Gluten Free

[Yousaidwhat]

Secret to good Lasagna....nutmeg and mustard, that's right.

Never heard of that before! I don't make my own pasta, but I do make my own sauce! I've posted that around the food forum somewhere before too.

Here is a surprise for you... I use no spices in Lasagna. None. No basil, no Italian seasoning...nada.
Doesn't need it.
The base of Lasagna is Bolognese. Cooked down for a minimum hour.
I use, bacon...ground pork and ground sirloin as the meat, and then of course celery, onion and carrot...onion...garlic...tomato...etc.

Going to be hard to not want to chop spices in! I never pass up on something different though.

 

[ChrisL]

Secret to good Lasagna....nutmeg and mustard, that's right.

Never heard of that before! I don't make my own pasta, but I do make my own sauce! I've posted that around the food forum somewhere before too.

Here is a surprise for you... I use no spices in Lasagna. None. No basil, no Italian seasoning...nada.
Doesn't need it.
The base of Lasagna is Bolognese. Cooked down for a minimum hour.
I use, bacon...ground pork and ground sirloin as the meat, and then of course celery, onion and carrot...onion...garlic...tomato...etc.

That sounds delicious! Here is my homemade sauce recipe. From my grandfather.

Ingredients:

13 oz can of tomatoes (I use San Marzano whole tomatoes in a can and crush them up with my hands or a potato masher)
Three 6-oz cans of tomato paste
2-1/2 c of water (I usually use a lot less than this, I like my sauce more on the thick side)
1 c parm or romano

1 minced onion (preferably Vidalia)
6 cloves garlic - minced
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup red wine (Cabernet, but I suppose you could use any - I also use a LOT more than just 1/2 a cup - I just kind of dump it in there - better with more wine)


3 tbs chopped parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper (or more)
2 tbs sugar (optional - depending on how sweet the tomatoes are)

Directions:

Pour olive oil into a large pot and saute onions until translucent, add garlic, dried oregano and bay leaves (just to bring out the flavors in the spices.

Add tomato paste and cook for a minute or so.
Add wine and reduce a bit.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes.
Add sugar, salt, pepper to taste.
Add cheese.

Cook for several hours on low heat (the longer you cook it, the more flavorful).

Serve over pasta of your choice (I prefer spaghetti).

Eat and enjoy!

*I also par cook and add some sweet Italian sausage and let it finish cooking in the sauce frequently (in ground form - not links).*

Ah...I also use bay leaves in the Bolognese...and of course red wine. What the hell is Italian cooking without wine in the sauce??!!

It's not the same without the wine!

 

[Pogo]

So we have a friend from Scotland staying with us for several days next week, Monday-Wednesday. They have to be Gluten Free in all foods, we've been reading up on this....to say the least, food times are going to be very complicated from Monday-Wednesday.

Does anyone have any experience with Gluten Free stuff/people?

Just serve steak...

Or my infamous Mexican chili.

There's all kinds of veggie/rice/stew dishes you can do that have no gluten. Unless you're looking for a bowl of cereal it's not that hard.

Cheerios!

Sometimes they can be bland but berries help.

I need that Mexican chili recipe. A friend in Long Beach made a killer Mexican chili.

Whelp --- I just start with black beans and pinto bean in equal amounts, add diced tomato, onion, lots and lots and lots of bell pepper, ground meat and/or veggie crumbles, generous amounts of hot peppers (whatever I have) and habñero sauce, garlic, more garlic and still more garlic, and simmer.

I can make a YUUGE pot of that, chow down and not gain an ounce. It's all protein.

Garlic! I love garlic, and onions, and I don't care if they make my breath smelly!

Garlic is a godsend. It's good for ya and goes with -- well not everything but a lot.

Garlic is the fourth member of the Holy Trinity in Louisiana cooking, the other three being celery, onion and bell pepper. The garlic really brings it all out.

 

[Pogo]

Yeah unfortunately the set of "normal people who are not intolerant of it" is fast disappearing, whether that's attributable to the gluten specifically or to the degradation of wheat.

Like a great many other I'm not intolerant to gluten, but selecting "Gluten Free" food automatically means "Wheat Free". That's why I do it.

I haven't seen anyone make the claim that "gluten is eeebil". People simply make choices to filter out the kind of foods that will act detrimentally. There's nothing "hype" about that --- it's simple self-preservation.

What's wrong with wheat? I eat wheat bread all the time.

I used to do that too. If I went back to it I'd weigh three hundred pounds. Word to the wise...

First time this dawned on me, I cut wheat out from my diet, and made no other changes. My food volume intake actually went up as I shifted from sandwiches to salads. And just by doing that -- eliminating wheat -- I dropped 40 pounds. It's insidious. And I've given this advice to others who have confirmed the same result.

Wheat is not what it used to be. I wish it were, food would be a lot easier. See my link in 47

Funny because I've always eaten wheat bread and I've never had a weight problem.

Lucky you. Keep doing that as long as you can. When you find yourself chunky -- try cutting out wheat and watch what happens. Thank me later.

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

 

[Yousaidwhat]

Kudos to some posters here...good to see that there are people who don't fall for the hype.
Gluten, for normal people who are not allergic/intolerant of it - is not unhealthy. Complete garbage.

Yeah unfortunately the set of "normal people who are not intolerant of it" is fast disappearing, whether that's attributable to the gluten specifically or to the degradation of wheat.

Like a great many other I'm not intolerant to gluten, but selecting "Gluten Free" food automatically means "Wheat Free". That's why I do it.

I haven't seen anyone make the claim that "gluten is eeebil". People simply make choices to filter out the kind of foods that will act detrimentally. There's nothing "hype" about that --- it's simple self-preservation.

There is an artisan baker, actually several here, that use sour yeast and whole grains. No modified wheats. I hear you. But what I want people to know that bread is the greatest invention man has EVER made. PERIOD. Without it - civilization on a grand scale would never have been possible.
Bread/Gluten is not evil. What is "evil" is modern fast acting yeast and modified grains..as well as modern white flour. All it takes is to consider "Do I really want to trust multi-national corporations to supply my dinner table?".
Eat natural.

Again, nobody said gluten was eebil. Just that it's problematic.
Avoiding something because it's not good for ya doesn't mean it's "evil".

Points well taken on Big Food and eating natural. Processed food has always been an inferior choice. It didn't always make you fat though.

I've avoided processed foods for a long time.

I still love bread but keep it to a reasonable amount.

I keep red meat to portion sizes and snack on veggies nuts and fruit.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Secret to good Lasagna....nutmeg and mustard, that's right.

Never heard of that before! I don't make my own pasta, but I do make my own sauce! I've posted that around the food forum somewhere before too.

Here is a surprise for you... I use no spices in Lasagna. None. No basil, no Italian seasoning...nada.
Doesn't need it.
The base of Lasagna is Bolognese. Cooked down for a minimum hour.
I use, bacon...ground pork and ground sirloin as the meat, and then of course celery, onion and carrot...onion...garlic...tomato...etc.

Going to be hard to not want to chop spices in! I never pass up on something different though.

Have you ever made a bolognese base before?
It is one of those core things in Italian cooking. Pure magic. You have a good Bolognese and you would swear there is basil or oregano etc. in there.

This is a pretty good base...this is Mario Batali - note no spices.

Ragu Bolognese : Mario Batali : Food Network

 

[ChrisL]

What's wrong with wheat? I eat wheat bread all the time.

I used to do that too. If I went back to it I'd weigh three hundred pounds. Word to the wise...

First time this dawned on me, I cut wheat out from my diet, and made no other changes. My food volume intake actually went up as I shifted from sandwiches to salads. And just by doing that -- eliminating wheat -- I dropped 40 pounds. It's insidious. And I've given this advice to others who have confirmed the same result.

Wheat is not what it used to be. I wish it were, food would be a lot easier. See my link in 47

Funny because I've always eaten wheat bread and I've never had a weight problem.

Lucky you. Keep doing that as long as you can. When you find yourself chunky -- try cutting out wheat and watch what happens. Thank me later.

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

Well, maybe it doesn't effect everyone the same way it does you?

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Just serve steak...

Or my infamous Mexican chili.

There's all kinds of veggie/rice/stew dishes you can do that have no gluten. Unless you're looking for a bowl of cereal it's not that hard.

Cheerios!

Sometimes they can be bland but berries help.

I need that Mexican chili recipe. A friend in Long Beach made a killer Mexican chili.

Whelp --- I just start with black beans and pinto bean in equal amounts, add diced tomato, onion, lots and lots and lots of bell pepper, ground meat and/or veggie crumbles, generous amounts of hot peppers (whatever I have) and habñero sauce, garlic, more garlic and still more garlic, and simmer.

I can make a YUUGE pot of that, chow down and not gain an ounce. It's all protein.

Garlic! I love garlic, and onions, and I don't care if they make my breath smelly!

Garlic is a godsend. It's good for ya and goes with -- well not everything but a lot.

Garlic is the fourth member of the Holy Trinity in Louisiana cooking, the other three being celery, onion and bell pepper. The garlic really brings it all out.

Garlic is food for the Gods.
I had roasted Garlic Ice cream...say what???...it is actually really good.

 

[Pogo]

I used to do that too. If I went back to it I'd weigh three hundred pounds. Word to the wise...

First time this dawned on me, I cut wheat out from my diet, and made no other changes. My food volume intake actually went up as I shifted from sandwiches to salads. And just by doing that -- eliminating wheat -- I dropped 40 pounds. It's insidious. And I've given this advice to others who have confirmed the same result.

Wheat is not what it used to be. I wish it were, food would be a lot easier. See my link in 47

Funny because I've always eaten wheat bread and I've never had a weight problem.

Lucky you. Keep doing that as long as you can. When you find yourself chunky -- try cutting out wheat and watch what happens. Thank me later.

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

Well, maybe it doesn't effect everyone the same way it does you?

Everybody's metabolism works in his/her own way, but there are also truisms regarding how the body processes a given type of food.

Go ahead, live on potato chips and let us know how it works out.

 

[ChrisL]

Or my infamous Mexican chili.

There's all kinds of veggie/rice/stew dishes you can do that have no gluten. Unless you're looking for a bowl of cereal it's not that hard.

Cheerios!

Sometimes they can be bland but berries help.

I need that Mexican chili recipe. A friend in Long Beach made a killer Mexican chili.

Whelp --- I just start with black beans and pinto bean in equal amounts, add diced tomato, onion, lots and lots and lots of bell pepper, ground meat and/or veggie crumbles, generous amounts of hot peppers (whatever I have) and habñero sauce, garlic, more garlic and still more garlic, and simmer.

I can make a YUUGE pot of that, chow down and not gain an ounce. It's all protein.

Garlic! I love garlic, and onions, and I don't care if they make my breath smelly!

Garlic is a godsend. It's good for ya and goes with -- well not everything but a lot.

Garlic is the fourth member of the Holy Trinity in Louisiana cooking, the other three being celery, onion and bell pepper. The garlic really brings it all out.

Garlic is food for the Gods.
I had roasted Garlic Ice cream...say what???...it is actually really good.

Yuck! I don't think I want my ice cream to be "savory." Lol.

 

[ChrisL]

Funny because I've always eaten wheat bread and I've never had a weight problem.

Lucky you. Keep doing that as long as you can. When you find yourself chunky -- try cutting out wheat and watch what happens. Thank me later.

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

Well, maybe it doesn't effect everyone the same way it does you?

Everybody's metabolism works in his/her own way, but there are also truisms regarding how the body processes a given type of food.

Go ahead, live on potato chips and let us know how it works out.

Like I said earlier, moderation. You don't have to cut things out of your diet completely, you just don't pig out on them!

 

[iamwhatiseem]

Oven roasted garlic can taste like caramelized candy.

 

[defcon4]

I've avoided processed foods for a long time.

I still love bread but keep it to a reasonable amount.

I keep red meat to portion sizes and snack on veggies nuts and fruit.

What kind of nuts?

 

[Pogo]

Lucky you. Keep doing that as long as you can. When you find yourself chunky -- try cutting out wheat and watch what happens. Thank me later.

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

Well, maybe it doesn't effect everyone the same way it does you?

Everybody's metabolism works in his/her own way, but there are also truisms regarding how the body processes a given type of food.

Go ahead, live on potato chips and let us know how it works out.

Like I said earlier, moderation. You don't have to cut things out of your diet completely, you just don't pig out on them!

And as I said, that doesn't apply with something like wheat. It's not a matter of "how much". It's a matter of what it DOES inside the body.

 

[ChrisL]

Oven roasted garlic can taste like caramelized candy.

It is but still I don't think the combination of ice cream with garlic sounds very . . . appetizing. I like ice cream to be like ice cream and leave garlic for my savory foods.

 

[ChrisL]

It's not what you eat but HOW MUCH you eat. Lol.

That's definitely NOT all there is to it. Again, when I cut out wheat, my total food intake went UP, not down, and I dropped 40 pounds. That's because of what the wheat was doing. So it very much IS what you eat.

Guess what would happen if you cut down to one meal a day, but the meal was made entirely of pop tarts?

Well, maybe it doesn't effect everyone the same way it does you?

Everybody's metabolism works in his/her own way, but there are also truisms regarding how the body processes a given type of food.

Go ahead, live on potato chips and let us know how it works out.

Like I said earlier, moderation. You don't have to cut things out of your diet completely, you just don't pig out on them!

And as I said, that doesn't apply with something like wheat. It's not a matter of "how much". It's a matter of what it DOES inside the body.

I eat wheat products all the time, never had a problem with weight, AND I've had children.

 

[Yousaidwhat]

So we have a friend from Scotland staying with us for several days next week, Monday-Wednesday. They have to be Gluten Free in all foods, we've been reading up on this....to say the least, food times are going to be very complicated from Monday-Wednesday.

Does anyone have any experience with Gluten Free stuff/people?

Just serve steak...

Or my infamous Mexican chili.

There's all kinds of veggie/rice/stew dishes you can do that have no gluten. Unless you're looking for a bowl of cereal it's not that hard.

Cheerios!

Sometimes they can be bland but berries help.

I need that Mexican chili recipe. A friend in Long Beach made a killer Mexican chili.

Whelp --- I just start with black beans and pinto bean in equal amounts, add diced tomato, onion, lots and lots and lots of bell pepper, ground meat and/or veggie crumbles, generous amounts of hot peppers (whatever I have) and habñero sauce, garlic, more garlic and still more garlic, and simmer.

I can make a YUUGE pot of that, chow down and not gain an ounce. It's all protein.

Garlic! I love garlic, and onions, and I don't care if they make my breath smelly!

Secret to good Lasagna....nutmeg and mustard, that's right.

Never heard of that before! I don't make my own pasta, but I do make my own sauce! I've posted that around the food forum somewhere before too.

Here is a surprise for you... I use no spices in Lasagna. None. No basil, no Italian seasoning...nada.
Doesn't need it.
The base of Lasagna is Bolognese. Cooked down for a minimum hour.
I use, bacon...ground pork and ground sirloin as the meat, and then of course celery, onion and carrot...onion...garlic...tomato...etc.

Going to be hard to not want to chop spices in! I never pass up on something different though.

Have you ever made a bolognese base before?
It is one of those core things in Italian cooking. Pure magic. You have a good Bolognese and you would swear there is basil or oregano etc. in there.

This is a pretty good base...this is Mario Batali - note no spices.

Ragu Bolognese : Mario Batali : Food Network

The benefits of an Italian wife.

Definitely pure magic.

There are times when the kitchen is off limits when she is cooking.

 

[Yousaidwhat]

Or my infamous Mexican chili.

There's all kinds of veggie/rice/stew dishes you can do that have no gluten. Unless you're looking for a bowl of cereal it's not that hard.

Cheerios!

Sometimes they can be bland but berries help.

I need that Mexican chili recipe. A friend in Long Beach made a killer Mexican chili.

Whelp --- I just start with black beans and pinto bean in equal amounts, add diced tomato, onion, lots and lots and lots of bell pepper, ground meat and/or veggie crumbles, generous amounts of hot peppers (whatever I have) and habñero sauce, garlic, more garlic and still more garlic, and simmer.

I can make a YUUGE pot of that, chow down and not gain an ounce. It's all protein.

Garlic! I love garlic, and onions, and I don't care if they make my breath smelly!

Garlic is a godsend. It's good for ya and goes with -- well not everything but a lot.

Garlic is the fourth member of the Holy Trinity in Louisiana cooking, the other three being celery, onion and bell pepper. The garlic really brings it all out.

Garlic is food for the Gods.
I had roasted Garlic Ice cream...say what???...it is actually really good.

That one I have to try.

 

[ChrisL]

Well, I'm going to log off now, get something to eat and get ready for work!

 

[Yousaidwhat]

I've avoided processed foods for a long time.

I still love bread but keep it to a reasonable amount.

I keep red meat to portion sizes and snack on veggies nuts and fruit.

What kind of nuts?

Walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pecans almonds, etc.

I like them fresh. I've been known to open a can of planters.