"Pass the Plate" Vol. 2

On facebook, I saw the most delicious dinner prepared by a friend of mine, Nicole Graham. She's a newcomer into this gluten free lifestyle after fighting it for so long! We should be proud of her for taking a stand and for allowing her body to be the best spokesperson for her health! She shared with me her Pasta Fagioli soup recipe! And man, I can’t wait until I make it! Kudos Nicole! It looks GREAT =)

Pasta

Fagioli:

Ingredients: 

1lb ground beef (I used 92/8 organic, grass fed)

1 small onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

28oz can crushed tomatoes (I used Muir Organic crushed tomatoes with basil)

15oz can tomato sauce

15oz can beef broth (plus more for heating)

15oz can red kidney beans (with liquid)

15oz can great northern beans (with liquid)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon pepper

8oz dry brown rice pasta (I used small shells)

 Directions:

1.   Brown ground beef in a large soup pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, lightly season with salt & pepper. Drain then return to the pot.

2.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, lightly season with salt & pepper, then saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.   Add the remaining ingredients, except for the pasta, then simmer for 1 hour stirring occasionally.

4.   When the soup has 15 minutes left to simmer, cook pasta in salted boiling water until just under al dente. Drain then add to the soup and simmer for 5.

Looks good doesn't. Try out Nicole's recipe and share with me what you thought! And don't forget before you go:

Pass the Plate!

XoXo,

Rebecca

Dunkin Donuts Outrage

It came to my knowledge from an email alert I subscribed to called Gilah CeliAct, that Dunkin has decided to shut down their plans to make their selected gluten free products go nationwide. If you didn't know, last year, Dunkin launched a gluten free cinnamon donut and a blueberry muffin in select stores/ cities. They were going to then launch them to all the Dunkin donuts by the end of 2013 but they've decided to pull the plug for whatever reason. Although I am not a donut eater, this is still an outrage! Just when you think we succeeded down a good path for us, our hopes are let down.

What made them stop? It's a lot of work to make gluten free products, especially when they took precautions to make sure they are free from cross contamination by making them in a different facility. I know it may be costly, but I read they were really thriving in business in the selected cities of choice. Supposedly they are continuing to test other items to the gluten free community in the future. 

So what changed their minds? What do you think? Has this put a damper on your gluten free dreams? 

"Whats the Paleo Diet?"

Since I came in tune with gluten free blogging, I started hearing about Paleo. I had no clue what this was until my older brother shared in on the info. This diet seems like another “new” fad but after doing some research of my own, its not new at all! I always knew that back in the day, like caveman days, or even further back to Adam and Eve days, grains weren’t a huge part of the human race diet like it is today. Over the course of the years, we have become so accustomed to eating anything and EVERYTHING that derives from grains. The world has become a “rush” society that we have it set in our minds that we don’t have time to cook so processed foods have become the norm. The Paleo diet not only shows us the way of how things use to be, but it also teaches us healthy food consumption. 

What exactly is the Paleo Diet? - That’s the burning question that I needed to answer. And BINGO, I found the answer right on google. (You can google anything now-a-days) The diet consist of refraining from things that derive from grains, dairy, processed foods, and sugar. It seems like a lot right? But you’d be surprised to find so many websites dedicated to sharing recipes and meal ideas to still be able to eat what you like. It just takes some studying, extra prep, and substitutions to make this lifestyle work for your life. (a website I browsed with recipes: againstallgrains.com) 

This diet will help in picking foods that occur naturally. And anything that’s natural and doesn’t have all the added garbage that isn’t good for you is a PLUS in my book. It is said to support healthy digestion, aid in weight loss, and give you energy! All wonderful benefits! I am so eager to give this a shot. I am guilty of eating way to much bread and pasta. So if cutting them out will benefit my health and make my gluten free life easier, why not give it a try? Or even give myself a 30 trial period. I thought I’d try it after I give birth so that way I can feel comfortable to lose weight. Meanwhile, I will continue my research and get feedback from those that actually have tried it. 


Have you tried this diet? Share your experiences. Any pros or cons?