Happy Valentine’s Day!

January was unseasonably warm here in Santa Cruz, but for those of you in colder climates, we hope you’re keeping warm and eating well during these winter months. For monthly inspiration no matter where you call home, we’re happy to announce that we’ve extended our popular Food For Thought column for another year. Thanks for letting us know how much you look forward to it each month—and keep the comments coming. We love to hear from you!

• Crackers
• Pasta with Tomato Sauce
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Pieces
• Yogurt with Berries
• Carrots, Broccoli and Dip

"Love the new Web redesign! Great job!  Clean layout, good organization of your content!  I'm a full-time Web designer, single mother to four elementary-aged children, and I pack 5 bento boxes every single night!  Thank you for running with your vision and bringing joy and blessing to my family! You have saved me a lot of paper, money, and headache!"

    -- Kristi Sparks, SC

Green Tea is derived from the same plant as black tea. The difference between the two is in the processing. While black tea is made from fermented tea leaves, green tea gets it's color from leaves that are steamed or dried. This healthful beverage helps reduce the risk of a wide variety of diseases. It supports the prevention of cardiovascular disease by reducing free radical damage. It also helps stop the growth of abnormal cancer cells, and detoxifies carcinogens. Green tea has been known to boost stamina and endurance, as well as strengthening the immune system. It has even been know to help with weight loss.

Green tea comes in different varieties based on time of harvest, the size of the leaves, and how the leaves are processed. It is also available in decaf and can be served hot or cold. For a refreshing drink, infuse your favorite fruit juice with antioxidants by mixing it with tea. Consider adding the brewed tea to soups, sauces, or smoothies.

For more information on the health benefits of green tea, visit: www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=146

Benefits:

• Rich in Antioxidants
• Inhibits the Production of Free Radicals
• Helps Prevent Cardiovascular Disease
• Helps Lower Blood Pressure
• Possesses Anti-Cancer Properties
• Lowers the Risk of Gallstones
• Provides Support For Bones

• 3 medium gold or sweet potatoes, scrubbed,
  cut into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 cabbage, cored, sliced thin
• 1/2 peeled butternut squash, cut into bite-size pieces
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and ground pepper
• 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-oz can fire roasted whole tomatoes, with juice
• 1 14-oz can white Northern beans, drained
• 1 cup of vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup dry white table wine
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or golden balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp rubbed sage
• Shaved parmesan or vegan cheese (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large roasting pan combine the potatoes, cabbage and butternut squash and drizzle with enough olive oil to coat. Season with sea salt, pepper, and garlic; toss. Add the whole tomatoes; break them apart with a wooden spoon. Add the white beans.
3. Stir the broth and wine together and pour over the vegetable mixture. Drizzle it all with golden balsamic vinegar; sprinkle with sage, and toss lightly.
4. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven and roast the vegetables for an hour; stir half way through cooking. Check the potatoes for doneness; they should be fork tender. Continue to roast for another 10 minutes, or until the veggies are tender enough to melt in your mouth.
5. Serve in warmed shallow plates with shavings of fresh parmesan.
   

• 1/2 head of medium cabbage, cored
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp Thai chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves
• 3 Tbsp sliced almonds

1. Using a large sharp knife, slice the cabbage into thin strips. Rinse in cold water and drain. Wash, trim and grate the carrot.
2. Toss the cabbage and carrot into a large skillet and set it on low-medium heat. Let the cabbage heat through and soften a bit, about three to four minutes.
3. Meanwhile make the dressing. Whisk together the olive oil, rice vinegar, maple syrup, chili sauce, lime juice, ginger and sea salt. Pour the dressing all over the cabbage and lightly toss it to coat. Heat through another two to three minutes, just till slightly wilted, not overly soft. (Leave the cabbage tender-crisp.)
4. Remove from heat and scoop the warm slaw into a bowl.
5. Add mint and almonds. Toss gently. Serve as a side dish with your favorite gluten-free sandwiches, or burritos, or enchiladas.
   

Cookbook author Karina Allrich was diagnosed with celiac disease in the fall of 2001. She has been developing gluten-free recipes ever since, serving up fresh seasonal dishes on her popular food blog, Gluten-Free Goddess, named by Newsweek magazine as the go-to online source for "creative recipes and cooking tips from an experienced gluten-free chef." Poetic, artistic, passionate, Karina inspires her readers weekly with her "warm, open honesty and to-die-for gluten-free recipes" writes Brooke McLay of The Family Kitchen. With an upbeat focus on healthy, nutritious choices, Karina's gluten-free recipes are accompanied by mouthwatering photographs and hands-on gluten-free baking tips. Her recipe site welcomes vegetarian and vegan readers, and is food allergy friendly.

Thinking of Going Gluten-Free?  Here are some tips:

Going gluten-free can be confusing at first. Keep it simple until you get your bearings. Focus on whole, naturally gluten-free foods.

A good place to start? Say yes to fresh produce. If you’re a vegetarian, you're in luck. Do your bunny food thing. And don't forget fresh seasonal fruit.

Omnivore? You're in luck, too. Plain fresh meat, chicken, eggs and fish are all naturally gluten-free (watch out for added broths, seasonings and marinades). Choose organic and free-range grass fed bison and beef for those nifty Omega 3's.

Starches

For starches, think potatoes (white, gold, red, blue) and sweet potatoes. All are gluten-free.

Say yes to rice. Rice is gluten-free. Whole grain brown rice is especially good for touchy digestion. Risotto (Italian Arborio rice) makes an elegant meal. Basmati and jasmine rice are fragrant and lovely in stir-fries.

Try quinoa for a fun, new complete protein grain. It cooks up quickly, much like rice, and cozies up to the flavors, herbs and spices you add to it.

Rolls of cooked polenta (cornmeal mush) that say "gluten-free" right on the label, are a convenient base for Italian and Southwestern style toppings and casseroles.

Dairy

Dairy? Here's the bad news. Some celiac savvy physicians suspect a whopping fifty percent of celiacs are also intolerant of, or allergic to, the proteins in milk, casein and whey, and many others find it difficult to digest the sugar in milk, called lactose (lactose intolerance). If you find you are still symptomatic after giving up gluten, you might consider getting tested for milk proteins. (Note: I didn't really start healing until I went GF/CF; a blood test confirmed I'm very allergic to both dairy proteins.)

If dairy is fine for you, cultured plain organic yogurt is gluten-free; try it with a dab of honey, all natural 100% fruit jam or pure maple syrup.

Aged block cheeses are safe; start with a wedge of good Parmesan and aged cheddar; both are high in calcium and have zero lactose. When you are ready to branch out, fresh goat cheese is delicious; and there are many varieties of real cheeses that are safe (check labels for additives or flavorings; check source of mold in blue veined cheeses, though the latest info shows most blue cheeses are safe).

If your digestion cannot tolerate lactose, casein or whey (the sugar and proteins in dairy food) there are several vegan alternatives on the market crafted from rice, almonds, or soy (note that soy can be problematic for some celiacs). Always check labels for hidden ingredients. Some dairy-free cheeses actually contain casein! Luckily, many non-dairy milks now say Gluten-Free right on the package. Call the company when in doubt.

Sandwiches

For sandwiches think: corn, teff or brown rice tortillas, lettuce wraps, rice paper wraps, and even toasted gluten-free waffles (they make fabulous grilled paninis). There are several gluten-free breads available with a wide variety of quality and taste. Some are sawdust awful. Some aren’t half bad (Whole Foods makes some delicious breads).

Give your taste buds time to adjust to the newness of gluten-free flours. They are, indeed, different. They smell different and taste different. It takes about two weeks to adjust your taste buds to alternative grains.

Forbidden Foods

Aside from the obvious forbidden foods (bread, breadcrumbs, rolls, muffins, bagels, donuts, croissants, cereal, pizza, fried food, pasta, beer, crackers, pretzels, cookies, cake, brownies, pie crust) I advise saying no to processed foods and mixes, fast food, junk food, snack food dusted with added flavors, packaged seasonings, soups and dressings- in other words, anything with ingredients you can barely pronounce.

It is my personal belief that limiting refined sugars and starches, soda, unhealthy saturated fats and low nutrient junk food will go a long way toward healing a stressed digestive system.  

To read more on the subject, visit: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2006/01/morning-after-diagnosis-that-is.html#ixzz1Aqycn4N0.

To learn more about Karina, visit her blog at: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/p/how-to-go-g-free.html.

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