Jun
2013

Surprising “Don’ts”: coconut milk, icing sugar, MSG and garnishes

categories: Eating In, Food Allergy Tips, Gluten-Free Products
Check the source of coconut milk in kaya. Powdered is likely to contain gluten.
Check the source of coconut milk in kaya. Powdered is likely to contain gluten, as Daisy painfully found out. Ugh.

Hey folks, it’s me Daisy again. Sorry I’ve been lost to the blogging world for awhile. Planning an allergy-sensitive menu for one’s wedding can be tricky!

However, engaging in that reminded me of some subtle things to look out for in avoiding gluten here.

Here are some Malaysia-specific surprising “don’ts”:

1. Coconut milk. While fresh is almost certainly gluten free, powdered can contain wheat. Check for the source of coconut milk in items such as kaya, cendol, bubur, and kari.

2. Icing sugar. You’ll have to carefully notice the dusting on top of custards and other desserts. Very often contains gluten. Can even be used on figs and other dried fruit. Check labels and/or ask.

3. MSG. Ubiquitous here. Remember to specifically tell waitstaff to *not* put it in as MSG produce in Asia may very well be derived from wheat, and therefore contain gluten.

4. Fried onions or garlic. Always used as garnish. You’ll almost never be told that it is even an ingredient–people forget to include “decor.” Avoid. Often coated in flour before being deep fried.

5. Rice noodles or cakes. Some may be made from a certain percentage of wheat or other gluten-containing grains. Try to ask to see the packet.

Peace,

Daisy


May
2013

Detox Tummy Repair

categories: Food Allergy Tips, Recipes

Being glutened has definitely increased since moving to Malaysia. One of my coping strategies to make myself feel better and to give my digestion system a break is to do a detox. I set aside a week or two when I don’t have too heavy a work load and stock up on the healthy stuff. For two weeks, I try to cut out all processed food and eat lighter. A typical detox day includes a green and fruit juice for breakfast, a light meal for lunch and a protein shake smoothie for dinner. After a week of this, I’m usually no longer foggy headed, my tummy isn’t bloated and sore and my skin clears up. There are plenty of detox recipes all over the Internet but here’s my version of a typical day.

Breakfast ( makes 2 glasses)

1 handful cubed pineapple
1 cup chopped Kai Lan (the asian equivalent of kale)
1 cucumber peeled
1 teaspoon fresh ginger
1 green apple
1 cup romaine lettuce
1 stick celery
A sprig of mint

Pop all of this in to a juicer if you have one. If not, you will need a blender, 4 ice cubes and a strainer to remove the lumps.

Lunch

Chicken And Ginger stir fry

1 chicken breast sliced
1 teaspoon fresh minced ginger
1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic
1 red pepper sliced fine
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 red chilli
1 teaspoon five spice powder
A handful of chopped coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste

Sweat the onions and garlic and ginger in a little virgin coconut oil ( 2-3 teaspoons to coat pan) and add the five spice powder. Stir until fragrant. Add the chicken mixing it to coat with spices. Sautée on medium heat til chicken is lightly browned and add chilli and broccoli. Cook for a further 3 minutes and add capsicum. Cook for another minute and turn heat right down to low. Toss in coriander leaves and season to taste. Turn heat off and serve.

Dinner

Mango lassi detox style.

One mango cubed
2 scoops protein powder ( try to find one that’s gluten free obviously but also dairy and soy free with no added sugar or sugar substitutes)
1 cup fresh coconut juice
A pinch of cardamom powder
Juice of 1/2 a lime
1 teaspoon stevia if you need it to be sweet
4 ice cubes

Blend in a blender and serve.

In between I drink lots of water. I tend to take breaks from phding every 45 minutes so I make sure to drink a large glass of water each time. Living in the tropics also means fresh young coconut juice and I have one a day. It’s chockful of electrolytes and covers my sweet craving.

Enjoy!

Kiss kiss

Bubbles