If you leave out the mayo then coleslaw becomes much safer for picnics and barbecues on hot days!
Makes 8 Servings
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard or to taste
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (I used the vinegar)
1 tbsp honey
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. minced chiles, seeds removed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or peanut oil (I used EVOO)
1 small cabbage, shredded
2 medium carrots peeled and grated
1 large Granny Smith apple or any tart crisp apple, shredded
1 medium sweet onion minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp celery seeds, if you have them
Make the dressing by combining the mustard, vinegar, honey, garlic and chile and oil in a food processor until blended.
Combine the cabbage, carrots, onions and apples in a large bowl and mix well. Pour the dressing over and toss to coat. Sprinkle on salt and pepper and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking and then place in the refrigerator for at least one hour to mellow and allow the cabbage to soften.
Per Serving: 119 calories, 7.5g fat, 13.4g carbs, 1.7g protein, RDA: 39.7% of Vitamin A, 58% of Vitamin C
Based on the recipe from here: http://amoderatelife.com/2010/10/tackling-bittman-shredding-him-but-good-his-coleslaw-that-is/
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Waldorf Salad
This is my own version, loosely based on "Waldorf Salad".
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Combine all ingredients. Let sit for an hour so the flavors can blend. Enjoy!
It's better the first day, after that the juice and yogurt kind of separate.
serves 4: 145 calories, 6.6g fat, 23g carbs, 2.8g protein
2 Granny Smith apples, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup of yogurt
1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Combine all ingredients. Let sit for an hour so the flavors can blend. Enjoy!
It's better the first day, after that the juice and yogurt kind of separate.
serves 4: 145 calories, 6.6g fat, 23g carbs, 2.8g protein
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Fry it in butter!
If you are looking for an easy dessert to satisfy a sweet craving, or maybe just woke up really hungry for something warm and the eggs are gone, you can try frying fresh fruit in butter. The frying concentrates the sugars and caramelizes them, to make them really delicious!
Use 2 tbsp butter for a small frying pan, and about a cup of fruit, cut up into bite-sized pieces. I think apples, pears, bananas, or pineapple work well for this.
Let the butter melt on low/medium heat then add the fruit, spreading it out so it is all touching the pan. Then just leave it until it begins to brown. You can serve it as is or stir it to let the other sides brown, too. If you have butter left over save it for cooking - it's especially good in almond cookies!
Use 2 tbsp butter for a small frying pan, and about a cup of fruit, cut up into bite-sized pieces. I think apples, pears, bananas, or pineapple work well for this.
Let the butter melt on low/medium heat then add the fruit, spreading it out so it is all touching the pan. Then just leave it until it begins to brown. You can serve it as is or stir it to let the other sides brown, too. If you have butter left over save it for cooking - it's especially good in almond cookies!
Gryo Salad with Tzatzki Sauce Dressing
I'm not sure if it's ok to re-post stuff from other sites but whenever I try to follow links to sites that aren't there any more, well, it's really frustrating!!!!
Today I'm making Gyros for lunch, minus the pita, like a gyro salad with lettuce, sweet onion, tomato, and of course lots of tzatzki sauce!
From
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-gyro-meat/
Ingredients
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 pound ground lamb (You can use other kinds of meat if you can't find lamb)
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef.
Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel.
Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.
------------
My Tzatzki Sauce
3 cups of yogurt
1 cucumber, shredded
juice of 1 lemon
10 sprigs of mint
salt and pepper
After you shred the cucumber, put it in a bowl and salt it. The salt draws out the moisture so it won't make your tzatzki too runny. If you're thinking ahead you can also put the yogurt in a cheese-cloth lined strainer to thicken it but I rarely plan ahead so much!
Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl. After the cucumber has been salted, wait about 10 minutes then get handfuls of the shredded cucumber and squeeze them, getting out as much of the water as possible. If it tastes too salty you can rinse it first with cold water then squeeze it. Add it to the bowl of yogurt. Stir in the lemon juice then salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I also add some cumin.
Today I'm making Gyros for lunch, minus the pita, like a gyro salad with lettuce, sweet onion, tomato, and of course lots of tzatzki sauce!
From
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/traditional-gyro-meat/
Ingredients
1/2 onion, cut into chunks
1 pound ground lamb (You can use other kinds of meat if you can't find lamb)
1 pound ground beef
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon ground dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Place the onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Scoop the onions onto the center of a towel, gather up the ends of the towel, and squeeze out the liquid from the onions. Place the onions into a mixing bowl along with the lamb and beef.
Season with the garlic, oregano, cumin, marjoram, rosemary, thyme, black pepper, and salt. Mix well with your hands until well combined. Cover, and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Place the meat mixture into the food processor, and pulse for about a minute until finely chopped and the mixture feels tacky. Pack the meat mixture into a 7x4 inch loaf pan, making sure there are no air pockets. Line a roasting pan with a damp kitchen towel.
Place the loaf pan on the towel, inside the roasting pan, and place into the preheated oven. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water to reach halfway up the sides of the loaf pan.
Bake until the gyro meat is no longer pink in the center, and the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F (75 degrees C) on a meat thermometer, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Pour off any accumulated fat, and allow to cool slightly before slicing thinly and serving.
------------
My Tzatzki Sauce
3 cups of yogurt
1 cucumber, shredded
juice of 1 lemon
10 sprigs of mint
salt and pepper
After you shred the cucumber, put it in a bowl and salt it. The salt draws out the moisture so it won't make your tzatzki too runny. If you're thinking ahead you can also put the yogurt in a cheese-cloth lined strainer to thicken it but I rarely plan ahead so much!
Put the yogurt in a mixing bowl. After the cucumber has been salted, wait about 10 minutes then get handfuls of the shredded cucumber and squeeze them, getting out as much of the water as possible. If it tastes too salty you can rinse it first with cold water then squeeze it. Add it to the bowl of yogurt. Stir in the lemon juice then salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I also add some cumin.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Chinese Fruit Soup
I've read a few places that Chinese fruit soup is believed to prevent flu and relieve sore throats. I've had it a few times now, in a restaurant in NYC and at a Chinese church I went to with my friend who is from China. It is delicious, and after having some you crave it.
It's hard to find recipes online that agree, I think fruit soup is rather ubiquitous in China and asking for a recipe is like asking how to make chicken soup in America - there are as many versions as there are cooks, and people change it depending on their mood or what is available at the time. I took elements from several recipes, left out things that aren't SCD (like yams and barley), and came up with this recipe, which I hope folks will like.
1/2 cup dry wine (optional)
3 cups water
4 cloves
1-1" stick of cinnamon
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2" piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken or pork stock with meat
1/2 cup lentils
1/8 tsp salt
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) assorted fruits - raisins, dried dates, figs, fresh mango, chopped
Combine wine, water, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain and keep the liquid.
Add the stock, lentils, and salt and simmer, covered for 25 min.
Add the fruit and simmer, covered, until the dried fruits and lentils are tender, about 20 min. more.
Can be served warm or cold.
If you aren't familiar with buying Mangoes, they are ripe when they yield to gentle pressure, kind of like a ripe pear. I used to pick out the yellow/red ones but it turns out they can be sweet and ripe but fully green, so I guess you just have to go by feel.
If you want to make the soup more authentic or get more vegetables into your kids, you can use some chopped winter squash in place of some of the fruit (to replace the yam that the recipes usually have) - hubbard, butternut, acorn, or similar kinds should work well. Unless you double or tripe the recipe, tho, you won't be able to use much of a large squash, so adding in carrots cut into sticks then chunks (so it matches the fruit) might work better.
It's hard to find recipes online that agree, I think fruit soup is rather ubiquitous in China and asking for a recipe is like asking how to make chicken soup in America - there are as many versions as there are cooks, and people change it depending on their mood or what is available at the time. I took elements from several recipes, left out things that aren't SCD (like yams and barley), and came up with this recipe, which I hope folks will like.
1/2 cup dry wine (optional)
3 cups water
4 cloves
1-1" stick of cinnamon
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2" piece of ginger, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken or pork stock with meat
1/2 cup lentils
1/8 tsp salt
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) assorted fruits - raisins, dried dates, figs, fresh mango, chopped
Combine wine, water, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then strain and keep the liquid.
Add the stock, lentils, and salt and simmer, covered for 25 min.
Add the fruit and simmer, covered, until the dried fruits and lentils are tender, about 20 min. more.
Can be served warm or cold.
If you aren't familiar with buying Mangoes, they are ripe when they yield to gentle pressure, kind of like a ripe pear. I used to pick out the yellow/red ones but it turns out they can be sweet and ripe but fully green, so I guess you just have to go by feel.
If you want to make the soup more authentic or get more vegetables into your kids, you can use some chopped winter squash in place of some of the fruit (to replace the yam that the recipes usually have) - hubbard, butternut, acorn, or similar kinds should work well. Unless you double or tripe the recipe, tho, you won't be able to use much of a large squash, so adding in carrots cut into sticks then chunks (so it matches the fruit) might work better.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Fudgy Date/Cashew balls
These really do have the texture and mouth-feel of good fudge. Tho they're less sweet, they're still nice to eat!
Ingredients:
1 cup cashew nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup plus a few more of dates, chopped
Begin by putting the cashews, about 1/4 cup at a time in your food processor, blender, or even coffee mill. Most of them will be ground into a greasy flour, but a few will try to stay whole. Put it in a bowl, picking out the whole nuts to be processed with the next batch.
Add the dates and mix to distribute evenly. Return 1/3 of the mixture to the food processor and pulse until it kind of holds together and the dates are chopped finely. Continue with the remainder.
Pick up a handful and squeeze it. If it crumbles it's too dry and you need to add more dates. Chop them and put them in the processor with some of the cashew/date mixture and pulse until they are ground and evenly mixed in.
Now form the mixture into balls of about 1 tablespoon (or whatever size and shape you prefer) and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for up to 3 months. These are a great take-along snack because they are filling and no-fuss.
Ingredients:
1 cup cashew nuts, roughly chopped
1 cup plus a few more of dates, chopped
Begin by putting the cashews, about 1/4 cup at a time in your food processor, blender, or even coffee mill. Most of them will be ground into a greasy flour, but a few will try to stay whole. Put it in a bowl, picking out the whole nuts to be processed with the next batch.
Add the dates and mix to distribute evenly. Return 1/3 of the mixture to the food processor and pulse until it kind of holds together and the dates are chopped finely. Continue with the remainder.
Pick up a handful and squeeze it. If it crumbles it's too dry and you need to add more dates. Chop them and put them in the processor with some of the cashew/date mixture and pulse until they are ground and evenly mixed in.
Now form the mixture into balls of about 1 tablespoon (or whatever size and shape you prefer) and store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a week or the freezer for up to 3 months. These are a great take-along snack because they are filling and no-fuss.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Hearty Veggie Fish Stew
I smelled the Ratatouille cooking and decided to add some of my whiting fillets to make it a fish stew. It's really good that way!
So here it is:
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes or a handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in water until soft enough to chop (reserve the water to use as cooking fluid in recipe)
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 lb of white fish, chopped into 1" cubes or smaller
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put all the ingredients except the fish, basil and cilantro in the crockpot. Add enough water so you can see it through the vegetables and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the fish, basil and cilantro. Let it cook another 15-30 minutes - until the fish flakes easily with a fork. If you wish, top with grated parmesan cheese.
You could make it more Mediterranean by adding in some green or black olives and/or capers and some marjoram or oregano (around 1/4 tsp of dried or 1 tsp of fresh).
So here it is:
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes or a handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in water until soft enough to chop (reserve the water to use as cooking fluid in recipe)
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 lb of white fish, chopped into 1" cubes or smaller
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put all the ingredients except the fish, basil and cilantro in the crockpot. Add enough water so you can see it through the vegetables and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the fish, basil and cilantro. Let it cook another 15-30 minutes - until the fish flakes easily with a fork. If you wish, top with grated parmesan cheese.
You could make it more Mediterranean by adding in some green or black olives and/or capers and some marjoram or oregano (around 1/4 tsp of dried or 1 tsp of fresh).
Ratatouille, Party Style!
Where have I been? I went to my sister's wedding out of town! She's a fabulous cook. While I was there she made ratatouille, which I love. Whaddaya know, it's SCD-legal!!! She left out the eggplant and added plenty of melted cheese on top, serving it as a side-dish to a roast she made. It was delicious that way, but I didn't catch her recipe, so I'll post instead one of my favorites that uses the crock pot instead of the oven to prevent heating the house up too much now that the weather is so warm.
This is adapted from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery, a really great cookbook and one of my favorites.
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes or a handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in water until soft enough to chop (reserve the water to use as cooking fluid in recipe)
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put all the ingredients except the basil and cilantro in the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and garnish with the cilantro. If you wish, top with grated parmesan cheese.
The recipe says to serve with sourdough bread or pita to dip in this, but my husband just eats it out of a bowl anyway! Still, it's great to bring to a party or pot-luck where you'll be mixing with non-SCD people.
This is adapted from Mabel Hoffman's Crockery Cookery, a really great cookbook and one of my favorites.
1 medium eggplant, peeled and chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 plum tomatoes or a handful of sundried tomatoes, soaked in water until soft enough to chop (reserve the water to use as cooking fluid in recipe)
1 bell pepper, any color, chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Put all the ingredients except the basil and cilantro in the crockpot and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours, until the vegetables are tender. Stir in the basil and garnish with the cilantro. If you wish, top with grated parmesan cheese.
The recipe says to serve with sourdough bread or pita to dip in this, but my husband just eats it out of a bowl anyway! Still, it's great to bring to a party or pot-luck where you'll be mixing with non-SCD people.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Broccoli and Cheese Salad
Just in time for Memorial Day barbecues, here's a great SCD salad recipe to go with the grilled meat everyone is making today! You can leave out the Bacon but I really like it in there. The original recipe called for mayonnaise, but I really don't like using canola or soybean oil, and most mayonnaise has one or the other, so I've decided to learn to make my own, and it's surprisingly easy. The recipes online make it sound like you have to whip it with a wire whisk until your arm nearly falls off, but why do that when with the miracle of modern technology you can use an electric mixer to do the whipping for you! Don't use the green, flavorful olive oil in this or the flavor will be too overwhelming, make sure you use the light-flavored oil.
Ingredients
4 slices SCD-legal bacon
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped into small/bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup light olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp honey
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove when it is crispy, and crumble.
Fry the onion in the bacon grease until it is browned. If you prefer the onion raw, you can soak it in cold water for 30 min. to sweeten it and remove the "hotness".
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon and onion.
For the dressing: Put the egg yolk and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer. Slowly add oil, a few drops at a time, then a little more, then a drizzle, all the while mixing it continuously until it is all mixed in (you've just made home-made mayonnaise!). Mix in the vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
Combine dressing with salad. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Ingredients
4 slices SCD-legal bacon
1/2 large red onion, chopped
2 heads fresh broccoli, chopped into small/bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2/3 cup light olive oil
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp honey
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Remove when it is crispy, and crumble.
Fry the onion in the bacon grease until it is browned. If you prefer the onion raw, you can soak it in cold water for 30 min. to sweeten it and remove the "hotness".
In a large bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon and onion.
For the dressing: Put the egg yolk and lemon juice in a medium-sized bowl and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer. Slowly add oil, a few drops at a time, then a little more, then a drizzle, all the while mixing it continuously until it is all mixed in (you've just made home-made mayonnaise!). Mix in the vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.
Combine dressing with salad. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Spiced Prune and Walnut Nuggets
I have hated prunes ever since my mom used to try to force me to eat them when I was 5. She used canned prunes and my sister, helpfully, told me they were rotting eyeballs. UGH!
But sometimes you may want the effects of prunes in your diet. 'Nuf said.
I got some dried prunes but still thought the flavor was a little insipid, and the texture, well, slimy. I managed to get just one down.
But I actually like this recipe, for LaraBar style prune nuggets.
Ingredients:
3/4 cups walnuts, shelled and chopped
3/4 cups pitted prunes, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
(optional, some organic orange zest, minced)
Once the prunes, walnuts, and raisins are chopped put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Put handfuls at a time into a food processor and pulse, shaking frequently, until the mixture blobs together. Continue until all of it has been pulsed and is holding together.
Flatten it some and wrap it loosely in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or waxed paper and press it out to a square/rectangle about 3/4" thick. Put it in the refrigerator for an hour.
After an hour (or longer) cut it into squares. These can be kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for several months to be used as needed. They are great snacks for fast energy, and travel pretty well. I'm finding they kind of satisfy my chocolate cravings, even tho they don't taste much like chocolate!
But sometimes you may want the effects of prunes in your diet. 'Nuf said.
I got some dried prunes but still thought the flavor was a little insipid, and the texture, well, slimy. I managed to get just one down.
But I actually like this recipe, for LaraBar style prune nuggets.
Ingredients:
3/4 cups walnuts, shelled and chopped
3/4 cups pitted prunes, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp ginger
(optional, some organic orange zest, minced)
Once the prunes, walnuts, and raisins are chopped put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix. Put handfuls at a time into a food processor and pulse, shaking frequently, until the mixture blobs together. Continue until all of it has been pulsed and is holding together.
Flatten it some and wrap it loosely in plastic wrap, parchment paper, or waxed paper and press it out to a square/rectangle about 3/4" thick. Put it in the refrigerator for an hour.
After an hour (or longer) cut it into squares. These can be kept refrigerated for up to a week or frozen for several months to be used as needed. They are great snacks for fast energy, and travel pretty well. I'm finding they kind of satisfy my chocolate cravings, even tho they don't taste much like chocolate!
Spinach Salad with Hot Vinegar Dressing
I've been watering the spinach in the garden with the fish tank water when I do water changes. It's growing like I've never seen it grow before! We have a lot of large dark green leaves, and it made me want some spinach salad (tho the no-crust quiche looked tempting).
As I've posted before, according to Eileen some bacon is SCD-legal. Finding it can be a little hard, but the low-salt kind often has no sugar.
Ingredients:
1 package baby spinach (about 9-10 oz) or that much washed spinach leaves
2 - 3 slices of bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp cider vinegar (or the same amount as the bacon fat)
A pinch of salt
Two pinches of pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1 egg, hard-boiled, sliced
Preparation:
Put the spinach (and other vegetables if you like) in a large bowl. The spinach will shrink down some in the hot dressing, but you need room to work.
Fry the bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon when it is cool enough and put aside.
Cook the onion in the bacon grease until it begins to brown, then add the garlic and cook until it becomes translucent.
Add the vinegar, and scrape up the brown bits in the pan. Add the salt, pepper, and honey. Stir to dissolve, and pour the dressing over the spinach.
Toss the spinach (tongs work well) until coated. Transfer to individual plates or bowls and top with the crumbled bacon and boiled egg slices.
Other good toppers are sliced, grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted peppers.
Makes three ample servings as a side dish.
As I've posted before, according to Eileen some bacon is SCD-legal. Finding it can be a little hard, but the low-salt kind often has no sugar.
Ingredients:
1 package baby spinach (about 9-10 oz) or that much washed spinach leaves
2 - 3 slices of bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed or minced
2 tbsp cider vinegar (or the same amount as the bacon fat)
A pinch of salt
Two pinches of pepper
2 teaspoons honey
1 egg, hard-boiled, sliced
Preparation:
Put the spinach (and other vegetables if you like) in a large bowl. The spinach will shrink down some in the hot dressing, but you need room to work.
Fry the bacon until crisp. Crumble the bacon when it is cool enough and put aside.
Cook the onion in the bacon grease until it begins to brown, then add the garlic and cook until it becomes translucent.
Add the vinegar, and scrape up the brown bits in the pan. Add the salt, pepper, and honey. Stir to dissolve, and pour the dressing over the spinach.
Toss the spinach (tongs work well) until coated. Transfer to individual plates or bowls and top with the crumbled bacon and boiled egg slices.
Other good toppers are sliced, grilled portobello mushrooms and roasted peppers.
Makes three ample servings as a side dish.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Awesome Gadget, the Food Mill!
My sister-in-law told me about the food mill. She uses hers to help make homemade applesauce. It has straining plates to catch the seeds and skins so all that gets through is the pulp. That allows you to cook roughly chopped apples to make sauce, without all the peeling and coring that usually goes along with the job.
I looked for one to buy (we eat a lot of homemade applesauce) but they were surprisingly expensive! I finally found the Oxo Good Grips Food Mill, for around $40 at Kitchen Kapers. I love it! You can also buy it from Amazon.com or even Zappos.com.
I've found another great use for mine - I cook down plum tomatoes I get at Produce Junction for $2 a bag to make my own tomato sauce for cooking. It gets out the seeds and skins and leaves me with chunky tomato sauce. If you want it smoother you can puree it in a blender/food processor. I like it chunky.
I make tomato sauce once a week or so and freeze it until needed in 2-cup containers.
To make it into marinara sauce is easy - add 1/4 tsp of basil, 1/2 tsp of oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp of pepper. This is great on broiled or grilled zucchini.
I looked for one to buy (we eat a lot of homemade applesauce) but they were surprisingly expensive! I finally found the Oxo Good Grips Food Mill, for around $40 at Kitchen Kapers. I love it! You can also buy it from Amazon.com or even Zappos.com.
I've found another great use for mine - I cook down plum tomatoes I get at Produce Junction for $2 a bag to make my own tomato sauce for cooking. It gets out the seeds and skins and leaves me with chunky tomato sauce. If you want it smoother you can puree it in a blender/food processor. I like it chunky.
I make tomato sauce once a week or so and freeze it until needed in 2-cup containers.
To make it into marinara sauce is easy - add 1/4 tsp of basil, 1/2 tsp of oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and 1/8 tsp of pepper. This is great on broiled or grilled zucchini.
Curried Cauliflower
Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower
2 tbsp oil for frying
1 small onion (chopped finely)
2 green chilis/jalapenos, seeds removed, chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
1/2 tsp mustard (powdered or seeds)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tomato, cut into small pieces
1 tsp salt
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tbsp ghee or butter
1/2 cup plain yogurt
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Method:
Cut cauliflower into small florets and boil it in water until tender.
In a wide skillet, heat the oil Add onion, peppers, and garlic. When they start to brown add mustard, cumin and tomatoes and fry until tomatoes are tender.
Add salt, pinch of turmeric, cayenne and garam masala and stir.
Drain and slightly mash the boiled cauliflower and add. Stir them well. Simmer until the flavors blend and all the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add a yogurt and ghee before serving and garnish it with cilantro.
1 small cauliflower
2 tbsp oil for frying
1 small onion (chopped finely)
2 green chilis/jalapenos, seeds removed, chopped finely
4 cloves of garlic, chopped very finely
1/2 tsp mustard (powdered or seeds)
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tomato, cut into small pieces
1 tsp salt
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1 tbsp ghee or butter
1/2 cup plain yogurt
cilantro, for garnish (optional)
Method:
Cut cauliflower into small florets and boil it in water until tender.
In a wide skillet, heat the oil Add onion, peppers, and garlic. When they start to brown add mustard, cumin and tomatoes and fry until tomatoes are tender.
Add salt, pinch of turmeric, cayenne and garam masala and stir.
Drain and slightly mash the boiled cauliflower and add. Stir them well. Simmer until the flavors blend and all the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add a yogurt and ghee before serving and garnish it with cilantro.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
LaraBar, Indian style (kind of)
LaraBars are made from a base of dates and cashews, but other fruits and nuts are used, and other ingredients can be added. They are a great high-energy snack that travels well.
I've never bought a LaraBar, but I did get some dates stuffed with something similar once and have been craving it ever since!
I looked at a bunch of recipes online and then came up with my own, based on something someone said in the comments after a recipe I can't find now, that in India they like to combine apricots, raisins, and cardamom. Yum!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
seeds from 3 cardamom pods (or about 1/8 tsp ground)
2 whole allspice berries (or about 1/8 tsp ground)
Chop the apricots and raisins until they are in small bits and getting sticky. Put them in a bowl. Chop the walnuts and put the walnuts, cardamom, and allspice in your blender or food processor. The walnuts will quickly turn to walnut butter and glob up around the blade. Remove that part and keep on until most of the walnuts are ground into a paste. Then mix it with the chopped fruit and put it into the food processor, and blend until it globs together. I did it in two batches because my processor is small.
Spread it on a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper, fold the sheet over it and gently press or roll it out to 1/2" thick. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour then cut it into bars, squares, or whatever you like.
If they are too sticky you could add more nuts or coat them in almond flour or crumbled ground walnuts.
I've never bought a LaraBar, but I did get some dates stuffed with something similar once and have been craving it ever since!
I looked at a bunch of recipes online and then came up with my own, based on something someone said in the comments after a recipe I can't find now, that in India they like to combine apricots, raisins, and cardamom. Yum!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts
seeds from 3 cardamom pods (or about 1/8 tsp ground)
2 whole allspice berries (or about 1/8 tsp ground)
Chop the apricots and raisins until they are in small bits and getting sticky. Put them in a bowl. Chop the walnuts and put the walnuts, cardamom, and allspice in your blender or food processor. The walnuts will quickly turn to walnut butter and glob up around the blade. Remove that part and keep on until most of the walnuts are ground into a paste. Then mix it with the chopped fruit and put it into the food processor, and blend until it globs together. I did it in two batches because my processor is small.
Spread it on a sheet of plastic wrap or parchment paper, fold the sheet over it and gently press or roll it out to 1/2" thick. Let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour then cut it into bars, squares, or whatever you like.
If they are too sticky you could add more nuts or coat them in almond flour or crumbled ground walnuts.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Salsa Fresca
Ingredients
2 medium cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 small onion, chopped and soaked in ice water for 30 min.
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice or juice of 3-4 limes
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Dice the onion and put it in a small bowl of ice water to draw out the "hot" flavor. Let it sit while you cut up the rest of the vegetables into small pieces. I often put the garlic, peeled limes, and cilantro in the food processor and puree them. Combine the onion, cucumber, tomato, garlic, peppers, lime, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
I like this as a salad topper (instead of dressing). It's especially good with grated pepper jack, cheddar, or monterey jack cheese, avocado, and maybe some black olives.
It also tastes wonderful over lentils cooked with salt and pepper.
You can make it with a red (or yellow or any other color) bell pepper instead of 3 of the jalapenos, but I'm allergic to bell peppers so I just use more jalapenos. Lately the ones I buy are not that hot at all, if you remove the seeds!
2 medium cucumbers - peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
1 small onion, chopped and soaked in ice water for 30 min.
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice or juice of 3-4 limes
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Dice the onion and put it in a small bowl of ice water to draw out the "hot" flavor. Let it sit while you cut up the rest of the vegetables into small pieces. I often put the garlic, peeled limes, and cilantro in the food processor and puree them. Combine the onion, cucumber, tomato, garlic, peppers, lime, cilantro, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
I like this as a salad topper (instead of dressing). It's especially good with grated pepper jack, cheddar, or monterey jack cheese, avocado, and maybe some black olives.
It also tastes wonderful over lentils cooked with salt and pepper.
You can make it with a red (or yellow or any other color) bell pepper instead of 3 of the jalapenos, but I'm allergic to bell peppers so I just use more jalapenos. Lately the ones I buy are not that hot at all, if you remove the seeds!
Fennel soup
This is a deceptively simple recipe, but turns out absolutely delicious! When you buy the fennel, look for nice white firm bulbs. The stalks and leaves are also edible, and I've seen them in recipes for cold chicken salad, asian salad, etc. They have a good flavor raw, very fresh and clean. Fennel aids digestion, reduces inflammation, and even contains some anti-cancer compounds.
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel bulbs; cook and stir until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour in the broth, and simmer until fennel is tender, about 15 more minutes. I like to puree it at this point for a very creamy soup. Ladle into soup bowls, and season with salt and pepper. You can garnish it with some of the fennel leaves or a swirl of yogurt.
Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, and sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and fennel bulbs; cook and stir until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Pour in the broth, and simmer until fennel is tender, about 15 more minutes. I like to puree it at this point for a very creamy soup. Ladle into soup bowls, and season with salt and pepper. You can garnish it with some of the fennel leaves or a swirl of yogurt.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Chicken Nuggets
My son loves chicken nuggets. We used to go to Chick Fil-A about once a week for them, but I worry about the health consequences of fried food and all that MSG that may be adding to his dyslexia. They put MSG in the chicken and in the breading!
I decided to make our own chicken nuggets, trying to get the flavor close to what he likes. My book "Charcuterie" really helped - because it taught me about brining! When you soak meat in a salt solution (or rub it with salt) the salt is drawn into the protein of the meat, plumping the cells and making the meat more juicy and tender. That's why a lot of processed meat says on the label it has water added. But whatever is in with the salt is also drawn into the meat, so brining is a way to pull seasonings and flavor deep inside the meat (think ham, here). A typical brining solution might have equal parts sugar to salt, the sugar offsets the saltiness and adds more flavor, plus people just like that sweet flavor.
To use herbs and seasonings in a brine, it works best if you first boil some water and make a tea of them, to extract the flavor into the water. Add the salt and sugar and once it has cooled your brine solution is ready for the meat.
I always brine in glass containers, because I don't like the odor soaking into plastic bowls and I don't want to worry something in the plastic is dissolving into the meat. I find a glass loaf pan works really well for chicken breast meat.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil for frying - I use bacon grease or butter but you can use olive oil if you prefer
Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and add the thyme, garlic, sage, rosemary, marjoram, pepper and nutmeg. Let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and add honey and salt. Stir until the salt dissolves or it can leave pocks in the bottom of the pot.
Let it cool to room temperature.
Cut the chicken into 1" chunks (or you can leave them whole for barbecue). Put it in a glass container and pour in the brine, moving the chicken around to remove any air pockets. The chicken should be submerged in the brine. If it is not, you may need to use a smaller container.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours to overnight. It works best with more time to brine, but that requires thinking ahead. You can freeze this but after several weeks the flavor changes and it's not so appealing.
To Cook: Heat oil in a frying pan and add enough chicken to make a single layer. Let it cook until one side is browned then turn and repeat until all the sides are browned.
My kids like to eat this with toothpicks like an appetizer. It doesn't need any dipping sauce but if they really must dip it, you can make honey mustard by combining 2 parts mustard to 1 part honey.
This is also a great finger food for parties.
I decided to make our own chicken nuggets, trying to get the flavor close to what he likes. My book "Charcuterie" really helped - because it taught me about brining! When you soak meat in a salt solution (or rub it with salt) the salt is drawn into the protein of the meat, plumping the cells and making the meat more juicy and tender. That's why a lot of processed meat says on the label it has water added. But whatever is in with the salt is also drawn into the meat, so brining is a way to pull seasonings and flavor deep inside the meat (think ham, here). A typical brining solution might have equal parts sugar to salt, the sugar offsets the saltiness and adds more flavor, plus people just like that sweet flavor.
To use herbs and seasonings in a brine, it works best if you first boil some water and make a tea of them, to extract the flavor into the water. Add the salt and sugar and once it has cooled your brine solution is ready for the meat.
I always brine in glass containers, because I don't like the odor soaking into plastic bowls and I don't want to worry something in the plastic is dissolving into the meat. I find a glass loaf pan works really well for chicken breast meat.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp salt
1-2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp oil for frying - I use bacon grease or butter but you can use olive oil if you prefer
Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil and add the thyme, garlic, sage, rosemary, marjoram, pepper and nutmeg. Let boil for 1 minute then remove from heat and add honey and salt. Stir until the salt dissolves or it can leave pocks in the bottom of the pot.
Let it cool to room temperature.
Cut the chicken into 1" chunks (or you can leave them whole for barbecue). Put it in a glass container and pour in the brine, moving the chicken around to remove any air pockets. The chicken should be submerged in the brine. If it is not, you may need to use a smaller container.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours to overnight. It works best with more time to brine, but that requires thinking ahead. You can freeze this but after several weeks the flavor changes and it's not so appealing.
To Cook: Heat oil in a frying pan and add enough chicken to make a single layer. Let it cook until one side is browned then turn and repeat until all the sides are browned.
My kids like to eat this with toothpicks like an appetizer. It doesn't need any dipping sauce but if they really must dip it, you can make honey mustard by combining 2 parts mustard to 1 part honey.
This is also a great finger food for parties.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Home-made Kielbasa!
When you start cutting out a lot of carbs - i.e. sugars and grains, fat becomes an important source of calories to keep your energy levels up and prevent hunger and cravings. You may not want to use meat that contains 30% fat, but believe me, that's pretty standard in sausages, and it give you a juicy, moist, flavorful product. If you go with lean meat it will be dry and weird.
The only questionable ingredient in this is liquid smoke, but it turns out most liquid smoke products are safer than barbecued food! So most of them are SCD legal. Hooray! We can make meats that rival what we can buy in flavor but using healthier ingredients (or at least no MSG and preservatives!!!!)
This is my version of the recipe for kielbasa I found here.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs mixed ground pork and beef (30% fat) - ask at a butchers, many of them can do this for you!
2 tsp minced or crushed garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp marjoram or oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. You may need to use an electric mixer or knead with your hands to combine.
Form them into patties (I used 1/3 cup to measure the meat out) and freeze to use later or let them sit overnight so the flavors can blend (this may be totally unnecessary, I cooked one up right away and it was good).
----------------------------
I left out the casings part because the kids and I don't like sausage casings. It's GUTS - EEEWWWW!!!! You can add in pepper flakes or cayenne if you like your kielbasa more spicy.
My favorite way to eat kielbasa is to fry some onions and peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks, in bacon grease or butter until they start to brown, then add in the kielbasa, smothering it in the peppers and onions and cooking it until it is browned.
You can also cook these kielbasa patties on the grill, or use the meat in your favorite soup, like with lentils and kale.
The only questionable ingredient in this is liquid smoke, but it turns out most liquid smoke products are safer than barbecued food! So most of them are SCD legal. Hooray! We can make meats that rival what we can buy in flavor but using healthier ingredients (or at least no MSG and preservatives!!!!)
This is my version of the recipe for kielbasa I found here.
Ingredients
1.5 lbs mixed ground pork and beef (30% fat) - ask at a butchers, many of them can do this for you!
2 tsp minced or crushed garlic
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp marjoram or oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
Directions
In a large bowl, stir together all of the ingredients. You may need to use an electric mixer or knead with your hands to combine.
Form them into patties (I used 1/3 cup to measure the meat out) and freeze to use later or let them sit overnight so the flavors can blend (this may be totally unnecessary, I cooked one up right away and it was good).
----------------------------
I left out the casings part because the kids and I don't like sausage casings. It's GUTS - EEEWWWW!!!! You can add in pepper flakes or cayenne if you like your kielbasa more spicy.
My favorite way to eat kielbasa is to fry some onions and peppers, cut into 1-inch chunks, in bacon grease or butter until they start to brown, then add in the kielbasa, smothering it in the peppers and onions and cooking it until it is browned.
You can also cook these kielbasa patties on the grill, or use the meat in your favorite soup, like with lentils and kale.
Fish Curry Masala
I go to an Indian store pretty frequently due to an addiction to Bollywood movies, and last time we were there I picked up a box of seasoning mix for Fish Curry Masala. I checked the ingredients and there was nothing vague like "spices" to cover for MSG, so I figured it was pretty safe to use. The brand is "MDH".
The instructions on the box say "Coconut fish curry: Clean 1/2 kg fish, apply salt and keep aside. Soak 30g coconut powder/milk in half a cup of water and add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 20g Fish Curry Masala and salt to taste. Chop 120g red onions finely and saute in 30g cooking oil in a flat pan till light golden. Add paste & stir for 5 min. Add 200 ml water. Simmer till the sauce reduces to half. Stir occasionally. Add fish and simmer till cooked."
What I did was use frozen haddock fillets, which were all stuck together. I tried soaking them in cold salted water to thaw them but they just got more stuck together. I added 4 teaspoons (20g) of the seasoning mix and 1/2 tsp turmeric to 1 can of coconut cream (pure - no added ingredients), then chopped an onion and fried it in 2 tablespoons of butter. When it was browned, I added the coconut cream/seasoning and let it simmer until it was thick, then added the fish, still stuck together, which I had roughly chopped into about 1.5" chunks. I covered the pan and let them simmer until the fish had thawed and I could break it apart, then let it simmer another 20 min. until the watery sauce was again thick (the fish had a lot of ice stuck to/between them!)
Despite all these problems, it turned out delicious! It was really good. Cooking the fish all that time didn't make it tough at all - it was tender and delicious!
The instructions on the box say "Coconut fish curry: Clean 1/2 kg fish, apply salt and keep aside. Soak 30g coconut powder/milk in half a cup of water and add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 20g Fish Curry Masala and salt to taste. Chop 120g red onions finely and saute in 30g cooking oil in a flat pan till light golden. Add paste & stir for 5 min. Add 200 ml water. Simmer till the sauce reduces to half. Stir occasionally. Add fish and simmer till cooked."
What I did was use frozen haddock fillets, which were all stuck together. I tried soaking them in cold salted water to thaw them but they just got more stuck together. I added 4 teaspoons (20g) of the seasoning mix and 1/2 tsp turmeric to 1 can of coconut cream (pure - no added ingredients), then chopped an onion and fried it in 2 tablespoons of butter. When it was browned, I added the coconut cream/seasoning and let it simmer until it was thick, then added the fish, still stuck together, which I had roughly chopped into about 1.5" chunks. I covered the pan and let them simmer until the fish had thawed and I could break it apart, then let it simmer another 20 min. until the watery sauce was again thick (the fish had a lot of ice stuck to/between them!)
Despite all these problems, it turned out delicious! It was really good. Cooking the fish all that time didn't make it tough at all - it was tender and delicious!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Moroccan Carrot Salad
This recipe is pretty authentic - I had it first in a Moroccan restaurant, then when I was visiting my sister her friend from Morocco made the salad and it tasted just like this one, both times. It's amazing how much a few simple ingredients can transform carrots!
Ingredients:
6-7 carrots, cut into 1/4" pieces
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Small bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped
Preparation:
Boil the carrots in salted water for 5 minutes then drain. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika. Mix the dressing with the carrots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cilantro.
Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.
-------------------
I'm making more adobo today, this time I substituted in 6 plum tomoatoes and 1/4 cup honey for the ketchup, and a dash of cloves. I've yet to make SCD ketchup because I rarely use it. I've gotten so addicted to adobo on my morning eggs, I haven't wanted to eat them as much since I ran out of it!
Ingredients:
6-7 carrots, cut into 1/4" pieces
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
Small bunch of cilantro, washed and chopped
Preparation:
Boil the carrots in salted water for 5 minutes then drain. In a small bowl mix the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, cumin and paprika. Mix the dressing with the carrots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cilantro.
Carrots are a great source of beta carotene, the precursor of vitamin A.
-------------------
I'm making more adobo today, this time I substituted in 6 plum tomoatoes and 1/4 cup honey for the ketchup, and a dash of cloves. I've yet to make SCD ketchup because I rarely use it. I've gotten so addicted to adobo on my morning eggs, I haven't wanted to eat them as much since I ran out of it!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Bacon-cauliflower soup
The Legal/Illegal list says: "Smoked bacon that has been fried very crisply is allowed once per week. There are sugar-free bacons available and if you are able to find a source of sugar-free bacon, you do not have to limit your consumption to once per week. Usually the low sodium varieties do not contain sugar but check the labels carefully."
Ingredients
2 strips of legal bacon
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1" flowerettes
4 cups of chicken stock (if using homemade, chicken in it makes it better)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Fry the bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside and fry onions and celery in the bacon grease until browned. Add some water to the pan to dissolve the cooked on juices and add water, onions, and celery to a large soup pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Chop the bacon and add that too.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook, covered for 30 min. or until cauliflower and carrots are tender.
Ingredients
2 strips of legal bacon
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 head of cauliflower, cut into 1" flowerettes
4 cups of chicken stock (if using homemade, chicken in it makes it better)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Fry the bacon until crisp. Set bacon aside and fry onions and celery in the bacon grease until browned. Add some water to the pan to dissolve the cooked on juices and add water, onions, and celery to a large soup pot, along with the remaining ingredients. Chop the bacon and add that too.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook, covered for 30 min. or until cauliflower and carrots are tender.
Best smoothie ever!
I've been worrying about my morning smoothies being too sweet for my goals of reducing my insulin resistance. Schwartzbein said you must balance sugars with protein and fat. Milk has a fair amount of protein but only 3% fat. But CREAM has a lot of fat! I tried an experiment, making my SCD yogurt with half milk and half heavy whipping cream. It turned out ok.
I heated the milk/cream to 185 on the stove (accidentally went closer to 190). It had a particularly thick layer of skin on top. When I stirred in the (Dannon Naturals Plain) yogurt culture after it had cooled, I stirred the skin in with it, hoping it would "go away". I put it in my yogurt maker for 24 hours. When it was finished, it was really firm on top, like tofu!
An aside here - my yogurt maker is the Salton kind that makes 5 7oz cups of yogurt. I'd lost the lids and 2 of the jars so I looked online for replacement jars and didn't find any. I found one site that said to look for small jelly jars. I had some 8 oz jelly jars and what do you know,they fit! And now each jar has a lid and makes a full cup (so much easier to measure for!)
So I made my typical smoothie - 1 banana, 3/4 cups mixed frozen berries, 1/2 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup yogurt (approximately). The cream blended in very nicely and made it very smooth and creamy! This is the most satisfying smoothie, and the closest to ice cream I've ever made. I imagine most kids would LOVE one of these!
I heated the milk/cream to 185 on the stove (accidentally went closer to 190). It had a particularly thick layer of skin on top. When I stirred in the (Dannon Naturals Plain) yogurt culture after it had cooled, I stirred the skin in with it, hoping it would "go away". I put it in my yogurt maker for 24 hours. When it was finished, it was really firm on top, like tofu!
An aside here - my yogurt maker is the Salton kind that makes 5 7oz cups of yogurt. I'd lost the lids and 2 of the jars so I looked online for replacement jars and didn't find any. I found one site that said to look for small jelly jars. I had some 8 oz jelly jars and what do you know,they fit! And now each jar has a lid and makes a full cup (so much easier to measure for!)
So I made my typical smoothie - 1 banana, 3/4 cups mixed frozen berries, 1/2 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup yogurt (approximately). The cream blended in very nicely and made it very smooth and creamy! This is the most satisfying smoothie, and the closest to ice cream I've ever made. I imagine most kids would LOVE one of these!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Pecan Cookies
I'm reading "The Schwartzbein Principal", because of my blood sugar concerns. It says carbohydrates must be eaten together with protein and fat to avoid a large insulin reaction, and also to prevent accelerated muscle loss. So fruit and cheese or peanut butter is better than fruit alone, and any sweet craving should also be satiated with protein and fat.
It's made me decide these nut cookies can be a great between meal snack to keep my blood sugar up (letting it dip too low slows the metabolism, and causes release of adrenaline which is hard on the thyroid and adrenals), due to the protein in the nuts and the high fat content, which is supposed to make them very filling.
I decided to experiment with different kinds of nuts so last night I picked up some pecans and some pumpkin seeds. Last night I made pecan cookies.
The pecans are really hard to grind in the blender because they are such an oily nut (but it's high in omega-3, which is great because it reduces inflammation!). To do again, I'd chop them first so there are no large pieces. You can't sift these either with a regular sifter, you have to use your hands to feel out the chunks to throw back in the blender for another go. Link to health info. on pecans.
The cookies turned out FABULOUS! They are a rich dark brown like molasses cookies and the flavor is very buttery like the ideal Pecan Sandie.
I used 1/2 stick butter (but I think less would be better),
1 1/4 cups pecans, ground in the blender to a paste/flour consistency,
2 tablespoons honey,
1 egg,
1 tsp baking soda,
1/4 tsp salt.
I mixed the ingredients, baked by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 375 for around 7 min. (until they started to brown). These get darker as they cool. I got 17 cookies.
Yesterday I had:
Snack - yogurt, orange juice, and berry smoothie
Breakfast - eggs with cheese
Snack - dried date, apple and celery with peanut butter
Lunch - chicken vegetable soup
Supper - roasted chicken, lettuce wedge with salt
Snack - pecan cookies
I found out my scale was not level and I've actually lost 5 lb, I think some of it is water weight because I was bloated but now I'm not. The bloating was part of the reason I started the SCD diet, and I'm glad to see it go! Friday I was sick and laid around all day but by mid-Saturday I'd fully recovered and had lots of energy.
It's made me decide these nut cookies can be a great between meal snack to keep my blood sugar up (letting it dip too low slows the metabolism, and causes release of adrenaline which is hard on the thyroid and adrenals), due to the protein in the nuts and the high fat content, which is supposed to make them very filling.
I decided to experiment with different kinds of nuts so last night I picked up some pecans and some pumpkin seeds. Last night I made pecan cookies.
The pecans are really hard to grind in the blender because they are such an oily nut (but it's high in omega-3, which is great because it reduces inflammation!). To do again, I'd chop them first so there are no large pieces. You can't sift these either with a regular sifter, you have to use your hands to feel out the chunks to throw back in the blender for another go. Link to health info. on pecans.
The cookies turned out FABULOUS! They are a rich dark brown like molasses cookies and the flavor is very buttery like the ideal Pecan Sandie.
I used 1/2 stick butter (but I think less would be better),
1 1/4 cups pecans, ground in the blender to a paste/flour consistency,
2 tablespoons honey,
1 egg,
1 tsp baking soda,
1/4 tsp salt.
I mixed the ingredients, baked by teaspoonfuls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at 375 for around 7 min. (until they started to brown). These get darker as they cool. I got 17 cookies.
Yesterday I had:
Snack - yogurt, orange juice, and berry smoothie
Breakfast - eggs with cheese
Snack - dried date, apple and celery with peanut butter
Lunch - chicken vegetable soup
Supper - roasted chicken, lettuce wedge with salt
Snack - pecan cookies
I found out my scale was not level and I've actually lost 5 lb, I think some of it is water weight because I was bloated but now I'm not. The bloating was part of the reason I started the SCD diet, and I'm glad to see it go! Friday I was sick and laid around all day but by mid-Saturday I'd fully recovered and had lots of energy.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Roast Chicken
This is my kids' favorite meal, and also the favorite of their guests. I don't mind making it because it's pretty simple and doesn't take much time.
I try to buy free-range organic chickens. Lately I've had to make do with just grocery store quality, it's better if you can buy them from the farmer, a whole world of flavor then!
Wash the bird inside and out with cold tap water. Let it drip a minute then put it in a glass baking dish that is just big enough for the whole bird to fit inside. Starting with the breast side, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and either just garlic powder or garlic, thyme, and rosemary; or garlic, oregano, and basil. Turn the bird over and do the same thing on the leg side. It's best to cook the chicken in its juice, with the breast side down so the white meat can absorb the juice and flavor and not be dry.
Bake it in the middle of the oven at 375F for 2 hours. After 1 hour you can add a winter squash to the oven to bake, like butternut or acorn. I cut them in half, remove the seeds, and bake them cut-side down in a glass dish with about 1/2 inch of water to keep them from sticking. Serve the squash with butter and salt. If the meal doesn't seem complete, a green salad goes well with this.
I made almond cookies again yesterday and it worked really well. I used 1 1/4 cups of almonds, ground in the blender and sifted, 1/2 stick of butter, 1 egg, about 2 tbsp of honey, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. I baked them at 375 (with the chicken) for around 10 min (until they started to brown). They were perfect and even the kids liked them!
I try to buy free-range organic chickens. Lately I've had to make do with just grocery store quality, it's better if you can buy them from the farmer, a whole world of flavor then!
Wash the bird inside and out with cold tap water. Let it drip a minute then put it in a glass baking dish that is just big enough for the whole bird to fit inside. Starting with the breast side, sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and either just garlic powder or garlic, thyme, and rosemary; or garlic, oregano, and basil. Turn the bird over and do the same thing on the leg side. It's best to cook the chicken in its juice, with the breast side down so the white meat can absorb the juice and flavor and not be dry.
Bake it in the middle of the oven at 375F for 2 hours. After 1 hour you can add a winter squash to the oven to bake, like butternut or acorn. I cut them in half, remove the seeds, and bake them cut-side down in a glass dish with about 1/2 inch of water to keep them from sticking. Serve the squash with butter and salt. If the meal doesn't seem complete, a green salad goes well with this.
I made almond cookies again yesterday and it worked really well. I used 1 1/4 cups of almonds, ground in the blender and sifted, 1/2 stick of butter, 1 egg, about 2 tbsp of honey, 1 tsp of baking soda, 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. I baked them at 375 (with the chicken) for around 10 min (until they started to brown). They were perfect and even the kids liked them!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Blenders
I kept the same blender for the last 20 years. It didn't work all that great so I rarely used it. For Christmas my mom got me a "Magic Bullet" mini-blender. It uses mugs as the blender container and has two different blades - one for chopping/grinding and one for mixing. It's really great for this diet because I don't like plain yogurt but a yogurt smoothie with bananas, frozen berries, and maybe some orange juice is a great way to start the day. It can also grind nuts to make nut flour.
My friend has a "Blend Tech" that, she says, has so much power that when you make a smoothie with berries you can't tell the seeds are in there. I guess it does a lot of other things too. From my reading up on it there are two main competing brands, Blend Tech and Vitamix, which both have their die-hard fans.
The high-end blenders like Blend Tech and Vitamix cost a lot, like $250 and up, but they last for decades. My Magic Bullet only costs around $50. I think I'll stay happy with that for now.
What I ate yesterday:
Breakfast - scrambled eggs with cheese; apple and cheddar
Lunch - kale
Snack - yogurt smoothie - yogurt, banana, berries
Dinner - broccoli and cheese
(I wasn't very hungry)
My friend has a "Blend Tech" that, she says, has so much power that when you make a smoothie with berries you can't tell the seeds are in there. I guess it does a lot of other things too. From my reading up on it there are two main competing brands, Blend Tech and Vitamix, which both have their die-hard fans.
The high-end blenders like Blend Tech and Vitamix cost a lot, like $250 and up, but they last for decades. My Magic Bullet only costs around $50. I think I'll stay happy with that for now.
What I ate yesterday:
Breakfast - scrambled eggs with cheese; apple and cheddar
Lunch - kale
Snack - yogurt smoothie - yogurt, banana, berries
Dinner - broccoli and cheese
(I wasn't very hungry)
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Chinese Vegetable Egg Drop Soup
It's easy to make your own chicken stock. Whenever I make chicken for dinner I make everyone save the bones for me and the next day I combine the bones, cooking juices, and any leftover meat in a medium pot with enough water to cover them and let it simmer. If it cooks down I'll add water so I usually get around 6 cups of stock from one chicken's worth of bones. Lately I've been needing it in 2 cup amounts so I freeze it in 2-cup containers and it's ready to use when I need it, straight from the freezer.
The Weston A. Price Foundation has a lot to say about the health/healing value of good chicken stock, and it applies especially to autism. See Broth is Beautiful for more info.
This is a really good soup!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter or cooking oil
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 frying pepper, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 zucchini, cut into quarters then sliced thinly
1 carrot, peeled and shredded or diced
handful of snow peas, ends removed and diced
generous pinch of dried Chinese Vegetables (from asian stores)
2 cups of chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp gluten-free tahini (San-J makes it, I got it in the heath food section)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ginger
a few dashes of toasted sesame oil
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot.
Add the onion and pepper and let them start to brown.
When they've just begun to brown, add the garlic and celery and cook about 1 min. longer until the celery begins to soften.
Add the rest of the vegetables and chicken stock and enough water to cover the vegetables, if needed, and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 min. then slowly pour in the egg while stirring the soup.
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
You can leave out any of the vegetables, and you can add in around 1 cup of shredded cabbage (green or napa). It's also good with mushrooms or meat added. You can also substitute fresh ginger for the powdered. Chopped cilantro makes a good garnish.
Serves 2-3
Food log for yesterday:
Breakfast: smoothie of yogurt, banana, raspberries, and orange juice
Lunch: Chinese Vegetable Soup (again)
Snack: 1 dried fig, apple slices with melted cheddar
Dinner: pot roast and steamed asparagus from the garden
Snack: almonds
The Weston A. Price Foundation has a lot to say about the health/healing value of good chicken stock, and it applies especially to autism. See Broth is Beautiful for more info.
This is a really good soup!
Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter or cooking oil
1 small onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
1 frying pepper, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 zucchini, cut into quarters then sliced thinly
1 carrot, peeled and shredded or diced
handful of snow peas, ends removed and diced
generous pinch of dried Chinese Vegetables (from asian stores)
2 cups of chicken stock
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp gluten-free tahini (San-J makes it, I got it in the heath food section)
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp ginger
a few dashes of toasted sesame oil
Melt the butter in a medium-sized pot.
Add the onion and pepper and let them start to brown.
When they've just begun to brown, add the garlic and celery and cook about 1 min. longer until the celery begins to soften.
Add the rest of the vegetables and chicken stock and enough water to cover the vegetables, if needed, and bring to a boil.
Boil for 5 min. then slowly pour in the egg while stirring the soup.
Stir in the remaining ingredients.
You can leave out any of the vegetables, and you can add in around 1 cup of shredded cabbage (green or napa). It's also good with mushrooms or meat added. You can also substitute fresh ginger for the powdered. Chopped cilantro makes a good garnish.
Serves 2-3
Food log for yesterday:
Breakfast: smoothie of yogurt, banana, raspberries, and orange juice
Lunch: Chinese Vegetable Soup (again)
Snack: 1 dried fig, apple slices with melted cheddar
Dinner: pot roast and steamed asparagus from the garden
Snack: almonds
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
The Right Way to Cook Chuck
Roast, that is!
I learned way too late in life that the best way to cook meat is low and slow. Eight hours at 250F is the very best way to cook many cuts of meat.
When I was a kid I hated roast for two reasons - it was dry, tough, and chewy, and because of the fat (I HATED fat and gristle and would spend half the meal carefully picking the meat away from them). If you cook a chuck roast at a low temperature for a long time, the connective tissue kind of dissolves, the moisture stays in (more on this later) and the meat separates easily from the fat and gristle. It's the ultimate kid-friendly way to do beef (or pork).
You can do it in the oven, and if you do you get ultimate control over the temperature (assuming you have a functioning thermostat), or you can use a crock pot which "they" say is more energy efficient, and doesn't heat up the whole house. I mostly use a crock pot these days. If you start with a frozen roast, put the crock pot on high the first 4 hours, or the oven around 300. Then you can turn the crock pot down to low or the oven down to 250F. Make sure there is some fluid in the bottom of the crockpot. If using the oven, put it in a baking dish big enough to hold fluids that will come out of the meat and cover it tightly with aluminum foil or parchment if you know how to do that, or use a well-fitting lid. If you don't keep it tightly covered, and check it a couple of hours before it's done cooking the fluids may all evaporate and then you'll wind up with jerky (but it can be rehydrated by returning it to the cooker with some water added and continuing to slow-cook it for another 30 min. to an hour).
I like to put prepared horseradish on the roast when I put it in to cook, then around 4 hours before mealtime add onions cut into halves or quarters, carrots cut into large chunks, and potatoes for my husband and kids. If you aren't using horseradish you can season the meat generously with pepper and garlic powder, or 4 hours before it's finished surround it with peeled garlic, or whatever else you like.
You need to stay out of the house the last few hours as much as possible or the smell will drive you mad with hunger and you'll wind up eating other foods and being full when it's finally mealtime. And be merciful, dogs smell better than we do! Take the dog for a walk before dinner! LOL!
Food log for yesterday:
Snack - glass of water before walk, then yogurt & fruit smoothie
Breakfast - egg, sausage, pepper, and onion cooked together
Lunch - Chinese vegetable soup - carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, garlic, snap peas, and "chinese vegetables" with chicken stock from the freezer, pepper, ginger, and toasted sesame oil
Snack - dried date
Dinner - refried beans, cheddar cheese, adobo sauce
I learned way too late in life that the best way to cook meat is low and slow. Eight hours at 250F is the very best way to cook many cuts of meat.
When I was a kid I hated roast for two reasons - it was dry, tough, and chewy, and because of the fat (I HATED fat and gristle and would spend half the meal carefully picking the meat away from them). If you cook a chuck roast at a low temperature for a long time, the connective tissue kind of dissolves, the moisture stays in (more on this later) and the meat separates easily from the fat and gristle. It's the ultimate kid-friendly way to do beef (or pork).
You can do it in the oven, and if you do you get ultimate control over the temperature (assuming you have a functioning thermostat), or you can use a crock pot which "they" say is more energy efficient, and doesn't heat up the whole house. I mostly use a crock pot these days. If you start with a frozen roast, put the crock pot on high the first 4 hours, or the oven around 300. Then you can turn the crock pot down to low or the oven down to 250F. Make sure there is some fluid in the bottom of the crockpot. If using the oven, put it in a baking dish big enough to hold fluids that will come out of the meat and cover it tightly with aluminum foil or parchment if you know how to do that, or use a well-fitting lid. If you don't keep it tightly covered, and check it a couple of hours before it's done cooking the fluids may all evaporate and then you'll wind up with jerky (but it can be rehydrated by returning it to the cooker with some water added and continuing to slow-cook it for another 30 min. to an hour).
I like to put prepared horseradish on the roast when I put it in to cook, then around 4 hours before mealtime add onions cut into halves or quarters, carrots cut into large chunks, and potatoes for my husband and kids. If you aren't using horseradish you can season the meat generously with pepper and garlic powder, or 4 hours before it's finished surround it with peeled garlic, or whatever else you like.
You need to stay out of the house the last few hours as much as possible or the smell will drive you mad with hunger and you'll wind up eating other foods and being full when it's finally mealtime. And be merciful, dogs smell better than we do! Take the dog for a walk before dinner! LOL!
Food log for yesterday:
Snack - glass of water before walk, then yogurt & fruit smoothie
Breakfast - egg, sausage, pepper, and onion cooked together
Lunch - Chinese vegetable soup - carrots, onions, peppers, zucchini, garlic, snap peas, and "chinese vegetables" with chicken stock from the freezer, pepper, ginger, and toasted sesame oil
Snack - dried date
Dinner - refried beans, cheddar cheese, adobo sauce
Monday, May 9, 2011
Feeling Good!
Yesterday, after my wonderful sausage breakfast, we went to Longwood Gardens for Mother's Day. So I had a 2 mile walk in the morning then spent the next 3 or 4 hours on my feet at the garden, and I felt pretty good! When we got home I did some housework and then mulching and weeding outdoors. I think the carb crash phase of this diet is over (and none too soon!)
We had lunch at Longwood. I had a fruit salad and some of their mushroom soup, but I don't think that was legal because it had a creamy broth that likely had milk or cream in it, but I was hoping it was just cheese. LOL! I felt guilty after a few bites and let my husband have the rest, and he was happy to oblige.
My wonderful husband cooked dinner, grilled steaks with "Outback's Steak Seasoning", and steamed asparagus from our garden. He made Uncle Ben's rice for himself and the kids, but he wound up being the only one who ate any of it (are the kids taking cues from me?).
If you have space for asparagus, run out and buy some plants and grow it! You just cannot match the flavor of just-picked homegrown asparagus! My asparagus bed is around 9 years old now so we can pick it until the peas come in! My kids fight over who got more and try to sneak and eat it all before the other knows it's ready if I'm not watchful.
A side note - Chris Masterjohn has written a piece on the role of cholesterol when the body is converting sunlight to vitamin D - basically cholesterol is a precursor of vitamin D and without cholesterol the body cannot make vitamin D. I have a theory based on this that the body will inhibit tanning when vitamin D is low to increase the amount of sunlight/vitamin D. It kind of piggybacks on Chris's theory that the body will increase blood cholesterol levels where vitamin D is deficient to try to maximize the potential for synthesizing it when you are in the sun.
I noticed back when we switched to raw milk I didn't burn as easily as I had for my entire life up until then. Suddenly I could do crazy things like go to the beach with no sunscreen.
Raw milk is a great source of natural vitamin D, so is cod liver oil and truly pastured eggs (from hens that can eat grass - a lot of "pastured eggs" from the grocery store are from hens that can go outdoors into a dirt or cement lot if they choose to - mostly they stay indoors in the shade!). Milk is a no-no, but the eggs and cod liver oil are SCD legal.
Well, this early in the year I have almost no tan to speak of, but I was outdoors all day and didn't get a sunburn. Cool beans!
We had lunch at Longwood. I had a fruit salad and some of their mushroom soup, but I don't think that was legal because it had a creamy broth that likely had milk or cream in it, but I was hoping it was just cheese. LOL! I felt guilty after a few bites and let my husband have the rest, and he was happy to oblige.
My wonderful husband cooked dinner, grilled steaks with "Outback's Steak Seasoning", and steamed asparagus from our garden. He made Uncle Ben's rice for himself and the kids, but he wound up being the only one who ate any of it (are the kids taking cues from me?).
If you have space for asparagus, run out and buy some plants and grow it! You just cannot match the flavor of just-picked homegrown asparagus! My asparagus bed is around 9 years old now so we can pick it until the peas come in! My kids fight over who got more and try to sneak and eat it all before the other knows it's ready if I'm not watchful.
A side note - Chris Masterjohn has written a piece on the role of cholesterol when the body is converting sunlight to vitamin D - basically cholesterol is a precursor of vitamin D and without cholesterol the body cannot make vitamin D. I have a theory based on this that the body will inhibit tanning when vitamin D is low to increase the amount of sunlight/vitamin D. It kind of piggybacks on Chris's theory that the body will increase blood cholesterol levels where vitamin D is deficient to try to maximize the potential for synthesizing it when you are in the sun.
I noticed back when we switched to raw milk I didn't burn as easily as I had for my entire life up until then. Suddenly I could do crazy things like go to the beach with no sunscreen.
Raw milk is a great source of natural vitamin D, so is cod liver oil and truly pastured eggs (from hens that can eat grass - a lot of "pastured eggs" from the grocery store are from hens that can go outdoors into a dirt or cement lot if they choose to - mostly they stay indoors in the shade!). Milk is a no-no, but the eggs and cod liver oil are SCD legal.
Well, this early in the year I have almost no tan to speak of, but I was outdoors all day and didn't get a sunburn. Cool beans!
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Make your own sausage
Happy Mother's Day!
For breakfast today I'm having homemade sausage. I got the recipe online, it's one of those reverse-engineered ones that is supposed to mimic Jimmy Dean sausage.
You can buy ground pork or if you're lucky enough to have a meat grinder you can grind your own. I tried grinding my own this morning but my grinder doesn't go as fine a grind as the butcher we buy 1 hog a year from (we just used up the last of "our" pig a few weeks ago).
Buying your pork a pig at a time allows you to say "NO MSG" for the cured meats, get the hams and roasts sliced into meal-sized portions, get a bucket of lard for frying (deep fried onions are delicious!), and much more. And it's only around $2.50 a pound and includes hams, roasts, chops, bacon, sausage meat, and ribs. Quite a bargain if you have the space for it!
Here's the sausage recipe I use (I took out the MSG and leave out the cayenne in deference to my kids' taste).
Sage
1 lb ground pork (30% fat/70% lean works best)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Whenever we have them I like to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones. Even just fresh sage instead of dried adds a whole new level of yumminess! One sage plant can live for many years and even makes some leaves in the winter.
For my breakfast this morning I added in some fried peppers and onions I had pre-cooked yesterday when I was making my omlette. I ground them right in with the meat but I think it would be just as easy to give them a whirl in the food processor and stir them into ground pork. Sausage makers often add water to the recipe, so adding a little water to puree the peppers and onions shouldn't affect how the sausage turns out.
For breakfast today I'm having homemade sausage. I got the recipe online, it's one of those reverse-engineered ones that is supposed to mimic Jimmy Dean sausage.
You can buy ground pork or if you're lucky enough to have a meat grinder you can grind your own. I tried grinding my own this morning but my grinder doesn't go as fine a grind as the butcher we buy 1 hog a year from (we just used up the last of "our" pig a few weeks ago).
Buying your pork a pig at a time allows you to say "NO MSG" for the cured meats, get the hams and roasts sliced into meal-sized portions, get a bucket of lard for frying (deep fried onions are delicious!), and much more. And it's only around $2.50 a pound and includes hams, roasts, chops, bacon, sausage meat, and ribs. Quite a bargain if you have the space for it!
Here's the sausage recipe I use (I took out the MSG and leave out the cayenne in deference to my kids' taste).
Sage
1 lb ground pork (30% fat/70% lean works best)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander
Whenever we have them I like to use fresh herbs instead of dried ones. Even just fresh sage instead of dried adds a whole new level of yumminess! One sage plant can live for many years and even makes some leaves in the winter.
For my breakfast this morning I added in some fried peppers and onions I had pre-cooked yesterday when I was making my omlette. I ground them right in with the meat but I think it would be just as easy to give them a whirl in the food processor and stir them into ground pork. Sausage makers often add water to the recipe, so adding a little water to puree the peppers and onions shouldn't affect how the sausage turns out.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Guacamole!
Guacamole is simple to make!
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
diced tomato (optional)
Cut a seam around your avocado lengthwise, cutting to the pit that's in the middle. Grab the halves and give a twist so they come apart.
Pick the pit out.
Holding the avocado by the skin with the inside facing up, make cuts about 1/4" apart (or closer) in two directions. Then squeeze the soft part out of the peel by folding it in half. Add the lemon juice and mash it with a fork to the texture you like. Salt and pepper to taste. If using tomato stir it in now. This is great in salad, or with refried beans.
In fact, it was my dinner tonight - with the refried black beans. For lunch we had apples and peanut butter and the honey almond cookies, for breakfast I had a scrambled egg with cheese and a smoothie - legal yogurt, frozen raspberries, pineapple, and some orange juice to help it blend. No sugar crash today and we were out all day touring a college campus and some museums.
Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
diced tomato (optional)
Cut a seam around your avocado lengthwise, cutting to the pit that's in the middle. Grab the halves and give a twist so they come apart.
Pick the pit out.
Holding the avocado by the skin with the inside facing up, make cuts about 1/4" apart (or closer) in two directions. Then squeeze the soft part out of the peel by folding it in half. Add the lemon juice and mash it with a fork to the texture you like. Salt and pepper to taste. If using tomato stir it in now. This is great in salad, or with refried beans.
In fact, it was my dinner tonight - with the refried black beans. For lunch we had apples and peanut butter and the honey almond cookies, for breakfast I had a scrambled egg with cheese and a smoothie - legal yogurt, frozen raspberries, pineapple, and some orange juice to help it blend. No sugar crash today and we were out all day touring a college campus and some museums.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
SCD cookies!
I tried making legal cookies yesterday after a trip to the store led to me almost fainting. I don't feel hungry (tho I'm craving warm creamy drinks) but I guess my blood sugar got low, the things I'm eating, like baba ghanoush are really low calorie - something that didn't occur to me until I got really light-headed. I did cheat yesterday - I hate fainting in front of people and waking up on the floor surrounded by worried faces. So I got two small Mr. Goodbar candies from the bulk section. Looking back I probably could have gotten one of those orange juice singles instead and stayed legal. I decided I need to watch calories and make sure I'm getting enough.
I read about flour alternatives and folks seemed to agree that almond flour is the best - in terms of price and ease of use, plus it's healthy and nutritious. So I got almost a pound of blanched almonds at the store and a big jar of honey. I read you can make your own almond flour in a food processor or blender, so I tried it to make the cookies in this recipe. You have to scroll down some to get to the almond cookie recipe.
I used 2/3 cup of honey instead of the maple sugar flakes. I knew it would be trouble to substitute honey for maple flakes, but I wanted to see if I could make it work.
The first batch were really runny and I had to cook them for 15 min. to get them to finally set up somewhat, but even then they went flat once they cooled and had a bad texture. I tried adding more almond flour. They worked better, almost cookie-looking but still too soft.
That's when I realized you have to sift your almond flour, because there are lots of chunks of nuts that didn't get ground up still mixed in, which don't act like flour but do take up space. So the next time I sifted some and really only about 1/3 of it was ground finely like flour. There were a lot of nut pieces hiding in there. No wonder the first batch failed so badly!
They DID taste really good, tho. Especially the browned outer edges, so I disagree with the author, you DO want them to brown, just a little bit. The honey was so rich, tho, that even after diluting the recipe with a lot more almond flour, I could only eat a couple and didn't want any more the rest of the night. Maybe I can carry one or two around in case of a low blood sugar emergency!
I never made the beans for dinner because the kids talked their dad into taking them out for pizza (it didn't take much effort!) so we didn't need a cooked meal. Since the chicken is thawed, I'll still make the meal for tonight I was going to - roasted chicken with baked butternut squash and for the rest of the family roasted potatoes. I'm cooking the beans anyway for my lunch today, my daughter may eat some also. My husband brought home two large hoagies from a Men's Dinner Tuesday night and is working his way through them, alone, because I was the only other one who ate hoagies.
I read about flour alternatives and folks seemed to agree that almond flour is the best - in terms of price and ease of use, plus it's healthy and nutritious. So I got almost a pound of blanched almonds at the store and a big jar of honey. I read you can make your own almond flour in a food processor or blender, so I tried it to make the cookies in this recipe. You have to scroll down some to get to the almond cookie recipe.
I used 2/3 cup of honey instead of the maple sugar flakes. I knew it would be trouble to substitute honey for maple flakes, but I wanted to see if I could make it work.
The first batch were really runny and I had to cook them for 15 min. to get them to finally set up somewhat, but even then they went flat once they cooled and had a bad texture. I tried adding more almond flour. They worked better, almost cookie-looking but still too soft.
That's when I realized you have to sift your almond flour, because there are lots of chunks of nuts that didn't get ground up still mixed in, which don't act like flour but do take up space. So the next time I sifted some and really only about 1/3 of it was ground finely like flour. There were a lot of nut pieces hiding in there. No wonder the first batch failed so badly!
They DID taste really good, tho. Especially the browned outer edges, so I disagree with the author, you DO want them to brown, just a little bit. The honey was so rich, tho, that even after diluting the recipe with a lot more almond flour, I could only eat a couple and didn't want any more the rest of the night. Maybe I can carry one or two around in case of a low blood sugar emergency!
I never made the beans for dinner because the kids talked their dad into taking them out for pizza (it didn't take much effort!) so we didn't need a cooked meal. Since the chicken is thawed, I'll still make the meal for tonight I was going to - roasted chicken with baked butternut squash and for the rest of the family roasted potatoes. I'm cooking the beans anyway for my lunch today, my daughter may eat some also. My husband brought home two large hoagies from a Men's Dinner Tuesday night and is working his way through them, alone, because I was the only other one who ate hoagies.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
First 3 days
I wanted to start this journal two days ago, but didn't find the time. I heard about the Specific Carb. Diet (SCD) via Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's work, which is based on the SCD. I found out about that through my involvement with the Lyme community, specifically the LymeStrategies group (GREAT group!) which helped me recover from lyme disease and get my health back (mostly). In the years following my chronic lyme experience I've been trying alternative methods to mop up the residual problems. I think my main problem is Gluten Sensitivity, which I've been trying to deny for far too long but lately my hormones have gone out of whack and my knees and back are always hurting so I'm finally willing to address it.
Mostly I just want to keep track of good recipes I've used. Anything in brown is a link (usually to a recipe).
So here goes.
Broiled Zucchini
On Monday I did have bread and coffee in the morning. My diet started in the afternoon. I made spaghetti for the kids for dinner and for myself I sliced zucchini thinly (about 1/4 inch or less) then sprinkled them with salt, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and olive oil then broiled them until the cheese started to brown. When I took them out I added a spoonful of the tomato sauce (tomatoes cooked down and strained then simmered with garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper) and more parmesan cheese. I always like the spaghetti sauce the best anyway so I was satisfied and didn't feel like I was missing out. It was actually very good and I ate 2 small zucchinis that way :)
Chipolte Eggs Scramble
The next day my breakfast was the same recipe I'd had the day before for lunch - I mixed 2 eggs with some Pepper Jack cheese and cooked them then topped with chipolte sauce (pureed) and some cooked black beans left over from the the weekend. Very satisfying!
Lunch was apples and peanut butter (a picnic).
For dinner I made mashed potatoes for the family, I had steamed broccoli with some garlic powder, salt, and butter on it, and Pork Tenderloin, along with a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and garlic aioli honey-mustard dressing. For that I made the aioli, but it was too olive oil/garlic tasting so I stirred in some honey and some mustard. It was good but still too much garlic and next time I'll use at least half the light olive oil, extra virgin is just too strong for me.
Today I had a smoothie for breakfast (mixed frozen berries, orange juice, and coconut oil) and Baba Ghanouj for lunch on celery sticks. The Baba Ghanouj is terrific on celery! YUM!
Tonight in honor of Cinco de Mayo tomorrow will be refried black beans, chipolte sauce, guacamole (IF I can find a ripe avocado!), and salad, with tomatoes and chipolte aioli as dressing (just stir some adobo into the aioli - easy!). I'm sure the Pepper Jack cheese will find its way into the salad and onto the beans but that will be individual since the kids don't always like spicy foods. The family can have rice, too. My recipe for the refried beans is: cook the beans until tender in just water. Then in a large frying pan brown an onion with some garlic and peppers if you have them in around 3 tbsp of lard (this is an authentic recipe, folks!). Once the onions are browned add the beans with some of the cooking liquid (reserve the rest). Start mashing the beans with a potato masher and add liquid whenever it seems too dry until all the beans are mashed. I usually add around a rounded tsp of salt at this point and shake in some pepper. You can also add garlic powder (if you didn't use garlic), chili powder, cayenne or chipolte pepper, and cumin if you want.
Mostly I just want to keep track of good recipes I've used. Anything in brown is a link (usually to a recipe).
So here goes.
Broiled Zucchini
On Monday I did have bread and coffee in the morning. My diet started in the afternoon. I made spaghetti for the kids for dinner and for myself I sliced zucchini thinly (about 1/4 inch or less) then sprinkled them with salt, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and olive oil then broiled them until the cheese started to brown. When I took them out I added a spoonful of the tomato sauce (tomatoes cooked down and strained then simmered with garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper) and more parmesan cheese. I always like the spaghetti sauce the best anyway so I was satisfied and didn't feel like I was missing out. It was actually very good and I ate 2 small zucchinis that way :)
Chipolte Eggs Scramble
The next day my breakfast was the same recipe I'd had the day before for lunch - I mixed 2 eggs with some Pepper Jack cheese and cooked them then topped with chipolte sauce (pureed) and some cooked black beans left over from the the weekend. Very satisfying!
Lunch was apples and peanut butter (a picnic).
For dinner I made mashed potatoes for the family, I had steamed broccoli with some garlic powder, salt, and butter on it, and Pork Tenderloin, along with a salad of lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, and garlic aioli honey-mustard dressing. For that I made the aioli, but it was too olive oil/garlic tasting so I stirred in some honey and some mustard. It was good but still too much garlic and next time I'll use at least half the light olive oil, extra virgin is just too strong for me.
Today I had a smoothie for breakfast (mixed frozen berries, orange juice, and coconut oil) and Baba Ghanouj for lunch on celery sticks. The Baba Ghanouj is terrific on celery! YUM!
Tonight in honor of Cinco de Mayo tomorrow will be refried black beans, chipolte sauce, guacamole (IF I can find a ripe avocado!), and salad, with tomatoes and chipolte aioli as dressing (just stir some adobo into the aioli - easy!). I'm sure the Pepper Jack cheese will find its way into the salad and onto the beans but that will be individual since the kids don't always like spicy foods. The family can have rice, too. My recipe for the refried beans is: cook the beans until tender in just water. Then in a large frying pan brown an onion with some garlic and peppers if you have them in around 3 tbsp of lard (this is an authentic recipe, folks!). Once the onions are browned add the beans with some of the cooking liquid (reserve the rest). Start mashing the beans with a potato masher and add liquid whenever it seems too dry until all the beans are mashed. I usually add around a rounded tsp of salt at this point and shake in some pepper. You can also add garlic powder (if you didn't use garlic), chili powder, cayenne or chipolte pepper, and cumin if you want.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)