Recipes

 

RECIPES & Additional Articles

for

OverComing Gluten Intolerance

Kyle D. Christensen, DC, ND,MH  -  Western Botanicals, Inc. 2011

These Recipes are not just for the Gluten Intolerance but are healthy ways

to prepare food that should be used by everyone.

Recipes are not as important here as understanding the philosophy and techniques behind what you are trying to accomplish.  The reason that grains, beans, nuts and seeds can be store for long periods without going bad is because of some of these anti-nutrients.  Phytic acid for example offers a protective coating preventing germination and sprouting.  Enzyme inhibitors prevent enzymes from activating which start the growing process.  When germinating a seed, we expose it to water, we expose it to warmth and sometimes cold after the warmth, then warmth again.  This is how nature works.  A seed (wheat, bean, nut) falls to the ground – the rain comes, the sun comes and the plant wakes up and begins to grow.  What happens with this soaking and warmth is these anti-nutrients (designed to keep the seed preserved) are finally broken down enabling the plant to grow.  Nutrient potential is unlocked and the seed is ready to either grow or be eaten.  Fast preparation of these foods do not allow sufficient time for these anti-nutrients to be broken down.  The vast majority of grains eaten today are not prepared properly and can result in poor absorption of nutrients, gas bloating and weight gain. Studies have shown that with proper fermentation of sourdough, gluten counts have gone from 75,000 ppm (parts per million) down to 12 ppm – which is well below the threshold making it safe for those with Celiac Disease.

These recipes are not intended for those who are currently suffering the symptoms of gluten intolerance or Celiac Disease.  Once your digestive tract has settled down and healed using the methods described in our Overcoming Gluten Intolerance Program, then and only then may we slowly and gradually re-introduce properly prepared foods.

Mineral-Rich Bone Broth

This recipe make approximately 64oz of broth depending on how much water, how much you reduce the broth and how strong you like the flavor to be.

Ingredients

• 4 quarts of filtered or distilled water
• 1.5- 2 lbs of beef knuckle bones (or any other kinds of bones/meaty bones/marrow bones) Talk to your butcher and see what they can get for you.  Sometimes the bones are sold as “dog bones”.  We also use the bones/carcass from chicken, rabbit, turkey, deer, and elk – whatever is available)
• 1 whole head of fresh garlic, peeled & smashed
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (organic, unfiltered- We like Bragg’s brand)
• 1tsp Sea Salt - or more/less to taste (I like Celtic Sea Salt or Real Salt)

Preparation

·      If you choose, you may brown or roast the bones/meaty bones first in a separate pan/pot if using a crockpot but this isn’t a necessary step. I don’t normally do it because it saves time/dishes not to and the purpose is just for more flavor which I don’t find necessary in this recipe. If you choose to, brown them in bacon fat or coconut oil before putting them into the water in the next step.

·      Place all ingredients in a 6 quart crockpot and set the heat to HIGH.

·      Bring the stock to a boil, then reduce the heat setting to LOW.

·      Allow the stock to cook for a minimim of 12 hours and up to 24 hours. The longer it cooks the better!

·      Turn off the crockpot and allow the stock to cool.

·      Strain the stock through a fine mesh metal strainer and throw away what you skim off.

·      Place the cooled stock into glass jars for storage in the fridge (for up to a few days) or freezer for later use.  You know you’ve done it right if once cooled your broth will gel up due to the high amount of gelatin. – Don’t worry the broth will liquefy when reheated.  You won’t have to eat cold beef jello.

You can use stock to drink any time of day or before a meal or as the base for soups, stews and in any recipe that calls for it!  Add more sea salt to taste. For additional variations use any other kind of animal bones you like, chicken especially will take less time due to smaller pieces. Add chopped veggies like carrots, celery, potatoes and onions for more flavor or variety.

A crockpot makes this recipe super-simple, but you can also use a large stock pot (hence the name) or an enameled cast-iron dutch oven type of pot.

Congee (Jook)

Another great food to calm the digestion down is call Congee or Jook.  Congee is the foremost of the “easy-to-digest” foods in Oriental medicine, used for all types of imbalanced digestion.  Congee is a thin porridge, which is often used as breakfast in parts of China.  There are many congee recipes available online, but I will give you the basic formula here:

I typically like to use brown rice, millet, quinoa or buckwheat (or a combo of any of these) as these are easy to digest and, usually, the least allergenic. Use a ratio of 1 part whole grain to 5 or 6 parts water.  To this, you can add various fruits, vegetables, spices or herbs. Then cook on low for several hours. (In a crockpot overnight on the “low” setting works well.)

Examples of ingredients to add to the congee would be ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, raisins, chopped carrots and apples. (These will add a touch of flavor and texture to the congee, but will still be well-cooked for easy digestion.) You can also put cooked congee through a blender to feed to infants and toddlers with “tummy problems”.

Soaked Oatmeal

To make oatmeal the old fashioned way, mix 1 cup of rolled oats with 1 cup of filtered water and 2 TBL yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice or cider vinegar. Cover and leave on the counter overnight or for a minimum of 7 hours. It’s important for the oats to soak in a warm kitchen or cupboard, not in a cold refrigerator.

After soaking, add 1 cup of additional water and sea salt, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for several minutes.

Serve warm in a bowl with plenty of butter or cream. A whole natural sweetener and fruit or nuts can also be added.

You will notice how quickly soaked oats cook in comparison with nonsoaked. You will also notice how much more satisfied you feel eating soaked oatmeal and that you stay full longer.

Soaked Pancakes

Pancake batter is easily soaked by mixing 2 cups of fresh whole grain flour with 2 cups of filtered water and 2 TBL of liquid whey, sourdough starter, buttermilk, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar.

After mixing, cover and leave on the counter overnight or for up to 24 hours. When soaking is complete, drain off any excess water, blend in:

 2 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 TBL butter

Fry as usual using a healthy oil like ghee or coconut oil.

Brown Rice

While rice is gluten-free and lower in phytic acid than most other grains, soaking prior to cooking is still best for those with any type of digestive complaint.

To prepare, mix 2 cups of short grain brown rice with 4 cups of filtered water plus 4 TBL yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, whey or cider vinegar and leave covered on the counter for a minimum of 7 hours.

Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, reduce heat and stir in salt and butter. Cover tightly and cook on low for about 45 minutes. 

Soaking of Beans

Like grains, legumes contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, and require a careful soak before cooking.

For kidney shaped beans, put beans, a pinch of baking soda and enough water to cover in a large pot and soak for 12-24 hours. For non kidney shaped beans like black beans and other legumes, soak with water and 1 TBL of cider vinegar or lemon juice for every cup of dried legumes used.

For maximum digestibility, it is best to rinse and refresh the water and baking soda or the acidic medium once or twice during the soaking period.

Once soaking is complete, drain, rinse, add fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add a few cloves of peeled and crushed garlic if desired and simmer for 4-8 hours until soft.

If you’ve had trouble with bloating and gas from beans in the past, try the traditional method of preparation and notice how much more easily they settle in your stomach!

Choosing Breads

There are good quality breads on the market to buy that are sourdough and traditionally prepared. While more expensive than commercial brands, they are decidedly more filling so you will find that you eat much less!

To choose the best breads, look for sourdough or sprouted breads made from freshly ground, organic flour without any additives such as gluten, soy flour, or vegetable oils. Be aware that if a sourdough bread has yeast in the list of ingredients, that it is not a true sourdough loaf. The sourdough bread make has only three ingredients: organic flour, sea salt, and water.

Better yet, learn to make your own sourdough breads.  Once you have learned a few basic techniques, your breads will come out delicious, nutritious and exquisite! 

No Knead Artisan

Sourdough Bread

There are many versions of this recipe floating around.  The concept is so simple and the results are so delicious.  There are endless variations you can play with such as adding fresh rosemary, asiago cheese, chopped Kalamata olives, garlic or walnuts.

15 ounces of flour (3 cups) – start with half whole wheat and white

1/4 cup sourdough starter

1 & 1/2 tsp sea salt – you can use most any kind of salt but why would you want to?

1 & 1/2 cups of warm water.

·      Whisk flour and salt mixing thoroughly.

·      Add sourdough starter to warm water

·      Fold liquid mix to dry mix to form a shaggy ball.

·      Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.

·      Lay a sheet of parchment paper inside a skillet.

·      Turn out on to a well-floured surface and fold over twice. Remember this is NO KNEAD bread.

·      Form into a ball and place on parchment in skillet seam side down.

·      Lightly flour the top of the dough.

·      Make a couple of slices into the dough with a serrated knife (optional).

·      Cover loosely with plastic wrap.

·      Let rise at room temperature until loaf doubles in size (1 to 2 hours)

·      Preheat oven to 475 F with a cast iron Dutch oven pot with lid. Get a Dutch oven without legs that will easily fit into your oven. 

·      Remove Dutch oven and lid from oven.

·      Pick up the dough by lifting the parchment and lower into the pot.  Let excess parchment hang over the pot.

·      Cover the Dutch oven and return to oven for 30 minutes.

·      For a deeper brown loaf, the lid of the Dutch oven may be removed and bread can be baked for an additional 15 to 30 minutes or until the center of the bread registers 200 degrees using a probe thermometer.

·      Cool on a wire rack for two hours before eating, if you can wait that long.

The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or until you are ready to bake.  Refrigerating will further develop the flavors.

Once you have the basic loaf mastered, begin experimenting with different varieties.

Additional Articles and References worth exploring

http://www.westonaprice.org/digestive-disorders/going-with-the-grain

http://www.gofrolic.org/gofrolic/food_blog/Entries/2008/11/28_Sourdough_and_Gluten_II.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/food-features/our-daily-bread

http://www.westonaprice.org/digestive-disorders/against-the-grain

http://www.westonaprice.org/beginner-videos/proper-preparation-of-grains-and-legumes-video-by-sarah-pope