Cooking Through the Coronavirus: Dairy, Wheat & Corn Free

There are two ways that our society has viewed the outbreak of Coronavirus. Towards the beginning, the repercussions of the virus seemed without end. It was hard to continue on everyday inside, not knowing when we would be able to come back to the ‘normal’ way we live life - with friends and family and socialization. We longed for the day in which we could finally resume life without hearing the words “six feet apart,” without having to check the news and hear about the grim effects that the virus has caused. As time progressed inside though, some people began to realize that the repercussions could have some positive aspects. The environment began to make a positive comeback. By staying inside, you were not only protecting your own health, you were helping others stay healthy. By staying inside, you had more time for self reflection and healing of mental health. By staying inside, people began to realize that they could start working on the things that could enact positive change in themselves that they did not have time for before the social distancing methods began. For the first time, people were given the chance to relax from the hustle and bustle of stress and anxiety in their everyday lives.

In my time indoors, I have decided to improve my health. I have been working towards becoming completely dairy, wheat and corn free and today marks four weeks of a clean diet. Working out has become more of a daily routine for me as well. My efforts have already started to pay off and not only do I feel healthier physically, I feel that my mental health has improved. I wanted to use this opportunity to help others who may be struggling with their health and wellbeing. It is not easy to stay inside consumed with your own thoughts, but I have found that focusing on my health has made me more motivated, energized and positive. As a result, I want to share my favorite recipe of my diet so far: Vegan Apple Pumpkin Crisp from Histamine Friendly Kitchen!

While visiting home for spring break, I visited an integrative doctor because I had been experiencing chronic fatigue, heightened anxiety and irregular heart rate patterns. I constantly felt lightheaded and struggled to work out without feeling as though I was going to pass out. After every meal, I was bloated and uncomfortable, no matter the amount of food I ate. After living this way for almost four years and trying to seek help but failing, it was getting to be unbearable. With the help of a full blood test, it was concluded that I had low iron, low Vitamin D and high histamine levels. I was also tested for food allergies and each food group tested positive for an allergic reaction. I was instructed to be put on a dairy, corn and wheat free diet indefinitely. I was extremely shocked. I have always had a very strong connection and reliance on food as an outlet for comfort and happiness. I knew this would be a huge change not only for my body, but my mindset as well. I was not ready to give up mac-and-cheese and grilled cheese for strictly vegetables, fruits and most meats. I didn’t even like meat and if Chick-fil-A didn’t exist, I probably would’ve been a vegetarian!

The first week of the diet was extremely hard. It is difficult to remember your favorite foods and envision their tastes when you are not allowed to actually eat them. My mouth would water just at the thought of eating the foods I could not eat - making it hard for me to stay positive about my mostly bland diet. One recipe though stood out to me. It made me hopeful that I could eventually find recipes that made me not only feel better, but would be just as enjoyable as my favorite restricted foods. This food, the apple pumpkin crisp, is warm and delicious. It is the perfect dessert to top off my new dinner meals - and it is healthy! It makes a perfect snack and tastes flavorful whether it is hot or cold. Warm pumpkin apple crisp works well on a cold fall night, or a cool slice on a nice April afternoon.

In order to make this mouth-watering dish, there are a few ingredients that you need to collect. These ingredients include:

• 1 cup of (gluten free) oat flour, ¾ cup of (gluten free) rolled oats

• ¾ cup of coconut sugar

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp vanilla powder/extract

• ¼ cup and 1tbsp of olive oil (or another oil of your choice)

• ⅔ cup of pumpkin puree

• ⅓ cup of macadamia nuts

• Apples of your choice

1.) To start off this delicious dish, you need to preheat your oven to 350(F) degrees. To prepare your apple slices, you should make sure to wash and clean the apples thoroughly to remove pesticides and germs. Cut each apple into thin, neat slices and discard the cores.

2.) Next, you will want to chop the macadamia nuts into very fine pieces; depending on the texture you prefer, chop bigger pieces to add more crunch.

3.) Mix all the dry ingredients - oat flour, rolled oats, coconut sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla powder - together in a large bowl.

4.) In a separate bowl, mix together the remaining wet ingredients of oil and pumpkin.

5.) With a spoon or a spatula, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix them together gently.

6.) Add the chopped macadamia nuts and mix to create a wet and sticky dough.

7.) Transfer the dough to a pan lined with parchment paper, making sure to spread the dough precisely and evenly.

8.) Press the apples on top of the dough lightly - I even like to create a layered pattern on the top with the apples to please the eye.

9.) After this, bake the crisp for approximately thirty to forty minutes. Check on it every so often to ensure that the apples are not beginning to burn. To check to see if the crisp is finished, insert a toothpick into the center - if it comes out clean, it is done being cooked and can be removed from the oven.

I love making this dish. By the time it is ready to be pulled out of the oven, the aroma has filled my entire kitchen with the smell of warm, sweet cinnamon and apples. My mouth is watering before I even have the chance to cut up each slice into serving sized portions. Whether you enjoy baking or not, I can promise you that this dish is worth the effort needed to make it. With the perfect mixture of smooth and crunch, this crisp satisfies my cravings in each bite.

I usually prepare this food with red apples, but am very interested to try it with sour green apples in the future. I am excited to experiment with this recipe and try new things that could help enhance the flavors and create a little variation with the taste. So far, the only changes I have made to the recipe is lowering the amount of sugar, lowering the amount of oil and increasing the amount of pumpkin in order to make it healthier. I hope that as I become more familiar with the foods I can and can’t eat, I can start to create my own dairy, corn and wheat free recipes. Foods like these allow me to enjoy the food I am eating, while also making my body satisfied. I know what it feels like to struggle to eat within a very restricted diet, but with recipes like this, it makes it easier. I can only hope that I can one day create recipes like these to help others who may be in the position I am now. It can feel lonely when your family and friends have the ability to eat the things that you can’t, so providing these recipes really offer more than just the directions and the food - they offer inclusion and acceptance as well.

I never saw myself as someone who could follow through on such a rigorous diet. In fact, I envied the people that had the will-power and motivation to do what I never believed I could. For those of you who want to follow in my footsteps, it is important to remember that those first two weeks will be the hardest days, but they will eventually pass. Even now, some days are easier than others, but the payoff I have experienced in the last month has been completely worth it. I have become much more energized and finally feel as though I can receive a good night’s sleep. I wake up well-rested and my brain isn’t foggy, but clear for my tasks for the day - ranging anywhere from school work to remembering a friend’s birthday. I have become a more happy, positive person overall and I am incredibly driven and hard-working. I can now workout without becoming extremely exhausted and I forget what being bloated feels like. It is amazing to look back and see how far I have come both physically and mentally. With such positive results, it makes it easy for me to stay true to my dairy, wheat and corn free diet. My journey has only started though, and I can’t wait to see where I end up.

For more information and nutritional facts: Quick and Simple Pumpkin Apple Cake - Gluten Free