POTS AND PANS CITY BLOG

When it comes to cooking, there are many dietary restrictions that will be encountered along the way. One restriction that is gaining some degree of notoriety in recent years is the need for a gluten free diet. Gluten is a substance that is commonly found in flour products that a decent sized portion of the population has a negative reaction to in some form or another. For these people, gluten free isn’t a choice it is absolutely necessary.

Gluten free cooking does impose many restrictions and often makes it quite difficult to enjoy something the vast majority of us take for granted-dining out. The good news from those who require gluten free cooking is that more and more restaurants are beginning to acknowledge this condition and offer some selections that are gluten free. It takes time, just as it did with the low carb craze for the demand for these products to make it worth the industries’ while to make adjustments in their way of preparing foods.

While on the one hand it is frustrating to not have the option of dining out, there is some challenge to finding new and tasty foods and combinations for cooking each and every night without falling into a rut of the same old foods that you know you can eat without worry. Consider cooking gluten free a challenge rather than a chore and you may find that the process is much more enjoyable. You might even find that you appreciate the meals you’ve worked hard to prepare even better because of the great sense of accomplishment.

There are many resources available for those who need to eat gluten free foods. There are even more and more ‘convenience’ or prepackaged foods that are designated for gluten free cooking. This means that those who once had no option but creating meals from scratch do now have the occasional shortcut available to them. We are even finding cookie and cake mixes that are now gluten free in order to enjoy some of the finer things in life for those who would have been completely deprived only a few short years ago.

Changes are being made and resources are being shared through the Internet that help not only adults that require special gluten free cooking and diets but also support for the parents of children who must have gluten free diets. Cooking for children in the best of circumstances is often difficult. It is even more difficult when there are excessive dietary restrictions that often eliminate the possibility of our children enjoying childhood favorites. That is why it is so important to seek out the many resources and recipes that are available for gluten free cooking.

If you require a gluten free diet and have no idea where to start or what you should be cooking you should check out the many websites and blogs online that address the issues and needs that are faced by those requiring gluten restrictions. You will probably be amazed at the wealth of information that is available. Also, if you have a Trader Joes or Whole Foods store in your area, most of them either offer or will order gluten free products for your cooking needs.

Gluten free cooking does not have to be the chore many of us think it must be and all gluten free food doesn’t taste like cardboard. Take the time to get to know the wonderful gluten free recipes that abound and incorporate them one at a time into your cooking repertoire. You will be amazed at how wonderful you feel as well as how great the food tastes.

Food poisoning is one of the most prevalent illnesses today. Starting as a slight discomfort within a few hours of eating, it can turn into a life-threatening emergency requiring hospitalization. Salmonella e-coli and listeria bacteria are the two most common culprits. Fortunately there are a few common sense precautions we can take to reduce the likelihood of a personal, close up experience with food poisoning.

Common breeding grounds in the kitchen for bacteria are dishrags, towels and brushes, cutting boards and kitchen sinks. You can also add to the list cabinet door and drawer handles, refrigerator handles and any utensils or other objects in the kitchen that are handled after touching another contaminated object. The first thing you should be doing to keep your kitchen safe, of course, is frequent and thorough hand washing.

Other precautions you should take include:

• Plan your shopping trips so that any perishables will get home and into the refrigerator as soon as possible.
• Your refrigerator should be set to 40 degrees F, and the freezer to 0 degrees. Don’t overfill the refrigerator; the cold air needs to be able to circulate freely.
• Poultry should be washed in cold water when you bring it home from the supermarket and then refrigerated right away. Cook as soon as possible.
• Always wash your hands and everything else that comes into contact with raw poultry. This includes knives, cutting boards, and towels. Don’t reuse any of these items for something else without washing them first. One technique you can use to help prevent cross-contamination is to get a set of color-coded cutting boards:
  • Green for fruits and vegetables

  

  • Yellow for raw poultry
  • Red for raw meat
  • Tan for fish and seafood
  • White for dairy products
  • Blue for cooked food
• Wash all fruits and vegetables when you get them home from the market. This even includes things like bananas.
• Dishrags and towels are one of the biggest breeding grounds for bacteria, so consider using more paper towels.
• Clean your kitchen counters before and after food preparation.
• Always check the labels on condiments, sauces, jams and jellies. If they need refrigeration after opening, don’t leave them around on the counter. Don’t leave mayonnaise on the counter, especially in warm weather; this also applies to anything made with the mayonnaise.
• Wash eggs with ice cold water before putting them away in the fridge.
• Use a meat thermometer and make sure that all meat, poultry and fish are cooked to the proper temperature to kill dangerous bacteria. Red meat should be brown inside. Chicken should have clear juices when poked with a fork. Fish should flake when poked with a fork.
• Bacteria tend to grow best in a temperature range of 40 and 140 degrees F. If you prepare dishes in advance and then let them cool down they should be reheated to at least 165 degrees F.
• If a can or jar whooshes when you open it throw it away. When you are at the store, inspect cans and jars for damage before you purchase them. Also avoid jars with loose or bulging lids. You should also make it a habit to check the “sell by” or “use by” dates. I’ve noticed that in the current bad economy you have to be even more careful about this – the supermarket shelves seem to have a lot more items that are almost expired.
• Always drain food over the sink, not in it. Kitchen sinks are teeming with bacteria. Sterilize your sink often, but even so keep edible food out of it.

Among the recommendations in the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans is the advice to eat more vegetables.

Though the amount varies from person to person, an adult eating a total of 2,000 calories a day should have about 2 1/2 cups of vegetables a day. Children can eat proportionately fewer cups, but they also need to have a good assortment of veggies daily. The Guidelines recommend a mix of dark-green, orange and starchy vegetables, plus legumes (such as cooked dry beans) and other vegetables.

As you harvest summer’s bounty from your garden or the supermarket, keep eggs in mind. Versatile eggs can help you increase your family’s vegetable intake. The complete protein that eggs provide can turn the incomplete protein of vegetables into a main dish. In turn, veggies supply carbohydrates and fiber to make a well-balanced meal. Vegetables, in fact, make good flavoring foods for a number of quick-to-fix egg dishes.

Fried rice is one easy-to-make example. To cook it, simply stir-fry cooked rice with veggies, pour on eggs mixed with a touch of soy sauce and scramble. You can also turn vegetable soup into a hearty entree by poaching eggs in it. It’s quick and easy, too, to cook a frittata, an unfolded, family-sized omelet that makes a handy skillet supper. Just pour seasoned eggs over cooked veggies and let the mixture cook without stirring.

When you introduce new veggies, let the kids help. Children are more likely to try new foods when they’re involved in the cooking process. For the Wagon-Wheel Frittata, young helpers can beat the egg mixture, prod the broccoli florets into place with a fork, arrange the tomato slices and sprinkle on the cheese. Older children and teens often prefer more strongly flavored foods, so let them choose a frittata topping from among several choices, perhaps a spicy pizza sauce, salsa or hot pepper sauce. Whatever they choose, you can rest easy knowing they’re eating their veggies.

Wagon-Wheel Frittata

6 servings

• 1/2 cups (about 6 oz.) fresh
• broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup (about 1.5 oz) sliced
• fresh mushrooms
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil or butter
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup skim or low-fat milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Italian
• seasoning, crushed
• 4 very thin tomato slices
• 1/4 cup grated or shredded
• Parmesan cheese

In 10-inch omelet pan or skillet over medium heat, cook broccoli, mushrooms and water, covered, until broccoli is tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain. Remove pan from heat. Add oil. Arrange broccoli florets evenly around pan. Set mushroom slices between broccoli florets.In medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk and seasoning until blended. Pour into pan over broccoli and mushrooms. Cover. Cook over medium-low heat until eggs are almost set, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat. Place 1 tomato slice in center. Cut remaining tomato slices in half. Arrange over top to resemble wagon-wheel spokes. Sprinkle cheese evenly over top. Cover and let stand until eggs are completely set, about 5 minutes. Slide from pan onto serving plate or cut into wedges and serve from pan.

Nutritional information per serving of 1/4 recipe using cooking oil and skim milk: 189 calories, 13 gm total fat, 322 mg cholesterol, 233 mg sodium, 203 mg potassium, 5 gm carbohydrate, 14 gm protein and 10% or more of the RDI for vitamins A and C, riboflavin, calcium, phosphorus, iron.