110+ Gluten-free Recipes in THE HEALTHY ITALIAN

Strike up a conversation about special diets and you’re sure to hear “gluten-free” at some point. In fact, a recent CBC article found that the demand for gluten-free products is expected to double by 2017 in Canada. We’ve come a long way from the time my sister was first diagnosed with celiac disease – 21 years ago to be exact – and had no choice but to eat gluten-free her entire life. Back then, very few people had heard of gluten and my family had to scour the city to find gluten-free flours, breads, pastas, cereals and breadcrumbs. I even made regular trips to the children’s hospital to find some of these staples.

Yes, that meant a bigger inconvenience, but that also meant my entire family – all of whom love to cook – became experts at cooking with alternatives and substitutes. My mom would never serve a meal that my sister couldn’t eat. That was probably the beginning of my family’s journey to seeking healthy alternatives when cooking. We came to better understand what was in the foods we used in cooking and how to prepare them so we could all enjoy them.

It’s one more reason why The Healthy Italian includes 112 recipes suitable for a gluten-free diet. Of course, cooking gluten-free doesn’t always mean healthier meals so, when developing these recipes, I made sure they still include better-for-you ingredients that don’t compromise taste.

If you’ve already picked up your copy of The Healthy Italian, look for the coloured gluten-free icon at the end of every recipe. There are even a few recipes – such as Gluten-Free Pasta Salad and Gluten-Free Chicken Cutlets – specifically labelled as gluten-free.

As always, I’d love to hear what you think of them. Happy cooking and buon appetito!