Quinoa Taco Salad

Quinoa taco salad- light, fresh, fabulous.

Looking for a fresh idea for a summer picnic or backyard get-together? This cool and breezy quinoa taco salad might be just what you're craving. Laced with lime juice and sea salt, the combo of fluffy quinoa and ripe avocado, spiked with red onion and sunny sweet pepper, served on a crisp bed of romaine lettuce, is a light and healthy twist on the salsa drenched bean and cheese heavy taco salads so ubiquitous years ago. It's a total win for gluten-free vegans and vegetarians. And let's face it.

Quinoa is much more hip than canned re-fried beans.

The inspiration for a quinoa taco salad was sparked over on the Gluten-Free Goddess Facebook page. Reader (and long distance friend) Patsy commented on a thread about Memorial Day picnic salads, mentioning her current fave, quinoa taco salad. We all perked up. 

Quinoa? As a taco salad? Brilliant. 

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Simple Strawbery Cake with Grilled Rhubarb Vanilla Sauce

Let me start off by saying that I don’t really “get” rhubarb. Perhaps it’s that I find the typical uses for it rather predictable, or that more often than not it’s accompanied by massive amounts of white sugar to offset the natural sourness. What is the point of trying to disguise the flavour of a vegetable (yes, it’s a vegetable) just so it’s palatable? Why make rhubarb something it’s not?

This got me to thinking about a few things. First, I needed to get over my rhubarb trepidation and lack of inspiration. I was not about to go make jam for heaven’s sake. And I needed to come up with a unique way to cook the stuff, because rhubarb has been stewed on the stove, drowning in sugar, for centuries. Knowing I was heading to the cottage for the weekend, thoughts of bonfires and grilling everything edible began to percolate. Ah-ha! Grilled rhubarb? Is that even possible? Well, I’d never heard of it before, but that hasn’t stopped me from making anything before – in fact, it is pure motivation.
I ignored the skeptical looks from fellow family barbequers and set my rhubarb on the grill, waiting for something interesting to happen. As the heat got to working on the bright ruby stalks, I could tell they were beginning to break down on the inside (which is good, because they are rather woody plants). After a few mere minutes, the thin stalks were ready to come off the fire, lightly charred and limp. The taste was still sour, but more complex with the added smokiness. And once paired with the honey and vanilla – divine. An afterthought was the addition of freshly grated ginger. Someone get on that!



Rhubarb Rocks…your digestion!
Rhubarb is a high-fiber food, which means that it is a digestion super star.
Fiber is exclusively a plant nutrient, as plants need fiber for structural support. Animals have bones and muscles instead, so fiber is not a significant part of their composition. Increasing our dietary intake of plants in comparison to animal-based foods means an increase in our fiber intake. Makes sense, right? Countries with the most food processing and highest percentage of animal food intake (think North America in general) have the lowest consumption of dietary fiber – as little as 10-15 grams per day, whereas some African countries put us to shame with daily intakes as high as 75-100 grams! Low-fiber diets are associated with constipation, gastrointestinal disorders, diverticulosis, and colon cancer, while a high-fiber diet may very well prevent these problems.

So much of our nourishment depends on the healthy passage of food through our digestive tract. Without fiber it is impossible for digestion to take place in a balanced way. With imbalanced digestion comes the risk of poor nutrient absorption, and along with that comes compromised metabolism and inadequate health protection. The risk of most chronic diseases is lowest when whole plant foods, like a simple serving of rhubarb, are plentiful in the diet. Ideally, one should aim for at least 35 grams a day, and with a healthy, whole-foods diet, this is an easy goal to reach.
The combination of grilled rhubarb, along with the whole-grain spelt flour and oats in the cake, make this dessert a fiber-rich treat that you can feel good about.



Picking rhubarb in the garden, or the store
Look for stalks that are sturdy and strong, much like celery. Avoid limp, wilting or browning stalks.
Finding rhubarb that has been picked from the field instead of chopped is the best, as it keeps the longest (you will know it’s been chopped if the ends are blunt). The darker and deeper red coloured stalks are the sweetest.
Rhubarb will keep in the fridge, wrapped, for a couple days.
Whatever you do, do NOT eat the leaves of the rhubarb plant! Although beautiful, green, and oh-so-tempting, they are extremely high in oxalic acid, which is poisonous at such elevated levels.



The strawberry-rhubarb combo is a pretty classic one, yes, but I did want to stick to something seasonal. Plus, the strawberries in the cake work to offset, and compliment, the sourness of the rhubarb. Sweet. If you find the taste of the rhubarb too tangy (I like it that way), add more honey.
And if you are so inclined, I highly suggest tossing a few pieces of the cake on the grill too – it toasts up nicely and the slight crunchiness of the crust is another lovely contrast to the soft rhubarb and pudding-like interior of the cake itself.

Simple Strawberry Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups whole spelt flour (or other whole grain flour)
½ cup + 3 Tbsp. rolled oats
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. baking soda
zest of one lemon
1 cup strawberries, chopped
½ cup nut milk (or other milk to suit you)
1 cup applesauce
3 Tbsp. ghee or coconut oil (melted)
1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
1 Tbsp. chia seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Line a cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Whisk milk, applesauce, oil, honey and chia seeds in a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine all other dry ingredients, except for strawberries, and add to wet mix.
4. Fold in strawberries in as few strokes as possible.
5. Pour the batter into prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with 3 Tbsp. rolled oats. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let cake cool completely before removing it from the pan.
7. If you are making Grilled Rhubarb with Vanilla Honey Sauce to accompany the cake, place portions of the cake on the grill right before serving. Plate cake and spoon sauce on top.

Grilled Rhubarb with Vanilla Honey Sauce
Ingredients:
8 stalks (give or take) of fresh rhubarb
4 Tbsp. raw honey
1 Tbsp. water
1 vanilla bean

Directions:
1. Preheat grill (or make a nice bonfire).
2. Wash rhubarb well and rim off tough ends. Place on the grill and cook for a few minutes, then flip each stalk after the underside begins to char.
3. Cook until the stalk is soft to the touch, it should be rather limp when you pick it up. The cooking time will likely vary according to the thickness of each stalk. Cook accordingly, watching that the thin ones do not burn!
4. While rhubarb is on the grill, prepare the sauce. Pour honey into a large bowl and whisk in water to thin. Slice a whole vanilla bean down the center, then using the tip of a knife, scrape along each half to remove the seeds. Place seeds in the bowl with the honey and whisk to combine.
5. When all the rhubarb is finished grilling, chop stalks into bite-sized chunks. Toss with honey and vanilla sauce. Serve over cake.

Source: Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, CA: Wiley, 2006.

If you could eat gluten, would you? The option is one step closer.

Dining out is a minefield if you have to be gluten-free. 
Would a vaccine make life easier?

There may be a celiac vaccine in our future.

That's the word from Down Under this month. An Australian biotechnology company called ImmusanT, Inc. is developing an immunotherapeutic vaccine for celiac disease. And guess what? The Phase 1 clinical trial went swimmingly.  Read about their positive results here at the NFCA's Celiac Central.

It's a very odd feeling to imagine eating gluten again, after almost ten years of banishment. A decade of shunning gluten is no small feat. In a food culture that worships wheat, and elevates the gentle science of baking to both a high art (think crusty, fresh baked baguette) and a low art (say, pizza pockets), living gluten-free is akin to attempting to mambo in a minefield. Gluten lurks everywhere. Not only where you’d anticipate it (pizza, bagels, beer) but in sly, coy disguises, hiding in plain sight (soy sauce, broth, herbal tea). And even the most modest of amounts (a few stray crouton crumbs, perhaps) can trigger one’s hyper-vigilant immune system and ignite a fiery swath of digestive destruction, albeit mostly invisible to the naked eye (unless, like me, you are doubly blessed with symptoms and sport the eruptive skin rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis on your butt).

Feelings akin to those sticky, fluttery uncertainties (if not subtle panic) one feels dodging the unbidden proposal of matrimony (or tip-toeing backwards on a Sunday morning walk of shame) begin to trickle in.

Is this something I really want?

And would I, if I could?

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Whole Grain Gluten-Free Bread

Whole grain gluten-free deliciousness.

Just when you think you have it all figured out, life snakes you a curve ball and rattles your position. Just a little a bit. Just enough to make sure you're still awake, still paying attention. Because what is life about if not change? Change is the only constant. Change is our true companion.

Nothing stays the same.

Especially persnickety celiac tummies. I know this from readers. I know this from gluten-free bloggers. I know this from personal experience. We start at A, oblivious. We skip and stumble to D. We settle in. We think G or J is pretty cool. Then Q throws us into a tizzy.

We discover gluten is an enemy. Then maybe milk. Or mustard. Or kidney beans. You name it. Fill in the blank. Most of us with celiac disease end up with a few additional culprits on our Need to Avoid List. Maybe not right away. But over time, many of us will have to fine tune our repertoire of ingredients.

If we want to stay healthy.

If we want to grow stronger, not fatter.

If we want to feel trim, not bloated.

Which brings me to bread. (What celiac conversation doesn't lead to bread, I ask you?)


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Black Rice is the new Brown

I got a whole lotta love for brown rice, but let’s face it - it is so 2010.
Moving into the now, let’s get a handle on the newest and hottest whole grain to hit the health food store shelves: black rice. Oh yeah.

Some of you may already be familiar with this powerhouse grain, sometimes referred to and sold as “forbidden rice”. Sounds sinful, eh? The reasons behind that could be hearsay, but according to legend, in ancient China consuming black without approval from the proper authorities can have life threatening consequences for those involved. I don’t know about you, but my taste buds are pretty stoked that the black rice prohibition has been lifted and we can all indulge in a little forbidden naughtiness.

Once you go Black...
Black rice is an heirloom variety of rice cultivated in Asia. It is typically sold unmilled with the fiber-rich black husks still intact. It is this outer layer of bran that sets black rice apart from other types of unpolished rice, as the deep, dark pigments that it contains boasts special phytonutrients, called anthocyanins. Anthocyanins are responsible for the reds, blues, purples, and magenta colours also found in blueberries, grapes and açaí, all of which we know to be powerful antioxidant-rich foods. These compounds decrease the risk of heart disease and cancer. They may also aid in the prevention of macular degeneration by protecting the eyes from free radical damage, increasing circulation and stabilizing collagen structures (which hold tissues together).

In addition to its high antioxidant content, black rice has also been shown to help prevent diseases associated with chronic inflammation, such as diabetes, and dampen allergic reactions.

Rice in general is rich in complex carbohydrates, good quality, digestible protein, yet low in fat and calories. Rice aids in digestion, as it is high in dietary fiber (assuming it is not white rice, of course). Rice bran, the husk on the outside of unprocessed rice helps to lower cholesterol, and some studies have shown it may help prevent bowel cancer.

Cookin’ it up
Like other unmilled, unprocessed rice, the black variety takes longer to cook than traditional white rice (yup, get over it). It should also ideally be stored under refrigeration and used within three months, to prevent spoilage. Rinsing and soaking the rice before cooking will help to bring the cooking time down. As a general rule, black rice should be cooked with two cups of water to every one cup of rice, and it will need to cook for 20 to 30 minutes after soaking, or up to 60 minutes if you cook unsoaked rice.

Although the grains appear to be black when uncooked, they are in fact a deep purple-burgundy, which will dye just about everything it comes into contact with. On one hand, this makes it perfect for combining with regular brown rice as it will turn all the grains a lovely colour, but be careful with ceramic or enamel cookware (I totally wrecked my white enamel saucepan!), as well as clothing and countertops. You’ve been warned.




I first tried black rice a few years ago when a good friend of mine gave me a bag for my birthday (my buddies know me so well). I instantly fell in love with its very rich taste, sweet nuttiness and chewy texture. It really is that delicious.
Here I’ve used it to make a delectable and satisfying cold salad, as picnic season is upon us! Black rice is also delicious, and most often used to make puddings and desserts. It is not entirely fluffy in nature, so be aware that you will not end up with a light, airy style of grain. For this reason, I think black rice would be ideal in other savory dishes such as paella or risotto. Give it a shot!

My Black Rice Sesame Salad is incredibly versatile, and with many of the recipes here at My New Roots, I encourage you to just use the vegetables you have on hand in the fridge, or whatever is in season. The dressing provides the background flavour, so mix up the produce to suit your tastes.

Black Rice Sesame Salad
Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked black rice
sea salt
knob of ghee or coconut oil (optional)

1 red pepper, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
5 radishes, sliced into discs
4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
½ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup sesame seeds, toasted

Dressing:
1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
2 Tbsp. cold-pressed sesame oil (or olive oil)
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. tamari
¼ tsp. ground cayenne
1 tsp. liquid honey (or other sweetener)

Directions:
1. Prepare the black rice; you can either soak it overnight for optimal digestion, or simply wash it well 2-3 times, and drain. Place rice in a pot with 2 cups water and a couple pinches of sea salt (add the ghee or coconut oil if you like). Cover with a tight-fitting lid, bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. If you are using soaked rice, check for doneness after 20 minutes, and drain any excess water. Otherwise leave it to cook for 50-60 minutes. The rice should be soft, yet chewy.
2. While the rice is cooking, prepare the dressing. Place all ingredients in a jar and shake well. When the rice is finished cooking, place in a large bowl and pour the dressing over while still warm.
3. Prepare the vegetables. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet until they pop. Remove from heat. Add vegetables and sesame seeds to the rice. Stir well to combine. Season to taste. Store leftovers in the fridge.

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Sugar Blues? Gluten-free Baking Without Sugar

Baking gluten-free without sugar: substitutions and tips.

An increasing number of comments and questions have revolved around sugar as a sweetener and how to substitute it in gluten-free baking. I thought the subject sweet enough to deserve its own post.

And since I recently started a sugar detox (I'm on day six sugar-free-, Darlings-- completely- no sweetener except a pinch of the herb stevia in my tea and smoothies), I thought it might be appropriate to refresh this post and bring it forward.

More to come on my sugar detox- soon.

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What's all the Buzz About? Bee Pollen.

Oh for the love of bees! Are you as obsessed as I am? Probably not, but I am a little special that way. My passion for bees knows no limits, as the amazing things they produce are infinitely mind-blowing! If you’ve been back in the archives, you’ll know I am a huge raw honey fan, and don’t even get me started on beeswax, but that is only scratching the surface when it comes to the bee products that fill my home, my tummy, and my life.
Let me introduce you to bee pollen. I have wanted to write a post about this for quite some time now because it is one of my absolute favorite superfoods. Not only is it delicious, versatile, and astonishingly inexpensive, but also is oh-so-good-for-you, like times infinity. But let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

What is bee pollen?
First, let’s distinguish between bee pollen form airborne pollen, the latter being the pollen that causes hay fever and other related allergies.

Bee pollen on the other hand is actually the collected pollen that the bees take back from the flowers and store in the hive for food. The bees obtain it by going from flower, scraping the powdery loose pollen from the stamen with their jaws and front legs. They moisten the pollen with a sticky substance secreted from their stomachs so it will adhere to their rear legs. The jagged bristles of their rear legs are used to comb the powder from their coats and front legs. The outsides of their tibias form concave areas used as pollen baskets, into which they press their golden deposits. When each of these baskets is fully loaded, the microscopic dust has been tamped down into a single golden granule – and that is the bee pollen that you can eat!

Why the heck would I want to eat plant sperm collected by bugs?
Because I said so.
But if that doesn’t convince you, how about some concrete reasons?
First off, bee pollen is a super high-energy whole food that supplies us with nearly every single nutrient the human body needs to survive. Wow. Surprisingly, it is very high in protein, containing between 20-35%, including all 22 amino acids.

Bee pollen is loaded with enzymes, something quite lacking in many modern diets. Enzymes are the little compounds that help us break down and digest food, one reason that eating raw foods is so important. Supplementing the diet with bee pollen is excellent all the time, but especially when we’ve been indulging in, ahem, falafels at 2 a.m. on Friday night. I also find it a great travel companion, as I know that I can give my body all the nutrients it needs if I can’t find the all-u-can-eat organic vegetarian buffet at the airport, for example.

And to top it all off, bee pollen is jam-packed with vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, and phytonutrients – I’m telling you, everything! If you were stranded on a dessert island, theoretically, you could survive off the stuff (although I have yet to meet someone who has tested this out).

Allergy Relief
As illogical as it may sound, many people actually experience relief from seasonal allergies by introducing small amounts of fresh, local pollen in to their diet. This could be due to the high levels of quercitin it contains, which is known for its ability to minimize or neutralize the histamine response (I discussed quercitin here). According to the Journal of Allergy, one study of allergy sufferers showed a majority of people with hay fever enjoyed a dramatic improvement after eating bee pollen, while some of the study's participants reported showing a 100% improvement in their condition with supplemental intake of bee pollen.




Okay great, but how does it taste?
The flavour of bee pollen is quite special – I guess I would refer to the taste as floral (go figure). Of course the taste of your bee pollen will depend on where your pollen comes from and the flowers that the bees were dippin’ into.
If you eat bee pollen on its own (which I would encourage at least the first time around), let it dissolve on your tongue to absorb and revel in its amazing complexities of flavour and texture. Mind blowing! And consider the unbelievable concentration of energy that it contains; literally the fertile male element of plant life! Holy cow.

Buying Bee Pollen
Because of its highly concentrated nature, and the fact that it is harvested from flowers, sourcing bee pollen gathered in a pesticide-free environment is important. And it’s also advisable to buy local bee pollen, as it will help to tune your body into your surrounding environment – kind of in line with my “zany” ideas about eating warm food in the winter and cool food in the summer.
Most health food and natural food shops now carry bee pollen. Sometimes it can be found sitting on the shelf right next to the honey, but the best quality bee pollen may be found in the fridge of freezer section of the shop.

Bee pollen comes as small granules in various shades (see photo). One bag from a single source can have a remarkable colour range, which comes from the various flowers the bees collected the pollen from. The granules should be relatively soft (never crunchy!) and dissolve easily on the tongue.
Do not buy bee pollen that comes in tablet form – heating the pollen during compression will destroy its enzymes and vitamin C content. It is a raw food and should be enjoyed as such!

Once purchased, store opened containers of bee pollen in the fridge, and unopened containers in the freezer for the longest shelf life.

The Price is Right
Totally wanting to take supplements, but don’t have the cash? Well, you’ve struck gold with bee pollen, as it’s loaded with the good stuff without the outrageous price tag. Score!

Taking Bee Pollen
Considering it is such very powerful food, it’s best to introduce bee pollen to the body in a responsible manner, (i.e. slowly). Sometimes with supplement and superfoods, we can react in unexpected ways, so it’s best to start off with small amounts and work your way up just to make sure your body is cool with what you’re putting in your mouth.
Adults: Start with 1 teaspoon, and then increase your intake every day by a few grains until reaching 2 teaspoons a day (10 ml). Daily intake should be a maximum of 1 tablespoon (15 ml).
Children: Start from 3 grains, increasing by 2 grains every few days until reaching 1/2 tsp. a day.

***Note: A small percentage of the population is severely allergic to bee pollen (particularly if you are allergic to bees or other bee products). Please use caution and common sense before introducing this food to your diet.

If you are interested in reading more about the production, medical uses, nutritional values, or are just curious about the life and anatomy of bees, an outstanding source is R. Krell's paper on Value Added Products From Beekeeping published in 1996 - the pollen section is specifically relevant to this post.



I thought I’d start with a simple smoothie recipe to get ya’ll in the mood for pollen, but there are many ways of incorporating these amazing golden granules into your daily diet. Sprinkle it on your morning cereal or lunch-time salad, top your desserts, add to salad dressing, or fold it into your raw food snacks (like The Raw Brownie perhaps?).

Bee Pollen Smoothie
serves 2
1 cup nut milk (or other milk)
1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine)
1 frozen banana, in 3 or 4 chunks
1 Medjool date, pitted (optional)
1 hunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. bee pollen (to start, work up to 1 Tbsp.)

Directions:
1. Put everything in a blender and whir it up! Drink immediately.

You can make your smoothie out of anything you have on hand and/or what is in season – this is simply what I had today!

And yes, that is a glass straw. After all the thought and care I put into buying organic foods, and preparing them in a healthiest way possible, I could not consider slurping my beautiful smoothies through a plastic straw that is potentially leaching harmful toxins. Absolutely not, I say!
Also, glass straws are a far better alternative for the environment, as they are reusable. Those plastic straws, however small, still add up in the landfill.

I bought my glass straw from an artist in Mendocino county (of course) last fall and I am really in love with it. One of those things I constantly told myself I could live without is now something I use almost everyday and get so much pleasure from. You buy them online from many different vendors (just Google glass straws). They aren’t that expensive, and surprisingly durable. Thumbs up!

Am I finished yet? Yes, I am.


source: Haas, Elson M. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. Berkley, CA: Wiley, 2006.
            Jubb, Annie & David. Life Food: Living on Life Force. Berkley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2003.
           Value-added Products from Bee-keeping: http://www.fao.org/docrep/w0076e/w0076e00.htm#con

Browse Gluten-Free Recipes Visually

Browse Gluten-Free Goddess recipes visually.

Today's post will be short and sweet. A gentle nudge to try the new Snapshot browsing view for Gluten-Free Goddess, linked in the left sidebar. Have you tried it yet? I love it. Here's the low down.

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Meatless Mondays with Martha Stewart - Asparagus Ribbon Salad

Doesn’t the mere sound of it conjure up delightful notions? Asparagus Ribbons. Say it again.
Nice.

This is one of the easiest salads I’ve made in a while – it whips up in no time and the flavour is bang on. Plus, no pots to clean, no hot stove to slave over. It’s a sophisticated-without-being-stuffy spring salad to savour. Enjoy.
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p.s. – I’ve added a way to subscribe to My New Roots by email. Now you can receive a reminder every time I post something new, and never miss a beat ;)
You will find the sign-up right under the Followers section in the sidebar.