I am on Day 3 of giving up wheat for a week. So far, so great! But first, let me tell you why I decided to try this little experiment. Monday afternoon I read a blog post about Celiac Disease. Let me make clear right away, that I am not diagnosing myself with Celiac Disease. As I read the post, I noticed that I had several of the symptoms that the author had. The dark circles under my eyes for the past I don't know how many years, the fatigue, digestive issues, migraines.... Then, my mind settled on my annual checkup with my doctor a couple of years ago. He told me that many people have a wheat allergy that they aren't aware of and when they stop eating bread and wheat products that their symptoms disappear. Then my ADD brain flashed-forwarded to my allergy test last year. The results were +/- for wheat and Dust mites. The allergist told me that meant that I was not allergic to either. But I know that I know that I have a severe reaction every time I dust. I'm sick for days after. That's at least part of the reason I don't. However, I digress. I also recalled how those same health issues always seem to get better when I'm watching my "carbs". In other words, not eating bread.
It was like an epiphany, or maybe I was seeing flashes of light because I ate too much whole wheat toast for breakfast. I decided right then and there to go wheat-free for a week as a trial.
All gung-ho for better health, I was pumped. Then it hit me like a pie in the face that I was going to have to cook without flour, and pasta, and bread. Oops! But, so far, I've done it. The first night I made Cajun Casserole (and no, I did not write down the recipe as I threw stuff in the mixing bowl) The second day, I decided on lemon-herb roasted chicken (didn't write that one down either, but the recipe follows) and I surfed around the internet until I found a cornbread recipe made with cornmeal and rice flour (which I just happened to have, lucky me!). It turned out with lovely results, but I'm still perfecting the recipe. I'll share it here when I get it right. It's a little more dense and cakey than I like my cornbread. It didn't soak up the bean juice all that well. By yesterday I wasn't sure what I was going to make, so I ran to the grocery store and grabbed a sack of potatoes. We had leftover chicken and baked potatoes. Mine was together, smothered in cheese and sour cream. I think I can get used to this.
So aside from the slight limitations, or maybe because of, I've had a wonderful time this week coming up with new and terrific things to cook for my family. And I feel great! I have more energy, I haven't had a headache since Monday, my digestive issues have all but disappeared and I think (possibly wishfully) that the dark circles are fading. And to top it off, I haven't gained a single pound from the increase in carbohydrates. So here is to happy and healthful eating!
Lemon-Herb Roasted Chicken
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cook Time: 45-60 minutes
*Chicken can be prepared ahead and refrigerated overnight. Our small family of two adults and a preschooler were able to eat plentifully on one breast of chicken and save the other for the next night and beyond.
2 split fryer breasts, with skin left on
1 lemon
1 Tbsp fresh rosemary and thyme, finely minced
EVOO (Extra-Virgin Olive Oil)
lemon pepper
salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. You may not want to do this right away, especially if you are preparing the chicken the night before.
Rinse thawed chicken breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken skin-side up in a glass baking dish or roasting pan.
Slice lemon in half. Squeeze juice from 1/2 of lemon on each piece of chicken. Save the rest of the lemon for garnish and your iced tea later.
Lightly coat chicken with olive oil. Sprinkle just a dash of lemon pepper and salt, and the herbs on to the chicken. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so. Or not, if you don't have time.
In the meantime, prepare all the other great stuff like green beans, broccoli, salad, or potatoes to be started when you put the chicken in the oven. Pretty much anything goes with this chicken.
When it's about an hour until supper time, preheat your oven. Take the plastic wrap off the baking dish and stick it right into the oven on the middle rack. The high heat and olive oil will make the skin crispy. The herbs will brown but they should not burn. There is no need to baste, the juices from the chicken will pop right through the skin and run down over the chicken. You want it to be crispy anyway and basting will wash off all the seasonings. Get ready, the smell of the herbs will make your house smell fantastic. When you can't stand the waiting any longer and it has been about 45 minutes, get your thermometer out and check to make sure that the temperature inside the chicken is 180-degrees. Now, hopefully you used the cooking time to set the table and get everything else ready, because when your family smells the chicken when it comes out of the oven, there will be a stampede to the table.
3 comments:
As someone who's been binging on cereal and Cheez-Its all week, I can only say "More power to you"! But it's interesting to see how much of a difference a few days can make. Do you think you'll keep going when the week is up?
Cheez-Its. Sigh. Most of the other bloggers reported seeing results immediately, as well. I think I probably will keep going. Especially if I notice a difference when I slip. Honestly, I know I'll probably cheat. Mostly because I love bread (and Cheez-Its) but also because truly gluten-free products are quite expensive. But, I will certainly never look at wheat products the same again and just try to minimize how much I use them when I can find a better alternative.
It sounds like you indeed have a gluten allergy. You know if you love cheez-its and bread you might find relief in making some things like that yourself. Also try out Ezekiel bread. It's wheat free! It's a bit pricey but if you are the only one eating it, it should last awhile. I think it's yummy :)
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