Grain Free Sandwich Bread

This recipe comes from the cookbook: Cooking for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD).  This bread recipe is very versatile, and though I use cashew butter, any nut butter can be used.  The color might be darker, say if you use almond butter, but the texture will be the same.  If you like French toast, create a loaf especially for French toast by adding an additional 1/2 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon to the batter.  Slice the bread, dip each slice in a beaten egg, and fry on both sides in a buttered frying pan.

The recipe in the book calls for a 3 1/2 x 7 1/2 inch loaf pan.  My pan is a bit larger than that, so instead of doubling the recipe I use 1 1/2 of the recipe and increase the baking time to about 50 minutes instead of the 40.  I keep this in the refrigerator, and it lasts for weeks...well, it would if we didn't eat it so quickly.

This bread really is a good substitute if you want a grain free alternative...and so easy to make!

3/4 cup smooth nut butter (I use almond or cashew)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup nut flour (I use almond flour)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F.
2. Using a mixer or food processor, blend together the  nut butter, eggs, and honey until creamy.
3. Add the remaining dry ingredients to the batter and blend until creamy.
4. Pour the batter into a baking pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
5. Let cool and slice.  Seal and store at room temperature for a few days, in the refrigerator for a few weeks, or in the freezer for a month or so.

Lamb Chops with Shallot, Mint, and Oregano Rug

Lately, I have switched to shopping at Costco instead of Sam's.  They carry many organic items which I am excited about: raw honey, almond flour, jam, eggs, spinach, carrots, berries, frozen fruit, flour, coconut flour, chicken and yes, lamb.  I am glad I can now add lamb to our diet.  This lamb is from Australia, where they practice humane raising of their sheep, without hormones, antibiotics and pesticides.  When trying to combat digestive issues, it is best rotate your diet.  Everything you eat, including meat, should be on a 4 day rotation.  Adding lamb, enables us to do this.

I love going out into my garden and finding oregano and mint still growing strong!  Whether creating your own spice blends or snipping herbs fresh from your garden, growing herbs is a must for easy preparation of tasty recipes like this one below.

Lamb Chops with Shallot, Mint, and Oregano Rub
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot (or onion)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
4 teaspoons Mediterranean Seasoning (see recipe below)
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 lamb rib chops, cut about 1 inch thick

1.  In a small bowl combine shallot, mint, oregano, Mediterranean Seasoning, and olive oil.  Sprinkle rub over all sides of the lamb chops; rub in with your fingers.  Place chops on a plate; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least hour or up to 24 hours to marinate.
2.  Heat grill, place chops on the greased grill rack directly over medium heat.  Cover and grill to desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling.  Allow 12 to 14 minutes for medium rare (145°F) or 15 to 17 minutes for medium (160°F).

 Mediterranean Seasoning
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons preservative-free granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dried lemon peel

1. In a dry small skillet toast fennel seeds over medium-low heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until freagrant, shaking skillet occasionally.  Remove from the heat; cool about 2 minutes.  Transfer seeds to a spice grinder; grind to a powder.  Add rosemary; grind until rosemary is coursely ground.  Transfer fennel and rosemary to a small bowl.  Stir in oregano, thyme, garlic, and lemon peel.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 6 months.

Rosemary Raisin Almond Pulp Crackers

Homemade almond milk is a common item in my fridge these days and I now have all this expensive almond pulp left over.  It didn't take me long to find these crackers over at  Against All Grain.  At first, they took a little learning curve to make, but now I can make them in less than 15 minutes.  Having a food processor, some parchment paper, a few rosemary plants, and other ingredients on hand help this recipe come together easily.

Rosemary Raisin Almond Pulp Crackers

1 cup almond pulp
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons raisins or cranberries
2 teaspoons flax seed, ground
3 teaspoons sunflower seeds
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves stripped from stem

1.  Place all ingredients in the food processor and pulse until chopped.
2.  Remove dough onto parchment paper cut to size to fit a flat cookie sheet.  Shape dough into ball and flatten a bit shaping into rectangle.  Place another parchment sheet on top and using a rolling pin roll out until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick.
3.  Remove top parchment sheet and cut dough with knife into squares or rectangles.  Slide the parchment of scored dough onto a cookie sheet.
4.  Bake for about 24 hours at 120°F or until crisp.

Egg Drop Soup With Scallions, Mushrooms and Bok Choy

 

With Beef Bone Broth and shitake mushrooms this is a great immune boosting soup.  

3 tablespoons coconut oil
2 shallots
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into very thin matchstick-size strips
1 star anise
1 pound shitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8 cups Beef Bone Broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs
6 scallions, thinly sliced
2 heads baby bok choy, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1. In a large pot heat coconut oil over medium heat.  Add shallots, ginger and star anise.  Cook and stir for about 2 minutes or until shallots are translucent.  Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Sprinkle five-spice powder and pepper over mushrooms; cook and stir for 1 minute.  Add Beef Bone Broth, and lemon juice.  Bring mixture to simmering.
2.  In a small bowl beat eggs.  Drizzle beaten eggs into simmering broth, swirling broth in a figure-eight motion.  Remove soup from heat.  Stir in scallions.  Divide bok choy among large warmed bowls.  Ladle soup into bowls; serve immediately.

Note: This soup can be frozen and served up with the greens when needed.

Phase 2 Foods on the SCD Diet

OK, phase 1 foods have probably been all added to your diet by now.  You should be feeling so much better.  Your symptoms should be diminishing also.  If you haven't seen much improvement, before going onto phase 2 there is one thing you can try taking out of your diet to see if things improve, and that is eggs.  Some people are bothered by eggs, and so for about 1-2 weeks, try taking out eggs and see if things improve.  Doing without eggs, can be very difficult, and so I hope you are not someone who has to, but feeling well and healthy is worth it!

But, if things are going well, and you are finding relief, now is the time to go onto Phase 2 , and add more foods to your diet.

A Quick Look at Phase 2 Foods:

Vegetables
asparagus, green beans, mushrooms, pumpkin, winter squashes, artichokes, cucumber, and watercress.
If you do not have an autoimmune condition you can also add peppers and tomatoes, but many people believe night-shade vegetables should never be eaten.  Again, try them cautiously, and see how your body responds.  Also, do not include spaghetti squash in phase 2.

Fruits
pineapple, plum, apricot, avocado

Nuts
Homemade Milks:
blanched cashew, blanched hazelnut, macadamia, coconut
Nut Oils:
pecan, coconut, olive oil, almond
Nut Butters:
pecan, blanched almond

Meats
beef, turkey, lean pork, lean game, fish, legal bacon (preservative, nitrate and sugar free), eggs

PDF of Phase 2 Foods

Follow the same procedure as in Phase 1, continue adding one food item to your diet every 4 days.  Continue to write in your journal, continue to pay close attention to how your body reacts to the foods, and continue looking for those recipes that will keep you motivated to cook and eat what you cook.  Also, don't forget to continue peeling all of your fruits and vegetables as much as you can, and cooking them.  This starts the digestive process and allows for your body to process them easier. Juicing is another way to add these foods to your diet.

In this phase, I began adding juicing to my schedule.  There are many articles on the internet that explain the various kinds of juicers available and reasons for this kind or that kind, but what I have found is that the masticating juicers (my favorite brand: Omega) seem to provide the best juice.  The reason I added juicing to my already busy schedule, is that it allows me to provide a wider variety of vegetables and fruits to our diet and this juice is very easy to digest.  My way of juicing: I buy cucumbers, celery, apples, lemons, pineapple, watermelon, plums, apricots, kale, chard, ginger...whatever other fruit that might be in season and create various quart size jars of different flavors of juice.  And I freeze them!  This allows me a couple of weeks worth of juice.  Yes, my freezer is full of  juice, chicken and beef broth, waffles, muffins, and several days of lunches and dinners in individual glass, microwavable containers.

Besides a juicer sitting on the kitchen counter, another item that gets constant use is the food processor.  In Phase 2, nut butters are added to the diet, and the food processor does a beautiful job of making them.  There are also many other recipes that I use this machine for and now cannot see how I can survive without it.  Nut butters are a wonderful snack, alone or on bananas and apples.  When I make them in the food processor, I will add coconut oil a bit at a time to create a smooth and creamy nut butter.  Cashews are a very dry nut, so they take a bit more coconut oil than other nuts.

Cooking Spinach

Spinach is another of the vegetables in Phase 1 of the SCD diet.  If you have symptoms if intestinal distress greens should never be eaten raw, they are difficult to digest and even when cooked.  Not only do they taste good cooked in the following ways, very easy, but I do find that I can enjoy them thrown in a smoothie.  This is the only way I can eat them without cooking.  

Garlic Sauteed Spinach

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt, optional

Directions

Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of sea or kosher salt. Serve hot.

Quick and Easy Sauteed Spinach

 Ingredients

1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil

1 10-ounce bag of spinach leaves

1 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach to the skillet and cover; allow to cook 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic salt and cover again for another 5 minutes; remove from heat. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Acorn Squash Recipes

Acorn squash is also one of the vegetables in phase 1.  I like this squash because it is easy.  You don't have to peel it, just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and fill it with spices or meats.

Honey Butter Cinnamon Acorn Squash

Cut Acorn Squash in half and scoop out seeds.  Lay the squash face-down in a roasting dish and add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water to the dish.  Cook for about 45 minutes at 375 degrees.  Take the squash out of the oven and place face-side-up.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of butter to each half, sprinkle with salt and pepper, sprinkle with cinnamon and swirl a little honey over the squash.  Return squash to oven and roast a little longer till desired tenderness is reached.  This recipe is very versatile.  You can add any spices you would like.  I like my squash on the sweet side.

Stuffed Squash
Acorn squash can be stuffed with a nice ground meat mixture of your liking.  Use one of the meat patty recipes in my recipe section of this blog. Place the cut side up of the squash into a roasting pan sprayed with a vegetable or coconut spray.  Add about 1 cup of  water to the pan.  Place about 1/3 cup of a meat mixture of your choice inside the squash and bake at 375 degrees for about 50 minutes.



Vanilla Bourbon Baked Balsamic Acorn Squash
1 acorn squash
1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons bourbon
2 tablespoons butter
few pinches of nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375.
In a bowl, mix syrup, vinegar, lemon juice, vanilla and bourbon together. Cup acorn squash in half and brush mixture on top with a pastry brush. Set squash cut side up in a baking dish. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush mixture over squash again. Pour remaining mixture into each squash cavity equally. Top with 1 tablespoon butter each and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Bake for 20 more minutes.
This makes a wonderful dessert!

Zoodles

This little instrument makes the best substitute for pasta.  It will make use of zucchini or yellow squash to make what has become known as zoodles or vegetable pasta.  When these noodles are cooked and sauces added or other ingredients, it can make a complete meal or a wonderful tasting vegetable side dish.  I found this particular one at Amazon, but recently, I have seen them at Walmart, Target or Cosco.

 Zucchini is a vegetable that is added to the SCD diet in phase 1.  When it is first added, or if you are experiencing symptoms, you should peel the zucchini first before using it in your recipes. Otherwise this vegetable, or fruit can be eaten with the peel.

Below are some recipes I have enjoyed cooking with the noodles you can make with this unique tool.




Simple Zoodles Only
After making zoodles with your noodle making tool, toss them with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Heat a pan under medium heat and add noodles.  Cook until desired tenderness.  I serve these with meat patties or meatballs.

Later on, in your diet, when onions and mushrooms are added, chop up some onions and mushroom and saute in olive oil for 4-5 minutes and then add zucchini needles and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until desired tenderness is reached.  Toss in some roasted walnuts and cooked chicken and you have a one-bowl meal! 


 

Now on a strict SCD Diet you can eventually have feta cheese and tomatoes, but you may never be able to tolerate these two items.  If this is the case, just leave them out.  I love the idea of adding pesto, nuts and fresh basil to zoodles.  With recipes, always remember you can add what you like and leave out what you don't.  Use recipes as jumping off points for creative cooking.  Take notes as you do so, and write out your own recipes that work for you. This recipe reminds me of something I will bring up again...grow herbs!  Basil is worth growing, for the sole reason of making pesto.  Make lots of pesto and freeze it for winter use.  One day soon, I will add a pesto recipe.

But take the time to grow your own herbs.  Nothing is more enjoyable.  They are easy, they smell wonderful, and oh! so tasty.

Zoodles and Pesto
Ingredients

• 1 medium sized zucchini
• 1 cup of fresh basil leaves
• 1 tbsp of pesto (make it yourself)
• Dash salt and pepper
• A good handful of cherry tomatoes
• A handful of walnuts
• Optional:
• ¼ cup of feta cheese

Instructions

1. Use a spiral maker to get those lovely zucchini noodles aka zoodles. If you don’t have that magical thingy, you can also simply dice up the zucchini.
2. Off it goes into the pan with a little bit of olive oil. Set it on medium heat.
3. Cut the cherry tomatoes in halves and add them to the pan. Also add a nice handful of walnuts.
4. Give it a nice toss. After around 7-8 minutes add the pesto and give it another toss.
5. To finish off the zoodles garnish with basil leaves (and feta cheese, if you have it around)
6. Ready. Enjoy!

Other items which can be added: avocado, sliced olives, sun-dried tomatoes,



Zucchini Noodles with Toasted Sesame Oil and Nut Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 small zucchini (about 16 ounces)
• 1 tablespoon natural cashew butter
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon water
• 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon coconut aminos
• 1 to 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Instructions

1. Wash the zucchini well and trim off their ends. Use a spiralizer or a mandolin to turn the zucchini into “noodles.” In saucepan, saute noodles in 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil for 3-5 minutes. Place noodles in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the nut butter with 1/2 tablespoon of water and all remaining ingredients. If the mixture is hard to combine, add up to another 1/2 tablespoon of water, but be careful not to make the sauce too runny.
3.  Add the sauce and stir well to coat the noodles completely. Serve right away. (Leftovers can be refrigerated)

Toasted cashews can be added if desired.  The above picture has sliced bell peppers added, but autoimmune sufferers cannot usually tolerate them, so I left them out of this recipe.  If you like peppers and can tolerate them, by all means....eat them!

Well, I hope this gives you a start on how to incorporate zucchini noodles into your diet.  They really are very good and as versatile as pasta.  Buy a noodle maker and give them a try.