If I had to write a book about the struggles of being gluten and lactose intolerant, the title would read something like this: In Memory of Bread: A Memoir 

Sounds kind of dramatic, doesn’t it? Well, for those of you who truly know how it feels to desperately resist the temptation to have “just one bite” of that glutenous filled sandwich.. this should resonate with you.. (and you probably ended up eating that whole entire sandwich and then later very, very much regretted it). Fear not, because in fact, this book has already been written by a man named Paul Graham and his story goes something like mine: 

“When Paul Graham was suddenly diagnosed with a serious wheat allergy at the age of thirty-six, he was forced to say goodbye to traditional pasta, pizza, sandwiches, and more. Gone, too, were some of his favorite hobbies, including brewing beer with a buddy and gorging on his wife’s homemade breads.

Struggling to understand why he and so many others had become allergic to wheat, barley, rye, oats, and other dietary staples, Graham researched the production of modern wheat and learned that not only has the grain been altered from ancestral varieties but it’s also commonly added to thousands of processed foods.

In writing that is effortless and engaging, Paul explores why incidence of the disease is on the rise while also grappling with an identity crisis—given that all his favorite pastimes involved wheat in some form. His honest, unflinching, and at times humorous journey towards health and acceptance makes an inspiring read.”

I hope that you will find this book useful and life changing, as I did. It taught me how to change my perspective on my “limitations” and “misgivings.” You will also learn a good thing or two about the food industry, the world, and yourself.  Enjoy!

 

BACK TO THE FOOD

From pinchofyum.com, this dish is fresh, herbal, and incredibly filling. I recently got a spiralizer – you know, one of the mysterious wonders of the world that turns a zucchini into noodles. It has been a lot of fun to experiment with and is definitely worth the investment. The specific one that I linked above is the brand that I advocate, as I have tried many, but this one is definitely my favorite! Watch a simple tutorial on how to use a spiralizer.

Let’s spiralize some sweet potato!

Ingredients

• 1 cup cashews
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 Tsp salt
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 4 large sweet potatoes, spiralized
• 2 cups of baby spinach 
• a handful of fresh basil leaves, chives, or other herbs
• grilled chicken (optional, but recommended)
• 1 15 0z. can of chickpeas
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil for drizzling
• grated Boar’s Head Gouda Cheese on top (lactose free or you could use regular parmesan or dairy free Go Veggie Parmesan)

Instructions

1. Cover the cashews with water in a bowl and soak for 2 hours or so. 
2. Drain and rinse thoroughly. Place in a food processor, I did mine in a VitaMix, and add the 3/4 cup water, salt, and garlic. Blend until very smooth. 
3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sweet potatoes; toss in the pan for 6-7 minutes with tongs until tender crisp. Reduce heat and add in spinach – it should wilt pretty quickly.  Also add in chickpeas. Let cook for another 6-7 minutes. 
4. Add all the herbs and half of the sauce to the pan and toss to combine. Add water if the mixture is too sticky. Season generously with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with the remaining fresh herbs. 
5. If you made grilled chicken or bacon, which I recommend chicken, add it on top at the end and stir. 

Notes

This recipe makes MORE than enough sauce – enough for at least 6 to 8 servings. I had leftover noodles and the next day, I was able to use the other half of the sauce. The biggest thing that affects how many servings you will get in this recipe is the size of the sweet potatoes. Keep in mind they they will cook down a bit and one large sweet potato can be sometimes twice as big as a small one. Just use common sense in terms of serving size and sauce-to-noodles ratios! 🙂

Also, this recipe is pretty neutral; it’s a good starting point for those of us who need tons of flavor in everything – so add whatever herbs or flavors you want to the sauce if you want to give it more of a punch. I love the idea of adding bacon, or caramelized onion, roasted garlic, the list could go on. I personally found that grilled chicken was a verrrry tasty one to add. Enjoy!

Calories: 389, total fat 18.5g, saturated fat 2.9g, cholesterol 0g, sodium 401.6mg, total carbohydrate 45.1g, dietary fiber 6.6g, sugars 9.1g, protein 9.4g, 

 

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