Making Your Own Spice Blends and Oven Baked Rib Recipe

When you spend extra money and time gathering fresh and organic ingredients to cook with, don't forget the spices and herbs. Looking at the ingredients on the labels of many pre-made spice blends I was concerned with some of the ingredients. Tony's Cajun Spice blend may contain milk, soy or wheat as their label says.

Many of the garlic salt blends have sugar as one of their ingredients. And most important, I noticed that buying bulk organic spices and growing my own provided me with an array of flavors not found in the store. My favorite place to get my dried herbs is from my own garden and the other spices are bought from Mountain Rose Herbs

Smoky Seasoning
1/4 cup smoked paprika
4 teaspoons of orange peel powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed well
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

In a small bowl combine the above ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container (I use labeled canning jars) at room temperature. This will keep for 6 months. Double the recipe if you like, I do!

Oven Baked St. Louis Style Ribs
One of my favorite ways to use this spice blend is to rub it generously on St. Louis Style pork ribs. Using a knife, cut rib portions in half to fit into a deep dish 9x13 inch pan. Cover pan with foil and let sit for one hour. Bake for about 3 hours at 300°F or until rib meat pulls away from bones easily. During the last hour of cooking drizzle honey over the top of the ribs, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and continue baking uncovered.

Cajun Spice Blend
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed

In a small bowl  combine the above ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container (I use labeled canning jars) at room temperature. This will keep for 6 months. I will double the recipe and keep in these cute plastic spice containers so my son, who loves this spice on eggs, can sprinkle it easily.  Note: Notice that this spice blend or others does not include salt. Personally, I like to salt my foods separately. Salting foods is a personal taste, some like their foods salty, some do not. This allows you more control over the spiciness of a food, which is different from the saltiness of a food.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried thyme, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon cloves
 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a small bowl combine the above ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container (I use labeled canning jars) at room temperature. This will keep for 6 months. Double the recipe if you like, I do!

Kale Chips

I have been trying to get out in the garden a bit each day to weed, plant, fertilize and clean up the winter mess. To my surprise, I found a bunch of kale that I had planted last fall just ready for harvest. Louisiana can be like that if the winters are mild: you find bits of plants here and there that you forgot you even had. So, I picked a cookie sheet full and brought them in to make some kale chips. This really is a good way to eat this vegetable. I juice kale as well, but if you cook these right, and season them to your liking, they are delicious and crunchy.

Kale Chip Tips:
1. Tear the leaves of the thick woody stems into large or medium sized pieces
2. Wash the leaves thoroughly and dry very well. If you don't dry them properly they will be soggy instead of crunchy when cooked.
3. Place them on a cookie sheet in a single layer. In this way, they will cook evenly.
4. Cook them slowly in a 300°F oven for about 25 minutes, turning once, halfway through.
5. Let cool 3 minutes on the baking sheet. This will allow them to crisp up even more.

Kale Chip Recipe
1. Tear leaves into large bite size pieces and place onto cookie sheet in a single layer.
2. One cookie sheet of kale will need about 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil or melted coconut oil.  Sprinkle oil onto kale and rub oil into the leaves, mixing well and spreading kale out into a single layer again.
3. Sprinkle desired seasoning. Ideas: sea salt and pepper, garlic salt, smoked paprika, or onion powder.
4. Bake as described above...and then watch them disappear. They can be stored in glass container.

On the SCD diet, it is best not to eat your greens raw, but this is a wonderful way to get a bit of those kale nutrients. Don't forget to add kale to smoothies, or even to a morning omelet. And of course, plant them into your garden. Greens are so easy to grow in pots as well. With kale and other greens, you can cut only the leaves you need and the plant will keep on growing.

Banana Blueberry Muffins

One of the biggest triggers for many people suffering from IBS or IBD, or really, any autoimmune disease is sugar. Though honey is allowed on the SCD diet, and maple sugar also is allowed on the Autoimmune Paleo, eating too much of these sweeteners can throw you into a flare.  If you are struggling with a flare, or you feel things heading towards a flare try getting rid of baked goods made with honey, or limit yourself to one baked good a day and see if there is an improvement.  These items are good for snacks or breakfasts, but too much of a good thing may not be what your body needs. 

This recipe is made with only fruit as a sweetener.  They are quite good dotted with a bit of butter, or if you want them sweeter, and can handle it, add a bit of orange-honey butter.

Banana Blueberry Muffins
3 cups almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoon grapeseed oil
3 large eggs
2 cups of mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup of frozen wild blueberries (rinse lightly and drained)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray muffin tins with coconut oil, or line with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the grapeseed oil and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir the bananas into the batter, then fold in the blueberries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the muffin tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then serve.

Orange Honey Butter 8 tablespoons butter, softened 5 tablespoons honey 1 teaspoon grated orange zest 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice With an electric mixer, beat the above ingredients together until fluffy.

Cranberry Kombucha Jello

Found this website the other day and thought I would share it with everyone.  Carrie Vitt has a blog, deliciouslyorganic.net, and two cookbooks that might be of interest also: Deliciously Organic and The Grain Free Organic Table.  Her story is a compelling one, since she has been in remission for her autoimmune disease, a thyroid condition knows as Hashimotto's, for over 5 years.  She has done this through diet and detox, and no drugs.  I am always encouraged by hearing people's stories of success. Below is a recipe for those who make their own Kombucha, a healthy probiotic drink. If you haven't added grass-fed gelatin to your diet, now is a good time.  Gelatin does wonders for inflammation.  Though the best place to get this gelatin is from home-made beef bone broth, this is the next best thing.  Amazon, my new best friend, carries some brands of grass-fed gelatin.  Some type of gelatin eaten or drunk each day will help in the battle with inflammation.

Cranberry Kombucha Jello

Adapted from The Big Book of Kombucha (coming out March 2016)
1/4 cup minced fresh cranberries (I used frozen)
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin
1/2 cup water
4 cups cranberry kombucha 
Place the cranberries and honey in a medium sauce pan over low heat. Stir the mixture constantly, until the honey is melted and smooth. Pull off of the heat and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine gelatin and water in a measuring cup and let sit for 5 minutes (this allows the gelatin to bloom). Spoon the gelatin mixture into the honey mixture and heat over low heat, whisking constantly until gelatin is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the kombucha.
Pour mixture into an 8×8-inch baking dish and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or until firm. Serve alone or with whipped cream.

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.