Gluten Free Vegan Living

Last week, I posted an article on What is a Vegan?  Because I admitted that I was really not a vegan any longer, this was a difficult post to write.

So today, I am going to explain that I am a Flexitarian and why ….

First, what is a flexitarian?  According to Wikipedia:

A semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet is one that is plant-based with the occasional inclusion of meat products. In 2003, the American Dialect Society voted flexitarian as the year’s most useful word and defined it as “a vegetarian who occasionally eats meat”.  In 2012, the term was listed for the first time in the mainstream Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.

Vegetarianism is the practice of abstaining from the consumption of meat. Common reasons for adopting a flexitarian diet may be health, environment or reduction of resource consumption, which are also arguments in favor of adopting a fully vegetarian diet. While flexitarians may view the flexitarian diet as occasional indulgences, vegetarians may strongly resent the term and view it as cheating or as a moral lapse. Other than flexitarian diets that may include any type of meat, semi-vegetarianism includes:

• Pollotarians: They eat chicken or other poultry, but not meat from mammals, often for environmental, health or food justice reasons.

• Pescetarians: They eat fish or other seafood, but not poultry or meat from mammals. The macrobiotic diet is plant-based, and may or may not include the occasional addition of fish or other seafood.

• Pollo-pescetarians: They eat fish and poultry, but not meat from mammals.

So yes, I eat meat occasionally.

My story is rather interesting as I grew up in a ‘meat and potatoes’ family (or a meat and macaroni family!) and never really enjoyed eating much.  Once I got out on my own in college, I ate lots of vegetable dishes — often without meat at all!

Salad or soups/stews have always been one of my favorite meals.  But it never occurred to me that my body needed more veggies!  When I got sick from the overload of gluten, my naturopathic, who diagnosed me, was a vegan.  He and his wife spent time helping me adapted a vegan — or nearly vegan diet!  I felt like I had found home!!

So why did I switch to a Flexitarian diet?  After being vegan for a few years, I went back to be retested.  My naturopathic doctor discovered my high uric acid level and asked me again if I really had given up red meat!!  After some research, I discovered that the extra uric acid was, mostly likely, coming from the extra beans I was eating.

So once again, for health reasons, I changed my diet again.  I now eat poultry a few times a week, have an occasional fish or pork dish — and almost never eat beef.

There you have it!

Back to spring/summer salad recipes, here is one of my favorites:  Quinoa Tabouli Salad.  The recipe has been modified from a friend’s orignal recipe and made to suit my husband and my tastes.  I share it with you today:

Quinoa Tabouli Salad

In a sauce pan:

2 c. quinoa

4 c. water

• Bring quinoa and water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 12-14 minutes.
• When quinoa is done, put in large mixing or salad bowl. Add 1 chopped or minced large onion (red is best) and ½ cup olive oil. Mix thoroughly, and let cool.

Cube 1 avocado (firm is better), and place in small bowl with ½ cup pure lemon juice (keeps avocado from browning). Set aside.

Once quinoa is fully chilled (you may refrigerate), add:

1 c. coarsely chopped cilantro

One (3/4 – 1 c.) finely diced cucumber

1 can of corn, drained

Small container (1 cup to 1 pint) of grape tomatoes cut in half (may substitute cherry tomatoes, or dice up whole tomatoes, but grape tomatoes are best IMHO)

2 – 5 cloves of minced fresh garlic (to taste) or garlic powder to taste

Celtic or other salt to taste (2 tsp is good)

Toss thoroughly.

Blend in the avocado and lemon juice, GENTLY, to avoid mushing the avocado.

 Optional:

• One diced red bell pepper (did this in the last one – very good)
• ½ cup sliced black (or green) olives
• Fresh spinach leaves
• Napa Cabbage or Bok Choy
• Zucchini or summer squash (in addition or in place of cucumber)
• Minced or sliced canned/pickled/fresh jalapeno

Quinoa is one of my favorite things to eat.  You can make it into so many dishes for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  If you have never tried Quinoa, I suggest you do!  If you live near a Costco, they have the best quinoa for a reasonable price!

Still looking for spring/summer salad recipes!!  Don’t forget to submit yours as soon as possible to be featured on this blog next week.  Email it to me at GFDFSandy @ gmail.com.  I will be accepting recipes through midnight Sunday, April 22.  HURRY!!

I love quinoa.  You can make so many great dishes with this simple little grain.  Quinoa was completely foreign to me until I found out I was gluten intolerant.  What a blessing in disguise!

Following is a recipe using some very nutritious ingredients …

 Quinoa Salad Recipe with Roasted Beets, Chick Peas, Baby Spinach and Orange

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked quinoa
2 beets, trimmed and quartered
Olive oil
Sea salt
1/4 cup fruity olive oil
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoons organic gluten-free tamari sauce
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or rice vinegar
1 tablespoon organic raw agave nectar or local honey
1 cup drained rinsed chick peas
2 big handfuls of baby spinach leaves
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 fresh orange, peeled, trimmed, cut into bite sized pieces

Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2011/01/quinoa-salad-with-roasted-beets-chick.html#ixzz1lNbyyiWw