A disapointment and some tacos

As I previously posted, we've been eating gluten again, lots and lots of gluten. Every morning we have shredded wheat or whole wheat scones; for lunch a sandwich; for dinner we have pasta, bread, whole wheat tortillas, pizza. Not to mention all the baked goods I've been making using the wonderfully easy, fluffiness of whole wheat flour, cake flour...yeah I've been going a little overboard. I mean, cake flour?? It goes against a lot of my rules, but tastes oh, so good!

 But, I digress. When we first went gluten free I didn't notice a difference in anyone but Chunks. We didn't feel any better or worse. Mr. F and SweetPea were still eating bread for sandwiches and ate whatever bread products they wanted outside the house, but all baked goods, breakfasts and dinners were gf because it was just easier. So, for the last few weeks we've run our little experiment and Chunks has done great! I began eating it first, and he was fine so we gave it to him, and he did great! We actually had a better week than most! But then, we began to notice a difference in the rest of us. Actually, Mr. F noticed it. Which, for those who know him, know that for him to say he has an issue,he must really have one, because he thinks gf is a joke. I'll spare you the details, but lets just say this has been a painful 10 days at our house. So, we're backing off of wheat...AGAIN. It is a severe understatement to say that I am disappointed. I'm no martyr. I'm not the kind of person who loves having food allergies (yes, I've met people who do). In fact, I feel ungrateful, high maintenance and snobby. I. WANT. TO. EAT. BREAD. I love to cook, I'm a huge foodie and there is nothing I love more than curling up on the couch with a wedge of melted brie and a whole baguette. I am very glad we did this trial though. It's nice to know that Chunks isn't Celiac. In fact, I don't even think he's intolerant. And, now we know that we can have wheat sometimes, just not 3 meals a day. It's nice to know we can go to restaurants and accept invitations to peoples homes for dinner without being paranoid. If they serve bread, it's ok. We can eat it and still feel fine, and that's a huge relief. I can enjoy holidays again, I can go to parties without having to eat dinner first; I don' t have to avoid gluten like it's the plague. So, from this point on, we won't be having gluten at home, except for special occasions,(like Thanksgiving) and everywhere else, we'll do our best. There is a silver lining though, I gained almost 5 lbs from all the bread products, so it should come right back off after a few weeks of gluten free again!

I for one, do not like substitutes. I don't like almond milk, I like cows milk. I don't like tofu, I like meat.  And don't even get me started on cheese substitute and egg beaters, NO WAY. The exceptions to this are almond flour and sorghum flour. For whatever reason, I really do like these just as much as whole wheat or even white flour. So, in trying to find gf, vegetarian meals, I look for things that are naturally gf, instead of an over processed, estrogen filled alternative.
One ingredient that fits this criteria is lentils. I love, love, love lentils and feel that are severely underutilized in America. For those of you who have never had them, I'll give you some background. Lentils are a legume, and are very popular in Indian cuisine. They are high in fiber and protein, and have almost twice as much iron as other legumes. They are also high in Vitamin B and Folic acid and therefore extremely beneficial for pregnancy and women of child bearing age. Beluga lentils are an antioxidant and help protect you against heart disease, cancer and slow down many effects of aging. Wondering why we don't eat more of them aren't you? I serve lentils about once or twice a week. They are a delicious side or main dish and have a wonderful heartiness and almost meat-like quality. These lentil tacos leave you feeling full and satisfied, while not even noticing the lack of meat. They are naturally vegetarian, gf when served with corn tortillas, and can even be vegan if you use the right fixings.

Lentil Tacos:
4 carrots, shredded
2 zucchini, sliced very thinly longways
3 crooked neck yellow squash, sliced very thinly longways
1 package bella mushrooms, sliced thin
2 onions, sliced into thin rings
1 thinly sliced green bell pepper
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup lentils
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tsp cumin, divided
1 1/2 tsp chili powder, divided
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
corn tortillas
any other taco fixings you'd like

Preheat oven to 500*. Place vegetable broth in a sauce pan to boil and begin chopping vegetables. Once the water is boiling, add lentils, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder. Bring back up to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Cook for 45-50 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Before cooking

After cooking

About 20 minutes into the lentils cooking, place a few tablespoons of olive oil on a cookie sheet. Place all of the veggies on the cookie sheet and drizzle with remaining Olive Oil. Add 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp chili powder, salt and pepper. Toss until veggies are well coated. Put in the oven for 10 minutes, then mix and cook another 10 minutes, repeat again for a total cook time of 30 minutes, but check often so that nothing burns. Place lentils and veggies in a corn tortilla with spinach, guacamole, salsa, beans and any other sides you love.