Category Archives: ACD

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Chicken Cabbage Soup (SCD friendly recipe)

Oh boy I love cabbage – especially in soup! Have you tried it in soup?  It’s a must.  I used a special broth in this recipe (made from leftover vegetable pulp from a vegetable drink) and wow what a burst of flavor.  Any broth would be great – or even water.  Whatever you have on hand.   
Ingredients 
-1/2 yellow onion, small chop
-3 tablespoons oil
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
-4 celery stalks, chopped
-3 cloves garlic, chopped
-3 cups green cabbage, shredded
-2 1/2 cups mushrooms, chopped 
-1 bay leaf 
-2 cooked chicken breasts (I use up leftovers)
-4 cups broth + 2 cups filtered water (add more if needed, just make sure you cover the ingredients) 
-A few turns of the pepper grinder 

How To
1.  Add oil to pot and saute onions with salt until translucent.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds.
2.  Add mushrooms, carrots celery and cabbage, saute until veggies start to wilt.
3.  Add chicken and mix well.
4.  Add broth, water, bay leaf and pepper.
5.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer and cook uncovered until vegetables are soft.
6. Remove bay leaf, check for seasoning, and serve .

Shared on: Pennywise PlatterMiz Helen’s Country Cottage Lunch Box Love Fridays, Freaky FridayFresh Bites Fridays & Sunday Night Soup Night, Gluten-Free Wednesdays

Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, gluten free, soups.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Roasted Beets, Cabbage and Green Apples (a SCD friendly recipe)

I am a big fan of roastinganything.  I love to roast like some love to bake.  Peeling and chopping is oddly soothing to me.  And much like your seasoned baker, I find great satisfaction upon seeing the final product.  The transformation is more about the flavor than the look really, but what a grand transformation it is.  Have you ever tried a roasted beet?  It’s a beautiful thing, and not just the color I’m talking about here, oh that flavor.  And cabbage?  Delicious!  This dish was inspired by Valentine’s Day.  I call this an “any-time” dish.  I ate it for lunch, as a main dish, and a side dish and yes, a few eggs made this a great breakfast.  What a fun and healthy way to get a splash of vibrant red on the ever popular lovers Holiday (oh, and be sure to wear a nice big apron to cover your pretty clothes – beets are wonderful but so unforgiving).

Ingredients 
- 1 lb red beets, chopped (about 5)
- 11 oz green cabbage, sliced  (3/4 of small head of cabbage)
- 3 1/2 lbs of Granny Smith apples, chopped (3 extra large)
- 3 tablespoons oil (I use grapeseed)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules

How To
Preheat oven to 375
1.  Add beets, cabbage, apples, salt, oil and garlic granules to roasting pan of choice (I use a 4 QT glass Pyrex).
2.  Mix well
3.  Roast for 35 minutes 
4.  Mix and serve 
*
  Ready for the oven.  
Just love that beautiful color
Shared on: Just Another Meatless MondayMelt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays Traditional TuesdaysFat Tuesdays, Real Food WednesdaysGluten-Free WednesdaysAllergy Free WednesdaysWhole Food WednesdaysPennywise PlatterMiz Helen’s Country Cottage Lunch Box Love FridaysWellness WeekendAllergy-Friendly FridayFreaky Friday,  & Fresh Bites Fridays
Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, gluten free, main dish, SCD, sides, vegetarian.

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Homemade Almond Milk

Homemade almond milk is fabulous.  It’s the #1 milk substitute in our home.  I started making almond milk years ago.  When I started I didn’t have a fancy high-speed blender;  I just used my Ninja (which I purchased on sale and with a coupon – so it was super cheep and perfect for me at the time).  Don’t shy away from making homemade nut milks because you don’t have a high-speed blender.  You can still do it my friends!  And making your own nut milk is a great way to decrease your waste in the kitchen, a mission I take very seriously everyday.

I’m writing this post today because I make almond milk a little different.  From what I’ve read in cyberspace, a typical recipe calls for 1 cup almonds to 3 or 4 cups water.  Well, I use a lot more water.  I find the milk is still rich and delicious.  I purchase raw, organic almonds in bulk, and they can be expensive (although they are often on sale at my Coop) so I like to stretch my dollar a little further by adding more water.  So today I wanted to share my recipe with you and my almond milk making process.

Ingredients 
1 cup raw, organic almonds
7 cups filtered water 
1 teaspoon vanilla  

How To
1.  Soak almonds in filtered water for 10-20 hours, or just over night.  I prefer soaking them on the longer end (and I change the water once).  While making breakfast for the kids in the morning I get a bowl of almonds soaking, change the water before bed that same day, and then make the milk the next morning during breakfast.  I find it easier to make the milk while I’m already in the kitchen doing something – I have a momentum going and it works for me.

2.  When the almonds have been properly soaked, drain and rinse with filtered water

3.  To your blender add almonds, 7 cups water, and vanilla

4.  Blend on high for 60 seconds (I currently use a Vitamix) 

5.  Here’s a step in the process that might be different from most:  

*After blending I let the milk sit in the blender for about 5 minutes.  This gives the milk time to settle and the foam to gather on the top.  After the 5 minutes I scoop off all the foam.  After removing the foam my original 7 cups remain.  I dislike straining foamy milk through the nut milk bag.  See pictures below for foam scooping process:


5.  After you scoop off the foam, strain the milk through a nut milk bag.  I strain the milk into an 8 cup glass Pyrex

6. Transfer to glass pitcher with lid and store in the fridge for up to 4 days


Notes:  
*If using a “regular” blender, start with 5 cups water and blend on high for up to 2 minutes.  Add more water in future batches if you like the consistency & taste with 5 cups.

Check out this  great site on: what to do with your almond pulp.  There’s like a zillion recipes!  So awesome!! 

Shared on: Wellness Weekend & Lunch Box Love Fridays
Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, drinks, SCD.

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Friday, December 16, 2011

Vegan Persimmon Cranberry Coconut Pudding (no bake)

Is it just me, or are persimmons the most AMAZING fruit ever.  They taste like candy no?  My kids go crazy for them and it’s refreshing to have a different fruit there in the fruit basket.  

I know I’m not breaking the mold here with the idea of a no-bake pudding.  But I so wanted to find a way in incorporate persimmons into a dessert, and a no-bake pudding was the front runner.  No fuss, few ingredients, nutritionally denseall big winners in my book.  I was craving something cold, creamy, and sweet (but not too sweet, you know I like the tart stuff).  The coconut, persimmon, cranberry combo did the trick.  This pudding turned out really well and I wanted to share its wonderful, flavorful simplicity with you.  

Ingredients
1 can full fat coconut milk, I used this brand (it’s a BPA free can)
4 ripe fuyu persimmons (a non-astringent vareity; they are squat and look like a tomato) 
1/4 cup cranberries 
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds

How To
1.  Soak cranberries in filtered water until soft, 1-2 hours.
2.  Peel and chop persimmons 
3.  In blender (high speed or otherwise) blend coconut milk, strained cranberries, persimmons, and ground chia.  
4.  Store in refrigerator until cool.  Treat like pudding and enjoy with granola, dried fruit, or any other choice topping.  

Notes
*This pudding tastes better with time, as the flavors combine and the coconut flavor decreases quite a bit.  My husband had trouble identifying the coconutand this was shocking because he has impeccable taste buds.  
*Add more cranberries, if desired, it will certainly increase the tart factor. 
*You can add a sweetener of choice, but I prefer the sweet to tart ratio in this recipe.  I don’t care for too sweet.
*Coming soonpersimmon cranberry ice cream (stay tuned)
About Persimmons

Health benefits of persimmon fruit

  • The fruit is low in calories (provides 70 cal/100g) and fats but is rich source of dietary fiber.
  • Persimmons contain many health benefiting phyto-nutrients flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like catechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
  • Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together, these compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that plays a role in aging and various disease processes.
  • zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent “Age related macular disease”(ARMD) in the elderly.
  • The fruits are also very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
  • The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin…etc. These vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.
  • Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI), and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells. 
    (above facts complied from this site)
Shared on: Wellness Weekend, Just Another Meatless MondayThe Prairie HomesteadMelt in your mouth MondayMangia Mondays, Midnight Manic Meatless Mondays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays,  Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Fat Tuesdays, Raw Foods Thursday 
Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, nut free, pudding, vegan, xanthan gum free.

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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Flavorful Grain Free Quinoa Stuffing

I’ve been struggling with how to make a quinoa stuffing that doesn’t taste like a quinoa summer salad.  Then I came across a secret ingredient that saved the day: poultry seasoning.  This created a dish that has a real authentic taste to it, without all the traditional gluten/grain type hassle.  

And a quick word about quinoa.  I’ve been cooking it for years, and just the other day I found this website that rocked my world.  I’ve been wasting valuable time and energy trying to get a fluffy quinoa (I do the presoak but alas wasn’t using the correct water to quinoa ratio).  Finally, mystery solved! Just FYI: it’s 1 1/4 cups liquid to 1 cup quinoa.  So simple! 
Ingredients
4 cups cooked quinoa (to your texture preference, see above notes).  
1 medium onion, small chop
1 cup walnuts, chopped 
1 medium apple, peeled and small chop
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or sweetened with fruit juice and always sulfur dioxide free)
2 cups mushrooms, small chop (optional, not shown in recipe above)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 
Few turns of the pepper grinder 
Oil of choice 

How To
1.  Coat bottom of pot with oil.  Add onions & salt.  Saute on med/low for 5 minutes.
2.  Add celery & walnuts, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
3.  Add apple, thyme, pepper, & poultry seasoning.  Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Turn off heat and add in the 4 cups of quinoa along with the cranberries.  Mix together quinoa, saute mixture, and cranberries. 

Notes
*This was excellent the next morning with eggs as a breakfast scramble!
Shared on: Gluten-Free Holiday week 4 @ Daily Bites, Traditional Tuesdays, Wellness Weekend,  Monday Mania, Real Food 101, Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, The Prairie Homestead, Melt in your mouth Monday, Mangia Mondays
Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, gluten free, grain free, sides, vegan.

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Sunday, November 27, 2011

The Perfect Base Hummus

We are big fans of hummus in this family so I always have some on hand in the fridge.  Nothing beats homemade!  And it’s so easy.  Making the perfect base hummus allows you to add other ingredients to create a whole new flavor, for example using cilantro.  But you don’t have to rely on beans.  Adding carrots in place of beans, for example, yields a delicious raw hummus.  Pictured above is hummus topped cucumber (served for snack time) – just a little something extra like this can put a fun twist on the everyday dish.  

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups prepared garbanzo beans (soaked overnight or 24 hours and boiled in filtered water)
1/2 cup tahini 
Juice from 2 lemons 
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic granules (or 1/2 clove fresh garlic – fresh garlic will make your hummus very spicy, so take caution when making for children)
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 cup oil of choice (I use grapeseed oil)
Filtered water as needed 

How To
*Add beans & tahini to food processor, pulse a few times
*Add lemon juice, salt, garlic and pulse
*Drizzle in oil while blending 
*At this point you will have a very thick hummus and it will need some water for a creamy consistency, so add in 1/4 cup of filtered water (at a time) until it’s creamy and smooth to your liking
Posted by Amber at

Labels: ACD, dairy free, dips, gluten free, grain free, snacks, spreads, vegan.

9 Comments

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