The (Almost) Fat Free Chocolate Pie (GF/CF)

With Thanksgiving approaching and my elderly father needing to eat extremely low fat, (not to mention that all of us would benefit from reducing our fat intake) I was newly inspired to figure out how to cut the fat on this much loved desert. My first challenge was to come up with a pie crust that did not use any shortening nor oil. This was a tall order! Although what I have created probably will not impress any diehard pie crust lovers -- my family finds this crust enjoyable, and lets face it -- a decent pie filling can overcome about any crust!

This crust can also be used to make the pumpkin pie recipe in my book -- the only difference is that for pumpkin pie -- you will add the filling BEFORE cooking the crust. (and you should also oil the pie pan with about 1 tsp of canola or olive oil)

Fat Free Pie Crust:

(update-- I have found that when I DON'T use the entire amount of apple date fat substitute called for in this recipe -- but only use the bare minimum to make the flour mixture sort of crumbly and barely able to stay together when mushed, that I get a MUCH better pie crust. It is more crumbly and less stiff. However this will make it harder to create a nice lip, and pricking holes will be nearly impossible -- but then not necessary)

Ingredients:


  • 1 1/4 cups sorghum flour
  • 1/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 2 TBS finely ground golden flax seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp xanthan gum (this is optional-helps crust stay together better)
  • 3/4 cup apple-date fat substitute (see recipe below)

Directions:


  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix well with a wire wisk.
  3. Add the apple-date fat substitute and use a fork to mash and mix it into the flours, until the mixture is mostly very small little lumps.
  4. Transfer the mixture to a glass pie pan and using a piece of parchment paper about 4" x 5" between your fingers and the pie dough, press the dough into the pan. Keep moving the paper around to allow you to press whereever needed and not have the dough stick to your fingers. Make a nice slightly thicker edge at the top and give it a nice flat lip.
  5. Use a fork to prick little holes (hundreds) over the entire surface of the crust -- bottoms and sides. Then place the crust into the oven. Bake for 11 minutes -- remove it before it turns brown and it will not stick to the pan -- even though no oil was used.
  6. Allow it to cool before adding the chocolate filling.

If you are making this crust to use with Pumpkin pie -- which must cook for an hour -- then you should oil the pan with 1 tsp of canola oil BEFORE adding the dough or carefully cut and lay in pieces of parchment paper before adding the dough.)

Apple-Date Fat Substitute

Ingredients:

  • 5 medium sized apples washed and core removed (peel if not organic)
  • 10 whole dates, pits and hard end piece removed.
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract1/4 tsp liquid stevia extract

Directions:

  1. Place all ingredients into blender or food processor and process until TOTALLY smooth and creamy. (Scrape down sides if necessary and blend again.)
  2. Store extra in glass jar in refrigerator -- keeps at least one week.

Chocolate Pie Filling

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 4 tsp Eden agar flakes
  • two 12.3 oz boxes of Mori Nu Firm "Lite" Silken Tofu
  • 3/4 cup Rapunzel organic/fair trade 100% Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 cup organic/fair trade sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 10 oz jar blackberry fruit preserves
  • 5 tsp gluten-free vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp gluten-free hazelnut extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

  1. Place the water into a small sauce pan and sprinkle the agar flakes over the top. Alow the flakes to just sit there while you do the next step.
  2. Place all the remaining ingredients into a large blender (Vitamix) or food processor. (It must be able to hold just over 5 cups.) Process very well -- until very smooth and creamy.
  3. Bring the water and agar mixture to a boil over a medium heat -- stir frequently and watch it closely. It will get kind of jelly-like. After about 3-5 minutes when it is good and thick, add it to the rest of the pie filling and quickly blend it all together on high one last time -- then immediately transfer the filling to the cooled pie shell. Allow the pie to chill for several hours or overnight before serving.

Serves 12. (This pie is VERY rich and filling. Servings should be small.) Each serving has about 200 calories and less then 1.5 grams of fat.

About 60% of Americans have the genes that predispose them to becoming gluten sensitive.

Recent research (By Dr. Kenneth Fine) suggests that about half of these people have detectable immunological reactions to gluten, and the majority will NEVER meet the classic definition of celiac disease -- even though gluten IS triggering an autoimmune reaction in their body which may affect many organs or tissues other then the small intestine.


Recipe for these GFCF Penguins is in my book!

Are You Educated on Genetic Engineering?

Biotechnology is the new frontier. Yet, few people in our country right now, have any idea, just how dramatically Genetic Engineering is poised to change our lives. Proponents believe biotech holds the possibility of doing some great things, and I believe it might have some great applications, but there is also evidence that this technology if misapplied or allowed out of the lab/hospital setting, could have significant and even disasterous consequences for our health, and well being. The problem is, there is so much money to be made right now in biotech, and so little required in terms of safety testing, and no requirement for product labeling, that human hubris and capitalism being what they are, I think we are headed for some difficult lessons -- before appropriate safeguards are put in place. I believe at the very least, people should have the option of taking the risk of exposure or avoiding this risk if they so choose. (But that is currently NOT the case.) Please watch the video below (it is less then 20 minutes long) of how one mother (who just happened to be a wall street food analyst) woke up to this issue. Then go explore this site: Seeds of Deception to learn the facts so that you can protect yourself and your family.

Should you avoid Genetically Engineered Foods?

Check this out -- Vitamin D

Many of us probably have suboptimal levels of vitamin D, which can be a contributing factor to the development of many of the related conditions and symptoms more common in those who are gluten sensitive. Watch this video -- It's worth the investment of thirty minutes of your time. I should mention however, that while some authorities consider D3 superior to D2, there is good data that if D2 is taken in reasonable amounts (like 1000-2000 iu daily -- not the huge megadoses that some doctors recommend taking on a weekly basis) that D2 is very effective. (And for someone like me who prefers to minimize any possible exposure to prions which may contaminate animal derrived substances -- of which D3 is one -- this is very good news.)

Dietition Jack Norris has great info on Vitamin D here. Be sure also to read Vitamin D Researcher/MD Michael Hollick's book, The UV Advantage.

Recurrent Abdominal Pain (R.A.P.)

Pre Celiac Disease?

As soon as my daughter could talk she began to report to me that her tummy almost always hurt. Although it didn't become really bad until she was about 8 years old -- this I believe was due to long term exclusive breastfeeding. Throughout her early years, I raised the issue of her chronic abdominal pain with our family doctor on many occaisions, and he would assure me that nothing was wrong, that RAP was very common in children and usually due to emotional issues. When it increased in severity we went to see another doctor -- he thought she might have ulcers -- but that test came back negative and the other tests he ran showed that she was in good health. He thought she was fine too. Eventually I learned about gluten from a friend and well you can read the rest of this story by clicking on the links to articles at the top of this page. However the main point I wish to make here is this: In looking back, it is clear to me now that my daughter -- probably from birth was reacting to gluten. Her fussiness, her greenish stools, her starting to nurse and then pulling off and crying, and then years of tummy aches -- all suggest that gluten was causing her issues from the very beginning. On many occaisions I suspected that wheat might be affecting her -- but its withdrawal never entirely resolved her issues. Now of course I know that gluten is not just in wheat, but also barley, spelt, rye, oats and lots of things made from these. RAP is very common and most the time, it's cause is never found. I would urge anyone who's child is suffering, to explore the possibility that gluten might be the cause of their distress.

Why is Gluten so Problematic?

August of 2009 Scientific American published this very in-depth article on Celiac Disease:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=celiac-disease-insights

With this quote in it:

"Gluten, however, has a peculiar structure: it is unusually rich in the amino acids glutamine and proline. This property renders part of the molecule impervious to our protein-chopping machinery, leaving small protein fragments, or peptides, intact."

However one thing the article left unanswered. I want to know what is the scientific basis for so many doctors believing that antigliadin antibodies are non-specific and are not (by themselves) indicitive of a problem? The article said that anti-gliadin antibodies are NOT considered specific to celiac disease because they are often found in people who do not have celiac disease. But given that it has only been about 65 years that the medical profession has even made the connection between celiac disease and gluten, and only SIX years since the medical profession realized the incidence was at least TEN TIMES more common then they previously thought....why are they still assuming that anti-gliadin antibodies are nonspecific?

Could it be that all those people who do have antigliadin antibodies in their systems, but don't show damage to the villi are still having a dangerous reaction to gluten? Should the definition of celiac disease be altered...or else dropped altogether and simply be part of a condition called gluten sensitivity which may or may not create visible damage to the villi of the small intestine?

Taxonomic Relationship Amongst Grains

Taxonomic Relationship Amongst Grains
Only the Hordeae tribe make their own gluten -- but oats can absorb gluten if they are grown or stored near gluten containing grains.
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