Recipe Review: Creamy Chicken Soup From River North Paleo Girl

This creamy, satisfying soup takes minutes to load in the crock pot. Let it cook on low for 9 hours and you have a great grain free, dairy free, gluten free meal. I used frozen whole chicken breasts then removed them with tongs and shredded them before serving.
Easy, easy, easy!

The recipe is here at River North Paleo Girl. Another pinterest find!

Recipe Review: CCF Tea from Hey Monica B!

 There is nothing like a simple, warm cup of tea to start your morning. I love a cup of herbal tea to start the day and usually a few hours before breakfast to help get things going. This tea comes from a great Ayurvedic website called Hey Monica B! I started listening to her podcasts a few months ago and got a basic education in how Ayurvedic medicine works. It is a gentle, natural approach to supporting your body and I found it fascinating.

 

This tea is made from Cumin, Coriander, and Fennel seed. It is mildly cleansing, a liver detoxify-er and helps balance hormones, a great way to start the morning. Here is the article with the directions.

 You can add honey to sweeten it if you wish, I found that it isn't really needed for my tastes.

 

I like to have it first thing and then do some light yoga before breakfast. It gently wakes up my digestive fires and gets my system ready for the day. If you want to know more about Ayurveda take this quiz and start listening to Monica's podcasts. I suggest starting with #1 and listening to them in order if you aren't familiar with Ayurveda, she gives a great background and modern application.

Enjoy your day!

Strawberry Lassi

Strawberry Lassi

I haven't posted in so long.....I had to share this fabulous drink. I like it for a light breakfast or snack. Lassi is an Indian smoothie, usually made with mango and served cold.

Strawberry Lassi

Ingredients:
5 frozen strawberries (or a similar amount of any kind of fruit)
1/3 c. SCD yogurt
2-3 tsp. honey
1/4 tsp. cardamom powder
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 c. water or 1/2 c. water and 2-3 ice cubes for a thicker smoothie

Combine all ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth.

Recipe Review: Summer Squash Tian from My Big Fat Grain Free Life

Summer Squash Tian

 Summer Squash, Tomatoes, Sauteed Onion, garlic, olive oil and Parmesan Cheese....Absolute Perfection! Thanks MBFGFL for another winning recipe. 

Click here for the recipe

Note: If you are dairy free substitute more almond flour for the cheese and add a pinch of seasoning salt. Or you could sub my seasoned "bread crumbs" too.

"Pasta" Alfredo

This is my newest addiction. It satisfies my craving for pasta with it's creamy delicate flavors. So yummy!

"Pasta" Alfredo

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
8 strips bacon
1/2 large onion, chopped
dash nutmeg
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. SCD whipped cream, unwhipped (you can use regular cream if that is part of your diet too)

Method:
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds. Place cut side down in a glass baking dish.
2. Add 1 c. water and bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until skin is brown and bubbley.
3. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes while you prepare the sauce.
4. Cut bacon into small pieces and fry until well done. Remove from pan reserving drippings.
5. Add onion to bacon drippings and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the bacon back into the pan with seasonings and cream. Heat thoroughly.
7. Shred spaghetti squash and add to pan, you want to keep some sauce so you may not use all the squash. Stir gently until heated through.
8. Serve immediately.

Notes

• To really amp up the nutritional value of this recipe (and to cut down on the cooking time) use chopped fresh spinach instead of spaghetti squash.
• You could also make this a vegetarian dish by using coconut oil to saute the onion and omitting the bacon.

Recipe Review: Pork Carnitas from My Big Fat Grain Free Life

I fell in love with My Big Fat Grain Free Life when I first discovered it a few weeks ago. The recipes all look delicious and they are written in nice detail.  This recipe looked so good I had to give it a try as soon as possible. We served the pork carnitas over shredded lettuce with lime wedges, fresh salsa, SCD sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and guacamole. The grain eaters in my house had it on corn tortillas with cheese. It was a hit for everyone!

I really liked the way the thickened sauce clings to the meat, so flavorful. I was not able to do the last step of broiling the meat because my oven is broken but it was really good anyway. Thanks MBFGFL for a recipe that is a keeper.

Note added: This tastes even better the following day!

Sunshine Quiche

For once in my life I have no words to describe this..... quiche with a butternut squash crust. It may sound a little weird to you but give it a chance, it is like eating sunshine.

I found the recipe from a link at Mark's Daily Apple. The link takes you here to a blog called Health, Home and Happiness. How beautiful is that? They use this crust for a jalepeno cheddar quiche that looks divine but I just took the crust and used my own favorite quiche recipe.

Sunshine Quiche

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash
2 T. coconut oil, melted
4 strips bacon, fried crispy then crumbled
3 T. chopped bell pepper
1/4 c. diced sun dried tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 avocado, sliced
6 eggs
1/2 c. SCD whipping cream
pinch of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Begin by removing the neck of the squash and peeling it. Using a mandolin, slice the neck into several pieces. My mandolin has a thick and thin blade, I used the thick.
2. Oil a large pie plate using 1 T. of the coconut oil. Arrange squash pieces to fit the best you can. Use 1/2 circles for the edges. (see picture below)
3. Evenly place bacon, tomatoes, onion, and bell peppers over squash.
4. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
5. Pour into pie plate. Gently push any ingredients floating on top under egg. Arrange avocado pieces in a circular pattern in the middle of the quiche.
6. Brush any pieces of squash that are not covered with the remaining coconut oil
7. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until a fork inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Serve either hot or cold.

Cookies with Almond and Coconut Flour

The more I read about nuts the more leary I am about using almond flour on a daily basis. I did not like these cookies made with only coconut flour so I tried a combination and it came out really good. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and with only about half of the almond flour I would normally use.

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Almond and Coconut Flour

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. almond flour
6 T. coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. coconut oil, melted
1/2 c. honey
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. assorted nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, coconut, or dried cranberries

I used 3/4 c. chocolate chips, 1/2 c walnuts, and 1/4 c. cranberries

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all dry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together.
3. Using a hand mixer combine honey and oil. Add vanilla, then the dry ingredients. Mix again.
4. Add 1 1/2 c. assorted nuts etc. and mix in by hand.
5. Using about 1 Tablespoon of dough, form balls and place on a lined cookie sheet. You can use parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
6. Bake for 8 minutes or until edges are golden. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

This is an offshoot of My Very Favorite Chocolate Ice Cream- Vanilla style. The secret to it's great taste is to grind up an entire vanilla bean in a coffee grinder and mix that in. Those little flecks of pure vanilla make all the difference. I can't wait to have this with a cobbler or crisp.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated
1/2 c. SCD whipping cream, unwhipped
2/3 c. honey
1 T. vanilla
dash of salt
2 T. water
1 vanilla bean, ground in coffee grinder

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and combined.
2. Add to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturers directions. (I like this one)

Apple Rhubarb Crumble

Last year I planted a Rhubarb, not really knowing what it was. Frankly I was intrigued by the idea of a perennial that would come up ready to eat each Spring. I live on the mountain benches and some years we are still getting a hard freeze in June so the growing season is very short, the idea of a plant that will come up on it's own in the cold and be ready to eat as soon as the warm weather hits seemed too good to be true.

I have learned a few things about Rhubarb:

• It grows easily with little care.
• It is poisonous the first year.
• The leaves are always poisonous so don't eat them.
  
• You basically tear off the first stalks, then the the tender ones come up.
• It tastes like really tangy celery.
• To freeze it you simply wash and chop it. EASY, EASY, EASY!!
  

Here is my first recipe using rhubarb, it goes well with tart granny smith apples and vanilla bean ice cream.

Apple Rhubarb Crisp

2 tart apples, cored and diced
1/2 c. rhubarb, diced
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 T. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. coconut flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:
1 c. almond flour
1/4 c. chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. honey
3 T. coconut oil at room temperature.

Method:

1. In an 8x8 inch glass pan combine apples, rhubarb, lemon juice, vanilla and honey. Stir. Sprinkle cinnamon and coconut flour over the apple/rhubarb combination and stir again.
2. In a separate bowl combine topping ingredients using your fingers. Rub ingredients between your fingers until you have a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle over apple/rhubarb mixture.
3. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes. The top should be golden brown. Cool slightly before serving.

Summertime Hotdogs and Butternut Squash Fries

I thought I would share one of my favorite summer time meals....butternut squash fries, ranch dressing and Applegate Hot Dogs (organic grass fed beef with no sugar added) bbq'ed on the grill with some Bubbie's dill relish (no sugar added and with active cultures). YUM!
Note: Please verify that hot dogs (the casing in particular) are legal.

Raspberry Truffle Pie

One of my favorite treats is from Raw Melissa, a local health food company that makes divine desserts that are sold at Good Earth in Salt Lake City. I really like the Raspberry Truffle Pie and when I saw this recipe for raw chocolate cake I thought with a few changes I could make something really close to Raw Melissa's recipe. This is such a rich and decadent dessert I won't be making it very often but it turned out excellent ....maybe for my birthday in December I will make it again.

Raspberry Truffle Cake

Note: This is not an SCD recipe as chocolate is not legal on the SCD diet.

Ingredients:

Crust-
3/4 c. cacao powder
3/4 c. almond flour
1/4 c. honey
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
pinch of salt

Pie Filling-
2 c. cacao powder
1 c. honey
3/4 c. coconut oil, melted
1 T. vanilla
1 c. frozen raspberries

Method:

1. Combine crust ingredients with a fork in a pie plate. Get your fingers in there and really squish it up then pat into bottom of pan and up the sides. Place in freezer for 1 hour.
2. Using a hand mixer blend all the filling ingredients except the raspberries until smooth.
3. Remove crust from the freezer and evenly place raspberries over it. Pour filling over the berries and if needed smooth with a knife.
4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving, freezes well also. I like to place the pie plate on a towel that has been rinsed in hot water to loosen the crust when serving. I also think that leaving it out to warm up a little before serving would help to keep it from cracking, see my pictures.

My Very Favorite Chocolate Ice Cream

The problem I have had in the past when making ice cream is that it freezes so hard that it is difficult to scoop and serve. I revamped my recipe for chocolate ice cream hoping that by adding the whipping cream it would be easier to scoop. It worked, and it tastes better too.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Note: Chocolate is not a legal food on the SCD, therefore this is not an SCD recipe

1 can coconut milk, refrigerated
1/2 c. SCD whipping cream, unwhipped
2/3 c. honey
1/2 c. cocoa
1 T. vanilla
dash of salt
1/2 c. water

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth and combined.
2. Add to an ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturers directions. (I like this one)

Greek Style Lemon Blueberry Yogurt

It seems I hear about Greek style yogurt everywhere I turn these days. It sounds delicious. For this recipe I substituted some of my home made SCD yogurt that had been dripped to make it thick and creamy just like the commercial Greek yogurt.

Greek Style Lemon Blueberry Yogurt

Ingredients:
1 c. whole milk SCD dripped yogurt
juice from 1/2 lemon
1-2 tsp. honey
2 T. frozen blueberries
lemon zest

Method:
1. Combine yogurt, lemon juice and honey in a small bowl.
2. Top with blueberries and lemon zest.
3. Serve

Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup

The original recipe for this soup is here at Nourishing Days. I changed it up a bit to make it creamy and easier for me to cook. It was really flavorful and the cilantro added just the right amount of Mexican flavor.

Here is my revised recipe

Creamy Chicken Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
2 T. coconut oil
4 chicken tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 onion, diced
1 head cauliflower cleaned and cut into bite sized pieces
salt
pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3-4 c. chicken broth, homemade is best
1/2 c. SCD whipping cream, unwhipped
chopped cilantro

Method:

1. In a large stock pot melt coconut oil and saute chicken.
2. When the chicken is no longer pink add the onion, cauliflower, and seasonings. Saute 5-10 minutes or until cauliflower is beginning to become tender.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil. Continue cooking until cauliflower is done.
4. Remove from heat and stir in cream, garnish with chopped cilantro.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

These Berry Honey Bars were such a great dessert I didn't think they could be improved. But really, anything is improved if you add chocolate. Right?

Note: This is not a recipe for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet as chocolate is not allowed.

Chocolate Raspberry Bars

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/4 c. almond flour
dash cinnamon
3 T. shortening or butter
1 tsp. honey

Filling

1-10 oz jar 100% fruit raspberry jelly or jam
scant 1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

Topping

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1 cup blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/3 c. bittersweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine crust ingredients and mix thoroughly, press into an oiled 8"x8" baking dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust barely begins to brown. Remove from oven and raise oven temperature to 350 degrees.
4. Place jam or jelly into a microwave safe dish. Heat in microwave for 1 minute.
5. Stir fruit into jam or jelly and pour over warm crust. Spread to evenly distribute. Set aside.
6. Combine topping ingredients except for chocolate chips with your fingers until mixed but still lumpy. Crumble over fruit mixture then sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.
7. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool. Either refrigerate or freeze for 2 hours before cutting. Store in the refrigerator or freezer they won't hold together if stored at room temperature.

Berry Honey Bars

I stopped in at Jamba Juice the other day to get my favorite smoothie, the all fruit Pomegranate Paradise. As I was waiting for my smoothie I was looking over the baked goods and saw a bar that looked so delicious I couldn't stop thinking about it (only true food lovers will understand this). So after stewing over it for 2 days I came up with this recipe, all I had on hand was blueberries and blackberry jam but you can use any kind of berries and any kind of jam. The Jamba Juice version has cranberries, blueberries, and raspberries, sounds like a great combination, I will try it next time.

Here is my version; gluten, grain and dairy free.

Blueberry Honey Bars

Ingredients:

Crust

1 1/4 c. almond flour
dash cinnamon
3 T. shortening or butter
1 tsp. honey

Filling

1-10 oz jar 100% fruit jelly or jam
scant 1 c. assorted fresh or frozen berries

Topping

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup of blanched almond flour
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of coconut oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Combine crust ingredients and mix thoroughly, press into an oiled 8"x8" baking dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until crust barely begins to brown. Remove from oven and raise temperature to 350 degrees.
4. Place jam or jelly into a microwave safe dish. Heat 1 minute.
5. Stir fruit into jam or jelly and pour over warm crust. Spread to evenly distribute. Set aside.
6. Combine topping ingredients with your fingers until mixed but still lumpy. Crumble over fruit mixture.
7. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool. Either refrigerate or freeze for 2 hours before cutting. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. I like these bars right out of the freezer.

Indian Food

Chicken Tandoori

Vegetable Curry

This past year I discovered Indian food. I know you are thinking, a foodie like me still has food left to discover? It's true. I am doing an entire post on Indian food because it is a gluten free and paleo eater's best friend. Be sure to ask, but on most Indian menus the only item with wheat flour is the naan, or flat bread. At my favorite restaurant all of the breaded and deep fried items are made from a lentil or garbanzo bean flour, the curry is made from coconut milk and spices, and there are even gluten free desserts. My favorite dishes are any kind of curry (can be ordered mild, medium, or hot) and the tandoori minced lamb kebabs, cooked over an open flame. Both dairy and grain free.

So have I talked you into trying it? If so check out some online reviews and ask friends before you go. Make sure you are going to a high quality restaurant, I did try one that left much to be desired. I would also suggest the lunch buffet if it is available, this is a great way to try lots of dishes and find out what you like without investing more than the price of one meal.

Death of a Cookbook Granola

Recently I was asked about the cookbook I started last year. I have been saving a few choice recipes to put into it but have decided that this isn't the time for me to take the time to put it together. So....I will be posting the recipes I was saving over the next few weeks.

Here is my very favorite one. I like my granola nutty, cinnamony, clumpy and crunchy. There are so many variations to granola and granola bars but this is my very favorite. I keep this on hand as a staple, it is great on the go and even a meal in a pinch. It is best to soak and dry all the nuts before hand, I always do and I think it is easier to digest that way. Here are the instructions on soaking nuts and here is more information on why soaking is preferable.

Crunchy, Nutty, Cinnamony, Granola

Ingredients:

2/3 c. water
1/2 c. coconut or olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 c. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. almond flour (You can make your own by grinding almonds in a blender, this is what makes the clumps so don't leave it out if you like your granola clumpy)
1 c. sunflower seeds (soaked and dried)
1 c. coconut, unsweetened and dried
2 c. slivered or sliced almonds (soaked and dried)
2 c. walnuts (soaked and dried)
2 c. pecans (soaked and dried)
1/2 c. sesame seeds
1/4 - 1/2 c. dried cranberries
1 c. cashews (soaked and dried)
1 c. pumpkin seeds

Method:
Combine water, oil, honey, salt, and cinnamon in a saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat, stir in the vanilla. In the largest bowl you can find combine the remaining ingredients. Pour liquid over the mixed dry ingredients and mix well. You can use a dehydrator to finish the granola which is my favorite way, it really makes it crunchy. Following manufacturers directions dry 8-12 hours in dehydrator. Or spread granola onto two large cookie sheets and bake as low as your oven will go (170-250 degrees) stirring every 30 minutes for 1-2 hours.

Recipe Review: Chocolate Donuts, Gluten and Grain Free

The recipe for these donuts is here at Comfy Belly. Erica dipped hers in warm honey to make a light glaze, I was looking for an intense chocolate hit so I dipped mine in the following glaze.

Some notes on the donut recipe:

I used coconut oil in the recipe and to oil the pan. Oiling the pan is most important, if the donuts don't come out all in one piece you have a mess! Also this recipe makes 12 donuts. My pan is for 6 so I cut the recipe in half.


Glaze for Chocolate Donuts

Ingredients:
1/2 c. chocolate chips
3 T. coconut oil
1 T. honey

Method:
1. Combine all ingredients in a small frying pan (to give yourself room to dip them) over low heat. Stir until chocolate chips are melted.
2. Remove donuts from pan while still slightly warm, dip into glaze then set on a plate to cool. If you want to add sprinkles do so while the glaze is still warm.
3. If you want to save any donuts for a later time you must hide them from your kids!