Category Archives: gluten free

Monday, April 23, 2012

Grain Free Spanish "Rice" (SCD Friendly)

One dish I really miss on SCD is Spanish rice.  We are some HUGE taquería lovers in this house, and I have to say, it’s one of my favorite cuisines.  I never, ever get tired of it.  Once a week we have a fun taquería night with all the fixins’.  Rice has been bothering my digestion (so obvious why grains are not allowed on the SCD).  So I created a grain free Spanish “rice” dish that was a tasty alternative to the traditional version.  It’s made with cauliflower.  And while the texture is different, it was pretty simple getting all those great Spanish flavors in there.  
Salud!      
Ingredients 
-2 medium/small heads of cauliflower, cut cored, and washed 
-1 small yellow onion, diced 
-3 roma tomatoes 
-1 green pepper (optional)
-2 teaspoons Mexican seasoning* (use less for children) 
-2 teaspoons garlic granules 

-1/2 teaspoons salt

-1/2 teaspoon cumin (or to taste) 
-Few turns of the pepper grinder
-1/4 cup oil

How To
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1.  Mix above ingredients in your favorite roasting dish.
2.  Roast for 25-30 minutes 
3.  Allow to cool a while (make sure it’s not steaming 
for step 4). 
4.  Put half the mixture in a food processor and pulse a few times.  Careful to not over mix, you are simply creating a rice look to the mixture, not a puree.  You could probably do this by hand too, so try it out if you don’t want to lug out the food processor. 
5.  Pulse the remaining half of the mixture until rice-like.
6.  Garnish with cilantro and a squirt of lime.  
Serve

Notes:
*You can find Mexican or Fiesta seasoning at any grocery store.  Or make your own from spices in you bulk foods section.   
Served the “rice” 
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen Tuesdays , Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Full Plate Thursdays, Wellness Weekend,  Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Friday Food,  Feed Your Soul Friday, Fight Back Friday, Lunchbox Love Friday Potluck Party Friday, Friday Food Fix
Posted by Amber at 2:56 am

Labels: dairy free, gluten free, grain free, SCD, sides, vegan, vegetarian.

20 Comments

  • Unknown April 23, 2012 at 3:29 am

    This sounds good. Sorry if this is a dumb question but what is “Mexican seasoning”?

    Thanks.

    Reply
  • Amber April 23, 2012 at 3:48 am

    No worries, that’s a great question. I will put a link up in the post.

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Unknown April 24, 2012 at 5:00 am

      Thanks Amber! I will give it a try! :)

      Reply
  • Vicky April 23, 2012 at 7:18 am

    I love cauliflower rice and always on the look out for new ideas! This looks lovely!

    Reply
    • Amber April 24, 2012 at 4:50 am

      Thanks Vicky! It’s so fun to play around with the ingredients!!

      Reply
  • The Cyclist's Wife April 24, 2012 at 3:13 am

    What a creative idea!

    Reply
  • Amber April 24, 2012 at 4:50 am

    Thanks Sarah!

    Reply
  • Laura April 24, 2012 at 5:44 am

    YUM! This is an awesome way to get my kids to eat more veggies. I am putting this on my grocery list for tomorrow. I am trying to limit my rice consumption and this alternative sounds so yummy who needs the other stuff?!

    Reply
    • Amber April 25, 2012 at 9:12 pm

      Thanks Laura!

      Reply
  • Carrie @ young living oil lady April 24, 2012 at 3:43 pm

    Gotta love these recipes, Amber! Thanks so much for linking up with us at Kids in the Kitchen. Can’t wait to see what you whip up next Tuesday! Blessings!

    Reply
  • eryn April 25, 2012 at 6:06 pm

    Looks delicious! I’m always happy to find recipes that fit our Paleo diet. I pinned it: http://pinterest.com/pin/91690542383747025/

    Reply
    • Amber April 25, 2012 at 9:13 pm

      Hi Eryn. Thanks for pinning. I’ll check out your boards for sure.

      Reply
  • Julie@teachinggoodeaters April 27, 2012 at 2:12 am

    What a neat idea! I can’t eat rice and my family loves Spanish rice so this is perfect for us!

    Reply
    • Amber April 28, 2012 at 12:21 am

      Thanks Julie!

      Reply
  • Gretchen @gfedge April 27, 2012 at 10:47 pm

    I love Spanish rice. Now I can have it low-carb! Thank you and thanks to Kalinda for featuring it on the Wheat Free Meat Free round-up!

    Reply
    • Amber April 28, 2012 at 12:21 am

      Hi Gretchen,

      I love Kalinda’s round-ups! Always such fun recipes.

      Have a great weekend.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Cara April 27, 2012 at 11:16 pm

    We’re such big fans of cauli-rice – this is a great way to prepare it!

    Reply
    • Amber April 28, 2012 at 12:19 am

      Thanks Cara! Hope you enjoy this version.

      Reply
  • Kristin Overton August 7, 2012 at 5:26 am

    Finally got around to making this! The best advice I think I can give someone who’s whipping this up is to include as little of the stems as possible.

    Rather than food processor-ing the mixture, I set it to stir with the whisk attachment in my stand mixer. The stems didnt break down whatsoever :( I had to manually sort through it all. I threw the big pieces back in & tried again on a faster setting but they didn’t cooperate. I wonder if there’s a food processor-like blade attachment from Kitchenaid…

    Reply
  • Amber August 7, 2012 at 5:51 am

    Hi Kristin,

    Thanks for your feedback.

    A food processor really needs to be used for cauliflower – whether raw or cooked, a food processor will grind it properly (stems and all). I have never used a stand mixer.

    When using cauliflower raw, a food processor will grind it into little bits of “rice” and for cooked cauliflower, such as in this recipe, a food processor will break it down evenly. It just needs a few pulses. It’s quick.

    Another suggestion is to make sure the cauliflower pieces aren’t too big before you roast. I cut mine pretty small.

    I hope these suggestions help.

    You could experiment further with a food processor and try the cauliflower both ways (raw and cooked).

    Good luck.

    Reply

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Thursday, April 12, 2012

Radicchio with Fennel and Apple Topped with Fresh Orange Juice

For a long time there eating anything raw and green was out of the question.  And that’s hard for someone who LOVES salad!  But since starting medication and eating a (mostly at this time) SCD diet, I’ve had a very peaceful digestion (all you Cronies know what I’m talking about).  I’ve enjoyed indulging in salads again from the purples to the greens. However, it should be noted that radicchio is another name for chickory root, which is an illegal food.  So, please take caution when eating radicchio if you are on SCD, especially if you’re having symptoms.  Wait until you’re clear of symptoms to include this in your diet (and thank you to one of my readers for pointing this out to me!  You are awesome).  

This recipe fit the bill on a cold and rainy Tuesday.  The warm fennel and apples were savory and cozy, wilting the radicchio just enough, with buttery toasted walnuts, a burst of tart from the cranberries and a splash of fresh orange juice.  Love.  I ate two HUGE bowls for lunch and more with dinner (added in some SCD legal chicken apple sausage).  
Call me a salad eaten’ girl again! 

Ingredients 
-I head of radicchio, cored, sliced and washed  
-2 navel oranges
-3 fennel bulbs, sliced
-2 large red apples, peeled and sliced (I used Fuji)
-1 cup walnuts
-1 cup dried cranberries (sugar free and sulfur free)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-Oil of choice 
Serves 4 

How To
1.  In a large sauté skillet, add a drizzle of oil, salt, and fennel and sauté on med heat for about 5 minutes, or until slightly tender.  Add apples and walnuts and continue to sauté on med/low until apples are just tender.  Remove from heat.
2.  Build your salad.  
3.  To a plate, add a few handfuls of radicchio.  Top with warm fennel and apple sauté, cranberries, and serve with 1/2 an orange.  Use the orange as the “dressing.”   


Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Tuesday Kids in the Kitchen, Whole Food Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend , Friday Food, Feed Your Soul Friday , Potluck Party Friday, Summer Salad Sundays,  Friday Foodie Fix, 
Posted by Amber at 8:39 pm

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

16 Comments

  • Vicky April 12, 2012 at 11:41 pm

    Apples and Walnuts are lovely in a warm salad, love them! Radicchio and fennel will just compliment the sweetness of the apples perfectly! Such a lovely lunch!

    Reply
    • Amber April 13, 2012 at 8:46 pm

      Oh I so agree Vicky! Thank you.

      Reply
  • ella@lifeologia April 13, 2012 at 8:01 pm

    Saying hello from Vicky’s blog! This recipe looks so good – glad to have found you 😉
    Would love it if you stopped by my Potluck Party:
    http://www.lifeologia.com/potluck-party-quick-healthy-meals/
    ♥

    Reply
    • Amber April 13, 2012 at 8:46 pm

      Hello Ella.

      I’m on my way over to your potluck party right now…

      Thanks!

      Reply
  • Laura April 13, 2012 at 8:35 pm

    What a delicious and nourishing salad. I could really go for this right about now! I am so happy you are able to enjoy salads again!

    Reply
    • Amber April 13, 2012 at 8:47 pm

      Thank you Laura! I would bring you a big bowl if I could! Have a great weekend! :-)

      Reply
  • The Cyclist's Wife April 14, 2012 at 5:39 am

    Looks really good!

    Reply
    • Amber April 14, 2012 at 9:19 pm

      Thanks Sarah. :-)

      Reply
  • Matt @ FaveHealthyRecipes April 16, 2012 at 2:37 pm

    This recipe look great! I would love it if you linked up this post to my blog hop for a chance to win a cookbook prize package: http://ow.ly/aj76a

    Reply
  • Alison April 18, 2012 at 5:44 am

    Oh I love lots of “stuff” in my salads. And all the colors in this one are beautiful!

    Reply
  • cooking lady April 19, 2012 at 10:48 pm

    Love the pic, lots of healthy things in this salad.

    Reply
  • Kelli Becton-AdventurezInChildRearing April 22, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    thanks for linking with KiK – so happy to have you!

    Reply
  • sophiesfoodiefiles April 26, 2012 at 12:09 pm

    A divine & tasty good-for-you salad! I love the classic combo of fennel & orange a lot! I love raddichio too! :) Yum Yum Yum!

    Reply
  • Debbie @ Easy Natural Food June 13, 2012 at 5:33 pm

    Yum yum! I love how you semi-cook the apple and fennel first, it makes it look even more mouthwatering! I haven’t tried much fennel before, but this looks like a great way to eat it! Thanks for sharing this with Summer Salad Sundays, look forward to seeing you again soon!

    Reply
  • syntk May 21, 2013 at 5:02 pm

    This looks like a delicious recipe, and your pictures are great, but I had a terrible flare-up from radicchio. It took me a while to figure out what the problem was – I didn’t see radicchio listed either way on the SCD legal/illegal lists I check, and I very mistakenly assumed it was a kind of lettuce, so therefore, legal. However, radicchio is chicory (I never knew this!), and as such, it’s on the SCD-illegal list. It’s really awesome that you’ve progressed so much on SCD that you digested this with no problems, but since it’s listed as an SCD-friendly recipe, I thought I’d mention that radicchio is not very friendly to those in the early stages of the diet. I was on the diet for a few months without problems.

    Reply
    • Amber May 21, 2013 at 7:05 pm

      You are so awesome for this note! Thank you. I’ve changed the title to be more accurate and put a note in the post about radicchio. Thanks so much!!!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Thanksgiving Meal Plans for 5 Special Diets — Traditional Cooking School by GNOWFGLINS November 13, 2014 at 10:33 am

    […] WAPF and GAPS modifications) Roasted Broccoli with Crispy Prosciutto SCD/Paleo Cranberry Sauce Radicchio with Fennel and Apple Salad Grain-free “White” Dinner […]

    Reply

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Monday, April 9, 2012

Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes

(gluten free, common tree nut free, dairy free, egg free, cane-sugar free, & soy free)

I don’t claim to be much of a baker.  Never really have been.  But mommyhood has thrown me head first into the baking arena.  I make muffins every week (often it feels like daily).  I’ve always enjoyed cooking but honestly never found the thrill in baking.  Cookies are more my thing in the sweet department anyway.  So the other day I wanted to make some cupcakes/muffins for my son’s little friend.  We had a play date scheduled and my usual grain-free treat was not the best option, as his little friend can’t have tree nuts.  So a nut free creation was in order, and one that was still allergy-friendly for Ethan (no eggs, dairy, gluten, cane-sugar or soy).  No problem?  Yeah right.  GF baking is difficult and especially if you’re looking for a particular taste and flavor, which I was.  So in these urgent cases I turn to my baking guru, Tessa.  I emailed her a while back with my ingredients and she, of course, offered some great advice.  So thank you Tessa for your consultation!  One tip was to leave the fruit whole (which was an excellent suggestion, as I was pureeing it up).  
Pineapple Coconut Cupcakes 

Ingredients 
Dry
-1/2 cup white rice flour (90 grams)
-1/2 cup coconut flour (52 grams)
-1/4 cup tapioca starch (27 grams)
-2 tablespoons potato starch (19 grams)
-1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (40 grams)
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet
-1/4 cup oil (I use grapeseed)
-1/3 cup applesauce
-1 1/4 cup filtered water  
-1 tablespoon ground chia seed+ 3 tablespoons water 
-1/3 cup coconut sugar 
-1 teaspoon vanilla 
-6 drops liquid stevia 
-1 can drained pineapple chunks, squeeze all the juice out of the chunks and chop into smaller pieces. 
How To 
Preheat oven to 325
1.  In a bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Spoon in the flours (otherwise it’s just too dense, so don’t scoop the flour out with your measuring cup.  Or simply follow the flour weights).
2.  In a separate bowl, mix the ground chia with 3 tablespoons of water and let sit for a moment.  Then add in the coconut sugar and mix until incorporated.  It should be sticky and a bit frothy.
3.  Add in the oil, applesauce, vanilla, stevia, and pineapple chunks, incorporate, then add in the water, incorporate.  
4.  Add the dry ingredients to wet and incorporate.
5.  Immediately add batterer to baking cups – yields 12. 
6.  Bake for 20 minutes 
7.  When done, cool on rack

Notes:
*I highly recommend using these baking cups – they are great for nonstick! I And I use them over and over.  They are also biodegradable. 
*These cupcakes don’t rise much, so you can fill to the top of baking cup.
*I greatly dislike a dry cupcake.  And so I’m happy to report that these are incredibly moist.   
*Do not let the batter sit after mixing, as it starts to thicken and froth.  So after you mix the dry with the wet, immediately fill your baking cups and bake. 
*The little boy mentioned above can have coconut (no tree nuts).  I read that in 2007, the FDA classified coconut as a tree nut.  But I do believe coconuts are actually seeds, but can also be described as a fruit and nut.  This is a good read on the matter.  
Whipped Topping

Ingredients 
-1 can full fat coconut milk (I use this brand for its superior coconut cream)
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-2 tablespoons Grade B maple syrup 
-4 drops stevia (or to taste)  
-Natural yellow food coloring 
-1/4 teaspoon thickener of choice (optional) 

To make the whipped topping place 1 can of full fat coconut milk in the coldest part of your fridge for at least 3 days (the longer the better).  I have a bunch in there so I just take one out as needed.  Work quickly and remove just the coconut cream from the top of the can.  Add to bowl with above ingredients.  Mix with hand mixer until incorporated.  Frost your cupcake, or place topping in the fridge until you’re ready to use. You could certainly omit the thickener if your coconut cream is working for you.  Every can of coconut milk is different.  I’ve made some very substantial toppings without thickener, and some really needed it.  
And of course, Scott’s dipped in a little chocolate
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter,  Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays,  Allergy-Friendly Fridays, Pot Luck Party Fridays, Friday Food, Superfood Sunday 
Posted by Amber at 5:34 am

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, muffins, vegan.

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Saturday, April 7, 2012

Baked Apple with Cranberries (Crumble): My SCD Friendly Breakfast This Morning!

It’s spring planting day today…but before I dive into that I just HAD to post this recipe really quick.  So I wanted to start the day off right with a SCD breakfast, but didn’t have a lot of time and didn’t want eggs.  Enough with the eggs! So I literally threw this together with what I had on hand here in my kitchen…and it was AMAZING (almost too sweet for me though), but you know I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.  Scott’s eyes rolled back in his head when he took a bite, so there you go.  And the kids will be eating this for snack today (so no fuss with snack time).  I’m sure most of my readers will have these ingredients on hand.  It’s like a crisp, but without the crispy top…so like a crumble I guess.  Whatever it is, it’s super good! One thing I’ve learned with SCD is you MUST to get creative with meals, and especially breakfast.  Throw those old meal traditions out the window (or make an SCD legal alternative).  For breakfast I often eat SCD legal bread/muffins/rolls, leftovers are a big one (soups, roasted veggies, chicken with fruit, SCD legal granola with nut milk, eggs of course, mixed with whatever SCD legal food I can find).  Point is, be creative and just eat anything you can that’s legal.  Get those calories, and please always eat breakfast.  Okay, off to play in the mud.  Have a great weekend!

Ingredients
Apple Cranberry Filling:
-1 pound of organic green or red apples, peeled and chopped (about 4).  I weighed out the apples after peeling and slicing.  
-1 cup dried cranberries (SCD legal of course)
-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
-3 tablespoons fresh grapefruit juice (or orange juice)
-3 tablespoons honey*
-1 teaspoons vanilla 
-1 teaspoons cinnamon
-1/4 teaspoons salt

Topping:
-1 cup room temperature ground almonds, or almond flour (I grind my own here at home.  First in the food processor, then with a coffee grinder to created a finer flour)
-3 tablespoons room temperature coconut oil

How To
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1.  In an 8×8 glass Pyrex baking dish, mix together the apple cranberry filling
2.  In a separate bowl, with hands, mix ground almonds with the room temperature coconut oil.  Break up the coconut oil as much as you can. Then sprinkle on top of apple cranberry filling.  You could double this topping, but I had some ground almonds sitting on my counter, so bam, I used them. 
3. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. 

Notes:
*Vegan option: substitute maple syrup or agave for honey, or any other vegan sweetener of choice. 
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesdays, Kids in the Kitchen, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Simple Lives Thursday, Frugal Food Thursday, It’s a Keeper Thursday, Freaky Friday, Wellness Weekend, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays, Feed Your Soul Friday, Superfood Sunday 

Posted by Amber at 6:30 pm

Labels: breakfast, dairy free, dessert, gluten free, grain free, SCD, vegetarian.

8 Comments

  • Jen April 8, 2012 at 2:12 am

    This sounds and looks so good Amber! Fruit crisp has always been a favorite of mine. I can’t wait to try this!

    Jen

    Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily April 8, 2012 at 10:18 pm

    That looks like perfection, Amber!! Often if we can eat eggs, we tend to “over focus” on those. One can definitely overdo eggs and a light breakfast that still has some protein still works and sounds just right to me. And you know I’m with your husband on the sweetness factor (haha), but I hope one day to have evolved and be more like you. 😉

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Laura April 9, 2012 at 5:02 am

    I DO have all of these ingredients on hand! I adore fruit crumbles and anything made with almond flour. This is a must make recipe for me. Thanks Amber!

    Reply
  • Jana April 11, 2012 at 4:13 pm

    What a great way to start the day. Perfect for my bible study group. Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing. I am following from the Whole Foods Hop. Really enjoying your site.

    Reply
  • Carrie @ young living oil lady April 13, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    I am a huge fan of your blog! I love your desire for healthy living and eating! Your site brings a smile to my face. I would love for you to link up with us at Kids in the Kitchen. Many moms would love to have your recipes! The link for this week: http://younglivingoillady.com/home/kids-in-the-kitchen-link-up-week-9/
    Thank you! Blessings!

    Reply
  • Wendy April 13, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    This looks delicious! I Would love to have you link up to my 2 carnivals today….http://www.aroundmyfamilytable.com/2012/04/feed-your-soul-5/ (anything food related) and http://everydaymomcakes.com/sugar-me-up-5/ (deserts only). Hope to see you around!

    Reply
  • Miz Helen April 14, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    I would just love waking up to this wonderful breakfast. I just love that warm fruit with wonderful topping. Hope you are having a great spring week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Come Back Soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  • Kelli Becton-AdventurezInChildRearing April 15, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    so very inspiring! I can’t wait to try this one 😉 thanks for linking with Kids in the Kitchen!

    Reply

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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Veggie and Sun Dried Tomato Turkey Burgers

Monday, for some reason, usually turns into a burger night for us.  It’s a quick, easy meal that’s perfect for the start of the week.  I make a variety of different veggie and meat based burgers and I just LOVE the addition of sun dried tomatoes.  Gives it just a little kick.  If you’re looking to jazz up your burger night, give these a try.  


Ingredients 
-1 1/2 pounds ground organic free-range turkey
-1 medium zucchini, peeled and grated 
-1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
-1/4 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (I used marinated) 
-1/4 cup onion, diced (I used a shallot)
-3 tablespoons oil (I used organic olive oil)
-2 tablespoons gluten free Worcestershire sauce or Coconut Aminos (omit both if SCD, and add extra 1/4 teaspoon salt)
-2 teaspoon garlic granules (or 1 clove garlic, minced)
-1/4 teaspoon salt 
-A few grinds of fresh pepper 

How To
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1.  Add ingredients to a bowl and mix.
2.  Form into patties.
3.  Bake for 25 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 180 degrees).  
4.  Dress with favorite burger night fixins’.
Makes 6 medium patties or 4 large patties 

Notes:
*Double the above recipe and freeze the remaining patties for another dinner.  Great for those late night sport or dance practices! 

Shared on: Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Lunch Box Love Fridays, Friday Food, 

Posted by Amber at 4:08 am

Labels: dairy free, gluten free, main dish.

10 Comments

  • Laura April 3, 2012 at 6:58 pm

    This is now a favorite recipe of mine (on my to make recipe list) and I’m sure once I eat these burgers! I love all of the ingredients you used Amber. My daughter has been begging me to play soccer for months. I am finally going to sign her up. I hope Skylar has a great time playing.

    Take Care,

    Laura

    Reply
    • Amber April 3, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      Hi Laura. So fun, we have soccer girls! My daughter has been wanting to play for a while, but she has so many activities…finally worked out this year. She loves it. I hope you enjoy the burgers. The sun dried tomatoes really make it, but I’ve made them with just carrots and zucchini (and sometimes mushrooms). Fun to play around with ingredients. :-)

      Reply
  • Adrienne @ Whole New Mom April 3, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Yummm!!! Thanks.

    Reply
    • Amber April 3, 2012 at 9:35 pm

      Yes indeed!

      Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva April 3, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    A burger with all the veg right inside…I am sold!! My kind of burger. I’ve never really gotten the big hunk of meat allure for some people, but this I can wrap my brain around! Now for some nice weather to fire up the barbie! (well, we have fired it up, but we do it in the pouring rain…total denial I guess!

    Reply
  • Amber April 3, 2012 at 9:39 pm

    Hi There Tessa,

    Yes, I can’t do a plain old “burger” either, I NEED some veggies in there. Ground turkey is nice, but I’ve also made these with ground chicken breast. Just a different way to have the chicken. :-)

    I think the rain clouds went in your direction. The last few weeks were wet here in Cali. So nice this week. Spring has sprung for sure!

    Reply
  • mjskit April 5, 2012 at 3:36 am

    These burgers look delicious! Love all of the vegetables mixed in with the ground turkey meat – yum!

    Reply
    • Amber April 6, 2012 at 3:12 am

      Thanks so much!!

      Reply
  • Robert Richards Recipes April 5, 2012 at 3:22 pm

    Are you kidding me? This recipe sounds and looks totally delicious! This is going on my list of recipes to make over the next week. 😉

    Reply
    • Amber April 6, 2012 at 3:13 am

      Please let me know how you like them!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Heart Pasta (SCD/GAPS/Paleo)

I’ve been on a total zoodle kick. Today I used them in a dish I usually prepare with brown rice pasta, and the zoodles (adorably named by Jen) were a perfect substitute!  And this meal comes together quickly, like 10 minutes- no joke!  As someone with IBD, I have a very hard time digesting brown rice pasta (all grains really) which is why I wanted to make it SCD.  This dish was very filling and extremely satisfying, and I felt so light and peaceful.  No digestive distress.  If you haven’t used zucchini yet for the noodle factor, you should because they are awesome. 
Salud!
Sun Dried Tomato and Artichoke Heart Pasta 
GAPS, SCD, Paleo, Vegan

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup chopped onion (red or yellow)
-1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
-1/2 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (confirm ingredients) 
-1 6.5 ounce jar of marinated artichoke hearts (confirm ingredients) 
-2 cups fresh organic spinach 
-4 medium peeled and trimmed zucchinis 
-1 1/2 teaspoons garlic granules (or 3 fresh garlic cloves, minced)
-Oil of choice 
-1 teaspoon dried basil 
-Optional: red pepper flakes and black pepper 

How To:
1.  In a large saute pan, add in some oil and heat on medium low
2.  Add onions, olives, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and garlic granules, and saute for a few minutes
3.  Add in spinach and saute until slightly wilted 
4.  Add in zucchini noodles and saute for just a couple of minutes 
5.  Remove from heat, add in dried basil and optional red pepper flakes and black pepper, and a few fresh spinach leaves for garnish

Notes:
*I use this gadget to get the zucchini to look like pasta noodles.
*Or this awesome julienne peeler works great too.
Shared on: Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Traditional Tuesdays, Fat Tuesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Full Plate Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Freaky Friday, Wellness Weekend, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays, Fight Back Friday, Allergy-Friendly Fridays, Friday Food, Pot Luck Party Friday, Superfood Sunday, Friday Food Fix
Posted by Amber at 9:09 pm

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

36 Comments

  • Vicky March 22, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Awesome! I can’t wait to try this!

    Reply
    • Amber March 23, 2012 at 9:26 pm

      Thanks Vicky,

      I thought this one might catch your eye! I know you’ll love it!

      Have a great weekend!

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Nancy @Real Food, Allergy Free March 23, 2012 at 2:43 am

    Yum! I have been craving artichokes. I am pinning this one.

    Reply
    • Amber March 23, 2012 at 9:28 pm

      That’s so funny. I was also craving artichokes and that’s what prompted me to make this dish. Love them! Also just love them in a dip. I am working on a vegan spinach and artichoke dip. I seriously miss this!

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • janet @ the taste space March 23, 2012 at 3:47 am

    Zoodles! What a great name! I still call them zucchini noodles, but I think they are a great pasta alternative.:)

    Reply
    • Amber March 23, 2012 at 9:29 pm

      Thanks Janet! They are too fun – and so yummy :-)

      Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  • Natalie March 23, 2012 at 5:55 am

    Oh my! This looks so delicious. I have been loving your versions of zoodles!

    Reply
    • Amber March 23, 2012 at 9:30 pm

      Thanks Natalie! I hope you get to try them soon. You can really mix them with anything.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Easy Recipes Land March 23, 2012 at 5:41 pm

    This looks incredible! I plan on making this within the next few days, that’s for sure!

    Thank you for the recipe,

    Grandma Kat
    XOXOXOXOXO

    Reply
    • Amber March 23, 2012 at 9:31 pm

      My pleasure and please let me know how you like them!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
    • gfe--gluten free easily March 23, 2012 at 9:42 pm

      This looks incredibly good, Amber! And I know exactly what you mean about it being light yet filling and satisfying. Such meals are gifts to our digestive systems and well being. :-)

      xo,
      Shirley

      Reply
    • Amber March 25, 2012 at 4:28 pm

      Thanks Shirley! :-)

      Reply
  • Laura March 24, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    Absolutely fabulous and super easy recipe Amber! I had that cool gadget back in my college days and loved it. I think a trip to a kitchen store is in order for this weekend to go find a new and improved one. I need to start making zoodles again :)

    Reply
    • Amber March 25, 2012 at 4:27 pm

      Hi Laura,

      Thanks so much friend! Don’t you just love the Titan! It’s my fave!!

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Miz Helen March 24, 2012 at 7:26 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great Spring week end and come back to see me real soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
    • Amber March 25, 2012 at 4:28 pm

      My pleasure Miz. Helen! Have a great weekend.

      Reply
  • Gretchen @gfedge March 25, 2012 at 4:22 pm

    Thanks for sharing on Ricki’s Wellness Weekend where I found your healthy, delicious recipe.

    Reply
    • Amber March 25, 2012 at 4:30 pm

      Hi There Gretchen,

      Ricki’s link party is one of my absolute favorites! Every recipe is in-line with my cooking style so I just love all the submissions. Thanks for stopping! Have a great weekend.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • mjskit March 28, 2012 at 1:54 am

    What a delicious looking pasta and so simple! Great recipe!

    Reply
    • Amber March 28, 2012 at 5:03 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  • Laura Black March 28, 2012 at 3:24 am

    This looks really good. I’ve had zoodles (love the name) in raw dishes, like raw Pad Thai, but not in a vegan dish. This looks wonderful. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Amber March 28, 2012 at 5:04 am

      Oooo, zoodles in Pad Thai sounds amazing!! I’ll have to try that one. I didn’t even think about Asian Cuisine with these. Thank you for the inspiration!!!

      Reply
  • Shannon, Food Channel Editor, Momtrends.com March 28, 2012 at 11:27 pm

    This looks lovely, and I love the name zoodles too! (Wasn’t there an old jingle that zoodles are animal noodles? Or something like that?)

    Thanks for linking up to Friday Food at Momtrends.com!

    Reply
    • Amber March 30, 2012 at 2:50 pm

      Ha ha, perhaps. I love that name too! Thanks to my blogging friend Jen. So cleaver.

      Reply
  • Cybele Pascal March 30, 2012 at 5:54 am

    Hi, please link back to Allergy Friendly Friday, so I can feature this tomorrow!

    all best,

    Cybele

    Reply
    • Amber March 30, 2012 at 2:49 pm

      Oh my goodness, I don’t know how I missed that! But thank you for the reminder.

      Reply
  • Cybele Pascal March 30, 2012 at 5:57 am

    Also, let’s do a link swap? I’m adding you to my blog roll. All best,

    Cybele

    Reply
    • Amber March 30, 2012 at 2:48 pm

      Absolutely! :-)

      Reply
  • Katie @ This Chick Cooks April 3, 2012 at 2:26 am

    Yum! With all those sun dried tomatoes and that delicious combo you’re making me hungry! I’d love for you to share the recipe at Whole Foods Recipe Wednesday!

    Reply
    • Amber April 13, 2012 at 8:01 pm

      Hi Katie,

      Sure thing! Have a great day.

      Reply
  • Vicky April 13, 2012 at 7:59 pm

    Are you artichoke hearts in oil because I can only buy them in water? If so, I’m guessing I will have to add more oil to the mix? What do you suggest?

    Reply
    • Amber April 13, 2012 at 8:03 pm

      Hi Vicky,

      Yeah, they are in oil, but I drain them off pretty good, so there’s not much oil going into the recipe. I would add in a little extra oil from the sun dried tomatoes if you’re needed of some moisture. But I think you’re good. :-)

      Reply
    • Vicky April 13, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      My sun dried tomatoes aren’t in oil either – I might marinate the artichokes …thanks.. can’t wait for Sunday dinner!!!

      Reply
    • Amber April 17, 2012 at 4:51 am

      Can’t wait to see what you come up with Vicky. I’m sure it will be amazing!! :-)

      Reply
  • JoKnows April 14, 2012 at 1:55 am

    This looks like yummy, savoury goodness! I want to try this.

    Reply
    • Amber April 17, 2012 at 4:50 am

      Thank you. It’s a winner!

      Reply

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Chicken "Zoodle" Soup (SCD Friendly)

Hello…winter?  Spring showers?  Who knows.  It’s raining, and it’s fabulous.  To give you an example of how dry it has been here in Northern California, we haven’t had more than three consecutive days of rain in months, I believe since last winter.  Crazy. Scott and I are weather nerds – always watching the forecast, and every morning he checks the live snow cams at the ski resorts.  Anyway,  just super glad we have some wet weather and snow falling in the mountains so we can get the kids up to Tahoe and strap on the snowboards. 
This nice cold weather called for some nice warm soup.  Chicken noodle was in order, but I wanted to make it SCD.  So I turned to my fellow SCD blogger, Jen, from My Big Fat Grain Free Life.  Check out her blog when you get a chance, lots of great SCD recipes.  She makes a chicken “zoodle” soup (the zoodles obviously being zucchini in place of the noodles).  So awesome!  I made my usual chicken soup recipe and added in those delicious zoodles.  My kids thought they were so fun too.  My son declared, “Noodles,” like he was just presented with a prize or something.  Hooray for fun dinners.  If you’re looking for a fun way to replace traditional noodles, give zucchini a try (see here). 
Ingredients

-1 medium yellow onion, small chop
-3 cups carrots, small chop
-2 cups celery, chopped
-2 cooked chicken breasts, chopped (great way to use leftovers)
-2 large zucchini, made into “zoodles” 
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-3 cloves garlic, minced 
(I also add 1 teaspoon garlic granules)
-2 bay leaves
-8 cups filtered water (or any broth, but I used water) 
-Oil of choice
-Pepper to taste 

How To
1.  To pot add oil, salt, and onions and saute for 2 minutes 
2.  Add celery, carrots, garlic cloves, garlic grans, and saute for 2 minutes
3.  Add water, bay leaves, and bring to a gentle simmer; simmer for about 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender
4.  Add chicken and zoodles, stir
5.  Turn off heat, cover and let sit for about 15 minutes; warm through before serving 
Serves 4 

Serve with: SCD Crusty Rolls or SCD Hot Cross Buns

*
Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter, Full Plate Thursday, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays, Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Superfood Sunday, Sunday Night Soup Night
Posted by Amber at 1:37 am

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

22 Comments

  • Erin March 15, 2012 at 1:58 am

    Hi! I made some tonight! I like a little sage, parsley, thyme, and white pepper in mine. I also add a couple shitake mushrooms and and a dash of tamari to boost the flavor.

    Reply
    • Amber March 15, 2012 at 2:11 am

      Hi Erin,

      Awesome! I’m a huge fan, Your additions sound great. Thanks for the suggestions. Other readers always benefit from this.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Gluten Free and Loving It March 15, 2012 at 2:13 am

    I’ve seen various recipes using “noodles” cut from veggies, but have never tried it. I am definitely going to hang on to this one for the summer when zucchini are plentiful around here. I love the “zoodle” idea.

    Reply
  • Amber March 15, 2012 at 2:25 am

    Glad this provided you with some inspiration! I think you’ll love it. Food should be fun, right!

    Be Well,
    –Amber

    Reply
  • Jen March 15, 2012 at 2:47 am

    Thanks for the linkage Amber! So glad your son enjoyed the “noodles”. My kids had the same response the first time I served it up. My daughter looked at my son and said, “HEY! They taste like REAL noodles!” I love the zoodles just sauteed in olive oil and garlic as a side dish too (topped with Romano cheese….)

    Take care-
    Jen

    Reply
  • Jen March 15, 2012 at 2:53 am

    PS – your pictures make me drool….always so enticing and give me cravings for the recipes…

    Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva March 15, 2012 at 8:49 pm

    I have been wanting to try the raw noodles….i just ordered the julienne peeler!

    Reply
  • Laura Black March 15, 2012 at 11:34 pm

    What a brilliant idea. I’m always trying to come up with new and creative ways to get my kids to eat their veggies. They do really well, but this idea with the zucchini is great. Thanks.

    Reply
  • Laura March 16, 2012 at 11:06 am

    I love this recipe Amber and the name! This is a fabulous way to get my family to eat zucchini while enjoying a soup I know they like. Thanks for always being such an inspiration to me–looking forward to making this!

    Reply
    • Amber March 16, 2012 at 10:55 pm

      Hi Laura,

      Right backatcha lady! I always enjoy your recipes and posts! Your key lime pie greatly inspired me! I made a SCD version I’m excited to share.

      You’ll be shocked at how the zucchini taste like a regular ole’ noodle! They are quite substantial, still holding their shape after two days in the refrigerator! Enjoy.

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Jen March 16, 2012 at 9:56 pm

    HA Ha! Love the name! Looks delish too. Can’t wait to start my garden so I can fresh zoodles! :)

    Reply
    • Amber March 16, 2012 at 10:56 pm

      Thanks Jen! I hear you…I’m so ready to plant some zucchini! Can’t wait.

      Reply
  • Leslie @ Real Food Freaks March 16, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    We love zucchini noodles here– just ate them last night with bison meatballs & sauce!

    The term “zoodles” is great… I’m going to add it to my vocab… much more creative & exciting than “zucchini noodles.” :)

    Reply
    • Amber March 16, 2012 at 10:57 pm

      Hi There Leslie,

      They are definitely becoming more popular. Such a great, tasty alternative.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Miz Helen March 18, 2012 at 12:22 am

    Love, Love, your Chicken Zoodle Soup, it is just awesome!! Hope you are having a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  • Lauren February 3, 2013 at 12:24 am

    How great is it that we can make healthy noodles out of vegetables? I love your ‘zoodle’ name too, so cute. :)

    Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva February 4, 2013 at 9:51 pm

    Featuring your yummy recipe this week Amber!

    Reply
    • Amber February 4, 2013 at 10:15 pm

      Thanks Tessa! :-)

      Reply
  • Cassidy Stauffer February 6, 2013 at 2:55 pm

    I’ve been wanting to make a chicken noodle soup with zoodles for some time now but never gotten around to it! Now I have a recipe! Thanks so much, it looks great :)

    Reply
  • Why Should You Roast a Whole Chicken? - Intentionally Blended March 3, 2015 at 3:55 pm

    […] Tasty Alternative`s Chicken “Zoodle” Soup is foolproof. I use broth and leftover chicken, many times also adding in a different variety of […]

    Reply
  • Denise March 23, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    I love this with the zoodles in ribbon form vs. the julienne form. The zoodles resemble more of an egg noodle. It is easy to make ribbons with a standard peeler. When done this way, I do not cook the ribbons by adding them to the soup pot, just ladle hot soup over a pile of zoodles in your bowl and they gently soften. Yummy!

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for your technique. Sounds great. :-)

      Reply

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Hummus (SCD Friendly)

It’s Thursday and it has been a good week.  My deepest thank you for your support and well wishes while healing from my most recent Crohn’s flare.  I’ve never bounced back this quickly and it feels WONDERFUL.  The balance of meds and SCD allowed my body and immune system to heal rather quickly.  We’ve had some gorgeous weather this week and I do believe spring has arrived.  I’ve been making some light dishes and this hummus dip accompanied the kids and me for a fun midweek picnic.  I made two batches.  One for my kiddos (with light garlic granules) and one for me with the full garlic spice you know I love.  Have a beautiful weekend.


Ingredients 

-2 cups cooked green lentils* 
-1/4 cup tahini
-1/4 cup lemon juice
-1/3 cup chopped roasted red pepper
-1/2 teapsoon salt
-2 teaspoons garlic granules, use less for kids. (if using raw garlic, just use a little for the spice factor, or add roasted garlic.  Just make sure you check the spice if making for kids)
-1/3 cup oil of choice (more if needed)

How To
1.  To roast pepper: Preheat oven to 400. Cut 1 red pepper in half, remove stem and insides.  Place the pepper in a glass baking dish, no liquids, just the pepper.  Roast until browned (around 20 minutes, if not browned, roast longer).  Remove from oven and place a towel over the pepper in the glass dish.  Allow to cool.  Remove the pepper skin when cooled.  
2.  To prepare lentils: soak 1 cup green lentils for 6 hours.  After the soak, discard water.  Cook lentils with 1 1/2 cups water (bring to boil then cover for about 15 minutes) or until water is absorbed. 
3. In food processor fitted with the s-blade, blend cooled lentils, pepper, tahini, lemon, garlic and salt.  
4.  Drizzle in oil, add more if needed  
5.  Store in airtight container in fridge.

Notes
*I was soaking lentils according to the guidelines in the book, but I came across a recent Q&A in which Elaine Gottschall states that soaking lentils 3-4 hours was fine.  I error here on the side of 6.  You can read more Q &A here.  
*
Some beautiful signs of spring in our neck of the woods…
mouthwatering organic strawberries
Sweet blossoms on our trees
Snow peas are growing like crazy in our garden
Pretty tulips on the table

Shared on: Real Food Wednesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter, Full Plate Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Lunch Box Love Fridays , Fight Back Friday, Friday Food, Allergy-Friendly Friday, Superfood Sunday 

Posted by Amber at 5:08 am

Labels: ACD, dairy free, dips, gluten free, grain free, SCD, vegan, vegetarian.

11 Comments

  • Vicky March 9, 2012 at 10:58 am

    I love lentils so this combination with the tahini and roasted pepper works perfectly for me! Very tasty!

    Reply
    • Amber March 11, 2012 at 4:39 am

      Thanks Vicki,

      I think you are really going to like this hummus. The lentils create a very creamy dip. So good. Let me know if you give it a try.

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Laura March 9, 2012 at 10:09 pm

    Wonderful recipe Amber! I have never made hummus with lentils before. I am really looking forward to trying this dish. Have a lovely weekend and soak up some sunshine for me!

    Reply
    • Amber March 11, 2012 at 4:41 am

      Hi Laura,

      Thanks. And I am definitely enjoying this gorgeous weather! So sunny and warm. I need to start my spring garden. :-)

      Have a great weekend.

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily March 11, 2012 at 12:03 am

    Love this hummus, Amber! As well as your beautiful pics! I’m so glad you’ve recovered so quickly, dear. That’s wonderful news.

    I linked to your hummus in my latest recipe post … it was perfect timing that you posted this and I was creating something that included red pepper hummus. 😉

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
    • Amber March 11, 2012 at 4:37 am

      Holy moly Shirley! I just checked out your post! Those look incredible! Perfect timing with my red pepper hummus, No? Thanks for the link love. But back to these biscuits. I’m just really impressed with your recipe here. I know you’ve been moving in a grain-free direction and I love how you are creating such practical recipes for yourself (and for us). I keep looking at the ingredients wondering if these could be made SCD? Bread products are really lacking in the world of SCD. Perhaps, but I am going to print this out and play around. They just look really fantastic and substantial…and I love how they have a “cheesy” flavor.

      Thanks for the great recipe!

      Reply
  • Kristi March 11, 2012 at 7:58 pm

    This is absolutely awesome, yummy looking and nourishing!! Would you mind posting it to my pregnancy food blog carnival, superfood sundays?

    http://www.painfreepregnancy.org/2012/03/superfood-sunday-3rd-edition-march-11.html

    Reply
  • Marie Watkins March 15, 2012 at 6:38 pm

    I’ve never tried lentil in hummus but after reading this, I will.

    Marie

    Reply
  • Miz Helen March 18, 2012 at 12:20 am

    Hi Amber,
    Just beautiful photo’s of Spring! I just love your Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, it is so additive for me, I just can’t stop eating it, yum! Hope you are having a great week end and thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
    Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
    Miz Helen

    Reply
  • Anonymous April 1, 2012 at 3:56 am

    This looks awesome. I’ve been obsessed with roasted red peppers and lentils lately. I never thought to put them together.

    I thought tahini was not scd legal though??

    Michelle

    Reply
  • Amber April 1, 2012 at 4:12 am

    Hi There Michelle,

    Thanks!

    Great question! You’re right, sesame seeds are illegal in the beginning of the diet, but may be added in after a few months (with no active symptoms).

    See more here: http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/knowledge_base/kb/sesame_seeds.htm

    Be Well,
    –Amber

    Reply

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Monday, February 27, 2012

Super Simple Super Tasty Marinara Sauce – and a funny for your Monday.

I’ve been working on a SCD lasagna recipe.  Almost there!  Can’t wait to share the recipe with you soon.  In the meantime, I wanted to share my homemade marinara sauce.  I have trouble with store bought pasta sauces, as they are just too salty for me.  So with homemade I can control the seasoning.  Plus making your own sauce is a great way to cut down on your kitchen waste (no cans or jars to throw out).  There are a zillion recipes for marinara sauce out there.  What I have for you today is a base sauce, this is delish on its own, but from here you can add in a variety of other ingredients.  See below in notes for some suggestions.  A quick word about tomatoes.  It’s very important to choose meaty tomatoes, or the sauce gets a bit watery.  I find that little slicer tomatoes are very meaty with little juice.  And in the summer it’s all about those gorgeous heirlooms.  I’ve also made marinara with Romas, but the sauce was awfully acidic and watery (see notes below about how to make a less watery sauce, especially if making this sauce for lasagna).  If you find your sauce too acidic, add in a little honey or other sweetener of choice.  Or add in some cashew milk, other thickened nut milk, or full fat coconut milk (just a few tablespoons or until desired taste/texture).  This will create a creamy sauce and cut down on the acid factor.  It’s fun to experiment with marinara.  I hope this recipe will serve as a nice base and get you going. 
Ingredients
-1 medium yellow or red onion, chopped
-3 stalks celery, chopped
-2 1/2 lbs organic tomatoes, chopped (find small slicers during winter and big fat meaty heirlooms during the summer).  If using this sauce for a lasagna, make sure you squeeze the juice out of each tomato.  This yields a thicker sauce.  I don’t recommend Romas.  Round slicers or any meaty heirloom works the best – they are lower in water content and have more tomato meet.  
-A big handful of fresh basil (about 1 1/2 cups)
-1 teaspoon celtic sea salt
-1 tablespoon garlic granules (or 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped)
-1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
-2 bay leaves 
-Oil of choice 
-Fresh ground pepper

How To
1.  Coat the bottom of your favorite pot with oil, add onions and salt and saute for 3-5 minutes.  Add celery and saute for additional 3-5 minutes.
2.  Add chopped tomatoes, stir and add in garlic granules, Italian seasoning, and basil.  Stir until well combined.  
3.  Mix in bay leaves and fresh ground pepper  
4.  Cook uncovered on med heat/low heat until tomatoes release their juice (about 10 minutes).
5.  Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
6.  When tomatoes are cooked down, remove bay leaves and blend.  I use an immersion  blender.  This yields a thick and slightly chunky sauce.  For a smooth sauce, blend with high speed blender or any other counter blender. 


Notes:
*If you are making this sauce for a lasagna, be sure to squeeze all the juice out of the tomatoes before you put them in the pot.  A watery tomato sauce will not work well with lasagna. 
*Here are a few other veggie suggestions for your marinara sauce.
-Red, green, or yellow bell pepper
–Zucchini
-Mushrooms
-Yellow winter squash
-Roasted cauliflower
-Carrots 
-Celery root
-Fennel
-Roasted Parsnips
*


I always say: start the week (or day) off on a funny note.  I love this girl – she always makes me giggle!  So awesome.  I’ve said like 99% of this stuff at one point or another.  Come on, you just have to laugh!! 

 Just Another Meatless Monday, Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Monday Mania, Ruth’s Real Food 101 (Mondays), Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesdays Real Food Wednesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, , Whole Food Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend, Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Friday Food Fix
Posted by Amber at 2:40 am

Labels: ACD, dairy free, gluten free, sauces, SCD, vegan, vegetarian.

13 Comments

  • Natalie February 27, 2012 at 4:23 am

    I need to find a good dairy-free option for marinara, so thanks for sharing this!

    Reply
    • Amber February 27, 2012 at 4:48 am

      My pleasure Natalie!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily February 27, 2012 at 9:03 pm

    Amber, this recipe is totally awesome! I can only imagine how fantastic this sauce tastes–yum! I laughed over the video. I’ve said quite a few of those things myself! Last, can’t wait for that lasagna recipe, girl … bring it on. 😉

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • The Cyclist's Wife February 27, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    I love it, another no-can sauce! That video is hilarious. I’m guilty of saying at least 1/2 of those. :)

    Reply
    • Amber February 28, 2012 at 1:07 am

      Thanks Sarah! Hooray for no waste!

      Reply
  • Anonymous February 28, 2012 at 12:38 am

    It sounds great! Doesn’t look very tomato-y though; the red sauce look I mean. But it has all the right ingredients so am looking forward to trying it. I also think Spaghetti Squash would be a good veggie for it.

    Reply
    • Amber February 28, 2012 at 1:06 am

      Hello,

      Hope you enjoy making your own.

      In the years I’ve been making marinara sauce, it has never been the bright red color of store bought. It’s always orange-ish. I don’t use tomato paste, perhaps that’s why. At any rate, still yummy and I prefer homemade to store bought. Just remember that the tomatoes you use will greatly impact the final product, so go for high quality, organic if you can! Spaghetti squash sounds interesting. It would definitely create a creamy sauce!

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
    • Anonymous February 28, 2012 at 1:17 am

      Thanks, Amber. I hadn’t thought of that regarding color. Anyway, I was thinking of the spaghetti squash as a sub for the pasta — just a thought.

      Reply
    • Amber February 28, 2012 at 2:37 am

      Ha ha! Got it. Yes, that would be interesting and a nice way to keep it grain free. You might also want to try zucchini pasta. So delish with a really nice texture and quite substantial (not mushy).

      Happy experimenting!
      –Amber

      https://thetastyalternative.com/2011/11/raw-pasta-two-ways-with-two-delicious.html

      Reply
  • Laura February 28, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    Perfect timing Amber. I have been experimenting making my own marinara sauce at home since I found out “natural flavors” even in organic store bought pasta sauce can contain gluten. This sauce is so easy to make and made of such wonderful foods. Thanks for another great recipe!

    Reply
    • Amber March 3, 2012 at 3:23 am

      Thanks Laura.

      You’re so right. You just can’t trust store bought with gluten issues – so scary. Well I hope you enjoy this recipe. I’m sure you will jazz it up with your own rendition. Bell peppers are so yum in marinara! It’s fun to experiment. And hey, why not make a double batch (one for the freezer)!

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • SAHMmy Says February 29, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    Thanks for the recipe – celery is one veggie I haven’t tried adding to marinara yet! Funny video too!

    Reply
    • Amber March 3, 2012 at 3:20 am

      I hope it works for you! We enjoy it.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply

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Monday, February 20, 2012

Sweet and Sour Chicken Awesomeness

Ah, sweet and sour chicken.  As a young girl I learned how to use chop sticks eating sweet and sour chicken.  This was a dish my Gramie made quite a bit (and served with my own set of chop sticks of course – how exciting). To this day I refuse to eat Asian cuisine with a fork – just can’t do it.  I had the pleasure of living with my grandparents for many years growing up, so I was exposed to my Gramie’s fantastic cooking, all from scratch and all amazing.  Although not the healthiest at times (my Gramie was a lot like your Paula Deen with the butter and salt and the beef and the butter and the butter…).  Considering she grew up on a farm, I give her credit for incorporating some really creative, fresh dishes.  And every single night we had a salad.  And I ate my salad like a good little girl, and thus rewarded generously with a big hunk of cake for dessert (yes, there was always fresh baked cake, muffins, pastires, etc., in the house). I will always remember Gramie’s sweet and sour dish.  My grandparents and father lived in Japan for several years during the Korean War.  I do believe she was greatly inspired by the food and culture, as this was definitely reflected in her cooking.  

Your traditional sweet and sour dish is loaded with sugar and salt, not to mention gluten.  My version differs greatly in this respect, but is not lacking in flavor a bit.  However, I feel it’s important to not expect a toned down version to taste like the original.  We must appreciate the simplicity and goodness for what it is: wholesome and real in its own right.  This is a quick, easy dinner that delivers on health as well as on taste.   

Ingredients

-1 yellow onion, chopped
-1 large red bell pepper, chopped 
-1 can of pineapple chuncks (or fresh if you can find it) 
-2 cooked chicken breasts (great way to use leftovers)
-1/2 cup cashews 
-3 tablespoons pineapple juice
-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
-1 tablespoon low sodium, gluten free soy sauce
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon garlic granules
-Oil of choice 
-Fresh ground pepper 
-Red pepper flakes (for mom and dad) 
-1 teaspoon grated ginger (optional)

How To

Rice:
-I used white basmati.  Really nice flavor.  1 1/2 cups rice to 3 cups water.  In a medium sauce pan, bring water and rice to a boil, add in a drizzle of oil.  Turn down to low and cover.  This rice cooks pretty quick.  When all the water has cooked away, turn off heat and let rice sit covered until ready to serve.
Sweet and Sour Chicken: 
1.  Coat a large saute pan with oil, heat on med/low, and add onion, pepper and salt.  Saute for a few minutes.
2.  Drain pineapple juice from pineapple chunks and add pineapple to pan along with chicken and cashews.  Saute for a few minutes.
3.  Add soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, pineapple juice, and garlic granules (and optional ginger).  Keep pan on medium low and cook down liquid, stirring occasionally.  Cook veggies until desired tenderness.  
4.  I didn’t add any thickener to this dish, as there was a minimal amount of liquid.  If you like more of a sauce, then simply add more oil, pineapple juice and soy sauce and mix in your thickener of choice.
5.  Serve with red pepper flakes and black pepper to taste 

Notes
*If you are avoiding rice, quinoa or millet would be great 
*For vegetarians, use tofu or mushrooms in place of meat.

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Shared on: Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Traditional Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage,  Lunch Box Love Fridays,  Freaky Friday, Fresh Bites Fridays, Friday Foodie Fix 
Posted by Amber at 10:28 pm

Labels: dairy free, gluten free, main dish.

6 Comments

  • [email protected] February 21, 2012 at 2:50 am

    Thanks for linking your great post to FAT TUESDAY. This was very interesting! Hope to see you next week!

    http://realfoodforager.com/fat-tuesday-february-21-2012/

    Reply
  • Judee @ Gluten Free A-Z February 21, 2012 at 7:28 pm

    Love the story, and the recipe looks so good. I’m going to try it with tofu ( I’m a vegetarian) Should work well.

    Reply
    • Amber February 21, 2012 at 9:27 pm

      Thanks Judee!

      I’m sure this would be delicious with tofu. Perhaps marinated tofu for some extra flavor, or marinated tempeh?

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Laura February 21, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    These flavors sound amazing! My husband loves Chinese food, but we haven’t eaten it since he was diagnosed with celiac disease. And I haven’t eaten it in years because of all the hidden junk-MSG, corn syrup, etc in the food. So this recipe is brilliant. I will be making it soon and I am pretty sure my entire family will be thrilled. Thank you so much Amber!

    Reply
    • Amber February 21, 2012 at 9:41 pm

      Hi There Laura,

      Thanks! I’m not sure why we don’t eat more Asian inspired cuisine? I should make it one of my weekly rotations! It’s so easy, usually just chop and saute. I don’t eat a lot of rice, but once in a while I really enjoy it. I find that white rice is a little easier to digest than brown, although I do love the brown variety. My kids liked this dish, however they are so used to eating pineapple raw and plain – my son didn’t really like it all cooked up, but with some convincing, he ate it. :-) My husband loved it and he’s very honest with me about my cooking (I ask him to be, as I don’t want to post something that’s a total flop). And so he gave this a big thumbs up. I hope your family enjoys it too Laura.

      Hugs,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • Miz Helen February 26, 2012 at 9:00 pm

    Hi Amber,
    We just love a great Sweet and Sour Chicken and your recipe looks delicious! Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday. Hope you have a great week end and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

    Reply

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