Naturally Gluten-Free Eating Is Easy
All week, soon-to-launch magazine Wild Apple's Liza Jernow and Tara Donne are schooling us on what, exactly, “gluten-free” means and how those of you with celiac can eat healthfully—and decadently. (And yes, those things can happen at the same time.)
Spinach Risotto with Peas. Photo credit: Everyday Food
You probably eat lots of naturally gluten-free things already, you just don’t know it. Roast chicken and potatoes, for example. That’d be gluten-free. Lots of rice dishes are, too.
But how can you be sure? The key is to know which foods contain gluten—reading ingredient labels is essential!—and to eat at home more often. If you’re the cook, you know you didn’t dust the fish with flour before you tossed it in the pan, for example.
As a basic framework, remember that these are your friends: fruits and vegetables, natural proteins, potatoes, and whole gluten-free grains such as millet, quinoa, buckwheat, rice, corn, amarynth, sorghum, teff, and gluten-free oats. —Liza Jernow and Tara Donne, Wild Apple
Below, Jernow and Donne’s go-to dishes that are naturally gluten-free:
Risotto: Just be sure the chicken or vegetable stock you use is gluten-free.
Polenta: Made from cornmeal, polenta is so versatile. It can be served as a porridge or formed into a cake, sliced andfried.
Paella: A Spanish classic, best served with seafood. Be sure your seasoning is gluten-free!
Tacos: Use all-corn tortillas and fill them with a mix of cooked veggies or braised pork and pickled onions.
Steak and potatoes: The American classic! Just be careful with any store-bought marinades.
Grilled fish and veggies: This is a great weeknight dinner in the summertime. Grill some fish with lemon and asparagus and you’re at the table within half an hour.
Salads: Just make sure your salad doesn’t have croutons and make your own dressing to avoid modified food starch, which can contain gluten.
Hot cereal: Quinoa, millet, buckwheat and gluten-free oats all make filling breakfasts and are perfect with some heavy cream and maple syrup.
Pavlova: A great pavlova (meringue) will always impress a crowd. French macarons are usually gluten-free; just check with your baker. Crème brûlée, panna cotta, and some ice creams and sorbets (remember to check that label!) are also great dessert ideas.
A little pep talk before we go:
Sure, at first it’s frustrating to stand in the supermarket aisle, reading ingredient lists for 15 minutes, or interviewing your server about each item on a restaurant menu, but you’ll develop a shorthand quickly. It will become second nature, and you won’t even notice where all that gluten went.
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