 It is hard to believe we’re wrapping up our month of reNEWal. Of course, we’ll keep renewing all year long with fresh ideas to balance and enhance our gluten free lifestyle! We've got plenty of scrumptious ways to do just that, from using my favorite reNEWal elixir to cleanse and balance the system to making our own staple recipes like sunflower seed butter, Homemade Stock, and decadent Chocolate Chunks for baking (or snacking!). We even redefined "comforting" when it comes to food and learned about how the Six Tastes Groups of Ayurveda can add satisfying variety to our gluten free diet. I received tons of email on nearly every post, but the “Six Tastes Groups of Ayurveda” post received the most...thank you! Some of you told me how you’ve never seen the concept explained so clearly; others shared how what I wrote reignited a desire to explore Ayurveda all over again. Those are the reasons I write "A Side of Science" and your notes gave me a nice warm fuzzy feeling. Except one...It made me giggle. A self-proclaimed “Man-Fan” (I love that!!) pointed out how Ayurveda leaves out a taste group... the BACON group! He explained how, to a true bacon lover, cured pork belly is in a category all its own. He also mentioned, in a super-sweet way, how I’ve left gluten free bacon loving folk feeling a little neglected. He’s right. Not a single post mentions bacon. How can that be?! Some of you L-O-V-E bacon. While it's not a staple at my house, that doesn’t mean I can’t make some for you. After all, you deserve it! Of course, your well-being is important to me too. I don't want to share a recipes with you that might jeopardize your health. And we are talking about bacon - a food that doesn't exactly get a gold star when it comes to healthy foods. But why is that? I had to know exactly why bacon gets such negative press when it comes to a healthy diet. I thought you might be curious, too, so I did what any scientist would do... I turned to the research!  Click the image for my Slow Cooker Butternut Squash Soup recipe! The Health Benefits of Bacon and How it Fits into Our Gluten Free Diet Bacon gets a bum rap as being mostly fat and devoid of nutrition. Not to worry...I’m here to set the record straight for bacon lovers everywhere! Not only is bacon fine to eat in moderation, there are actually some positives associated with this tasty treat! First, let’s talk bacon types. All bacon isn’t created equal. When most of us talk about bacon we're referring to pork belly, called "side" or "streaky" bacon - the kind we see most often in the supermarket. In order to make bacon part of a healthy gluten free diet, let's shop smart by looking for leaner products made without: Synthetic nitrates or nitrites Artificial ingredients Antibiotics Added hormones These ingredients, specifically nitrates and nitrites used in the curing process, are largely to blame for bacon's tainted reputation. Recent research shows these compounds are the culprit in leading to and worsening health issues, like heart disease and diabetes, previously attributed to bacon's high fat content. So, it wasn't the bacon itself, but what was being added to the bacon. Of course, the fat content can't be overlooked... A one-ounce portion of all natural bacon contains about 10 grams of fat. While that seems like a lot, here are a few things to keep in mind... Nearly half the fat in bacon is monounsaturated. That's the same kind of heart-healthy fat in olive oil, avocados, peanuts, and sunflower seeds that the American Heart Association recommends we eat! Monounsaturated fat actually lowers bad cholesterol! It also means you're getting a healthy dose of the healing antioxidant vitamin E! That's great for our hair, skin, and fingernails, not to mention all those little internal repairs our bodies constantly have to make! And yes, there is artery-clogging saturated fat in bacon, but we're eating it occasionally in moderation. Besides, there's more to the fat in bacon that we can actually use to enhance our healthy diet! Fat means "flavor" and "full"! We can use this to our advantage when we need that bacon fix... Because bacon packs such a powerful punch in the flavor department, we can achieve the flavorful impact we desire in a dish with only a small amount of bacon. Try using half as much bacon in a recipe like a casserole or an appetizer dip and see what I mean! You'll add just enough to get that flavor you're after and you'll feel full and satisfied! That's another thing the fat in bacon, and any fat, does... fat helps us feel full and satisfied. Part of achieving the balance we need to renew and keep feeling fantastic year-round means being satisfied by eating a variety of foods we enjoy. This is especially important when trying to stick to a special diet. Whether it's our gluten free diet, a special diet for a food allergy, or to lose weight, feeling deprived of foods we love and being hungry makes any diet plan difficult to follow. Enjoying bacon occasionally in moderation is a-OK, especially if it is on your "favorite foods" list! And in case you're still feeling a little guilty about indulging, there's another positive about all natural bacon you should know! It's a source of muscle-building, metabolism-boosting protein! In an ounce of bacon, you'll get about 8 grams of protein. Like fat, protein helps keeps us feeling full and satisfied. Now a couple of strips of bacon for breakfast doesn't seem like such a bad idea! Or maybe get creative and take those bacon strips and make these biscuits! They're an incredibly unique and tasty treat I created just for you bacon lovers! Enjoy! Gluten Free Gigi Tip! In case you're wondering about all-natural bacon, I've tried a few recently, and two I like are Pederson's Farms Cowboy Bacon (for the great flavor and the cool name!) and Applegate Farms Dry Cured Bacon. Gluten Free Bacon Biscuits Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soy Free, Nut Free 1 cup brown rice flour, plus extra for dusting work surface 1/2 cup sorghum flour 1/2 cup potato starch 3/4 teaspoon guar gum 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon baking powder 5 Tablespoons coconut oil, room temp (solid) (I use Dr. Bronner's) 1 Tablespoon white vinegar 1 cup MINUS 1 Tablespoon coconut milk creamer (So Delicious) 6 ounces lean, all natural artisan bacon, cooked and chopped 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup Red pepper flakes Preheat your oven to 410F. Line a pan with parchment or lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray. Combine flours, starch, gum, salt, and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend and set aside. Combine the vinegar and coconut milk creamer in a small bowl. Set aside to thicken. Add the coconut oil to the dry ingredients in 1 Tablespoon scoops . Cut in with a fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and stir just until all dry ingredients are incorporated and mixture comes together in a soft, slightly wet dough. Stir in bacon. Lightly flour a work surface (I use extra brown rice flour) and scoop dough onto it. Lightly dust the top of the dough and your hands with flour. Gently pat dough out evenly to about 1/2-inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Place them on the prepared pan. Continue to gently re-roll scraps of dough until you have used it all. Using a pastry brush or the back of a spoon, gently brush the top of each biscuit with maple syrup and sprinkle with pepper flakes. Bake biscuits for approximately 15 minutes, or until they begin to turn light golden around edges. The exterior will have a slight crispness and the interior will be smooth and velvety, much like a cream scone or biscuit. Recipe makes about 1 dozen 3-inch biscuits. Leftovers keep well for several days wrapped in foil in the fridge. I haven't tested these in the freezer yet, but I expect they will freeze well for up to 2 months if wrapped well. When I give it a try, I'll let you know. Now that you know you CAN eat bacon and remain healthy, enjoy making some of my Gluten Free Bacon Biscuits! Always remember you can join me in the kitchen and try more of my gluten free recipes. Click here to see all of the recipes I have for you! Living gluten free tastes so good... you'll see! To receive every new gluten free recipe right in your inbox each week along with my latest “A Side of Science” articles be sure to click here to SIGN UP for my FREE E-LETTER! Up Next on GlutenFreeGigi.com Saturday, I'm announcing our first GIVEAWAY of 2012! I've got a terrific treat to warm you up and make meal time a little more convenient, so come back to enter for your chance to win! The announcement for my February webinar and topic is coming soon! I don't want to give it away, but if you are gluten free AND dairy free, or if you're gluten free and considering going dairy free, this webinar is for you! You won't believe what I did in the name of science. The results will SHOCK you! For clues, join me on my Facebook (click here to visit) page! To be among the first to receive the announcement you need to be signed up for my free e-Letter. If you're not, click here to SIGN UP for my FREE E-LETTER! Let's Connect Do you have Comments about a specific post or recipe? Please share in the “comments” section below! Do you have Questions? Click here to check out my ALL NEW FAQs and you might just find your answer! If you don't find your answer in my FAQs, email me: mailbox (at) glutenfreegigi (dot) com. I’m always happy to hear from you, but need to ask for your understanding and patience when it comes to responding. I receive lots of email these days, which I love, but it can be challenging sometimes to respond to each one. I answer as many of your questions as possible in my How-To videos and posts so everyone can benefit. Keep watching my videos and website for my answer to YOUR question! Follow Along... On Twitter and "Like" me on Facebook! You can also check out my boards on Pinterest and find out what I’m posting on Google+! These are places I like to go have fun and share what’s going on in the Gluten Free Test Kitchen and in my HOME Kitchen! I love following you, too! Make sure you let me know you’re out there! ~g~ Thanks for taking time to visit! Come back for my weekly recipe and how-to video posts on Tuesdays and useful "A Side of Science" articles on Thursdays. If you don't, I'll miss you! My mission here at GlutenFreeGigi.com is to share my experience and knowledge to make gluten free living easy and accessible for everyone. I can help you navigate your gluten free life with ease and confidence because I understand how challenging it can be! Click here to learn more about who I am and my gluten free story. I’m super-excited to have YOU here! The journey's fantastic when you're sharing it with folks who have things in common... I'm glad you're sharing the gluten free journey with me!! P.S. -- Click here to sign up for my free e-Letter so you don't miss a thing! xo, Gluten Free Gigi Don't Take My Word For It... Check My Sources! CommentsJill W 01/27/2012 20:33
That looks YUMMY! :) We have the good kinda bacon at our house a couple times a month. I really like the idea of using just a little to satisfy the yearning for it. We will enjoy trying this one! Thanks, Gigi! Gretchen Nielson 02/05/2012 11:33
HI Gigi! Hi, Gretchen! Thanks for visiting me here! Your comment will be posted after it is approved. Leave a Reply |  
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