SCD/Paleo Pumpkin Pie

When fall rolls around I always find myself craving pumpkin pie.  Naturally, the pie pumpkins have been plentiful at the market lately, and they have been calling my name.  I bought one a couple weeks ago and whipped up with this tasty pumpkin recipe that is remarkably similar to pumpkin pie.  I didn't make a crust, but you could easily add the mixture to any sort of crust.  You could probably use canned pumpkin, too, but there's just something so cozy about pulling a roasted pumpkin out of the oven.  Plus, you can roast the seeds for a great snack.

How to roast a pumpkin

Cut pumpkin into large pieces- around 4 pieces.  Put them flesh side down on a baking sheet and roast in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.  Once you can easily stick a fork in the shell and the pieces start to flatten out, you know it's ready.  Let the pumpkin cool until it's easier to handle.  Then, scoop out the flesh using a metal spoon.

SCD Pumpkin Pie

3 large eggs
1 can pumpkin puree (about a cup and a half)
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Generously grease a 9″ pie pan with coconut oil or butter. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add pumpkin and coconut milk. Stir to combine. Add honey, vanilla, salt and spice. Mix well. Pour into greased pie pan and bake for 1 hour until the top is nicely browned and the custard filling has set. Let cool and then refrigerate overnight. It’s very important to refrigerate and thoroughly chill the pie before serving as it helps the filling to set. If cut when still warm out of the oven, the filling is way too soft and more of a pudding than a pie.

I eliminated the honey and made my own coconut milk.  The natural sweetness of the coconut and pumpkin made up for the loss of the honey.  Over all, this is a super tasty fall dessert.

Happy Halloween!

Zucchini Pasta

Vegetables are abundant right now and it is so fun to walk through the market and pick up all kinds of colorful veggies.  Once I get them home I have to come up with a multitude of ways of using them before they go bad.  Enter zucchini pasta.  Summer squash are my favorite food right now and with the help of a julienne slicer you can turn zucchini, or any summer squash, into pasta noodles.  I haven't eaten actual pasta in a long time, so I don't even notice the difference.  The sauce mixes with the noodles and it is just a plate of veggie deliciousness.

Zucchini Noodles: I always peel the zucchini, but I don't think this is totally necessary.  I think it makes the noodles softer and closer to a pasta type consistency.  Then use the julienne slicer to create beautiful long noodles.  Sautee them in a pan with a little butter/oil for about 2 minutes to soften them just a bit.

Sauce:  The options here are endless.  I like to use ground pork, but ground beef would be good as well.  Brown the meat in a sauté pan with a little oil.  You can add some garlic and onions if you want.  Next comes the veggies.  Since fresh tomatoes are so abundant right now I use fresh garden tomatoes, but canned tomatoes would work, too.  I also like to add red peppers and green onions for some extra flavor and veggie goodness.  Chop and toss the veggies in with the meat and let is cook together for about five minutes.  Toward the end of the cooking process add some sweet basil.  This is the do not miss ingredient.  It is such a wonderfully fresh and fragrant addition to the pasta. Right now fresh basil is cheap and all over the place.   I keep buying it and then need ways to use it up throughout the week.  This pasta pile up is a great solution.  It is so sad to throw past it's prime basil into the compost heap.

Have fun with all those beautiful summer vegetables.

Tilapia

My favorite new fishy discovery is tilapia.  I can't believe it took me so long to try it.  I have never been a big fan of cod and a couple other types of white fish, so I thought it would be in that same taste category, but it's not.  It is so much tastier, at least to me.

I'm sure you can get really fancy when preparing tilapia but my favorite thing to do is pan sear it with butter and lemon juice.  It's easy, light, and flavorful.  Plus, the other bonus about fish is that it cooks very quickly, so if you are hungry, it won't take long to get this yummy meal on the table.

I like to pair my fish with a green vegetable.  In the picture I have the stems from some baby bok choy sautéing next to the tilapia.  This was a good combination.  I have also done green beans recently since I have been getting some really beautiful beans from my garden.

Ingredients:
1-2 tilapia filets
a few lemon slices
1 Tbsp butter or ghee
sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat some of the butter or ghee in the pan.  Put the rest of the butter on the fish along with salt and pepper.  I like to slice the lemon and lay it on top of the fish as it cooks.  The lemon flavor slowly infuses, and then I squeeze the lemon on top right before eating.  It only takes 5-7 minutes for the fish to cook.  If the fish is larger I flip it over and cook both sides, but if the fish is thin this isn't necessary.  The crispy edges are especially tasty.

Enjoy!

Crispy Paleo Pancakes

Crispy Cakes

I've been looking for some ways to spice up my diet, since I tend to eat the same things day after day.  I have been experimenting with different pancake recipes, and this one is very simple and can be customized in all kinds of ways to suit your preferences.

For those of you who are avoiding wheat and other flours, nut butter is a great alternative.  It can be used in place of flour to make pancakes, cakes, brownies, and a host of other baked goods.  Nut flour is also a good option.  In a few weeks when I can start eating nut flour I will try out some recipes.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp nut butter- cashew or almond both work well
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp butter, ghee, or coconut oil
dash of sea salt
1 Tbsp honey (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl- a fork works well for breaking up the nut butter, which can be sticky.  Heat butter, ghee, or coconut oil in a pan and cook away.  Be careful not to burn the cakes, they don't bubble up like regular pancakes, so keep an eye on them.  To make the pancakes crispy put them in the oven or toaster oven on 350 for a few minutes.

Now comes the fun part- figuring out what delightful things to put on top of these crispy cakes.  I top mine with some rhubarb compote I whipped up, which is just rhubarb cooked down with a little water, lemon juice, and a few drops of stevia for sweetness.  You could also top them with maple syrup, honey, fruit, yogurt or something savory such as cheese, meat, roasted veggies, or anything you would put on a cracker.

Jane

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

Coconut Milk Ice Cream

I have been trying to find a non-dairy ice cream recipe that doesn't turn into a big block of ice when frozen, and I think I have finally done it. This coconut milk ice cream stays relatively creamy due to two key ingredients: eggs and vanilla extract with alcohol.  The key to the eggs is separating them and then whipping the egg whites into stiff peaks before adding them to the mixture.  This process helps the ice cream become more creamy than icey.  The alcohol in the vanilla also helps the ice cream not freeze completely.  Then, stirring the ice cream periodically as it freezes keeps the eggs from separating.  All of these elements help it turn out more like real ice cream.  I am still perfecting his recipe, so if you have any alterations please post.

You do not need an ice cream maker or a vita-mix, but they do come in handy.  The ice cream maker helps the ingredients stay well mixed while freezing and the vita-mix helps make the coconut milk if you decide to go that route.  However, you may want to skip making your own coconut milk and just get a can from the store.  Although, making your own coconut milk is very easy.

Ingredients:

Coconut Milk:
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
3 drops liquid Stevia
1 tsp vanilla

Ice Cream:
Coconut milk from recipe or large can of coconut milk
3 drops liquid Stevia
1 tsp vanilla with alcohol
2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 egg, separated

Instructions:
Soak coconut flakes in water for 1-2 hours.  Blend in vita-mix with Stevia and vanilla for 1-2 minutes.  Strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth.  Discard coconut solids.

Blend coconut milk, Stevia, vanilla, and 2 egg yolks in the vita-mix.  Beat the egg whites into stiff peaks and gently stir into mixture.  Put in freezer and stir every 30 minutes until frozen.

I am addicted to ice cream, especially in the summer, and this recipe is a great non-dairy alternative.

Jane

Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Soup

I know this sounds more like a cozy winter recipe, but this creamy soup makes a tasty dish any time of year.  I have been eating a lot of soups lately and this is one of my favorites.  I make my own stock, which increases the flavor and over-all health benefits of the soup, but stock from the store will work just fine.

This recipe is from Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet by Raman Prasad.   SCD is a diet that restricts carbohydrates, obviously.  However, this soup doesn't have any odd substitutions that are common on the diet, such as almond flour or fermented yogurt.

I usually pair it with a grilled chicken breast or baked salmon.  However, on a hot summer day, sometimes all I am hungry for is a bowl of soup.

Ingredients

- 2 pounds asparagus

- 1 Tbsp olive oil

- 8 spring onions, finely chopped

- 5 cloves garlic

- 1 3/4 pints vegetable stock

- 1 Tbsp butter

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper

Clean and prepare asparagus by cutting and discarding the woody stems.  Chop the rest of the asparagus into 1 1/2 inch lengths.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the spring onions and garlic until soft but not browned.  Stir in the asparagus, cover the pot, and let it sweat for 10 minutes.  

Add the stock, butter, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil.  Stir occasionally.  Reduce the heat and let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes, partially uncovered.

In a blender, food processor, or using a hand-held immersion blender, blend the soup in batches until smooth.

Enjoy!

Jane

Blueberry pancakes (gf)

Okay, I know I posted a pancake recipe already this month, but this one is better. I really think any gluten eaters would not even know that it was gluten free, and instead would wonder if it was whole wheat flour or some other really nice grain something. These are delicious!

And, they use some more of that dry curd cheese that I posted about last time, so this is another way to make use of that tasty substance (I have also been eating mine with some applesauce - yum).

This recipe is from Breaking the Vicious Cycle (that I referenced a couple of weeks ago). I have made it four times in the past few weeks because I thought I would never again have pancakes so amazing.

Makes 8 pancakes:
1/2 c. dry curd farmer cheese
4 eggs
1 banana
1 c. almond flour
1/4 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 T. honey
3/4 c. frozen blueberries (optional)

Mix all ingredients up in a food processor. Stir in blueberries if using. Pour on a griddle or frying pan and cook on medium heat until edges are looking done and bubbles are popping in the middle. Flip. Serve! These are great with walnuts and apple sauce on top.

Almond Bread x 2 (GF)

I've become a big fan of almond flour lately - it has really good flavor, lots of protein and good fat, and low sugar/carbs for anyone watching their glycemic index. Also I actually like it better than any of the GF flours out there (of which there are a TON, and you need to mix a bunch of them to get a good texture that binds, meaning you have to have anywhere from 3-8 flours around. sheesh).

Almond flour can be pricey, but the Wedge just started carrying it in bulk for a better deal. Be aware that almond flour is pretty filling - this bread is more dense than other loaf bread counterparts.

There are two recipes below: one with dry curd cottage cheese (which is so good, it is pro-biotic, tastes like yogurt, and is the texture of ricotta - see photo of empty container), which makes my fave version of this bread; and another that is totally dairy free. Both are great toasted, with soup, for French Toast, and apparently for grilled cheese sandwiches (though I have not tried that yet).

Loaf 1 (which is available at this link):
2-1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 to 1/3 cup melted butter (or ghee or coconut oil)
1 cup dry curd cottage cheese
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Place eggs, melted butter, cottage cheese, baking soda, and salt in food processor using metal blade. Process until the mixture is thick and resembles butter in texture. Add almond flour and process until mixed thoroughly.

Grease a loaf pan and spread mixture in pan. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until a knife comes out clean.

Loaf 2:
4 eggs
1 T cider vinegar
1/2 c. lightly melted butter or coconut oil
2 c. almond flour
1/4 c. flax seed meal (replace flax with almond flour if preferred, but then use a little extra almond flour)
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat eggs, vinegar, butter/oil together.
Mix dry stuff together.
Combine.
Put in greased loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes (when a toothpick comes out clean and all that jazz). Done!!

Store bread wrapped in a dish towel or cloth, and then in a plastic baggie if there is any left after a few days.