Man Shall Not Live by Bread Alone

Two and a half years ago, I quit eating wheat for almost 18 months. I’d have communion bread and an occasional cookie, but other than that, I stayed on a wheat-free diet. I even made my own rice flour (which you can find the method for on my Wheat-free Page).

For the last year, since we moved into our house and had to rely on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a few months, I couldn’t be as wheat-free as I wanted to be. I wondered if I’d ever be motivated for this diet again.

Then I ran across this article on CBS News about gliadin and the danger of modern wheat. I’ve dismissed so many articles like this until I do background research, but this article woke me up and gave me the inspiration I needed to go wheat-free again. This article did all the necessary preaching, so I’ll jump right into recipes.

What do we eat when we’re wheat-free?

SALAD is easy.

Here are a few salad ideas:

Cajun chicken salad:

Sprinkle blackened Cajun seasoning over 1 lb cubed, boneless chicken, then coat with 1/2 c. lemon juice and 1/4 c. olive oil.
Boil 1/2 lb halved fingerling potatoes, then drain until dry. Saute with 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil and 2 minced garlic cloves.
Saute chicken until cooked.
Toss lettuce (your favorite kind, I use spring mix) with an oil and vinegar dressing.
Put lettuce in a pasta bowl or on a plate with halved cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and other salad-y favorites you have.
Spoon cooked chicken over the lettuce.
Scatter the potatoes around the edges.

If you haven’t done so already, make friends with rice (not the politicians with that name, mind you, but the grain). Here are a few ideas:

Jasmine rice is lovely. If you haven’t tried it yet, don’t write off rice yet!

Rice is wonderful as a salad:

Minted rice and peas: Toss 2 c. cooked rice with 3/4 c. thawed peas, 1 tbsp fresh mint, 2 tbsp. lemon juice and 1/3 c. mayo.
Curried rice salad: Toss 2 c. cooked rice with 1/2 c. pitted prunes, 1/2 c. slivered almonds, 1 tbsp curry powder, 2 tbsp. olive oil and 1 tbsp lemon juice.

Here are some potato salad ideas:

Potato salad w/ halved cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, salt, pepper and olive oil (no mayo).
Potato salad w/peas and mint — mayo base.

Carrot salads are fun too:

Shred 3 carrots into a bowl, add 1/2 c. raisins, 1 tbsp curry powder, 1/3 c. mayo and a dash of lemon juice. Allow this to sit in the fridge for at least an hour to soak up all the flavors.

Carrot, apple and cinnamon make a fantastic combo for a salad. Add some honey and smile.

And if you love crackers and cheese like I do, here are some wheat-free cracker recommendations:

Glutino – this brand is the best of all the ones I’ve tasted so far!
World Table rice thins – the chili ones have a kick! The black pepper ones are good too.

What is your favorite wheat-free food?