Ess Gezint–Food You Want for the Life You Crave: Tailor-Made for Healthy. Gluten-Free Families

Jul 10, 2019 by Rivkie Stern

By Rivkie Stern

For a few years now, I’ve been gluten-free. I took it on as an experiment and have been feeling great without wheat and other processed foods that contain gluten. My family has always been health-conscious in general, and, in more recent years, we’ve refined our eating habits to focus almost effortlessly on a daily optimal balance of fruits, vegetables, nuts, lean proteins and complex healthy carbs. But we all love variety, and I’m on constant lookout for interesting ideas to test out on my discriminating guests.

When I saw Nealy Fischer’s new cookbook, The Food You Want for the Life You Crave, I was immediately taken by the beautiful assortment of super-healthy recipes. Cooking is so much about eye appeal. For my family, it’s more than just appearance. The simplicity and wholesomeness of the recipes in this book, have us super excited. Picking out which one(s) to try first was challenging!

Breakfast has always been a big challenge especially when raising kids who tend to reach for junk cereal as a quick fix before rushing out to school or camp. My grandchildren clamor for my fancy pancakes but with our healthy lifestyle, it’s difficult to validate the flour and sugar used in standard pancake recipes. Therefore, I was super excited when I found Ms. Fischer’s recipe for Grainless Banana Pancakes. With bananas, eggs, almond flour, and ground flaxseeds, these pancakes won a prize even before I actually made them! We’ve made them a few times already, and suffice it to say, my healthy conscience is clear—and there were no leftovers.

A second recipe that is now going to become a lunch or dinner staple in our household is the Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai. Spaghetti squash is a fave in our house but we usually have it with tomato sauce and cheese on top. A childhood friend of mine has a Pad Thai recipe that is so good, you’d never know she makes it herself, but it’s filled with soy sauce (gluten, salt) and oil (empty calories). Ms. Fischer’s recipe, made with tofu (so it’s parve!), hit the spot. The flavorful sauce, with rice vinegar and honey combined with healthy, low-carb ingredients plus chopped roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro garnish, forms a winning combination. The next time I make this, note to self: make double!

Grainless Banana Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium ripe bananas
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup almond flour
• 1 Tbs flaxseeds, ground
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp raw honey
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Coconut oil or oil spray for frying
• Maple syrup or butter for serving (optional)

In a medium bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until smooth. Add the eggs, almond flour, flaxseeds, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and salt, and blend thoroughly. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes to thicken slightly.

Heat a griddle or nonstick pan over low heat (to avoid burning) with a touch of coconut oil, or lightly spray the pan. Spoon the desired amount of batter onto the pan. Because the batter is delicate, smaller pancakes tend to flip more easily without breaking. Cook until the edges are firm, about 4-5 minutes, then flip the pancakes and cook on the other side until cooked through, 2-3 minutes more.

Serve with maple syrup or butter. Makes 18 3-inch pancakes.

Spaghetti Squash Pad Thai

Pad Thai

• 8 oz firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
• 3 Tbs peanut oil or olive oil, divided
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 medium (3-lb) spaghetti squash
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 scallions, greens cut into 1-inch pieces, whites chopped
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts

Pad Thai Sauce

• 2 Tbs rice vinegar
• 2 Tbs fish sauce
• 2 Tbs dark-brown sugar or raw honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

To Finish

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• ½ cup chopped roasted salted peanuts
• 3 Tbs hot Chile oil
• 1 lime, sliced into wedges
• Red pepper flakes, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400⁰ F. Grease 2 large baking sheets. Arrange the tofu on a prepared baking sheet and season it generously with a Tbs of oil, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the squash lengthwise in half, use a sharp knife, and use caution, as the squash is hard to cut through. Place the halves flesh-side down on a prepared baking sheet.

Slide the tofu and squash in the oven. Remove the tofu after 20 minutes, or when it is firm, crispy, and lightly browned on the edges. Set aside. Bake the squash for 10-15 minutes, for a total cooking time of 30-35 minutes, or until it is tender and separates into strands. Do not overbake or it will be mushy. Remove the seeds from the center (seeds are easier to remove once the squash is cooked rather than attempting it raw).

Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl with 2 Tbs of water. Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 Tbs of oil in a large wok over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.

While the onion is cooking, scramble the eggs in a separate small frying pan coated with oil over medium heat until cooked, about 4 minutes. Set aside.

Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the cooked tofu, spaghetti squash, and garlic to the wok with the onions, stirring to combine. Stir in the sauce, and cook until incorporated, 2-3 minutes. Stir in the cooked eggs, scallions, and bean sprouts, just to heat through. This whole cooking process should take only minutes on a medium-high flame. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To serve, garnish with cilantro, peanuts, and drizzles of Chile oil and lime juice. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes for more spice, if you like. Arrange lime wedges on the side. Eat immediately. Serves 4

Recipe and Photo reprinted with permission from FOOD YOU WANT FOR THE LIFE YOU CRAVE By Nealy Fischer; Da Capo Lifelong Books/April 2019