Many people have removed dairy from their diets for health reasons including those who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or excessive phlegm production (including recurrent ear infections in children). And more people are turning towards a gluten-free diet for the management of celiacs disease or gluten intolerance. (This diet is recommended to be trialled in conditions such as autoimmune disease and infertility.)
A gluten and dairy free diet may sound limiting at first but the key is to focus on eating the plethora of foods that you enjoy that also make you feel well. You may even discover new foods to replace the ones you no longer eat. It will open up a whole new world of food. All of the recipes I post fit into this category.
Here’s a favourite:
Vegetarian pizzas
Ingredients
- 2 gluten & dairy free wraps (or pizza bases)
- 2 tablespoons organic tomato paste
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1/2 red capsicum, sliced
- 4 mushrooms, sliced
- 1/2 medium sweet potato, sliced and roasted
- 2 vegetarian sausages (gluten free), grilled and sliced.
- Olives, sliced
- Sundried tomatoes, sliced
- Dried or fresh basil
- Dried or fresh oregano
Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- Spread tomato paste over each base.
- Top bases with sweet potato, mushrooms and vegetarian sausage.
- Make a top layer of the onion, garlic, sundried tomatoes and olives.
- Sprinkle basil and oregano over top.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes in moderate oven until slightly crispy and lightly browned on top, and your kitchen is filled with the smell of herbaceous, freshly home-cooked pizza.
Variations
- Use whichever vegetables you like most on your pizza – the above are just some suggestions that I used on my last pizza (and it was delicious). The key is to be plentiful with your toppings and in particular choose some toppings that contain some good oils (eg. roasted sweet potatoes and sundried tomatoes), so that your pizza has the perfect balance of slightly crispy on top while still moist underneath.
- If you eat seafood, poultry or meat you may add it to your pizza – or you can choose the vegetarian recipe for a meat free meal in your week.
- If you can’t live without a cheesy topping, you can try a rice/almond/soy milk white sauce made with a butter alternative and a gluten-free flour. Spread your sauce over the pizza, cook it in the oven and then be sure to grill the top of the pizza just to slightly brown it before serving.
For further information on Chinese Medicine contact Dr Sarah George (Acupuncture). Sarah is a practitioner of acupuncture (AHPRA registered), massage therapy and natural health at her Broadbeach clinic and is the Chinese Medicine Senior Lecturer at the Endeavour College of Natural Health Gold Coast campus.
