Megan Rand

Category: Gluten Free

  • Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

    Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

     

    Apple pie has always been my favorite dessert during the holidays.  I rarely have the time or patience to make a gluten-free apple pie, so this is my busy mom’s version of apple pie.  There are no excuses when it comes to this recipe because this is the simplest dessert ever!  Want something sweet after dinner? You can easily throw this together without much preparation (you just need to have coconut milk in the refrigerator!).

     

    In my practice we try to avoid deprivation. Instead we find a way to upgrade the foods that we lean on for comfort.  If you usually have ice-cream or cookies for dessert, try something like this instead!

     

    Warm Apple Slices with Coconut Cream

    Makes 2 servings

    1 can coconut milk, refrigerated for several hours

    1 teaspoon coconut oil

    2 apples, cored and sliced

    1 teaspoon raw honey

    1 teaspoon cinnamon

    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

     

    Place a can of coconut milk in the refrigerator for several hours. The coconut milk fats will harden. Scoop this cream off of the top.

     

    COMBINE THE INGREDIENTS. Add coconut oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the apple slices. Warm for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to two serving bowls. Top with coconut cream (the hardened coconut milk fat), raw honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

     

    Enjoy!

     

    Photo credit: Primal Palate

  • The BEST Guilt-Free Honey Sweetened Chocolate

    The BEST Guilt-Free Honey Sweetened Chocolate

     

    I am not a stalker usually… but last week I was.

     

    I overheard a mom with three children explaining to someone else at Whole Foods that she makes her own yogurt and her children follow a pretty strict Paleo diet. As she was speaking, one of the children was asking “mom does this have corn in it?”

     

    We needed to be friends.

     

    As a health coach mom with a child who is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free and junk free, sometimes our restrictions can be alienating. Meeting another family able to keep up with the lifestyle with THREE kids… I was impressed to say the least.

     

    As we walked away I whispered to my daughter “Lily, those kids eat like you do!” She quickly turned and said “I want to meet them!!”

     

    The good news is that when you become a mom, stalking someone in a grocery store because your daughter wants to meet them is a little more acceptable than without children.

     

    I am very glad that we were stalkers that day because as it turns out Julie was one of the founders of Pure 7 Chocolates and I have fallen in love with their chocolate and their story.

     

    After visiting Julie & Carrie, the co-owners of Pure 7 Chocolates in their local kitchen I asked if I could interview them to share their story. Check it out!

     

    Q:  As 2 busy moms, what prompted you to want to start your own chocolate company?

     

    A:  When we first started our company together, we had 7 children ages 8 and under.  Our youngest were still toddlers so it was a very busy and crazy time to start any new project, let alone a start-up company.  But, we are both driven to feed our families healthy and nourishing food and we saw a need in the market (and in our families) for a healthy chocolate.

     

    Q: Why not just eat the healthy chocolate already out there?

     

    We needed a chocolate that was honey sweetened with no additives or fillers.

    When Julie’s son was diagnosed with autism she went through many different iterations of a healthy diet to support her son. A gluten free, dairy free diet showed huge improvements but she soon realized they were still addicted to the Standard American Diet (SAD) just without the gluten and dairy.

    The SCD diet came next with even better results as his eye contact and presence returned. After about 6 months they switched to the GAPS diet and this made the most drastic difference!  Julie’s son & daughter both stopped stimming after 2 weeks on the diet.  They stayed on the GAPS diet and followed the stages with a GAPS practitioner for 2 years.  They currently follow a Paleo type diet now.

    (For more details about their journey and GAPS you can read Julie’s blog here)

    Although they were able to follow their plan consistently, they missed CHOCOLATE!  Chocolate is allowed on the full GAPS diet but nobody was making a GAPS legal chocolate and Julie was a strict follower of the diet.  All the chocolate at the stores were filled with sugars, fillers and artificial flavors!

    That is why we started making Pure7 Chocolate!

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Ginger-Newtrition-chocolate-almond.png” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”10″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ link=”http://www.pure7chocolate.com” target=”_parent” width=”300″ height=”300″]

    Q:  What was the biggest hurdle or hardest part about starting your own business.

     

    A:  Everything was hard in the beginning.  We first had to figure out how to make honey sweetened chocolate which we were told over and over could not be done.  It literally took us a year of research and experimentation in the kitchen until we finally figured out the exact recipe and how to temper honey-sweetened chocolate.  Once we had a product, we had to figure out all of the other details of starting a business from the ground up.  We just networked and took notes and relied on advice from people who were in start-up food businesses.

    If you have a product that you love and you can stand behind 100%, I think people can see that and success happens organically.

     

    Q:  What makes your chocolate so awesome?

     

    A: We make handcrafted Raw, Organic & Fair Trade honey-sweetened chocolate. Our bars are unprocessed, unrefined and free of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars.  Just Pure!

    Because our bars are sweetened with honey, the texture is smooth and creamy…almost like a milk chocolate in its texture.  Our bars are all 85-87% cacao…but because they are sweetened with honey, they are not bitter like a lot of other dark chocolate.

    Pure7 Chocolate has been a HUGE hit for the Paleo, GF, DF, SF & raw diets!

    We believe PURE ingredients are naturally nutritious and simply taste better.  That’s why we are committed to hand making our bars in small batches without the use of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars.

     

    Q:  Where can we find your product?

     

    A:  We are in gourmet/specialty stores in New England and New York City as well as Whole Foods in New England but you can also purchase our chocolate online.  We are expanding quickly so for a list of all of our most up-to-date locations, check out our website at www.pure7chocolate.com.

     

    This is what I hope you take away from this post:

    • If you have children and are struggling with getting them the best food for their situation, know that you are not alone. Keep it up and know that you will be setting them up for a lifetime of health.
    • If you see a need for a product in the market that can help families live healthier, happier lives… go for it!!
    • Go get some chocolate!! This stuff is delicious and supports fabulous people! pure7chocolate.com

     

    Are you following us on Instagram? Check us out: gingernewtrition.   We are doing a giveaway soon of this fabulous chocolate.  I don’t know about you, but I would hate to miss free chocolate!!

     

  • Gluten Free Flours for Baking

    Gluten Free Flours for Baking

     

    Many of my client’s discover through an elimination diet or food sensitivity testing that gluten is not their friend.  For someone who has Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity, removing gluten is critical for their health. This can be very difficult because that tricky little ingredient, gluten, is in EVERYTHING.

     

    As the food industry is catching on to the popularity of “gluten-free” there are an abundance of foods out there with this label.  Although this may be very convenient in a pinch for someone with a gluten intolerance, these foods are often not healthy and just as highly processed as the foods they are replacing.  A daily gluten-free muffin or cupcake is not a part of a balanced diet.

     

    Instead of using gluten free products, try to eat foods that are naturally gluten free.  Have you ever tried making a wrap or burrito in a collard green?  How about spiral noodles out of a zucchini or spaghetti squash instead of pasta?

     

    For special occasions when a collard green birthday cake is not going to fly, here are some flour alternatives for gluten-free baking .

    For All Flour Recipes

    To make a flour blend, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until used. You can double or triple these recipes to make as much flour mix as you need.

    Note:  If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

     

    All Purpose Flour Blend

    Use this blend for all of your gluten-free baking.

     

    ½ cup rice flour

    ¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

    ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch

     

    High Fiber Flour Blend

    This high-fiber blend works well for breads, pancakes, snack bars, and cookies that contain chocolate, warm spices, raisins, or other fruits. It is not well-suited for delicately flavored recipes, such as sugar cookies, crepes, cream puffs, birthday cakes, or cupcakes.

     

    1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour

    ½ cup teff flour (preferably light)

    ½ cup millet flour or Montina® flour

    2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

    1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch

    High Protein Flour Blend

    This nutritious blend works best in baked goods that require elasticity, such as wraps

    and pie crusts.

     

    1 ¼ cups bean flour – chickpea is a fabulous choice

    1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch

    1 cup tapioca starch/flour

    1 cup white or brown rice flour

     

    Self Raising Flour Blend

    Use this blend for muffins, scones, cakes, cupcakes, or any recipe that uses baking powder

    for leavening.

     

    1 ¼ cups white sorghum flour

    1 ¼ cups white rice flour

    ½ cup tapioca starch/flour

    2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum

    4 teaspoons baking powder

    ½ teaspoon sea salt

    How to Use Xanthan or Guar Gum

     

    Gum (xanthan or guar) is the key to successful gluten-free baking. It provides the binding needed to give the baked product proper elasticity and keep it from crumbling.

    Add ½ teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour blend to make cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, and other quick breads.

    Add 1 teaspoon per cup of flour blend to make yeast bread, pizza dough, or other baked items that call for yeast.

     

    Note:  If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.