enough water to make a smooth, easy-to-handle dough. Roll into a ball. Chill 30 minutes in refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Press ball into a disk and roll out on a lightly floured board to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into cat or other shapes. Use purchased cookie cutters. I didn’t have any cat cookie cutters. I drew cats on paper, cut out the patterns, laid them on the dough and cut around them with a knife. Place the cookies about an inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Chill the dough in between batches.
Bake 7-12 minutes, until lightly browned. Stay nearby and keep an eye on the cookies to make sure they don’t get overdone. Cool the cookies on the pan for 2-3 minutes. Then remove to completely cool on wire racks. Decorate. Melt chocolate or carob chips and use a clean small paintbrush to add features. I improvised and use Q-tips since I didn’t have a paintbrush.
Makes about 1-3 dozen cookies, depending on size. I was able to make eight big cats and 4 small.