Having a Life Without Bread
First it was low-cal; then it was low-fat. Then it was no-milk followed by no-bread. It seems every five years there is some new evil in our diets that is making us fat or causing headaches and fatigue or digestive problems or any range of ailments. This is not to say our diets are not without fault, especially here in America. But it is highly unlikely that the entire populace is truly lactose intolerant just because blaming dairy is en vogue.
So it is with bread. Once considered an evil influence in our diet thanks to Dr. Atkins, the dark specter of bread is back and menacing as ever owing to the latest health buzzword: gluten. Gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, and barley, is behind the biggest health craze since lactose was in the spotlight as a cause of all sorts of digestive health ills. Health food companies and natural food stores are using “gluten-free” as the latest marketing gimmick. But for those with a real intolerance for the protein, a group of individuals diagnosed with something known as celiac disease, it is a serious health concern and not just a fad.
Many of us have had times when a doctor has advised eliminating a staple pantry ingredient from our diet. "Salt is bad for the blood pressure." "Butter is a cholesterol hazard." But flour? And not just avoiding it as much as possible, but cutting it out completely? That is more difficult than it sounds.
Not only are baked goods out of the question (bye-bye sandwiches, see ya later cake and pie and cookies and banana nut muffins). Everything made with wheat or bread has got to go too. Sauces thickened with flour, beer made with barley (which is almost almost all beer), meatballs bound with breadcrumbs, chicken dredged in flour and pan fried, fish ‘n chips, and pasta of any kind. And then there are the sneaky wheat gluten elements called MSG that turn up as a flavoring in many Asian cuisines. Most soy sauces have a wheat additive as well. For the truly gluten-intolerant diner, cooking for oneself is a challenge and eating out becomes nearly impossible.
Luckily there are a few carbs out there that are truly gluten-free. These spare those who can’t eat bread from a life of salads and poached chicken. Rice and corn are the good old stand-bys in a breadless diet and can now be found as totally appropriate substitutes for wheat in everything from pasta to hot cereals. Quinoa, which is technically a seed, has a consistency similar to couscous, is high in protein, quick-cooking, and 100% gluten-free. Due to its new-found popularity as a result of the wheat-free trend, quinoa is now widely available in several forms, from the artisanal Incan Red quinoa, to pastas made out of the seed.
More difficult is finding a substitute for bread and flour as a thickening agent when attempting to cook gluten-free. A meatball without breadcrumbs is just a ball-shaped hamburger, really. For meatballs to be cooked in sauce to hold up, or skewered to grill and retain their shape, they truly need a binding agent, which is typically a bread crumb mixture often in combination with egg. But it turns out that some Asian countries use ground rice instead of bread to bind their meatballs. Cooked rice can also be a great binding agent with loose ground meat, as in the case of stuffed cabbage.
Whether wheat and bread are merely victims of the latest crime against our diets or whether one really can’t process it, there are other options available. Be it rice from Asia or corn from Central America, there was life before wheat and fine dining will continue--pasta, meatballs and all--with or without that infamous loaf of bread.
Made with lime, apricot preserves, garlic, shallots, sugar, fish sauce, white rice, Serrano chili, salt, ground pork
Serves/Makes: 4
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/4 cup minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons white rice
- 1/2 minced Serrano chili, seeds removed
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 cup apricot preserves
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce
Soak wooden skewers in water while you prepare the meatballs.
Mince garlic and combine in a medium bowl with shallots, sugar and fish sauce.
With a coffee grinder, grind rice to a fine powder and add to bowl along with Serrano chili, salt and pork. Mix all ingredients until well combined. If desired, check for seasoning by heating a small amount of oil in a frying pan, adding a teaspoon of the meat and cooking through. Make any necessary adjustments.
Using 1 to 1 1/2 Tablespoons of meat, form into balls. Skewer meatballs onto wooden skewers. Place finished skewers on a grill preheated to medium high.
In a small saucepan, melt apricot preserves with lime juice and chili sauce over low heat. Meatballs should take about 5-6 minutes to cook through.
During last few minutes of cooking, brush with the melted apricot preserves turning skewers to be sure and coat both sides. Serve with rice and grilled vegetables.
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3 comments
Thank you, Amy, You know that I have been anxious to receive this recipe and will include it in my gluten-free meal plan this week. I just may serve it over "rice stick" noodles. I would like to emphasize a point to all of your readers who may have celiac disease or who may cook for someone who is gluten-intolerant: always read the labels on purchased, prepared sauces. There may be hidden sources of gluten in stabilizers/ thickeners, and sometimes the ingredients in a familiar product change from purchase to purchase. The fish sauce and garlic chili sauce in this recipe are, indeed, gluten-free. Note: It has been estimated that 1 in 100 people may be gluten-intolerant, and many of these people are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. So it's smart for all of us to have a couple of great, gluten-free choices "at-the-ready"! Thanks again. Love, Mom
Comment posted by Mom
Think trying to eat without gluten is hard? Try cutting out Gluten, Potatoes, and Yellow #5 (its in more things than you think).
Comment posted by Gwen
My husband was having stomach trouble for 25 years before they found he was a celic. Since then I have tried many foods to find replacments for the foods he loved and now can not have. If you are lucky enough to live near a Whole Foods Store they have a nice assortment of gluten free deserts and breads and they are very good. My husband loves the cinnamon raisen bread as french toast. They also have a pizza crust so he can eat pizza with the grandkids again. As soon as we get a kitchen again I plan to do more research and make some of these myself (they are pricey) in the store. Just thought you would like to know. We are really lucky that so many people are finding out they are celics for when we found out about my husband there was almost no info or recipes. Good thing I like to cook.
Comment posted by Dee
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