Against the Grain: Raising Awareness about Celiac Disease

Bob’s Red Mill has been aiding the gluten-free community for years now. The have many products that are delicious and safe for those of us who require gluten-free diets. Their gluten-free chocolate cake mix comes in handy during birthdays and their hearty whole grain bread mix is one of my husband’s favorites. However, for March’s product of the month, I have chosen their Gluten-free Rolled Oats. Even though oats in and of themselves are gluten-free, a lot of fields where oats are grown are located right next to fields with wheat, barley, or rye. The wind can carry seeds back in forth between fields so, the odds of cross contamination of oats after they are harvested is extremely high. Bob’s Red Mill oats are available in three varieties–Rolled, Quick-Rolled and Steel Cut–and are made from oats grown by a cooperative of over 200 farmers dedicated to growing only pure, high-grade oats. Each farm delivery is sampled hundreds of times and tested with an R5 ELISA gluten test to ensure the absence of gluten. Advanced color-sorting removes undetected impurities. Roasting enhances that wholesome robust flavor you expect. Finally, the oats are packaged in our 100% gluten free facility and tested for gluten again to ensure their purity. Although a tiny fraction of the population cannot tolerate even the purest gluten free oats, most will find oats to be a deliciously welcomed addition to their diets. I like the old-fashioned rolled oats, not only because they are a healthy but, because of how easy and quick they are to cook. Just one serving has 20% of a daily serving of fiber and 14% of a daily serving of protein. They are also heart healthy. I’ve listed a recipe below to show another way to use these great oats!

Healthy Oatmeal Cookies (with Honey)

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients

• 1 cup gluten-free flour (a pinch more depending on the moisture of the mix)
• 1 1/2 cups of Bob’s Red Milled Old-fashioned Rolled Oats (smaller flake is ok too)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp Cinnamon (I actually use about 3 Tbsp–got to love cinnamon)
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg (optional)

Wet ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup oil (corn, grapeseed or olive) * you can also use some applesauce to replace some of the oil if you wish* I prefer grapeseed oil over olive or corn
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses
• 1 egg (beat with 1 Tbsp Water)
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Preparation:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.
2. In a medium bowl, mix all the wet ingredients together. Hint: when measuring out the honey, spray the measuring cup with oil or baking spray–your honey won’t stick).
3. Mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff. Add the raisins or chocolate chips if you want. If the mixture seems too wet, add a bit of flour. If it isn’t binding together very well, you may wish to add an egg white.
4. COOL the mix for 20 minutes in the fridge.
5. Preheat the oven to 335 degrees (lower temperature due to the honey in the recipe which will burn more easily).
6. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto your baking sheet (I recommend lining the baking sheet with parchment paper). Press down with a fork to ensure even cooking.
7. Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes or until golden on the bottom of the cookie. The cookies freeze very well and make a great snack! Enjoy!