If you’re looking for a more healthful way to eat, you’ve probably heard about the Paleo diet. For those of you who haven’t, the basic idea is to eat like our hunter-gatherer ancestors did before the development of agriculture and diets heavy in grains like rice and wheat. Paleo is a protein heavy diet, but allows for vegetables, nuts and seeds. Many people feel better eating the paleo way and have lost weight or gotten rid of health problems like diabetes due to it. The Paleo diet also works well those who eat gluten free because of having celiacs or food sensitivities, since Paleo recipes don’t contain wheat or other types of glutenous foods.

Eating the Paleo way isn’t very hard to do, especially if you love to grill steaks or fish or enjoy a nice salad or sautéed veggies. However, until I came across The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook by Arsy Vartanian I never thought of using my slow cooker to cook Paleo foods. Arsy, who blogs at Rubies and Radishes, makes it look easy and delicious! Her cookbook features chapters on beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and seafood. The Paleo Slow Cooker also features recipes for appetizers, breakfast, drinks and even Paleo friendly desserts. I’m impressed! Even better, it’s a visually beautiful book with excellent photography, though I wish there was more of it.

Whether you’re a hardcore Paleo dieter or just looking to turn your health and cooking around with simple and healthy recipes, then maybe the  The Paleo Slow Cooker is for you! Not convinced? Try Arsy’s recipe for Pear Ginger Pork Ribs. This is a perfect dish when pears are in season, plus pork is very reasonably priced. I like that Arsy uses coconut oil in this recipe, which should really give this pork dish a lovely flavor. And yes, honey is considered OK on the Paleo diet, especially raw honey (local if you can find it). If you need to avoid honey, try using stevia instead, which is OK on the Paleo diet, has no calories, and is considered a natural sweetener.

Finally, I would double this recipe if you have a big slow cooker. That way you can have leftover pork chops the next day for lunch – gently reheat in the microwave or dice up the pork and put it in a salad or Paleo friendly stir fry!

Pear Ginger Pork Chops

From the The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook by Arsy Vartanian

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 thick cut pork chops
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon allspice
• 2 ripe d’anjou pears, cored and cut into chunks
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup white wine (can substitute water or broth)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• Salt and pepper just before serving

Directions:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
2. Brown the pork chops on both sides (in batches if necessary) for about 5 minutes total and place in the slow cooker.
3. Sauté the pears and ginger in the remaining coconut oil.
4. Add the vinegar and wine, turn to medium low and cook for 5 minutes to reduce slightly.
5. Pour mixture over chops in slow cooker.
6. Cook on low for 6 hours.
7. Salt and pepper to taste, then serve.

Recipe and photograph used with permission.

The Paleo Slow Cooker: Healthy, Gluten-Free Meals the Easy Way cookbook review and Pear Ginger Pork Chops recipe #glutenfree #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As a community leader for Udi’s Gluten Free, I’m always on the lookout for new cookbooks written for people who are gluten free. That’s why I’m excited to share with you Cybele Pascal’s new cookbook, Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame. As you can tell by the title, it’s also for people with food allergies and food sensitivities, and is a follow up to her book The Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook.

I met Cybele at a blogger event in Los Angeles over a year ago. She knows all about dealing with food allergies having cooked that way since 2001 after her son, Lennon, was as diagnosed with severe dairy and soy allergies. She obviously knows her stuff, which is why she’s an Ambassador Who Cares for Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. You can find more about her on her website www.cybelepascal.com.

Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame

Cybele also has great taste and style, which is why I fell in love with her new cookbook and love dipping into it to find ideas for what to make for dinner. I’ve already made her Garam Masala Lamb Chops with Cumin Quinoa, which was fantastic and a huge hit with my family. To quote my daughter, Lucie, “I really don’t like quinoa, Mom. But this is so good!” She even got her brother to eat it!

The recipes in Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking are similar to the way I like to cook – healthy, delicious and can quickly be put together on a weekday night. Cybele’s recipes aren’t complicated and fussy, and don’t contain a zillion hard-to-find ingredients. Like me, she loves ethnic foods, such as Sopa de Lima, as well as classic family favorites like Chicken Noodle Casserole. In addition, she has a lot of great tips for those new to allergy-free cooking, like how to stock your pantry and what kitchen equipment you’ll need. It’s a great book for beginners as well as seasoned cooks who need to eliminate allergens in their kitchens.

Here’s a sample recipe from Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking:

Chicken and Sausage Paella

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 1 cup long grain basmati rice
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 pound chicken tenders, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 3/8 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 8 ounces chorizo, andouille, linguica, or kielbasa, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the rice with 1 1/4 cups of the chicken broth in a microwave-safe container. Cover and microwave for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle the chicken tenders with the paprika and some salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large heavy pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until starting to shimmer. Add the chicken and cook for 2 minutes per side, until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and sausage and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the bell pepper, garlic, saffron, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes more. Add the remaining 1 cup chicken broth, bring to a boil, and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits along the bottom, 1 minute or so. Stir in the tomatoes, partly cooked rice, and chicken, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, loosely covered, for 8 minutes more or until the liquid is absorbed. Add the peas and heat through for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, toss with the parsley, and serve hot, sprinkled with a little more parsley.

Reprinted with permission from Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame by Cybele Pascal, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group. Photo credit: Chugrad McAndrews.

Win a copy of Allergy-Free and Easy

You can find Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame at wherever books are sold for $22. However, I’m giving ONE copy away to a lucky reader.

Giveaway closed! Congrats to Renee G!!

Here’s how to win a copy of Allergy-Free and Easy:

1. Comment below on why you’d looking forward to checking out the cookbook.
2. Sign up for my enewsletter for ONE additional entry.
3. Follow @amnichols on Twitter for ONE additional entry.
4. Follow amnichols on Pinterest for ONE additional entry.
5. Spread the word about this giveaway by submitting a link to this post on Twitter for ONE additional entry. You must leave a link to your tweet in your comment so I can check.
6. If you have done any of these additional activities you MUST come back here and leave a comment telling me what you did. I will be checking!
7. Maximum amount of entries is FIVE.
8. You have until midnight ET on Friday, January 18, 2013 to enter.

ONE winner will be chosen at random. You must be willing to send me your full name and mailing address so I mail out your cookbook via USPS Media Mail. I’ll announce the winner on this blog. I won't share your mailing info with the public, just your name. If you have a blog, I’ll link back to it when I announce the winner.

The giveaway is valued at $22 and is only open to legal residents of the United States, 18 years of age and older. No purchase required. Odds of winning based on number of entries. Up to FIVE entries per person. ONE cookbook will be given away. Void where prohibited by law.

By submitting your name and email address, you agree to receive relevant promotional emails and contest follow up communications from This Mama Cooks! On a Diet in compliance with my privacy policy and giveaway rules.

_________________
Disclosure: I was provided with two copies of Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking: 30-Minute Meals Without Gluten, Wheat, Dairy, Eggs, Soy, Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Fish, Shellfish, and Sesame – one to facilitate this review and another to give away. All opinions and experiences are my own.

As an Udi's Gluten Free Community Leader I'm compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Chicken and Sausage Paella from Allergy-Free and Easy {cookbook give away!} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I adore Thanksgiving, but it’s a challenging time of year for anyone who’s gluten free or has food sensitivities or allergies to things likes nuts or dairy. First, you don’ t know what to make to fit everyone’s dietary needs. Second, you have to deal with those relatives who just don’t “get it” and tell you that eating gluten free is a fad or that there are no such things as food allergies!

To help you cope, several of the Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leaders  and I are holding a chat on the Udi’s Gluten Free dkafdkja;sdlkj community website this Wednesday, November 7 at 8 pm EST | 5 pm PST to discuss how to cope with Thanksgiving. We’ll be sharing recipes, cooking tips, and how to deal with Aunt Mary’s pumpkin pie. We’ll also be giving away lots of Udi’s Gluten Free goodies to serve at Thanksgiving or with leftovers.

You can join us here or below in the embedded discussion area. Hope you can join us!

____________________
Disclosure: As a Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leader I’m compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Join us for a Gluten Free Thanksgiving Chat on November 7 at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

As a community leader at Udi’s Gluten Free, a mom to a daughter with allergies, and someone who deals with food sensitivities, I was excited to learn about Dollywood’s Start Fresh program. During my recent Brandcation trip to Dolly Parton’s theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, our group had the chance to meet with food team member, Cecil Page, during lunch at Granny Ogle’s Ham N’ Beans, who told us all about the program they developed with the help of FANN (Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). The program has been in place over two years and as far as I know it’s unique to Dollywood.

How Start Fresh works

When you arrive to any of Dollywood’s restaurants or eateries, talk with the manager to let him or her know what allergies and food sensitivities you and your family is dealing with. There’s no need to call ahead, though you can contact the Foods Department at 865-428-9428 if you so choose.

The manager and his or her team will make sure that your table is cleaned, sanitized and as free as possible from any allergens. They’ll also make sure you’re seated away from the kitchen so you don’t get a whiff of anything you may be allergic to, like fish.

The manager will then present you with a yellow binder (yellow is the color assigned to anything Start Fresh related) that contains the list of ingredients of all the menu items. This way you can decide what you feel comfortable ordering for yourself or your child.

Once your order is placed, it’s assigned to a cook who will prepare your meal from start to finish and will not cook up anyone else’s order until after you are done. The first thing he or she will do is clean and sanitize their work area and put on a fresh area. Then he or she will break open a Fresh Start pack containing everything they need to prepare and serve your meal (utensils, cutting board, knife, spoons, etc.) The cook will then prepare the meal to your specifications and deliver it personally to your table. It’s like having your own personal chef!

The cooks go through the special one week Start Fresh program after going through a regular culinary course at the Dollywood. Only those who pass the Start Fresh program can cook for allergy affected guests. So while other theme parks and restaurants serve up allergen free food, this is probably one of the few that understand about allergen contamination.

Dollywood restaurants also offer vegetarian, diabetic and gluten free menu options. I was pleasantly surprised to find packaged gluten free cookies at the Spotlight Bakery. And if you’re traveling with kids with allergies or you have food sensitivities yourself, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy dining at Dollywood can be!

For more information about the park, admission and hours, go to dollywood.com. You can also connect with Dollywood on Facebook and @Dollywood.

Eating gluten free when traveling

The Udi’s Gluten Free Community offers lots of great info and tips about traveling while gluten free:

• Eating Gluten Free and Traveling

• When eating GF in a restaurant……….

• Restaurants that are GF-friendly?

• GF Road Trips

• Gluten Free Travel Tips

How do you deal with food allergies and sensitivities when traveling?

_______________________
Disclosure: The Brandcation bloggers received special discounts and passes to many of the attractions we visited. All experiences and opinions expressed here are my own.

As a Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leader I’m compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Dealing with food sensitivities and allergies at Dollywood #brandcation #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Tomorrow, July 18th,  Jessica Gottlieb and I will be hosting a #Previlean chat about the ALCAT test and how it can help you discover what food sensitivities you have. We’ll be discussing the pros and cons of the ALCAT test, what it is, why we took it, and what our test results showed. I took it a few years ago (read about it here and here) and Jessica recently got her test results back (read about it on her blog).

Also joining us will be the team from PreviMedica, so be sure to follow everyone on Twitter:

• @amnichols (me)
• @JessicaGottlieb (Jessica)
• @PreviMedica (the official PreviMedica Twitter ID)
• @AmyPieczarka (director of nutrition services)

RSVP here with your name and twitter ID for the second #PreviLean twitter chat on Wednesday July 18 at 10 AM PT/1 PM ET.

Hope you can join us!

Join us for a Twitter chat about food sensitivities and the ALCAT tomorrow at 1 PM ET/10 AM PT #Previlean is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I read an article at Salon.com – Dilemmas of a gluten-free convert by Molly May. In it she writes:

Food gets personal, cultural and economic. People bare teeth to defend why they eat what they eat.

I began to steer toward the middle road. When a friend’s toddler baked a cookie just for me, I ate it. At the home of a sourdough bread baker, wheat melted in my mouth.

Sometimes, we have to weave between honoring community and self.

Do you compromise on your gluten free or food allergy diet just to keep the peace and fit in with family and friends?  Join our discussion on the Udi’s Gluten Free Community site or comment below.

Also, check out Udi’s Look Again It’s Gluten Free Facebook Contest and submit a gluten free recipe for a chance to win a trip for two to California to take a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu!

_____________
Disclosure: As a Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leader I’m compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Do you compromise your health to keep the peace? #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I love Asian cuisine from Chinese and Japanese to Vietnamese and Thai. Yet due to my food sensitivities and being gluten free, I have to be careful when I go out to eat as well as when I make Asian cuisine at home.

Join me at the Udi’s Gluten Free Community to discuss enjoying Asian cuisine and being gluten free! I’d love to hear your thoughts and share tips on recipes, favorite cookbooks and blogs, and how you cope with being gluten free and going out to your favorite Asian restaurant!

.

_________________
Disclosure: As a Udi's Gluten Free Community Leader I'm compensated for my time and efforts on their behalf.

Happy Chinese New Year! Can you be #glutenfree and enjoy Asian cuisine? #gfcommunity is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Due to my food sensitivities to sugar and milk as well as a desire to make healthier snacks for my kids, I’m experimenting with various frozen treats this summer. While I do have a ice cream maker, I wanted to try out some simpler recipes for fruit popsicles, granitas and paletas first.

Granitas

Granitas is the Sicilian version of sorbet, but more course and crystalline. I liken it to shaved ice with grownup flavors. According to Wikipedia, it’s served in Italy more like an ICEE with a straw, unlike how I made it – more frozen and served in a bowl with a spoon.

Inspired by the Espresso Granita in the June 2011 issue of Bon Appetit, I came up with two healthier espresso-flavored granitas. Instead of milk I used coconut milk and I sweetened the drinks with stevia. To me, both versions taste like a delicious icy, iced coffee.

Just a note of warning! This is a highly caffeinated dessert, so be careful feeding it to the kids or treating yourself to a big bowl after dinner. Unless you all want to be bouncing off the walls that is.

Sugar Free Cappuccino Granita with Chocolate

This is the darker granita shown above on the left.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hot espresso
• 1/2 cup Stevia Extract In the Raw 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk (I used organic Native Forest Coconut Milk)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I used Scharffen Berger Natural Cocoa Powder)

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients into a medium bowl into well combined.
2. Pour into a 9x9x2 metal baking pan.
3. Freeze for 90 minutes.
4. Remove pan from freezer and stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork.
5. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours more.
6. Remove pan from freezer. Using a fork, scrape granita vigorously to form ice flakes.
7. Divide granita among bowls or glasses and serve.

Nutritional information

• Calories 52
• Calories from Fat 44
• Total Fat 4.9g
• Saturated Fat 4.3g
• Trans Fat 0.0g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 14mg
• Total Carbohydrates 1.7g
• Dietary Fiber 0.7g
• Sugars 0.8g
• Protein 0.7g

Nutrition Grade C- from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 1.5

Sugar Free Cappuccino Granita with Cinnamon

This is the lighter granita shown above on the right.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 cups hot espresso
• 1/2 cup Stevia Extract In the Raw 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Stir all ingredients into a medium bowl into well combined.
2. Pour into a 9x9x2 metal baking pan.
3. Freeze for 90 minutes.
4. Remove pan from freezer and stir, mashing any frozen parts with the back of a fork.
5. Cover and freeze until firm, about 2 hours more.
6. Remove pan from freezer. Using a fork, scrape granita vigorously to form ice flakes.
7. Divide granita among bowls or glasses and serve.

Nutritional information

• Calories 97
• Calories from Fat 86
• Total Fat 9.5g
• Saturated Fat 8.5g
• Trans Fat 0.0g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 17mg
• Total Carbohydrates 2.6g
• Dietary Fiber 1.1g
• Sugars 1.4g
• Protein 1.0g

Nutrition Grade C- from CalorieCount 

Weight Watchers POINTS = 2.5

This Mama’s tips

• If you forget to do the first stir and the granita has frozen solid, leave out for a while to soften up before scraping. Or you can break up the block of granita in your food processor. Return it to the pan and freeze for 30 minutes to firm up. Then scrape, flake and serve.
• If you’re concerned about the amount of fat from the coconut milk, substitute low fat or skim cow’s milk.
• Worried about the caffeine? Use decaf espresso.

Cappuccino Granitas, sugar free frozen treats with a buzz! is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

I recently had the chance to send several interview questions to nationally-recognized expert on gluten-free living, Danna Korn, about gluten intolerance. Danna is author of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, Gluten-Free Cooking for Dummies, Gluten-Free Kids, and several other books about being gluten free.

She’s been researching celiac disease since her son, Tyler, was diagnosed with the condition in 1991. That same year, she founded R.O.C.K. (Raising Our Celiac Kids), the largest support group in the country for families of children on a gluten-free diet.

Dana is currently partnering with General Mills on its gluten-free initiative, GlutenFreely.com.

My questions for Danna about celiac disease

1. Is celiac disease an allergy to gluten, a sensitivity to it or something different?
2. Are there varying degrees of celiac disease? Are some people more sensitive to gluten – and have more severe symptoms – than others with it?
3. Do people with celiac disease ever get better or “cured”?

Here are her answers:

Celiac vs gluten sensitivity

I’ve been cooking gluten free for my mother-in-law for over 10 years. Celiac disease affects about 3 million Americans and as many as 1 in 20 Americans have some kind of gluten sensitivity.

Last year I was diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity (and many other food sensitivities) after having an ALCAT test. I knew I didn’t have celiac disease since the biopsy that was performed during my endoscopy came back negative.

According to Danna’s book, Living Gluten-Free for Dummies, I can get away with eating gluten from time to time. However, for people with celiac’s, they must avoid gluten for the rest of their life. If they don’t, they risk damage to their small intestine, which can cause poor absorption of nutrients, as well as a host of other health issues from headaches to infertility.

Symptoms of celiac disease are vast, and include headaches, fatigue, weight loss or gain, gastrointestinal distress, joint pain, and even infertility. Many of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity/intolerance and celiac disease are similar, which is part of the reason why so many people are misdiagnosed. 97% of Americans estimated to have celiac disease are not diagnosed.

Most people who have celiac disease don’t know it. Could you be one of them?

_________________

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Living Gluten-Free for Dummies

My video interview with gluten free living expert, Danna Korn is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Obviously, this guy’s been overeating, over indulging and overly sedentary. But if you haven’t been doing all those things – and your tummy’s so bloated you feel like you’re carrying around this guys tummy - maybe it’s time to reevaluate what you’re eating.

Check out my post on the Attune Foods blog, Does your tummy hurt?, to learn what you can do make your tummy feel better, from food diaries to elimination diets.

_______________

Disclosure: I’m a brand ambassador for Attune Foods and am compensated for my time and efforts.

What’s wrong with this tummy? is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!