I was looking for a recipe for deviled eggs that combined all of our tastes that we like in a deviled egg without relish. I came up empty handed (if it's already out there I didn't find it). So I came up with this:
6 hard boiled eggs, shells removed, eggs halved
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (homemade)
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 dashes Frank's Red Hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash ground black pepper
pinch paprika
1/2 teaspoon dill
pinch garlic powder
1/4 t. onion powder
sprinkle celery seed
optional garnishments: sliced green onions or chives, dusting of paprika, sprinkling of dill
For the filling, remove the yolks from your hard-boiled, halved eggs. Place yolks and remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix well. If it seems too dry, add a teaspoon of additional mayo at a time until desired cinsistancy is reached. Place egg filling in a ziploc bag and squeeze to the corner. twist the bag above the filling and cut the corner off the bag. Pipe into hardboiled egg halves. Garnish as desired.
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Sunday School Lesson December 2014 'How can I become a better leader?'
- Prepare to share an experience of Christ-like leadership, how it affected you or others OR an experience of UN-Christ-like leadership and how it affected you or others.
- Think of someone you know who is a Christ-like leader. Prepare to share with the class some of the attributes you've noticed they posess that help them in their leadership role.
- Please read Exodus 18: 13-26. Prepare to share a summary with the class of what you read and at least one idea of how you can apply it to your own life. (Leaders train others, delegate responsibility putting some responsibility on others).
- Read Matthew 20:20-28, Matthew 23:11, D&C 50:26 and tell us what these scriptures are telling us a leader should do. (Great leaders serve those we lead).
- Read John 13:4-15, 3 Nephi 18:16, 3 Nephi 27:21, 27 and tell us what Jesus Christ is saying in these scriptures. (He is our perfect example).
- Read D&C 121:34-46 and make a list to share with the class of some of the principles of righteous leadership as outlined in these scriptures. (virtuous, chaste, confident, depends on God, sincere, faithful, dependable, charitable, unselfish, honorable, righteous, honors the priesthood, humble, honest, loving, patient, meek, kind, knowledgeable, understanding.)
Challenge: to focus on an attribute they could develop to become a better leader.
Handout:
I AM A LEADER!
Being a leader is HARD WORK.
I CAN DO HARD THINGS.
I follow the example of Jesus Christ.
I SERVE, TEACH, DELEGATE,
DEPEND ON GOD, and HONOR THE PRIESTHOOD.
DEPEND ON GOD, and HONOR THE PRIESTHOOD.
I am…
an example
virtuous
chaste
confident
sincere
faithful
dependable
charitable
unselfish
honorable
righteous
humble
honest
loving
patient
meek
kind
knowledgeable
D&C 121:34-46, Exodus 18:13-26,
Matt. 23:11
Sunday School Lessons
The hubs and I have been team teaching 12 and 13 year olds' Sunday School lessons for a couple of months now. It's hard work finding ideas for the new curriculum, so I thought I would post ideas here so I can come back to them when I need some fresh ideas.
There was a poll posted on Huffalumps and Woozles that I use and have the kids fill out at the end of each month. It helps us to understand the interests of the kids and what would be most useful for them to hear, since there are more lessons available that can be taught in one month.
We also have scriptures and other assignments for each child in the class so that they are somewhat prepared to contribute during class the following Sunday. We make each assignment small, they share what they read (if they remember) and discuss how it applies to the topic. It has really encouraged more discussion and interaction from the kids. Games and treats also keep their interest, so we're working on collecting more ideas that contribute to the lesson without detracting from the Spirit. We also tried to issue a challenge for the week inspired by the lesson and follow up on it the next week, but there wasn't much positive response to it. This month we're trying to issue one challenge for the month with several choices of how to fulfill that challenge. We'll see if we get a better response this month. Listed below are ideas to try or ones that we've tried and have worked well.
JANUARY: 'The Godhead'
FEBRUARY: 'The Plan of Salvation'
MARCH: 'The Atonement of Jesus Christ'
APRIL: 'The Apostasy and the Restoration'
MAY: 'Prophets and Revelation'
Game Ideas: Personal Revelation
JUNE: 'Priesthood and Priesthood Keys'
JULY: 'Ordinances and Covenants'
AUGUST: 'Marriage and Family'
SEPTEMBER: 'Commandments'
OCTOBER: 'Becoming More Christ-like'
NOVEMBER: 'Spiritual and Temporal Self-Reliance'
DECEMBER: 'Building the Kingdom of God in the Latter Days'
There was a poll posted on Huffalumps and Woozles that I use and have the kids fill out at the end of each month. It helps us to understand the interests of the kids and what would be most useful for them to hear, since there are more lessons available that can be taught in one month.
We also have scriptures and other assignments for each child in the class so that they are somewhat prepared to contribute during class the following Sunday. We make each assignment small, they share what they read (if they remember) and discuss how it applies to the topic. It has really encouraged more discussion and interaction from the kids. Games and treats also keep their interest, so we're working on collecting more ideas that contribute to the lesson without detracting from the Spirit. We also tried to issue a challenge for the week inspired by the lesson and follow up on it the next week, but there wasn't much positive response to it. This month we're trying to issue one challenge for the month with several choices of how to fulfill that challenge. We'll see if we get a better response this month. Listed below are ideas to try or ones that we've tried and have worked well.
JANUARY: 'The Godhead'
MARCH: 'The Atonement of Jesus Christ'
APRIL: 'The Apostasy and the Restoration'
MAY: 'Prophets and Revelation'
Game Ideas: Personal Revelation
JUNE: 'Priesthood and Priesthood Keys'
JULY: 'Ordinances and Covenants'
AUGUST: 'Marriage and Family'
SEPTEMBER: 'Commandments'
OCTOBER: 'Becoming More Christ-like'
NOVEMBER: 'Spiritual and Temporal Self-Reliance'
DECEMBER: 'Building the Kingdom of God in the Latter Days'
- Christmas: How can I share my testimony that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? Challenge: to invite a friend to a church related activity (Sunday church, youth activities such as mutual, Ward Christmas Dinner, etc.), bear testimony to a friend, or bear testimony during sacrament
- How can I learn to serve more effectively in the church?
- How can I become a better leader? Click here to see what we prepared.
- How can I become a better teacher?
- What are effective ways to share the gospel?
- How can I understand the symbols used to teach about the Second Coming?
- What can I learn from the scriptures to help me prepare for the Second Coming?
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Desserts, Sweets, Snacks
Desserts, sweets, and snacks...the most important part of the day aside from breakfast! Not really, but it's definitely fun. Below are some of our favorites.
Strawberry Lime Cake (AMAZING)
Ice Cream
I adapted this from a recipe published in the Friend.
1 cup whole coconut milk
3 c. frozen banana pieces
optional combinations: 3 T. unsweetened baking cocoa+ 3 T. honey+1 T. vanilla extract, or 1 c. frozen blueberries or other frozen fruit, or 1 T. vanilla extract + chocolate pieces, or 3 T. peanut butter + chocolate pieces, or 10-20 drops peppermint essential oil + chocolate pieces
Mix on high in the blender (excluding any chocolate pieces) until all ingredients are smooth and well incorporated. Add chocolate pieces if desired. Eat as is for a soft-serve texture or run through the ice cream maker and freeze for a more traditional texture.
Brown Rice Brownies
1/3 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
.2/3 c. honey
1/4 c. applesauce
1 banana
1 c. rice flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. coconut oil
Mix all ingredients. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees in a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish for 25 minutes.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Strawberry Lime Sorbet
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
Fudge
This recipe isn't mine but I'm not sure where I got it from.
1 c. coconut oil, solid but not cold (important to use very high quality oil for this recipe...I prefer the Tropical Traditions gold label)
1/2 c. whole coconut milk
1/4 c.-1/2 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 c. raw honey
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. pure almond extract
Combine the coconut oil and coconut milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat the milk and oil together for 5-6 minutes, until it's glossy and thick. (Alternately, use a hand-held mixer and a mixing bowl). Meanwhile, lay a sheet of parchment or wax paper along the inside of a loaf pan. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixer. Mix on low until the cocoa is incorporated, then mix on high until everything is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes, until just set. Pull the fudge out of the pan by pulling up the wax paper and lay it top down onto a cutting board. Peel off the paper and flip the fudge over so it's easier to cut. Use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Caramel
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. raw local honey
Melt and incorporate together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling hard boil and allow to foam and bubble for several minutes until mixture darken. Pour onto greased wax paper in teaspoon increments for bite size caramels. Also delicious left warm and used for dipping Granny Smith apple wedges in or pouring over warm air popped popcorn, poured over Reese's Peanut Butter cups, or poured into fudge and "marbled" throughout before the fudge has set.
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
2 T. coconut oil
2 C. sunflower seeds
2 eggs
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. unsweetened baking cocoa
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut shreds (optional)
In a blender, PULSE the sunflower seeds until they resemble a course flour. Blend sunflower seeds, coconut oil, eggs, honey, and vanilla in blender until well mixed. Remove from blender and mix in remaining ingredients with a hand mixer. Place by rounded tablespoon onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet then remove to a cookie rack until completely cooled.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Cookies
From Health, Home, Happiness. These aren't very sweet and are a little dry so I made up the frosting that follows. Together they're pretty good!
Cookie:
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. coconut oil
2 T. coconut flour
1/4 c. honey
4 eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
Combine all ingredients until smooth. Drop by rounded spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Press criss cross pattern on top with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake.
Frosting:
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 T. coconut oil, solid but slightly soft
2 T. honey
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
Mix until smooth and creamy. Don't refrigerate before putting on your cookies or it won't spread. Spread on cookies only after cookies have completely cooled or it will melt the frosting.
Ginger Cookies
Easy Peesy Crackers from Healthy Living
I'll add more when I have time!
Strawberry Lime Cake (AMAZING)
Ice Cream
I adapted this from a recipe published in the Friend.
1 cup whole coconut milk
3 c. frozen banana pieces
optional combinations: 3 T. unsweetened baking cocoa+ 3 T. honey+1 T. vanilla extract, or 1 c. frozen blueberries or other frozen fruit, or 1 T. vanilla extract + chocolate pieces, or 3 T. peanut butter + chocolate pieces, or 10-20 drops peppermint essential oil + chocolate pieces
Mix on high in the blender (excluding any chocolate pieces) until all ingredients are smooth and well incorporated. Add chocolate pieces if desired. Eat as is for a soft-serve texture or run through the ice cream maker and freeze for a more traditional texture.
Brown Rice Brownies
1/3 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
.2/3 c. honey
1/4 c. applesauce
1 banana
1 c. rice flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. coconut oil
Mix all ingredients. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees in a greased 8"x8" glass baking dish for 25 minutes.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Strawberry Lime Sorbet
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
Fudge
This recipe isn't mine but I'm not sure where I got it from.
1 c. coconut oil, solid but not cold (important to use very high quality oil for this recipe...I prefer the Tropical Traditions gold label)
1/2 c. whole coconut milk
1/4 c.-1/2 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 c. raw honey
1 t. vanilla extract
1/2 t. pure almond extract
Combine the coconut oil and coconut milk in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Turn the mixer on medium-high speed and beat the milk and oil together for 5-6 minutes, until it's glossy and thick. (Alternately, use a hand-held mixer and a mixing bowl). Meanwhile, lay a sheet of parchment or wax paper along the inside of a loaf pan. Add the remaining ingredients to the mixer. Mix on low until the cocoa is incorporated, then mix on high until everything is smooth and thoroughly combined. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth it out with the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer for 20 minutes, until just set. Pull the fudge out of the pan by pulling up the wax paper and lay it top down onto a cutting board. Peel off the paper and flip the fudge over so it's easier to cut. Use a sharp knife to cut the fudge into small squares. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.
Caramel
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. raw local honey
Melt and incorporate together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling hard boil and allow to foam and bubble for several minutes until mixture darken. Pour onto greased wax paper in teaspoon increments for bite size caramels. Also delicious left warm and used for dipping Granny Smith apple wedges in or pouring over warm air popped popcorn, poured over Reese's Peanut Butter cups, or poured into fudge and "marbled" throughout before the fudge has set.
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
2 T. coconut oil
2 C. sunflower seeds
2 eggs
2/3 c. honey
2/3 c. unsweetened baking cocoa
2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. unsweetened coconut shreds (optional)
In a blender, PULSE the sunflower seeds until they resemble a course flour. Blend sunflower seeds, coconut oil, eggs, honey, and vanilla in blender until well mixed. Remove from blender and mix in remaining ingredients with a hand mixer. Place by rounded tablespoon onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet then remove to a cookie rack until completely cooled.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Chocolate Cookies
From Health, Home, Happiness. These aren't very sweet and are a little dry so I made up the frosting that follows. Together they're pretty good!
Cookie:
1 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. coconut oil
2 T. coconut flour
1/4 c. honey
4 eggs
1/4 c. unsweetened baking cocoa powder
Combine all ingredients until smooth. Drop by rounded spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Press criss cross pattern on top with a fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Do not over bake.
Frosting:
1/4 c. peanut butter
1 T. coconut oil, solid but slightly soft
2 T. honey
1 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
Mix until smooth and creamy. Don't refrigerate before putting on your cookies or it won't spread. Spread on cookies only after cookies have completely cooled or it will melt the frosting.
Ginger Cookies
Easy Peesy Crackers from Healthy Living
PUMPKIN GOODNESS
2/3 c. coconut oil (at room temperature or warmer)
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 T. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. honey
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. rice flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. ginger
dash of allspice
2/3 c. coconut oil (at room temperature or warmer)
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 T. vanilla extract
1 1/3 c. honey
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 2/3 c. rice flour
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
1/4 t. ginger
dash of allspice
Cream together the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and honey until smooth. Add in remaining ingredients and mix on high for 3 minutes. Bake in a greased (with coconut oil) 2.2 quart glass baking dish at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out ALMOST clean. Cool about 15 minutes before cutting. The texture is between a heavy cake and a batter bread (like banana bread). Would be delicious with a butter vanilla frosting (sorry, I don't have a healthy one to share...we just ate it without a frosting and it was yummy!).
I'll add more when I have time!
What Breakfast Looks Like at Our House...
I've made a rotating menu of breakfasts and shakes that everyone likes to avoid complaining. It didn't work because then they complain that they want a favorite from another day, but everyone still manages to eat until they're full and we start the day off right! I posted the menu and recipes inside the cabinet door where breakfast is prepared for fast and easy reference.
MENU:
Monday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), scrambled eggs (for the family), berry shakes
Tuesday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), sweet corn muffins, peanut butter shakes
Wednesday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), pancakes, peanut butter & honey, chocolate shakes
Thursday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), peanut butter muffins, berry shakes
Friday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), waffles, berry syrup, peanut butter shakes
Saturday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), crepes, applesauce, blueberries, berry shakes
Sunday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), seed porridge or GAPS granola with almond milk
RECIPES
Scrambled Egg Yolks
4 egg yolks (separated from the whites)
2 Tablespoons bone stock
salt to taste
butter, ghee, or other cooking fat
Heat cooking fat in skillet. Whisk all egg yolks and bone stock. Test heat of pan with a drop of egg yolk mixture. Scramble for approximately 10-20 seconds or until eggs are soft scrambled. If they cook too long they are extremely tough and not very tasty.
The shakes below each contain similar ingredients, and the similar ingredients all have nutritional benefits. The raw apple cider vinegar provides the stomach with acid for proper digestion. The flax seed and chia seeds create a psyllium husk that is fiberous and gel-like when ground and combined with fluid (water). It aids in the elimination of digestive waste (aka 'helps with constipation'). This part has been a great help for Parker and Gavin both. Organic carrots have naturally occurring digestive enzymes (as does celery, if you can handle the taste in your shake), and are sweeter than standard commercial grown carrots with pesticides. The banana is just for texture and sweetener. Organic beets are great for everything...gall bladder, blood issues, digestion, adrenal fatigue, etc. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and LIFE.
Since there are so many digestive aids in these shakes, you may want to go easy on them at first and slowly increase you intake or risk diarrhea. Also, these shakes can't be blended ahead more than 24 hours. They go rancid quickly and taste best with the most benefits when consumed within 30 minutes of blending. If you want to assemble the ingredients ahead of time, I would recommend putting the measured whole ingredients together in a bag, exluding the seeds (the seeds just stick to the bag and moisture from the vegetables make them 'gel').
Shakes are a great place to hide supplements for the littles, too. We take apart the enzyme capsules and probiotic capsules and put the powder with the fish oil in individual shakes (after the shakes are blended) in a smaller portion to make sure they get what they need. After the kids drink their entire portion with their supplements they can have more.
Berry Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
1 cup berries (I buy organic at Costco)
1 Tablespoon honey (optional) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
1 very ripe banana, frozen and peeled
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Peanut Butter Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
1 Tablespoon honey (optional) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
3 very ripe bananas, frozen and peeled or 1 banana, 1 cup berries for a PB & J flavor
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
1/4 cup peanut butter (I use Adams brand)(Camber said that nut oils help your stomach create bile necessary for digestion, so there's an added benefit to this shake)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Chocolate Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
2 Tablespoons honey (not optional in this recipe) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
3 very ripe bananas, frozen and peeled
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Sweet "Corn" Muffins
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 c. coconut oil
4 eggs
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
2 T. honey
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. raw apple cider vinegar
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/3 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups. Mix coconut flour and coconut oil until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients. Divide evenly between cups. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and top springs back when lightly pressed.
Pancakes
8 eggs
1/2 c. coconut flour
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
2 T. honey
1/2 c. applesauce
Serve with peanut butter and honey
Heat griddle. Mix ingredients. Set batter for 5 minutes (allows the coconut flour to absorb the liquid and makes the cakes fluffier). Pour 1/4 c. batter per pancake. Sspread thin. Cook until golden before flipping, approximately 3 minutes each side. We like to heat the honey to make it more syrup-like.
Peanut Butter Muffins
1 c. peanut butter
2 bananas* or 2/3 c. applesauce *
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 T. honey
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. raisins or 1/2 c. blueberries**
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees if using bananas, 375 degrees if using applesauce. Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except blueberries...if using blueberries, fold into batter after batter is poured into greased muffin cups to avoid grey looking muffins). Pour batter into greased muffin cups and add blueberries if desired. Bake 15 - 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Peanut Butter Muffin Variations:
Banana Nut: Use 2 bananas, omit applesauce, add 1/4 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are our favorites), pinch nutmeg, pinch allspice, 1/4 t. cinnamon.
Orange Spice: Omit bananas, use 2/3 c. applesauce, pinch ginger, pinch nutmeg, pinch allspice, 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/2-1 t. zested orange peel, 1-5 drops essential oil Wild Orange, substitute 1/2 c. dried cranberries for raisins (optional...the raisins are also delicious in this variation).
Waffles
Syrup:
1/4 c. water
2 c. berries
2 T. honey
pinch cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan on medium-low heat.
Waffles:
1/2 c. softened coconut oil
1/2 c. coconut flour
12 eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
1/4 c. honey
1/2 t. salt
Preheat waffle iron greased generously with coconut oil or butter. Mix all ingredients. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Evenly distribute batter over iron and cook 3-4 minutes or until golden. These are VERY tough if over cooked.
Crepes
3 c. applesauce
1 c. blueberries
12 eggs
1/4 c. coconut flour
1/8 t. salt
2 T. coconut oil
1 t. vanilla
coconut oil or butter for greasing cooking pan
Warm applesauce in saucepan. Set blueberries out to thaw in a bowl if frozen.
Blend remaining ingredients in the blender until well incorporated. Let sit 5 minutes.
Heat oil in pan (a 10" skillet works best). Pour 1/4 c. batter into pan on HOT oil. Tilt the pan to thinly spread batter. Cook until lightly brown and removes easily from skillet. flip gently and cook other side until golden. These should be flexible and easily rolled when finished cooking. If they are crispy they are spread too thin or cooked too long. Spread warmed applesauce and blueberries down the center of the finished crepe, roll and enjoy!
Seed Porridge
Warning: this is NOT very tasty but is a good GAPS option. We make it for Parker and the twins. No one else likes it.
1 c. water or coconut milk (more may need to be added to blend or for desired texture)
1/4 c. pumpkin seeds (these are the raw green meat in the center of the seed, not the toasted kind)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds (same here...these are the raw gray meat in the center of the seed, not the toasted kind)
1 T. flax seeds
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. honey
2 T. peanut butter
raisins to taste
Blend all ingredients except raisins until a thick porridge-like texture and no chunks of seeds are visible. Warm with raisins at a very low temperature until temperature desired is achieved. This mixture scalds fairly easily.
The porridge is also a great place to hide supplements.
GAPS Granola
Internal Bliss official GAPS cookbook
Make this the night before.
1 c. pumpkin seeds (again, the green meat)
1 c. sunflower seeds (inner meat)
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. honey, warmed
pinch of salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 T. vanilla extract
1 c. dried fruit, any variety (cut up if large)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large jellyroll pan. Mix all ingredients, excluding dried fruit. Toss well. Spread on the greased jellyroll pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit. Continue to stir every few minutes during the cooling process (if you don't it sticks like none other, speaking from experience). For granola seed BALLS, pack tightly together in balls during cooling stage. After it has cooled my kids prefer it after it has been dry pulsed in the blender for a finer texture and served with almond milk. For storage, keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Hope these help!
MENU:
Monday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), scrambled eggs (for the family), berry shakes
Tuesday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), sweet corn muffins, peanut butter shakes
Wednesday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), pancakes, peanut butter & honey, chocolate shakes
Thursday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), peanut butter muffins, berry shakes
Friday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), waffles, berry syrup, peanut butter shakes
Saturday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), crepes, applesauce, blueberries, berry shakes
Sunday: 4 organic scrambled egg yolks (for the twins), seed porridge or GAPS granola with almond milk
RECIPES
Scrambled Egg Yolks
4 egg yolks (separated from the whites)
2 Tablespoons bone stock
salt to taste
butter, ghee, or other cooking fat
Heat cooking fat in skillet. Whisk all egg yolks and bone stock. Test heat of pan with a drop of egg yolk mixture. Scramble for approximately 10-20 seconds or until eggs are soft scrambled. If they cook too long they are extremely tough and not very tasty.
The shakes below each contain similar ingredients, and the similar ingredients all have nutritional benefits. The raw apple cider vinegar provides the stomach with acid for proper digestion. The flax seed and chia seeds create a psyllium husk that is fiberous and gel-like when ground and combined with fluid (water). It aids in the elimination of digestive waste (aka 'helps with constipation'). This part has been a great help for Parker and Gavin both. Organic carrots have naturally occurring digestive enzymes (as does celery, if you can handle the taste in your shake), and are sweeter than standard commercial grown carrots with pesticides. The banana is just for texture and sweetener. Organic beets are great for everything...gall bladder, blood issues, digestion, adrenal fatigue, etc. Spinach is loaded with vitamins and LIFE.
Since there are so many digestive aids in these shakes, you may want to go easy on them at first and slowly increase you intake or risk diarrhea. Also, these shakes can't be blended ahead more than 24 hours. They go rancid quickly and taste best with the most benefits when consumed within 30 minutes of blending. If you want to assemble the ingredients ahead of time, I would recommend putting the measured whole ingredients together in a bag, exluding the seeds (the seeds just stick to the bag and moisture from the vegetables make them 'gel').
Shakes are a great place to hide supplements for the littles, too. We take apart the enzyme capsules and probiotic capsules and put the powder with the fish oil in individual shakes (after the shakes are blended) in a smaller portion to make sure they get what they need. After the kids drink their entire portion with their supplements they can have more.
Berry Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
1 cup berries (I buy organic at Costco)
1 Tablespoon honey (optional) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
1 very ripe banana, frozen and peeled
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Peanut Butter Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
1 Tablespoon honey (optional) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
3 very ripe bananas, frozen and peeled or 1 banana, 1 cup berries for a PB & J flavor
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
1/4 cup peanut butter (I use Adams brand)(Camber said that nut oils help your stomach create bile necessary for digestion, so there's an added benefit to this shake)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Chocolate Shakes
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar (I buy at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons flax seed (I buy at Winco)
1 Tablespoon chia seeds (I buy at Winco)
1 carrot (I buy organic at Costco)
2 Tablespoons honey (not optional in this recipe) (I buy raw local at the Honey Store)
2 Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
3 very ripe bananas, frozen and peeled
1 beet, cooked and cooled (I buy these organic and already cooked at Costco in the refrigerated vegetable section)
spinach (I buy fresh organic at Costco)
Put all the ingredients except the spinach in a 4 or 5 cup blender. Fill the remaining head space in the blender with the spinach and blend until smooth.
Sweet "Corn" Muffins
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 c. coconut oil
4 eggs
2 T. unsweetened applesauce
2 T. honey
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. raw apple cider vinegar
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/2 t. cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
1/3 c. raisins
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin cups. Mix coconut flour and coconut oil until smooth. Beat in remaining ingredients. Divide evenly between cups. Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and top springs back when lightly pressed.
Pancakes
8 eggs
1/2 c. coconut flour
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
2 T. honey
1/2 c. applesauce
Serve with peanut butter and honey
Heat griddle. Mix ingredients. Set batter for 5 minutes (allows the coconut flour to absorb the liquid and makes the cakes fluffier). Pour 1/4 c. batter per pancake. Sspread thin. Cook until golden before flipping, approximately 3 minutes each side. We like to heat the honey to make it more syrup-like.
Peanut Butter Muffins
1 c. peanut butter
2 bananas* or 2/3 c. applesauce *
2 large eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 T. honey
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. apple cider vinegar
1/2 c. raisins or 1/2 c. blueberries**
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees if using bananas, 375 degrees if using applesauce. Mix all ingredients in a bowl (except blueberries...if using blueberries, fold into batter after batter is poured into greased muffin cups to avoid grey looking muffins). Pour batter into greased muffin cups and add blueberries if desired. Bake 15 - 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Peanut Butter Muffin Variations:
Banana Nut: Use 2 bananas, omit applesauce, add 1/4 c. chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans are our favorites), pinch nutmeg, pinch allspice, 1/4 t. cinnamon.
Orange Spice: Omit bananas, use 2/3 c. applesauce, pinch ginger, pinch nutmeg, pinch allspice, 1/4 t. cinnamon, 1/2-1 t. zested orange peel, 1-5 drops essential oil Wild Orange, substitute 1/2 c. dried cranberries for raisins (optional...the raisins are also delicious in this variation).
Waffles
Syrup:
1/4 c. water
2 c. berries
2 T. honey
pinch cinnamon
1 t. vanilla
Heat all ingredients in a small saucepan on medium-low heat.
Waffles:
1/2 c. softened coconut oil
1/2 c. coconut flour
12 eggs
2 T. vanilla extract
1/4 c. honey
1/2 t. salt
Preheat waffle iron greased generously with coconut oil or butter. Mix all ingredients. Allow to rest 5 minutes. Evenly distribute batter over iron and cook 3-4 minutes or until golden. These are VERY tough if over cooked.
Crepes
3 c. applesauce
1 c. blueberries
12 eggs
1/4 c. coconut flour
1/8 t. salt
2 T. coconut oil
1 t. vanilla
coconut oil or butter for greasing cooking pan
Warm applesauce in saucepan. Set blueberries out to thaw in a bowl if frozen.
Blend remaining ingredients in the blender until well incorporated. Let sit 5 minutes.
Heat oil in pan (a 10" skillet works best). Pour 1/4 c. batter into pan on HOT oil. Tilt the pan to thinly spread batter. Cook until lightly brown and removes easily from skillet. flip gently and cook other side until golden. These should be flexible and easily rolled when finished cooking. If they are crispy they are spread too thin or cooked too long. Spread warmed applesauce and blueberries down the center of the finished crepe, roll and enjoy!
Seed Porridge
Warning: this is NOT very tasty but is a good GAPS option. We make it for Parker and the twins. No one else likes it.
1 c. water or coconut milk (more may need to be added to blend or for desired texture)
1/4 c. pumpkin seeds (these are the raw green meat in the center of the seed, not the toasted kind)
1/4 c. sunflower seeds (same here...these are the raw gray meat in the center of the seed, not the toasted kind)
1 T. flax seeds
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. honey
2 T. peanut butter
raisins to taste
Blend all ingredients except raisins until a thick porridge-like texture and no chunks of seeds are visible. Warm with raisins at a very low temperature until temperature desired is achieved. This mixture scalds fairly easily.
The porridge is also a great place to hide supplements.
GAPS Granola
Internal Bliss official GAPS cookbook
Make this the night before.
1 c. pumpkin seeds (again, the green meat)
1 c. sunflower seeds (inner meat)
1 c. unsweetened coconut flakes
1/2 c. honey, warmed
pinch of salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 T. vanilla extract
1 c. dried fruit, any variety (cut up if large)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large jellyroll pan. Mix all ingredients, excluding dried fruit. Toss well. Spread on the greased jellyroll pan. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit. Continue to stir every few minutes during the cooling process (if you don't it sticks like none other, speaking from experience). For granola seed BALLS, pack tightly together in balls during cooling stage. After it has cooled my kids prefer it after it has been dry pulsed in the blender for a finer texture and served with almond milk. For storage, keep in an airtight container at room temperature.
Hope these help!
Favorite Sites for Finding Grain Free Options and Other Useful Things
Some of my favorite resources have been online blogs and I've listed them below:
I purchased two of Cara's cookbooks from her site and use them regularly. She uses tons of coconut flour which I prefer to use as opposed to gluten free flours that often have beans in them and are hard to digest or almond flour which is high in phytic acid and can also be hard to digest. I also follow her on pinterest and she's always finding natural things I love. http://www.healthhomehappy.com/
www.primallyinspired.com She has a completely dorky picture of herself posted but I love the things she posts, both recipes and information.
www.realfoodrn.com This site I've used more for homemade products, but I've found several recipes I'd like to try.
www.rubiesandradishes.com I found tons of slow cooker meals on her site.
www.thankyourbody.com Recipes, homemade products, make up, cleaners, information, you name it she has it.
www.practical-stewardship.com Mostly recipes that I've used
www.savorylotus.com Recipes for food and products.
www.100daysofrealfood.com If you're doing full GAPS she's not the best source for recipes and information but she is AWESOME for real food recipes and suggestions. Tons of packed lunch suggestions here...in fact she's had several contests for readers to enter for best packed lunch ideas so you get a huge variety of ideas.
www.holisticsquid.com Recipes and information, plus products.
www.wholenewmom.com Mostly recipes and how to's.
www.thepaleomama.com Mostly recipes.
www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com Katie only posts recipes, but they're not all GAPS friendly, or grain-free, so substitutes might be necessary. She does have lots of delicious options that ARE grain-free and GAPS legal, and her desserts are healthier than the average sites. She also posts lots of substitute possibilities. She's vegan so her desserts never contain dairy, eggs, or meat (not necessarily a good thing), but she uses honey or stevia for sweeteners (she does use agave nectar which isn't the best, but it's easily substituted 1:1 with honey) and other whole ingredients.
If I remember more I'll add them!
I purchased two of Cara's cookbooks from her site and use them regularly. She uses tons of coconut flour which I prefer to use as opposed to gluten free flours that often have beans in them and are hard to digest or almond flour which is high in phytic acid and can also be hard to digest. I also follow her on pinterest and she's always finding natural things I love. http://www.healthhomehappy.com/
www.primallyinspired.com She has a completely dorky picture of herself posted but I love the things she posts, both recipes and information.
www.realfoodrn.com This site I've used more for homemade products, but I've found several recipes I'd like to try.
www.rubiesandradishes.com I found tons of slow cooker meals on her site.
www.thankyourbody.com Recipes, homemade products, make up, cleaners, information, you name it she has it.
www.practical-stewardship.com Mostly recipes that I've used
www.savorylotus.com Recipes for food and products.
www.100daysofrealfood.com If you're doing full GAPS she's not the best source for recipes and information but she is AWESOME for real food recipes and suggestions. Tons of packed lunch suggestions here...in fact she's had several contests for readers to enter for best packed lunch ideas so you get a huge variety of ideas.
www.holisticsquid.com Recipes and information, plus products.
www.wholenewmom.com Mostly recipes and how to's.
www.thepaleomama.com Mostly recipes.
www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com Katie only posts recipes, but they're not all GAPS friendly, or grain-free, so substitutes might be necessary. She does have lots of delicious options that ARE grain-free and GAPS legal, and her desserts are healthier than the average sites. She also posts lots of substitute possibilities. She's vegan so her desserts never contain dairy, eggs, or meat (not necessarily a good thing), but she uses honey or stevia for sweeteners (she does use agave nectar which isn't the best, but it's easily substituted 1:1 with honey) and other whole ingredients.
If I remember more I'll add them!
Substitutions That Work
In our GAPS and whole foods journey some great substitutions we've found have been:
Substitute for:
Eggs (until well tolerated): flax seed egg , bananas (1 banana = 1 egg), applesauce (1/3 cup applesauce = 1 egg) Thankfully we now use regular eggs and don't have to worry about this one, but this was the hardest substitution to find. These only work well in baking, not for scrambling =) .
Mashed Potatoes: Cauliflower (cook in bone stock until slightly over cooked, blend in blender with butter and salt and pepper to taste)
Potatoes in soups: peeled and cubed winter squash (butternut is more neutral tasting, acorn is more sweet)
Noodles: Zucchini like in this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html, spaghetti squash (cook like any other winter squash and naturally shreds into spaghetti-like texture when scooped out);also rice noodles are pretty easy to find (although they're not GAPS legal)
Rice: Cauliflower How to make it...
Milk: Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
Pinto Beans: red lentils (I've made chili with the red lentils, refried lentils, taco soup, etc. and lentils are a perfect substitution for pinto beans and take 1/4 of the time to cook).
Flours: coconut flour or rice flour (rice flour is not GAPS legal but is more gentle on your stomach than wheat), almond flour and gluten-free flours are often too hard on the tummy and still result in indigestion or stomach aches in our family.
I'll post more as I remember them.
Substitute for:
Eggs (until well tolerated): flax seed egg , bananas (1 banana = 1 egg), applesauce (1/3 cup applesauce = 1 egg) Thankfully we now use regular eggs and don't have to worry about this one, but this was the hardest substitution to find. These only work well in baking, not for scrambling =) .
Mashed Potatoes: Cauliflower (cook in bone stock until slightly over cooked, blend in blender with butter and salt and pepper to taste)
Potatoes in soups: peeled and cubed winter squash (butternut is more neutral tasting, acorn is more sweet)
Noodles: Zucchini like in this recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2009/02/zucchini-lasagna.html, spaghetti squash (cook like any other winter squash and naturally shreds into spaghetti-like texture when scooped out);also rice noodles are pretty easy to find (although they're not GAPS legal)
Rice: Cauliflower How to make it...
Milk: Almond Milk or Coconut Milk
Pinto Beans: red lentils (I've made chili with the red lentils, refried lentils, taco soup, etc. and lentils are a perfect substitution for pinto beans and take 1/4 of the time to cook).
Flours: coconut flour or rice flour (rice flour is not GAPS legal but is more gentle on your stomach than wheat), almond flour and gluten-free flours are often too hard on the tummy and still result in indigestion or stomach aches in our family.
I'll post more as I remember them.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
GAPS Stuffed Bell Peppers
I have to say that most of my meals are not mine from my imagination alone. They are usually a compilation of recipes or inspired by original recipes that I once loved but aren't the healthiest. This one is fairly close to the original recipe specifically published for the GAPS diet in 'Internal Bliss', but with a variation I saw on the LWN by Kary Osmond. It made a huge difference to add the bay leaves!
GAPS Stuffed Bell Peppers
5-6 Bell Peppers (red is best... green is a little too pepper-ish, and the orange and yellow are a little too bland)
2 T. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 t. cumin
2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
chopped cilantro (I like about a 1/4 c.)
1 c. meat broth
2 bay leaves
1 tomato, sliced
optional: shredded cheese
Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute the onion on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and crushed garlic, and stir. Add the meat and saute until meat is browned. Turn the heat off and mix in the chopped cilantro. Adjust seasonings if desired.
Heat oven to 350 degrees if using a glass baking dish (read further for crock pot instructions). Wash peppers. Cut tops off and remove the pith and seeds. Place in a glass baking dish or slow cook crock pot in a single layer on the bottom, cut sides up. Fill each pepper with ground beef filling and return pepper top to each pepper. Pour broth around the peppers. Tuck the bay leaves between peppers in the broth.
If baking in a glass dish, cover with a lid or aluminum foil (making sure the foil isn't touching the peppers), and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until peppers are tender. When done, remove pepper tops and place one slice tomato and cheese on each pepper. Return to oven and bake a few more minutes until cheese is melted.
If using a crock pot, cover with lid and cook on LOW 2-3 hours or until peppers are tender (I've let them cook 5 hours out of necessity and they're a little over done, but still delicious).
GAPS Stuffed Bell Peppers
5-6 Bell Peppers (red is best... green is a little too pepper-ish, and the orange and yellow are a little too bland)
2 T. butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 t. cumin
2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
chopped cilantro (I like about a 1/4 c.)
1 c. meat broth
2 bay leaves
1 tomato, sliced
optional: shredded cheese
Melt butter in a large skillet. Saute the onion on low heat for about 5 minutes. Add the seasonings and crushed garlic, and stir. Add the meat and saute until meat is browned. Turn the heat off and mix in the chopped cilantro. Adjust seasonings if desired.
Heat oven to 350 degrees if using a glass baking dish (read further for crock pot instructions). Wash peppers. Cut tops off and remove the pith and seeds. Place in a glass baking dish or slow cook crock pot in a single layer on the bottom, cut sides up. Fill each pepper with ground beef filling and return pepper top to each pepper. Pour broth around the peppers. Tuck the bay leaves between peppers in the broth.
If baking in a glass dish, cover with a lid or aluminum foil (making sure the foil isn't touching the peppers), and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes or until peppers are tender. When done, remove pepper tops and place one slice tomato and cheese on each pepper. Return to oven and bake a few more minutes until cheese is melted.
If using a crock pot, cover with lid and cook on LOW 2-3 hours or until peppers are tender (I've let them cook 5 hours out of necessity and they're a little over done, but still delicious).
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Ground Beef & Lentil Tacos
Who doesn't love Mexican food? Mexican is pretty 'whole' already, so revising it to be GAPS and digestion friendly isn't very hard if you make it yourself. Below is our version of tacos.
Tacos
1 c. lentils
1 quart chicken or beef stock
2 garlic coves, crushed
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
3 T. homemade taco seasoning
Romaine lettuce, washed
Optional toppings: Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, shredded cheese, homemade salsa
Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 c. minced dried onions
1/2 c. chili powder
1/4 c. garlic powder
1/4 c . cumin
2 T. oregano
2 T. salt
3 1/2 T. paprika
Homemade Salsa (revised from a Betty Crocker cookbook)
6 Roma tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 c.)
1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. finely chopped seeded jalapeno
3 T. lime juice (juice from one large lime or two small)
1/2 t. real salt
Rinse lentils. Pour stock, garlic cloves, salt, and lentils into a medium stock pot. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Cool slightly. Puree in blender for a 'refried-bean-like' texture.
While lentils are cooking, make salsa (combine all salsa ingredients) and refrigerate.
After salsa is made and while lentils are still cooking, brown ground beef with 3 T. homemade taco seasoning. Prepare any optional toppings.
Spread pureed lentils down core of a Romaine lettuce leaf. Spoon ground meat over lentils. Add any optional toppings. roll the Romaine lettuce leaf or fold together taco-style.
A less hands-on version is to serve the lentils, meat, and toppings over a bed of torn lettuce for a taco salad. Enjoy!
Tacos
1 c. lentils
1 quart chicken or beef stock
2 garlic coves, crushed
1/2 t. salt
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
3 T. homemade taco seasoning
Romaine lettuce, washed
Optional toppings: Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onion, shredded cheese, homemade salsa
Homemade Taco Seasoning
1 c. minced dried onions
1/2 c. chili powder
1/4 c. garlic powder
1/4 c . cumin
2 T. oregano
2 T. salt
3 1/2 T. paprika
Homemade Salsa (revised from a Betty Crocker cookbook)
6 Roma tomatoes
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (1/2 c.)
1/4 c. yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. finely chopped seeded jalapeno
3 T. lime juice (juice from one large lime or two small)
1/2 t. real salt
Rinse lentils. Pour stock, garlic cloves, salt, and lentils into a medium stock pot. Simmer for 45-60 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Cool slightly. Puree in blender for a 'refried-bean-like' texture.
While lentils are cooking, make salsa (combine all salsa ingredients) and refrigerate.
After salsa is made and while lentils are still cooking, brown ground beef with 3 T. homemade taco seasoning. Prepare any optional toppings.
Spread pureed lentils down core of a Romaine lettuce leaf. Spoon ground meat over lentils. Add any optional toppings. roll the Romaine lettuce leaf or fold together taco-style.
A less hands-on version is to serve the lentils, meat, and toppings over a bed of torn lettuce for a taco salad. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Simple Chicken 3 Ways
The Rosemary Chicken version was shared with me by my sister quite a while ago and was the basis for the other two. I believe the original recipe came from "Taste of Home" magazine but I've eliminated a few steps and don't seem to miss them.
Rosemary Chicken (my way)
2 full chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on has more flavor)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. rosemary, crushed
1/2 t. sage
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a 13"x 9" glass baking dish. Slice butter into tablespoon portions and place sliced butter on chicken. Sprinkle remaining ingredients evenly over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-50 minutes, or until juices run clear. If using chicken with the skin on and a crispy skin is desired, broil for 2 minutes or until desired crispness is obtained (watch closely to avoid burning).
Italian variation:
Omit rosemary and sage. Add 1 t. dried basil. Sprinkle with optional Parmesan cheese when chicken is removed from oven.
Seasoned variation:
Omit oregano, rosemary, and sage. Sprinkle liberally with an unsalted seasoning of your choice (I love Costco's Kirkland brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning).
Rosemary Chicken (my way)
2 full chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on has more flavor)
1/4 c. butter
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. rosemary, crushed
1/2 t. sage
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a 13"x 9" glass baking dish. Slice butter into tablespoon portions and place sliced butter on chicken. Sprinkle remaining ingredients evenly over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-50 minutes, or until juices run clear. If using chicken with the skin on and a crispy skin is desired, broil for 2 minutes or until desired crispness is obtained (watch closely to avoid burning).
Italian variation:
Omit rosemary and sage. Add 1 t. dried basil. Sprinkle with optional Parmesan cheese when chicken is removed from oven.
Seasoned variation:
Omit oregano, rosemary, and sage. Sprinkle liberally with an unsalted seasoning of your choice (I love Costco's Kirkland brand Organic No-Salt Seasoning).
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
GAPS Shepherd's Pie (no milk, no potatoes, no canned soup)
I got the idea to make this Shepherd's Pie from The Holistic Squid. I would have used her recipe except it had flour in the ingredients. I made several versions of this trying for something that would thicken nicely without the flour. They were all delicious, but once I found this recipe for Alfredo Sauce, and used it for the filling sauce, it stands alone in all its delicious glory!
GAPS Shepherd's Pie
6 T. butter, divided
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (if you're able to have potatoes, you could sub mashed potatoes for the cauliflower and decrease the cost of this dish)
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 c. green beans
1 c. peas
1 T. chopped parsley or 1 T. dried parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Alfredo Sauce
1 c. raw cashews
1 c. water or coconut milk (I always use the water)
1 clove garlic
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black ground pepper
optional: 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms or mushroom pieces
Soak cashews for 1 hour for the Alfredo sauce. After cashews have soaked for 1 hour, place drained cashews and remaining Alfredo sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Warm sauce in a double boiler on low or in a saucepan on VERY low. This scalds easier than milk. Stir continually for best results and least amount of scalding.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, cover the cauliflower florets (or potatoes) with water and boil until tender. Drain cauliflower (or potatoes) and add 3 T. butter to cauliflower. Using an immersible blender or hand beater, blend the cauliflower until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
While the cauliflower and Alfredo sauce are cooking, saute the onions, carrots, and green beans, with 3 T. butter until they begin to soften. Add the ground meat to brown, breaking meat apart into small pieces. Add the peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Alfredo Sauce and remove from heat.
Divide the meat and vegetable mixture between two 9" pie plates. Spoon the cauliflower mash (or mashed potatoes) over the meat and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and serve.
We love this dish served with a simple side salad and dressing.
GAPS Shepherd's Pie
6 T. butter, divided
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (if you're able to have potatoes, you could sub mashed potatoes for the cauliflower and decrease the cost of this dish)
1 lb. ground beef or ground elk
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 c. green beans
1 c. peas
1 T. chopped parsley or 1 T. dried parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
Alfredo Sauce
1 c. raw cashews
1 c. water or coconut milk (I always use the water)
1 clove garlic
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. black ground pepper
optional: 1/2 c. sliced mushrooms or mushroom pieces
Soak cashews for 1 hour for the Alfredo sauce. After cashews have soaked for 1 hour, place drained cashews and remaining Alfredo sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Warm sauce in a double boiler on low or in a saucepan on VERY low. This scalds easier than milk. Stir continually for best results and least amount of scalding.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saucepan, cover the cauliflower florets (or potatoes) with water and boil until tender. Drain cauliflower (or potatoes) and add 3 T. butter to cauliflower. Using an immersible blender or hand beater, blend the cauliflower until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
While the cauliflower and Alfredo sauce are cooking, saute the onions, carrots, and green beans, with 3 T. butter until they begin to soften. Add the ground meat to brown, breaking meat apart into small pieces. Add the peas and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the Alfredo Sauce and remove from heat.
Divide the meat and vegetable mixture between two 9" pie plates. Spoon the cauliflower mash (or mashed potatoes) over the meat and spread evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and serve.
We love this dish served with a simple side salad and dressing.
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Chinese Coleslaw Remade by the Little Sis
My sister brought this salad to a family get together and everyone LOVED it! We loved the 'traditional' one with cabbage and Ramen noodles crushed over the top, but no one even missed the noodles when she made it this way.
The Dressing's Inside Story:
4 T. dehydrated cane juice or 3 T. raw local honey
2 t. real salt
4 T. Japanese rice vinegar
1/2 t. black pepper
1/2 c. olive oil
2 t. sesame oil
The Salad's Inside Story :
spinach
chopped green onions
slivered almonds
sesame seeds
optional: cooked chicken
She mentioned that she heated the honey to mix it better with the other dressing ingredients, and uses the optional cooked chicken to make a light meal instead of just a side (which I am so excited to try).
Monday, February 24, 2014
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
An Adria original. Is it original if I combined two recipes? This recipe was inspired by two of my favorite cookie recipes. One for Peanut Butter Cookies, and the other for Ginger Cookies .
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
2 T. coconut oil (plus some for greasing the baking sheet)
2 c. raw sunflower seeds, hulled
2 fresh organic eggs
2/3 c. raw honey
2/3 c. plain baking cocoa
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. real salt
optional: 1/4 c. dehydrated, unsweetened, shredded coconut
Cream the 2 T. coconut oil and 2 c. sunflower seed in a food processor or blender until a butter consistency is obtained. If using a food processor or blender, add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. If this is too much for your processor or blender, stir in the remaining ingredients by hand until well incorporated.
Place batter by rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly flatten (these fluff a little, but really don't change shape much). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet to a cooling rack (these will stick if left to cool completely on the baking sheet, and will fall apart if not allowed to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet). This recipe makes 18-24 cookies.
This isn't quite GAPS because you can't have cocoa on the GAPS diet, however if I need to cheat, this is one of my go-to recipes. Delicious and not too far off the beaten GAPS path.
Chocolate Fudge Cookies
2 T. coconut oil (plus some for greasing the baking sheet)
2 c. raw sunflower seeds, hulled
2 fresh organic eggs
2/3 c. raw honey
2/3 c. plain baking cocoa
2 t. pure vanilla extract
1/4 t. real salt
optional: 1/4 c. dehydrated, unsweetened, shredded coconut
Cream the 2 T. coconut oil and 2 c. sunflower seed in a food processor or blender until a butter consistency is obtained. If using a food processor or blender, add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. If this is too much for your processor or blender, stir in the remaining ingredients by hand until well incorporated.
Place batter by rounded tablespoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Lightly flatten (these fluff a little, but really don't change shape much). Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the baking sheet to a cooling rack (these will stick if left to cool completely on the baking sheet, and will fall apart if not allowed to cool for at least 5 minutes before removing them from the baking sheet). This recipe makes 18-24 cookies.
This isn't quite GAPS because you can't have cocoa on the GAPS diet, however if I need to cheat, this is one of my go-to recipes. Delicious and not too far off the beaten GAPS path.
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