All posts filed under: Recipes

Wheat Free Snickerdoodles

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It’s raining here today, as it usually does on Memorial Day weekend.  I decided to play around with a recipe that I had for wheat free snickerdoodles, one of my husband’s favorite cookies.  Success!  Here it is.  (These are higher in protein and lower in carbs, but they still have some carbs due to the maple syrup — those of you who want no carbs, you may know how to replace the maple syrup with sugar alternatives, but I haven’t tried that yet.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners. Makes approx. 2 dozen small cookies. Ingredients 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ cup arrowroot powder ½ teaspoon sea salt 1-2 teaspoons cinnamon 2½ cups ground blanched almond flour (it should be beige, blanched means no almond skin, I use Honeyville) 6 T shortening (I use Nutiva, a combination of palm, red palm and coconut, Spectrum is another brand) ½ cup maple syrup 2 tablespoons vanilla extract (I use Penzey’s double strength) cinnamon sugar for garnish (optional) …

Shallot Vinaigrette

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I have resorted to making most of my salad dressings these last several years because salad dressings have lots of hidden SUGAR.  Just look at your favorite dressing, many have HFCS in them (high fructose corn syrup) and most are full of preservatives. Here’s an easy dressing that is worth the prep time (~15 min) and will last about a week in your frig. Everyone who has had it raves about it, so I think I’m on to something.  If, when you’re done it is too vinegary, just add a bit more oil or a teaspoon of honey. It is helpful to have a really good blender for this recipe.  You cannot create it without one. 2016 update:  I also want to add that this recipe can change VASTLY if you have huge shallot bulbs.  See my notes below.  A friend made this when I first posted it and it was awful, but her shallot bulbs were HUGE.  I use small shallot bulbs, the size of a garlic clove.  You can use the big ones, …

The Better Pasta

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Recently I had an appointment with my Nutritionist, who is responsible for millions of people getting healthy.  Kathie Swift, MS, RD, LDN is the practitioner who introduced Mark Hyman, M.D. to both functional medicine and food as an avenue to health.  She was the person who taught half of my week long workshop in 2008 when I began my wellness odyssey and I am eternally grateful to her for her wisdom and guidance. She is the person I turn to when I get stuck in my weight loss journey, and she is brilliant and up to date on all things regarding food and medicine.  We were recently talking about the “holes” in eating gluten free (things we miss) and I mentioned that my husband and I occasionally ate Einkhorn pasta (a wheat pasta using the original wheat from Italy that hasn’t been hybridized and modified the way our wheat has, thereby making it much less reactive).  She suggested we try some of the low carb pastas made from alternative beans (black bean and mung bean). …

Artichoke Lemon Hummus

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Eileen’s Artichoke Lemon Hummus I made this recipe up on the fly one summer day when I was having friends over.  Many hummus recipes are too thick and pasty for me, almost so thick you couldn’t dip with them.  I wanted something a bit more refreshing for the summer.  This has been such a hit with my kids I make it almost all the time instead of regular hummus. Makes 20+ portions.  You can easily cut this in half if you have a smaller family… or don’t want to eat hummus for every meal! 😉 Two 15 oz can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained 1 cup tahini (sesame paste) ½ cup olive oil 1 lemon, juiced 4 cloves garlic 1 can drained artichoke hearts– NOT the kind in oil, the canned kind 1 pinch red pepper flakes or Aleppo Pepper sea salt ground black pepper Put all in food processor.  This is a recipe that the amounts aren’t crucial; add more garbanzos, less artichokes, whatever.  Add more ground red pepper flakes to make it spicier. …

Choosing a snack that won’t sabotage you

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This is such an important lesson I’m splitting it into the recipe and a post on WHY you should look at certain numbers differently when you choose snacks. And don’t dismiss this post if you are a normal weight.  This information is important for everyone, heavy, thin, and in-between. I sometimes eat granola (NOT every day, but a few times a week).  Why?  Granola is healthy and has a lot of FAT.  Why is that good?  SATIETY.  That is the feeling you’re full.  The feeling that you don’t need to go raid the oreo package taunting you in the kitchen.  The feeling that you’ve had ENOUGH.  And when any of us are trying to eat healthier and/or lose weight, satiety is paramount.  You cannot go months and months feeling like you’re starving.  And I’m going to tell you that it is REALLY important to eat good fats.  REALLY IMPORTANT, as in ESSENTIAL.  Let’s take a look at how I make Granola — and I make it so I can control what is in it and …

Spicy Korean Pork with Asian Slaw

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This recipe was so good when I had it at my brother-in-law Marty’s house, we asked him for the recipe.  Originally from Fine Cooking, I’m posting it here.  You can find a lot of good recipes on their site. This is a beautiful and delicious presentation of an old standard.  Much more fun than roast tenderloin!  My husband made it again tonight, so I thought I’d post!  The only tricky thing in here is the brown sugar, which you could probably substitute honey (or even Stevia, but I have not tried that)! INGREDIENTS: Pork tenderloin (two small or one large) wheat free tamari sauce or coconut aminos rice vinegar raw honey garlic ginger sesame oil walnut oil Sriracha (Korean hot sauce, Thai red chili paste might also work) 1 lb Napa cabbage, thinly sliced 1 cup grated carrot 4 diced scallions kosher salt MEAT PREP: Trim the meat of any fat, Slice diagonally into 1/2″ thick slices. MARINADE: Create marinade in a cup. Use 1/2 cup for marinade, and save rest for sauce, don’t put …

Low Carb Meatloaf

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My husband and I have been in a  ground beef rut.   Sick of making hamburgers (grass fed only), spaghetti sauce, tacos, and chili.  But Meatloaf had been off limits to us because of the fillers in it.  It often has bread crumbs and/or oatmeal, which have carbs.  So, here’s our version of meatloaf with a lower carb load.  Yes, it has some cheese, but one serving doesn’t amount to very much. Serves 4-6    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Ingredients: 2 lbs. grass fed lean ground beef 2 whole eggs, beaten 2 pieces of cooked bacon, chopped up 1 cup tomato sauce, preferably organic – we used one with basil and garlic in it 3 T Wheat Free Tamari Sauce (or soy sauce if you can’t find Tamari) 4 cloves of garlic, minced ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 T onion powder 1 T dried parsley ground black pepper to taste Mix everything together in a bowl, using clean hands to combine it well.  Create a loaf shape in a 9 x 13 inch glass pan …

(Almost) Dairy Free Lasagna

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I wanted to make some lasagna last week, but I just can’t eat ricotta, mozarella or any dairy to speak of.  I decided to set out and try to adapt a recipe using cashew cream as my “ricotta” replacement.  I used pasta that was fresh (no, I didn’t make it, I got it in the refrigerated section at my local organic store), made my own sauce, and added veggies to make it really healthy.  Yes, this is not carb free, but for when you want something with pasta, this is pretty awesome!  You can get really strict and leave out the parmesan, and then it would be totally dairy free. My husband, Doubting Thomas that he is (he should trust me by now, we rarely throw anything I concoct out!) said (insert skeptical and unhappy tone of voice here) “Cashew cream in lasagna?  ewwwww, uck”.  Needless to say, he was not only amazed, but gobbled this up.  And pronounced me a genius.  So, I guess that is praise enough to post it on this blog! …

Middle Eastern “Sliders” with Sumac Onions

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This is a really fun and very healthy “take” on the American slider – a tiny fat and carb heavy cheesburger that many restaurants have.  I’ve adapted this recipe from the cookbook “Orient Express” by Silvena Rowe.  She used veal, I use only grass fed ground beef and made some modifications. Middle Eastern Sliders These mini burgers are cooked and placed atop rounds of pita or naan bread. If you’re gluten free, use rounds of GF bread.  Topped with sumac onions, they are a fabulous taste variation on our old hamburger.  Make them healthy by using grass fed beef.  (why?  read why here)  Yes, it is more expensive, but the health benefits are worth it –  you are worth it! Ingredients Sumac Onion Topping 1-2 large sweet yellow onions sliced (if very large, use 1 onion) 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground sumac* Burger Filling 1 lb. grass fed ground beef (if you aren’t using grass fed, be sure it is lean) 1 egg 1 heaping teaspoon grated fresh ginger (I buy it in …

Cashew Cream

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What the heck is cashew cream?  It’s a great dairy free alternative to cream in recipes, and it can take on many flavors, making it versatile for both savory and sweet recipes.  Yes, it has fat, but it is the good kind of fat.  I’ll put the recipe to make it below, and then give you some serving suggestions for using it in cooking.  It requires NO cooking and all you need is a good blender. To make Cashew Cream: Cashew cream is an amazing “Blank Slate” that makes whatever you add to it creamier and richer.  I use it as a base to convert many recipes to  dairy-free.  It’s much richer and thicker than soy or almond milk. Here’s how to make a homemade vegan cashew cream. As long as you use raw cashews, this even looks similar to sour cream. (Just a bit more beige).  If you want to replicate cream cheese, use less water when you “blenderize” the soaked nuts. Now, if you’re reading this fast, I will say it again: “If …

Dairy Free Chocolate Mousse

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Who didn’t eat instant or boxed Chocolate Pudding when they were young?  Now that I know what’s in it (read the label sometime…  ugh), I stay clear.  Besides, there are lots of reasons to not eat heavy cream and milk.  I do not eat dairy at all.  I would recommend, if you are trying to lose weight, that you avoid all dairy for the first two months.  Then, re-introduce it slowly ONLY if you can’t live without it.  I’ve found my body feels much better when I do not eat any. Today I’m sharing with you one of my favorite “legal” desserts.  This is a healthy alternative to chocolate pudding/mousse.  The avocado, if soft and not over-ripe, has an almost neutral flavor, can be mashed and mixed with cocoa, and you can use Agave, or if you want it to be completely sugar free use Stevia!  I recommend using a food processor for this, it makes it much easier.  Experiment with it, and add a bit of water or almond or rice milk if it’s …

New Age Waldorf Salad

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Waldorf Salad got its name from the Waldorf  Hotel in NYC.  It was very famous in the early 20th century when salad was a block of iceberg lettuce with Thousand Island (Russian) dressing and maybe a tomato garnish.  I’ve created, based on recipes in the Ultrametabolism Cookbook, and others I’ve seen, a mayo-less and somewhat healthier Waldorf salad.  You can experiment with fresh herbs, I especially like tarragon in this one, it goes very well with the fennel, which gives it a sweet flavor, with a crunch similar to celery. Ingredients: 3 apples, diced – I use gala, but you can use any firm fleshed apple, I don’t peel 1 bulb fennel, diced 3 stalks celery hearts, diced (the lighter, less bitter inside stalks of a celery bunch) 1 cup toasted walnut pieces (just pop in a pan and toast until they begin to brown, set aside) ½ cucumber, preferably english, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 Shallots, grated or diced very, very fine 2 handfuls of golden raisins (optional) Dressing: ¼ cup walnut oil* ~ …