Mambo Sprouts

1. About how many Americans have celiac disease?  Has this number increased in recent years?

Although there are estimated to be nearly 3 million Americans with celiac disease, and incidence of celiac have risen four fold since the 1950’s. Unfortunately about 95% remain undiagnosed.

Why? Celiac disease is rarely considered by physicians, it currently takes about 6 years for a patient to receive a celiac diagnosis on average.

Additionally, emerging research suggests that conditions such as gluten sensitivity, a condition affecting an additional 18 million Americans, are also apart of a much bigger picture than once thought. 

Until now, little has been known about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. However, scientists hope that recent breakthroughs and greater awareness will lead to better diagnosis of both conditions.

NFCA is working to gain 1 million diagnosed celiacs by 2015 by educating primary care providers about the signs and symptoms of celiac disease. For information and to help NFCA in this effort visit: http://www.celiaccentral.org/CMEtoolkit/rev–2/ Read the rest of this entry »

Celiac Disease, What’s that?

If you’ve never heard of celiac disease, you’re not alone. Of the 3 million Americans living with the genetic autoimmune disorder, only about 200,000 have been formally diagnosed!

Celiac disease affects the body’s ability to absorb nutrients in the small intestine, and is triggered by an autoimmune response to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When a person with celiac eats gluten, the protein causes damage to a part of the small intestine called villi. Read the rest of this entry »

Courtesy of Udi’s Gluten Free Foods.

Cook Time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 package of your favorite gluten free sausage
• 1 small onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 package Udi’s Gluten Free Foods classic hot-dog buns

Directions:

1. Grill and brown sausages to your liking and the juices run clear.
2. Chop all of your veggies into half-moon slivers. (At Udi’s half of us like our veggies raw and the other half prefers to sauté them first so we’ll leave this one up to you.)
3. Place the sausage into our new Udi’s hot-dog buns and top with the chopped veggies.
4. If you have a preferred marinade for the sausage or the veggies feel free to add that too!

Servings:

Makes 6 Servings

Courtesy of San-J.

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 cups gluten-free chicken broth
• 5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tablespoons San-J Gluten Free Tamari
• 8 ounces maifun thin rice noodles
• 1 sheet nori seaweed, cut into 1 inch strips

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, combine chicken broth, mushrooms, green onions and San-J Gluten Free Tamari. Bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer on medium-low for 10 minutes.
2. Cook maifun thin noodles according to the package instructions and drain. Add noodles to the soup. Sprinkle nori strips over the noodle soup and serve.

Servings:

Makes 4-6 Servings

As bread fans, we think the grilled cheese is a must have when it comes to sandwiches. If you are looking to put a gourmet twist on a traditional classic, this recipe may be just what the gluten-free chef called for. Created by Justin Cucci, chef and owner of Denver’s popular Root Down Restaurant, this Gourmet Grilled Cheese sandwich is sure to please even the pickiest of gluten-free eaters.

Created by Justin Cucci, Root Down chef and owner.

Prep Time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients(Tomato Jam):

• 3½ pounds roma tomatoes , large dice
• 1 small onion brulee, chopped
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 1 each lemon

Ingredients(Grilled Cheese):

• your favorite cheese
• Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Multigrain Sandwich Bread
• butter

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a 2-quart pot. Bring to a gentle boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until thickened into a jam-like consistency, about 3 hours. Keep an eye on the pot to make sure the jam does not burn.
2. Combine a heaping tablespoon of the jam with around 3 slices of your favorite cheese – we recommend Potato Chip Gouda – and two slices of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery Multigrain Sandwich Bread in a buttered pan to cook the final grilled cheese sandwich.

Servings:

Makes 20 servings.

These irresistible, chewy cookies offer the delicate sweetness of anti-oxidant blueberries a bonus of sunflower seed crunch. They vanish fast and freeze well, so you might want to double the recipe.

At Nature’s Path we recommend you use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This recipe was created especially for Nature’s Path® by Lorna Sass, the award-winning cookbook author of Whole Grains, Every Day, Every Way and Whole Grains for Busy People.

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Cook Time: 9-10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 c. Nature’s Path Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise Cereal
• 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
• 2 tbs. cornstarch
• 1 tbs. tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/8 tsp. ground cardamom (optional)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 large egg or egg subsitute
• 1/2 c. (4 oz) butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1/3 c. dried blueberries
• 1/3 c. raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Set rack in middle of oven and preheat to 375F. Line a large cookie sheet with baking parchment.
2. Place cereal in bowl of food processor and grind to a medium-fine flour. Add sugar, cornstarch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cardamom (if using), and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
3. In a liquid measuring cup, beat egg. Blend in butter. With motor of processor running, pour egg-butter mixture through feed tube into flour, and process just until combined. Transfer batter to a bowl and stir in blueberries and sunflower seeds.
4. Shape heaping tablespoons of dough into balls. (If dough is sticky, chill for 30 minutes before shaping.) Set balls 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet and press down gently with fingers to flatten slightly.
5. Bake until lightly browned around edges, 9 to 10 minutes. Slide parchment paper onto cooling rack.
6. When cookies are room temperature, gently peel off parchment. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Servings:

Makes 18 2 1/2-inch cookies.

These festive muffins have the flavors we associate with an old-fashioned New England Thanksgiving, but they are welcome any time of year.

At Nature’s Path we recommend you use organic ingredients whenever possible.

This recipe was created especially for Nature’s Path® by Lorna Sass, the award-winning cookbook author of Whole Grains, Every Day, Every Way and Whole Grains for Busy People.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 box (5 1/2 c.) Nature’s Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise Cereal
• 2/3 c. packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 c. cornstarch
• 2 tbs. tapioca flour
• 2 1/4 tsp. GF baking powder
• 1 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. plus 2 tbs. low-fat buttermilk (shake well before measuring)
• 2 large eggs or egg replacer
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Set rack in middle and preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin cups with cupcake liners.
2. Place cereal in bowl of food processor and grind to a medium-fine flour. Add sugar, cornstarch, tapioca flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Process to combine.
3. In a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk together oil, buttermilk, and eggs.
4. With motor of processor running, pour egg mixture through feed tube into flour and process just until combined.
5. Transfer batter to a bowl and stir in cranberries and 1/3 cup pumpkin seeds. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle remaining pumpkin seeds on top. Round off tops by gently patting with moistened fingers.
6. Bake until muffins spring back to a gentle touch and a cake tester inserted into center doesn’t feel sticky, 10 to 12 minutes.
7. Immediately transfer muffins from pan to a cooling rack. Eat warm or at room temperature with a few hours, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Servings:

Makes 12 muffins

Courtesy of Crunchmasters.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 (7oz.) containers of plain prepared hummus

1 ¼  cup crumbled feta cheese

2/3  cup chopped Kalamata olives

2/3  cup chopped fresh tomato

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions:

1. Spread hummus evenly into an 8 x 8 -inch square baking dish. Sprinkle with feta cheese, being sure to evenly cover the surface.
2. In a separate bowl, gently toss the tomatoes and olives together until blended well.
3. Layer the olive and tomato mixture on top of the feta cheese. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
4. Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Serve warm with Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Crackers.

Servings:

Makes 12-14 Servings.

Courtesy of Crunchmasters.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 (14oz.) container fresh stuffing mushrooms

¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided.

½ cup finely crushed Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Crackers

¼ cup sour cream

¼ cup green onion

½ tsp. onion salt

Directions:

1. Rinse mushrooms thoroughly and remove stems. Trim and finely chop stems and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Shred the swiss cheese (or use pre-shredded swiss cheese), and add½ cup to the mixing bowl. Reserve ¼ cup of the cheese for topping.
3. Add the crushed Crunchmaster® Multi-Seed Crackers, sour cream, green onion, and onion salt into the mixing bowl and mix well.
4. Place mushroom caps top down on to a 9 x 12 –inch baking sheet. Fill each cap with the stuffing mixture from the bowl. Be sure to press the mixture firmly into each mushroom.
5. Sprinkle with the remaining Swiss cheese. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Servings:

Makes 12-14 Mushrooms.

Courtesy of Crunchmasters.

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients (Caserole):

• 2.5 lbs sweet potatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• Pinch of nutmeg

Ingredients (Topping):

• ½ cup finely ground Crunchmaster® Original Multi-Seed Crackers
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Peel and cube sweet potatoes.
2. In a large stock pot boil potatoes until tender, drain. Return potatoes to stock pot. Mash until smooth.
3. Add eggs, 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Mix well.
4. Spray a 2 quart oval baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Add potato mixture to dish and spread evenly. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl combine Crunchmaster® Original Multi-Seed Cracker crumbs, melted butter, and  1/3 cup dark brown sugar. Mix well. Top potato casserole with cracker mixture. Spread mixture evenly covering the entire top of the casserole.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil carefully and bake for 10 more minutes.

Servings:

Makes 6 Servings