By Claire Diab and Dennis Boyle
The holiday season is among us, and with it comes all that good holiday food. Food is festive and we tend to eat more than normal while we celebrate with friends and family. While it may taste good, it certainly is not good for us. This season, why not start a new tradition and try a gluten-free diet. Being gluten-free is often seen as a cliché in our society, however experts say it is not just another fad diet and will stick around for decades to come.
Gluten is a protein found in most grains; such as, wheat, barley, rye, and so on. It is seen as the “glue” which helps foods stick together and maintain their shape and texture. This protein can have a very negative effect on people. For those with Celiac’s Disease, eating gluten prompts the body to attack the small intestine. Others may have a more subtle reaction to gluten, causing inflammation in other parts of the body. The best way to know how gluten affects your own body is to eliminate it completely from your diet for approximately 30 days.
This may seem like an impossible task during the holidays, but there are so many recipes out there that remove gluten and still taste great. Why not try this alternative for your holiday cookies:
Ingredients:
8 ounces unsalted butter
11 ounces brown rice flour, approximately 2 cups
1 1/4 ounces cornstarch, approximately 1/4 cup
1/2 -ounce tapioca flour, approximately 2 tablespoons
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
10 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 1/4 cups
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Once melted, pour into the bowl of a stand mixer.
In a medium bowl, sift together the rice flour, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xantham gum, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
Add both of the sugars to the bowl with the butter and using the paddle attachment, cream together on medium speed for 1 minute. Add the whole egg, egg yolk, milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Add the chocolate chips and stir to combine.
Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, approximately 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Shape the dough into 2-ounce balls and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes, rotating the pans after 7 minutes for even baking. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the pans for 2 minutes. Move the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely. Store cooked cookies in an airtight container.
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2007
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/the-chewy-gluten-free-recipe.html?oc=linkback
Enjoy!
Namaste~
Claire Diab is an internationally recognized Yoga therapist. She is the director of the Yoga Program for the Chopra Center founded by Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon. She is an adjunct professor of Asian Studies at Seton Hall University. She is the author of several books and DVDs on Yoga including “Yoga For Firefighters.”
Dennis Boyle is a retired fire director and acting chief with the West Orange (NJ) Fire Department. He was the recipient of the 1999 New Jersey Deputy Fire Chiefs “Fire Officer of the Year” award.
