My doctor recently told me to avoid foods with gluten, which isn’t a big deal for me. Unfortunately, he also said to stop eating soy replacement foods, which was pretty devastating to me, the hardcore vegetarian. And on top of that, I’m not one of those vegetarians who loves beans and vegetables. Nope. I love(d) Morningstar Farms fake chicken and bacon. But my health comes first, so in the spirit of doctor’s orders, I’ve said farewell to soy, wheat, barley, oats, and spelt. (Well, not spelt so much. Can you say goodbye to a food you’ve never eaten?) I also am apparently a little low on protein and iron, so in desperation, I’ve begun experimenting with power-packed grains. Quinoa is pretty much at the top of the list. Revered by the ancient Mesoamericans, it’s one of the few grains (technically, it’s not actually a grain, but whatever) that is a complete protein, so it doesn’t have to be paired with beans to give me maximum benefits.
As someone who doesn’t cook, I was a little daunted to just buy some bulk quinoa and start from scratch. So luckily, I found this French Herb blend from Seeds of Change. It’s comprised of quite a few organic ingredients, and although it’s a bit high in sodium, I can usually stretch out the package to last 3 or 4 days. It’s pretty delicious, with the unexpected side benefit of having all the same spices as the gumbo I used to love. When I was a kid, my Dad made a killer chicken and sausage gumbo, but I had to give it up when I went veggie. Now I get a bunch of the same flavor notes in a super grain. Not too shabby.
I said I wanted to learn to cook, right? What better motivation could I need?
So, I just read a pretty fascinating book called Gluten-Free Girl by Shauna James Ahern. In this memoir-cum-cookbook, Ahern chronicles her food habits as a child, her chronic illnesses, and finally her diagnosis of celiac disease, which renders her unable to eat foods that contain gluten (typically wheat, barley, rye and spelt). Rather than adopting a poor-me attitude, Ahern embraced her diagnosis and began a journey of discovery. Armed with a well-stocked kitchen, unusual ingredients, and a healthy zeal for eating, Ahern began creating sumptuous gluten-free recipes, such as Chilled Millet Salad with Jicama and Mango and Roasted Cauliflower with Smoked Paprika and Cocoa Powder.
Okay, I know you’re wondering. Why do I, someone who wholly detests cooking, find this book interesting? Well, actually there are a couple of reasons. One is that my holistic doctor told me to stop eating gluten. While I certainly don’t have full-blown celiac disease, I am apparently gluten sensitive, or intolerant, or something. Two, Ahern talks again and again about healing herself with food, a concept I’m coming to understand more and more. As a vegetarian and lifelong picky eater, I’ve always seen eating as a chore: something that has to be done to stay alive. I’ve never relished it as the pleasurable experience that so many people seem to do.
Also, I’ve been feeling like crap for years. Literally. Years. I’m exhausted, run-down and feel malnourished, even though I’ve always thought that I followed a reasonably healthy diet. And, whereas I’ve never gotten that much joy from eating, I do love to read. And Ahern painted sumptuous pictures in my head of delicious, beautiful meals. So, I think I’m going to try to learn to cook. I want to take the time to create art out of whole, healthy foods to heal my body and restore its proper nutrient balance. I want to look at eating as a joy, rather than something I dread…