Pesto Pizza, Glorious Pizza (GF, GAPS friendly) and kitchen adventures

We have been quite busy these past couple of weeks. I finished up the Candida diet and we have all been getting ready to start the 2 year journey of the GAPS diet. We are on a full scale GAPS diet, and are planning on going back and starting the intro diet in September. It is all a little overwhelming! In general we are really excited to see the results...even the results we have seen with Noah removing all grains has been encouraging. He is eating like a champ with no eczema, or other skin issues, and after the intro of lacto-fermented foods and pro-biotics his stools are all back to normal, and frequent! Not that I am excited about changing more diapers, but it is so encouraging to see how fast his little body adapts to a huge dietary change, and with such positive results!

Much of the past couple weeks since returning home from vacation have been about Lacto-fermenting. I have very much enjoyed the book "wild fermentation!' I find the whole process quite exilerating, and the geeky science side of me has been loving the process of "playing" with recipes! I currently have a fridge full of bok choi and I can't wait to start the kim Chi making this week! Overall, Saurkraut, ginger carrots, and pickles have been taking up much counter space and now fridge space! We have been enjoying them at almost every meal, and have found that Saurkraut goes particuarly well with eggs. We have even had adventerous guests who have enjoyed these pleasantly sour and salty creations....alright enough about my science projects..onto the pizza!

Who doesn't like pizza? We are pretty fanatical about it in our house. N and J love it, and I have to say it is one of the things we miss most being grain free! While our pizza was starch free, you could easily used a soaked or a sproated grain dough recipe as well! The nut crust was a nice mild flavor that added to the pesto, pepper and tomato top! We even enjoyed this cold the second day! If you aren't able to have dairy, this recipe works well without the cheese too!

Recipe:

Crust:
2 1/2 cups of Walnuts or Almonds (I used walnuts, almonds are a little pricey for us)
3 pasture eggs
2 Tbsp Ghee, Butter, coconut oil, goose fat, etc.
1-3 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp minced onion or 1 Tbsp organic Onion powder
2 Tsp salt

Take the 2 1/2 cups of walnuts and place in a food processor until they are tiny crumbles and starting to stick together. Add the 3 eggs and the butter and process until pastey and well combined. Spread about 1 inch thick on a lined cookie sheet (I use a sil-pat, or you would need to use a well greased pan) and place in a 300 degree oven and bake for 20-30 minutes until firm and lightly browned. While the crust is cooking...

Topping:
Pesto 1 cup basil tightly packed 2-5 cloves garlic 1/2 cup romano cheese (or parm.) salt to taste 1/4-1 cup cold pressed organic olive oil

3-4 large tomatoes thinly sliced (varying colors add a nice touch)
1-2 purple peppers thinly sliced (you could also use green or red, but the purple was a nice color)

When the crust is done baking, remove from the oven and spread the basil all over the top of the crust. Than top the basil with thinly sliced peppers (or any other veggie of your choosing) and thinly sliced tomatoes. Ontop of the veggies place desired about of romano cheese or cheese of choosing, and place back in the oven for 5 minutes to slightly melt the cheese and soften the veggies ever so slightly. The veggies will be mostly raw...

Enjoy! Let me know what you think, and share your adaptations! :) Do you have any foods you just can't live without?

Glorious Tacos! (starch free)

I have to say, I am quite excited about Meals these past 2 weeks. I have felt extra creative with our extra limited diet! The Grass fed beef was up on the menu again tonight, and I find we all like it better mixed with some other flavor. Whether it be onions or garlic in burgers...or tonight as Tacos, we find we appreciate our cow way more when not consumed plain! :)

I have had many goes at homemade tacos, but most just leave us wanting the store bought mix...especially after we found this delicious organic one, but none of them are allowed on the yeast diet, and most of them are so expensive for what you are actually getting. After some reading about how to make delicious tacos at home, I have to say these got rave reviews! J even said he would give me a gold star if he had one!

The secret to the recipe is the time they take to simmer in the delicious spices. Simmer time for this recipe is about 1-1 1/2 hours, with "mashing" required only 2-3 times. They are "low Maintenance" and an easy way to kick a processed food option out of your pantry!

Recipe:
2 lbs grass fed beef ground
2 Tsp real salt
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
2 Tbsp paprika
1-3 garlic cloves minced, pressed, or finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 whole onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped (optional)
2-4 Egg Yolks (1-2 Tbsp arrowroot)

In a large pan with a lid that fits it, place the beef and all the seasonings in it, except the onion and the pepper. Mash the meat with a Masher until broken up a bit, and fill with water to the level of the beef. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer. Leave it to simmer for about an hour. If you are in a rush, 30-45 minutes is sufficient, but the full hour really does make a difference. Make sure you are checking that the mixture still has water and to break up any meat chunks that might be forming. The softness of the meat is dependent upon the mashing during the cooking. Check ever 20-25 minutes for water and mashing.

After an hour add the onions and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes than, remove the "broth" and place in a separate sauce pan let cool a minute (below 140 degrees), and whisk with 2-4 egg yolks. Gently bring the mixture to 140-150 degrees. Be careful not to raise it above this or the egg yolks will separate. Whisk the mixture the whole time, than remove from the heat and set aside. This is my thickening agent, if you want more information about yolk thickening agents please read my previous post. If you aren't on a starch free diet feel free to use 1-2 Tbsp Arrowroot until mixed with a little cold water and than added to the "broth" until desired thickness is achieved. The whole thickening process is optional! Feel free to just leave the broth as is and serve with desired toppings and shells.

We used the "flat bread/tortillas" for the tacos and they tasted like a burrito! Extra delicious topped with tomatoes, lettuce, onion, avocado, and cheese (if you are allowed dairy!)

Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

Chicken "Tots" (Candida Friendly/starch free)

I call these tots because the original recipe, from Pecan bread, that these were adapted from referred to them as tots. If you prefer call them patties, but whatever you call them, call them good! I love how these "hide" veggies in with the patties, and have an excellent flavor. We enjoyed them on the "flat bread" (the picture is of the flat bread before cut) folded over and ate them with traditional burger toppings, tomatoes, avocado, onions, lettuce, and a grilled 1/4 of savoy cabbage. They were quite satisfying!

We all loved the Tots, and N enjoyed his tot sandwich with lots of homemade ketchup (recipe from NT cookbook)

The Egg Yolks are added, since I make this with the flat bread, and the flat bread recipe has 2 egg yolks leftover. I didn't want to just discard these delicious and nutritious yolks, so I added them to help bind the mixture when "fried."

I could imagine this being awesome with some basil or cilantro as well, but I had two hungry men, and not enough time to go pick some herbs:) Feel free to spice it up a bit, and I would love to know what you all try!

Recipe:
1 cup cooked, cut, tightly packed green beans or broccoli (or any other veggies you want to try)
1 cup shredded, tightly packed chicken (left over from making stock, or just boiled)
1/4 of a white cooking onion
3 cloves garlic
1 Tsp Fish sauce
2 Egg Yolks (optional)
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Coconut oil
Salt and pepper as needed
Other spices if you wish

Place the veggie, onion, garlic, and fish sauce in the food processor, and process until it is liquid or pasty. Gently pulse in the chicken until the mixture resembles that of Tuna salad. It will be wet and slightly sticky. Take a small handful of the mixture and press in between your palm to form a "patty."

Have your skillet nice and hot, but not scalding or the outsides will burn. Combine both the butter and coconut oil together in a dish, and apply liberally to the skillet. Place the patties on the skillet and cook until browned on eat side. If you try to flip the patties too soon, they will break apart. Once "cooked" on the one side they will stay together very nicely!

These are an excellent change of pace for all that left over chicken, and the mixture of veggies helps the meat go a long way.

This recipe was enough to feed our very hungry family of 3. (both J and I eat more than "normal" people...especially on the yeast diet!)

Check Out the Nourishing Gourmet for more Frugal Ideas.

Coconutty Fish Soup...Mmm Mmm Good

After making your lovely fish stock it is time to bring the house down with some amazingly awesome soup! I don't know about you all, but we are obsessed with coconut milk. It is within the last year or so that it has become a staple in our household, and now I am thinking how did I ever live without this amazingly rich, creamy, and Delicious goodness! I know I sound a little obsessive, but it is true, I love my coconut, and N and J are also completely enthused about it.

It I am ever in doubt over weather they will like a recipe, I add coconut milk to it, and it is a hit. I don't think either of them have ever rejected it's goodness!

Okay, okay, I'm moving onto the recipe...:)

With summer veggies in swing here, we found ourselves with some super fresh spinach to use! yum.

Coconut fish soup:

1 1/2 quarts fish stock
1-2 cans of coconut milk, depending on the thickness and flavor desired
1 tsp dried ginger
Bunch spinach washed
4 carrots (shredded or chopped. I prefer shredded, J likes them chopped)
2 Daikon Radishes shredded (you can omit these, they really don't add that much flavor, just nutrients)
1 onion diced or shredded
2 celery stalks finely chopped
3 tomatoes chopped
10 basil leaves (added at the end or garnished)
small bunch cilantro (added at the end or garnished)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

This is a pretty self explanatory recipe. Add all the veggies with coconut oil for sauteing to the pot and saute until just soft. Add the stock and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes to give the flavors time to meld. Add the basil and cilantro at the very end, or place it in the serving bowls at the bottom and pour soup over top. (always add fresh herbs at the end of cooking and dried herbs at the beginning)

J, N, and I all loved this soup. It reminded us of a soup we used to get out at a local Asian restaurant. J added cayenne pepper to his, b/c he loves to "feel the burn." N and I enjoyed it with salt and pepper. We all had pecan bread with it! Yummy!

Of course you could add cooked brown rice to this recipe. N just can't eat that! Mix it up, it is soup after all, how wrong could you go?

Sorry about the fish photo, I need to get better at taking photos of our food! :)

Enjoy and please let me know what you think! Have any great fish soup recipes yourself?

Buckwheat Noodles Baby! (GF and Overnight Soak)

So, first let me say sorry it has been so long between posts. Our family has been quite busy...between surgeries and a seizure, I haven't had a tremendous amount of time to update my recipes. But with no further ado I bring you the best addition, to date, to our families menu planning....Buckwheat Soba Noodles.

Pop Quiz: Is buckwheat a grain?
If you answered yes, you are in the same boat I was a week ago, after all buckwheat does have the "wheat" name in it. But the answer is actually no! Buckwheat isn't a grain at all, and it doesn't contain gluten despite what one might conclude. It is actually in the same family as Rhubarb So, it is a "safe" alternative for allergy ridden families!

After the discovery that buckwheat wasn't a grain and in the same family as quinoa, which N can eat, I got so excited and just had to try a recipe with it.

While I was contemplating a recipe one of my favorite blogs, The Nourishing Gourmet posted a Buckwheat noodle recipe, perfect timing. I took this as a sign from above that Soba noodles should be one our menu this week!

One thing worth noting is that Buckwheat is considered a complete protein, so no "meat" is required when using these noodles. Which I really appreciate with the budget being tighter these days.

Here is the recipe:
2 cups freshly ground buckwheat groats (hulled buckwheat is light in color and can be found at Wegmans, Lori's Natural foods and or Feel Rite in Buffalo)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

The above made enough for N,J, and Me with enough for 2 lunches, and we ate it as a Main meal, not a side dish. I would double if you are feeding more than 4 adults as and using this as a main dish.


The night before you want to eat your noodles, measure out 2 cups of freshly ground buckwheat groats and place it in a large glass or non-reactive bowl. Slowly stir together 1/2 cup water and vinegar and add, mixing with a non reactive spoon, to the flour. The mixture will be dry and clumpy.

Start to hand knead the flour and water together. (side note: this is an extremely sticky and messy process. You might think you have done something wrong because the flour is just stuck to your hands, but you haven't! Just keep going, it will get better.) When you have most of the flour in a ball, feel free to knead on a clean surface a few times till a stiff, but not too dry ball is formed.

Clean the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Place a wet, but not dripping, towel over the bowl and let sit for 12-24 hours.

Now, normally I hate rolling dough out, but I have to say these were easy and quick to roll out. I managed to complete rolling and cutting all the pasta within 20 minutes!

Cut the dough into 3 or four sections and heavily flour the surface of a large wooden cutting board or counter top if you don't have one. Make sure you have ample flour, if the dough is sticking at all, add more flour to the surface of the dough. Roll out one section of the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. You may roll thinner or thicker depending on the thickness of pasta you like. The thinner you roll it, the easier it breaks into pieces post cooking when trying to toss with sauces etc.

When you have reached a desired thickness cut noodles in desired width. I cut mine the thickness of fettuccine, but have fun with this. The kids could even help. To make it slightly easier to cut. I folded my dough into thirds so it was less cutting, again important to make sure they are well floured and not sticky! When noodles are cut, hang over the edge of the bowl. Repeat process with the remaining dough. LET THE DOUGH REST FOR 10-20 MINUTES.

Bring a pot of water with ample salt to a rapid boil and boil your noodles for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, and toss with desired sauce immediately. They will get sticky quickly, so have your sauces ready! Enjoy with finely sliced carrots, cabbage or broccoli.

N and J both really liked them, and we were all glad to have some sort of pasta back in our diets! :)

I wanted to let you all know we did this recipe with traditional tomato sauce and it was amazing! So, for those of you who wonder does buckwheat work well with italian dishes? Yes, is the answer!

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!

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.`