Published by Editor in Chief of Modern Hippie Mag on May 9, 2012
Interest in gluten-free foods has surged as an increasing number of people have been diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye, or have discovered that they have a wheat allergy or sensitivity.
Those facing dietary restrictions due to a gluten allergy or sensitivity, take heart! Organic Gourmet Leslie Cerier presents gluten-free, vegetarian recipes the whole family can enjoy! In her new cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook (New Harbinger, $17.95), Leslie includes recipes for a wide variety of whole-grain foods including pancakes & waffles, casseroles, pasta dishes, and pastries! Within the pages of her cookbook you will find a wealth information about gluten-free whole grain flours and rice that can be used to create flavorful and delicious appetizers, breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and desserts.
As a pioneer organic chef, Leslie is a national authority on wheat-free baking. In addition to innovative recipes, her cookbook offers fun and easy tips for:
shopping green and using seasonal ingredients
understanding nutrition basics
incorporating fiber in your diet
creating food combinations for complete proteins
More about Leslie:
Leslie teaches exciting “garden to table” hands-on cooking classes in some of the most prestigious centers of holistic evolution and organic lifestyle worldwide. Her New England based business includes custom culinary work for private clients, as well as private and group cooking instruction and coaching. Cerier is a pioneer and national authority on gluten-free cooking and baking, the entire spectrum of whole grains, and cooking with wild foods. Her specialty in culinary nutrition has led to her being much sought after by health professionals and private clients to help them translate challenging dietary allergy issues into culinary success and meal satisfaction.
Teff, peanut butter, and cookies, oh my! Teff adds a subtle hazelnut/chocolate flavor to these peanut butter cookies, and just so happens to be gluten free and high in dietary fiber, protein, iron, and calcium. With this easy six ingredient recipe starring the super nutritious teff flour, you can almost convince yourself that you are eating these cookies for health, and not pleasure! Almost…
We found this recipe conveniently located on the back of our bag of teff flour from Bob’s Red Mill. It is by Leslie Cerier, who just so happens to be the author of one of our favorite cookbooks: Going Wild in the Kitchen.
1 1/2 cups Teff Flour 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup canola oil 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup peanut butter
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients together in a big bowl. In your favorite food processor blend the maple syrup, canola oil, vanilla, and peanut butter well. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, incorporating well. Form little balls of dough onto an ungreased cookie sheat. To get that classic criss-cross look that peanut butter cookies are famous for, get your criss-cross action going with a fork. Bake for about thirteen to fifteen minutes. Allow them to cool all of the way, and then gobble them up!
If you’re adhering to a gluten-free diet because you have celiac disease or other health conditions that benefit from avoiding gluten, this is one cookbook you’ll want on your cookbook shelf. But be sure to take a look at it if you’re interested in exploring a variety of whole grains, too — regardless of what else you eat!
Leslie tells us all we need to know about this dietary choice, even if we’re new to the topic. She explains what gluten is, she looks at the health issues that prompt people to adopt a gluten-free diet, and she introduces us to ancient and exotic gluten-free grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff, and wild rice. A chapter is devoted to basic grain cookery, including everything from cookware to modifications to change texture or enhance flavor (such as including seasonings and toasting grains before adding the cooking liquid).
The Bountiful Breakfast chapter includes directions for making nut and seed milks, smoothies and shakes, granola (Vanilla Hazelnut Granola, no less!), porridges, muffins, scrambled tofu, pancakes, and waffles. There’s even a breakfast soup!
You’ll find a handful of savory stews in the chapter on Main course sensations, along with loaves, pasta dishes, a quinoa casserole, and much more. You’ve come to the right book to dispel any lingering doubts about gluten-free recipes being boring. In this chapter alone you’ll find Shiitake and Kale Lasagna with Marinated Dried Tomatoes and Chevre as well as Red Lentil and Teff Loaf with Red Wine and Porcini Sauce.
There’s a chapter devoted to Sushi, and another on Savory Sauces and Tempting Toppings. For readers who want to experiment a bit without committing to an entire gluten-free meal, the Super Sides chapter is a great place to start. How about a Lemony Quinoa Salad with Toasted Sunflower Seeds or Spiced Yams with Pecans? Sweet indulgences include an array of cookies, puddings, pies, crisps, and bars. (I’ve put Mocha Coconut Rice Pudding and Cashew Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies on my dessert menus for next week!)
This unassuming paperback includes over 100 intriguing recipes, with straightforward directions that put most of them in the easy-to-prepare category. A glossary of ingredients and a section of resources are helpful, too.
Leslie encourages the reader to cook “like an artist designing a meal, composing with gluten-free whole grains, flours, and pastas complemented by a rainbow of local, seasonal fruits and vegetables.” To get you started right away, we’re happy to be able to include on our recipe site three recipes from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook for you to try. (You’ll also find some recipes from a couple of Leslie’s other cookbooks.) Let us know what you think!
This recipe is from Leslie Cerier’s wonderful new cookbook “Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook”. This book is packed with whole food, nutrient dense and delicious recipes. Leslie has been kind enough to share one of her original recipes with us this month. Try it and check out this great cookbook. This recipe feature shitake mushrooms which are one of the best vegetarian sources of vitamin D.
Cashew butter makes this soup rich and creamy without a drop of dairy, and the shitakes are very healthful. In China, they’ve been used for their immune-boosting properties for thousands of years. What a delicious way to ward off colds and flus! When cooking with any type of fresh mushrooms, sauté them first to seal in the flavor or they will give it all to the broth.
Serves 6-8
3 Tablespoons of sunflower oil
3 Cups grated yams
3 Cups sliced onions in half moons.
6 Cups stemmed and coarsely chopped shitake mushrooms
1 Cup cashew butter
7 Cups hot water
1 ½ Cups diced red bell pepper
8 cloves of garlic pressed
1 Tablespoon sea salt
Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the yams and sauté for about ten minutes, stirring frequently to prevent the yams from sticking.( if they do stick just add a bit of water.) When yams begin to soften and take on a brighter orange hew, add the onions and sauté for about 30 minutes, until the yams are tender. Add the shiitakes and sauté for about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to soften.
Use a handheld blender to blend the cashew butter and hot water until smooth, then add the mixture to the soup. If you only have a standard blender, put ½ cup of the cashew butter in the blender, add 3 ½ cups of the hot water, then blend until smooth. The hot liquid can cause the blender lid to pop off, so put the lid on loosely (so the steam can escape) and cover it with a kitchen towel. Add the mixture to the soup and repeat with the remaining cashew butter and water.
Bring the soup to a boil; then lower the heat to a simmer for 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Stir in the bell pepper, garlic and salt.
Do you have or know someone who suffers from a gluten allergy?
As someone on a strict salt-free diet, I am intimately familiar with the concept of “living without.” So when Leslie Cerier, the Organic Gourmet, asked whether I’d be interested in reviewing her latest cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, I agreed without hesitation. I’m so glad I did!
Corn Muffins from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook
Those yummy corn muffins above are further proof that making health a priority isn’t a sacrifice when you’re well fed. Sweet and moist, with a crumbly corn chew, they’re just like “regular” corn muffins – but better! And they’re only one of many amazing recipes from Leslie’s book.
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook gets great cookbook review
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook focuses on seasonal, vegetarian fare, offering not only variations on traditional favorites but some fabulously creative combination’s you’ll be dying to try. From Candied Yams with Pecans, to Nori Rolls with Gingered Tofu, to Chocolate Mousse Pie in a Hazelnut Crust, you’ll have dozens of ideas for everyday meals as well as the upcoming holidays. And beyond recipes, Leslie offers a course in gluten-free grains, devoting two whole chapters to their description and preparation. I’ve been cooking for years and still managed to learn a thing or two. Thank you, Leslie!
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier
After months of migraines, my hands and feet going numb, stomach in knots and extreme dizziness and fatigue I found out I had gluten intolerance. And going gluten-free after 25 years of eating “normally” was and still is one of the hardest things I have ever done. I have been gluten-free for about four months now, and I am still finding it tough. Especially at get-togethers, I see the spread of food and can’t eat a single thing there. It is such a difficult thing to get used to and at first it seems like you might just starve to death. It gets even harder when you are strapped for time and cash AND being vegetarian or vegan. After months of research it hasn’t gotten much easier. If this sounds like what you’re going through, or if you just want to eat better, I would pick up Leslie Cerier’s Gluten-free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook. I am so thankful I was given this book and I use it as a guide everyday. All the information is laid out in a way that is easy to use and understand and the recipes and tips make the possibilities of gluten-free eating endless. Even if you don’t have gluten intolerance or Celiac’s, a gluten-free diet is much better for you…for everybody!Gluten is a protein present in wheat, barley and rye. It’s difficult to digest and doesn’t benefit us much. Manufacturers pump foods with it to give them longer shelf life and to taste better. The forward by Kathie Madonna Swift is a great briefing on the affects of gluten and the positive changes that come from going gluten-free. She says how changing to a GF diet can “prevent and cure many chronic health conditions” (IBS, migraines, chronic fatigue, neurological problems, diabetes, thyroid, obesity) and it can improve “autoimmune, inflammatory, gastrointestinal, dermatological and some neurological conditions.” It not only affects us, but it impacts the Earth. Wheat and other gluten grains are grown with harmful chemicals, while gluten-free grains can be grown without these methods. As Cerier says, “more nutrition from the same amount of land” because GF grains “offer superior nutrition and higher quality protein.”
Leslie Cerier treats GF cooking as an art form and a sport because you can transform the colors, shapes and textures of these grains and foods as you like, making them taste and look great! The first chapter is dedicated to introducing the GF grains: amaranth, buckwheat, corn millet, oats, quinoa, rice, sorghum, teff and wild rice. Cerier provides descriptions of each, as well as other useful ingredients like coconut flour and nut and seed meals. The second chapter gives instructions and suggestions on cooking GF grains and includes charts on liquid to grain ratios, which is one of my favorite things about this book (along with the glossary of ingredients and resources in the back of the book!). After this all the chapters are loaded with amazing recipes: breakfasts, main courses, sushi, sides, sauces and toppings and desserts. I won’t stop till I make and try them all. It is my dream guide to gluten-free cooking and as soon as you pick it up I guarantee it will be yours too!
Leslie Cerier (a.k.a “The Organic Gourmet”) is also the author of The Quick and Easy Organic Gourmetand Going Wild in the Kitchen. To learn more about Leslie, her classes, organic catering and consultations visit her website. Make sure to check out the many recipes on VegKitchen provided by Leslie.
I recently connected with a kindred spirit, Leslie Cerier, the author of Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook (New Harbinger Publications, $17.95.) Cerier has the crazy idea that basing a gluten free diet on whole grains can be really diverse and good for you, and good for the planet.
Says Cerier: “Eat as much local, seasonal and organic food as possible, and cook for health, vitality and pleasure.”
Cerier has packed the book with plenty of gluten free recipes, as well as recipe templates that allow you to improvise with what’s in season. Both celebrate whole grains that don’t contain gluten. “Four of the gluten free grains, quinoa, teff, amaranth and oats are complete proteins and very quick-cooking. They make a great meal, and you can mix and match, and try different methods of cooking them, for infinite variety.”
Here is a review of Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by chef/author Robin Asbell from her blog: robincooksveg.wordpress
I’ve always had a soft spot for whole foods cooking. Not the packaged, half white, trying to be conventional food kind of whole foods, but the old school way. The kind of cooking that involves a pot of whole grains and a pile of chopped veggies, and maybe some tofu, or beans that you actually soaked and cooked yourself.
I recently connected with a kindred spirit, Leslie Cerier, the author of Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook, A Seasonal Vegetarian Cookbook (New Harbinger Publications, $17.95.) Cerier has the crazy idea that basing a gluten free diet on whole grains can be really diverse and good for you, and good for the planet.
Says Cerier: “Eat as much local, seasonal and organic food as possible, and cook for health, vitality and pleasure.”
Cerier has packed the book with plenty of gluten free recipes, as well as recipe templates that allow you to improvise with what’s in season. Both celebrate whole grains that don’t contain gluten. “Four of the gluten free grains, quinoa, teff, amaranth and oats are complete proteins and very quick-cooking. They make a great meal, and you can mix and match, and try different methods of cooking them, for infinite variety.”
To show you how, she has cooking charts and measures for cooking grains, and several recipe templates, and suggestions for varying and subsituting. “If you take a creative approach to what’s in season you can have great variety. If you are cooking like an artist, and your plate is really colorful, you have great nutrition on the plate. A meal of brown rice, tofu, and cauliflower is not as exciting as a plate of black rice with red lentil curry, which is full of antioxidants.”
Cerier prefers to teach people in her classes and books, to make foods their own. “It’s really fun when people who take my classes come back and say they used my recipe as a jumping off point. Then I know I have done my job.”
Don’t expect recipes for breads just like the wheat flour ones you grew up with. “Alot of gluten free books use xanthan gum and potato starch and make refined products that are gluten free. These are foods that I eat for energy and vitality. They are nutrient dense.”
Using all real food, Cerier gives you tasty recipes for breakfasts, mains, sides, sauces and dressings, and desserts. If you have ever wanted a good recipe to try teff, definitely check out this book, even if you are not gluten-free. In fact, Cerier has no gluten intolerances herself.
“I eat gluten free because it expands my choices, and the nutrients are just off the charts. I’m a whole food vegetarian, so I’m not looking for ways to make gluten free hot dog buns or pizza, because I don’t eat those things.”
So if you love whole foods and eating seasonally, this is a good book for you, and if you need to avoid gluten, give these whole foods vegetarian recipes a try. You can shrink your carbon footprint and reap the benefits of ancient grains. You will feel so much better when you eat real food!
Scrambled Tofu with Sweet Corn and Collard Greens
I admit that I was drawn to this dish by a rush of nostalgia for the many tofu scrambles I have prepared and eaten in now-defunct vegetarian restaurants. That and my obsession with eating leafy greens. Turmeric is a brilliant anti-inflammatory, and nutritional yeast is loaded with B12 that vegetarians may need.
Serves 3 or 4
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped collard greens
1 cup green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
1 cup coarsely chopped scallions
2/3 cups fresh corn kernels, steamed
1 teaspoon turmeric
14-16 ounces soft tofu, 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tamari
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the collard greens, green beans, scallions, corn and turmeric and stir. Saute for 3-5 minutes, until the veggies brighten in color and become fragrant. Gently stir in the tofu and cook for about 3 minutes, until the tofu takes on the golden hue of the turmeric. Stir in the cliantro and cook for a minute more. Take off the heat and stir in the nutritional yeast and tamari. Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. (Variations below)
VARIATIONS:
Substitute other greens, like spinach, tatsoi, chard or even broccoli, whatever is freshest and most vibrant.
Substitute mushrooms, summer squash, zucchini, or asparagus for the greens and green beans.
To take the flavor in a different direction, add a few cloves of chopped garlic when you saute the vegetables, and substitute basil for cilantro.
Reprinted with permission by New Harbinger Publications, Inc. Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier www.lesliecerier.com
Cerier has a website, where you can see what she is up to:
Leslie Cerier’s cookbook, Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook
is on the top 6 list with Michael Pollan’s and Marion Nestle’s…
“As a nutrition and health coach, Mary Porter is frequently asked about books on food and wellness. Here she shares some of her favorites. printed May 2, 2011 on http://forthunt.patch.com/articles/books-to-build-your-wellness-library
In the past few weeks I’ve participated in several wellness fairs which I find both enjoyable and fascinating. People are very curious about what they should be eating; they bring all manner of questions to my table, and some very constructive conversations ensue. One of the things that draws people to my exhibit in the first place are the books I display from my own lending library. That usually leads to a discussion of what other books I recommend reading, so I thought today I’d share some of my favorites with you.
Nestle is my #1 food hero. I love to see her quoted in the media (which she is often) because she is a voice of common sense and trust amid the madness that surrounds nutrition and health policy. What to Eat is something of a bible for people trying to pick through the rhetoric and figure out what they should be putting in their mouths. Nestle’s voice is engaging; her narrative addresses the questions we all have about eating well and offers guidance for each person to make the best and most informed decisions about their approach to food. If you really want to get down and dirty on what the government and food manufacturers are doing with our food supply, check out Nestle’s other book, Food Politics.
Although Pollan’s breakthrough Omnivore’s Dilemma is still a top choice for understanding how this country produces and markets food, I continue to be drawn to the simple message of In Defense of Food – “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Pollan uses a wide range of examples to show how we’ve become disconnected with real food and how we can work our way back to eating what our bodies are designed for. I absolutely love his description of imagining what your great-grandmother would think about Go-Gurt. The book is filled with wonderful humor about the ridiculous state of our food system.
Very few of us don’t have a sugar habit to some degree, but the majority of people don’t understand the effect of sugar on our bodies and our brains. Appleton and Jacobs very bluntly unpack the destructive impact our #1 national addiction is having on our health and offer practical steps for weaning yourself off the sweet stuff. For those who want to take their sugar rehab to the next level, The Sugar Addicts Total Recovery Program by Kathleen des Maisons is a top-notch guide. des Maisons is one of the pioneers in the field of sugar addiction treatment and her program is highly effective.
I couldn’t do a column about favorite books without a few cookbooks thrown in. I’m a foodie at heart and cookbooks feed my soul. With more light being shed on the benefits of a plant-based diet, this slim volume is a great primer for those interested in exploring vegan cooking that’s not intimidating. Raymond aims the book at college students who have limited income, resources, kitchen space and equipment, so you need nothing special here to take this journey. Most every ingredient can be found at your regular grocer and preparation is easy. For a compelling argument for going vegan, I suggest reading Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin. While I personally find the authors’ use of profanity to be gratuitous, I understand why they used their approach to bring attention to their message – which is strongly presented and backed up with good research.
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are on the rise, but thankfully there are now many fantastic resources available for those who have to transition to this diet. Released last year, this lovely book offers a great section on understanding and cooking gluten-free grains plus a wide variety of mouth-watering recipes for all courses, including superb baked goods. The cookbook is vegetarian, but for those with gluten intolerance who are still eating meat it offers wonderful alternatives. Gluten-free bakers should check out Pascale Cymbele’s The Allergen-Free Baker’s Book which provides recipes free of gluten, soy, dairy and nuts that taste amazing. A recently made chocolate cake was to-die-for!
Anyone with young kids at home should have this book on their shelf. I recommend it often to parents who feel like they’re making three different meals every night and worry that their kids are only ever going to eat macaroni and cheese. Lair creates beautiful recipes for parents which are then deconstructed to make them palatable for younger family members. The beauty of following these guidelines is that they help you see ways in which other dishes you make can be similarly broken down. What I most appreciate about the book is the opportunity to help your child’s palate mature and become more diverse while mom and dad enjoy a fantastic meal.
Do you have a favorite book on nutrition and cooking? Please share!”
Mary Porter is a nutrition educator and counselor living in the Fort Hunt area. Her company, A Better Plate, works with individuals, corporations and groups teaching the art and practice of nourishment. You can email her at mary@betterplate.com
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier named one of the top 12 cookbooks of 2010
Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook: A Seasonal, Vegetarian Cookbook by Leslie Cerier (New Harbinger; $18; lesliecerier.com) // Seasoned food author and gluten-free chef Leslie Cerier presents more than 100 recipes for easy-to-make, gluten-free and vegetarian meals, including high-protein breakfasts, dinners, and desserts that use organic and seasonal ingredients. It’s a one-stop-shop book for everyone’s diet restrictions and preferences! Don’t Miss: Berry Good Corn-Quinoa Pancakes To see the whole list of great cookbooks for 2010: http://www.naturalsolutionsmag.com/food-recipes/healing-foods/get-cooking
Interest in gluten-free foods has surged as an increasing number of people have been diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye, or have discovered that they have a wheat allergy or sensitivity.
