Pumpkin bread

Making this in the summer. Why not? pumpkin bread is good all year round with the convenience of the canned pumpkin. High in fiber and simply delicious.

For the baking powder I always use Featherweight brand. Most commercial brands use corn starch. Featherweight does not. They use tapioca starch instead.

The psyllium is good for gluten free recipes and helps to hold things together.

Ingredients:

3 eggs

1/2 cup milk or milk substitute

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 stick butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cup sugar (white or brown)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 tablespoons molasses

1/2 cup gluten free oats

1/2 cup quinoa, amaranth or almond flour (for hearty flavor)

1 cup rice flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons ground flaxseed

3 teaspoons psyllium powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1  15 ounce can of pumpkin

Directions:

1. In large bowl beat eggs

2. Add milk, sugar, molasses, and vanilla. mix well

3. Melt peanut butter and butter in microwave to melt. Add

4. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and ground cloves

5. Add oats, flours, flaxseed, salt, baking powder and psyllium 

6. Mix well

7. Fold in canned pumpkin

8. Pour into two bread pans

9. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

#pumpkinbread #glutenfreepumpkinbread #glutenfree #cornfree #Crohns #beatCrohns

#curecrohnsnaturally #foodasmedicine #crohnsflare #crohnsdiet #dietforcrohns 

Sauerkraut

 

Sauerkraut is, of course, fermented cabbage. It contains more of the probiotic lactobacillus  than yogurt, and of course is dairy free. It also contains a nice amount of vitamin C and K as well as fiber. It also contains smaller amounts of Calcium, Magnesium, Iron and Phosphorus. Known as an anti-inflammatory food it has been used for stomach ailments for decades if not centuries. 

It is suggested to start slow when first eating sauerkraut since it can cause some stomach upset at first. I would start with one tablespoon with dinner to see how your body reacts. 

There is literally nothing more delicious than homemade sauerkraut. My brother made a fresh batch on a recent visit. The difference between homemade and commercial was huge. Also I have seen some commercial sauerkrauts that contain actual vinegar as an ingredient. I avoid white vinegar as it is a corn derivative and will flare my Crohn's.  

There are dozens of videos on YouTube for how to make homemade sauerkraut. Here is one link: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUwC7bTjLkQ

Its really an easy process It just takes patience because it takes at least 5 days for things to start fermenting. Well worth it though and very inexpensive.

#sauerkraut #cornfree #glutenfree #foodasmedicine #crohns #crohnsdiet #crohnsflare 

#naturalcurecrohns #beatcrohns #lactobacillus #probiotics

Ful Madamas

 Ful Mudamas is a middle eastern food usually served for breakfast. The flavors are amazing. If you like stuffed grape leaves and humus, you will like this. We usually have it for dinner. Traditionally this recipe uses fava beans. However they are sometimes hard to find. I use chic peas in stead.

Why this fits in with my diet to control Crohn's: First off and most importantly this dish is gluten and corn free. And although it does contain dairy, the benefit from the yogurt offsets the potential gassiness. Always check that the yogurt is pure and free from added starches, which they sometimes do. 

Ingredients:

2 cups plain yogurt

1 can chic peas

2 tablespoons tahini

2 cloves garlic (optional)

2 tomatoes

large bunch of parsley

4 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

olive oil (to taste)

paprika (to taste)

Directions:

1. Divide yogurt, tahini and chic peas between two bowels. 
2. Mince garlic and divide between bowels
3. rough chop tomatoes and parsley and divide
4. drizzle with olive oil
5. drive with lemon juice
6. sprinkle paprika
7. heat in microwave for 60 to 90 seconds

Enjoy! Makes 2 servings

#Fulmudamas #cornfree #glutenfree #crohns #foodasmedicine

#crohnsflare #crohnsdiet #naturalcurecrohns #SCD

Siete Hot Sauce

 In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I decided to break open my new bottle of Siete hot sauce. Siete uses apple cider vinegar instead of white distilled vinegar, which is the usual for hot sauces. White distilled vinegar is a big no no for me as it is derived from corn and will flare me. In addition to being compliant with my diet to control Crohn's, the apple cider vinegar lends a more favorable, subtle fruity experience

I paired the hot sauce with Siete tortilla chips and some homemade guacamole. Yum. Has been a long time.

Siete hot sauces come in four different flavors including chipotle, habanero, jalapeño and traditional. I had the chipotle. It was quite flavorful and somewhat mild. I've really been missing hot sauce in my life!

Making Substitutions: Soy Sauce

 Soy Sauce

Regular soy sauce is full of gluten. Many people who decide to go gluten free will give up the breads, bagels, cereals etc. But forget about sauces made with soy sauce. Gluten is found abundantly in this delicious condiment. And who doesn't love asian cooking?

 Solution (two actually): Gluten free soy sauce (Also known as Tamari) or Bragg's liquid aminos. I use both depending on availability. They taste very similar to me. Once they are mixed in with sauces and food, there is no difference.

Why these fit in with my diet to keep my Crohn's in remission: I avoid all gluten and corn. Regular soy sauce, with all its gluten would put me in a flare

This is why I must avoid all sauces and mystery seasonings. Unless I make it myself or know ALL the ingredients, I avoid it. 

So if you are bothered by Chinese take out, it may be a hint that it is actually the gluten in the soy sauce that upsets your stomach.

Some Chinese restaurants (PF Changs for one) offer gluten free sauce. I also occasionally get Chinese food without sauce. Just steamed vegetables with plain meat. But I also make sure that there is no starch on the meat. All that said, I usually make it myself to be 100 percent sure. 

Bonus, here's my recipe for Corn and Gluten free Sichuan beef:

https://howibeatcrohns-lynne.blogspot.com/search?q=sichuan

Dr. Praeger's Super Greens Veggie Burger

 Today for breakfast I had a veggie burger from Dr Praeger's. I put it on a bagel by Against the Grain. Against the Grain are gluten and corn free, though I think these can be eaten without a bun. They're pretty crunchy on the outside. The inside was a bit mushy. Maybe it would benefit from longer cooking. Don't expect these to taste like meat, because they don't. But green and crunchy so I was good with it.

There are several ways to make these including oven and microwave. I chose frying it in oil. Not the healthiest choice but definitely the tastiest. 

Why these fit into my diet: These veggie burgers are made mostly from green vegetables No fillers or starches. Totally gluten free. Also corn free. 

Found these in the frozen section at Whole Foods. This is also where I found the Against the Grain Bagels.

Gluten Free Lasagna made with Jovial pasta

 Sometimes you just get an amazing craving for lasagna. I do. So last week I wanted some so badly. Of course I had to make my own since I am gluten and corn free. Here is the recipe I used but it may be tweaked as needed. 

These Jovial lasagna noodles held up nicely. The best thing is that I used them straight out of the box! No precooking needed. 

Why this fits in with my diet: I must avoid all gluten and corn as well as gluten and corn derivatives. The only ingredient that Jovial uses in these noodles is rice flour. I substitute Daisy cottage cheese for Ricotta which is usually used in lasagna. However ricotta is made with distilled white vinegar, which is derived from corn. Avoiding these things keeps my Crohn's from flaring.

Meat layer: 

1/2 pound ground meat (any)

2 jars spaghetti sauce

1 green pepper (diced)

large handful fresh mushrooms

Cheese layer:

Large container Daisy cottage cheese (this brand does not use vinegar)

8 cheese sticks cut into small pieces (most precut or shredded cheese contain starches)

2 eggs

basil and oregano to taste

Alternate layers of pasta, meat and cheese until everything is used up. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.

Bake 375 for 50 minutes

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The Good Bean

 Looking for a way to oomph up a meal or add super crunch to a salad? These little chic peas add a nice crunchy salty flavor. Add them to foods or eat a handful as a snack.

There are 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber in each serving. Also only 120 calories. They contain nice simple ingredients of chic peas, sunflower or safflower oil and sea salt.  Although they come in other flavors, I recommend sticking with the sea salt as they may contain corn derivatives.

Available at a whole range of stores including; Whole Foods, CVS, Krogers, 7-eleven, Costco, Walmart and online at Amazon.

The addition of these chic peas fits perfectly into my restrictive diet. My diet eliminates all gluten, corn, and gluten and corn derivatives. This keeps me in remission from Crohn's through diet alone. I am not on any medicine for Crohn's at all. One other nice thing about this snack is that it contains sunflower and safflower oils as opposed to corn oil, which is found in a lot of crunchy snacks. Corn even in the form of oil is a big no-no.

I added these to my salad as well as a vegetarian cauliflower dish I made. The contrasting textures were amazing! See pictures below.

What I Eat: Ful mudamas

 

This dish is a mainstay in the Middle East. Usually eaten for breakfast.  I prefer it for a healthy vegetarian dinner. 

Start with a cup of plain yogurt in a bowl. To the yogurt add 1 tablespoon tahini and one minced garlic clove. Stir. Add half a can drained chic peas. Top with chopped tomatoes and parsley. Add a nice drizzle of olive oil and at least two tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice. Finish by sprinkling it with paprika. I like a lot. 

It tastes best when heated in the microwave for a minute. Gently stir all the goodness together. 

Why this fits in with my diet: I can eat any fruit or vegetable except corn. There is no gluten in this recipe. Also no corn or corn derivatives. Everything is fresh. 

I do try to avoid milk products for the most part but I can tolerate yogurt. Though it will occasionally cause gas.

If you like babagunash and tabouli you will appreciate this recipe. 

Oat Start Cookies

 Great find! Oat Start cookies. These come in three varieties; chocolate chip, cinnamon raisin and cran-blueberry. 

Right out of the box I knew they would be good. They came in a resealable plastic container where they can stay fresh for quite a while.  

These little cookies are 50 calories each with 3 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving. They hold a lot of nutrients with the oats, flaxseeds, fiber and dried fruits. 

The texture was very moist with no crumbling. Sweet but not too sweet. Nice consistency. 

These are available on their website   https://oatstart.com for 5.99 per package of one dozen   These cookies are little but nutrient dense. Very portable. They would make a good quick breakfast.

I brought these cookies with me when I went visit my brother this weekend. I had my brother and friends try them. Friends and family agreed they were really tasty even if you don’t need gluten free. 

I keep a very strict diet of no gluten or corn. I also avoid all gluten and corn derivatives, such as soy sauce and white distilled vinegar. Being on this diet, of my own making I have been in remission from Crohn's disease. This is through diet alone. These cookies fit in perfectly with my restrictive diet.

Bobo's protein bars

 

This was part of my healthy breakfast this morning along with fresh peaches and fried tofu. And I am pleasantly full! These bars pack a whallop of nutrients. They have 260 calories per bar, 10 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber. Nicely portable for the gym or a hike. I like keeping bars with me in my purse for times when I can't find any "safe" foods.

These fit nicely into my diet since I am both gluten free and corn free in order to control my Crohn's and keep it in remission. 

The texture of these bars is both firm and chewy. Really nice with no crumbling. The right amount of sweetness from the date paste. Contains lots of sesame seeds which really enhanced the flavor layering.

These protein bars are currently available in four flavors; chocolate chip peanut butter, almond butter, cherry almond butter and banana peanut butter.

I got this at Whole Foods but they are also available at Walgreens and online through the company's website. 

Soozy's Grain Free Bagels

 

This was a real treat this morning. These bagels by Soozy's made my morning special. They come frozen. One package holds 5 bagels. I'm writing this 4 hours after eating it and I am still full. These are satisfying to say the least. 

Another plus is that they come pre-cut. I wrapped them in a paper towel and heated it in the microwave for 45 seconds. The texture was pleasantly chewy and held together great! 

I had mine with Earth Balance Margarine and honey comb.

These bagels are made with a combination of cassava flour, almond flour, tapioca flour and flaxseed flour. All nice gluten free flours that offer lots of texture.

These bagels are 170 calories each with 4 grams protein. They have psyllium seed which brings the fiber content up to provide 25 percent of daily fiber needs. 

These can be found at Whole Foods

What I Eat: Apple "Donuts"

These are quite easy to make, delicious and full of nutrients. I chose oats for my topping. There can be an endless variation of toppings such as ground flaxseed, raisins, chocolate chips, granola, chia seeds and coconut flakes. You can also use any nut butter. I used peanut butter. I also used gluten free oats. I am corn and gluten free to control my Crohn's.

*Wash apples well, skin will stay on
*slice apples through center
*core the inside
*Pat dry with paper towel
*spread peanut butter or other nut butters
*add toppings. It's easier to turn the apples upside down and dip in the topping than to sprinkle them