Gluten Free Sweet & Savory Sloppy Joes

Denial, it isn’t as good as a good ol sloppy joe, but just as messy!

I wanted to start off by letting everyone know that denial is a crucial part of getting through and understanding Celiac Disease or just going gluten free.

There are many different types of denial but we have all faced or experienced at least 1 of them if not many.  We all go through that phase at the beginning whether you found out by blood tests, confirmed biopsy, or going gluten free and feeling a difference, but that OH JEEZ-I don’t want to do this phase.  Heck, I don’t have to do this do I?  I can cheat sometimes?  I don’t feel all that bad when I get a little gluten?  I am not THAT sensitive.  I can just eat gluten around my friends so they don’t think I am high maintenance. Or some take genetic tests and know they carry the markers, but heck they don’t have any symptoms at all.  OR I just have IBS, definitely not Celiac.  I will be fine, because there is no way I am cutting out bread or pasta.

HECK I had a doozy of a denial session during my pregnancy with my first son and after his birth as well.  Your immune system can change drastically during and after pregnancy.   I will admit I was having a hard time with being gluten free, just because I felt my husband *might think* I was being high maintenance.  I never really took a ton of time to explain Celiac or what it does to my body.  As most Celiac’s know, you get creative and quite good at hiding all those bathroom running sessions.  Heck I learned how to go to the bathroom in record time.  I could go faster than someone just peeing!  So no one would know!  I would blame those frequent bathroom sessions on something being in my contact, or just drinking too much water and having to pee a bunch.  No one knew any different.

So when I got pregnant with my son and I ate a little gluten and didn’t go running for the bathroom I thought I was cured!  Was I?  HECK NO!  But I jumped at the opportunity to believe that so I could be “normal”.  What I didn’t even realize or think about was all the little things that I was damaging and doing to my body.  Please don’t be in denial.  It makes your body into a sloppy joe mess!  I didn’t notice how tired I was all the time.  I blamed it on the pregnancy (but after being pregnant 3 times and gluten free the last with 2 small boys-the amount of fatigue I felt was not normal).  I was severely anemic during this pregnancy.  I was sick constantly.  I had pre-term labor for no reason.  My cervix was shortening and I was on meds the whole pregnancy with an irritable uterus.  After birth I had thyroiditis for no known reason and had hyperthyroidism out of no where.  Funny but after going back to gluten free it resolved itself later.   If I could go back and go gluten free during this messy denial phase, I would.  Many women (will have to find the clinical journal later to post), find that hyperemesis gravidarum (severe nausea and morning sickness in pregnancy), has been linked to some with Celiac Disease, so has unknown pre-term labor, as well as severe anemia and vitamin deficiencies.

Here is one website with some general common symptoms of Celiac Disease-for anyone not just men or women!  We can talk about other non-pregnancy related symptoms next time.  I think I had them all!  I went so long before being diagnosed that my entire body was slowly shutting down.  It can be a scary journey especially back 13+ years ago when not many were as educated as they are now.  There is still a long way to go though.

http://www.celiac.com/articles/1106/1/Celiac-Disease-Symptoms/Page1.html      (Celiac.org website)

or

index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=12

(Celiac Disease Foundation website)

or

Page1.html

(Celiac.org website)

I get on these scientific tangents, but I think it is important to think of Celiac in all aspects of your life.  Although I am sure there will be men reading this blog as well as women, I think it is important to realize that sometimes your body’s immune system may change for some unknown or known reason, but do not be in denial and think you are cured.  Some people reading this will have gluten intolerance and there is no good test for that, so going gluten free is the best and easiest way to know.  Trust your GUT!  Literally!  Right now there is no cure, and really eating gluten free can be quite yummy!  I am here to help with that.  AND it can be easy sometimes too!  As a mom of 3 small children I don’t make every single thing from scratch.  As you will see in later recipes, I cut corners when I can.  If I find something pre-made and it is good, I will be the first to use it!

So on to the sloppy joe recipe!  Sorry for being long-winded.

 

GLUTEN FREE SWEET & SAVORY SLOPPY JOE

1 lb 3 oz ground turkey -gluten free (can use beef as well)-That’s the size of the package I get.

1/2 large green pepper diced very small

1 small onion, diced fine

1 tbs onion powder (just make sure there are not anti-caking agents)

1 (8 oz) can of organic tomato sauce

1/4 cup of Ketchup (I use Heinz)-check to make sure it is gluten free

1/4 cup of BBQ Sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey BBQ) This brand is gluten free

1 tbs of firmly packed light brown sugar (gluten free)

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp sea salt

dash of ground black pepper

1 tbs Worcestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins -which is gluten free)

1 tbs apple cider vinegar (gluten free)

 

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a dutch oven, lightly spray the bottom with cooking spray.   Sautee the onions and green peppers over a medium heat.

2.  After 5 minutes, add the ground turkey and cook on medium high until done.

3.  Drain the extra fat or liquid.

4.  Stir in the onion powder, tomato sauce, ketchup, bbq sauce, brown sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and vinegar.  Simmer covered on low heat for 20-30 minutes.  Stir every so often.

5.  I serve mine on open face toasted Udi hamburger buns!

 

Hope you enjoy!  Happy eating!

THANKS!

Nahry