Rendering Animal Fat (Lard, Tallow)

RENDERED ANIMAL FAT
lard or tallow

Place lard or tallow (suet) in a pot.  Melt on medium heat.  Cook on medium heat 1-3 hours or until small pieces of meat are extremely brown beyond being edible.  Pour hot oil into jars.  Wipe jar mouth immediately and place canning lid on jar (if any fat residue remains between the glass and the canning lid it will not seal).  The jars of fat will self-seal if placed on the counter.  I place a towel on the counter and the jars on the towel.  Following the same protocol as regular canning there shouldn't be any cool are directed at the jars. Any jars that don't seal can be put in the refrigerator for an indefinate amount of time until used.  After a jar has been opened for use it should be returned to the refrigerator until it's consumed.

Brown Rice Porridge (Cream of "Wheat")

BROWN RICE PORRIDGE
1 heaping cup brown rice flour (I make my own brown rice flour with organic short grain brown rice run through a grain mill)
4 cups water or chicken stock
3/4 teaspoon real salt
Optional:
coconut oil (or animal fat, ghee, butter, etc.)
sweetener of choice (our favorites are raw honey, dehydrated cane juice, or applesauce)
cinnamon
powdered ginger (aids in digestion, but a pinch goes a long way)

Heat water or stock to boiling.  Slowly whisk in brown rice flour (the slower the flour is added the more silky smooth your cereal will be, the faster it's added, the lumpier your cereal will be).  Add salt.  Cook for 10-15 minutes on medium heat or until cereal is thick.  Add optional fats (too much fats can make the cereal runny), sweetener of choice (too much honey or applesauce can also make the cereal runny), cinnamon, and ginger.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Beef Stock

STOCK
2 whole chickens with gizzards, etc., thawed, rinsed OR
6 lbs. beef knuckle and marrow bones
1 jumbo onion, peeled and cut into eighths
2-4 carrots, washed, peeled and ends trimmed
2-4 celery ribs, washed and ends trimmed (if they're fresh and clean you can include ends)
10 cloves garlic, peeled and ends trimmed
water

Dump all ingredients into 20 quart stainless steel stock pot.  Fill to the top with water.  Bring to a boil.

(SKIP FOLLOWING IF MAKING BEEF STOCK)
Boil chicken until meat is tender (approximately one hour).  Remove from stock pot and remove meat from bones.  Divide meat into 14 sandwich bags.  Place sandwich bags filled with chicken meat into a gallon size freezer bag.  Return bones, skin, innards and everything not in sandwich bags to the stock pot.

(FOR CHICKEN AND BEEF STOCK BOTH)
Cook at a slow boil for 24-72 hours.  Remove bones and gristle only.  To increase nutrition, break open marrow bones and add marrow back to stock pot.  Blend skin, fat, and vegetables (remove celery before blending if in GAPS Introduction Diet Stage 1).  Add blended skin, fat, and vegetables to stock pot and stir.  Fill quart size freezer bags with stock. Lay filled freezer bags flat on a cookie sheet to freeze.  When frozen they'll stack better.

To thaw:  Place frozen quart ziploc bag of stock in a bowl.  Cover bag with HOT water until bag can be easily removed.  Place partially frozen stock into pot and pour any already thawed stock in also.  Squeeze stock fat from the ziploc back into the pot. Turn on low heat until stock is thawed.
OR:
Place frozen stock in bag in a container in the refrigerator over night.

"Soup"er Creamy Chicken Goodness- GAPS Style

"Soup"er Creamy Chicken Goodness- GAPS Style

 

I actually made this soup by accident.  I was trying to make a healthier version of a delicious soup I recently tried, and came up with something completely different, but totally delicious in it's own right.  I love creative 'disasters.'

 

 

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup celery, finely diced

4 tablespoons almond flour (or use blender and blend raw almonds)

2 cups zucchini, finely shredded (or other summer squash)

2-4 cups chicken stock (less for creamier soup, more for brothier soup)

1 cup carrots, finely shredded (when I make this soup again, I'll double shred the zucchini and carrots through my salad shooter)

1 cup chicken meat, cooked and diced

2 cups yogurt

1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon parsley

 

Saute the onion, garlic, and celery in butter over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent.  Add the almond flour.  Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about 1 minute.  Slowly add chicken stock.  Add carrots, zucchini, and chicken.  Once the mixture thickens, add the spinach and seasonings,  Simmer until soup is heated through.  Remove from heat and stir in yogurt.  Salt to taste.  Serve and ENJOY!

GAP Style Cafe Rios Chicken Tortilla Soup

The "Soup" requires about 10 minutes of prep, and 2-3 hours to cook in your crock pot, so it requires a little planning.  Even though there are tons of ingredients and steps, it's worthwhile and actually very simple!  Make sure you have home made chicken stock and chicken meat from making your chicken stock before starting.  Otherwise this simple meal could easily become time consuming.

Soup
1 T. animal fat or butter
1 onion, diced (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 t. cumin
dash cayenne
1/2 t. chili powder
5 cups chicken stock
3 T. fresh cilantro, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
pepper, to taste

Saute onion in butter in a small skillet, until onions are translucent.  Stir in cumin, cayenne, chili powder, and saute an additional minute or two (I had to add a tablespoon of chicken stock to keep it from sticking).

Transfer seasoned onions to a small crock pot.  Add chicken stock, fresh cilantro, lime juice, and pepper to taste.  Simmer on high heat for 2-3 hours.

Salsa
6 Roma tomatoes
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T. jalapeno, minced
2-3 T. lime juice
1/2 t. salt

Mix all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate while soup is cooking.

When close to serving your soup, make the "Rice" and "Chicken."

Cauliflower "Rice"
3 c. cauliflower pieces
3 T. butter
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 c. water for saucepan cook method

Cook cauliflower (steam or stove top method), until cauliflower is VERY soft (14-20 min).  It should crumble easily.  Drain water or remove from steamer.  Add butter, salt, and pepper to taste.  Dice fine.  Set aside.

Chicken
3 c. COOKED chicken, diced or shredded
2 t. chili powder
1/4 t. cumin
2 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 t. salt
1 T. paprika

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan just until warm (approximately 5-10 minutes). You may need to add a tablespoon of chicken stock or water to keep the chicken and spices from sticking to the pan.

Garnishments (optional)
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2-3 avocados, cubed
fresh cilantro, chopped
lime wedges

In individual bowls layer 1/2 c. cauliflower, 1/2 c. chicken, 1/3 c. salsa, 1/3 c. diced avocado (optional), 1/3 c. cheddar cheese (optional).  Ladle 1 cup of soup over layers.  Finish garnishing as desired.  ENJOY!

Home-Milled Whole Wheat Bread Mix

This recipe is one that my mom gave me that I've made a couple of ingredient modifications to, then made into a mix to save on dish washing, wheat grinder/ mill cleaning, and time.

I grind several batches of wheat, grinding some rice after every other batch to keep the moist wheat flour from clogging the mill.  I just use the ground rice in with my wheat flour.

Since home-milled wheat turns rancid within 72 hours of grinding (the oils are removed from shelf stable flour bought from the store), I freeze my mixes in freezer ziplocs.  One mix fits in a quart freezer ziploc.  If you are using shelf stable store bought flour, you might consider omitting the yeast from the mix so that your mixes do not have to be frozen.

Whole Wheat Bread Mix
4 2/3 c. whole wheat flour (you will need 1/4 c.-1/2 c. additional flour for shaping and final kneading)
2 t. salt
2 T. coconut oil (you will need approximately 2 T. additional oil for oiling your bread after baking)
4 t. dry milk
3 1/2 t. yeast

If you choose to store your mix in the freezer, you may want to warm your dry mix in the oven (I only turn my knob for the oven until it clicks... way lower than the 150 degrees) or on your counter top for 30-45 minutes, until your ingredients reach at least room temperature.  I have very predictable results when I take the time to do that.

I have a 2 lb. bread machine, and this mix over fills my bread machine by just a little bit during the final rise during the dough cycle.  I have never left it in to bake, but I think it would probably fall because it expands just a little too much, but not so much that it makes a mess. 

I add:
1 3/4 c. warm water
1/4 c. honey

to the bread machine first, then add the warmed dry mix.  I run it through the dough cycle in my bread machine, knead it on the counter top in flour until it's elastic-y and no longer sticky (I like to use wax paper on the counter or a flexible cutting board...it makes clean-up much easier).  Then I shape it into whatever I want.  It makes two regular loaves, a batch of 15-16 rolls (approximately 2 oz. each), or a huge batch of pull-apart bread (pictured).  It also makes great sandwich rolls.  Bread takes 30-45 minutes to rise in my oven (again I only turn on the oven knob until it clicks...way lower than 150 degrees), everything else I've made only takes 30 minutes.  I leave my dough in the oven, turn it up to 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the top of the bread/rolls is a LIGHT golden brown.  Wheat bread gets especially crunchy if over cooked.  If you choose to allow your dough to rise at room temperature, it may take a little longer.  Your dough just needs to be doubled in size before baking.

I immediately oil the top of my bread with coconut oil, then allow to cool at least 15 minutes before cutting or serving.  If it is served too soon it turns doughy and tastes yeasty.

The bread from this recipe tastes fresh for approximately three days...much longer than most home made breads.

VARIATION: Cinnamon Rolls: Rolls dough into a rectangle in shaping stage.  Spread butter or coconut oil in a thin layer, sprinkle cinnamon, drizzle some honey liberally over the surface of your dough.  Roll tightly into a long tube.  Use a string or knife to cut into rolls.  Place dough in a coconut oiled 2 quart baking dish.  Allow to rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove, oil with coconut oil, then drizzle with honey and sprinkle with additional cinnamon.

No-Bake Cookies...Perfect for Summer!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookie Balls
1 cup peanut butter (I use Adams  100% Natural Crunchy)
1 1/4 cup raisins
1 teaspoon real salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 cup oats

Powder:
1/4 cup oats or oat flour
3 tablespoons sucanat

If you have a food processor, this can all be done by adding peanut butter, raisins, salt, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, nectar and 1 cup oats into food processor bowl and processing.  I do not have a food processor, so I blend the 1 cup oats, salt, and cocoa powder in a blender until it's a flour-like texture.  I then pour the flour mixture into a Kitchen-Aid mixer with the remaining ingredients, and stir until everything is well blended (I have also just mixed everything in the mixer without using the blender, and it still tastes delicious, it just doesn't have a smooth texture and the oats are a little chewy).  The powder is made by putting 1/4 cup oats and sucanat in a blender and blending until it's a fine powder.

I roll my cookie balls in approximately 1/2 tablespoon size balls, then roll in the powder.  I place them on a cookie sheet and freeze.  Once they are frozen, I put in a freezer ziploc bag and eat them straight from the freezer.  Chocolate, peanut butter, and cold...what's not to love?

Happy Kitchen Hint: To easily wipe up that spot of food that has now dried on your counter, squeeze some soapy water from your dishrag onto the spot and leave for a couple of minutes.  It should easily wipe up when you return.