After being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s several years ago, I cut out wheat, gluten, grains and dairy from my diet. With my pastry addiction, I thought it would be hard, but my body (and thyroid) responded so positively and felt so good, that, over time, I stopped missing my daily fix of baked goods that I used to eat.

Although I do not eat gluten or wheat, I choose NOT to eat “gluten-free” baked goods. I also avoid baking with “gluten-free” flours, which can include any combination of brown rice flour, tapioca flour, potato starch, garbanzo bean flour and / or white sorghum flour; these flours are either grain-based and/or high in starchy carbohydrates (e.g., potato flour, garbanzo bean flour).  Baking with gluten-free flours also typically requires using thickeners or stabilizers, like xanthan gum or arrowroot flour, which can spike blood sugar.

That may work for some.

But, if you have hormone imbalances, as I do, you will likely have blood sugar imbalances as well. Eating foods made from gluten-free flours can contribute to blood sugar problems.

These days, I keep baked goods (making and eating) to a very occasional indulgence—usually at Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday (which falls smack in the middle of Thanksgiving and Christmas).  That’s it!

My absolute go-to holiday favorite is a boozy organic pumpkin pie with a buckwheat crust.  The “booze” is 2 tablespoons of gluten-free brandy. My choice of gluten-free flour is buckwheat. Despite its name, buckwheat does not contain wheat or gluten. Nor is it a grain—even though it is often counted as one. Related to rhubarb and sorrel, buckwheat is actually a seed. High in fiber, protein, amino acids, trace minerals, antioxidants and a good source of B vitamins, nutrient-dense buckwheat seeds are also known as “groats”.

In addition to the pumpkin filling, another star of this pumpkin pie is its buttery buckwheat crust. Say what? I thought you said you eat dairy-free…I can hear you asking. I do. Like many people with Hashimoto’s or hypothyroidism, I cannot tolerate dairy.

Yet, interesting enough, I can, on rare occasion, tolerate grass-fed butter.

Yes, I absolutely have a dairy sensitivity. Though I have not been formally tested, I am likely lactose intolerant (lactose is the type of sugar found in all mammal milk, including humans), as 75% of the world population is lactose-intolerant. I am highly sensitive (and I have been tested for this) to the proteins in milk: casein and whey. Butter is made from cream (a milk product) and contains about 80% fat; however, it contains just trace amounts of carbs, milk proteins (like casein) and lactose.

Every person is different. If you are highly sensitive, you may not be able to tolerate butter. You can always experiment and see what works for you.

I don’t eat butter on a regular basis, not even infrequently….so, I am happy that my body allows me to tolerate this delicious buttery buckwheat crust.  Enjoy!

One tip: if you cannot tolerate lactase (milk sugar), you can counter uncomfortable digestive symptoms by eating a dairy food with foods that are high in protein, fat or fiber to slow down your body’s absorption of lactase.  In this case, eating full-fat dairy vs. low-fat dairy (higher in sugar) is a better choice. When I eat my boozy pumpkin pie, I usually eat protein first (see photo, right), it’s leftover Heritage breed turkey breast.

Boozy Pumpkin Pie with Buckwheat Crust

For the crust
1 cup 100% organic buckwheat flour
4 oz cold unsalted grass-fed butter, cut into cubes
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons cold filtered water.

For the filling:
16 ounces unsweetened organic pumpkin puree
1/4 cup organic maple syrup, robust flavor, Grade A
1 tablespoon fresh, minced ginger OR ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon whole cloves, ground
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons brandy
2 large eggs, ideally pasture-raised
1/2 cup unsweetened organic coconut milk OR unsweetened hemp milk OR unsweetened flax milk
*I recommend organic unsweetened coconut milk for best texture

Preheat oven to 425°.  If you have a convection setting on your oven, I recommend that you use the “convection baking” setting; you will get a beautifully cooked through pumpkin filling without any cracks!

For the crust: combine the first 3 ingredients (all dry ingredients) in the bowl of a food processor, pulsing until the mixture is crumbly.

Slowly add the water into the processor, pulsing, until dough begins to form a ball.  The buckwheat dough will be very “wet.”.  Press buckwheat mixture into a glass pie plate (you should have a thin crust on bottom and sides of pie plate).

For the filling:  In a large bowl, blend pumpkin puree and maple syrup, using an electric mixer.  Add cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, Celtic sea salt and whisky, mixing well.  In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs and coconut milk together with an electric mixer.  Pour egg mixture into the pumpkin puree-spice mixture and combine well (with the mixer).  Pour filling into pie crust.

Place pie plate on a parchment paper-lined flat, heavyweight baking sheet and bake on the LOWEST rack of the oven for 15 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil (or they will blacken) and turn the heat down 350°F.

Continue baking for about 45 to 1 hour, or until the filling has set.  The filling has set when you insert a knife into the center, and it comes out “clean”; no gooey filling on it.

Remove pie from oven and transfer to a wire rack. Cool to warm or room temperature.

Whether it’s dairy, wheat, gluten, grains, or nuts, everyone seems to be managing a food sensitivity or food allergy these days.  Including myself.  After doing a food sensitivity test in September, I discovered that I had a moderate to severe intolerance to 50 foods.  That’s right—fifty!  There were the usual suspects, including wheat, gluten-containing grains (rye, barley, spelt, malt, oats) and dairy.  And some very unexpected culprits, including “healthy” foods such as chicken, broccoli, bok choy, lemon, vanilla and black pepper!

As a foodie, I was initially devastated to learn about this long list of food sensitivities, especially with the holidays on the near horizon.  But, after dragging my feet for two weeks, I decided to commit to eliminating the offending foods from my diet now—rather than to wait until the New Year (when I could potentially develop even more food sensitivities)!  It hasn’t been easy, but my symptoms—fatigue, hives, digestive and sinus issues—have subsided, and

I shed five pounds simply by omitting the foods to which I was sensitive.
Understandably, Thanksgiving can be a challenge. There’s the nostalgia factor (eating your favorite childhood dishes can induce a sense of pleasure, comfort or safety), as well as social and emotional pressure from well-meaning family and friends…

When food = “love”…what to do?

1. Be upfront about your food sensitivities.  As a host, ask guests if they have any food sensitivities or allergies.  Take note and accommodate them as best you can.  If you’re a guest, be upfront with your host when you accept the invitation.  A friend recently invited me to a dinner party, and I was immediately upfront about my food sensitivities.  No problem.  No hurt feelings.

2. Stay the course. ”One little bite won’t kill you!” is what you’ll likely hear at holiday gatherings.  The fact is, however, that with food sensitivities, there is often a delayed reaction, so you may feel the effect of that “one little bite” anywhere from 2 hours to 4 days later.  You’ve come this far…is it worth it?   If you’re the host, understand that “one little bite” may be the one bite trigger to a week (or more) of uncomfortable symptoms.  If you’re a guest, get a good night’s sleep and eat a real food meal so that you”re not starving upon arrival—and tempted by your trigger foods in a moment of weakness, a.k.a., low blood sugar.

3.  Read labels. If any part of your Thanksgiving meal is coming out of a box, bag or can, read the label.  Know that marinades, broth, soy sauce and bouillon may use wheat or barley in flavors and seasonings.  Unless you’re making your own sauce, seasoning or gravy from scratch: read the label.

4. Explore dairy alternatives. My top pick is coconut milk, which has a creamy, thick texture and is ideal for baking or for dishes like gratins or creamy mashed potatoes.  Organic soy milk and almond milk (thinner texture) can also work.

5. Keep it simple.  In general, as the cook, I like to plan an easy, stress-free Thanksgiving menu.  That is, the focus is on fresh, quality ingredients (which are cheapest when bought at the farmers’ market) and straightforward cooking techniques that don’t involve spending hours in the kitchen.  Click here for Thanksgiving cooking tips and healthy upgrades.

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Gluten-free, dairy-free recipes for Thanksgiving

For a simple, fuss-free but delicious, whole foods-based Thanksgiving meal that is also gluten-free and dairy-free, try these recipes:

Garlic Herb-Rubbed Turkey with Jus
Raw Cranberry Relish
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Baked Ginger Pumpkin Custard

Happy Thanksgiving!

That was then.

Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in 2013, I have strictly adhered to wheat-free, gluten-free and grain-free food choices. This has been a good thing since I recently discovered—by taking a food sensitivity / intolerance test—that I have a severe (non-Celiac) intolerance to both gluten and gliadin, two proteins found in wheat. For me, this means: no wheat, spelt, rye, barley, malt, oats, or other gluten-containing grains.

Going wheat-free and gluten-free hasn’t been as hard as you might think. This gluten-free, dairy-free, ginger-infused pumpkin custard is a delectable alternative to traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. But not just Thanksgiving….it is the perfect antidote any time you’re craving a home-baked treat that’s warm, creamy and comforting.

The recipe below is super simple, but quality ingredients matter. I use pasture-raised eggs; pure, Grade A, Dark, Robust Taste maple syrup, a more nutrient-dense, later-season maple syrup; and organic pumpkin puree. The result? A custard that’s creamy, rich, just sweet enough and gently gingery with a mild pumpkin flavor. Packed with protein (eggs), fiber (pumpkin) and healthy saturated fat (coconut milk), you’ll feel deliciously sated. This custard is also great for breakfast!

Baked Pumpkin-Ginger Custard
Yield: 8 individual custards

1 pasture-raised egg white
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 15-oz can full-fat coconut milk, BPA-free can
1-1/2 tablespoon gingerroot, finely minced
3 pasture-raised eggs
1 pasture-raised egg yolk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup, Grade A, Dark, Robust Taste
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup organic pumpkin puree, BPA-free can

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place 8 (4-6 oz.) ramekins in a 15” x 10” x 2” Pyrex glass oblong glass baking dish. Set aside.

Bring 1 quart (4 cups) of water to a boil in a pot. Set aside.

Prepare coconut milk: Place coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water (to make 2 full cups of coconut milk) in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Whisking the coconut milk, bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir in the minced ginger. Transfer to a Pyrex glass measuring cup and steep, apx. 30 mins.

Prepare the egg white: Place egg white in a medium bowl. Add cream of tartar. Using an electric beater at high speed, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form, apx. 2-3 mins.  Set aside.

Prepare custard: Beat eggs, egg yolk, maple syrup and almond extract in a mixing bowl until smooth and well-mixed.

Once the coconut milk has cooled (it should be warm, NOT boiling hot!), slowly pour coconut milk (with minced ginger) into egg mixture, while mixing with an electric blender at medium speed. Combine well.

Add pumpkin puree to the egg mixture; whisk until well blended. Using a large spatula, gently fold the egg white into the pumpkin-egg mixture.

Prepare custards for baking: Pour pumpkin-egg mixture into a large 32-ounce glass measuring cup; then, pour into individual ramekins.

Fill the baking dish with hot water, about 1-inch deep or so.

Place on middle rack in oven. Bake for 50 min to 1 hour, depending on size of custard dishes and/or how deep custard is. At the midway baking point (25 mins.), turn the baking dish and tent a sheet of aluminum foil over the custards to prevent over-browning.

Custards are done when knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!