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Category: gluten free

Fermented Vegetables (GAPS-legal)

I finally got around to making some fermented veggies yesterday. I followed the directions in the GAPS book. It doesn’t give quantities, but it tells the method. I used cabbage, beet and carrot. GAPS also suggests cauliflower, but I’m avoiding that right now. I hope I do ok with the carrot in this form. It was super easy to do. I made 3 quarts. It takes about  week to ferment. I’m anxious to try this when it’s done! This is a great probiotic food that will aid in digestion. The veggies and liquid should be added to your diet gradually because of the probiotics.

Fermented Vegetables
makes ~ 3 qts.

1/2 large green or red cabbage
2 large carrots
1 large beet root
cauliflower (I didn’t use this)
salt
garlic (I just added some garlic powder)
3/4 cup kefir whey
water

Chop veggies into bite size pieces or shreds. Season with salt to taste. Add chopped garlic or garlic powder. Mix. Distribute evenly between 3 wide mouth quart jars. Add 1/4 cup whey to each jar. Fill with water so that all of the veggies are submerged. Seal jar. Let ferment on the counter for 1 week before transferring to the refrigerator.

Pesto (grain free, GAPS-legal)

Yesterday I made a batch of pesto. And I realized I don’t have a recipe for it posted on my blog. I guess I don’t normally use a recipe. I just toss in what I have on hand and taste as I go. But I figured it might be a good idea to post a base recipe. So I’ll do my best to give quantities. Yesterday I used basil, spinach, walnuts and pine nuts. You can really use any combo of greens/herbs and nuts you like. Pesto is good on so many things (pasta, pizza, quiche, sandwiches, salads, etc.). I realized yesterday it’s a great way for me to get more evoo in my diet. I LOVE pesto. I eat it plain…by the spoonful 😛  So I’ll be making it more often now I think. The veggies are pureed, so easier on my tummy. Plus lots of healthy fat. And no sugar. And ready to go any time. Exactly what I need. I had it yesterday for lunch mixed with avocado and raw egg yolks. YUM!!

Pesto

1/2 cup crispy nuts (pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, pistachios or almonds work well)
3-4 cups spinach or basil (or any other green/herb you like) washed well
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup cold pressed EVOO (you may need more or less depending on what consistency you like)
celtic sea salt to taste
chopped garlic or garlic powder to taste

Process nuts and greens and seasoning in food processor until smooth. Pour in EVOO while processing until pesto is desired consistency. Add cheese and process again. Adjust seasoning if needed. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

GAPS Pancakes

When doing the true GAPS diet from start to end, the first baked good allowed/suggested is nut pancakes (in stage 3). Why I haven’t made them yet? Who knows 😛  Maybe because the GAPS book doesn’t actually give a recipe…just the ingredients (no amounts). But I did a little searching and found a few versions. I made a small batch yesterday to try. So easy!! And very good. I used some leftover roasted summer squash in mine. It wasn’t totally pureed and still had some seeds…and they still turned out great. Rebecca and I both liked them (Justin hasn’t tried them yet). They only take a few minutes to make. Great snack to have on hand when I need something more solid/filling. And they work well in place of bread/buns. I used one last night for an open face sandwich (with cashew avocado chicken salad). So good. I’m anxious to try them as hamburger buns. And just as regular pancakes too. I like how simple they are…and you don’t have to add sweetener. I’ll be making these often now. I’ll have to make a bigger batch and freeze them to have on hand.

GAPS Pancakes (nut butter pancakes)
makes 8 – 10 small pancakes

2 – 3 Tbsp. squash or zucchini, deseeded, pureed
2 – 3 Tbsp. nut butter
2 eggs

Mix all ingredients together. Fry in butter or ghee on hot skillet.

Grain Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp (gluten free, egg free, GAPS-legal)

The farmer’s market started this week. And what are some of the first things there every year? Strawberries and rhubarb!!! A great combo for desserts. Yesterday Rebecca and I experimented with a grain free crisp. I didn’t have a recipe, and I didn’t measure anything. So I’ll do my best to write down a recipe. I used honey to sweeten it. And a combo of almond flour, coconut flour, chopped nuts, honey, coconut oil and butter for the topping. Turned out quite well. A little liquidy since I didn’t/couldn’t add any kind of starch/thickener. But still very good. And the liquid at the bottom worked well for syrup on top of the ice cream…on top of the crisp 🙂  Justin and Rebecca had some with vanilla ice cream. I was “good” and ate it plain. Still a nice treat. And very healthy! One more dose of coconut oil in my day 🙂  And healthy fruit. I would even consider serving this for breakfast. Really it’s quite healthy. Add some yogurt on top. A great treat for breakfast. This is a fun dessert to make with kids. Aside from the chopping Rebecca could help me with everything. And, yes, the last picture is the crisp in a princess bowl (hard to tell)…it was Rebecca’s snack…all I had time to get a picture of.

This post is linked to Grain Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious.

Grain Free Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

3 cups diced rhubarb
2 cups chopped strawberries
1/3 – 1/2 cup honey (to taste)

Topping:
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup melted coconut oil, butter or a combo of the two (I used both…it’s dairy free if you just use coconut oil)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used crispy walnuts and pecans)
1/4 cup honey

Grease 8×8 baking dish. Combine rhubarb, strawberries and honey. Pour into dish. Combine topping ingredients. Drop or press on top of fruit. Bake at 350 for 30 – 40 min. (until fruit is cooked and topping is slightly brown). Let cool. Serve plain or with ice cream, whipped cream or yogurt.

Carob Muffins (grain free, gluten free, dairy free)

Another long morning here with both kids up and raring to go earlier than usual. A long morning with no plans means…time to bake! I had actually semi planned on baking anyway, so I did have something in mind. I made another grain free muffin. I wanted to experiment with making one that was “chocolate.” I used carob instead to make them healthier. I can’t say these are GAPS legal because carob is on the no-no list 🙁  But I had one anyway 😛  They turned out well. I used my strawberry muffin recipe as a base and modified some things. I did add a few peanut butter chips to give a little extra flavor (not healthy, I know…but it’s only a few in each muffin). These are almost more like a cupcake…you could definitely use them that way. I’ll have to try making some frosting for these sometime. These are good…Rebecca and I both had one. I think next time I’ll add a little more honey and a little more chocolate extract to bump up the flavor a bit. And I might add another egg to add a little more moisture. But overall very good. And great texture. My other experiment was using mostly ground crispy nuts instead of regular almond flour. I just ground a mix of almonds, pecans and walnuts in the food processor until it was almost like nut butter (a little more coarse). Then used that in combo with a little almond flour. Still worked great. I’ll do that more often now so that my baked goods are easier on the tummy. And I don’t have to buy almond flour. A fun experiment. And tastey too. Not great pics…I was holding Abram and couldn’t adjust any camera settings, zoom, etc. And the muffin I took a picture of hardly had any chips (the small one I gave Rebecca to try).

This post is linked to Grain Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious,

Carob Muffins

1 1/2 cups of nut meal, nut flour or ground nuts (I use ground crispy nuts)
3 large eggs, separated
1/3 – 1/2 cup of honey
1/4 tsp. of sea salt
2 tsp. of vanilla extract
3 tsp. chocolate extract
1/4 cup carob powder
1 cup add ins (optional…chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, carob chips, dried cranberries, dried cherries, etc.)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare muffin tins with liners or grease with oil or butter.

In a small bowl beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside. In separate bowl mix all other ingredients (except add ins) until smooth. Fold in egg whites. Fold in add ins. Fill muffin cups.

Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Makes 9 – 10 muffins.

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry (GAPS-legal)

I used to make stir fry all the time. And I always used the packets of powder for sauce. Needless to say I have not used those in quite a while. Too many questionable ingredients (never quite sure what those “seasonings” are).

So that means making my own sauce to make stir fry. Well…that’s tricky too. I try to avoid all soy…including soy sauce. So that eliminates just about every recipe you find.

I wanted to make stir fry last night. But I had no idea what to use for sauce. So I came up with a very easy, very tasty recipe! So simple. I had a little beef soup leftover in the fridge…which has lots of good flavor. I combined the broth with a little bit of honey…ta da…sweet and sour sauce that is actually very nutritious! And we all loved it.

Now when I have just a bit of soup/broth leftover I’ll know what to do with it. And now I can make stir fry more often again. No bright orange/red sauce with high fructose corn syrup.

This is a great way to get a variety of vegetables in one meal. Last night I used zucchini, sugar snap peas, broccoli, carrots, beans and corn (cooked in coconut oil for even more nutrition). And I used some leftover pork roast (from the freezer) cut in cubes. So quick and easy. A big hit!

I’m so glad I now have a healthy, easy way to make stir fry. The leftovers make a yummy breakfast, too. This recipe is even GAPS legal and very allergen-friendly. You can serve it over rice or quinoa. It is great on top of butternut squash as well.

Sweet and Sour Stir Fry

2 cups meat of choice, cut in chunks (raw or cooked)
3 cups vegetables of choice cut up
2 Tbsp. coconut oil or other fat (butter, lard, palm shortening)
1 cup any kind of bone broth
1/4 cup honey

If meat is raw cook in coconut oil in hot pan (if it’s already cooked start with next step).

Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

Cook the vegetables in coconut oil in the hot pan until done to desired tenderness.

Add in cooked meat. Add in broth and honey.

Simmer the mixture until the broth reduces and forms a sauce. Add more broth if the mixture is too dry. Add more honey for a sweeter sauce.

Serve over rice, noodles, quinoa or squash.. Top with crispy nuts if desired.

Homemade Sausage

We love sausage. A few years ago I would have never said that. I never ate sausage…I was scared of eating fat 😛  Now I know better. And will admit I actually do like it…always have. Just wouldn’t let myself eat it before (although I can still honestly say I don’t like brats…other sausage/hot dogs I do). I wasted too many years without good food. I usually get our sausage (pork) from a local farmer. But yesterday I decided to experiment and make my own. I had some ground chicken in the freezer. I had been planning to make chicken burgers. But then I thought it might be fun to make chicken sausage instead. It’s so easy. And so good!!! The best part…I know exactly what is going into the sausage and I can control the spice (we don’t like things spicy…especially Rebecca). I know there is no sugar. And I know I am using good quality unrefined sea salt. You can add whatever seasoning you like. I kept it very simple. I added one egg to the mix. Not sure that it’s necessary, but it doesn’t hurt either. The mixture was very moist, but cooked up well. I cooked the sausage patties in my cast iron skillet in a combo of palm shortening and lard. Lots of healthy animal fat. You can make a bunch of these at once and freeze them for easy breakfasts later. I used 1 lb. and got 10 good size patties out of it. You can use any ground meat you like…pork, chicken, turkey, etc. I will be doing this more often for sure. And I’ll have to experiment with shaping them into links. Any shape would work…maybe something fun to experiment with for kids 🙂  I didn’t actually measure anything. But I’ll try to give rough amounts. Basically just add what you like/season to taste. Final bonus…GAPS legal 🙂  Bring on the sausage!!

Homemade Sausage

1 lb. ground meat
1-2 tsp. unrefined sea salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. minced onion
1 egg (optional)

Mix all ingredients together. Chill for a bit. Shape into patties. Cook in greased skillet (use butter, coconut oil, palm shortening or lard) about 5-7 min. per side, until cooked through.

Egg Muffins (grain free, GAPS-legal)

Not much action in the kitchen these days. But I do still have to make dinner every night. Last night I just threw something together that turned out well. I had read about other people doing muffins with eggs. But I don’t think I ever actually read any of the recipes. So I didn’t have any quantities, etc. And I was really rushed making dinner. So I just threw a few ingredients together and baked it. Turned out great!!! Little muffins that are mostly just egg. You can add anything to them. I just added cooked breakfast sausage (thankfully I had prepped that earlier in the day) and a little shredded cheese. They could be dairy free without the cheese. You could add any kind of veggie too. This isn’t much of a recipe, but I’m posting it to remind myself when I need something quick for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And leftovers are great too! Eat them cold or warmed. A great thing for a busy mom of a newborn to have on hand 🙂  All 3 of us really liked these. And that’s saying a lot. Rebecca can be pretty picky when it comes to eggs. And she loved them.

This post is linked to Grain Free Tuesdays at Hella Delicious.

Egg Muffins
(makes 9 muffins)

6 pastured eggs
1/2 lb. cooked breakfast sausage
1/4 cup shredded cheese (optional)
chopped veggies (optional)

Beat eggs. Add remaining ingredients. Pour into greased muffin pan (I greased it with palm shortening…came out very easily). Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

GAPS Sauerkraut

Aside from bone broth one of the most nourishing and healing foods for GAPS is sauerkraut. It is recommended right from the start…starting with just the juice and then adding in the vegetable itself. So I figured I better try some 🙂  This recipe comes right from the GAPS book. Very simple. And only takes 5-7 days to ferment. I made mine even more simple since I didn’t have any carrots in the house…and they bother me anyway. So it’s just cabbage, water and salt. That’s it. It does take a little elbow grease to get the cabbage broken down. But still very easy to make.

I tried my first bite yesterday. It was pretty good. I only took one small bite…start slowly. So I can’t say if it had any impact on me or not. I’ll have to update again sometime. And I probably should be starting with just the juice anyway 😛  As I’m getting more into the GAPS diet I’m realizing that for now I don’t need/can’t handle tons of veggies. I always wanted to load up on them before…that’s how you get rid of constipation, right? When in reality all of the fiber aggrivates your gut when it’s not healed/not able to digest properly. And I think that’s why I’m finding so many veggies bother me. Until I get my gut sealed and healed I need to stick to only food that is very easy to digest…like broth, very mushy veggies, probiotic foods, etc. I can’t handle much fiber right now. The opposite of what I was told for years. No wonder I had so many problems! Slowly but surely I’m figuring this out 🙂  My goal is to start having a little of the juice and/or the cabbage with most meals. Hopefully that will help with digestion.

And not related to sauerkraut, but something else I’m finding…I think it may be the coconut flour that’s been bothering my tummy lately. Same issue…too much fiber for me to handle right now. Coconut flour is particularly high in fiber. So sad. Since it’s so good!! But all in good time. Until I’m doing better I’ll keep my grain free baked good intake to a minimum and stick with nut flours. I handle those better at the moment.

Anyway, here’s the recipe. I only made a small batch…one small head of cabbage. It made 1 quart.

GAPS Sauerkraut

1 medium size white cabbage or combo of red and white cabbage
2 shredded carrots
water
1 – 2 Tbsp. unrefined sea salt

Slice cabbage thinly. Add carrots. Add salt. Knead mixture well with your hands until a lot of juice comes out. If it is not juicy enough add a little water. Put the mixture in a glass jar for fermentation. Make sure the cabbage is covered with liquid and that there is at least 1 inch of headspace in the jar. Cover loosely with lid. Let ferment in dark place for 5-7 days. Check periodically to make sure the cabbage is submerged in liquid.

Grain Free Breakfast Cookies (gluten free, GAPS-legal)

I hadn’t intended to do much baking this week. But Sunday I was looking at some grain free blogs and came across a recipe for breakfast cookies on Comfy Belly. And I had to try them! I’ve loved breakfast cookies ever since I made them the first time. But sadly have not been able to eat them for a while. So I was very excited to see a grain free version. They taste very similar to my other recipe. So good!!! And super easy to make. I didn’t follow the measurements exactly…I was trying to use up what I had on hand. But they still turned out great! My plan was to make a half recipe…but it was kind of 1 1/2. I used 1 cup of my homemade almond-pecan meal and about 1/2 cup of boughten almond meal. I still used 1 egg, but only 1/4 cup of honey. Still plenty sweet. As usual I left out the baking soda and used stiff egg white instead. For add ins I used crispy sunflower seeds, raisin, coconut and a few chocolate chips. I know the chocolate chips aren’t really on the approved list. But like I said, I was trying to use a few things up and I had a small amount left in a bag. I made my cookies a decent size. I got 12 out of this batch. Another great, easy breakfast to have in the freezer! Love it. Serve it with a kefir smoothie and you’ve got one very nourishing, tasty breakfast!

These can be dairy free if you don’t use butter.

Grain Free Breakfast Cookies

2 1/2 cups of almond meal or almond flour (any nut flour will work really)
1/4 tsp. of salt
8 Tbsp. of unsalted butter, melted (or 1/2 cup of coconut oil or vegetable shortening, melted)
1/2 cup of honey
1 egg, separated
1 Tbsp. of vanilla
about 2 cups of nuts, dried fruit, seeds (or anything else your heart desires)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and blend with a spoon. Add the wet ingredients (except the egg white) and blend it well with a spoon.

Beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Fold into dough.

Drop mounds of batter on the cookie sheets (I used parchment paper lined sheets). Space them about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 12 to 20 minutes (depending on how big you make them…mine took almost 20 minutes), or until they are starting to brown around the edges.

If you want them slightly crunchier (these are on the soft side), leave them in the oven at 200 degrees F for another 15 minutes or so, or in a dehydrator on a fairly low temperature for about 2 hours.

Cool and enjoy. Store in a sealed container