Highland Park native Jill Motew always goes against the grain.

She adopted a gluten-free lifestyle before it was a buzzword; years later she made a name for herself cooking gluten-free meals for professional athletes.

Today the mom of five operates Zema’s Madhouse Foods, churning out gluten-free, grain-packed baking mixes with natural, alternative ingredients (teff, quinoa, amaranth, millet, chia). Her kids love them (none of them have gluten allergies) — and so do we.

The multipurpose mixes are genius: Cinnamon oatmeal apple muffin works for banana bread and granola bars; rosemary-millet focaccia doubles as pizza crust and breading for zucchini fries; cocoa teff pancake and waffle mix plays a starring role in black bean brownies.

Motew posts monthly recipes in her newsletter, so the fun never stops.

What are you wheating for?

Available at Provenance Food and Wine, 2528 North California Avenue, between Logan Boulevard and Altgeld Street (773-384-0699 or provenancefoodandwine.com); 2312 West Leland Avenue, at Western Avenue (773-784-2314); at zemasfoods.com.

Photo: Courtesy of Zema’s