The Healthy Cooking Coach

Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance

Are you gluten intolerant? 
I wrote about gluten intolerance and celiac disease (the most severe form of gluten intolerance) in the front part of my most recent cookbook, The Ice Dream Cookbook: Dairy Free Ice Cream Alternatives with Gluten Free Cookies, Compotes, and Sauces (Planetary Press, 2008). I wanted to educate people about these conditions and the problems that can arise from eating gluten grains. Even though I don’t have celiac disease I want to learn as much as a I can about it so I can help more people who do have it and help people avoid health problems that can be prevented.

What do you know about gluten intolerance?
Gluten intolerance affects at least 15% of Americans (1 in 7 people). Celiac disease, the most severe form of gluten intolerance, affects at least 1% of the population (1 in 133 people). Many more may be affected---but not yet diagnosed.

How prevalent is it?
According to Dr. Kenneth Fine, an intestinal researcher at Entero Labs, as many as 42% of Americans may have the gene for gluten sensitivity. That means as many as 1 in 4 Americans may have some delayed allergic reaction to gluten––a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats that have been cross contaminated in harvesting, processing, or packaging. Gluten sensitivity may also be a factor in at least 77% of all cases of autoimmune disease.

The projected number of people with celiac disease in the United States is close to 1.3 million. However the vast majority of people with celiac disease are unaware they even have it. Even if you don’t have celiac disease, you may have an intolerance to gluten and it may be undermining your physical, mental, or emotional health.

Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance
I recently watched a video called Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance, a 2-plus hour DVD of the June 17, 2006 seminar at College of Du Page, Glen Ellyn, IL. In it, Dr. Thomas O'Bryan, DC, CCN, DABCN, gives an overview of the research linking gluten intolerance to a long list of autoimmune, neurological, behavioral, and skin disorders. He explains how gluten intolerance can trigger auto-immune diseases, attention deficient disorders, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, osteoporosis, and other health problems in sensitive individuals.

Here’s what two reviewers on Amazon said:
“Dr. O'Bryan's heavily referenced, easy to follow research overview is crucial to grasping the scope and severity of gluten sensitivity including neurological issues. It extends far beyond celiac disease and is literally a safety requirement in the investigation of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease…”

“This is a DVD worth watching, especially for new Celiacs like me -- I became even more vigilant about staying away from wheat in any form. It would be an eye-opener for people with unresolved health problems. Its extensive research references clearly show a world-wide concern about the effect of Celiac disease beyond digestive problems…”

The iceberg
Drawing on research from the Brittish Medical Journal, Dr. O’Bryan explains how the tip of the iceberg consists of people who have the classic form of celiac disease. They have the gastrointestinal symptoms and they have an endoscopy and blood test that come back positive for atrophy of the small intestines. However, the largest portion of the iceberg is under the surface, unseen, and largely unrecognized.

Eight times more people who have celiac disease have no gastrointestinal symptoms. They silently suffer with this condition. These people often have symptoms outside the intestines so their doctors don’t think to test for celiac disease.

Underneath that part of the iceberg you have people with latent celiac disease. They have the potential to develop the disease. They may be genetically susceptible and may even have some symptoms, but their condition has not progressed so far as to show up on a blood test.

Missing diagnosis
“The rate at which celiac disease is diagnosed depends on the level of suspicion for the disease [Am J Clin Nutr 1000: 69:354-65].” If you suspect and test for it, the rate of diagnosis goes up. So if your doctor doesn’t think you have celiac disease because he’s not read up on the research and is unfamiliar with all the ways the disease can manifest, he may neglect to have you tested for it.

In the U.S. it takes an average of 11 years for a person with symptoms to be diagnosed with celiac disease. One of the reasons is that “Patients with celiac disease may have the silent or atypical form (without gastrointestinal symptoms) and the condition may present outside the intestines [BMJ, Apr 2005].

“Every time the disease is clinically diagnosed in an adult, that person has for decades had the disease in a latent or silent stage [N Eng J of Med, Oct 23, 2003, 1673-4].”

Celiac disease is on the rise
A recent study found that the prevalence of celiac disease has increased 4 to 4.5 times since the 1950s, and that undiagnosed celiacs have a four-fold increased risk of death compared to non-celiacs.

What is celiac disease?
Celiac Disease in an inherited autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive process of the small intestines. When a person who has celiac disease consumes gluten, the individual’s immune system responds by attacking the small intestine and inhibiting absorption of important nutrients. The longer this goes on the more damage is done to the intestines and other body tissues.

Know someone with osteoporosis?
According to research published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, the prevalence of celiac disease in people with osteoporosis is high enough to warrant blood tests for all patients with osteoporosis or osteopenia. Why is this? Osteoporosis takes years to develop. Dr. O’Bryan explains that if you have celiac disease, osteoporosis starts as soon as you start eating gluten. You never build a high bone density. So you get to age 40 or 50 and you have osteopenia.

According to the Brittish Medical Journal, all patients with osteoporosis should be screened for celiac disease. But don’t expect your doctor to know this and test you. You have to be proactive and find a doctor who will test you.

There’s more
The video, Unlocking the Mystery of Wheat & Gluten Intolerance, explains the link between gluten intolerance and autoimmune thyroiditis, type II diabetes, depression, and other conditions that warrant screening for celiac disease.  I won’t try to summarize the entire video. If you want to learn more about gluten intolerance and celiac disease, if you have health problems that have escaped diagnosis, and if you want to know more about how to recognize symptoms that may be indicative of gluten intolerance, I recommend you get a copy of this video and recommend it to your health care practitioner. It explains about what tests you ask for and the second section of the video includes information about shopping and cooking presented by gluten free chef, Sueson Vess, author of Special Eats: Simple, Delicious Solutions for Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cooking, a cooking video called Gluten Free & Dairy Free Cooking with the Seasons, and a gluten-free, dairy free web site with recipes, resources, www.specialeats.com

To order copies of this video or Sueson's cookbook and cooking video, click the title links above or the Amazon icons below.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

As a child I hated peanut butter. I don’t know why. I avoided peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter on celery or crackers, and peanut butter cookies. I don’t even know when I first tasted peanut butter. My favorite sandwiches growing up included egg salad, tuna salad, cream cheese, bagels with lox and cream cheese, and grilled cheese.

A second chance
In college I finally gave peanut butter another try. I cautiously spread a thin layer across a slice of sprouted whole grain bread. I didn’t mind it. The second try wasn’t bad. By the third try II actually liked it. Fast forward 15 years and my favorite mini-meal was peanut butter slathered on fresh or frozen (over-ripe) bananas.

The cookie test
Recipes for gluten free cookies abound, but recipes for grain-free, starch-free, flourless cookies are far less common. Recently I set out to test a gluten-free, grain-free, flourless peanut butter cookie seven ways. I started with Bette Hagmen’s Flourless Peanut Butter Cookie recipe, which I’ve seen published on multiple web sites.

I tried the recipe with almond butter one weekend, peanut butter the next. I tried it with two sugar-free, zero-carb sweeteners (Erythritol and Lakanto), with a low carb, sugar alternative for baking (Nu Naturals More Fiber Baking Blend), with xylitol (40% fewer calories than sugar), and with coconut palm sugar (a low glycemic sweetener with the same calories value as sugar).

Open to experiment
I usually sweeten desserts with stevia, dried fruit, a combination of honey or maple syrup with stevia, or all three of these. Honey I can buy from farmers and stores that support local bee keepers. Pure maple syrup I can buy almost anywhere. Stevia allows me to cut the amount of caloric sweetener I use (honey or maple syrup).

Xylitol, erythritol, and Lakanto are made in a laboratory, although they mimic sweeteners naturally found in vegetables and fruits. You can’t make them or grow them at home. Still, they may help people who want and need to reduce or eliminate sugar and want sweeteners they can use cup for cup to replace sugar in recipes.  More Fiber baking blend contains a variety of fibers and too much fiber can be irritating to some people.You'll have to experiment to see how you do with these sweeteners.

Like I said, this was an experiment. I’m not endorsing any of these alternative sweeteners. I think they’re all safe but I’m not sure how much I will use them in my classes and recipes. (Stevia I’m sold on and have used for years with no digestive distress or other ill-effects.) I want to see what more people think of the flavor and texture of recipes made from them and whether many people experience gas, bloating,or loose stools from the indigestible carbohydrates contained in xylitol, erythritol, and Lakanto, and from the fibers in the baking blend.

About xylitol
Xylitol is a low-glycemic sweetener metabolized without insulin. It’s slowly absorbed and does not cause the sharp increase in blood sugar or the insulin response that usually follows consumption of other carbohydrates. It’s safe for diabetics and anyone else who wants to reduce his/her sugar intake. It has been clinically proven to fight tooth decay and other infections in the mouth.

Note: the dried apricot in the recipe on the right was used to mark one of the cookie tray so I would know which batch contained the xylitol when baking against another batch with a similar sweetener.

Xylitol is a naturally-occurring sweetener (scientists classify it as a polyol) found in many fruits and vegetables. It can be produced by the human body during normal glucose metabolism. It tastes as sweet as sucrose and has no after-taste. It has a slightly cooling taste on the tongue. Its safety has been proven in long-term clinical studies worldwide. Nevertheless, as with other polyols, large quantities may have a laxative or gas producing effect. The amount tolerated varies with individual susceptibility and body weight. Most adults can tolerate at least 40 grams per day.

About erythritol
Erythritol a naturally-occurring sweetener found in many fruits and vegetables. It is three fourths as sweet as sucrose, has no after-taste, and is safe for diabetics. It is a zero-glycemic sweetener that does not stimulate an insulin response. It’s safe for diabetics and anyone else seeking a safer alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners. The safety of Erythritol has been proven in long-term clinical studies and has been confirmed by all the major regulatory bodies worldwide. Unlike other polyols, it does not produce a laxative effect. I used Nut Naturals Sweet Health brand erythritol for my tests.

About Lakanto
The founder of the Body Ecology Diet, Donna Gates, developed a sugar substitute that tastes a lot like sugar (not 100%) without sugar's adverse health effects. This zero calorie, zero glycemic index sweetener is is made from fermented erythritol and the extract of Luo Han Guo, an antioxidant-rich fruit used in Asian. Where as xylitol and erythritol are white, like sugar, Latanto has a beige color like demurara or castor sugar. The main disadvantage to Lakanto is it’s high price tag. It costs more than any of the alternative sweeteners I tried.

About More Fiber Baking Blend
More Fiber Baking Blend contains NuStevia, Maltodextrin, Dextrin, Oat Fiber, Acacia Gum, Tapioca Flour, Guar Gum & Xanthan Gum. Because the stevia is mixed with fibers and starches you can measure this one for one (tablespoon for tablespoon or cup for cup) to replace sugar in cookies, cakes, and muffins.
NOTE: If you have celiac disease, do not use this product because it contains oat fiber. 

About coconut palm sugar
Made from the sweet nectar of the coconut palm tree, coconut palm sugar is a pure and simple low-glycemic cane sugar alternative. that provides the energy and nutrition your body needs for a healthy lifestyle.  If the product you buy contains pure palm sugar and is not mixed with sucrose, it contains more potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron as well as trace amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6 and C than other forms of sugar. It contains roughly the same amount of carbohydrates and calories as sugar. I used palm sugar from EnerHealth Botanicals.

Healthy Chocolate
This unusual dark chocolate is organic, sugar-free, lactose-free, sweetened with xylitol, and made with a proprietary blend of herbs, such as Momordica (to help control blood sugar), Bioperin (to increase absorption of nutrients), Noni (an immune system modulator that contains a lot of antioxidants), Febnol (reduces sugar absorptionin the intestines), Green Tea Extract (a strong antioxdiant and antibacterial), and Ellagic acid (an antioxicant, antimicrobial, and liver detoxifier). I received samples of it and wanted to try it in some recipes to see how it performs.

Note: You cannot bake with this xylitol sweetened chocolate because it burns above 108 degrees F. I chopped and added it to some of the cookie dough as chips and they burned. The company confirmed this and suggested using it in sauces (coarsely chopped and melted with other liquids in a recipe) or melted and spooned over baked goods once they have cooled. That turned out great!

My team of tasters
I didn’t want to overdose on cookies, so I made half batches of each recipe variations I wanted to try. I also recruited 10 friends, three children and five adults (ages 2 to 50-something). The kids were great taste testers with no expectations.

My test results
The recipe was easy to assemble. All of the granular sweeteners produced a cookie with the look and texture you’d expect. The cookies made with erythritol, Lakanto, and xylitol had a cooler taste on the tongue and a difficult to describe flavor that’s different from sugar, but not unpleasant. The cookies made with coconut palm sugar had a softer, moister texture and slightly les sweet taste than the other. None of the alternatives produced a cookie that tasted exactly like a sugar-sweetened cookie, but I think you (or I) could get used to the taste of the alternative sweeteners and cookies.

The verdict

My tasters preferred the cookies made with the More Fiber stevia baking blend followed by the erythritol and Lakanto, followed by the batch made with xylitol. The coconut palm sugar batch was rated “ok” but not great. I agreed with them.

Everyone liked the cookies topped with melted xylitol-sweetened sugar, especially the three kids who tried them and asked for seconds. One of my friends, who tried the cookies with and without xylitol and the xylitol-sweetened chocolate on different weekends said he noticed intestinal gas from the xylitol-sweetened cookies and the ones topped with xylitol-sweetened chocolate. I thought I noticed some but I'll have to work with it more to know for sure. We both have sensitive digestion. Some people use xylitol regularly and say they don't notice any negative effects. You be the judge. Let me know if you try the recipe, what sweetener you use, and what you and your family think of the results.

Surprisingly, the peanut butter cookies didn't taste that peanut buttery. I'm not sure why, but the peanut taste was very slight. Ditto for the almond taste in the almond. Of the two, I liked the peanut butter version best and so did most of my taste testers.

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Prep: 20 minutes    Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes        Yield: about 24 cookies

I found several different version of this recipe, originally created by the late Bette Hagman and published in her book, The Gluten Free Gourmet. It has a wonderful cookie texture without any flour or starch. The recipe called for white sugar. I tested it with a variety of alternative sweeteners. You can use any of the granulated sweeteners listed below. NOTE: If you have celiac disease, do not use the Nu Naturals More Fiber Baking Blend because it contains oat fiber. 

Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened, non-hydrogenated peanut butter
1 cup xylitol, erythritol, Latanto, Nu Naturals More Fiber Baking Blend, or Palm Sugar
2 medium to large eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for ease of clean up.
2. Cream the peanut butter and sugar alternative in a bowl with a sturdy wooden spoon or  the work bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Mix in the eggs, baking powder, and optional vanilla. Mix until only enough to thoroughly combine.
3. The dough will be sticky. Place a bowl of water next to you. Scoop the dough out by rounded tablespoons. With moist hands, roll into  balls, about 1-inch in size.
4. Place the dough on prepared pan(s) about 3 inches apart. Flatten each cookie slightly with the tines of a fork pressed first in one direction, then in the other. Dip the fork in water periodically to keep the dough from sticking. Leave about 1/2-inch of space between each cookie.
5. Bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden on the top and bottom. Let cookies cool on the baking tray for at least 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. They will harden as they cool.

Variations:

• Replace peanut butter with roasted almond, cashew, or cashew macacamia nut butter above.
• Sugar Dipped Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies: Before flattening each ball of dough, roll it in a bowl of xylitol, erythritol, Lakanto, or coconut palm sugar, then flatten and bake as directed above.
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Chips: Add 1/2 to 1 cup of bittersweet dark chocolate or chocolate chips to the cookie dough before shaping and baking. For a sugar-free chip alternative, try cocoa nibs. They’re not sweet, so you may need additional sweetener in the recipe.
• Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate: Coarsely chop 2 to 4 ounces of xylitol sweetened Healthy Chocolate from The Healthy Chocolate Company using a serrated knife. Melt in a double boiler or in a saucepan over very low heat. When cookies have cooled, spoon melted chocolate over each one and spread with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool at room temp or refrigerate to harden the chocolate more quickly.

Economical Eggs

If you want to improve the nutritional value of your diet and economize at the same time, consider eating more eggs. They’re super nutritious, delicious, versatile, and relatively inexpensive. Eggs contain a protein of such high value that its the standard against which all other proteins are measured. 

Eggs are rich in potassium, phosphorus, folic acid, pantothenic acid, vitamin B12, biotin, thiamine, niacin, the fat soluble vitamins A, D and E, the amino acid methionine, and, in some cases, omega-3 essential fatty acids (EPA and DHA) if the chickens receive the raw materials to make them.

How often can you safely consume eggs?
As often as you like. Three, four, five, or six times a week, although I like more variety so I don't eat them every day. I do eat them several (about three to five) times a week and I never toss out the yolks (the most nutrient-dense part!) You can read more about the benefits of eggs and egg yolks in my book, The Garden of Eating: A Produce-Dominated Diet and Cookbook.

While it is commonly, but erroneously, believed that eating cholesterol rich foods will elevate serum cholesterol, numerous studies have shown this belief to be false.  The famous Framingham Heart Study found that dietary cholesterol has no influence on serum cholesterol.  In fact, in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1992, the director of that study, Dr. William Castelli wrote “In Framingham, Mass., the more saturated fat one ate, the more cholesterol one ate, the more calories one ate, the lower the person’s serum cholesterol....”

Cholesterol is essential for your brain, eyes, nervous system, and many other organs and systems in your body. A healthy brain contains generous amounts of cholesterol. If don’t eat enough of it, your body will manufacture it or try go without and then be unable to make the hormones it requires, as sometimes happens to people who follow vegan diets.

Although many organizations caution against eating more than three eggs per week, there is absolutely no scientific justification for such restriction.  Researchers have noted an inverse relationship between egg consumption and death from heart disease.  A 1996 analysis of world wide of egg consumption found that France, Spain, and Japan all have a high per capita consumption of eggs the lowest rates of death from heart disease!  For more about egg and cholesterol myths, check out Thincs (The Internatitional Association of Cholesterol Skeptics) and the Cholesterol and Health Blog, which counters the misinformation we've been fed about cholesterol and health.

Banish the bars
Protein bars have become increasingly popular over the past 10 years. People use them to replace meals and snacks. However, you pay a lot of money for the concentrated calories they provide and you miss out on the benefits of eating real, fresh, whole foods. Even if pass on the bars that contain fructose, high fructose corn syrup, refined white sugar, artificial sweeteners, hydrogenated oils, artificial colorings and flavorings, and chemical names and numbers, you’ll be paying a lot for the packaged product.  Many of the health food store versions still contain highly processed ingredients and have a composition more like a candy bar than a wholesome meal. The bars made from dried fruits pack a hefty dose of concentrated carbohydrates.

Better alternatives
You’d be better off nutritionally and financially choosing unrefined whole foods for snacks and mini meals. For the cost of one protein bar, you could buy a dozen eggs. For the cost of two protein bars, you could buy a dozen pasture-raised or organic, free-range eggs and some fresh fruit, which would provide more snacks or mini-meals than a processed, packaged meal replacement bar. Whole foods require more chewing, increasing your feeling of satiety and reducing the likelihood of overeating. How long does a glorified candy bar really satisfy anyone?

What can you do with the eggs?
Hard boil them and turn them into Deviled Eggs ( I call Angeled Eggs, since the other name makes them sound so evil!) or egg salad, or slice and add them to a salad with fish, chicken, or meat. The eggs go well with sliced celery, jicama, leftover blanched vegetables, or wrapped in lettuce leaves and secured with a toothpick. Hard boiled eggs also taste delicious dipped into herbed sea salt or sea vegetable flakes or topped with hot sauce or salsa, accompanied by celery, jicama sticks, or cherry or grape tomatoes.

For a more substantial sit down meal, consider an omelet, scrambled, fried, or poached eggs. Of these, scrambled eggs and omelets travel best. I’ve packed them for breakfast with sautéed, blanched, or stir fried vegetables from the night before and a piece of fruit and enjoyed them served at room temperature when I’ve had to eat breakfast away from home.

Plan ahead
If you hard boil a dozen or more eggs on the weekend, you can set yourself and your family members up for several easy meals or healthy snacks.

I figure 3 to 4 eggs per person for a main meal (eating 2 or 3 times a day). If you eat 3 times a day and include something starchy in the meal, 2 eggs per person might be enough. If you’re physically active and eat only twice a day, you’ll need some additional protein source, such as meat or sausage, to go with your eggs. I figure 1 to 3 eggs per person for a snack, depending upon what you plan to serve them. Sometimes I serve eggs along with another protein (bacon, sausage, leftover chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, or fish).

Easy assembly
Last Friday, I had a few ounces of leftover steak tartare for dinner with a a couple of Angeled Eggs, a crisp green salad (the veggies were washed in advance), and a fresh, ripe pear with some toasted pecans. I had the meal ready in mere minutes. I didn’t have to cook a thing because I’d boiled a dozen eggs several days before.

This morning I turned 4 hard boiled eggs into a curried egg salad garnished with raw bell pepper and served them with leftover steamed carrots and broccoli, Chebe (manioc/cassava-based, gluten-free, grain-free) Bread Sticks, and applesauce I made last week, all served with a cup of Teecchino (roasted chicory root coffee alternative) with coconut milk and stevia.

This meal was easy to assemble, delicious, and satisfying. While the frozen Chebe dough baked in the toaster oven, the veggies and eggs came to room temp.  I seasoned ground chicken for tonight's Kafta Kabobs to go with leftover roasted Brussels sprouts and Poached Pears with Raisins, Turkish Dried Apricots and toasted pecans).

Do you really know how to boil an egg?
You may think that anyone can boil an egg; however, my experience has been that most people overcook the eggs, which creates a greenish hue around the outside of the yolk, making them more difficult to digest and more likely to cause sulfurous smelling flatulence. Eggs cooked more lightly retain more of their essential fatty acids (such as EPA and DHA found in pasture raised eggs, free range eggs from chickens that run around in a garden, yard or on a farm and have access to bugs, worms, and grubs, and commercial eggs labeld EPA-or DHA-rich eggs from chickens fed a special diet).

How perfectly boil eggs
When I was growing up I used to hard boil eggs….for 30 minutes. I had no idea that I could have accomplished what I wanted cooking the eggs for 1/20th to 1/60th of the time. Now I know that the eggs only need to boil for 30 to 60 seconds. Try this method. I think you’ll be amazed at the difference.

Perfectly Hard-Boiled Eggs
Prep: 5 minutes/ Cooking: 1 minute (plus 25 minutes to rest)/ Yield: 12 eggs
               
Most people boil eggs far too long, resulting in dry, greenish tinged, difficult-to-digest yolks. This recipe is easy, only the instructions are long. You’ll learn it by heart after a few tries. Consider preparing 1 dozen or even two dozen eggs on the weekend to set you up for easy meals and snacks during the week.

Ingredients:

• Filtered water
• 12 medium to large free-range chicken or duck eggs, rinsed
• 4 to 6 ice cubes
• Ground black pepper, lemon pepper or hot sauce, optional

1. Arrange eggs in a 2-quart saucepan. Cover with 1 to 1 1/2 inches of cold water. Cover pot and bring to a rolling boil over medium heat. Cook 30 to 60 seconds. (That’s right, SECONDS!) Remove from heat, and allow eggs to rest in covered pot for 15 minutes. 
2. Drain, and cover eggs with ice water for 10 minutes, then drain and refrigerate them in the shell. Or, tap lightly and peel, or roll eggs between your palms to free shells and skin.
3. Refrigerate peeled eggs in tightly covered container. A wide mouth Mason jar or Pyrex container works well. Use peeled eggs within 1 week, unpeeled eggs within 10 days.

 
2 medium chicken eggs: 128 calories,12 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 44 mg calcium, 110 mg sodium
2 large chicken eggs: 146 calories, 12 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate,10 g fat, 50 mg calcium, 126 mg sodium

 Angeled Eggs/Deviled Eggs

Prep: 20 minutes/ Cooking: 20 to 30 minutes/ Yield: 6 delicious eggs   Serves: 2-3
       
Angled....deviled, what’s the difference? Deviled sounds so much less inviting and puts the eggs in such an unfavorable light. There’s nothing evil about these eggs, especially if you’re using locally grown pasture-raised or at least EPA/DHA-rich eggs from a health food store and mayonnaise that doesn’t contain refined vegetable oils (soy, safflower, sunflower, canola, or generice vegetable oil) or hydrogenated oils. For the richest, smokiest flavor, use bittersweet (not hot) smoked paprika.

Shopping for Mayo: The best tasting brand I’ve found with the simplest ingredients is Follow Your Heart Grapeseed Oil Veganaise. It contains trace amounts of soy protein, which I usually avoid, but this one doesn’t taste beany, doesn’t cause disgestive distress, and contains better ingredients than the other bottled mayos I’ve seed in natural foods stores that are made from refined, polyunsatured oils. If you avoid even trace amounts of soy protein, look for Omega 3 Mayo in natural foods stores or make your own.

Note: If you want to make your own mayo, use extra virgin avocado oil with or without a little flax oil for a more mild flavor than you’d get using olive oil. You can also find recipes on line for making mayo from bacon fat or rendered (preferably grass-fed) beef tallow. I haven’t tried them yet, but I plan to soon. Double this recipe if desired, particularly if cooking for two or more people.

Ingredients:

• 6 Hard-Boiled Eggs (see previous recipes for special tips)
• 1 to 1 1 teaspoons prepared mustard (white or yellow mustard) or 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional (antioxidant)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper or ground chipotlé (smoked dried jalapeno)
• 1 tablespoon finely minced (thoroughly washed) fresh chives, parsley, tarragon or chervil or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled herbs
• 1/4 cup minced sweet white onion or scallion or 2 teaspoons minced shallots, optional
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice, seasoned rice vinegar or organic apple cider vinegar, optional
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise or Homemade Mayonnaise*
• Paprika or bittersweet smoked paprika, to dust egg halves

1. Peel eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Add yolks to a medium bowl with remaining ingredients (except paprika). Mix and mash into a coarse cream with a fork or potato masher.
2. Portion and spoon heaping teaspoon-size balls of yolk mixture into the egg white halves, then evenly divide any remaining mixture. Dust with paprika.
3. Cover in a glass or Pyrex container and refrigerate. Use within 3 days.  

Variations:

• For wet mustard substitute 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard. For a spicy kick, double the pepper.
• Egg Salad (serves 2): Mash whites with yolks and seasonings. Serve on toasted gluten-free bread or breadsticks (such as Chebe Bread) with lettuce or baby greens, cucumber, bell pepper, celery, and grated carrot or whatever colorful veggies you have on hand. For roll-ups, wrap tablespoon sized portions of egg salad in lettuce leaves and secure with toothpicks. Or serve egg salad stuffed into cored cherry or roma tomatoe.