Wheat Free

[paquerette]

Okay, so I'm thinking about starting to maybe try the wheat free thing for a while. I tried it for three days last week and I think it helped (I have miserable itchy eczema on my face, and I know it's an allergy, the way it comes and goes sporadically). So, I'm looking for some ideas. I don't want to spend 2 weeks eating oatmeal and meat and rice and veggies.

I'm also mostly dairy and soy free, but I can cheat on the dairy (heavy cream, most cheeses, butter, sometimes a smidge of sour cream or cream cheese) and trace amts of soy like the lecithin in chocolate are okay.

[lisa]

Heck, that solves it, just eat chocolate!!

What do you usually eat that we need to replace? Pasta, bread, cookies?

Potato is always a great sub for pasta in my house.. heck, my grandmother makes potato dumplings for pasta (gnocci) sometimes.

Andy would have the info for breads and cookies.

[paquerette]

Mmm, bread and cookies.

Yeah, I wonder how well rice flour can replace white flour in things. Is it pretty much equal in properties?

I know the crunchy-ish grocery chain makes a big deal out of having special selection for celiac... but that's not necessarily wheat free, just gluten free, right? They have some yummy Marco Polo bread that I should go read an ingredient label of. But I want to be able to make my own stuff, too.

I also think it's going to suck not being able to eat gravies and sauces in restaurants. I wonder if I'm going to be going out and eating salads with the croutons picked off and baked potatoes, yanno?

[TigerPurring]

Jeni, welcome to the world of special diets. I can't eat a lot of things, not just because of Carmen's allergies, but mine, too. It can be a real pain. Depending on your degree of sensitivity you may not need to pick out the croutons, but if you think you have a true allergy you maybe should, because there's always the possibility that your body could decide that day is the day to enter anaphylaxis. I'm not deathly-allergic to yeast, for instance, but you won't see me eating bread, beer, and cheese because I don't want to run that risk.

Spelt is a cousin of wheat, and would probably be a very simple replacement. For subbing stuff with other flours, you may need to check out a cookbook or online; that are a lot of people on wheat-free diets who share their recipes. A lot of times additives need to be used, like gum arabic or soy lecithin.

To make things easier on yourself, I recommend you just not worry too much about trying to make wheat-like things, and try new stuff, like rice noodles, mung bean noodles, rice paper wraps, spelt tortillas, corn tortillas, some brands of sprouted breads, mochi, fufu, etc. Do you have any ethnic markets over there? That might be a more economical and inspiring place to shop than the HFS.

Why not worry to much about substitutes:
1) Because some things that are gluten-free are simply not just going to taste the same as the real deal, and you might be disappointed. Corn pasta, for instance? Skip it. Blech, not yummy at all.
2) Some of it is just $$. Wheat free is a real hot niche market these days, and a lot of things that say wheat-free on them take the label to mean they can charge you more $$ for it. Bob's red mill gluten free brownies are good, but $$. It's cheaper to just eat non-substituted foods (e.g., fudge instead of brownies).

But, with all the hassle, are you sure it's a food allergy and not an environmental allergy (pollen, chemical) or reaction to change in humidity (because it's like, getting cold there, right?). Also, vitamin A and B deficiencies and deficiencies in some fats can seem to demonstrate themselves via the skin.

Well, that was my post for the day. See everybody later tonight. Will try to contact Robeez before Fiona goes home and see if I can find out more info, since there may be enough interest . . .

[TigerPurring]

Lisa, you are so fortunate to have a grandmother like that. That we are all so lucky.

[human_being]

Do you have an Asian Food store near by? You can get tons of rice noodles there...I second Tigers suggestions of ice noodles and corn tortillas. Also, if it's gluten you are allergic too, and not just whaet, you'll have to cut the oatmeal, too. Heid i

[lisa]

Nah, don't cut oatmeal, just switch to Irish Oats. US oats are contaminated.

[paquerette]

Well, I've been trying to make choices that avoid wheat as much as possible (corn tortilla wraps, rice and potatoes, etc) but I haven't totally cut it. (Haven't gotten to do a good grocery run lately) I don't notice too much difference yet. I definately feel that this is a food thing (I do also get it when it's hot and muggy here, although it is worse in the winter), and I just have this feeling about the wheat.

I eat organic steel-cut oats. I think they're Irish style. I only use the instant stuff for making apple crisp.

[laura]

I guess this could fall into this category if there is wheat free bread crumb available? are there?

I was pleasantly surprise by them. I added my own spices which i think help

Quinoa burgers

2 cups cooked Quinoa
1 onion chopped
1 carrot grated
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tablespoon onion soup mix or preferred seasonings
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 finely chopped celery stick
1 egg (beaten) - This makes a firmer burger

Mix above ingredients, add salt and pepper to taste. Form burger with wet hands (patties are about 4 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Lightly oil frying pan. Cook about 5 minutes each side until golden brown.

Variations:

1/2 cup cooked and finely chopped broccoli

1/2 cup mushrooms, finely chopped

[Guest]

Do you have an Asian Food store near by? You can get tons of rice noodles there...I second Tigers suggestions of ice noodles and corn tortillas. Also, if it's gluten you are allergic too, and not just whaet, you'll have to cut the oatmeal, too. Heid i

I completly agree....this is actually what my theisis was based upon.

[reborin]

Who the heck are you, guest!?

Wheat free bread crumbs - I use 3 - 5 slices of spelt bread, toast it, food process it, spice it w/whatever I want (ie: italian for meatballs). Done. They store well if you toast them well (I use the oven myself).

Rice flour does replace wheat, but it's sweeter and you need to add about a teaspoon of xanthum gum. Holds together WAY better w/that in it, like pancakes and breads and stuff.

Spelt tastes different - nuttier is the frequent comparison, but it's more like earthy to me (yup, a little like dirt LOL). I usually mix flours. Today I made corn muffins and bread and used oat and rice flour instead of regular wheat flour, and added the xanthum gum. Worked like a charm! I'm actually getting pretty good at this system.

Lisa - what the hell are oats contaminated with?? We do use irish oats, but we get just regular organic oat flour for cooking. We're not glutin people, but wheat people, so I try to minimize spelt and use QUinoa, Oat, and Rice flour the most. Soy flour is also good, but tastes kind of strong to me.

We use quinoa pasta (the elbows are fine, just don't overcook them - they cook faster) and spelt spaghetti. These I like the best. Also I use a lot of rice noodles, and regular old rice of various sorts. I do NOT love brown rice, so if I make it I mix it w/white or wild. Tastes fine that way. Lentils and a mix of white and brown basmati rices is one of Ori's fave meals now!

What else - oh, you will need to be very strict w/yourself for about 14 - 21 days Jeni, to clean out your system ENTIRELY!!! Then, once it's clean, you can bring in a bit here and there -like a little bit of cookie dough ice cream or my all time fave and now off-limits tamari almonds. You need, for those 2-3 weeks, to use: wheat free EVERYTHING or alternatives. You need to eat in, have a meal plan, and get support. Chinese food that doesn't use MSG and has fresh veggies DOES use soy sauce w/wheat in it. Almost everything ina n italian restaurant is either made of wheat or breaded. Fast food is breaded, coated, or filler'ed. It's horribly frustrating at first. Once you get on the wagon, it rolls right along in a reasonable way. I don't mean to scar you, but know that once you get your system clear, you will be able to see more clearly whether it is wheat that is the culprit. Good luck!!! And if you do need recipes, let me know or just google "wheat free pizza crust" "wheatless pizza crust" whatever like that.

[lisa]

The best wheat free pancakes ever

The pancake recipe ROCKS (incredibly delicious and also incredibly good for you), and it's
very flexible too.
-------------------------------------------------------------
* 1 cup of Almond Meal (Trader Joe's and Whole Foods have it, or grind your own from raw
unsalted almonds)
OR Rice Flour (Trader Joe's has a nice one)
OR a combo of both (best).
* 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (you can grind your own in a coffee mill)
* 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded dried coconut (Bob's Red Mill has a great one)

Really, you can use 2 cups of *whatever*. Keep the flaxseed to 1/2 cup, and try to use 1
cup of something bulky like the rice flour or almond meal or whole-wheat flour, but apart
from those guidelines, experiment as you like. Steer clear of anything with a slightly icky
taste that needs camouflaging, like quinoa flour or garbanzo flour.

* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 3 Tbsp. sugar (I use Rapadura, unprocessed dried sugar cane juice, also at Whole Foods)
* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 2 eggs, well-beaten
* 1/4 cup white vinegar
* 1 3/4 cups milk, best if it's spoiled, OR yogurt/kefir mixed with water OR rice
milk/soy milk.
* 1/4 cup coconut oil OR melted butter OR almond oil

* Optional: 1/2 cup crushed hazelnuts, or hempseed, or whatever small nut pieces you like

Put all dry items in a bowl and mix with a whisk until well-blended.
Combine eggs, vinegar, milk and oil and mix well. (Or use my lazy method and mix them in a
well in the middle of the dry mix).
Stir until smooth. Cook on pancake griddle or cast iron skillet.
Turn when bubbles burst on top.
These take a bit longer to cook than regular pancakes.

[laura]

my cousin said that us oats are made on same machines as wheat or something, so most celiacs have to avoid oats. Shes got a list of ok oats to eat.

and yeah i want to know who the guest is who did a thesis on that

[lisa]

Oh yah, american oats are all contaminated, you can get irish oats.

[reborin]

My own fave pancake recipe:

1.5 c. oat flour
0.5 c spelt flour (or barley flour)
3 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbs flax meal

2 eggs
1 3/4 c. millk (any kind)
2 tsp honey (tho I've used more and it's fine!)
2 Tbs light oil


Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Mix wet into dry. Cook on a lightly oiled medium hot skillet/griddle.

You can add fruit, choc. chips, nuts, anything to these. They're AWESOME! The original recipe is a bit different, came from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook by Cybele Pascal. If you add fruit or nuts tho, I'd cut the cinnamon. The cinnamon flavor is best when eaten plain, imho.