Chef Tip: Roast your Beef Bones before Making Broth

Bone broth is a wonderfully healing, immune-building real food solution to getting and staying well.  Bone broths are packed with the minerals your intestines need to function, and since about 75% of our immune system is in the gut, drinking bone broths regularly can make a huge impact on how you feel. 

When you make your beef bone broth, however, it can become a bit sour, unless you roast the bones first.  Place your bones in a roasting pan or on a parchment lined cooking sheet with sides (there is juice to capture).  Then roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes (depending upon the size of your bones). 

Transfer the bones and all of the juice to a large Dutch oven on your stove top or to a slow cooker.  Then follow this recipe for making the broth:  Nourishing Bone Broth.

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Nourishing Bone Broth by Brooke Kaufman

Healing the Gut with GAPS: An Introduction by Brooke Kaufman

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Party Tip: How to Make your Meatballs Grain & Nut-free

Most premade meatballs are mixed with breadcrumbs or flour as an inexpensive way to stretch the meat. And that's not even considering the gravy the meatballs are doused with.  Worcheshire sauce is another popular meatball ingredient that also contains gluten.  If you are nut-free, some meatballs, especially if they are paleo meatballs, will use nut flours. 

If you aren't completely certain about the ingredients, your best bet is to just stay away.

IDEA:  If you are making them at home and which them to be grain- and nut-free - try using dried mushrooms and chia powder instead of bread crumbs to hold them together, and a couple of tablespoons of gluten-free soy sauce in place of Worchestshire.  The dried mushrooms and chia will soak up the sauce nicely as they simmer,  add a unique flavor, and unique nutrients.

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Top 10 Sources for Holiday Gluten by Kyra Bussanich, Pastry Chef

Is MSG Gluten-Free?

We had a reader question about whether or not MSG (monosodium glutamate) is gluten-free.  There is a lot of chatter on different sites about MSG, and MSG can come from a variety of sources like corn, sugar beets, molasses, and wheat.  Many sources say that MSG in the US is rarely made from wheat today, or that the protein is distilled/process out of the end-product. However, I have no evidence or guarantee that the U.S. MSG is wheat-free and the purity of any distillation is also of some debate. Some people still react to distilled gluten-based grains in alcohols and vinegars, etc.  Also, I double-checked with Kyra Bussanich, who, as an award-winning gluten-free pastry chef works closely with her ingredients and their sources.  She said that MSG is something to beware of, in part because her own reaction to it mimics her reaction to gluten (as does mine), but mainly because there are food processors that use MSG as a flavoring.  More importantly,  even if the processor is a US company, they don't necessarily use US ingredients: she's worked in places that have sourced their ingredients from Asia, where the MSG may or may not be derived from wheat.

Whether derived from wheat or not, MSG does, however, cause reactions in many people such as nausea, headaches, lightheadedness and heart palpitations or heart rate changes.  Though the FDA say it is a "safe when eaten at customary levels", and the European Union calls it a "food additive", enough people have an adverse reaction to it that is similar to an allergic reaction.  It is best to avoid MSG, esp. if you have allergies to its source product, or a reaction to the MSG itself. As Kyra told me, "its better to be safe than sick!"

Also important to note - MSG, or more strictly, "glutamate" can be present in foods that have "natural flavor" in their ingredients. Aspertame, as well, can be included in the label, "natural ingredients." Since "natural ingredients" is a label that has many legal loopholes, it is one ingredient that is best to avoid. Put any food product that has this label back on the shelf.

Here are some ingredients that contain MSG in some form:

• Ajinomoto
• Any “hydrolyzed protein”
• Anything “…protein”
• Anything “hydrolyzed”
• Autolyzed Yeast
• Calcium Caseinate
• Calcium Glutamate
• Gelatin
• Glutamate
• Glutamic Acid
• Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
• Magnesium Glutamate
• Monoammonium Glutamate
• Monopotassium Glutamate
• Monosodium Glutamate
• Natrium Glutamate
• Sodium Caseinate
• Soy Protein
• Soy Protein Concentrate
• Soy Protein Isolate
• Textured Protein
• Textured Vegetable Protein
• Vetsin
• Whey Protein
• Whey Protein Concentrate
• Whey Protein Isolate
• Yeast Extract
• Yeast Food
• Yeast Nutrient

Protein powder contain many of these ingredients, especially whey proteins and often yeasts. There are very few protein powders out there that do not contain these types of ingredients. A good option is to find a gluten-free hemp protein powder, one that is not processed with any additives. Hemp is a complete protein.

There is a fantastic post from the Elephant Journal on this MSG Question as well.  It contains a list of more labels & foods that could potentially contain MSG, plus much more information on this food additive. Read it here.

Thanks to our reader for this question! 

~Elisabeth Veltman

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Chef Tip: Can you store chocolate chips in the freezer?

Today's Tip brought to you by:

Frozen dark chocolate chips are a fantastic cool treat to sprinkle on your (dairy-free) ice cream, or eat right out of the bag!  So go ahead and freeze 'em.

Callebaut Chocolate USA's dark chocolate, and Enjoy Life Foods have tested dairy-free chips that are delish.

Read more on Dairy-Free Chocolate:

Best Allergen-Free Chocolate

If Chocolate Were the Perfect Man, Would He Be Dairy-Free?

Tips for Using Coconut Flour

Coconut flour is a wonderful substance that can be made into grain-free breads, muffins, even cookies.  If you are experimenting with coconut flour, here are a few tips:

1.  You can replace 20% (and sometimes 30%) of your regular flour with coconut flour to add more fiber and medium chain fatty acids.  But then also add 20% more liquid as well, although too much milk or milk substitute can make your baked goods soggy.  Many coconut bread recipes use only oil and eggs, but no milk substitutes.

2.  Coconut flour is very dry, but very absorbent.  You will tend to need more oil when making coconut breads or muffins.   

3.  You will also need more eggs - usually double the eggs (or more). 

4.  Do not pack the coconut flour (or any flour) when measuring.  This will make your baked goods too dense.  Sift to remove lumps before measuring.

5. Keep your coconut flour in the refrigerator or freezer in an air tight container  (Tender Palate prefers glass).  This will help prolong the shelf life.  Because coconut flour is high in good fats (really good fats), it tends to become rancid more quickly than other flours.  The same holds true for nut flours and flax seed.