Cinnamon Apple Millet

Posted on March 19, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Taught a fun class for DC Celiacs today up in Bethesda.  We talked about healthy eating, a variety of gluten-free grains, seeds, fibers, etc. and how work them into our diets.  Even better, a few volunteers brought in their favorite gluten-free dishes, so we tasted quinoa 3 ways, buckwheat soba and millet, too.  I think we were a group of 60 or so, and there were a lot of fantastic questions.

The recipe for Cinnamon Apple Millet, which is a simple, comforting, delicious breakfast.  Millet is particularly high in magnesium, which is a common deficiency in many Celiacs (and humans, period).  It also seems to help lower triglycerides, and C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker important in cardiovascular risk.)  As we discussed, I prefer hemp milk becuase it’s a good source of protein, magnesium, fiber and omega 3 fatty acids.  And it’s yummy.  Don’t forget about yummy.

Sorry no pictures, it all went so fast!

Cinnamon Apple Millet

Makes about 4 large servings.

1 container hemp milk (4 cups)
1 cup dried millet
1 large apple, diced
3 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup maple syrup

Bring hemp milk to a boil, add millet, apple, and cinnamon sticks.  Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so to prevent sticking.  Add in maple syrup.  Serve and enjoy!  Makes 4 breakfast servings.

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Interview on Celiac Disease on the Washingtonian Blog

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

I had the pleasure of an interview with Emily Leaman, a writer at the Washingtonian health blog, Well + Being on Celiac Disease and a gluten-free diet.  She confessed that Celiac was new to her and so I was worried about throwing too much information at her at once, but that wasn’t at all the case.  She asked wonderful questions, and wrote up a great article that addressed the basics, but didn’t overwhelm.  I do wish I had further emphasized importance of testing more clearly, but the article is largely accurate and  I was very pleased.  Kudos to Emily and the Washintonian for choosing to give us a chance to get the word out.  I do hope that magazines continue to understand that Celiac and a gluten-free diet are important topics that people want to learn about.

There’s also a recipe for Caramelized Bananas, which are naturally gluten-free.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

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Menu Plan Monday: Quick and Easy

Posted on March 13, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Happy Spring!  Yes, that’s not what the calendar says, but as far as I’m concerned, if my daffodils are up, it’s Spring.  Wow…this weekend flew.  Some of it was losing an hour, but I could have sworn I’ve lost at least 3 hours this weekend.  I’m not sure where they’ve gone!

As we’re getting our house ready to move, the scurrying, cleaning and organizing is eating up a big chunk of my time and energy.  And the tastiest avoidance behavior, AKA, “oh, I could make X” so I don’t have to do said cleaning and organizing.  So this weekend, I made a cherry crisp,  a lovechild/hybrid Amy’s Spicy Cashews with the spices from Elana’s Smoked Paprika Almonds, and a crust free Chocolate Raspberry Pie.  And posted the very simple and easy Chocolate Chai.

I will also be teaching a class on Gluten-free and Healthy Eating, and we’ll be making Cinnamon Apple Millet.  So if you’re in the Bethesda, MD area on March 19th, do come and say hi.

And all of this leads to my topic for this week’s MPM, which is quick and easy meals.  I seriously need to focus my energy on what’s necessary rather than what I’d prefer, at least for a bit.  So I look to all of you for inspiration and your favorites!

Monday:
Garlicky Quinoa with Mache

Tues:
Crockpot orange BBQ beef for E, Kalamata Hummus and greens for me

Weds:
Curried Coconut Chicken with roasted cauliflower

Thurs:
Beef & Celery Stew

Friday:
Leftovers

Baked goods:
Elana’s Irish Soda Bread

And everyone else?

Heather of Celiac Family has a pictoral menu plan, which is always fun, but it’s the potato farls that caught my eye.  I can pretty definitively say that I probably don’t even have a drop of Irish blood and don’t have a lot of familiarity with Irish foods, so I was fascinated.

Wendy of Celiacs in the House has a gorgeous winter snow picture with buds peaking through, and such a contrast to the daffodils!  She’s got Corned Beef and Cabbage (w/gf beer, of course) on the menu, and cheddar muffins, too.

Nicola of G-free Mom has an amazing post up on the delicate balance of emotions after a tragedy. She reflects on the tsunami in Japan and our role, and says “every small step we take to make the world a better place within our own sphere of influence has to be of relevance.”  Her way of brightening the world is by spreading nutritious food.  And who am I to argue?

Renee, of Beyond Rice and Tofu graces us with a vegetarian menu and a chickpea curry that sounds delicious.  She’s planning on making Irish soda bread, too.  Between Elana’s and Amy’s and Karina’s recipes, the gf community is set!

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Chocolate Chai

Posted on March 11, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Quick and easy, one pan wonders or as Ricki puts it, flash in the pan.  As we are trying to get our house in condition to sell, I find myself unable to make grand concoctions, because then there are too many pans.  So my attention for the next few months will tend toward the quick and easy.  And that’s why that’ll be the theme of MPM for Monday the 14th.

Chocolate Chai

1 mug hot water
1 chai tea bag
splash of hemp milk (optional)
1 heaping TBSP cocoa powder
10 or so drops stevia extract
2 tsp honey

Steep the chai for 5-6 min, add other ingredients and stir.

Simple, yes?

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A New Crush

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

Ok, I’m hooked. I found Nutsonline.com and it was like a little kid in a candy store!

I’ve been long frustrated with the selection of gluten-free flours out there, because most aren’t certified with GIG or CSA and do their own testing (like Bob’s Red Mill). But I was delighted to find nutsonline.com, which sells a variety of GIG certified grains, flours, beans, seeds, nuts and more. They’ve got mesquite, hemp, chia and some more obscure items, too. Lots of organic, sugar-free stuff…and raw macadamia nuts. Mmmm…

No vested financial interest, just passing on a resource. I’m very much looking forward to it!

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Menu Plan Monday March 7th-Celery!

Posted on March 6, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

What a whirlwind week!  I taught 4 classes, which were all fun, and we’ve been packing and reorganizing like mad.  I also won a book from Nicola, the G-free Mom, and am looking forward to finding it a new home. I am looking forward to a quiet weekend next weekend.

And…if you’re in the MD/DC/VA area, I’ll be presenting at DC Celiacs on March 19th in Bethesda, and I’d love to finally meet some of you in person!

I made Elana’s Banana Cupcakes as mini muffins and a mini loaf.  DH couldn’t get enough and essentially inhaled the loaf.  And I also (finally) got Amy’s new book!  I had ordered Amy’s and Elana’s book at the same time with free shipping so they held them both to ship together.  I’m delighted to finally have the book in hand and I think the cocoa roast almonds will be the first on my list to try.

Heather of Celiac Family is our hostess this week, and the theme is celery, which is pictured above from my garden last year.  I love celery, and tend to eat it in the least sexy way possible–stewed.  Generally, I’d say stewed veggies sound icky on principle, but I love it!  My favorite way is to throw in a chopped bunch without leaves, saute, add some broth and simmer, covered, for an hour with turkey or chicken bones for soup and smoked salt.  I’m not sure why I love it, but whatever works.

Onto the menu!
Monday:
Nightshade stew

Tues:
Coconut curry with kale and cauliflower

Weds:
Sniffle stew (we’re healthy, though)

Thurs:
Fish…??? my favorite fish market went out of business so I’ve been a bit lost trying to find a good alternative.

Friday:
Leftovers

Fun stuff:
Something from Amy’s book, for sure

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Yahoo! I won!

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

It’s fun to win. It isn’t always so much important what you win, but it’s such a delightful feeling to get an unexpected treat. It’s even nicer to be able to turn around and give someone else the opportunity to “win”, too!

I won “Anti Cancer” by David Servan-Schreiber from D-tox January, hosted by Nicola of G-free mom (and stay tuned for a fun announcement on that, too). As luck would have it, I already have a copy. And since I’m currently on week 2 of teaching a 3-week class on nutrition during and after cancer at Life with Cancer, I know the book will find itself a fantastic new home on Tuesday.

So thanks, Nicola!

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Menu Plan Monday–DIY or MYO Foods

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

What a week/weekend! We’re moving in a few months (wanna buy a house?) and so there’s been extra shuffle to move things to storage and all that jazz. And somehow I’ve got myself committed to teaching 3 classes this week and leading one group (nutrition with cancer, grant writing for dietetics interns, Living and Loving a Gluten Free diet in Alex, VA and facilitating a group on meditation and the art of gratitude). All fun, of course, but there’s a certain level of mental whiplash involved. And I’ve started dabbling in the wild and crazy world of Twitter (@cherylharrisrd) , and I can see very clearly how that can be a total time vortex.

I posted some fun things this week, like a Sunshine Panna Cotta and Florentine cookies. With cat fur as a bonus, even.

For this week, I’m hoping to have cooking as a fun outlet, but balance is key. I often bake for my classes, but the wisdom of that is a little iffy this week.

Scrumptious is our hostess this week, and she’s chosen DIY/MYO ingredients. To celebrate, I made curry powder form the Spice and Herb Bible. I love that book. It’s perfect for…well, spice nerds like me. Scrumptious has also got a fun post on fermenting up.

Onto the menu:
Monday:
Beef stew with root veggies (I haven’t made this in ages and am loving this, especially since I like beef flavored veggies and DH likes veggie flavored beef)

Tues:
Herb salad with kalamata hummus

Weds:
Rosemary salmon with roasted cauliflower

Thursday:
Something involving chicken, chickpeas and curry powder. I haven’t figured out exactly what the plan is yet.

Friday:
Leftovers

Fun stuff:
Glazed walnuts (which are crazy addictive, I need to post the recipe next time)
Nana Skillet Bread

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Panna Cotta and Florentines: a Daring Baker Adventure

Posted on February 27, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

After missing last month’s DB challenge, I’m back with two!

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies

I’ve never made Panna Cotta or Florentine cookies, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. And I thought that out of two recipes, at least I should be able to eat one. Only fair, right?

I ended up making a sunshine Panna Cotta, using very rich cashew milk and agave rather than the traditional milk and cream and sugar. I went hunting for some fresh fruit that would work, although winter is just not a great time for that and I was burnt out on raspberries because of this chocolate raspberry pie. So I settled on nectarines, which were decent but not great. (hey, it’s Feb, what do we expect???)

Since I was off to a family get together, I figured a large one would work infinitely better than a tiny one, and I was right! And since one of my cousins was going Paleo, it worked well because there was something she could eat (not sure about the agave, but most of it fit)

The recipe was along these lines:

2.5 cups water, divided
1 2/3 cups of cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup agave
1/2 tsp vanilla
packet unflavored gelatin (about 2.5 tsp)

4 ripe nectarines or whatever fruit strikes your fancy.

Soak cashews in water overnight and drain. Blend cashews and 2 cups of water in a vitamix until absolutely smooth.
Heat the remaining 1/2 cup of water until simmering, add in gelatin, remove from heat and whisk very well. Let sit for a few minutes. Add in the blended cashew milk, return to heat and whisk for 3-4 minutes until much thicker.

Put cut up fruit in an 8X8 or glasses, add creamy mix and chill 4-5 hours.

I made the Florentine cookies per the recipe, just with GF all purpose flour, and they came out perfectly. Crispy, crunchy, just the right amount of sweet, and the topping worked beautifully.


I set them on our freezer to cool, left the room and when I returned, a few were covered in cat hair and the cat was sitting and ignoring me completely. Couldn’t have been him, right?

All in all, what a fun DB experience. Please do see the Daring Baker Blogroll for other adventures!

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Garlic! and a mini menu plan

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Cheryl Harris

See those babies?  They’re actually garlic shoots, which is a nice reminder that Spring will eventually be here.  I took those this week, I guess somehow I knew that our hostess, Michelle of Gluten Free Smiles would go with a garlic theme!

Last week, I posted on Shirley of GFE in my “Best of the Best” series, and if you’d like to know her favorites, do go check that out!

It’s been a busy week and I’ve done a lot in the kitchen.  I made two Daring Baker treats, which will be posted next week.

Looking ahead, DH will be out of town, which essentially means I’m on break from kitchen duty.  Love to cook, but LOVE the breaks, too!  So food will be simple.

Monday:
Salmon and avocado on baby greens with herbs

Tues:
Kalamata hummus on baby greens with herbs

Weds:
Yummy Lentil Dal

Thurs:
Quinoa with Kale Pesto

(my garlic contribution for the week)

Friday:
TBD

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