Butternut, carrot, parsnip soup

So, tonight was kind of clean out the fridge and freezer night. We all have them once in a while. So, we had soup, yet again. I find I have been obsessed lately with making soup. Ever since the purchase of my hand-held blender we have been eating soup 3-4 nights a week. Good thing I purchased my immersion blender in the winter instead of the summer!
Anyway, here goes the recipe...
4 Tbsp coconut Oil
10 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 med. onions, chopped
6 parsnips (small to med.) peeled and chopped
4-6 cups chopped butternut squash
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
1 patty pan squash or yellow squash chopped with skin
enough stock for the consistency you desire, about 32-64 oz.
1/2-1 cup chicken giblet gravy
salt and pepper to taste

In an 8 quart stock pot, place 4 tbsp coconut oil, add in the carrots, parsnips, onions, squash, and butternut. Saute for about 30 minutes over med. high heat. Add in the chopped ginger and saute until fragrant. Add in enough stock to cover the veggies and let simmer until all are soft. Blend with your hand-held blender, and add more liquid as needed and the optional giblet gravy, salt and pepper.

We added some chicken I had left over from making stock...and had the millet biscuits. Very good, filling dinner on a cold snowy night. It had a pleasant sweetness to it with the parsnips and ginger! You could always tops with some fresh grated nutmeg or cinnamon or both!

Millet Drop Biscuits

We just had these tonight with our soup, and N and J both thought they passed the test....okay, well n chowed down on 2 huge biscuits and wanted a third. J thought they were a good substitute! I will make one note. I used store purchased millet flour for these, simply b/c I had it and didn't feel like grinding my own, and I have to say I thought the taste of the flour wasn't nearly as satisfying. I highly, highly recommend grinding your own millet!

So here it is. Thank you to Nourishing Gourmet for the start to this process:
2 cups millet flour
3 tsp homemade baking powder
1 tbsp sucanant (optional)
1 tsp salt (or 1/2 tsp if using salted butter)
8 Tbsp butter cut into small cubes (salted or not, I used salted)
3/4 cup buttermilk or yogurt (used yogurt, they rose beautifully, and held their texture)
2 eggs beaten into the yogurt or butter milk

Start by grinding your own millet in a blender if need be. For this you would simply place 2 cups of millet in a blender and turn it on liquefy for about a 1/2 hour, or until a fine flour consistency.

Take the 2 cups of millet and mix them thoroughly with the baking powder and salt. When well combined cut in butter. I used a pastry cutter, Nourishing Gourmet says you can use your fingers....or you could used a fork and a knife. A pastry cutter isn't too expense and it is a great purchase for baking. When the batter looks like course crumbles stir in your dairy/egg blend. The mixture will be a little wetter than traditional biscuit dough, but still firm enough to drop by the spoonful onto a greased baking sheet or a sil-pat.

Place in a 425 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Remove from the pan promptly and place on a cooling rack or eat them! :) I didn't have any problems with them breaking or being crumbly, but Nourishing Gourmet warns about that as a problem. She also used buttermilk...

Mercury and High Fructose Corn Syrup

This is breaking all over the place, I read about this several days ago via my natural news newsletter, but I wanted to wait for some confirmation from other sources, now I know it is indeed true. Mercury has been found in a third of the 55 major manufacturer's samples of High Fructose Corn Syrup.

I will list below the manufactures who have been listed with their products with Mercury counts in the Parts per Trillion.

1. Quaker Oatmeal to Go (350 ppt mercury)
2. Jack Daniel's Barbecue Sauce (Heinz) (300 ppt)
3. Hershey's Chocolate Syrup (257 ppt)
4. Kraft Original Barbecue Sauce (200 ppt)
5. Nutri-Grain Strawberry Cereal Bars (180 ppt)
6. Manwich Bold Sloppy Joe (150 ppt)
7. Market Pantry Grape Jelly (130 ppt)
8. Smucker's Strawberry Jelly (100 ppt)
8. Pop-Tarts Frosted Blueberry (100 ppt)
10. Hunt's Tomato Ketchup (87 ppt)
11. Wish-Bone Western Sweet & Smooth (72 ppt)
12. Coca-Cola Classic (62 ppt)
13. Yoplait Strawberry Yogurt (60 ppt)
14. Minute Maid Berry Punch (40 ppt)
15. Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink (30 ppt)
15. Nesquik Chocolate Milk (30 ppt)
15. Kemps Fat Free Chocolate Milk (30 ppt)

The article in the Washington post can be found here.

If you are interested in what other foodie bloggers had to say, you can read a summary here.

There is no better way to describe this circumstance other than sad.

Sugar="public enemy number 1"

"I know sugar can lead to weight gain, but is it really all that bad for me?"

Yes, it really is, sugar can be considered "public enemy number 1." Sugar is a simple carbohydrate found naturally in many foods, including fruits and grains. I know some might be thinking, "but I thought natural sugars were good," and they are. But the average American diet is full of refined, nutrient-depleted foods and contains an average of 20 teaspoons of added, refined sugar every day, yes that is tsp, not grams. That's twice the amount recommended by the USDA, and in an alternative world it is 3-4 times what we "should" be consuming.

So what's wrong with refined sugar? Many things. First, sugar compromises immune function. Two cans of soda (which contain 24 teaspoons of sugar, count them out into a glass some day to see what it really looks like) reduce the efficiency of white blood cells by 92 percent-an effect that lasts up to five hours, according to Kenneth Bock, M.D., an expert in nutritional and environmental health. Since white blood cells are an integral part of your immune system, if you happen to meet a nasty virus or bacteria within five hours of drinking a few colas, your immune system may be unable to fight off the invader.

Refined sugar also overworks the pancreas and adrenal glands as they struggle to keep the blood sugar levels in balance. The pancreas reacts first to reduce the sugar effect, and then the adrenal gland kicks in to help regulate the system. A constantly high intake of simple dietary sugar keeps the roller coaster going and eventually overworks or "burns out" normal pancreas and adrenal function leading to early menopause, adult-onset diabetes, hypoglycemia, and chronic fatigue.

The purpose of eating is to provide your body with nutrients. But since sugar is devoid of nutrients, the body must actually draw from its nutrient reserves to process it. When these storehouses are depleted, the body becomes unable to properly metabolize fatty acids and cholesterol, leading to higher cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Drawing on the body's nutrient reserves can also lead to chronic mineral deficits, especially in magnesium (a mineral required for more than 300 different enzyme activities) and chromium (a trace element that regulates hormones such as insulin), putting you at risk for dozens of diseases, from depression to attention deficit disorder to asthma.

A recent study, for example, found that kids who eat significant amounts of junk food are much more likely to develop asthma than kids who don't eat junk food. And that study was just in the "short-term" effects of sugar intake, think about their disposition to diseases over the span of their life. In fact, children are the biggest consumers of nutritionally void junk food at a time when their brains and bodies are growing rapidly and in need of a nutrient-dense diet for proper development, both physically and mentally.

To find out how much sugar you're actually taking in, try keeping a food diary for one week. Check the labels of the foods you eat and make note of their sugar content. The reality of the numbers may not hit home because most of us don't think in grams-4.2 g of sugar is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of sugar. At the end of the week, take the total number of sugar grams and divide it by 4.2 to get your weekly sugar intake in teaspoons. Then divide that number by 7 to get your daily sugar consumption. This might be a great activity to do with kids...math lesson anyone?? :)

Unfortunately, the way the FDA's labeling rules are set up, manufacturers don't have to separate added sugars from naturally occurring ones on labels. But your total sugar intake will give you a very good idea of how much added sugar you're eating. Naturally sweet foods, such as fruit, don't really contain that much sugar. A cup of strawberries, for example, contains 1/6th the sugar of a can of cola.

So to help you all out a little, and I know this post is long, I am going to give you a list of all the ways food manufacturers can "hide" sugar in your food, if you are buying processed stuff. Here are the names sugar hides under. Some of these are "natural whole foods" (I will talk about that in another post), but most aren't.
* Amasake
* Apple sugar
* Barbados sugar
* Bark sugar
* Barley malt
* Barley malt syrup
* Beet sugar
* Brown rice syrup
* Brown sugar
* Cane juice
* Cane sugar
* Caramelized foods
* Carbitol
* Carmel coloring
* Carmel sugars
* Concentrated fruit juice
* Corn sweetener
* Corn syrup
* Date sugar
* Dextrin
* Dextrose
* Diglycerides
* Disaccharides
* D-tagalose
* Evaporated cane juice
* Florida crystals
* Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
* Fructose
* Fruit juice concentrate
* Galactose
* Glucitol
* Glucoamine
* Gluconolactone
* Glucose
* Glucose polymers
* Glucose syrup
* Glycerides
* Glycerine
* Glycerol
* Glycol
* Hexitol
* High-fructose corn syrup
* Honey
* Inversol
* Invert sugar
* Isomalt
* Karo syrups
* Lactose
* Levulose
* "Light" sugar
* "Lite" sugar
* Malitol
* Malt dextrin
* Malted barley
* Maltodextrins
* Maltodextrose
* Maltose
* Malts
* Mannitol
* Mannose
* Maple syrup
* Microcrystalline cellulose
* Molasses
* Monoglycerides
* Monosaccarides
* Nectars
* Pentose
* Polydextrose
* Polyglycerides
* Powdered sugar
* Raisin juice
* Raisin syrup
* Raw sugar
* Ribose rice syrup
* Rice malt
* Rice sugar
* Rice sweeteners
* Rice syrup solids
* Saccharides
* Sorbitol
* Sorghum
* Sucanat
* Sucanet
* Sucrose
* Sugar cane
* Trisaccharides
* Turbinado sugar
* Unrefined sugar
* White sugar
* Xylitol
* Zylose

Now that I have properly fried everyone's brains, I think I will stop here, and don't worry, fried brains don't contain any sugar! There is so much more that needs to be said...but it will have to wait until next time. For those of you who simply can't wait, check out
"Sugar Blues" by Willaim Duffy for more information.

sources: Carolyn Dean, MD, ND

Purple Chicken Soup

So, this probably sounds a little weird...I know. I think it does too, but it is a wonderful way of getting red cabbage into the diet. Some red cabbages are more fragrant than others...so be warned, you may need to adjust the amount used. The Chicken/giblet gravy once cooled in the refrigerator congeals. It can be used like a chicken bouillon to flavor chicken stock based dishes. I use it in this recipe. It isn't necessary, but it does help hide the "mustard" hints from the red cabbage.
This will make a dinner for 6.

64 oz chicken stock
1/2 head red cabbage shredded (I use my food processor)
1 bulb fennel shredded (food processor)
1/2 bulb elephant garlic (put through a garlic press)
1 lb carrots peeled and sliced (food processor)
1 med-large onion sliced
2 Tbsp Butter
1/4 cup chicken/giblet gravy (this softens the flavor of the red cabbage, optional)
salt and pepper

melt 2 Tbsp butter in an 8 quart soup pot. Add in the chopped onions, fennel, and cabbage. Sautee until fragrant. Add in the carrots. Saute a little longer and then add the stock. Skim any scum that rises to the top. Press the clove of garlic into the pot. Add in the 1/4 cup giblet gravy and stir. Simmer for 20 minutes to blend flavor and enjoy. I added chicken left over from making stock.

Versitile Carrot Soup

I don't know about you all, but I love a basic soup recipe that can be spiced up of toned down depending on taste and preference. This is one of my favorites. Granted I love carrots and so does N, but it just makes you feel all warm and tingly. The following is for a main dish for about 6 people. I would recommend serving with a salad and bread option. We used the millet muffins, and a mescalin mix salad with Balsamic vinegar dressing...homemade. Yummy!

4 lbs carrots, peeled and sliced (i use my food processor..I'm obsessed)
2 med onions, chopped. (food processor again)
4 Tbsp Coconut oil (you could use butter, but I like the sweetness of coconut)
2 inches freshly grated ginger.
1 tbsp curry (or less if you don't like curry or spicy. or none)
Salt and pepper to taste
64 oz of chicken stock (homemade preferable, or store purchased broth)
2 tbsp congealed chicken/giblet gravy (optional)

In an 8 quart pot, over med heat melt the coconut oil. Add the carrots and onions. Saute until soft about 45 minutes. Add in the curry and mix well. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and skim. Add in the ginger, salt and pepper, and giblet gravy (if you have it) Allow to boil for 30 minutes until all carrots and onions are soft.
Use your immersion blender or hand held blender and blend until smooth. Top with Cream Fraiche, cultured cream or yogurt! N, loves it with yogurt and I do too! If you aren't a spicy person, the "dairy" really calms down the spiciness. Enjoy with th millet muffins and salad. You can also throw in some chicken if you have it left over from making stock!

The Great Sugar Debate

You are in the sugar aisle you look at your list and see that you need sugar. Little did you know you would have 50 to choose from. Is there a difference? Yes, there is! I'm not going to cover all of them here, I am going to cover one, in hopes of getting to others soon.

Turbinado Sugar, Sugar in the Raw, or lightly "processed" sugar. It looks so natural, so healthy, so wonderfully sweet sitting in that nice packaging on the shelf. It just says, grab me, eat me, enjoy me....but should you?

Contrary to what some might think, Turbinado is still considered a processed sugar. Granted it isn't as processed as refined white sugar, but it does have minerals removed. It is placed in a centrifuge and moistened to remove the gritty layer of the cane, and also a large percentage of the molasses. This diminishes the minerals available, and it can no longer be considered a whole food. Pretty much it is just sucrose with a light hint of golden color to the crystal.

Yes, this is misleading, especially since it is marketed as Sugar in the Raw, and I don't know about you, but when I think raw, that means not messed with. In this case, it is messed with!

If you want the only packaged sugar from sugar cane that isn't messed with you need to buy Sucanant.

Sucanant retains all the original properties of the sugar cane, making it a whole food, granted it is still a simple sugar, but it is the best simple sugar you can purchase from the sugar cane plant.

Starting the Soy Story

Soy has become the health food rage of the past decade. The push began with the "Dow Chemical" company. (if that doesn't make you suspicious about the "healthiness of soy" I don't know what would.) It has been pushed as the "Ecological choice protein" by the vegetarians and animal right activists. They have made claims that it is the only vegetable protein that is "complete," that will help fight off cancer, that will help you loss weight, and so on and so on.

The longer the claims have been made, the more those of us weary of the claims have had time to research and refute them. Let's get one this straight, I DO NOT PROMOTE EATING SOY PRODUCTS UNLESS THEY ARE NATURALLY FERMENTED. Ahh, I feel so much better now.

Soy is not a health food! Even though most of the food manufacturing industry would like you to think that it is. Why? Because if you are buying pre-packaged foods, you are eating tons and tons of this stuff...then if you buy soy-milk you are getting even more...

There is no evidence that consuming soy products can improve health, reduce environmental degradation or slow global warming. In fact, the evidence suggests quite the opposite.

I know lots you won't believe me, so I am going to just give you tons of links in this post that link to credible sources for you to do some of your own reading. All the below links are to Pub-med research.

Overall risks and benefits of soy assessed

Latest review by American Heart Association

Soy inhibits iron absorption

Poor iron bioavailability

Poor calcium bioavailability

Calcium and zinc absorbed better from milk than from soy -- even without phytates

Soy provides no benefits with respect to heart disease risk

Soy causes bladder cancer

Soy isoflavones during pregnancy increase breast cancer risk in female offspring

High levels of cadmium in soy formula

Soy linked to peanut allergy and increased risk for asthma

Whole milk vs. soy beverage -- asthma risk

Persistent sexual arousal syndrome associated with increased soy intake

Genistein: Does it prevent or promote breast cancer?

Don't worry, I will post much more on soy. This is just to get you all started.

Alphabetical "About" page listings

The about pages contain lots of information about foods we eat. This is the alphabetical list of all the about pages. You will notice there will be subheadings under all the categories. Please take your time and read them! They are full of wonderful information that will help make feeding your family nutritious meals easier. I cannot take all the credit for the information found on the pages. They are summarized from books I have read, Internet sites, or newsletters received from doctors, when possible I will provide links for those of you wanting to read more.

Dairy Information

• Which Yogurt do I choose
• Why Raw Milk and How to Choose a supplier
  

Fats

• Dry skin: Omega-3's and Fats

Gluten Information

• Gluten Allergies
• Baking Powder: Not Gluten Free
  

Grain Information

• Gluten Allergies
• Soaking Grains
• Grinding Grains
  

Miscellaneous

• Dry skin: Omega-3's and Fats
• Thickening soups, sauces, gravies, custards, etc. without a "starch"
• Candida Yeast Infections
• The Gut, Immune System, and Your Well Being
• Constipation: Bathroom Distress
  

Nut Information

• Soaking Nuts

Soy Information:

• Starting the Soy Story
  

Sugar Information:

• Overview: Public Enemy Number 1
• Turbinado (sugar in the raw) debate
• High Fructose Corn Syrup and Mercury
• Sugary and Not So Sugary Problems
• Spoon Fed Deception
  

Food Supply Information

• Future of Food
• Kitchen Freedom
• Canned Tomato Safety: A product you can trust
  

As I add more pages I will always list them here.

Roasted Carrots

So, I really enjoy Carrots, but I definitely get sick of steamed or boiled...so, I highly recommend this twist on the carrot. Roasting them. We did 10 large carrots for 4 adults and 3 children...it was enough with no left overs..

10 large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin sticks and sliced in 1/2 or 1/3's
large roasting pan, buttered or coconut oiled
1 Tbsp Butter or Coconut oil

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Place cut carrots on an oiled or butter pan, and place in the oven for 30 minutes. The carrots will start to brown a bit. Add 1 tbsp of coconut oil or butter and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

A How To Guide

Welcome! We are glad you are here! I hope you find this cookbook blog easy to use. In order for you to maximize your time here I wanted to give you a "tour" of our place.

All recipes are logged by Main Ingredient (MI), Entree type, or Breakfast type. The links list of recipes are in the right hand column under "Main ingredient list." You may also search for a specific ingredient in the search box in the bottom right hand corner of the blog. The recipes will show their description and ingredient list. If you would like to see the method, please click the "read more" button.

Since the inspiration for the start of the cookbook was my passion for Traditional Nutrition and Wellness, it would be silly to not share that with you all too! If you want to know more information about a specific food, nutrition, ingredient, category, or my kitchen essential tools please visit the Tools and Nutrition Homepage for an alphabetical listing of topics. This will be updated reguarly. If you just can't wait and want more information about a specific topic, please post a comment.

In the future, there will also be a wellness homepage, and a Meal planning homepage. I am still working on them, when they are ready, I will post the links along the top of the blog for you all to access.

If you see wording in bold, that means there is a link to another site. I typically will paraphrase the information, but I am providing you a resource to find out more information. There are times, however, when I don't have an electronic source. I will make every attempt to tell you the books I read the information in.

The goal is to make you a well rounded "All things alternative" kind of a cook! If you feel I am missing a huge category that would be helpful to you, please let me know.

Good luck, and if you have any questions, or comments, or you want another "about" post on a specific topic, please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

Happy hunting!

Millet/Rice Muffins (overnight soak)

I found these from Theresa Brown and adapted them for millet use. If you don't have a rice allergy, I will note where you need to change the recipe. These are a very versitile muffin, you can add zuchinni, carrot, fruit, etc. Get creative with the base and change it up a bit!
Makes 12-14

1 1/2 cups millet flour (or rice)
about 3/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons whey (or lemon juice or vinegar)
1/2 cup coconut oil (or 1/4 cup for rice flour)
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda (1/2 tsp for rice)
1/2 teaspoon homemade baking powder

Zucchini Muffins

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/4 teaspoon dried ginger

Carrot Muffins

1 1/2 cups finely grated carrots
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Fruit Muffins

1-1 1/2 cups blueberries, blackberries
or raspberries

Mix the first three ingredients and soak overnight. After soaking mix oil and honey thoroughly in a separate container. Add eggs, then salt, soda, powder, and any spices. Combine flour mix and egg mix with fruit or vegetable. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes,or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Nuts....In general

Nuts are a great addition to any diet. They are really high in protein and lots of other vitamins and minerals. Nuts, however, if prepared improperly can cause digestion issues and absorption issues, this is due to enzyme inhibitors naturally found in all nuts. I know I have found myself rolling on the floor in pain after eating way too many "dry roasted" nuts. There is a simple solution to enjoying nuts the healthy way!

The general rule of thumb in soaking nuts, is to take 4 cups of your nuts, cover with filtered water in a glass (or non-leaching) bowl and add 1 tbsp salt. Soak in a warm location for at least 7 hours. Drain the nuts and place on a stainless steal baking sheet or a baking stone and place in an oven under 150 degrees for 12 hours or dehydrator. This will dry them out and make them taste more like roasted nuts!

These nuts are great is many recipes! When I say nuts in recipes, I mean crispy nuts!

Spaghetti Squash

We were feeling the need for a new side dish, and we got it tonight! I highly recommend spaghetti squash, it is really delicious. I normally treat it like pasta with either an Alfredo or tomato based sauce, but given J's issues currently non of those were options. So, I searched and found some great advice from Emeril! I adjusted his recipe...but this is the gist.

1 spaghetti Squash, Cut in halve length wise
2 Tbsp Butter
1/2 Clove Elephant Garlic (about 1 large clove regular)
1 tsp fresh basil leaves
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Place the squash face side down in a roasting pan, place water until it comes up the sides of the squash just a bit. Cover with either a lid or foil. Place in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes. Remove and flip, flesh side up and return uncovered to the oven for 10-15 minutes. The squash should be soft. Scoop out the seeds in the middle and then pull the strands of squash apart with a fork. Place in a bowl.

Pre-heat a cast iron skillet with 2 Tbsp butter. Over medium heat add the basil and the garlic. Let sit for 5 minutes. Make sure the butter isn't browning. The temp should be just warm enough to let is simmer. Add the squash and turn the heat up to med-high. Toss until warmed all the way through. Serve. I think this would be really good topped with some raw Parm. Reg. Cheese.

You can prepare the spaghetti squash earlier in the day and scrap out the strands to a bowl and let sit until you are ready to toss. I would drain the excess water that will collect in the bowl if you choose this method.

Enjoy!

Chicken Gravy

So, we were having roasted chicken, again, this evening with some spaghetti squash, and broccoli, and I really felt like gravy. Gravy in general has been a problem for us given N's sensitivities to thickening agents...until now! This got rave reviews, even from our guest, who eats regular food!
I am going to list what I used, but I have a feeling you can change it up a bit!
The neck and gizzards of one chicken

1/4 onion chopped
2 stalks celery
1/2 carrot, peeled, chopped
1/2 bulb elephant garlic (probably 1 normal clove)
1/4 cup chopped fennel. (we are using this later in the week for a soup...)
1 Tbsp Butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Drippings from one 5-7lb chicken stuffed with celery stalks/leaves

In a 2 1/2 quart pan place the neck of the chicken, cut up, in the pot. Cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil and skim any scum that rises to the top. Allow to simmer covered until water is an inch above the neck. (about 30-45 mins.) In the meantime pre-heat a cast iron skillet. Place 1 tbsp of Butter in the skillet and add the chopped up giblets, celery, garlic, onions, fennel and carrots. Saute until browned slightly and soft.
Remove the neck from the water and add to the skillet to remove juices from the bottom of the skillet. Transfer the sauteed mix back into the pot. Take out your immersion blender and blend the mixture with the water. It should produce a thicker looking stock. Make sure all is blended well. Once blended allow to simmer uncovered for about a 1/2 hour. It will reduce quite a bit and that is okay!

When the chicken is done, add the drippings from the pan into the gravy mix. Add Salt and pepper to taste. I blended the fat in for a more even consistency. Enjoy!

Dandelion Green, Carrot, and Red onion Sautee

Okay, so this is one of the only recipes I have actually enjoyed Dandelion greens in. If you have never had them, they are exceptionally bitter, but really really good for you. I have tried to stem them, and saute them with various things, but with no success....until this recipe. We had Grass fed porter house steaks and a salad with this side dish.
3/4 of a red onion thinly sliced
2 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 bunch dandelion greens bottom stems removed, rinsed.
1-2 tbsp butter

Pre-heat a cast iron skillet on med-high heat. Once hot, add the butter, carrots, and onions. Saute until onions and carrots are slightly browned and have soften a bit. Stir occasionally, allowing time for the carrots and onions to brown. Once browned lightly remove from the skillet and place in a bowl. Cover to keep warm. Add the washed greens with water still on stems to the cast iron. Cover and remove from heat. Let steam until wilted. Drain water from the greens by lightly pressing them against the side of the skillet. Place drained greens on a cutter board and finely chop.

Add all ingredients together in the skillet and re-warm. When at a serving temp, move to a dish and enjoy!

Which Yogurt do I choose?

Walking down the Dairy aisle in your local store, you are inundated with countless options for yogurt. Where do you begin? You have heard Yogurt is a "health food" and you want your family to benefit from all of it's goodness, but how do you know what is best? Are there bad yogurts? Is there really a difference between the $5 quart and the $2.50 quart?

Get acquainted with the brands available to you, and do some research online. If it is an organic yogurt, than you know the cows haven't been give Growth Hormone. If it isn't an organic, then check to see if they advertise "no bovine growth hormone" on their site. The one major national chain that is non-organic but BGH free is Brown Cow. Dannon and Yoplait both use BGH.

First step is looking at the labels. The ingredients should be Milk, whole milk, no part skim or low-fat etc. (all will say pasteurized, but you don't want homogenized milk.)
After Milk should come the live culture blend. These vary from brand to brand. There are some that are more beneficial than others, but generally speaking you just need them to be "live." And OF COURSE ALWAYS BY PLAIN!!! YOU CAN ADD IN FRUIT IF YOU CHOOSE!
All ingredients aren't created equal...Let's start with milk...

Ingredient 1: Milk

• Ideal circumstance is milk from Grass Fed Jersey Cows (why jersey? They produce the highest butterfat ratio milk which makes them ideal for yogurt without stabilizers or thickeners). If the brand isn't grass feeding, but they are jersey cows, it is at least one step up. Notice there is no preference here about organic vs. conventional. This yogurt is the one that would be far superior in any category, organic or conventional. The only brand I know of that is sold in larger chain store is "Hawthorne Valley." You can find them at Whole Foods Grocery Stores and Wegmans Stores alike...it is priced in the mid 4's at Wegmans and I believe high 3's at Whole Foods

• Next in line is milk from organically fed jersey cows or another variety. At least you know they haven't been eating tons of GMOed corn and pesticide ridden nonsense....
  And they will be antibiotic free...another plus.

• next in line is conventional Jersey Cow or other cows that haven't been treated with BGH.

• lastly we have our conventional national brands.

Other ingredients you might find?
I'm not going to go into the huge list that might be present on national conventional brands...b/c quite frankly it would be impossible to cover them, and they are frequently changing additives etc.

• Inulin: A popular additive in Organic brands (Stoneyfield to just name one). So, just b/c it is in an organic product doesn't mean that it is good for you. There are definitely 2 sides of the coin on this, but most importantly they really have done no extended studies on this substance. It is naturally occurring and found primarily in substances like the Jerusalem artichoke, and in small amounts in onions. The caveat with it, however, is that it is an isolated substance that is being widely produced as a "sugar" substitute type substance. I hope we have learned our lesson over the years of isolating a single compound out of a "natural" fruit or plant and extensively using it without the other naturally occurring counterparts. (Sucrose would be one, as would Splenda) We know the effects of Table Sugar, and while it is natural, I don't think anyone would argue it is Good for us.

• Inulin is said to to be a pre-biotic which helps in the production of more probiotics... This could be a good thing... Research has also shown that b/c it completely by passing the upper gut and goes right into the colon it feeds a really negative bacteria that is associated with leaky gut syndrome and candida infections. Introduction of inulin to an individuals system can produce no results or that similar to a food allergy or sensitivity...gas, upset stomach, diarrhea, constipation, headache, etc.
  

In my opinion, I think we should wait a bit before we jump at the what the food industry is telling us is safe, if you need more evidence of waiting...think High fructose corn syrup....

• Another popular one is Pectin:

• This is has been around for quite some time. It is used as a stabilizer or thickener in yogurts. You will frequently find this in yogurt where the cows aren't grass fed simply b/c a non-grass fed cow's milk contains less butterfat. In order for the yogurt to "set-up" to a consistency that most American favor, they add in the Pectin. If you search for European style yogurt, you might have some luck in finding yogurt without pectin.

• Pectin again is a plant cell wall isolate. There have been no negative studies that suggest pectin to have an adverse health effect. It is just as sign that the milk for the yogurt was unhealthy...

If you are using yogurt and you love your brand, and it is a good quality one, please share your information with us.

Whole Wheat Biscuits and Pot Pie Crust

These are really versitile. I usually don't roll them out, I just do drop biscuits and it works fine!
2 cups spring whole wheat flour (white whole wheat flour)
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup buttermilk or heavy cream (not ultra-pasteurized)
1/2 cup butter melted

Mix all dry ingredients together in a bag or bowl and shake well to combine. Add in the butter and cut well. Add in the milk or cream and blend until well combined...don't over mix. Preheat an oven to 425 degrees. Drop biscuits by the spoonful on stoneware or sil-pated bake sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.

This also can be used for the pot pie crust. If that is the case, split the dough in 2 and roll out into 2 9.5 inch in diameter circles.

Chocolate Chip Cookies "Classic"

These are amazing...okay, well I think so:) They fall into the classic category, which means the flour isn't soaked, and they definitely contain more sugar etc. than I would recommend for an everyday item...but they are great on special occasions!

2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup evap. cane juice crystals
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 tsp. vanilla
3 cups spring whole wheat flour (also known as White Wheat, I use Montana mills)
1 bag chocolate chips

The method is what gives these cookies their special trade-mark! Make sure your butter is room temp, Melted, runny butter just won't due! Place your room temperature butter in a kitchen aid mixing bowl. Beat the butter until light and fluffy.
Add the brown and white sugars and continue to beat until well blended.
Add the eggs next. Put the beater on med-low speed. You don't want to whip the eggs into the batter or you will have an airy batter and dry cookies. Beat the eggs in until well blended and add the vanilla mix the batter until it has a consistent color.
Turn mixer off.
In a separate bag or bowl add all the dry ingredients together and shake until well blended. Turn the mixer on stir and slowly add the flour mixture which should contain the chips until well blended and moist.
Place the cookies on a baking sheet and cook in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 6-10 minutes until done. They should be an extremely light tan color! Don't over bake. Remove from the oven before they turn brownish in color. They are meant to be a soft chewy cookie.

A note on equipment: I highly recommend the sil-pat for baking cookies on. They allow you bake amazingly with really cheap pans! If you have them in your collection stoneware is also amazing for this recipe!

Gluten Allergies

Those of you who followed my other blog know that my son N is extremely allergic to Gluten, and most other grains! For those of you who are in this category, you are in luck. I am constantly trying to adjust and come up with new recipes that are gluten free!

No more looking at blog after blog or recipe site after recipe site only to find that 90% of the information on it doesn't apply to you.

You will notice that I use oats and barley in recipes. I know these are sensitive grains for some, and not others, if you need specific adjustments to a recipe listed with these flours b/c you can't have them, please leave a comment and I will try my best to adjust it for you (and for anyone else in the same situation) N fortunately can have both of these...

I have found success cooking with alternative grains by adjusting the cooking time to longer, adding 1 tsp baking powder per cup of alternative flour, and reducing the liquid in the recipe by almost a 1/4.

It is also important to mix your gluten free flours. Some gluten free options are "binding," and others are crumbly. You need to try to get a good mix of binding to sticky flours. The best written example of all these flours can be found at the Weston A Price Foundation website.

If you are in a boat where you happen to have a gluten, rice, and basic starch allergy...I can empathize. N's diet is there... To this you need to learn to adjust what you are looking for. There are some recipes that can be replaced with all Millet flour for example, but some just don't work. Check back and I will let you know which ones I have success with and which ones just didn't work.

Good luck!

Red Pepper Soup

So, we had a bunch of Red peppers hanging out in our freezer from out Porter Farms CSA share this summer. The red peppers where in abundance this year! I decided to give a soup recipe a go with the frozen peppers. It turned out good! I wouldn't recommend this one in the winter, though, if you don't have frozen peppers, red peppers are really expensive this time of year...well in the North East anyway!

6-8 red pepper
2 med onions, peeled, chopped
4 Tbsp Butter or coconut oil
1 1/2 quarts Chicken Stock
1 Bunch Basil, about 1/2 cup or more if you like:)
1 cup yellow squash chopped (we had this in the freezer from the summer too!)
Cream fraiche for topping or a hint of cream (not ultra-pasteurized and not on the yeast diet)

In a stainless steel pot put the butter in and melt over med-high heat, add the onions, chopped red peppers, and squash. Saute until soft and fragrant. Add the stock slowly. Let boil until all is very soft. Use a hand held blend and puree it, or pass it through a food mill. Add in chopped basil. (I also hand-blended this in so the soup has a smoother texture, but for those of you who like chunks of chopped basil, omit)

I topped with cream fraiche! Yummy!

Millet Pancakes (overnight soak)

So, these were a hit with N and J, especially since both can't have wheat. We were impressed with how much they tasted like traditional "white" flour pancakes. Just don't try to keep them warm in the oven, they dry out incredibly fast! Eat right off the cast iron griddle! Yummy!
This made 16-20 silver dollar cakes
1 1/4 cup freshly ground millet
6 oz yogurt (or 6 oz water plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or whey)
1 egg lightly beaten
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp homemade baking powder (or commercial)
2 Tbsp Melted butter
1 tsp vanilla

Mix millet with yogurt in a glass dish and let sit overnight in a warm place covered. Pre-heat cast iron skillet or griddle. To the mixture add one beaten egg, salt, bs, bp, melted butter and vanilla. You will need to add some water to thin the batter, and this is prefarance. I added 1/4 cup.
Drop onto preheated skillet and cook on both sides until golden brown. they will take a bit longer to cook than traditional pancakes, and they don't bubble up quite as much. I flipped when the edge batter looked set. The outsides are a bit crispy and the inside soft! Top with butter, Maple or Sorghum syrup, raw honey, apricot butter, or berry syrup.
I also like fresh fruit on top!

Basic Quinoa

We were introduced to Quinoa b/c of N's Allergies, and we have all come to love it. N even asks for "more quinoa please" not bad for a 2 year old. I personally prefer the red quinoa in flavor to the white, but both are nutritionally adequate.
1 cup quinoa
3 cups warm filtered water plus 2 tbsp whey, yogurt, or buttermilk
(if allergic to dairy use 2 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)

Soak Quinoa for 12 hours in a warm place. After soaking, drain and rinse the grain. Place in a stainless steal pot with 2 cups water. Bring to a rapid boil, cover and reduce to a medium heat until cooked and water is gone. The little white insides will be exposed.

Vegetable Root Soup

3 Large Onions
4 Carrots, peeled and sliced
3 Turnips, peeled and sliced
3 Parsnips, Peeled and Sliced
4 Tbsp Butter
1 1/2 quarts Chicken Stock (maybe more depending on desired consistency)
1 large elephant garlic bulb, or 4 small cloves peeled and mashed
1 tsp or more dried thyme or fresh sprig of thyme
pinch Cayenne Pepper
Sea Salt or Fish Sauce to season
Pinch fresh grated nutmeg
Pima Cream, or Creme Fraiche for topping

Melt butter in a large, stainless steel pot and add onions,carrots, turnips, and parsnips. Cover and cook about 1//2 hour over med-low heat, stirring occasionally. Add stock, bring to a boil and skim. Add garlic, thyme and cayenne pepper. Simmer, covered for about 1/2 hour until soft.
Remove thyme sprig if used. Puree soup with a hand-held blender. Season to taste. If you want your soup thinner, add more water or stock. Place cultured cream on top when serving.

About Soaking

Why would anyone want to soak a grain overnight?

The answer is simple. Most grains, especially whole grains, contain a large amount of phytic acid, which the body is completley incapable of digesting. Phytic acid if consumed, won't kill you, but it does distrupt your body's ability to fully digest, or uptake all the nutrients from the grain.

What does soaking in a whey medium or acid medium overnight do? Simple it acts as a pre-digestor for the phytic acid, softens the grain, and overall makes all the nutrients contained within the grain more bio-available, meaning you will get all the vitamins, minerals, etc from the grain as humanly possible.

Soaking grains, if really simple, it just requires a thought shift. You need to plan ahead! I will have countless recipes here that will require soaked grains. Don't be scared, give them a try, you might be surprised how much more paletable whole grains taste once thoroughly soaked.
If you have a severe milk allergy you can replace the whey with equal parts lemon juice or vinegar.

Homemade Cream Cheese and Whey for Soaking

This really does taste good and it will give you a decent supply of whey for other soaking or preserving needs. If you can't handle the gamey flavor of the yogurt, use a high quality non-growth hormone plain yogurt. Yogurt from Jersey Cows is best.
1 quart grass fed plain yogurt.
items you need.
thin cloth
strainer
Large bowl
Rubber band
a Wooden spoon

Place cloth in strainer in a larger bowl. Put yogurt on the cloth in the strainer. Let stand at room temp for several hours. When yogurt has started to thicken some, pick up cloth being careful not to squeeze the curds of cheese and tie with a rubber band. Attach yogurt cloth to a wooden spoon and let drip free from touching the bowl until all whey is out.

When finished transfer cream cheese to a bowl or glass storage container, cover and fridge for up to 2 months.

The whey will be the yellow liquid. place this in a jar in the fridge, and this keeps for 6 months.

Why would you want whey? Whey acts as a pre-digestor for phytic acid which is found in a majority of grains and legumes. Phytic Acid cannot be absorbed or broken down by the body and hinders the body from obtaining total nutrient counts from the food being consumed. We use whey for soaking cracked oats for our breakfast, quinoa, and for preservation of lactic acid fermented foods! All of which taste really good, even if they sound a little scary. Don't be intimidated, doing a kitchen overhaul takes time!

Thai Chicken BBQ

This recipe tastes like something you would get at a Thai restaurant and it is absolutely delicious! Make it for a date night or even an appetizer for a fancy party! It is a very interactive meal. See note at bottom for making this recipe cheaper and more realistic for large families.
1 small bunch fresh cilantro, preferably with the roots, washed and dried
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
3 Tbs fish sauce
2 cloves garlic, smashed
4 boneless chicken breast halves skin on or off
1 head leaf or butter lettuce, washed and dried
1/2 cucumber cut into thin half moons
1 small bunch mint, washed and dried (optional, but I love it, J doesn't)
1 recipe Thai Sweet and Sour Chili Dipping Sauce
4 Tbs chopped roasted peanuts (optional, omit if necessary)
Bunch of Green onion

Divide the bunch of cilantro in half and coarsely chop one of the halves. Cut off the stems of the other half. Combine the chopped half with the garlic, fish sauce and black pepper in a blender or food processor and process to a paste (add olive oil if needed). Pour over the chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 2 hours or, ideally, overnight.

Preheat the barbecue or broiler to medium-high. Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes on each side until the skin is crisp and the chicken is cooked all the way through.

Arrange the lettuce, cucumber mint and remaining half of the cilantro on a large platter. Slice the green onion down the length of the plant. Then cut in half. Pieces should curl slightly. Place on plate with other toppings. Place 4 tablespoons each of the sauce into 4 individual dipping bowls and sprinkle with the peanuts. Cut the chicken into 3/4-inch slices and place on the platter.

Take the chicken and toppings and wrap it in the lettuce. Dip in the sauce or pour sauce over top. Rice can be made as an accompaniment for this meal.

The chicken with marinade alone served with veggie sides and rice also is good. No need to take the effort to make the wraps, that is where this recipe can get expensive. We more times than no just eat the chicken with other sides.

Stuffed Pumpkin

2-4 Tbsp coconut Oil or butter (I prefer Coconut)
1-2 onion chopped
2 cloves garlic
1/2-1 lb ground deer or ground beef or ground Turkey
2 cups beef broth/stock
1 cup Quinoa or Brown rice uncooked
8 lb pumpkin squash/curry squash
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt

Heat a large skillet pan put in oil, onion, and garlic. Sautee until golden, then add meat, cinnamon, and salt. Cook until browned. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and then add the quinoa. Cover and simmer for 1 hour. In the meantime wash the squash, cut off the top and scoop out the seeds. Reserve the top.
After an hour remove the meat from the heat, and stuff the pumpkin and place the top back on it. Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in a pan with about 2 inches of water. Watch closely and re-add water as needed.

Why coconut? I like it better for this recipe because of a coconuts natural sweetness. It really acentuates the pumpkin and cinammin flavor. If you despise the flavor of coconut, butter will work just fine!

Mango Chicken

Definitely a good summer BBQ recipe! We have tried to do it inside, it is still really good, but not nearly as good as on the grill. If you are worried about the carcinogenic properties of your grill, broiling is a great substitute!

2 tsp (5 mL) grated lime rind
1/2 cup (50 mL) lime juice
4 tbsp (25 mL) vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp (10 mL) chili powder
1 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (1 mL) cayenne pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1 lb (500 g) total
2 tbsp (10 mL) really raw honey
2 mangoes
1 sweet red pepper
1 small red or sweet onion, cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) chunks

1. In small bowl, whisk together lime rind and juice, oil, garlic, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper.
2. Cut chicken into halves length ways and place in a bowl. Pour half of the marinade over top and toss to coat; let stand for 20 minutes. Stir honey into remaining marinade; set aside. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate separately for up to 4 hours.)
3. Meanwhile, peal mango, and cut in large thick lengthy slices away from pit.
4. Core, seed and cut red pepper into 3/4-inch (2-cm) pieces. Do the same with the onion
5. Discard marinade used for chicken. Place chicken, mango, pepper, and onion on greased grill over medium-high heat; close lid and grill, turning and basting chicken once with remaining honey marinade until fruit is softened and chicken is no longer pink inside, about 8 minutes

Serve with Basic Brown Rice, Couscous, or Quinoa and a side salad with a vinaigrette.

Stuffed Peppers

This recipe tastes good, is relatively easy, and can be doubled or tripled with no problem. I find this recipe feeds 2 hungry or 3 light eaters!

2 cups brown rice cooked (or cooked quinoa)
1 small onion minced
4 equally sized green peppers
1/2-3/4 lb ground beef, venison, or turkey
1 tbsp Season all or season salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 well beaten eggs
1-2 cups sauce to line pan
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a skillet over medium high heat and place ground meat and 1 tbsp season all in the pan. Cook until done.

Mix the 2 cups of rice with the paprika, Worcestershire sauce and the 2 well beaten eggs. Add onion and meat to the mixture.

In a steamer or shallow pan place pepper with tops, stems and seeds removed. Steam peppers until their color just starts to change and they begin to sweat. Remove peppers

Stuff peppers with mixture, and place them in a corning ware dish with sauce on the bottom. Place a spoonful of sauce on the top of the stuffed pepper and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about a 1/2 hour.

Serve with cheese on top and a salad or additional veggie.

Ginger Chicken Curry

Ahhh...the Crockpot, one of the kitchen's most amazing contributors! Here is a nicely, and lightly flavored curried dish for those of you scared of the curry, simply omit!

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 legs skins removed(your choice)
3 carrots peeled and chopped
1 onion chopped
2 cups soaked and cooked chickpeas or can equivilent
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Lemon
1 Tbsp Flour or arrowroot
1/2 cup raisins
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp fresh ginger grated
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard or coarse ground mustard
1 Tbsp Curry or to taste
1 quart Chicken stock

Place all ingredients in a crockpot and let cook on high for 4 hours! Serve with Couscous, brown rice or quinoa.

Chicken and Biscuits, or pot pie

This is one of the those recipes that doesn't need to be followed to the tee. Let your taste buds guide you! I can't tell you the last time I measured this one out! I highly recommend doing it chicken and biscuit style! Why waste time rolling out the dough? Great one pot company dinner!

2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts or left over chicken from making stock
1 cup carrots
1 cup celery
1 cup peas
I cup onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tbsp season salt
2 tbsp arrowroot (if using all milk and no cream add 1/4 cup)
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp butter
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
2/3 cup cream (not Ultra-pasturized, or half and half)
1-2 tbsp butter
salt and pepper to taste

Saute chicken (if using Boneless skinless breasts) and butter together until browned. Add celery garlic, season salt, salt, and pepper, carrots, and peas until chickens cooked through, set aside.
In separate pan put in butter, garlic, and onions, cook until soft. Combine broth slowly with onions reserving 1/4 cup. Mix arrowroot with 1/4 cup of broth until well blended, add to the gravy slowly whisking well. Add celery seed and milk and or cream. Simmer until thicker stirring constantly.
If eating as chicken and biscuits, combine into one large pot and let reduce a little. If you need more juice, add more broth or cream. It can stay warm on the stove for a while and do just fine!

If making the pot pie:
Place biscuit crust in the bottom of a 9 1/2 in pie plate*. Place chicken mixture in crust. Add sauce over top, and place crust over. Put a slit or two in the top to allow heat to escape.`

Corn Chowder

This Chowder is unbeatable during the peak of Corn season when the ears are extra sweet. Just don't overdue it!

1 med Onion -- chopped
6 cups Fresh corn kernels (12 ear) With milk from cob or frozen
2 cups Defatted chicken broth
1 ½ cups milk or 1/2 cream (not ultra-pasturized) and milk
1 Red bell pepper -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon rosemary -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon Dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon Fresh ground pepper Cayenne -- to taste

Preheat a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat for about one minute.
lightly coat with oil. Saute onion for five minutes or until translucent. Add four
cups corn and saute for four to five minutes, until it softens a bit. Add two cups broth
and cook 20 minutes or until corn is very tender. Pour into a blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to saucepan over medium-low heat. Add bell pepper, rosemary, thyme, pepper,
cayenne and the remaining 1 cup broth and 2 cups corn. Stir and simmer ten minutes more,
until thick and creamy

Carrot, Parsnip, Apple Soup

This is one of my favorite autumn soups. I need to come up with a replacement now that Noah is allergic to Apples.
Ingredients
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 teaspoon rosemary
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1-2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, parsnips, carrot, apple, rosemary, salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Add broth and water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are very tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Transfer the soup to a blender; add vinegar, cover and pulse until it forms a chunky puree. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids; see Tip.)
3. Clean the pot, return it to medium-high heat and add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour the soup back into the pan. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until heated through, about 1 minute.
Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.


If you want to cut down on cost omit the chicken and serve with Grilled Whole Wheat Cheese sandwiches, also goes well with a dark brew beer.

Peanut/Walnut Sauce

We just had this tonight and it was a success! I adjusted the recipe to remove allergens for our family....

6 garlic cloves, peeled (or 1 large elephant garlic clove)
2 inches fresh ginger peeled
1 large bunch of cilantro
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tsp oriental hot Chili Sauce (optional)
1 cup crispy peanuts or walnuts
3/8 cup naturally fermented soy sauce
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/2-1 cup chicken stock or coconut milk

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and combine until a smooth paste, or sauce forms. Heat in a double boiler over medium heat until a serving temperature.

Special Diet Note: If you are on the candida diet omit the EVOO, hot Chili Sauce, Rice vinegar, and reduce nat. Fer. Soy sauce to 1 tbsp, and use Walnuts, and a hit of fish sauce!

Serve with Chicken left over from making stock, roasted chicken, or whatever other type of chicken or meat you would like. I have had this with beef, never fish or pork.

Side dish suggestions:

• Rice or quinoa
• peas, carrots
• broccoli
  
• spinach
• or a salad