If you look around our site, you won’t see much as far as Gluten-Free eating. So when we decided to do this guest blogging series, it worked out perfectly to have one of my dear friends to give us some insight into her Gluten-Free way of life.
I was SO excited when Megan asked me to share about Gluten-Free eating & be a guest blogger this week! Megan has been one of my best friends for over 8 years! We have shared many meals together with our families. Hy-Vee Chinese is always a favorite! I feel honored to be able to be apart of this wonderful blog!
My home is a little different when it comes to food. I am a mother to two beautiful girls 8 & 5 and soon after having my first daughter, Jules, I started having serious food allergies. First it was dairy, then peanuts followed by all nuts. I thought maybe after having my second daughter, Jocey, my body would change back and I would be food allergy free! But that wasn’t the case. I started having major problems with my health & went through lots of medical testing. I was diagnosed with everything from IBS to acid reflux disease. I tried countless eating plans and even went completely vegetarian for awhile. But nothing seemed to work.
Then about 2 years ago, a Doctor came to my church to speak. My husband, Jed, sat there and listened to her talk about exactly how I had been feeling for years. Afterwards, he spoke with her and she felt that I should be treated for Candida, a yeast overgrowth. I went on a complete strict diet overhaul. Turning to a mostly Gluten-Free diet, as well as cutting out all sugars, carbs and more. I started feeling better which was wonderful and enjoying food even more! But after almost a year of that diet, I was told to start adding back in the foods I had not had in a while. But I still had problems. Then this past fall I went in and had some more testing done to find out that I have Celiac Disease, which was both exciting and overwhelming to discover. And I am now working on getting my food life back.
Since my diet is so specific, our whole family tends to enjoy mostly Gluten-Free meals. This can consist of a meat & lots of colorful veggies or rice tortilla made into a crispy quesadilla. The recipe I chose to share today was given to me by close friend Joyce G. She loves to find meals that both our families can enjoy together & this one has been a big hit! Hope you enjoy it as well!
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato & Black Bean Chili
3 Large sweet Potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 Large Onion
1 Tbsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. Chili Powder
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
2 cans (15oz each) Black Beans, rinsed & drained
1 can ( 28oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup Brewed coffee
2 Tbsp. Honey or agave sweetener
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
I also add a 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar
And if you would like to top of the chili with 1/2 cup of Shredded Mexican Cheese Blend you can.
So, in a non stick dutch oven or your big soup pot coat with cooking spray or I usually just use my olive oil & coated the pot. Add in the sweet potatoes & onions & saute in the olive oil until crisp-tender. Once they are tender add the chili powder, garlic, cumin & cayenne pepper & cook for a minute longer.
Stir in rinsed & drained black beans, tomatoes, coffee, brown sugar, honey, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover & simmer, for 30-35 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender. Serve & sprinkle with cheese is desired.
During your 30-35 minute wait I like to mix up a box of corn bread. One of my favorites to use is Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornbread Mix. It is super yummy & fast!
There aren’t a lot of fast gluten-free deserts out there, but just recently Betty Crocker has come out with these wonderful gluten-free box deserts. Tonight I made the Chocolate Chip cookies, into cookie bars! I follow the back of the box but add additional 3 Tbsp. of butter to make them taste more like non gluten-free cookie bars! My girls LOVE them & can’t even tell the difference.
If you would like more information about a Gluten-Free diet, Candida, or Celiac Disease check out some of books & links below.
Books
Gluten-Free, Hassle Free By: Marisa Brown , RD, CDE
Body of Ecology By: Donna Gates
Links:
This was SO GOOD! My husband absolutely loved it. We made the Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free cornbread as well and it was a perfect compliment to the meal. I hope to see some more gluten free options. I do not have an allergy but I like gluten-free for the health benefits. Thanks!