Sweet and Sour Chicken&Veggies

Sweet and Sour Chicken from all natural mom of 3
1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into strips
1 medium carrot, sliced
¼ cup chopped onion
1 ½ tsp canola oil
1 small zucchini sliced
1 cup snow peas, thawed
½ medium sweet red or green pepper, cut into strips
3 TB sugar
2 TB corn starch (heartweed-I would recommend using arrowroot- say no to corn!)
1/8 tsp pepper
1 can pineapple juice (6 oz)
3 TB ketchup (heartweed I would probably use 2T of a good organic tomato paste instead -most ketchup contains corn)
2 TB lemon juice (I use fresh)
2 TB soy sauce (if soy free, use soy free sub listed below)(heartweed say no to soy use the substitute below)
1 can (8 oz) of unsweetened pineapple slices cut up or chunks
In a skillet, cook chicken, carrot, and onion in oil until chicken is browned. Add the zucchini, snow peas, and green pepper. Cook and stir until vegetables are crisp tender.
In a bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, pepper, and pineapple juice until smooth. Stir in ketchup, lemon juice, and soy sauce. Pour over chicken mixture. Add pineapple and bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve over cooked rice.
Soy Sauce Sub:
Combine 1.5 oz of balsamic vinegar, 4 oz of molasses, and 1 to 2 tsp of sugar. Store in the refrigerator.

Italian Chicken

Italian Chicken from All Natural Mom of 3
½ cup chopped onion
1 and 1/8 tsp paprika, divided
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 ¼ cups of chicken broth (I use Pacific organic)
¼ cup tomato paste
1 bay leaf
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ cup gluten free flour (I used white rice flour, or use any GF flour blend)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dried oregano
1 ½ lbs chicken breasts cut into tenderloin sizes
1 ½ tsp grated parmesan cheese (optional)

In a small saucepan, sauté onion and 1/8 tsp of paprika in 1 tsp olive oil until tender. Stir in chicken broth, tomato paste, bay leaf, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large zip lock bag, combine the flour, parmesan cheese (if using), salt, garlic powder, oregano, and remaining 1 tsp of paprika. Add chicken and shake to coat. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken in 1 tsp of oil until cooked through. Remove bay leaf from tomato mixture and pour over chicken and serve. These are also really good as chicken tenders without the sauce.

I make this with Tinkyada GF spaghetti and sauce on the side. Tastes a little like parmesan chicken.

Why Gluten Free and What is Celiac's?

This is a quick overview of what Celiac disease is. There are so many symptoms and so many variations of the disease. One person may have several symptoms while someone else may have none. One person may have weight gain while another has weight loss. One may have diarrhea while another has constipation. Celiac disease is becoming more prevalent in our society as more foods our processed with grains. Although corn is not listed as grain below many Celiacs substitute their wheat for corn and continue having the same problems they have with wheat. In my opinion and it has been studied and documented, corn is not healthy. Corn is not the corn our grandparents were raised on. Most corn in the U.S. comes from GMO (made in the lab) it contains high concentrations of toxins. The way the corn is stored has increased micotoxins (poisons from fungus that can not be killed with heat). These micotoxins cause a wide range of health problems from heart disease, skin disorders, diabetes, to so many more.

There is a fairly quick, free simple test to test for gluten intolerance, Celiac disease. All you need to do is go off gluten for 2 weeks. Then add gluten foods back into your diet. How do you feel off of the gluten and how do you feel when you eat gluten? Feel bad when you it gluten? The simple treatment is don't eat gluten if it makes you feel bad! Check out the symptoms below, does it sound like you?

Most people who realize they are gluten intolerant have not been told by a doctor they have found out through simple elimination of foods they eat. Doctors are not trained in Nutrition, unfortunately (not including emergency doctors) the doctors training is merely matching the drug to the symptom not curing the cause.

Overview Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. Symptoms The symptoms of celiac disease can vary significantly from person to person. This is part of the reason the diagnosis is frequently delayed. For example, one person may have constipation, a second may have diarrhea, and a third may have no irregularity in stools. A partial listing of gastrointestinal symptoms: Abdominal pain Abdominal distention, bloating, gas, indigestion Constipation Decreased appetite (may also be increased or unchanged) Diarrhea, chronic or occasional Lactose intolerance (common upon diagnosis, usually goes away following treatment) Nausea and vomiting Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty” Unexplained weight loss (although people can be overweight or of normal weight upon diagnosis) A partial listing of nonintestinal symptoms: Anemia (low blood count) Bone and joint pain Bone disease (osteoporosis, kyphoscoliosis, fracture) Breathlessness (due to anemia) Bruising easily Dental enamel defects and discoloration Depression Fatigue Growth delay in children Hair loss Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Irritability and behavioral changes Malnutrition Mouth ulcers Muscle cramps Nosebleed Seizures Short stature, unexplained Skin disorders (dermatitis herpetiformis) Swelling, general or abdominal Vitamin or mineral deficiency, single or multiple nutrient (for example, iron, folate, vitamin K) Treatment You must follow a lifelong gluten-free diet. This allows the intestinal villi to heal. Eliminate foods, beverages, and medications that contain wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. You must read food and medication labels carefully to look for hidden sources of these grains.

GF Healthy Croutons

This recipe comes from a new facebook friend/ Celiac group. The Gig Harbor Gluten Free Group.

Take either a avacado diced up or Feta Cheese- place in a bag - coat with a HEALTHY oil then put in Trader Joe's Golden roasted whole flax seeds - coat them on all sides and top your salad with them. Yummy!

I know here in Georgia I can find Bob's Red Mill Golden Flax at our local Winn Dixie and Publix -I am sure they will work just as well. But this recipe sounds really good and how simple can you get. I bet Macadamia nut oil would be a great oil for this. Of course any healthy oil would work just fine.

Say NO to Soy

I would normally write this article on my other blog http://www.heartweeds.blogspot.com but I was just looking at a recipe that called for soy and thought I needed to mention it here. Soy has been labeled a miracle health source. I just wanted to put in my two cents : as a consumer who drank gallons of the stuff I have researched it throughly I would not put this in my body. I not only believe that it is not healthy but it is dangerous. So please skip the soy and look for substitutes like almond milk.

For more info follow this link http://www.mercola.com/article/soy/index.htm

There will also be a future more informative article on http://www.heartweeds.blogspot.com -it may be awhile there is so much information from post menopausal women to the dangers to unborn babies and the fact that this is not a staple food of the Asians.

What is arrowroot?

Arrowroot is made from the dried root of a tropical plant. It is a thickening agent that may be used in place of cornstarch. As a thickener, it can be used for soups, sauces and puddings. It has no flavor of its own and is the easiest starch to digest. Arrowroot is best used at the end of your cooking just before boiling, as continued heating will cause it to lose its thickening ability. It is also an excellent ingredient for gluten-free baking or breading.

Bob's Red Mill products labeled gluten free are batch tested in our quality control laboratory. We use an ELISA Gluten Assay test to determine if a product is gluten free.

Can be purchased at www.iherb.com

I requested that they add this product to their line of food products and I am pleased they granted my request cause this is a most important ingredient in gluten free cooking. Now I can get all my supplies at one place.Thanks iherb!

Bob's Vanilla Pudding

Vanilla Pudding

6 Tbsp. Bob's Red Mill Arrowroot Starch/Flour
4 cups Rice milk (I wonder if almond milk would work also)
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
pinch Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

Dissolve the Arrowroot in 1/4 cup of the milk and set aside. Combine the remaining milk, syrup and salt in a sauce pan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the arrowroot mixture and stir until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and nutmeg. Pour into serving dishes and refrigerate until cold.