With an increasing number of people being diagnosed with celiac disease or sensitivity to foods with gluten (wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats), more gluten-sensitive books are being written, especially by people with this health issue. Genevieve Sherrow is one such author who also happens to have earned her graduate degree in nutrition from Bastyr University, a prestigious natural medicine school in Seattle that I visited when I lived in the Pacific Northwest.
Sherrow’s integrative nutrition program in Seattle was actually the inspiration for Genevieve to pen this cookbook. She learned that “whole foods cooking inspired by ethnic cuisine was a key to a satisfying and gluten-free diet.” (Introduction, p. 7) As a result, many of her recipes reflect this, especially foods from India and East Asia, not just for their culinary value, but also for their medicinal and therapeutic qualities.
In addition to 50 plus gluten-free recipes, author Sherrow has also included Kitchen & Product Essentials, such as a list of gluten-free whole grains and flours, condiments, herbs & spices, etc. There are also five helpful Appendices: Gluten-free Grain Power, Budgeting for Gluten-free Diets, The Gluten Sensitivity Spectrum (including information on celiac disease), 25 Naturally Gluten-free Snacks, and Gluten-free Resources. Below are some examples of the author’s Gluten-free Snacks:
1. Corn tortillas with hummus & sprouts
2. Bananas & cashew butter
3. Black bean dip with yellow corn chips
4. Avocado & cherry tomatoes
5. Cottage cheese with peaches
I have chosen two recipes from her book that I personally want to try. With cool weather ahead, the rice dish sounds perfect. And with a new crop of fall apples, the baked apple recipe is very tempting.
Herbed Rice Pilaf
4 ½ cups water
1 cup brown rice
1 cup wild rice
1 ½ cups mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon wheat-free tamari
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon sage
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon thyme
Combine all ingredients in saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until rice is tender and all of the water has been absorbed.
Preparation Time: 50 minutes
Makes 8-10 servings
(Recipe reprinted with permission from Gluten-free Warrior: Gluten-free and wheat-free whole foods recipes by Genevieve Sherrow. Warrior Press, 2010. )
Maple Baked Apples
4 apples, cored
½ cup almonds, pecans or raw cashews, crushed
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup white grape juice
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, mix together nuts, cinnamon, syrup and ginger. Place about 2 tablespoons of mixture into the core of each apple. Place apples in 9” x 9” baking pan. Pour white grape juice around apples. Bake until apples are cooked thoroughly and soft, about 40 minutes.
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Makes 4 servings
(Recipe reprinted with permission from Gluten-free Warrior: Gluten-free and wheat-free whole foods recipes by Genevieve Sherrow. Warrior Press, 2010.)
Cover for the 2012 Lunar Calendar