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?

Nut Crackers (GAPS, SF, GF, Candida)

These little delicious bits have been heavenly to enjoy! We have used them in our salads like croutons, soups as crackers, and just to enjoy as a snack! N can't seem to get enough of them! He just keeps asking for more "cwarcker cwumbs" for his soups! These came to life after reading the GAPS book. She had ideas for crackers, but I took her starting spot and ran with it...

These tasty little bits are quite versatile, even in the ingredient list, so they are flexible with adjustments based on what is "crispy" in your pantry. We have been enjoying them with walnuts...since walnuts seem to be considerably less expensive per pound! They work really well with Almonds and pecans too. I haven't given hazelnuts a go yet, but I would think they would work out.

The biggest adjustment in this recipe is the fat content depending upon the type of nut used. Pecans and walnuts are more oily than almonds, so you will need to adjust the fat to fit the nut! When I do the walnut/almond combination I only need to use 1 Tbsp.

Here goes!

2 1/2 cups "crispy" nut of choice or a combination (I like 1/2 walnuts, 1/2 almonds)
2 tsp-2tbsp butter (coconut oil, ghee, lard, goosefat etc.)
1 large pasture egg
1 medium sized clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp real salt

In a food processor combine the nuts dry measured whole. Process until the nuts are in tiny crumbles or meal like with just a minimal amount of pasting at the bottom. Add the egg, garlic clove (whole) and the salt, and process a minute, than add the fat. The mixture should be sticky, but not excessively oily. The mixture should form a ball in the processor.

When the ball has formed, remove from processor and press out into a flat sheet on a sil-pat or rolling surface. Since there is no flour, you do need a slightly oily "dough." I really like the sil-pat for the pressing, personally, but feel free to use whatever you normally roll out on. Press the nut mixture until very thin (cracker thickness) but still sticking together. If you press too thin, the mixture will just crack and form wholes...you will know when this has happened...then just press it back together. I have sprinkled fresh "crispy" sesame seeds on top or poppies... Get creative!

Cut the crackers into small squares and transfer to a baking sheet or sil-pat. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and place the crackers in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Oil will leach from the crackers as they are cooking, but it will be reabsorbed during the cooling process. If you think there is excessive oil feel free to remove it with a paper towel when done!

There you go! A delicious addition to your diet that is packed with protein and good fats! I am going to work on a "sweet" version too! Let me know your adaptations! :)

Happy munching.

Heavenly Pecan Pancakes (SF, GF, and GAPS approved)

I know a little while back I posted the Starch free, Gluten Free, Candida approved and GAPS approved Almond Pancakes, they were a hit for awhile. N and J were way crazy about them, and I thought they passed as a substitute, but they were definitely a substitute.

After my experiments with Almond/pecan bread I decided to give the pecans a chance as pancakes. I noticed that the pecan bread had a much smoother texture, it wasn't nearly as mealy as the almond counterpart, and since I wasn't a fan of the mealiness of the almond pancakes, I was thinking this might be my solution!

So, I made a batch of these yesterday for lunch, and I have to say, I think I could never eat a flour pancake again and be satisfied! They are completely fluffy, and not mealy at all! Their flavor can't be beat, and when topped with coconut honey, I think I could eat the whole batch myself!

Besides being tasty, they get many awesome substances into your diet! Pecans are known for their oleic acid content, also found in the olive, and this acid has been shown to reduce the risk of breast cancer, and in combination with their other fats help lower "bad" cholesterol levels. Now, we know sugars and starches are what cause high cholesterol to begin with, but why not toss in some nuts to help your body rid itself of the LDL's floating around! They are also touted as an awesome source of rich anti-oxidents as well! Don't forget you are getting all your protein in as well. So, you are doing your body a favor by eating up these amazing little pancakes! Leave the caking to your intestine starches out, and give these babies a try!

They are rather filling, so the recipe below will probably accommodate up to 3 or 4 people. You know your appetites better than I do. In our house, we could have had another person eat, as we had 3 leftover...and 3 or 4 is probably all one person could handle as they are pretty rich.

Recipe:
2 cups Crispy Pecans (measured out dry and whole!)
1/4 cup coconut milk (almond milk, cream, yoghurt, kefir)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey (if allowed you are allowed)
4 eggs
1 1/2- 3 tsp cinnamon (depending on preference, we like alot!)
1 Tbsp vanilla extract (omit if not allowed)
Fresh or frozen berries or fruit of choice!


So, this is pretty similar to the almond recipe...take the 2 cups of pecans and place them in your food processor. process until all the pecans are tiny crumbles, and starting to collect as paste along the bottom of the processor. Don't process all into a paste. I find this makes a denser cake. Once processed, add the eggs and continue to process until bulk has increased and the pecans seem to be pulverized. Add the "milk" of choice and honey while the processor is going...also add the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Once all ingredients are combined well. Shut off the processor. The batter should be pourable..so if a little more "milk" is necessary go for it... (I have needed to add 1 more tbsp from time to time. It seems if my pecans still have a little retained moisture from the drying process they don't need it, and if they are completely crispity, crunchity they do)

If adding in fruit, transfer batter to a bowl and fold in the fruit of choice. If you are adding bananas, you can process those into the batter, or add as chunks. Heat a cast iron griddle or skillet and do a "oil" cleaning* to the skillet prior to your first cake with coconut oil. Once the skillet is hot, but not smoking, add the batter in 3 inch or 4 inch rounds. We tend to like big pancakes here, so I make 6-8 in rounds...but whatever floats your boat! These hold together much better than the almond ones so, you can make larger cakes if you so desire! When bubbly and partially dry on the edges flip and finish them off.

Enjoy these guys with plenty of fresh maple or berry syrup, or honey coconut spread! We can't have syrup so I mixed up the honey coconut spread and it was divine!


Honey coconut spread:

4 Tbsp coconut Oil
2 Tbsp honey

mix until well combined and spread on or pour on depending on the temperature of the coconut oil! This is also amazing in the freezer with cinnamon on top for a cool after dinner treat in the summer...plus it is a great way to get more coconut into your diet!


*Oil cleaning consists of heating the skillet until a moderate heat, and than taking a TBSP of coconut, lard, or butter and rubbing the skillet until it appears a nice coating has been achieved. I do this prior to all pancake making...it also allowing for a more even browning on delicate items such as these. I find "frying" pancakes less desirable...but if you are into the fry cake flavor go for it! I prefer to pour on the fat after they have an even browning! :)

Give them a go! Let me know your modifications!

Nut Free/Dairy free Flat Bread or tortillas!

So, I stumbled upon this recipe at Pecan Bread. I have to say, we had the flat bread tonight with our hamburgers and both J and I were amazed at how good is actually did taste. N liked that he could "roll" it up and hid beans in it! I am shocked at when you eat this with meat or some other filling how the brain really processes it like bread!

These would make great "roll up" finger sandwiches, tortilla shells, or "crepes" for sandwich fillings.

Overall, they don't take too long to prepare, probably an hour start to finish...which when you consider the time it takes to make bread...this is nothing!

The trick is to make sure your egg whites are beaten until very stiff and the pureed veggies have all excess water removed. I simply boiled some carrots and beans together until soft, drained all the water, pureed them with my hand-held blender. The result was very thick! Perfect for this recipe.

Recipe:

1/3 cup pureed veggies (a combination of carrots, green beans, cauliflower, or squash, or just pick one of them)
6 Egg Whites
4 Egg Yolk
2 Tsp salt or seasoned salt. ( I like the "sugar free" season salt...I will post a recipe.)

If you don't have left over cooked veggies, than peel and cut some carrots and add green beans to the boiling water. Drain water and puree with a hand-held blender. Place egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on high with the salt until stiff peaks form. Blend the egg yolks and veggies together until liquid.

Carefully fold in the veggie mixture with the egg whites until blended.

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Put batter on a sil-pat on a cookie sheet either spread through the whole thing or drop and slightly flatten in circles if using for buns or tortilla substitute. I would suggest potentially spreading the batter between 2 sheets if doing just the flat bread. The recipe makes aprox. 22 "bun" sized rounds. (I recently tried this on parchment paper and not the sil-pat and it was a disaster...so I recommend the silpat. I am going to try it on a well greased sheet next, I will let you know how it turns out!)

Place in the oven for 30 minutes until lightly browned. If stacking pans, rotate mid-way through cooking.

We are really excited about these! Give them a try! Let me know what you think... It can't get any better, eggs and hidden veggies:)

Coconut Squash Muffins (Gluten Free/grain free)

A new variation, I like the consistency of these way better than the Nutty Squash ones, but the flavors are equal!

N and J both enjoyed them greatly...and if you aren't on a Candida or another special diet, I would add 2-4 Tbsp succant, honey, or maple syrup! I also dry roasted the squash this time and I found the muffins were way less wet! So, to dry roast your squash, cut the bulb off of a butter nut squash or use an acorn squash. Cut them in half and remove the seeds. Place in an oven-proof dish and set the oven to 250-300 degrees. Roast flesh side up for 30 minutes than turn the oven off. Remove from oven when flesh is soft. This stops the squash from getting excessively moist!

1 Cup dry roasted butter nut squash
1 cup finely shredded coconut flakes (unsweeted, un-sulphured.)
2 Tbsp Coconut oil
4 Eggs
2 TBSP freshly ground flax seeds (optional)
2 Tbsp or more of cinnamon
1-2 Tbsp of homemade vanilla extract
(2-4 TBSP of a sweetener if allowed)

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter or Oil an 8x8 pan or muffin tins. (I personally hate muffin tins...I just find them a pain, so my family has gotten used to "cut" muffins from a cake pan!) Combine the squash and coconut shreds in the food processor or blender, blend until combined. Add the oil, flax, cinnamon, vanilla and eggs. Process again until well blended. Place batter in the buttered pan or tins. Place in the oven for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned ontop and a toothpick comes out clean. If you remove from the oven to soon, the muffins will shrink and get compacted. When they are cooked all the way through they will retain their shape!

Happy eating!

Squashy Nutty Muffins/bread

These are a nice substitute when you are avoiding grains or if you are trying to get more protein and veggies into your or your kids diet. They aren't the best things on the face of the planet, but they are a good supplement. I would highly recommend adding some honey or maple syrup...maybe 2 TBSP if you aren't avoiding Sugar than I think these would be awesome! They taste like a pumpkin pie bar minus the sweetness!

2 Cups cooked and cooled squash (aprox: 1 acorn, or 1/2 butternut)
1/2 cup crispy pecans
1/2 cup crispy almonds
4 eggs
1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1/8 Tsp Ground Cloves
2-4 TBSP maple syrup/succant/honey (optional)

Place the Almonds and Pecans in a food processor or blender and process until it is a fine meal. Add the squash oil and spices. Process until blended. Add the eggs last and blend until combined.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place batter either in mini muffin pans, muffin pans or a square cake pan. Oil the pan first! Bake for 30-40 minutes until the muffins pull away from the side of the tins or the pan. A toothpick inserted into the muffins should come out clean when inserted. The top should also brown a bit.

N really enjoyed them and did J. We all agreed they could use some honey...but they were a nice addition to our chicken soup dinner!

let me know what you think! Sorry no photo now, I will take one next time we make them. They were gone to quick to grab a photo!

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!