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Gluten-free, all-natural foods offer healthy alternatives


By Katie Zerr

Chronic disease or health issues can change the manner in which we approach the everyday task of cooking for ourselves and for our families.
Eating well after a health issue is key to recovery, and making healthy food choices is a major step in doing what is best for your body, according to health experts.
But changing the way we cook can be difficult and time-consuming.
Several area residents offered to share some of the changes they have had to make to their daily lives in order to cope with health issues.
Kristin Retterrath of Mobridge is allergic to corn and also had some environmental allergies. She cut dairy almost completely out of her diet, and started cooking corn-free and gluten-free meals for herself and stayed with the traditional meals for her family.
“Living with celiac or gluten and corn allergies is never easy,” she said. “Gluten and corn not only give me stomach upset but I also have an allergic reaction to it.”
She said one of her favorite things to do is bake, so after trying every pre-made gluten-free flour she decided to do some searching and adjust a few recipes she found to a flour that works in all of her baking.
“From chocolate chip and sugar cookies to pie crusts and quick breads, this mix works for everything and leaves my family not even knowing it’s gluten free,” she said.

Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
2 cups sweet rice flour
2 cups tapioca starch
1 1/2 cups white rice flour
2/3 cups potato starch
4 tsp. xanthan gum

Wendy Thorstenson of Selby said her cooking style has changed dramatically since she figured out she had celiac disease about a year ago.
“I was one of those people who loved dough, especially deep-dish pizza and homemade bread. Those days are in the past,” she said. “Since then I have gathered as many recipes as I can for meals that are naturally gluten-free and also family friendly so I don’t have to cook two meals – one for my family and one for me.”
Wendy said she is always on the lookout for gluten-free recipes with “normal” ingredients that can be found in her pantry, rather than using a lot of unusual, hard-to-find ingredients.
“Two big differences have come of this change in eating habits. First, I have noticed that our grocery bill has gone up as we eat way more fresh fruits and veggies and also most of the generic/store brands use wheat as a cheap filler, so I now purchase almost all name-brand ingredients,” she said. “For the most part, I make as many things from scratch as possible, which has led to the second big change. I spend a lot more time preparing food. My family and I aren’t fond of most pre-made, boxed gluten-free foods and with all the preservatives and additives, I feel like it’s better for all of us if we know what’s in our food.”
She said the benefits of this change have been immeasurable as the symptoms of her disease pretty much all went away within two weeks of removing gluten from her diet.
“I still have flare-ups when I unknowingly get gluten in my diet, but very thankful to have a condition with a cure as simple as modifying my diet,” she said.

Zucchini Pizza
(This became a favorite of my daughters and me this summer when the garden was producing zucchini by the dozen)
2 zucchinis
1 large egg
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
3 Tbsp. pizza sauce
Preheat oven to 450F. Grate zucchini and allow to sit and drain for 10 minutes to remove extra water. Mix zucchini, egg, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, garlic powder and pepper. Spray pizza pan and spread out for crust. Cook 20-30 minutes and add pizza sauce. We liked to add cooked sausage, peppers, and mushrooms. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Cool for a few minutes before slicing. (This is a bit more like a casserole than a traditional crispy crust pizza.)
Wendy said she started using the gluten-free, all-purpose flour (above) about three months ago and has had good luck using it in place of wheat all-purpose flour in brownies, quick breads, cookies, cakes and fruit crisp recipes.
“The texture is more grainy and the baked goods tend to get crustier when baking, so I put a pan of water in the oven while it’s baking to make them moister,” she said.
The flour can be used in place of all-purpose flour in most recipes except yeast breads.
For a gluten-free substitute for cream soups (although the family eats very few hot dishes anymore) this works well for soups and recipes that call for cream of mushroom or chicken soups)
1 cup cold milk
3 Tbsp. sweet rice flour or 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. butter, margarine or olive oil
1 tsp. chicken bouillon granule or 1 bouillon cube
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix ingredients and heat to boiling while whisking frequently. Reduce heat and simmer about a minute until thickened. Use in place of one can of creamed soup.

Twyla Fritz said that when dealing with health problems, one must take a look at what goes into the body.
“It takes a hefty amount of time to read labels in the grocery store,” she said. “One can never really rely on those labels since from time to time they change the names of artificial sweeteners and flavoring, all of which our family tries to avoid. In doing so, I have developed some ways to ensure nutrients outweigh the junk. It’s not easy in this busy world but it can be done.”

Iced coffee
Brew half a pot of coffee as you normally do and let cool.
When cooled, pour into a large bowl and begin the magic. For sweeteners, I use all-natural, raw honey from bees producing in this area. This builds the immune system to a higher degree in fighting allergies and other breathing problems.
Add 3 Tbsp. of Hershey’s natural, unsweetened cocoa. You can add more or less.
Add 1/4 cup skim milk. You may also add all-natural vanilla or other flavorings as long as they are not artificial.
Add 1/2 cup ice.
Pour ingredients into the blender and turn to high. It takes a while for the cocoa to mix in properly so don’t be in a hurry.
Store in fridge until needed.

Fritz said breakfast is a favorite meal for many so she has developed a breakfast sausage patty recipe. Even though a lot of seasonings have undesirable preservatives, all natural ones are readily available.
1 1/2 tsp. rubbed sage
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. parsley flakes
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. rib rub
1/4 tsp. hickory grill seasoning
1 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
The sage, thyme, and parsley are easy herbs to grow in your garden.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Add 2 lbs. ground turkey and mix until herbs are evenly distributed.
Fry in a non-stick pan until golden brown on each side. Check the middle to be sure it is cooked all the way through.
“In our household, we try to eat veggies from the garden all year round. When the produce is ready, I harvest, steam to kill the growing enzymes and freeze in small bags,” she said. “The carrots and beets are tasty finger food throughout the winter. We oftentimes juice extra produce and freeze in small glass bottles to use during flu season to boost the system.”
Fritz said there are still times she and her husband Lyle enjoy junk food, but had to change their eating habits throughout the years so that junk food is now at the bottom of their list.

 

 

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