Week One

It has been over three months since I've posting anything on this blog.  Not because I don't have anything to say.  Mostly because I don't have much to say that I feel will impact my readers somehow.  That, and the fact that I only have a few readers.

But today, Sunday, November 14, 2010, I have something very important to share with my few readers and whoever stumbles across my little slice of the interwebs: I am going gluten-free.  Not halfheartedly.  100% giving up the pasta, pizza, cookies, cake and other delicious baked goods that are so prevalent in my life.  Having to pick and choose what I can and cannot eat next week at Thanksgiving dinner.  Having to plan ahead on what I can eat at a restaurant.  And prepping and cooking the majority of my meals at home, unable to rely on fast food or prepared foods from the grocery store deli.  Shopping for groceries tonight took close to two hours, as I went up and down each aisle, studying labels and reading ingredient lists.  This is my new life.

And you know what? I'm psyched. Amped. Pumped.  Jazzed. Because I have discovered that gluten is making me feel like shiz.  I'm not a full-blown celiac (that I know of...still waiting on blood tests and stuff to confirm).  But I'm one step below that.  I have a skin condition called dermatitis herpaformis.  I'll spare the nasty details, but gluten is causing me and my skin to be miserable.  Itching and inflammation 24 hours a day.  Not to mention low energy and fatigue.  And quite possibly a link to my depression.  Please let there be a link to my depression.

So for now and the foreseeable future, gluten and I are not friends.  Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and a few other grains.  And they are found in a lot of stuff.  So starting today, I'm planning my weekly meals and shopping for all of them on Sunday evening.  Here's what this week's dinners look like:

Monday: Broiled NY strip and mashed potatoes/carrots
My mom used to add carrots to our mashed potatoes when I was a kid and it was always so good.  It makes them a little sweeter and gives them an awesome yellowy orange color.  Just boil carrot chunks right along with your potato chunks and then mash them when they get good and tender.  I'm adding butter, half and half, and Parmesan to mine.

Tuesday: Using leftover steak to create my own version of Chipotle's burrito bowl at home. 
Boiling my rice with cilantro and lime juice, canned black beans fancied up with cayenne pepper and cumin, green tomatillo salsa, sour cream, jack cheese, guacamole and lettuce.

Wednesday: Zucchini lasagna
I'm slicing my zucchini lengthwise into thin strips to take place of the lasagna noodles.  Other than that, it will be fairly traditional lasagna fare.  HEB sells ground pork with Italian seasonings, so you don't have to spend time removing Italian sausage from the casings to brown it.  I'm mixing my meat with Arrabiata sauce, and layering it with the zucchini and a ricotta/mozzarella mixture. And possibly a Bechemel sauce thickened with cornstarch instead of flour.

Thursday: Chicken & Green Chili Stew
I won't be following a recipe. This will be my first time making it, so I hope it isn't a huge disaster.  I'll poach my chicken breasts in gluten-free chicken broth, then create a stew/soup thing by adding onion, garlic, red and green bell peppers, chopped green chilis, corn, cumin, and a bit of half and half to make it a little creamy.  Topping it off with shredded jack cheese and crushed tortilla chips. 

Friday: Gluten-free penne with Alfredo sauce, peas and mushrooms
I've had G-F pasta before and it really isn't too bad.  Doesn't quite have the bite that traditional al dente pasta does, but I can deal with that.  Basic alfredo sauce of butter, cream, and Parmesan. Sauteeing some white button mushrooms and throwing in some frozen green peas. Voila.

Does anyone else follow a G-F diet, or another special diet?  Any tips or meal ideas?