Soaked gluten free Multigrain Bread

Gluten Free Multigrain Bread

It's also yeast and egg free as well. This is currently my favorite bread. It's easy to make and tastes fantastic. It's nice to enjoy toast with honey or make a turkey-avocado sandwich.

 

 Diagonal lines for a French loaf look

 

 

Toasted Turkey Avocado Sandwich

 

 

 

Soak Overnight:

·         1 cup teff flour

·         1 cup buckwheat flour

·         1 cup sorghum flour

·         2 cups warm water

·         1/4 cup kefir or sourdough starter

 

Mix in the morning:

·         2 Tablespoons EV Olive Oil

·         2 Tablespoons maple syrup

·         1 cup raw nuts/seeds

 

Dry ingredients:

·         1/2 cup tapioca flour

·         1 teaspoon baking soda

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 cup ground chia seeds

·         1/4 cup psyllium husk powder

 

Directions:

 

Mix the teff, buckwheat, sorghum flour with warm water and kefir. Cover and soak overnight. Soak for 12-24 hours to remove phytic acid that blocks nutrients. Soak in a glass or ceramic mixing bowl. Do not soak in plastic or metal bowls.

 

In the morning preheat oven to 375. Line a glass bread pan with greased parchment paper (coconut oil works great).

 

Stir in the olive oil and maple syrup to the batter that soaked overnight

 

Whisk together the dry ingredients and fold them into the wet batter.

 

Scoop batter into the oiled parchment paper/bread pan. Use a few drops of water to smooth the top of the loaf with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle raw nuts/seeds on top, I also like to mark mine with diagonal lines like a French loaf.

 

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Place bread on a towel, tipped on one side and let cool for an hour before cutting.

 

Notes:

*Buckwheat can be replaced with sprouted brown rice flour.  Reduce baking time to 1 hour and 10 min.

 

*Nuts/seeds can be whole, chopped, or ground.

 

*It’s also a good idea to soak nuts/seeds over night and then rinse/drain them (they also have phytic acid). Smaller seeds like sunflower work well. Larger nuts like pecans, can be chopped into smaller pieces.

 

*Chia seeds can be replaced with 2 eggs. 

 

 

 

 

 



Michael Pollan's Food Rules

Michael Pollan has written some great books. If you haven't read them you need to. Food Rules, The Omnivore's Dilemma, and In Defense of Food should be on your must read list. See a full list of his books HERE

Here is a peek of his "Food Rules" that will help you stay happy and healthy:

1. Eat food

2. Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food

3. Avoid food products containing ingredients that no ordinary human would keep in the pantry

4. Avoid food products that contain high-fructose corn syrup

5. Avoid food products that have some form of sugar (or sweetener listed among) the top three ingredients

6. Avoid food products that have more than 5 ingredients

7. Avoid food products containing ingredients that a third-grader cannot pronounce

8. Avoid food products that make health claims

9. Avoid food products with the wordoid “lite” or the terms “low fat” or “nonfat” in their names

10. Avoid foods that are pretending to be something they are not

11. Avoid foods you see advertised on television

12. Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle

13. Eat only foods that will eventually rot

14. Eat foods made from ingredients that you can picture in their raw state or growing in nature

15. Get out of the supermarket whenever you can

16. Buy your snacks at the farmers market

17. Eat only foods that have been cooked by humans

18. Don’t ingest foods made in places where everyone is required to wear a surgical cap

19. If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.

20. It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car

21. It’s not food if it’s called by the same name in every language (Think Big Mac, Cheetos or Pringles)

22. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves

23. Treat meat as a flavoring or special occasion food

24. Eating what stands on one leg [mushrooms and plant foods] is better than eating what stands on two legs [fowl], which is better than eating what stands on four legs [cows, pigs and other mammals].

25. Eat your colors

26. Drink the spinach water

27. Eat animals that have themselves eaten well

28. If you have space, buy a freezer

29. Eat like an omnivore

30. Eat well-grown food from healthy soil

31. Eat wild foods when you can

32. Don’t overlook the oily little fishes

33. Eat some foods that have been predigested by bacterial or fungi

34. Sweeten and salt your food yourself

35. Eat sweet foods as you find them in nature

36. Don’t eat breakfast cereals that change the color of the milk

37. The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead

38. Favor the kinds of oils and grains that have traditionally been stone-ground

39. Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself

40. Be the kind of person who takes supplements – then skip the supplements

41. Eat more lie the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks.

42. Regard nontraditional foods with skepticism

43. Have a glass of wine with dinner

44. Pay more, eat less

45. Eat less

46. Stop eating before you’re full

47. Eat when you are hungry, not when you are bored

48. Consult your gut

49. Eat slowly

50. The banquet is in the first bite

51. Spend as much time enjoying the meal as it took to prepare it

52. Buy smaller plates and glasses

53. Serve a proper portion and don’t go back for seconds

54. Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, dinner like pauper

55. Eat meals

56. Limit your snacks to unprocessed plant foods

57. Don’t get your fuel from the same place your car does

58. Do all your eating at a table

59. Try not to eat alone

60. Treat treats as treats

61. Leave something on your plate

62. Plant a vegetable garden if you have space, a window box if you don’t

63. Cook

64. Break the rules once in a while

Alternative Milk Guide: coconut, almond, and sunflower

As far as milk alternatives the very best thing is homemade. The rice, coconut, almond, and other milks have gut irritating ingredients in them like carrageenan, gaur gum, and other preservatives. Home made should really just be nuts and water (and a little sea salt or sweetener if desired).  Synthetic vitamins are often added to these drinks, which our bodies don't recognize or metabolize and can cause nutritional imbalances over time. Carrageenan has been found to be a carcinogen and it causes major inflammation in the digestive tract. I see it in almost all dairy alternatives.

Cheesecloth never worked well for me so I switched over to this nut milk bag. I've never been able to find one in any stores so I just ordered it from amazon. The nut milk will be good in your fridge for a week.

I always add a pinch of sea salt, 1/4 tsp of vanilla, and a little sweetener. Honey, real maple syrup, or a few drops of liquid stevia (I like the nunaturals brand). This is completely optional.

The other thing to remember is to give the milk a little shake before using it. It will separate when sitting in the fridge, this is normal. the pulp can be spread onto a baking sheet and dried in the oven at 170 degrees. Then stick it in your blender and you'll have almond flour. The coconut flour I get makes the best chicken nuggets I've ever had and it's a fast meal to make. Plus you can make extra to keep in the freezer and warm up when you're hungry.

Almond or Cashew Milk: 1 cup almonds, 4 cups filtered water, plus water to soak in.

• Soak the almonds in water overnight. In the morning drain the water and rinse the almonds. Blend the almonds with 4 cups of filtered water. Pour into nut milk bag and squeeze out the milk.
• Dry the pulp to use in waffles, muffins, or anything else. You could even add the moist pulp to a batter adn use less liquid.
• Almonds $6-$8/lb

Coconut milk: 2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (I get mine out of the bulk/bins). 6 cups of filtered water.

• Add the coconut and water into the blender and let sit for an hour or two. Blend and pour into the nut milk bag and squeeze out the milk.
• coconut $4/lb

Sunflower Seed Milk: 1 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds, 4 cups filtered water, plus water to soak in.

• place the sunflower seeds in a skillet and slightly toast on medium heat. Stir the seeds about every 30 seconds. This gives the milk a nice flavor.
• Place the seeds in a glass bowl or pitcher and soak for 7 hours.
• Drain the water, rinse the seeds, and place in blender with filtered water. Blend and pour into the nut milk bag and squeeze out the milk.
• Sunflower Seeds $3/lb

Paleo/gaps Chicken Nuggets

Chicken nuggets are comfort food, they remind me of my childhood. Usually they are covered in eggs, gluten, and hydrogenated oil. These ones are smothered in ghee and rolled in coconut flour with tasty seasonings. Bake them for 15 minutes, broil them on low a little longer until the tops have browned and they are ready to eat.

 Dip a piece of chicken into some melted ghee. Adding diced garlic to the ghee gives the chicken nuggets even more flavor.

 

 Roll the piece of chicken in coconut flour that has been seasoned with sea salt, cumin, and Italian seasoning. Feel free to use other herbs/spices instead.

 

 Place the chicken nuggets on parchment paper that has been placed in a pan. I greased the parchment paper with ghee, and after a few batches have found that isn't necessary.

 

 Steam broccoli and carrots while the chicken nuggets are baking. Make sure to smother them in ghee before eating as well :-)

 

Enjoy!

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb free range chicken thighs
• 1/3 cup ghee, melted
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 tsp's cumin
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 and place a piece of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet.
2. Chop the chicken thighs into 2-3 inch strips.
3. In a small bowl melt the ghee and mix in the diced garlic.
4. Pour the coconut flour, sea salt, cumin, and Italian seasoning into a medium bowl and whisk together.
5. Use tongs or your fingers and roll a strip of chicken in the ghee. Then roll it in the coconut flour mixture until it's well coated. Set the chicken nugget on the cookie sheet. Repeat this step until all of the chicken is on the sheet leaving a little space in between each nugget.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then broil on low until the nuggets have browned up a bit.
7. Remove from the oven, let cool and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Ghee, how to make it and why it is healthy

When butter is melted down and the milk solids are removed the oil leftover is known as ghee, clarified butter, or butter oil.

Often times, people with milk allergies can tolerate ghee. This is because there is no lactose or casein in ghee when is properly made. This is true for me, dairy upsets my stomach and flares up my eczema. But I don't have any issues with ghee.

One nice thing about ghee is it has a long shelf life. After it can be kept in the cupboard for several months. You don't have to worry about it going rancid like butter. It will be semi-solid at room temperature but still soft enough to scoop out with a knife and spread onto food. It can be kept longer in the fridge but it will firm up and difficult to scoop out.

Ghee is perfect for high temperature cooking. It won't burn like butter because the milk solids are gone. It has a much higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil so it's a better option for frying. When olive oil is heated past 350-375 free radicals are released and act as carcinogens when consumed.

It's much cheaper to make your own than to buy it. Ghee comes in tiny little bottles and is rather expensive at stores. Take a little time to melt some butter and save your money. When purchasing butter make sure it's organic from grass fed cows. Chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones are stored in fat, so factory farmed cows often have toxins in their milk.

Ghee from healthy cows will have a deep yellow color. This indicates that it is very nutrient dense. It also has vitamins A, D, E, and K, antioxidants, and butyric acid (anti-cancerous).

The saturated fat found in ghee is good for our heart, brain, bones, and immune system. Saturated fat actually raises HDL cholesterol and protects the heart. Calcium can't get into our bones without the help of saturated fat, so it can help prevent osteoporosis. Our brains need fat and cholesterol to function properly. Finally, saturated fats have antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiviral fatty acids that keep our immune system strong.

 Melt grass fed butter on med-low heat in a heavy bottom sauce pan. Once foam has risen to the top turn the heat down to low and carefully scoop off the foam

 

 let it simmer on low for about 15 more minutes, or until the milk solids have turned a light brown and sink to the bottom of the pan.

 

 Let the ghee cool for about 10-15 minutes and prepare a glass jar, a funnel, and cheese cloth. I prefer to use a nut milk bag instead of a cheese cloth because the mesh is even smaller.

 

Pour the ghee through the cheese cloth into the jar. It should be a deep yellow color without any milk solids. Let it cool completely before putting the lid on, then keep it in your cupboard or fridge. Use it for frying, baking, add to steamed veggies, or put a spoonful into your morning oatmeal. It has a wonderful rich flavor that is good on anything!  

 



Sources Include: The Weston A. Price Foundation, Mary Enig, Sally Fallon, and Dr. Mercola.

Battling GMO's

Genetically Modified Organism's have been in the news lately. California is trying to get them labeled (crossing my fingers they do), and there are petitions going around in many states tyring to get them labeled as well. The Non-GMO Project has tons of information that is well worth reading.

Reasons to avoid gmo's.

1. They have never had standard testing done to see if they are safe for human consumption
2. They have been shown to be harmful in animal studies
3. Most gmo's are paired with an herbicide that is linked to several health problems
4. The future consequences of gmo's are not yet known
5. Monsanto control's 90% of genetically engineered crops. It's never good for one person/company to have complete power over our food.
6. Those that produce gmo's threaten farmers and silence scientists, because they don't want the truth about them to come out
7. Farms can be safe and sustainable without gmo's.

I thought I had created a gmo free kitchen. When shopping I buy locally grown and organic as much as possible. I've been avoiding any companies that have given money to support gmo's. It's pretty easy to remember the big brand names, but it can be harder to remember the "natural" brand names that are owned by these larger companies.

It may only contain peanuts but it is owned by Smuckers....

The other day I saw a jar of Adams peanut butter in my fridge. It's labeled as all natural and the only ingredient is peanuts. Out of curiosity I emailed Adams to find out if they use or support gmo's. Here was their response:

"In recent years, agricultural science has developed and grown crops using modern biotechnology techniques in an effort to produce a higher quality, more economical and dependable food supply. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have determined that existing “biotech” foods are safe and do not differ in any meaningful way from other food.

Due to the expanding use of biotechnology by farmers and the commingling of ingredients in storage and shipment, it is possible that some of our products may contain ingredients derived from biotechnology. We believe that safety is an important issue. We support continued evaluation of the best methods to assure safety and we encourage discussion by all interested parties with respect to developing appropriate means to assess its risks and benefits. We also support a more rigorous and transparent regulatory process. Internally, we utilize a cross-functional team to monitor and evaluate developments in biotechnology and advise senior management of the impact to Adams®.

You can be assured that we will continue to manufacture the safe and high quality products you have come to expect. If you should have further questions or need additional information, please visit us at www.adamspeanutbutter.com.

Yeah....a simple yes or no would have sufficed. Nothing like getting the ol' run around. I went and looked at the jar again and down at the bottom I saw that it is owned by Smuckers. This is a large company that has given money to support that gmos don't get labeled. Time fore me to find a better peanut butter company, Yikes!!

When I called CB's Nuts and asked them if they use gmo's I was answered with a simple no. Then I was invited me to come to their store and sign a petition to get gmo's labeled. This is the kind of company I want and will support. Another plus is that they are located here in Washington.

CB,s Nuts. Local and made without gmo's! 

*Note: I took this photo from google images.*



Salmon Cakes (egg free)

Growing up, my dad always made delicious salmon cakes for a simple dinner or lunch. After playing around in the kitchen, I've finally found an easy, nutritious, and very delicious version. This one's a keeper!

Ingredients:

• 15 oz cooked salmon
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, diced
• 1 carrot, finely grated
• 2 Tablespoons of parsley, diced
• 1 Tbs ground flax seed or psyllium husk powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 2-3 Tablespoons of melted coconut oil or ghee
• Sliced lemon on the side when serving

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 and place parchment paper on a cookie sheet
2. Mix the salmon, onion, garlic, carrot, parsley, flax meal, salt, and pepper in a bowl. If the mixture isn't sticking together, add some mashed avocado, it will hold it together.
3. Use a measuring cup or large spoon to scoop out about 1/4 of a cup of salmon cake mixture.  
5. Place onto the cookie sheet, then push down and form the pattie. Keep them at least 1/4 of an inch apart.
6. Drizzle the coconut oil on top of the salmon cakes and bake for 20 minutes, then turn the broiler on for about 5 minutes to brown the top sides.
7. Serve with lemon slices and avocado wedges.

This recipe is also on Real Food Wednesday,  Kelly the Kitchen Kop's site.