Goodness of brown rice
By PANG HIN YUEIn our previous articles in One Voice, we had highlighted how being on a casein-free, gluten-free (CFGF) diet can help in lessening gastrointestinal problems that are prevalent in most persons with autism. Casein-containing foods include milk, cheese and butter, whereas wheat, barley and rye are listed as gluten-loaded grains.
Now there is a debate that it is the altered protein structure in pasteurised milk which causes problems (see www.mercola.com) and not the casein itself (which is also present in breast milk). In fact, these proponents think that raw milk – be it goat’s or cow’s milk – can be good for health because it contains live enzymes. And, of course, there are also the anti-grain advocates who argue that wheat, barley, rye and even rice are not good for health, especially if you want to stay lean and trim.
As a mother to an autistic child who has been on a CFGF diet for four years, I can only say that some aspects of the diet work for him. Having followed all the debates closely – both pros and cons of CFGF – I have come to the conclusion that it is not a matter of whether the food has casein or gluten or both. What is more important is that the food is healthy and wholesome.
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Rich in fibre and minerals, brown rice can be used for making muffins, pasta and pancakes. |
Here are some recipes which are so easy to follow that even your kids can help out.
Egg-free Banana Muffins
(Makes 6)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
* To make GF flour based on Marilyn Le Breton’s Diet and Autism book, the ratio should be: 4 cups of brown rice flour, 1 cup of potato starch, 1 cup of arrowroot powder/tapioca starch.
Variation/Alternative:
To add quinoa or/and millet, go by this ratio: 1 cup GF + ¼ cup millet + ¼ cup quinoa.
To make chocolate banana muffin, add 1 tbsp of cocoa. For those intolerant to banana, use other fruits like peeled pear.
Method
1. Mash banana.
2. Mix water, oil, sugar.
3. Add flour, honey, xanthum gum, baking powder and mashed banana.
4. Mix well and pour into greased non-stick muffin pans.
5. Bake for 20 minutes at 200°C.
Banana Pancake
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Method
1. Mash banana.
2. Add flour, egg white and honey, and mix.
3. Drop spoonfuls into a non-stick frying pan. Drizzle a bit of oil while frying pancake.
Potato Pancake
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Method
1. Mix mashed potato, GF flour, egg white and salt.
2. Put mixture into a clear plastic bag (e.g. ziplock bags) – or icing bag.
3. Push content into a corner of plastic bag and snip the corner.
4. Heat up non-stick frying pan. Squeeze mixture out like you do for icing and make spiral pancakes.
Coconut Pancake
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Method
1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl with an egg beater until smooth.
2. Drizzle frying pan with oil and fry spoonfuls of batter until crisp.
Hazelnut cookies
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Method
1. In a blender, grind hazelnuts until fine.
2. Mix nut with sugar, flour, cocoa and oil.
3. Knead into a smooth round dough. Add water if too dry.
4. Roll dough as thinly as you can between two clear plastic sheets and use cookie cutter for an assortment of shapes.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes at 200°C.
Brown-rice pasta and other CFGF products are available at:
Country Farm Organics in Bangsar Village, Kuala Lumpur (03-2284 2094), and 1-Utama (03-7724 2166) and Warehouse (03-7880 9936) in Selangor; and Green Gourmet Organic Cafe, 97, Jln SS15/5A, Subang Jaya, Selangor (03-5621 2218).
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