Although, most of her allergies can be treated by a "Naet Practitioner", someone who specializes in allergies and sensitivities, the whole gluten and dairy allergy is really a blessing in disguise. Gluten and dairy cause inflammation in the body and are usually the cause behind bloating, auto-immune disorders and other things like ADHD and autism. No one knows what really causes the above mentioned, but studies show that people who have removed dairy and gluten from their diets have amazing results. Most kids with these horrible childhood illnesses have major turn-around with they way they behave and interact when they adopt an inflammation-free diet. For adults, we usually have less indigestion, less symptoms associated with PMS, Menopause, muscle cramping, fatigue, etc...
If you've ever tried anything "gluten free" from the grocery store, it's probably made you want to yack. I bought a cookbook not too long ago to start trying some gluten free options for when Soph is eating with the rest of us, and I'm not going to lie, I was worried... Gluten free used to make me think of dog food, and gooey, sticky textured food with a sort of bitter flavor. However, I found a book called "Quinoa 365" and after using this book, I've found some AMAZING recipes. The best part too, is they have recipes for breakfast, snacks, lunch, appetizers, dinner, cakes, desserts, and baby food. I'm adding a cookie recipe today and please keep in mind that just because you can live a life free of gluten and dairy, there is still sugar, fat and calories in these foods. People always seem perplexed that they've cut out so many things from their diet and they are still gaining weight; but calories are calories. If you take in more than you're burning off, you're going to gain weight. If you consume more sugar than nutrient-rich food, you're going to gain weight and lack proteins, vitamins, minerals, and carbs. It's that simple.
So enjoy this amazing recipe, but don't eat the entire batch on your own.
It's not dairy free, but you can supplement the chocolate chips for dairy free ones and the butter for lactose free butter. I've also found that making it with cane sugar makes them too sweet and gives the cookies a more granular texture.
Double Chocolate Cookies
Makes 3 dozen
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white or cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups quinoa flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Blend in the eggs and vanilla and stir until the mixture has a smooth consistency. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and blend well. Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll into 1 1/4 inch (3cm) balls.
Place the balls 2 inches (5cm) apart on a large, ungreased baking sheet and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake on the center oven rack for 8-10 min. The cookies will be puffy and soft when removed from the oven but will flatten when cool. Store in a sealed container for up to one week or freeze for up to one month.
A note about Quinoa:
Quinoa is high in vitamins and minerals such as riboflaven, calcium, vitamin E, iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, folic acid, and beta carotene.
Per 1 cup of uncooked Quinoa:
Calories 626
Total Fat 10g
Saturated Fat 1g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 8mg
Total Carbohydrate 109g
Dietary Fiber 12g
Protein 24g
Per 1 cup of cooked Quinoa:
Calories 222
Total Fat 3.5g
Saturated Fat 0g
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 13mg
Total Carbohydrate 40g
Dietary Fiber 5g
Protein 8g
ENJOY!
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