Gluten-Free Made Easy

When I was in my forties I suddenly discovered that I had to change my eating habits. After a bad reaction to an antibiotic, I started to notice that whenever I ate wheat, gluten, or sulfites, I'd swell like a blowfish. It forced me to reevaluate my food choices, and I found that committing to a gluten-free life style wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated.

The first thing I learned was that I had to read food labels-ALWAYS. Just the other day I was going to buy an organic salad dressing - a delicious ginger based dressing. After reading the label, I discovered that soy sauce was in the dressing. Regular soy sauce contains wheat. So can chocolate bars. While I switched to organic chocolate to omit the ever-present corn syrup, I still read the labels to check for gluten. Make reading labels a priority.

When you go to a restaurant, always ask if anything has been prepared with wheat/gluten. Stick to protein (that is not breaded), vegetables, and salad. Ask the waiter to remove the bread basket from your table. Let them know you cannot have gluten/wheat. Most waiters will oblige and do their best to accommodate you.

Many supermarkets now carry a variety of foods. Whole Foods has much in the way of gluten/wheat free, organic, and sulfite-free foods. But there are also other supermarkets on the east coast such as, Shaw's, Stop and Shop, Hannaford's, Trader Joe's, and Wal-mart that have specialty aisles with gluten/wheat free and organic foods. Scout out the supermarkets in your area to see what is available, and don't count out the smaller markets, they may carry what you need, or they may begin to carry the foods you seek.

Consider ordering specialty items online. I have ordered from The Gluten-Free Pantry (now known as glutenfree.com) and have been pleased with the variety and quality of goods offered. I love pasta and count Glutino, Tinkyada, and Mrs. Leevers brown rice brands among the best. I have even made vegetable lasagna using the Tinkyada brand. Be willing to experiment and you'll find that you have a variety of choices.

Always-always check product ingredients carefully. Here's a list of items that usually have gluten/wheat lurking in the background:

Salad Dressing
Soy sauce
Soups
Chocolate bars
Pudding
Processed meats
Ready-to-eat meals
Fast foods
Ice cream
Starches or reduced-fat goods
Prepared pie fillings
Worcestershire sauce
BBQ sauce
Licorice products (Good & Plenty candy has wheat)
Malt or Malt extract
Prepared gravies or sauces

Experiment with gluten/wheat free ingredients to recreate old favorites. You can make bread crumbs by using organic corn, spelt, or amaranth flakes. I usually grind one of these breakfast cereals and keep a batch in Tupperware in the refrigerator. When I need bread crumbs, I mix the ground flakes with a bit of soy flour and either season the mix, or I season the meat or fish before breading. If you can't use soy flour, try spelt or amaranth flour.

Here's a recipe for Wheat/Gluten-free Chicken Cutlets:

Wheat-free Bread Crumbs

One box of organic corn flakes (or oat, you can probably use bran flakes as well), pour half the box in the blender and grate or grind. Pour the ground flakes into a plastic container; continue processing using the entire box. I usually keep the container in the refrigerator so it stays fresh longer.

When I need breadcrumbs, I pour out about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup (depending on how much chicken I am cooking) of the ground flakes into a mixing bowl. Add about 2 or 3 teaspoons of soy or spelt flour, and mix. Soy and spelt flour have the same consistency as regular all-purpose flour. Brown rice flour is dryer and grittier, so it doesn't work as well. The flour is necessary, because it helps to bind the ground flakes to the chicken.

Next, you add seasonings to the portion of mixed flour and ground flakes. When I want Italian breadcrumbs, I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, a little oregano and dried basil to the mix. You can add two tablespoons of parmesan cheese as well. When I am not in the mood for the Italian flavor, I omit the basil, parmesan and onion.

Wheat-free Chicken Cutlets or Chicken Fingers

4 ea. Free-range chicken cutlets (cut into strips for chicken fingers)
1/4 cup Soy or Rice Milk
Italian wheat-free breadcrumb mix (see instructions above)
1/4 cup Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or Canola oil) for frying

Place chicken pieces (or strips) in a small mixing bowl and pour in soy or rice milk, saturating chicken thoroughly. Place milk coated chicken (do this in portions) in Tupperware filled with breadcrumb mix; cover and shake until coated. Heat oil in medium to large skillet over medium or medium high heat; once oil is hot, begin to place coated chicken pieces in skillet, in a single layer. You will have to do this in two or three batches. Cook on each side until evenly browned and juices run clear.

Serve with salad or your favorite side dish.