Gluten Free No-Boil Lasagna

I am a huge fan of cooking once, eating two nights in a row. Lasagna is definitely one of my favorites- not exactly simple, but well worth it.

When I first found out I had Celiac Disease, giving up pasta was the hardest part for me. I love pasta in all shapes and sizes and my new diet had me depressed. Naturally, I quickly learned how to replicate most recipes I loved. One thing that gave me a hard time was making lasagna. All noodles I was able to find required pre-boiling, which took a crazy amount of time and never really worked out the way I wanted (picture me trying to separate big lumps of pasta that formed because I was too lazy to cook the noodles separately; it was not pretty…)

And then, one fine day, I stumbled upon a gluten free no-boil lasagna noodle. I was so happy! However, knowing that gluten free noodles don’t act the same as their wheaty counterparts, I had to find a recipe that was relatively simple and delicious. I think I was able to do just that by experimenting.

You do not have to make this recipe gluten free- it works just as well with semolina pasta. I sometimes make it as a meat lasagna and sometimes a veggie one, depending on my mood and what’s available. I will mostly be referencing the meat in this recipe- just replace it with whatever veggies you prefer. I’ve tried making gluten free béchamel sauce, which I will post the recipe for in the near future, but I also like this simpler method of adding creaminess to the dish.

The ingredients:

1 box of no boil lasagna noodles (I used the De Boles brand ones)

1 lb ground beef and/or veggies of your choice (I like zucchini, bell pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes)

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ an onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic

1 1/2 – 2 jars of pasta sauce of your choice, depending on how saucy you like it

½ cup water

1 15oz container of ricotta

2-3 cups of shredded Italian cheese blend

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

Salt & pepper (and any other herbs you like) to taste

The instructions:

·         Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C)

·         In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat

·         When hot, add the onion and garlic until they soften

·         Add the meat and brown thoroughly (or add veggies and sauté), adding salt and pepper to taste (in the lasagna I took the pictures of, I used meat and mushrooms- delish!)

·         Drain any excess fat, then add pasta sauce and water; let simmer

·         In a bowl, combine ricotta, egg, 1 cup of the Italian cheese and parmesan; if the mixture seems too thick to spread, add a little of the sauce and stir it in

·         Take the sauce off the heat; in a 13x9x2 dish, spread ¼ of the sauce

·         Make one noodle layer with the uncooked noodles ( I usually do three next to each other- they expand when they cook)

·         Spread ½ of the ricotta mixture onto the pasta

·         Add ¼ of the sauce

·         Make another noodle layer

·         Spread the remainder of the ricotta mixture

·         Add ¼ of the sauce

·         Make the final pasta layer

·         Add the remaining sauce; be sure to cover all of the pasta so that it cooks evenly

·         Top with 1 – 2 cups of Italian cheese, depending on how cheesy you like it (I like it very cheesy)

·         Cover the dish with aluminum foil and cook for 50 minutes

·         Remove the foil; turn on the broiler and cook until cheese is golden brown

I hope you enjoy! Please excuse my terrible attempts at taking nice pictures of the food- I still have lots to learn…

Celiac Disease Sucks Sometimes

Most days, I don’t mind having Celiac Disease. I don’t really have to think about it much anymore- it’s just the way my life is now. Sometimes, I even feel as though having Celiac Disease is a blessing in some ways and has made me an overall healthier person.

However, every now and again it sucks! There are certain social situations involving food that are just no fun for me anymore. Unless I am invited to a fellow Celiac’s house, any breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner always turns uncomfortable for me at some point.

It always follows a very similar pattern: I cannot eat the food that is being served, so I don’t eat. I don’t comment on it, I don’t think about it, I just mind my own business while not eating. A well-meaning participant tells me that I should eat something. I then tell them that I cannot. If the person knows about my disease, they promptly drop the subject, apologizing for having forgotten about ‘that’. If the person does not know about it, things get interesting- the conversations can either get cut quite short or become very detailed or very awkward.

Just the other day, I explained very simply that I am unable to eat anything containing flour. My conversational partner, after considering this for a moment, replied: “Oh… I wish I had that!” and then went into a detailed account of how much she loves breads and cake. I just nodded and left the table.

Because she doesn’t know! She has no idea how much it sucks sometimes to not be able to eat any food that your friends prepare. Or to eat at restaurants. Or to eat a regular delicious baked good. She doesn’t know the impact it has on your life to give up all gluten containing foods. She doesn’t have to read the label of every product she buys, including things like toothpaste or lip-balm. She has never had to make sure she doesn’t kiss her children after they’ve eaten a slice of birthday cake at a party for fear of cross-contamination.

Of course, there are a bazillion diseases that are much worse. I am actually very lucky to ‘only’ have Celiac disease. When my doctor told me they suspected either Celiac or Crohn’s Disease, I prayed that I would get the less severe diagnosis of the two.

But some days, it sucks. Some days, I just want to eat a Big Mac (even if they are horrible for you) or a donut or a slice of pizza or the delicious smelling fresh bread. Some days, I wish that people would invite us over for dinner. Some days, I wish I didn’t have to ask my daughter not to touch my food or my glass.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease that is well controlled by sticking to a gluten free diet. It is not an allergy. It is also not like e.g. lactose intolerance, where people can take an enzyme to help them digest their food. It doesn’t go away- it is a life long illness. It is often accompanied by other autoimmune disorders and puts you at an increased risk of developing intestinal cancer. There are worse things, but it is a disease nonetheless and I wish people would take it more seriously.

Celiac- My Blessing in Disguise

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2007, after a life time of vague physical problems and later terrible gastro-intestinal issues. Initially, I was devastated to have to live on a gluten free diet. My favorite food has always been pasta and I love all things that are starchy and delicious, i.e. gluteny. Over time, I have come to the realization that my Celiac has been a blessing.

You’re probably asking yourself how a disease can be a blessing. My Celiac has forced me to take a close look at what I eat. Whereas I used to give ingredients on food labels a quick glance-over at best, I have to study them very closely now. And there is a lot of stuff in our food that doesn’t need to be there!

Go into your pantry or fridge and pull out a food container of something that you consider to be a simple food. Let’s take a look at deli meat, for example. Should there be anything in there apart from meat and a few spices? I say no. However, if you read the packaging you will find a long list of confusing ingredients that sound chemical and not edible. What is BHA? Do I want to eat it?

I have found that we as consumers have become far too accepting of what kind of products are put in front of us. We buy what is available, even if it contains garbage that we really don’t want to eat, just because we feel like we don’t have many other options. In addition, many consumers don’t bother to find out to what is in the groceries they buy. As long as they can afford the price and it tastes good, there are few complaints.

I have started paying attention to what goes into my body. It has been a gradual process- from only checking for gluten at first, to trying to eat as naturally as possible now. This has not only influenced what I eat- it has forced my husband to eat more healthily, too. My children have made me be even more alert when it comes to the food that ends up on our table. I don’t want their delicate little bodies to be polluted by pesticides, artificial hormones, genetically modified ingredients, etc.

In addition, my lifestyle changes have had a slight ripple effect. Because I have to pay such close attention to my food, my friends have started to also pay attention. Reading food labels is just one of the ways they have started looking out for me and for themselves.

However, I can honestly say that my disease has not only affected my food intake. It has made me look at so many things in a different way. Because of my Celiac, I was determined to breastfeed my daughter. I’m not sure how it would have been otherwise. Because of my breastfeeding, I read the parenting books that I read, learned the things that I learned, and became the mother I am today. All in all, I have become a much more crunchy person and I love it!

Not only has the discovery of my Celiac made me a healthier person, I think it has made me an overall more conscious and therefore a better person. I am very grateful to be as healthy as I am now and that I have had the opportunity to make all these wonderful life changes. Even though I have come across people who have made fun of me or have been far from understanding, I can honestly say that I am very happy to be just the way I am- gluten free!