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Celiac.com 12/12/2024 - Moroccan Harira is a deeply traditional soup, typically served during the holy month of Ramadan to break the fast. Known for its hearty and warming ingredients, harira combines lentils, tomatoes, and a fragrant blend of spices to create a comforting and nourishing dish. Although often made with flour, noodles, or even meat, it’s easy to create a gluten-free version that stays true to the soup’s complex flavors while also being wholesome and suitable for those with dietary restrictions. This gluten-free recipe emphasizes the rich Moroccan spices and the slow-simmered goodness of lentils and chickpeas, making it ideal for cold evenings or as a filling, nutrient-packed meal. Gluten-Free Moroccan Lentil Harira Recipe Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, finely diced 2-3 cloves garlic, minced 2 ribs celery, diced 2 medium carrots, diced 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger 1 ½ teaspoons ground turmeric 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon paprika ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for spice) 4 cups vegetable broth 1 cup crushed tomatoes ½ cup green or brown lentils, rinsed ½ cup cooked chickpeas (or canned, drained and rinsed) ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (plus extra for garnish) ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped ½ lemon, juiced Salt to taste Instructions: Sauté the Vegetables: In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, celery, and carrots, and sauté until softened (about 5-7 minutes). Add the Spices: Stir in ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and cayenne. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until the spices are fragrant. Build the Soup: Add the vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, lentils, and chickpeas to the pot. Stir well to combine. Simmer: Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are tender and the soup thickens. Stir occasionally and add more broth if needed. Add Herbs and Lemon: Stir in cilantro, parsley, and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve: Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with extra cilantro, and serve warm. Enjoy this gluten-free Moroccan harira as a standalone meal or alongside fresh gluten-free bread. It's an authentic taste of Morocco with a gluten-free twist, bringing the warmth of its traditional spices to your table.

Celiac.com 12/06/2024 - Moroccan spiced fish, or hout in Moroccan Arabic, has a rich history shaped by Morocco’s geographic proximity to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. This popular dish reflects the country's deep culinary tradition, with influences from Berber, Arab, and Andalusian cultures. Often prepared with whole fish or fillets, hout is marinated in a vibrant blend of spices like cumin, paprika, coriander, and turmeric, which enhance the fresh flavor of the fish. Traditionally, this dish is served with flatbread or over couscous, but for a gluten-free twist, it pairs beautifully with rice, quinoa, or roasted vegetables. This gluten-free Moroccan spiced fish recipe combines traditional spices with a refreshing touch of lemon and herbs, making it a wonderful choice for those seeking to enjoy a flavorful, authentic Moroccan meal without gluten. Here’s how to make it: Moroccan Spiced Fish (Gluten-Free Hout) Ingredients: 4 fillets of white fish (such as cod, tilapia, or halibut) 2 tbsp olive oil Juice of 1 lemon 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp paprika ½ tsp turmeric ½ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp chili powder (optional, for heat) 1 clove garlic, minced Salt and pepper to taste Fresh cilantro and parsley, chopped, for garnish Instructions: Prepare the Marinade: In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, ginger, and chili powder. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined. Marinate the Fish: Place the fish fillets in a shallow dish and rub them with the spice mixture until fully coated. Cover the dish and let the fish marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours for a more intense flavor). Cook the Fish: Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Place the marinated fish fillets in the skillet and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to overcook. Serve: Transfer the cooked fish to a serving platter and garnish with fresh cilantro and parsley. Serve with a gluten-free side, such as rice, quinoa, or roasted vegetables, for a complete meal. Enjoy the savory and warming flavors of this Moroccan-inspired gluten-free fish dish that’s as fragrant as it is delicious!

Celiac.com 04/04/2020 - This North African lentil stew features lentils and spinach in a flavorful base of onions, garlic, tomatoes and herbs. It's a delicious, easy-to-make one-pot meal for just about any time of the year. Ingredients: 3 cups chicken stock 1 cup red lentils 5 cups fresh spinach leaves loosely packed 4 cloves garlic 3 Roma tomatoes diced into ¼ inch cubes (or cup of canned diced tomatoes) 1 onion ⅓ cup mixed cilantro and parsley chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 tablespoons tomato paste ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon dried coriander ground 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon paprika Directions: In a medium-sized pot, slowly sauté onion and garlic with the olive oil until soft and nearly golden. (Do not rush this. Use low heat and go slow. If garlic burns, or browns too much, it will get bitter.) Then add the tomatoes and paste and keep sautéing until the tomatoes release all the water, and keep cooking until most of the tomatoes water is evaporated. Add the herbs and spices and sauté for another couple of minutes until the mixture looks like a thick paste. Add the stock and bring it to a boil, then add int he lentils and cover the pot. Cook the lentils for 15 minutes until they start to soften up and then add the spinach. Keep the pot covered and allow it to cook for 10 minutes more until the spinach has wilted and the lentils have cooked completely. Add the remaining herbs. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve immediately, with or without rice.

Celiac.com 01/17/2020 - What's fonio and why is it set to take the gluten-free world by storm? In West Africa, fonio is well-known for its great taste and dish nutritional profile. In addition to being a nutritious and great tasting, fonio is a versatile and highly sustainable crop. Fonio does well in dry areas, has low water needs, and grows well without pesticides. Fonio is rich in fiber, protein, amino acids, B vitamins, zinc and magnesium. With its slightly nutty flavor, fonio makes good gluten-free flour and can be used in many baking applications. It also be eaten alone like couscous or quinoa. Outside of Africa, however, fonio is virtually unknown. Among those who do know it, it has a reputation as a difficult grain to harvest. Grown only in the Sahel region of Africa — a narrow belt that runs south of the Sahara and north of the savannah from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, fonio has never been formally cultivated, and is uncommon outside of that region. That's set to change. Once a new state-of-the-art processing plant in Senegal in West Africa, coupled with a pasteurization and quality control plant in North Dakota are in operation, annual exports of fonio could quickly climb to thousands of tons, says Peter Carlson, director of Terra Ingredients, a leader in commercial ingredients made from organic and non-GMO grains, pulses and other plants. With processing facilities in the United States, and markets on six continents. Currently, only a few small companies export fonio, which means the price remains high. A company called Yolélé Foods sells three 10-ounce bags of fonio grain on Amazon for $19.95. Carlson says that once he learned about fonio, the decision to incorporate the grain into their company offerings was simple. Doing it at scale means the price could come down quickly, as supplies rise. Terra Ingredients has been working with a women's co-op, which processes small quantities of fonio by hand. Currently, hand processing takes nearly one-hundred women working full-time two weeks to fill a single commercial barrel with fonio. Soon, however, the fonio will be processed mechanically, while the women will perform other roles in the company, including liaising with growers, ensuring quality, and overseeing some of the processing work. Even though fonio is gluten-free, Carlson points out that fonio is not a niche product. "I think I keep going back to the taste, because that's what we hear from so many people." Carlson said. Because of fonio's great taste, he expects the non-gluten-free market to be big. If you're looking for a tasty, nutritious new gluten-free grain to round out your celiac disease diet, keep your eye out fonio at a store near you. Read more about fonio at FoodDive.com

Celiac.com 07/01/2010 - Celiac disease is a genetic auto-immune disease which, until now, has primarily been considered a Western epidemic. However, we are seeing a rise of celiac disease in Middle Eastern and North African countries. Celiac disease prevalence is grossly underestimated by the medical profession and as such, there is very little data available regarding malignant complications resulting from undiagnosed celiac. Once considered a Western epidemic, celiac is now acknowledged as a common disease among North African and Middle Eastern populations. A research team at the Division of Gastroenterology, department of Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, formally assess why celiac disease is rising in North Africa and the Middle East. The researchers use the electronic databases pubMed and Medline from 1950 through 2008 for the search engine, and “celiac disease” was used for a Mesh term. For this study, the perimeters of the search for celiac prevalence was limited to the Middle East and North African countries only. Celiac disease is demonstrated to be prevalent in first and second degree relatives of patients with celiac. In the US the prevalence is shown to be between 4% and 12% as assessed by biopsy. Studies in Algeria and Turkey showed a prevalence of 1.7% respectively among first degree relatives. Of the 381 first degree relatives that were tested, 26 had positive serology, and villous atrophy was found in 13 of the 16 patients that had biopsy's performed. Celiac disease clusters among families were also present in Jordan and Algeria. It is noted that the high rate of consanguinity in Middle Eastern and North African countries may be responsible for generating a greater prevalence of celiac. However, further studies on this subject are needed . Clinical variations in presentation of celiac disease were also studied by the researchers. There are many variations when it comes to the results for clinical variations. It is suggested that the reason for the variations may be due to the small number of patients studied, or delay in their presentation of symptoms. Gastrointestinal discomfort is the most common symptom of celiac disease, including diarrhea, constipation, bloating, flatulence, nausea and vomiting. Studies performed in Middle Eastern and North African countries had a celiac prevalence of 6.5%-21%. Patients with celiac disease in Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had diarrhea as the most common symptom of celiac. 4.7% of Egyptian children exhibiting diarrhea and failure to thrive, had celiac disease. Approximately one third of children with celiac in Western countries exhibit short stature. The highest prevalence of short stature is found in Jordan, where 26% of children with celiac disease also had rickets. In Turkey, 51% of patients with celiac had a height well below the standard mean. In the United States, 36% of Americans with celiac were previously diagnosed with irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) and in Iran 12% of those labeled with IBS were later diagnosed with celiac disease. Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common form of anemia, and is often sited as the only way to diagnose sub-clinical celiac disease in patients. Worldwide, the prevalence of celiac among patients with IDA is 2.8% to 8.7%, and possibly as high as 15%. In North Africa and the Middle East, anemia is found in 20%-80% of celiac patients. In Egypt, 4% of insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) patients with anemia had celiac disease. In Saudi Arabia, the osteomalacia and IDA account for 43.5% of celiac patients. The high prevalence of osteoporosis may be attributed to delays in celiac diagnosis. Approximately 30% of celiac patients have other autoimmune diseases like IDDM and autoimmune thyroiditis. IDDM has very high rates among those with celiac disease with rates from 6.7% to 18.5%. The rates for autoimmune diseases are are a low 1.9% in Turkey, and a high 33% in Iran. Many of those patients were discovered to also have celiac disease after long delays. Whether or not prevalence of celiac is rising in Middle Eastern and North African countries is not clear, and more studies are required. More studies are also needed to determine the connections between celiac and other diseases. Reason's sited for the lack of data regarding celiac in Middle Eastern and North African countries, are the inconsistencies with screening methods from different populations and socioeconomic back grounds, the efficacy of treatment modalities employed, patient compliance, disease complications and response to treatments. Source: World J Gastroenterol. 2010 March 28; 16(12): 1449-1457.