In my last post, I mentioned that I recently decided to go gluten-free. I have to say, it's been more difficult than I imagined. I've cheated a couple (ok, maybe several) times. Even so, I do notice a difference (a positive one) in the way I feel in the times when I stick to it. I also REALLY notice a difference (a not-so-positive one) when I mistakenly (or, more often than not, purposely - I told you, it's been hard) eat something with gluten in it.
Many people ask me why I initially decided that this was something I wanted to try. I'm not Celiac, so it wasn't as if I HAD to do it. That being said, I'd talked to several friends and family members who had gone GF, some more recently than others, and after having discussions with people who swore that a GF diet had changed their life, I did some research of my own.
I've dealt with G.I. issues since I can remember, and I've been taking some form of acid-reducing/acid-inhibiting medication on a regular basis since I was in high school. Much of the research that I read about a GF diet indicated that it may help to relieve some of the persistent (and uncomfortable) symptoms that come along with tummy troubles. So I decided I'd try it. I'd rather control my issues naturally than have to take medication all the time.
I did really well for the first month or so (everything I've read says you really have to be GF for 6 weeks or more to get all of that icky gluten out of your system initially, so it will likely take that long to truly see how the diet will work for you), but unfortunately, lately I've kind of fallen off the wagon.
I love pastas and pizza and heck, apparently I love bread. A lot. And yes, you can eat all of those things and still be gluten-free, but it just isn't the same. And honestly, the stuff hides EVERYWHERE! Soups, salad dressing, sauces...spices, for goodness sake. I find myself checking the labels of everything I eat, hoping and praying before I look at the ingredient list that I won't find something forbidden.
I think that my true problem with eliminating gluten from my diet is that I'm such a proponent of EASY cooking. You can make a perfectly healthy, easy dinner for yourself and for your family and it doesn't have to be gluten-free. So really, I have to weigh the pros and cons every time I make my menu. Continue to eat gluten even though I know that I can do my body better if I don't? Or sacrifice a little more time in the kitchen/making my menu so that I feel as great as possible? I'm trying to do the latter. And once I figure out the maze that is gluten-free eating, my goal is to figure out a way to make it easy, too.
One of the biggest problems that I had during my first two weeks of this diet was figuring out how to keep my caloric intake in the right place. I needed something to nibble on in between meals, something that would fill me up enough to hold me over and prevent me from picking up something I wasn't supposed to eat just because I was that hungry. I needed snacks.
Today's recipe is a tried and true one for me. I honestly make these probably three times a week. My husband and I are addicted to them. I've made them with all kinds of flavor combinations, too, and I always enjoy them. The recipe I'm giving you just happens to be one of my favorite combos, but feel free to try your own as well (seriously, even just salt and pepper works great!).
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tbsp olive oil
chili powder (I use McCormick - check your label!)
ground cumin (I also use McCormick)
salt
pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Drain chickpeas and pour beans onto a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over beans and stir to coat. Sprinkle chili powder, ground cumin, salt and pepper on beans, mixing together to coat well (use as much as you like, there are no exact measurements here. I sprinkle enough to cover the beans evenly). Place in preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir beans. Add back to preheated oven for 15 minutes.
Allow chickpeas to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Until next time...
Cheers!
