Category Archives: main dish

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Turkey Mushroom Burgers with Cherry Tomato Pineapple Salsa (SCD/Paleo/GAPS) & 10 Side-Dish Suggestions

Mmmm, burgers.  Burgers are one of the easiest dinners to make.  And I’m all about easy (I mean really, who wants to get cooking burn-out on Monday).  If you’re like me, you make just about everything from scratch, so it’s nice to have an easy dinner to jump-start the week.  We don’t eat beef but LOVE to use ground turkey or chicken for our burgers.  The addition of sauteed mushrooms and onions to this recipe really kicks the yum factor up a notch.  These are super delish and I just adore the sweet savory touch from the salsa.  I like to tinker around with different ingredients to spice things up (see my veggie and sun dried tomato burgers for another great recipe).  I hope everyone enjoyed their Monday.  Happy Memorial Day.    
Ingredients:

Mushroom Burgers
-1 1/2 pounds ground turkey (preferably organic free range)
-2 cups crimini mushrooms, chopped 
-1 cup red onion, small chop
-2 teaspoons coconut aminos (or gluten free Worcestershire sauce – but this is not SCD/Paleo/GAPS) – omit both coconut ominos and Worsh if strict SCD.  
-1/4 teaspoon salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon onion granules 
-2 teaspoons garlic granules 
-2 tablespoons oil

How To:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees 
1.  In a medium skillet, add in the oil, mushrooms, onions, and 1/4 teaspoons salt.  Saute on medium heat until soft and well sauteed.  Set aside.
2.  In a large bowl, add the meat, coconut aminos (or Worcestershire), 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion granules, garlic granules.  Mix.
3.  Add in the mushroom and onion mixture.  Mix.
4. Form into patties and bake for 25 – 30 minutes (or until internal temp reaches 180 degrees). 
*Makes 6 patties

Cherry Tomato Pineapple Salsa
-1 can organic pineapple chunks, drained (use 1 cup fresh if in season)
-1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes
-2 1/2 tablespoons diced shallot
-1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 
-Juice from 1 lime 
-3/4 teaspoon garlic granules 
-1/2 to 1 teaspoons salt (to taste)

How To:
Salsa is best made a few hours ahead of time
1. Drain the pineapple juice from can (save this juice, it’s great,  kids love it).  Chop the pineapple to desired chunkiness.  
2.  To your pineapple add in the chopped cherry tomatoes, and the rest of the ingredients. Mix and refrigerate until ready to serve.  
For an easy side dish, try sliced roasted carrots.  Simply slice carrots and toss with salt, garlic granules, coconut oil and roast on 400 degrees for 45 minutes.  
Here are some other super easy side dish ideas for your burger night










*
Shared on: Whole Food Fridays 
Posted by Amber at 4:00 am

Labels: GAPS, main dish, Paleo, SCD, summer cuisine.

9 Comments

  • Megan Ancheta May 28, 2013 at 5:52 pm

    Amber! I love these! I especially like that you used turkey and incorporated veggies into them. I most definitely will be trying these soon.

    Hugs to you! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!
    😉 Megan

    Reply
    • Amber May 29, 2013 at 4:30 pm

      Thanks, Meg. I hope you enjoy them. 🙂

      Reply
  • Sarah O. May 28, 2013 at 6:51 pm

    Ohhh sounds good. I like the idea of sauteing the mushrooms and then adding them to the turkey mix.

    Reply
    • Amber May 29, 2013 at 4:31 pm

      Hi Sarah, I think you will really liked these burgers!! Let me know if you give them a try.

      Reply
  • Laura May 29, 2013 at 4:15 am

    Ok organic ground turkey is on my grocery list as of now! These burgers look fabulous Amber and I’m a big fan of mushrooms too.

    Reply
    • Amber May 29, 2013 at 4:32 pm

      Thanks, Laura.

      Hope you’re well friend.

      Reply
  • Heather @Gluten-Free Cat May 29, 2013 at 8:52 pm

    I’m thinking that my paleo husband would love these burgers! And I’m putting that salsa all OVER my next salad. YUM!!

    Reply
  • GlutenFreeHappyTummy May 30, 2013 at 4:03 pm

    oh amber…that salsa sounds truly magnificent!! it’s literally making my mouth water!! hope you’re having a great day!

    Reply
  • Deb June 7, 2013 at 5:46 pm

    These

    were

    AWESOME!!!!!!! absolutely amazing! made them last night and immediately saved the recipe in my recipe book (with “yum” written by the title!!). Thanks!!

    Reply

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Sunday, May 5, 2013

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Medley (gluten free, dairy free, vegetarian)

Well hello fabulous you!  How is your weekend?  I am up in gorgeous Northern California – we are up visiting family this weekend (which is only about a 2 1/2 hour drive north of us from here in the Sacramento Valley).  My awesome-possum sister is visiting from New York!  I’m close with my brother too…we all enjoy spending time together and laugh uncontrollably quite often.  My brother lives close by here in California and my little 8-month old nephew is the cutest thing EVER (see for yourself below)…I just want to eat him up with two scoops of ice cream.  He’s just precious and he loves playing with his cousins.  Okay, so back to the food.  I’ve had some time this weekend to finish up this post with an Indian inspired recipe I’ve been making for a few months and very excited to share with you.  It’s a sweet dish that’s full of wonderful spice and flavors.  Great on its own, as a side, with rice (I serve it with boiled millet) or with with a meat (such as lamb or chicken), also GREAT for potlucks or such gatherings.  Enjoy.  
Ingredients:
-1 cup chopped yellow onion
-2 cups peeled chopped carrots 
-2 cups peeled and chopped sweet potatoes 
-3 cups soaked and boiled garbanzo beans (or 2 cans garbanzos)
-2 cans salt-free chopped tomatoes*
-1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots (small chop)
-3/4 cup canned coconut milk 
-2 tablespoons honey (vegans use maple syrup or coconut sugar)
-3 tablespoons of oil
-1/2 teaspoons salt
Spices
-2 teaspoons garlic granules
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground turmeric
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
-1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 
-1/4 teaspoon ground cardamon 
-A few turns of the pepper grinder 
-Optional 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

How To:
1.  In a large pot add 3 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the onions.  Saute for 3 minutes.  Next add in the carrots and sweet potatoes and saute for 5 minutes.
2.  Next add in the garbanzo beans, tomatoes, apricots, coconut milk, and all the listed spices.
3.  Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn down to low, gentle simmer and cover for 30 minutes (stir once in a while).  After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue simmering on low for another 30 minutes allowing some of the liquid to thicken.  Before serving, you want to make sure all the veggies are soft and cooked through and the garbanzo beans are soft.  Keep on low heat until ready to serve, or reheat thoroughly before serving.  
Serves 4 to 6 (depending on the serving size – this can be served as meal or as a side dish).

Notes:
*I like this brand for canned tomatoes for off season cooking.   If making this dish in tomato season, use 3 cups fresh chopped heirlooms or small slicers – these have lots of juice.
And here is my sweet, adorable, practically edible nephew
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Whole Food Fridays, Healthy Vegan Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Show  Off Friday, 
Posted by Amber at 5:37 pm

Labels: dairy free, gluten free, main dish, sides.

15 Comments

  • Laura May 5, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    Delicious dish Amber. I love sweet potato, but rarely combine ith with chickpeas-super yum! And gorgeous picture of you and your nephew!

    Reply
    • Amber May 9, 2013 at 4:44 pm

      Thanks Laura! 🙂 A couple of readers have made this dish and loved it…always nice to get a positive receive review. I hope you you try it one day. I know you will love it.

      xo

      Reply
  • Vicky May 6, 2013 at 12:28 am

    This looks delicious! I love the colours, it looks so very warming!

    The children are adorable, beautiful photos!

    Take care

    Vicky xo

    Reply
    • Amber May 9, 2013 at 4:44 pm

      Thanks Vicky. Yes, I agree that the colors are so very pretty.

      Reply
  • Nicky @ Pink Recipe Box May 6, 2013 at 8:15 am

    Yum! I love chickpeas and this sounds fabulous. Pinning! 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber May 9, 2013 at 4:44 pm

      Thanks Nicky.

      Reply
  • Chaya May 6, 2013 at 2:22 pm

    Interesting combination, one I think will go over well, in my family. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  • Megan Ancheta May 7, 2013 at 6:49 am

    This dish sounds hearty and wonderful – AND you look absolutely stunning my dear! Your nephew is positively adorbs. 😉 Thank you for sharing the pictures!
    Hugs,
    Megan

    Reply
    • Amber May 9, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks Meg. It’s definitely a meal on it’s own and VERY filling.

      Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook May 7, 2013 at 4:06 pm

    This looks so wonderful Amber! I love hearty stews, especially with chickpeas!

    Also, you and your nephew look amazing 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber May 9, 2013 at 4:45 pm

      Thanks Gabby.

      Reply
  • Miachel @ Spiced Curiosity May 7, 2013 at 4:53 pm

    Yum yum! I love the sound of this.
    Where would you suggest buying Turkish apricots?

    Reply
    • Amber May 7, 2013 at 5:01 pm

      Hi Miachel,

      I purchase the dried Turkish apricots in the bulk section of my local Natural Foods Coop. I find they are much softer than traditionally dried apricots, but either will work. Just make sure you can find unsweetened and unsulfonated! 🙂

      Reply
  • Chaya May 8, 2013 at 1:17 am

    I had to come back to tell you, I made this, tonight and everyone flipped over it. It is delicious. I ended up without the carrots. The sweet potatoes filled the pan. Other than that, I followed the recipe and was a huge success. I hope to post it tomorrow at Bizzy Bakes.

    Reply
    • Amber May 8, 2013 at 3:38 am

      Hi Chaya,

      You’re so awesome for dropping me a note here on how it turned out for you! So great. I look forward to checking out your post. It warms my heart to know your family enjoyed it. It’s also a favorite in this house. My 6 year old daughter especially loves it.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply

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Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Enchilada Lasagna with Homemade Enchilada Sauce (gluten and dairy free)

Do you have a favorite food?  Mine is, hands down,  Mexican.  It’s been a favorite for years, and it was an easy transition food when I went dairy and gluten free.  And living here in California we are spoiled with amazing Mexican restaurants.  The Mexican culture is also a big part of our lives, as our children are in Spanish Immersion school (learning this great language that is so prominent here in California).  While I would not consider myself a creator of traditional Mexican dishes, the basic spices and staples of the cultural food inspired me greatly.  I reserve two nights a week for something Mexican inspired and with the help of so many amazing gluten and dairy subs these days, it’s easy to create something satisfying and delicious.  I hope you enjoy this fun spin on enchiladas.  
Enchilada Lasagna with Homemade Enchilada Sauce 
Ingredients:

-1 pack of Rudi’s Gluten Free Fiesta Tortillas 
-16 ounce jar of your favorite salsa.  We like this one
-Daiya non-dairy shredded cheddar cheese*

For Chicken Mixture 
-2 large cooked chicken breast shredded or well chopped up (great use for leftovers)
-1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (small chop)
-1 1/2 cups chopped yellow pepper (small chop)
-1 1/2 cups squash – I used a mix of leftover butternut and sweet potato.  (You can use any leftover veggie you have in the fridge.  Or just skip if you don’t have anything).
-1/2 cup soy-free vegenaise
-1 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon garlic granules
-Oil for the saute 

For the Enchilada Sauce
-8 ounces Anaheim peppers, seeded and veins removed (this is where the heat it)
-1 cup chopped yellow onion
-1/4 teaspoons salt + 1/2 teaspoon salt 
-1 1/2 cups filtered water
-1/2 teaspoon cumin 
-1/4 teaspoon garlic granules 
-2 tablespoons oil 
-Salt and pepper to taste
___________________________________________

How To:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees 

1.  Anytime that day, preferably before you start making the enchiladas, roast the Anaheim peppers for the enchilada sauce. In a 8×8 glass Pyrex (or favorite roasting dish).  Combine the seeded and de-veined Anaheim peppers, onions, oil, and 1/4 teaspoons salt and toss the ingredients together.  Roast, uncovered, in a 400 degree oven for 45 minutes (or until you start to see some browning and roasting action).  After the peppers are roasted, remove and set aside until you are ready to make the sauce.

2. Start now by sauteing the 1 1/2 cups of onions and 1 1/2 cups yellow peppers in a large skillet with about 2 tablespoons of oil and a dash of salt.  While this is sauteing, work on the chicken mixture.

3.  In a large bowl, add in the chopped (or shredded chicken), vegenaise, salt, and garlic granules.  Mix.  

4.  Return to the onion/pepper saute and add in your cooked squash to warm through.  Then add in this entire sauteed mixture to the chicken mixture and mix thoroughly. 

5.  Now build your enchiladas in a 13×9 glass Pyrex (see instructions and pictures below)

6.  Finally, make your enchilada sauce.  To a blender, add in all the roasted Anaeim peppers and onions.  Add in the 1 1/2 cups filtered water, 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules, 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cumin.  Blend on high until mixture is smooth.  Now it’s important to check for spice and add in more salt, cumin, garlic granules, or pepper if needed.  Then pour a generous amount of the enchilada sauce on the enchiladas, making sure to get it all around the sides.  

7.  Baked covered for 45 minutes.  Since I don’t use foil in my kitchen, I simply cover with a stainless steel baking sheet.  Allow enchiladas to cool for about 20 minutes before cutting.  Serves 6.

Notes:
*Top with dairy free sour cream, avocado, hot sauce, or cilantro.
*I understand that Daiya cheese is not for everyone, so just use real cheese if you can have it, or just omit.  It’s not necessary for this dish to turn out.  It simple adds a cheese-like flavor that my kids love.
*
Chicken mixture 
Saute mixture
Chicken and saute mixture becomes friends 

How to Assemble

1.  Spread 1/4 cup salsa with some oil on the bottom of the dish
2.  Add in tortillas 
3.  Spread around 1/3 of the chicken mixture
4.  Add some cheese 
5.  Add some Salsa 
6.  Place two more tortillas in the dish
7.  1/3 of the Chicken
8.  Cheese
\
9.  Salsa 
Then tortillas, chicken, cheese
Etc… 
I layered 3 times for a total of 8 tortillas used
Top everything with the two remaining tortillas and pour on enchilada sauce (I don’t use all of it, but I do drench the dish with it so the top and all sides are covered.  This sauce thickens and firms up when cooking, so you won’t have a sloppy mess – it’s okay to add in lot of sauce.  

 Here is the top.  
At this point, pour on your enchilada sauce
Here we are fresh out of the oven
Here is what it looks like cut
Enjoy!
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Mealtime Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays,  Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Fresh Bites Friday, Show  Off Friday, 
Posted by Amber at 7:29 pm

Labels: allergy-friendly, dairy free, gluten free, main dish.

6 Comments

  • Laura April 18, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    I am crazy about Mexican, but have a hard time as I try to avoid corn whenever possible and of course gluten. This dish looks super delicious and filling Amber. I love it and am sharing this now! 🙂

    Reply
  • Jen April 18, 2013 at 8:13 pm

    Amber! This looks soooooooo good! I’m going to pretend I didn’t see it since I’m on AIP and can’t eat it… (sad face, puppy eyes)

    This is another scrumptious winner. Keep ’em comin’!

    XO
    Jen

    Reply
  • GlutenFreeHappyTummy April 18, 2013 at 11:59 pm

    Hi Amber!! sorry i’ve been so absent lately! i’m glad to see you’re doing well! this recipe looks like a real winner! my goodness! hugs!!

    Reply
  • Cassidy Stauffer April 19, 2013 at 2:18 pm

    We love Mexican food too! This looks soooo yummy, I’ll have to add it to my “to make” list 🙂

    Reply
  • Tessa Simpson September 3, 2014 at 10:09 am

    Hi Amber! I finally got around to making these and we loved them!! I loved the enchilada sauce…i went ahead and roasted whole cloves of garlic along with the peppers and onions and added some coriander and cilantro at the end, as well as some fresh squeezed lime!
    I used Udi’s flour tortillas, and they got a bit soggy, so I will try either my own or some corn next time.
    I didn;t have any squash this time, but seems like a really great way to get some additional veg in there!
    Thanks for a yummy dinner…I have been thinking of you loads, hoping you are well in your hiatus!

    Reply
    • Amber November 17, 2014 at 8:18 pm

      Hi Tessa. Yeah! I’m so glad you liked these. I knew you would enjoy this sort of recipe. We love our Mexican inspired dishes don’t we!!

      Reply

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Thick and Creamy Dairy-Free New England Clam Chowder (SCD & Paleo)

 
It’s been years since my last bowl of clam chowder – years!  And oh man, I love clam chowder.  I really crave the stuff.  Lately I’ve been obsessing about it and I’ve had a recipe idea jumping around in my head for sometime now.  This week I finally brought this idea to reality and made an amazing bowl of dairy-free clam chowder that knocked my socks off.  My husband (who is native to the San Francisco/Bay Area, serious seafood lover, and clam chowder connoisseur) gave this recipe a glowing review.  He sat down to dinner, took at bite, and was very surprised by how close it tasted to the dairy laden stuff he grew up on.  And of course, he instantly declared that this was a MUST recipe for the blog.  So I’m not putting this one off.  I’m very proud of this recipe.  It’s very satisfying, tastes like good-ole’ clam chowder, and extremely filling.  I do hope you enjoy this one.  I’m pretty stoked about it.  
Ingredients:
-1 ¼ cups yellow onion (1 medium onion)
-2 cups carrots, peeled and small chop 
-1 cup celery, small chop 
-2 cups celery root, peeled and small chop (1 medium celery root)
–2 six ounce cans of clams, chopped up a bit* 
-1/3 cup cooked and chopped bacon (omit if you cannot find SCD/Paleo bacon) 
-1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped 
-2 1/2 cups raw cashews (soaked for at least 5 hours in filtered water)
-5 cups filtered water (or broth)
-3 tablespoons clam juice
-1/2 + 1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoons garlic granules
-3 tablespoons olive oil (I recommend olive oil for its buttery flavor)
-Ground pepper to taste, and more salt if needed 

How To:
1.  Crisp up 4 to 5 pieces of GOOD bacon in a pan, then give it a small chop.  Set aside. 
2.  In a soup pot, add in the olive oil, onions, celery root, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute for 10 minutes on medium low.  
3.  To the onions and celery root, add in the carrots, celery, and fresh thyme and saute for 5 – 7 minutes over medium heat.  Stirring frequently.
4.  When the veggies are tender, add in the two drained cans of clams and 3 tablespoons clam juice (do not add in all the clam juice from both cans…just 3 tablespoons).  Stir clams around with the veggies.  Then add in the final 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons garlic granules, and 2 cups of water (or broth).  Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes.  
5.  While the veggies and clams are gently simmering, drain the cashews and add them to a blender with 3 cups filtered water.  Blend on high for 30 seconds.  
6.  Immediately add the blended cashews to the pot with the veggies and clams. Stir and allow everything to come to a GENTLE simmer – please do not boil this mixture…it will not taste great if it burns on the bottom.  Simmer very gently for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot, making sure the veggies and cashew cream does not stick.  I use a large wood spoon, a silicone spatula will also work great.  
7.  The mixture will greatly thicken as it heats up.  After the 5 (gentle) minute simmer, turn the mixture down to very low so the simmering stops, cover, and allow it to continue to warm for 30 minutes, stirring once in a while
8.  After 30 minutes you can serve, or turn the heat off and let the mixture sit.  
9.  When ready to serve, gently heat through, taking care to not burn the mixture.  
-Upon serving, add in some pepper to taste.  Other options include chopped crisp bacon, green onions, a lemon wedge, or chopped parsley. Serves 4

Notes:
*Serve with grain-free crackers to keep this SCD & Paleo or serve with Gluteno original crackers (these taste like those little oyster crackers typically served with New England Clam Chowder).  Grain free “cornbread” is also excellent with this soup.
*The type of clams you use will make or break this dish.  Once I used two 10-ounce cans of baby boiled clams, and I did not like how it turned out at all.  Here is what I used and really liked.  It provided a great clam flavor and overall I was very pleased with the texture and taste.  
Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Whole Food Fridays, 
Posted by Amber at 3:21 pm

Labels: dairy free, main dish, Paleo, SCD, Soup.

42 Comments

  • gfe--gluten free easily February 1, 2013 at 3:42 pm

    This recipe makes such perfect sense for achieving the creaminess without the cream, Amber. You are a genius! Can’t wait to share this with others, and to make it myself. 😉

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
    • Amber February 1, 2013 at 3:51 pm

      Thanks Shirley! Ha ha…you’re too kind, I don’t know about genius, perhaps good ideas are born out of desperation. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing. This soup is now in my weekly dinner rotation. It’s so easy, and I’m not kidding about it being filling. We were stuffed after a big bowl (are we are BIG eaters over here). Oh, and big bonus…kids loved it too. Have a great weekend my friend. 🙂

      Reply
    • mark hall November 8, 2015 at 10:36 pm

      I’m not savvy about cooking. Can’t find celery root or celeriac anywhere up here by Canada. Is substitution with potatoes a reasonable alternative. thanks for any help you can give me.

      Reply
      • Amber November 9, 2015 at 9:26 am

        Yes, of course! Celery root is for those following a strict SCD. Use potatoes instead.

        Reply
        • mark hall November 9, 2015 at 7:16 pm

          It’s really awesome of you to reply to people and help them out like you do. I thank you for your kindness.

          Reply
          • Amber November 9, 2015 at 8:17 pm

            Oh, so kind of you to say. Thank you!! I am definitely here to help if I can. Be Well. 🙂

  • Jen February 1, 2013 at 3:54 pm

    OH YES YOU DID! Long live the queen! I’ve been wanting to develop a recipe just like this (you always seem to know my cravings…) I’m so glad you beat me to it girl! Now I can sit back and ENJOY! Me thinks this might get a showing on Super Bowl Sunday.

    LONG LIVE THE QUEEN!
    XO
    Jen

    Reply
    • Amber February 1, 2013 at 4:58 pm

      Oh goodie…I am the queen of something. Ha ha. Well thank you my friend. I knew you would like the recipe and yes we DO have such similar tastes in food. Let me know how this turns out for you.

      Have a great weekend.

      Hugs,
      –Am

      Reply
  • Megan A February 1, 2013 at 7:18 pm

    Sweet Amber,
    Wow! This recipe sounds soooooo good! It’s been years since I’ve had clam chowder. I don’t think any of our stores have celery root in stock right now, but I’m certainly going to look for it next time!!

    Thank you for your sweet comments on my blog. My ND put me on some holistic herbals that have been helping, and I am still eating grain free (I’m thinking I need to keep that up – at least for now). How have you been feeling?

    I also meant to tell you, I enjoyed seeing the pics of your house. So exciting, and I love the floors!
    Hugs,
    M

    Reply
  • Amber February 1, 2013 at 9:42 pm

    Send me your address my friend and I will send you a bunch of celery root. We have it coming out of our ears over here in Cali!! 🙂

    And I’m so glad you are feeling better with herbs. You are such an inspiration to me, Meg. If grain free is helping, than keep that up. I hope you continue to heal.

    And the house is coming along. It’s all good.

    Have a great weekend.

    Hugs,
    –Amber

    Reply
  • Laura February 1, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Holy clam! 🙂 This is one awesome chowder Amber! And yes it is a perfect recipe for the Super Bowl and this time of year. You did it again…another incredible recipe.

    Reply
  • Amber February 1, 2013 at 10:42 pm

    Ha ha, Laura, that made me laugh out loud. Thanks for the giggle.

    Have a great weekend. Go 49ers!! 🙂

    Hugs

    Reply
  • Jen February 3, 2013 at 9:57 pm

    AM!

    How many does this soup serve? Taking into account we EAT ova hear. I may have a couple of guests show up later…

    Thanks friend-
    J

    Reply
    • Amber February 3, 2013 at 11:16 pm

      Hi Jen,

      It depends on how big your portions are. We have pretty big bowls for soup…so this fed 2 adults and two children (and I ate a few cups while I was making it). Hope this helps. 🙂

      Reply
    • Jen February 4, 2013 at 12:11 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  • Jen February 4, 2013 at 1:36 am

    OH MY, MY SISTER-FRIEND! This was VERY tasty! A tasty alternative!!!! I wasn’t impressed with the brand of clams I got. Do you have a particular brand you like? I might try cauliflower in place of celery root (no offense but I think it may have upset my tum-tum). This was VERY tasty, creamy and even my hubby agreed that you would NEVER know it wasn’t loaded with dairy. He LOVED it!

    Another winner from that cute, skinny blogger from Cally-

    Love ya girl-
    Jen

    Reply
    • Amber February 4, 2013 at 4:24 am

      Hi Jen,

      I’ve been anxious to hear from you about the soup. Thanks for your great feedback – I love your enthusiasm about food. I am SO the same way. I’m so glad your honey loved it. That’s so awesome. Cashews are magical, no.

      About the clams…I will have to get back to you on the brand. It’s escaping me. I usually get wild, sustainable. But I will double check that for you.

      And the celery root…very interesting it bothered you. But that’s so great you’re in-tune with your body, Jen. So I know potatoes are a no, no. How about trying that turnip idea you had originally? Do you think it would bother your digestion? I would give that a try before the cauliflower. But you’re such a wiz in the kitchen…I am sure you will find a great alternative.

      Booo, our 49ers did not come through tonight. My poor husband is sad about his team losing. Nothing some chocolate can’t fix apparently (he’s such a freak-o about chocolate…he is literally drowning his sadness in chocolate right now). Ha ha – he is so funny to me.

      Reply
  • Jen February 5, 2013 at 2:11 am

    Hey Amber! I just posted a recipe review on my site for this chowder. We heated up the leftovers for lunch today. I just added some chicken stock to thin it out a bit after it sat overnight in the fridge. Kids raved. Even my one-year-old lapped it up!

    Sorry your hubby is sad. I was more interested in Downton Abbey last night. Give the man some more chocolate. I might join him from FL just for support…

    I have one question for you: HOW CAN YOU SHARE MY ENTHUSIASM FOR FOOD, BE AN AWESOME CHEF AND YET STAY SO TINY?

    I guess we all have our faults 🙂

    Thanks again girl-
    XO
    Jen

    Reply
  • Amber February 5, 2013 at 3:37 am

    He ate so much chocolate last night. Poor guy! So glad you enjoyed the soup, Jen! That really warms my heart.

    And please, you have no faults. And don’t hate on my skinny girl!!! I have been skinny my whole life. I have incredibly high metabolism (that is a thing, and it is in fact genetic…my dad and brother are the same way). I am sort of tall (almost 5 foot 10). So it all evens out. It takes A LOT for a tall gal to look heavy anyway, and seriously, I inherited chicken legs, so any weight goes right to my stomach and arms (unfortunately, not my boobs). Having CD also makes it hard to keep on even weight. I was in a flare for months and lost weight, but now on meds I put some more meat on my bones. My daughter has my body frame- long, long legs like mama and can eat like a horse already at 6 years old! I love it. Oh, and my husband also has high metabolism (he does not exercise and eats a ton and stays trim). Let me just say, we spend a TON on food (really, it’s not funny how much money we spend…I need to be better about that).

    I hope we can still share our enthusiasm for food. I’ve been a foodie all my life…and I won’t let food restrictions stop me from eating and loving awesome food.

    Sorry I don’t have a magic answer for you. I do really have genetics to thank. I’ve been asked all my life (like most thin people perhaps) what my secret is (because people know I love food and see how much I can eat) – it just is what it is. I’ve learned to embrace my skinny self and love myself for who I am (skinny chicken legs and all).

    And, by the way, I can’t tell exactly from your picture, but you look super healthy to me. Not overweight at all, which makes me wonder if you are being too hard on yourself my friend. You are beautiful – and it’s obvious, beautiful inside and out!

    Hugs,
    –Am

    Reply
  • [email protected] February 5, 2013 at 7:00 pm

    Ooh I’m swooning Amber. I love a creamy clam chowder but had to give it up a few years ago…too rich and as a result..instant gut rot. BAD. This is such a good idea. Cashew cream as a base is a wonderful idea. Thank you for this lovely recipe.

    Reply
    • Amber September 27, 2013 at 11:21 pm

      Thanks France!! 🙂 Right! Cashews seriously rock! 🙂

      Reply
  • Janet Arnett August 10, 2014 at 5:10 pm

    Hi Amber, could I use Pacific Seafood 1 lb. frozen Razor Clams instead of the the 2 6oz cans of clams?

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 8:12 pm

      I think that would be just fine. 🙂 Let me know how it works out.

      Reply
  • Jessica October 15, 2014 at 10:08 am

    Thank you soooooooooo much for this recipe! I’ve been wanting to make clam chowder for my sister who had developed a severe allergy to lactose and gluten a few years ago.
    I just finished making it and is delicious! I’m so excited to bring it to her.
    Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Amber November 17, 2014 at 7:50 pm

      Yeah! That is so exciting. Thank you so much for sharing. Your note warms my heart.

      Reply
  • Quintessential Boston Foods: Chowder   | Tasty Tufts October 16, 2014 at 7:01 am

    […] They offer a solid option for both meat eaters and vegetarians. The Paleo diet has spawned versions that manage to capture nearly all components of the traditional chowder without using dairy or the […]

    Reply
  • Lucy November 5, 2014 at 5:36 am

    I don’t usually post comments for recipes but this soup is amazing! I eat fairly Paleo and have dairy allergies so that’s why I chose it. My two sons don’t usually like anything I make that is different. So I tried not to tell them it was non-dairy but they asked because they know about my allergies. I said “just taste it!” We all loved it and had two bowls!

    Reply
    • Amber November 16, 2014 at 10:00 am

      Oh thank you so much for your comment! And thank you for sharing how your children liked the soup – yeah!

      Reply
  • Tamra Vanegas November 16, 2014 at 8:58 am

    Ladies,
    I am trying this recipe for the first time and did all the prep on the stove top and then put it in my slow cooker on low. Has anyone else tried this??? Any tips if you have?
    Thanks,
    Tamra

    Reply
  • [email protected] March 21, 2015 at 7:52 pm

    Yum! we made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good!! You’re right….no way to tell there is no dairy in it! i added and extra can of clams, and quite a bit more juice to beef up the clam taste, and simmered with a bay leaf. Thanks you for a another great dinner Amber!

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

      Thanks my friend! And thanks for your added suggestions – always great to know how you modify the recipe. 🙂 Hugs.

      Reply
  • Brooke James May 16, 2015 at 8:07 pm

    I’m about to make this chowder (soooo excited i found this recipe) but I’m curious if you have tried freezing it and if it turns out okay when re-heated?

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 3:21 pm

      You know, that’s a good question. I have no idea! It gets gobbled up and never any leftovers. If you freeze it and reheat with success, please come on back and let me know how it worked! Many thanks.

      Reply
  • Coffee Talk: Dairy Free and Gluten Free Cooking - Action Hero Fitness October 11, 2015 at 8:48 am

    […] CLAM CHOWDER Recipe that I use as my base for seafood chowder, is here. It’s sooooo good (and freezes well […]

    Reply
  • Tonja Davis October 11, 2015 at 8:50 am

    My SIL and I love seafood chowder but she can no longer do dairy or gluten. We were so upset that we would lose our beloved seafood chowder. And then we found you! Thick and creamy is the ONLY way to go.

    I need to strain my cream because I still have small chunks of cashew when it’s blended, and we use all types of seafood and smoked clams for flavor but heavens!! This is so good!!

    I’m sharing it with everyone I know and it even made my recipe blab today (with appropriate links and attribution) Thank you so much for this.

    Reply
    • Amber October 11, 2015 at 1:41 pm

      Thank you so much for the lovely comment! It warms my heart to hear others enjoying food they once thought was off limits. Yay! 🙂

      Reply
  • Alicia October 14, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    WOW…is all we could keep saying while spooning this devine chowder into our mouths. Thank you Amber for such a lovely and healthy clam chowder. Perfect on this fall day. My DH and I are in our 50’s and trying to eat clean. I will be trying more of your recipes. Thank you so much for all you do.

    Reply
    • Amber October 14, 2015 at 5:43 pm

      So glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! I love, love, LOVE clam chowder and missed it so much. This recipe is a really nice substitute if avoiding dairy. And I feel so good after eating it (unlike the original recipe). Really it’s all about the clams anyway, right. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I love hearing how others are enjoying some tasty alternative recipes. 😉 Be well.

      Reply
  • Eric March 1, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    Hi, I was very much looking forward to making this chowder but my result was more “gritty” than thick and creamy and it tasted more like cashew chowder as opposed to clam chowder. I used the exact ingredients specified and did my best to follow the instructions provided. Any idea what I may have done wrong?

    Reply
    • Amber April 3, 2016 at 6:44 pm

      Did you use a blender that blended the mixture into a smooth silky texture? If not, yes, it will be gritty. I have a high speed blender that works well for creating smooth blends.

      Reply
  • James March 6, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Can one substitute some amount of cashew milk instead of the soaked cashews?

    Reply
    • Amber April 3, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      Not sure? Homemade cashew milk is very thick and works well. I believe there are additives in the store bought brand. But give it a try…you never know.

      Reply

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Monday, January 21, 2013

Delicious French Lentil Soup with Butternut Squash and Dino Kale (SCD Friendly, Vegan)

There’s a great little restaurant down the street from my house and next door to my beloved Davis Foods Coop, called Monticello. They serve seasonal cuisine and uphold a farm to plate menu (they even have their own farm!) – I just love that.  Their menu is awesome, serving up organic chicken, gluten free breads, a ton of vegan soups, organic salad, etc.  If you are ever in Davis (California), call me and I will take you there.  It’s fabulous, fresh and healthy.  A few months ago I took my son to this favorite spot for lunch.  Their soup of the day knocked my socks off.  It was so simple, yet so delicious.  I asked what was in the soup (without getting too nosy), then rushed next door to my Coop and gathered the ingredients…and I made it that night for dinner.  It’s a simple French lentil soup, but what makes it extra special is the addition of kale and butternut squash.  The butternut squash and carrots impart a delicate sweetness to the dish and the tender kale is the perfect texture against the creamy lentils.  I played around with the recipe a few times until I found the perfect ratios. I hope you also enjoy this soup.  It’s very satisfying.  Oh, and I love it the next morning with two fried eggs, avocado, and a splash of hot sauce.  
Superb my friends.  
Ingredients: 
-2 cups onions, small chop 
-2 cups carrots, peeled and small chop
-3 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and small cubed 

-1/2 pound (8 ounces) of dino kale, wash and remove large stem  

-2 cups French lentils, soaked for 6 – 8 hours* (please see notes about the soaking).   
-7 cups filtered water 
-2 teaspoons garlic granules
-1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
-2 tablespoons oil
-3 turns of the pepper grinder

How To:
1.  In large soup stock pan (my dutch oven is too small for this recipe), add onions, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute for 5 minutes on medium heat.
2.  Add in the carrots and butternut squash and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.  
3.  Drain the lentils of their soaking water and add them to the pot, along with the garlic granules, the additional 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, and water.  Bring to a rapid boil for 2 minutes.
4.  Turn heat down to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.
5.  After 45 minutes, uncover.  Tear the kale with your hands as you add it to the pot.  Stir kale around and bring the soup to very gentle simmer.  Simmer for an additional 15 minutes, until kale is nice and tender.  
6.  Turn off heat and let sit until ready to serve (cover if you wish).  Warm through before serving.  Serves 6 adults.  I like to serve with a wedge of lemon.  

Notes:
*The lentils must be soaked for this dish for two reasons: (1) when making SCD soups with lentils, soaking them is necessary, and (2) the water in this soup has been calibrated only to the soaked lentils. I have found soaked verses dried legumes require different water ratios.  So please follow directions as specified for best results.

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Keep It Real Thursdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays, Wellness Weekend  Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Whole Foods Friday, Gluten Free Fridays, Healthy Vegan Friday Sweet Saturday, 

Posted by Amber at 5:03 am

Labels: main dish, SCD, Soup, vegan, vegetarian, winter cuisine.

12 Comments

  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen January 21, 2013 at 5:14 pm

    Lentils are by far my favorite bean and I really discovered that 2 years ago when I started making soups with them! They are so easy to use and really are amazingly delicious! This soup sounds perfect!

    Reply
  • Vicky January 21, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    Yummy recipe Amber, I LOVE lentil anything and great advice about the soaking!

    Nice to see you posting again.

    Vicky x

    Reply
  • The Quiet Mom January 22, 2013 at 1:10 am

    I love lentil soup. I miss this!

    Hopping by and following your lovely blog’s twitter, FB. I blog @ Getting Healthy with Essential Oils

    I am also inviting you to join Tiddle Diddle Handmade Shoppe’s first giveaway event.

    Reply
  • toxicity2purity January 22, 2013 at 6:30 am

    Thank you for sharing. So good to hear about the place in Davis. I have been to the farmers kitchen (not a fan of the food, but love the bread) and now I know when I make a trip to Davis again, I have another spot to check out!!

    Reply
  • [email protected] January 24, 2013 at 10:54 pm

    Amber…after my own heart. French lentils in soup, I love. The sweetness of carrots and butternut squash, oh my. Eggs on it for breakfast.Swoon.

    Reply
  • Cindy Gordon January 24, 2013 at 11:25 pm

    I love squash! YUM! I’d love for you to link this up at our Gluten Free Fridays party this week! Its live now! I hope you make it this week! 🙂 Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply
  • Diane January 25, 2013 at 2:53 pm

    I am a major advocate of lentils. I would love if you brought your healthy and seasonal recipe by foodie friday today.

    Reply
  • Jennifer January 25, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    This looks yummy! Please share this in a new Linky Party –Weekend Kitchen Creations at http://www.weekendkitchencreations.blogspot.com. Please join us, share your delicious creation, build more traffic for your blog and get other scrumptious ideas.

    Reply
  • Cindy Gordon January 31, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    Loving the use of squash. I have several to use yet! Got this tweeted and pinned! Thanks for linking up at Gluten Free Fridays!

    Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook February 1, 2013 at 2:24 pm

    Hey Amber! I’m highlighting this on Healthy Vegan Friday this week! Thanks for sharing such a great recipe 🙂

    Reply
  • Rose Ann Witt May 18, 2015 at 9:29 pm

    Thank you, Amber. I made this soup for dinner tonight and everyone loved it … even my carnivorous husband and son. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow with eggs, avocado & hot sauce. Yum!

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 3:14 pm

      Yay! Thank you for sharing. And yes…leftovers with eggs and the fixens’…delicious! xo

      Reply

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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Chicken, Black Bean, and Delicata Squash Enchiladas with Homemade Enchilada Sauce (gluten & dairy free)

Hello friends.  When I wrote this post back in December, we were in the middle of painting our new house.  The Holiday and move came on fast, so this post never made it to the publishing stage.  So, here it is.
   
**********
Home improvement takes so much time and energy, but it’s so fun to be part of the transformation.  I included some pictures below of our home improvement journey thus far.  But before I talk about this delicious recipe, I want to share with you this awesome paint I found on-line…and lucky for me it’s distributed at one of my favorite eco-home improvement stores in the nearby town of Berkeley.  I love this paint for many reasons, obviously because it’s zero VOC, is free of ozone depleting compounds, formaldehyde  reproductive toxins, and very, very low odor, but also because this company is founded and run by two amazing women, Virginia and Janie – I love nothing more than supporting female driven companies – and companies that are in-line with my eco-friendly, green lifestyle.  You can read about there story here.  Because of these smart, innovative women, folks like me can purchase non-toxic paint for their home and not only spare the air, but spare the health of loved ones.  I personally have enough against me with an auto-immune disease and severe chemical sensitivity.  I can’t tell you how happy and thankful I am for Virginia and Janie…and Yolo Colorhouse!!  
Okay, on to the food.  I have been meaning to share this recipe with you since last fall.  So I’m glad to finally get it out there.  It’s a ridiculously easy recipe that you can make your own by adding a variety of ingredients.  And the star of the show is the delicious homemade enchilada sauce, that is so very easy, you will never purchased that canned stuff again!  In my ever evolving efforts to uphold a green, low-waste kitchen, I try to make what I can from scratch.  I hope you will give this recipe a try.  Enjoy! 

Ingredients:

For the filling
-2 medium cooked chicken breasts, cubed (or shredded)
-3 medium delicata squash, peeled, cubed, and roasted 
-2 cups prepared black beans (soaked and boiled, preferably)
-One bag room temperature Rudi’s Gluten Free plain Tortillas  

Enchilada sauce
-1 pound green anaheim peppers or gypsy peppers*
-1 medium yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
-1 cup water
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 + 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
-1/2 teaspoon cumin
-2 tablespoons oil
-Optional 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 

How To:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2.  Wash and seed your peppers of choice, or what is seaonsal.  Chop peppers in half or quarters.  Add peppers and chopped onions to a small 9×9 glass Pyrex (or whatever you have on hand), and to that dish add 2 tablespoons oil and 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules.  Toss ingredients and roast for 30 minutes.  You want the peppers to start browning a little.  When the peppers are done roasting, remove from oven and set aside. The peppers can be made earlier in the day and set aside for several hours.  When you are ready to make the sauce, simply add the onions and peppers to a blender (I use a Vitamix), along with the 1 cup of water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and optional chili powder.  Blend until well incorporated. 

-I recommend roasting the chicken and squash at the same time with the peppers, in different dishes of course.  For the squash, I drizzle on some oil and add a few shakes of garlic granules.  For the chicken I drizzle on some oil, and add a few shakes of salt and garlic granules. Everything should be done at the same time.  Check the chicken’s internal temp at 30 minutes (needs to be at least 180 degrees), and check the squash for doneness.

3. After your finished with your roasting, turn oven down to 375
4.  Get your room temperature tortillas and start stuffin’.  I lay mine flat then add chicken, squash, and the black beans.  Don’t stuff too full…you want to be able to fold them at least.  Just roll closed, you don’t have to fold down the corners or anything fancy.  
5.  Place tortillas in a Pyrex.  You should fit 8 in there.  Don’t be shy, push them around a bit if you have to.

6.   Pour the enchilada sauce over the tortillas.  Bam, now you have some gnarly enchiladas going on.  Bake COVERED for 30 minutes (I cover with a stainless steel backing sheet – remember, I don’t use foil in my kitchen, so I get crafty and find other ways to cover dishes).  

7.  After 30 minutes, remove from oven, uncover, and allow to cool for about 20 minutes.

-Serve on a bed of fresh romaine lettuce along side fresh avocado, salsa of choice, cashew sour cream, chopped red onion, and a dash of hot sauce.

Notes:
*I have used three different peppers for the enchilada sauce.  Here’s the breakdown: (1) your basic green peppers yield a very bitter sauce and I do not recommend, (2) Anaheim can be a little spicy if you accidently get a seed in there, but using this variety will yield a more authentic tasting enchilada sauce – I definitely recommend anaheim, and (3) gypsy peppers yield a slightly sweet sauce, I also really love using these. 
*You can also use brown rice tortillas, but you will have to warm with with some oil so they become more pliable.  I have a few pictures of the brown rice tortillas batch below.

Delicata is by far my favorite squash
Gypsy peppers – so pretty
This batch is using Rudi’s Gluten Free plain Tortillas with gypsey pepper enchilada sauce:
This batch is using brown rice tortillas and anaheim peppers for the sauce:  
You can add a little dairy free cheese before you bake 
Anaheim peppers ready for roasting
**************
 Here are some pictures of our December home improvement:
Removed large fireplace to create more space in the kitchen and for the kitchen remodel in a few years…
Painting
Prepping floors for new solid wood non-toxic bamboo flooring
Ahhhh, it’s so freakin’ pretty! 
We had a temporary wall installed where the fireplace used to be.  This will come down when we do the kitchen remodel, but for now it allows us some much needed extra space in the kitchen.
*
 Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Keep It Real Thursdays, Pennywise Platter Thursdays,
Fight Back Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Whole Foods Friday, Gluten Free Fridays, Sweet Saturday, 
Posted by Amber at 9:32 pm

Labels: dairy free, fall cuisine, gluten free, main dish, winter cuisine.

8 Comments

  • Taylor @ Pop Up Gazebo January 18, 2013 at 9:46 am

    That’s some hard work being done and I hope everything had gone well. By the way the tortillas recipe was great and the pictures got me mouthwatering.

    Reply
  • Jen January 18, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Amber! You’re making my mouth water again!! This recipe looks phenomenal. Your home looks so pretty. I hope you are settling in well.

    XO
    Jen

    Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily January 18, 2013 at 7:46 pm

    Wow, I am so very impressed on all the work you are doing! Love that the kiddos are right in there with you, too. You are teaching them a good work ethic and they’ll never forget this experience and will feel more vested in their home as they grow up there. Awesome job on all, Amber!

    And I love the enchilada recipe! Can’t wait to share it, dear. 🙂

    xo,
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen January 19, 2013 at 12:27 am

    Wow, you have been busy! I LOVE enchiladas, but sadly rarely make them. You’ve convinced me that I need to get on that! These look amazing! Happy New Year to you and your beautiful family!

    Reply
  • Laura January 19, 2013 at 9:49 pm

    Awesome recipe Amber! Your new floor looks absolutely gorgeous. Your hard work paid off!!!

    Reply
  • [email protected] January 20, 2013 at 12:31 am

    You are too cute. Thank you for bringing a smile to my face. You brave woman…that is a sh.tload of work. Seriously! My new hero. By the way the floors look amazing! oh and so do the enchiladas. Love the idea of squash and black beans together. By the way, when do you find time to cook in all that work and mess? You’re my hero.

    Reply
  • Ali @ JamHands.net January 23, 2013 at 3:02 am

    Yum! Those look really filling and tasty 🙂 If you don’t mind I wanted to invite you to come link up at Recipe Sharing Monday and share your favorite recipes. Have a super week. 🙂

    Reply
  • Cindy Gordon January 31, 2013 at 11:02 pm

    There are some pretty colors in that dish! I have not had delicata squash before! Your home improvement project looks great! What a big project! Awesome work!
    Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! 🙂

    Thanks for linking back to the Gluten Free Fridays post!

    See you at the link up this week! We are having a special giveaway this week! Its a tote bag filled with some Gluten Free Allergy Friendly goodies!

    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Ode to Cafe Gratitute: Part 1 ~ The Community Bowl (Kale, Black Beans, and Rice with a Cashew Cream Sauce)

I learned about Cafe Gratitude a few years ago and it has been my favorite restaurant ever since.  The closest location is about 50 minutes away, but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, because if CG was located in my town, I would need to find an evening and weekend job just to pay for my addiction to their food.  Nearly every time we travel to the Bay Area/San Francisco we stop at CG.  And every time it’s a delightful treat.  Not only do they serve amazing organic vegan (and raw) cuisine, but they are also a green/sustainable establishment.  They grow their own food at an organic farm just about 25 minutes from our house.  I have such a love affair with this restaurant.  I want to live there (I know, weird).  I’m just a total sucker for earth loving, progressive, friendly, crunchy folks.  Because I can’t eat there for every meal (like I dream about) I make many of their recipes here at home.  Today I’m sharing a dish called the Community Bowl that I always get for the kids when we stop by the restaurant.  They love it and it makes a great dinner.  

(An article in the Huffington Post published October 21, states that Cafe Gratitude will be closing all their Northern California locations due to “aggressive lawsuits” brought about by current and former employees).  
Noooooooooo!!! Well, this just sucks.  First I feel badly for the owners.  I don’t know all the details to this story and don’t know if they did something illegal, but it’s unfortunate these great restaurants are closing.  Really unfortunate.  At any rate, I look forward to sharing some of my favorite dishes and recipes with you over the next few months.
  The Community Bowl
(Kale, Black Beans, Rice and Cashew Cream Sauce) 
Ingredients:
-1 bunch of kale, washed and chopped (we like Dino Kale)
-2 cups brown rice 
-3 cups prepared black beans (soaked and boiled) 
-3/4 cups cashews, soaked 4-6 hours
-1 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
-1/4 to 1/2 cup filtered water (or more if needed) 
-1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt 

How To:
1.  Cook the two cups brown rice as directed
2.  Use plain prepared black beans OR saute the black beans with some oil, a splash of water, dash of salt and 1/4 teaspoon garlic granules (I prefer this method)
3. Use plain kale OR saute with a little water and salt to soften greens (my kids prefer kale on the soft side, as it can be a little tough)
4.  In a blender, add the soaked cashews, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Blend.  Add more water to create creamy consistency.  And then taste.  This is were you add in more salt and lemon juice to taste.  What you are looking for is a creamy, slightly tart sauce.  In the restaurant they serve this dish with a garlic tahini cashew based sauce that is amazing, but too spicy for the kids, so when I order it I just ask for the cashew cream sauce.  

Start by mixing the kale and black beans

 Then add the rice 

 And finish with the cashew cream sauce

Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Meatless Monday, Gluten Free Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Raw Foods Thursday, Keep It Real Thursdays, Wellness Weekend, Whole Foods Friday, 

Posted by Amber at 5:04 am

Labels: dairy free, gluten free, main dish, vegan, vegetarian.

18 Comments

  • Sarena Shasteen - The Non-Dairy Queen October 22, 2012 at 3:12 pm

    This looks amazing Amber! I bet that cream sauce on top is just pure heaven! I love bowls that are built up like this! Each layer is like a new tasting adventure! YUM!

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:13 pm

      Thanks Sarena! 🙂

      I do love my cashew cream sauce. This is fun dish that my family enjoys. And it’s a snap to make.

      Reply
  • the 3volution of j3nn October 22, 2012 at 5:10 pm

    I haven’t made cashew “sour cream” in a while! I’m inspired to get my cashews soaking right now. 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:15 pm

      Oh please do give it a try and let me know how you like it. I’ve been dairy free for so long and miss those creamy toppings and textures, so this is such “tasty alternative.” 🙂

      Reply
  • Gabby @ the veggie nook October 22, 2012 at 5:35 pm

    This is beautiful! So simple, but I can imagine how out of this world it tastes!

    So sad your favourite restaurant is closing 🙁 At least you have mad cooking skills and can recreate your favourite dishes!

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:15 pm

      Thanks sweet Gabby.

      Reply
  • gfcakemom October 23, 2012 at 2:08 am

    I just made this for my family this evening. I wasn’t holding out a lot of hope since I can’t get my family to eat kale to save the world. My family LOVED this! I am SO happy about this! My 4 year old had 3 helpings. Thanks for the awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 2:19 am

      Oh this just made me smile ear to ear. Thank you! I have to say, it’s so simple yet so delicious! I thought the same thing the first time I ordered it for my kids at the restaurant, but they gobbled it up and it’s a favorite here at home. So, so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing! 🙂

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • linda @ Axiom at Home October 23, 2012 at 2:45 am

    This looks fantastic! I will definitely give it a try.

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:17 pm

      Please do give it a try. 🙂

      Reply
  • Tessa Domestic Diva October 23, 2012 at 3:15 am

    Cashew cream = heaven!! I remember you talking about this place in another over a year ago…am I thinking of tthe right place? Where are you moving to btw?

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:18 pm

      Agreed Tessa. I’m addicted. 🙂

      Reply
  • Laura October 23, 2012 at 6:53 am

    I agree with Tessa on the cashew cream-must try! Thank you for a wonderful post friend. What a healthy recipe and a lovely place.

    Reply
    • Amber October 23, 2012 at 8:20 pm

      Thanks Laura! 🙂

      Reply
  • [email protected] October 25, 2012 at 6:00 pm

    So lovely Amber. I love this dish. I can’t wait to make this. We have everything to make this and it is super nutritious.

    Reply
  • Cindy Gordon October 25, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    YUMMY! This looks amazing!! 🙂 I’d love a bite now! 🙂 LOL I’d like you invite you to come back over and link this recipe (and any others up) at our Gluten Free Fridays party! It will be live for link ups tonight (Thursday) at 7:05 eastern time! I hope that you can join us!
    Cindy from vegetarianmamma.com

    Reply
  • Jessica October 26, 2012 at 8:02 pm

    That dish looks amazing, but that’s too bad a place called “Cafe Gratitude” was shut down. I wonder what happened. Thank you so much for sharing this on Meatless Monday 🙂 Nice to see you there again 🙂

    Reply
  • Rachael DeterminedDarling November 6, 2012 at 3:55 am

    O this looks delicious I need to try making this sometime soon. Pinning it!

    Reply

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Monday, October 1, 2012

Sweet and Simple Mango Dressing with Three Delicious Salad Ideas

This harvest moon is just gorgeous and I can’t WAIT to start decorating for fall.  However, I’m finding it hard to get in the mood here when it’s 100 flippin’ degrees outside.  Yellow leaves, hot apple cider, scarecrows and soup are the farthest things from my mind.  All I want to do is jump in a pool, sip smoothies, and eat salads.  So keeping with the theme here of hot fall nights, I am sharing three fun and easy salad ideas, all topped with one simple mango dressing.  Theoretically, you could just blend up a super ripe mango and use that as a dressing, but I’ve added just a few other ingredients to give it some depth of flavor.  I know we will get our cool down soon.  Until then, you’ll be seeing more warm weather dishes here on The Tasty Alternative.  Salud. 
*

Sweet and Simple Mango Dressing:

Ingredients:
-1 VERY ripe mango, peeled and chopped (2 cups)
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar* 
-1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar* 
-3 tablespoons filtered water
-1 tablespoon oil (I use grapeseed)
-1/8 teaspoon salt 

How To:
1.  Blend all ingredients in food processor (or blender of choice) until smooth.  
2.  Will keep in fridge up to 4 days.   

Notes:
*If the mango is not super ripe, I recommend adding a sweetener. 
*vinegar variations: you could add just 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.  Alternatively, you could add in just two tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, but the color will turn very dark.  Any vinegar would work really, perhaps even lemon juice.  
Here with Salad #1 we have a spinach and spring mix topped with crispy red apple, pumpkin seeds, dried figs and dried apricots.  Pistachios or walnuts would also taste fabulous, as would chopped Asian pear or crunchy kohlrabi. 
Salad #2 is fiesta inspired.  Spinach, romaine, and spring mix topped with garlic sauteed black beans, red onion, roasted pumpkin seeds, avocado and tomatoes.  The mango dressing is the perfect sweet flavor against the savory toppings.  Grilled chicken, green peppers, cilantro or cashew sour cream would also be fabulous on this salad.  
Lastly, salad #3.  A bed of spinach and spring mix topped with roasted sweet potatoes, roasted pumpkin seeds, diced shallot and dried cranberries.  The warm sweet potatoes wilt the greens just enough and the splash of cool sweet mango adds quite the flavor dimension.  Roasted delicata or butternut squash would taste divine, other ideas for this salad include fresh or dried figs, nectarine, or roasted sunflower seeds. 
Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Motivate Me Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Fat Tuesday, Raw Foods Thursday, 
Posted by Amber at 5:11 am

Labels: main dish, salad, vegan, vegetarian.

20 Comments

  • Vicky October 1, 2012 at 6:51 pm

    I LOVE your salad dressing and salad ideas! Such a beautiful post!

    Reply
  • Lauren October 1, 2012 at 7:02 pm

    Mango dressing?!?! This is an entirely new concept to me and it looks SO amazing! I cannot wait to try this tonight! I have some chopped mango in my freezer and the rest of the ingredients in my pantry.

    Reply
  • gfe--gluten free easily October 1, 2012 at 7:07 pm

    Wow, that dressing looks awesome! I love mango. I’m embarrassed to say that my last one got buried in the fridge until it was too late. 🙁 Now as far as my salad choices … I’d have to go with #2 or #3, but they all look and sound terrific! 🙂

    Thanks, Amber!
    Shirley

    Reply
  • Laura October 1, 2012 at 8:57 pm

    Ahh I am not alone-it is sooo hot here too! I am sweating right now. We got spoiled with some cool days a few weeks ago and now back to the hot grind. These salads look perfectly cooling and scrumptious. Mango dressing is the perfect way to get my kids to eat salad!

    Reply
  • [email protected] October 2, 2012 at 1:21 am

    ooh! I could have this dressing everyday. Heck I could drink it hehehe.

    Reply
  • Heather @Gluten-Free Cat October 2, 2012 at 1:41 am

    Oh goodness, you weren’t kidding! We ARE on the same wavelength with salads! These literally made my mouth water! Mangoes just went on the grocery list. I’m trying to decide between Salads 2 & 3. I might have to start with 3 because just imagining the rich flavors with the tangy dressing is making me hungry! Love these! You are brilliant! (Please link up your dressing to Raw Foods Thursdays this week!!!)

    Reply
  • Jen October 2, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    I love these salad ideas Amber! I’d eat every one of them happily! I love the idea of mango dressing. Thanks for sharing.

    Jen

    Reply
  • glutenfreehappytummy.com October 6, 2012 at 1:47 am

    oh Amber, that dressing sounds marvelous! i love anything mango. this is perfect! and what beautiful salads!

    Reply
  • Chaya October 7, 2012 at 3:48 am

    You are going to keep me in salads for a while. I couldn’t select a favorite so I featured all three photos on My Meatless Mondays. Thanks for making it so easy on me.

    Reply
  • Mango Dressing, Chicken Paprikash and Birthday Cake May 13, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    […] Sweet and Simple Mango Dressing @ Tasty Alternative […]

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  • My Secret to Effortless Lunches - Intentionally Blended November 6, 2014 at 7:32 pm

    […] Salad topped with grilled chicken with mango dressing […]

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  • My warm weather menu | cheering for nutrition November 12, 2014 at 6:18 pm

    […] This lovely mango dressing that you can add to any salad or on top of grilled chicken breasts (I usually don’t include the balsamic vinegar though) […]

    Reply
  • Jordina March 3, 2015 at 7:57 am

    I LOVE this dressing! I have some spinach, mangoes and apples at home, just have to buy a couple more of things and I will do this for dinner 🙂

    •The Health Blog for the Lazy Girl•

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 3:48 pm

      Oh thank you! We love it too.

      Reply
  • Karen March 25, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    Fantastic dressing. I have been using it on spinach and baby kale with tomatoes, avocados and maroon carrots. That’s been lunch 2 weeks in a row.

    Reply
    • Amber June 24, 2015 at 3:45 pm

      Oh yummy. Sounds great! Thank you for sharing. It’s one of our favorites too. 🙂

      Reply
  • 15 Homemade Salad Dressing Recipes - The Craftiest CoupleThe Craftiest Couple April 9, 2015 at 9:08 am

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    […] 18. Spice up your salad with this Mango Dressing […]

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    […] 18. Spice up your salad with this Mango Dressing […]

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  • 10 Delicious Mango Recipes You Don't Want to Miss September 8, 2015 at 8:19 am

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Guest Post from Lauren at Empowered Sustenance: Zucchini Pasta with Sausage and Roasted Garlic Sauce (grain free, SCD)

Hi Tasty Alternative Readers!

I’m Lauren, and I write Empowered Sustenance, a blog filled with nourishing recipes for the SCD, GAPS diet, Paleo diet, and nut free diets. I am excited for this opportunity to share a healing recipe with you! Amber has been so encouraging and supportive ever since I started my blog, and it is an honor to guest post here.


Part of the challenge of a restricted diet is recreating nostalgic dishes with allowed ingredients. I enjoy this obstacle posed by the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. When reproducing an off-limits recipe, I follow a general outline (what I remember the dish to taste like) and express my creativity within that outline (using new ingredients or adding new flavors, for example). Oddly, I’m passionate about ballet for the same reason: I have room for artistic interpretation within the confines of proper technique. 

This faux-pasta recipe started with a memory of a favorite family dinner. My mom used to toss Tinkyada brown rice pasta with mashed roasted garlic, salt, and olive oil. Our family heaped this side dish next to pork chops and sauteed apples. In my grain free translation, I’ve doused zucchini pasta with a creamy, dairy free roasted garlic sauce. The mellow sweetness from the smoked apple sausage gives a nod to the apple and pork chop combo. 
Those on grain free diets usually sing the praises of versatile zucchini. I love how easily this bland veggie transforms into al dente pasta.  I use a julienne peeler to cut my zucchini into strips.

 Trader Joe’s offers a SCD and GAPS diet friendly sausage. Substitute any other sugar and grain free natural sausage.

I used Trader Joe’s Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage here. This is a great convenience food option for the SCD and GAPS diet. The ingredients are: chicken, apples, salt, celery, white pepper, nutmeg, thyme, ginger, chardonnay, rosemary, natural pork casing. I always remove the casing from this sausage, because it is tough and chewy.

Zucchini Pasta with Sausage and Roasted Garlic Sauce

For 2 servings, double as needed

-2 all natural, sugar free, fully cooked sausage (I used Trader Joe’s Smoked Apple Chardonnay Chicken Sausage)

-2 Tbs. butter or olive oil

-2 small zucchini, cut into pasta 

-2 Tbs. roasted garlic

-1/4 cup homemade 24-hour yogurt or additive-free coconut milk

-Salt, to taste


How To:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Heat the butter (or olive oil) in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Remove the casing from the sausage if desired (it usually peels off easily when the sausage is cold). Slice the sausage and brown in the butter/olive oil.

While sausage is browning, add the zucchini pasta to the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute to soften, then drain. Remove the sausage from the sauté pan and set aside. Stir the roasted garlic and yogurt/coconut milk into the remaining butter in the pan. Warm through, and season the sauce lightly with salt. Top the sausage pieces and pasta with the warm sauce.


———————


Thanks again for this opportunity, and for all your support as I’ve started my blog! 

Have a great rest of the week!

Posted by Amber at 2:22 pm

Labels: grain free, guest post, main dish, SCD.

5 Comments

  • Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance August 28, 2012 at 7:05 pm

    Amber, thanks so much for the opportunity to guest post! I hope your readers enjoy the recipe!

    Reply
  • caroline August 28, 2012 at 9:57 pm

    Yum! Lauren your pictures look great 😉

    Reply
  • [email protected] September 1, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    Yum. I love zucchini pasta but I haven’t tried it this way. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  • MickeyDoo September 27, 2012 at 5:39 am

    I made this last night, yummy!!! I didn’t have any canned coconut milk or yogurt. So, I added some SoDelicious coconut creamer instead. Love the pictures!!! that’s what got me hooked… 🙂

    Reply
  • Zucchini Pasta with Sausage and Roasted Garlic Sauce (GAPS, SCD, Paleo) | Food making for family! April 11, 2014 at 9:59 am

    […] 1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Heat the butter (or olive oil) in a small sauté pan over medium heat. 2. Remove the casing from the sausage if desired (it usually peels off easily when the sausage is cold). 3. Slice the sausage and brown in the butter/olive oil. 4. While sausage is browning, add the zucchini pasta to the boiling water. Cook for 1 minute to soften, then drain. 5. Remove the sausage from the sauté pan and set aside. 6. Stir the roasted garlic and yogurt/coconut milk into the remaining butter in the pan. Warm through, and season the sauce lightly with salt. 7. Top the sausage pieces and pasta with the warm sauce. Reference: Thetastyalternative.com […]

    Reply

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Monday, August 6, 2012

Simple and Delicious Carrot Curry Lentil Soup with Lemon (SCD Friendly) – with a video of the foggy West Coast.

I have a confession, I’m one of those crazy girls that can eat anything for breakfast.  I’ve always been like that.  I never turn down food in the morning just because it’s not “breakfast” material.  See, this is where my sweet husband and I differ.  He likes his meals compartmentalized where I’m all over the place.  I’ll eat cold pizza, roasted veggies, chicken, pasta, any variety of leftovers, pasta, and yes, even soup for breakfast.  I’ve come to realize that this free love with food for breakfast is a good thing on SCD.  Breakfast is perhaps the most difficult part of SCD for me.  It’s a very grain-egg-meat dominated set-up.  But luckily, I’ve found some great substitutes (but I’ve also come to realize that I don’t do well with a lot of nuts on SCD, so I can’t rely on nut-based substitutes every morning).  So what does all this breakfast talk have to do with soup?  Well, I wanted to share a soup with you I’ve been making to eat during the week (for breakfast or whenever).  Mornings are a perfect time to eat soup in the summer.  And let me tell you friends, it gets HOT HOT here in Northern Cali, but the mornings are great, so I don’t shy away from soups.  This soup is so flavorful and filling.  It really hits the spot in the morning and gives me incredible energy – it’s like my new oatmeal (hey, why not).  So I hope you enjoy this simple, versatile soup.  We sure do. 

I need to remember that it’s not HOT everywhere in the summer.  We live about 80 miles from San Francisco, and it can be 110 degrees here in valley and 55 degrees on the coast (no joke).  My husband grew up 1/2 mile from the beach near San Francisco and last week we had a visit with his family.  After a long day playing on the chilly, foggy, beautiful beach I made this soup for dinner and it warmed us right up.  My husband’s heart will always be with the sea.  I love watching him play with our children at the same beach he romped around on as a child.  I’ve included a video of our day below.  

Carrot Curry Lentil Soup with Lemon
Ingredients:
-2 cups brown lentils soaked for 15 – 20 hours (water changed 1x)
-1 medium yellow onion, small chop
-2 cups chopped carrots
-2 cups chopped tomato
-1 can SCD/BPA free coconut milk (or 1 1/2 cups homemade coconut milk)
-3/4 teaspoon salt
-2 teaspoon garlic granules
-2 teaspoons green curry paste* 
-4 cups filtered water 
-Oil of choice (I use grapeseed)

How To:
1.  Coat the bottom of a large soup pot with oil and sauté onions with salt for about 5 minutes.  
2.  Add the chopped carrots and tomatoes, sauté for about 3 minutes.
3.  Add garlic granules and curry paste.  Stir to incorporate.  Add the coconut milk, drained lentils and stir.
4.  Add water, stir. 
5.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and turn down to a simmer on just above low for one hour.  
6.  Turn off heat and keep covered until ready to serve.  Reheat as needed.
7.  Serve with 1/2 fresh squeezed lemon.  I also prefer freshly grated ginger with freshly ground black pepper.  Avocado or vegan cashew sour cream is also delicious for garnish.  
-Serves 6

Notes:

*I can’t guarantee results if a different curry is used.  The green curry paste is fantastic and I highly recommend it.  If you have success in making this soup with a homemade curry or a powder curry, please share in the comments.  

*
The beautiful, foggy West Coast:

 Shared on: Melt in your Mouth Mondays, Keep It Simple Mondays, Monday Mania, Mealtime Monday,  My Meatless Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, Made from Scratch Monday,Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Recipe Box Tuesday, Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesdays, Whole Foods Wednesdays, Fight Back Friday Freaky Friday, Lifeologia Summerizing Party, Friday Food, 


Posted by Amber at 6:24 am

Labels: dairy free, main dish, SCD, Soup, vegan, vegetarian.

24 Comments

  • Gabby @ the veggie nook August 6, 2012 at 9:07 am

    This sounds do lovely! I’m the same as you- every food is breakfast material!

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 3:25 pm

      Thank you sweet Gabby! Glad to find another gal who will eat anything in the morning. 🙂

      Reply
  • Theresa August 6, 2012 at 2:32 pm

    Love this idea! I have been making lots of white beans for my girls, but haven’t gotten into lentils yet. Do I prepare them just like I would the beans?

    Also….you sound like you might live very close to us! I am always looking for scd buddies. We are in Modesto! Love living close enough to the coast as well!

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 3:25 pm

      Thanks for stopping by, Theresa! Glad to meet you. You do live close! Such a small world.

      I think you’ll love lentils. They are delicious.

      That’s a great question about their preparation. Lentils are A LOT less work than other beans. For lentils, you simply soak then add directly to soup. They are very delicate and you don’t need to “pre boil” before you add them to anything.

      I hope this helps and please let me know if you have additional questions.

      Be Well,
      –Amber

      Reply
  • glutenfreehappytummy.com August 6, 2012 at 3:32 pm

    Hey Amber! awww what a fun video! And wow that soup looks goooood! I agree, I can eat just about anything for breakfast! I have yet to add lentils into the diet, but as soon as I do, you KNOW i’ll be making this!! The lemon is so creative! Have a terrific Monday! Hugs!

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 9:22 pm

      Thanks Caralyn. You also have a great day – it’s your birthday, right!! Sending birthday hugs to you. 🙂

      Reply
  • Chaya August 6, 2012 at 5:20 pm

    I am planning to do a soup a week when I complete my weekly muffins. I have to keep this one ready to go. It looks so good. Glad to see you linking again. I also took some time off and posted only at a few, the last two weeks. Sometimes, a break is called for.

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 9:23 pm

      Thanks Chaya. The break was nice. But I enjoy sharing – and link parties are such am amazing place to find new recipes (and also share).

      Reply
  • RockerWife August 6, 2012 at 5:40 pm

    I have lentils soaking and will make this soup later today. I plan on roasted the carrots and onions and a bit of fresh garlic before adding them to the soup. I’ll let you know how it turns out. 🙂 I’m on my 3rd week of the 4-hour body eating plan and lost 4 lbs already. This soup fits perfectly into the diet. (hi Tess!)

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 9:21 pm

      Roasting the carrots and onions will be delish. You could just throw everything in a crockpot if you roast those veggies first. I’ve been thinking about doing this. 🙂

      Great job losing 4 lbs! Keep up the great work and I hope you enjoy the recipe. Let me know. 🙂

      Reply
  • Lauren @ Empowered Sustenance August 6, 2012 at 7:37 pm

    I love the idea of curry in lentil soup! I can’t wait to try this! Have you heard of French Green Lentils? They are a bit sturdier than brown lentils, and are my favorite kind. I love the video!

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 8:05 pm

      Thanks, Lauren. I do use French green lentils. I’ve made this soup quite a few times with them in fact. They are very delicate and soft. They are super yummy. Love um’. 🙂

      Reply
  • Sandi August 6, 2012 at 9:13 pm

    I hope regular green lentils will be fine as that’s all I have on hand (besides french green) lol 🙂

    Reply
    • Amber August 6, 2012 at 9:19 pm

      Hi Sandi,

      Yes, I sort of think of brown and green lentils as the same thing! Thanks and I hope you enjoy the soup. Don’t forget that fresh lemon! It really makes the dish. 🙂

      Reply
  • Vicky August 6, 2012 at 11:50 pm

    I LOVE lentil soup Amber and this looks wonderful! Also I’m sooo looking forward to your videos now! They are FANTASTIC, I love them!

    Reply
    • Amber August 7, 2012 at 3:06 am

      Thank so much, Vicky. You’re so sweet. I’m so glad you enjoy the videos. They are fun to make. 🙂

      Reply
  • Katherine @ Green Thickies August 7, 2012 at 10:17 am

    Wow that soup looks gorgeous. It’s also been wet and cold most of the summer here in the UK so have actually started making soups again myself for lunch so I’ll have to save this one.
    I probably could eat anything for breakfast but I always have a Green Thickie. I don’t really get time for anything else and they give me so much energy that I don’t feel good not having them. I’ve recently started adding cooked quinoa to my smoothies to make them more filling which has a lovely mild taste and blends really easily.

    Reply
    • Amber August 7, 2012 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks Kathrine. I love smoothies too in the morning, but I always need a big breakfast too. 🙂 Your smoothie recipes sound very creative and delicious. 🙂

      Reply
  • Mary Hudak-Collins August 7, 2012 at 11:10 am

    We are soup lovers here and I am racking up my stash of soup recipes for the cooler months of the year. I tend to get set in a rut as far as making soups each year…cooking the same ones. This year, I plan to have a ‘plan’ LOL. I want to spread out and enjoy more flavorful soups that we are not familiar with, instead of the ol’ standbys…chicken or potato soup 🙂 This sounds and looks so very tasty. Thanks for sharing this week in our linky!

    Reply
    • Amber August 7, 2012 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks Mary!

      Reply
  • Laura August 8, 2012 at 5:13 am

    I must confess I could eat anything for breakfast as well…not so for the rest of my family. I’ve never made a carrot curry soup before but it sounds absolutely delicious. It has been so hot here in Utah-I can’t wait for Autumn!

    Reply
  • Diane Balch August 10, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    I make the same old lentil soup all the time I can’t wait to spice it up with your curry. Please share this on foodie friday. I will pin it.

    Reply
  • Debbie @ Easy Natural Food August 14, 2012 at 3:49 am

    Aarggghhh the fog! I don’t think I will ever get used to it as long as I live here 🙂 I was at Bodega Bay today and it was FOGGY and COLD. Everywhere else was SUNNY and HOT. But I still enjoyed myself….somehow it is magical and cathartic being by the ocean, no matter what. Love your soup, sounds delicious. I think I want to make one just like it!

    Reply
  • [email protected] September 7, 2012 at 6:26 pm

    Yum! My kind of soup and I can’t wait to bring a big pot of this to a boil ;D
    xo

    Reply

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