New Recipe: Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders (grain-free, dairy-free)

As I’ve mentioned previously, I am experimenting with a paleo diet. It is going exceptionally well. I’m amazed at how calm my digestion is, how free of cravings I am, and how much I’m enjoying what I’m eating. I usually eat leftovers for lunch but the other day I decided to make something for lunch. I made a nice big salad with red peppers, mixed greens, and avocado. I also made this easy and tasty pecan-crusted chicken tenders.

So tasty, I barely got a chance to take a photo!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Tenders

2 tbs. arrowroot starch
2 tbs. coconut flour
1 cup raw pecans
1 tsp. celtic sea salt or other unrefined salt
black pepper to taste
2 eggs
1-1.25 lbs. chicken breast tenders or chicken breast sliced into strips

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a large baking dish.

In a food processor place starch, coconut flour, pecans and salt. Pulse until you have a coarse meal. Place meal in a wide, shallow bowl. In another bowl whisk two eggs together.

Dip a chicken piece into egg and coat well. Then, place the chicken into pecan meal, press in the meal and flip to coat other side. Place in baking dish. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

Place the chicken into preheated oven. Bake for 18 minutes. At this point you can brown them up under a broiler for 3-5 minutes.

Delicious with homemade BBQ sauce, I’ll have to post my Goji BBQ sauce soon to pair with these!

Recent Adventures in Cooking

As usual, I have been doing a lot of cooking. I’m working on a few recipes to share here but for now I have some photos of recent dishes.

Chicken with Sauteed Spring Veggies and Salad

The little chef holding her quinoa salad.

Middle Eastern Spiced Lamb Patties with Quinoa Salad & Roasted Cauliflower

The little chef dishing up some Corn Chowder

Grain-free pizza topped with caramelized onions, beef bacon, apple & cheddar.

Grain-free pizza topped with green olives, jalapenos, & feta.

Nori Rolls filled with cashew spread, rice, sauerkraut, carrots, and cucumber.

Grain-free Blueberry Muffins

New Recipe: “Matzo” Balls (grain-free)

Ok, let me start by saying, I know these are not matzo balls. Matzo balls have to be made from matzo. Technically what I have made in this recipe are just round dumplings for soup. That being said, they do have texture and flavor that is very close to an actual matzo ball.

I have not put a recipe for chicken stock or soup here. I will add a few notes after the recipe that explain the basics of how I prepared my soup though.

“Matzo” Balls (grain-free)

1/3 cup almond meal
2/3 cup coconut flour
1/3 cup arrowroot starch
1 tsp. xanthan gum
6 eggs
4 tbs. fat/oil of choice (I used olive oil)
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup chicken stock

Fill a large pot with salted water, about 2/3 full. Bring to a simmer while you prepare the batter.

In a small bowl combine dry ingredients: almond meal, coconut flour, arrowroot starch and xanthan gum. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Add oil and salt & pepper and beat well. Add the chicken broth, mixing while you pour it in. Add a little bit of the dry ingredients and beat into eggs. Add remaining dry ingredients and mix until well-combined.

Once water is simmering, shape batter into golf ball sized dumplings using wet hands. Drop each dumpling in the water as you finish it. Once all the dumplings are shaped and in the water cover the pot. Simmer the dumplings for 25-30 minutes.

I served mine in a homemade chicken stock seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper, garlic powder, thyme and white wine vinegar. I also sauteed onions, carrots and celery for the soup. I garnished the whole thing with parsley.

To serve I added a few “matzo” balls to each bowl and ladled soup over. Any leftovers I just put in the soup to eat the following day.

New Recipe: Blueberry Trifle (grain-free, gluten-free, low sugar)

The holiday season has been an interesting time to play with slightly more decadent recipes within the grain-free, low-sugar parameters that my diet has fallen into. For the most part I got through Hanukkah without eating any grain but I did have a few lapses here and there. Last night I enjoyed some particularly junky foods and was amazed at how my energy shifted so drastically.

I do like to entertain during the holidays and particularly savored the challenge of creating desserts with no grains and very little sweetener. So far I think this Blueberry Trifle was the most dramatic of the desserts I created.

Blueberry Trifle (grain-free, gluten-free, low sugar)

Lemon Cake
3 cups almond meal
zest of 2 lemons
pinch salt
1 tsp. baking powder
8 tbs. pastured, raw and local butter
1/2 cup raw, local honey (I used mesquite honey)
3 pastured eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 drops lemon essential oil (food grade)
1 cup almond milk

assembly ingredients
1 pint pastured, raw, local cream
1 tsp. vanilla
32 oz. wild blueberries, defrosted if frozen
trifle bowl

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one loaf pan and line bottom with a piece of greased parchment paper.

In a large bowl combine almond meal, lemon zest, salt and baking powder and mix well. In a food processor add butter and honey and process until smooth. Add eggs, vanilla, lemon oil and almond milk and process until well-combined. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes. The loaf should be firm but moist and dense.

Allow to cool in pan for a few minutes and then turn the loaf out and allow to cool completely. Cut the loaf carefully into slices.

To assemble: whip the cream and vanilla into a nice firm whipped cream. Arrange half of the loaf cake slices among the bottom of the trifle dish, cut some slices in half and arrange them along the side of the trifle dish. Place 1/2 of the blueberries on the cake slices and top with 1/2 of the whipped cream. Arrange the remaining slices of cake on the cream, top with remaining blueberries and whipped cream. I drizzle some of the blueberry juice from defrosting over the top.

New Recipe: Wild Blueberry Crumble (grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free option)

It has been about a week since I really adjusted my diet towards a more paleo-style of eating. It has been shocking how easily I have given up grains and sweets. In the past when I have tried to give up grains and sugars I find myself tortured by cravings and constantly preoccupied by food. My energy does seem to be a bit better as well, I’m waking up a little easier and needing less caffeine to get through the day.

I had some friends over for dinner the other night and wanted to prepare a special meal for them. We started with a curried coconut soup, then had grain-free fish cakes with roasted kale and I wanted to make some sort of dessert, this Wild Blueberry Crumble is what I came up with. Everyone loved it and went back for seconds!

Wild Blueberry Crumble (grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free option)

1/2 lb. dried figs, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
1/4 cup coconut oil of pastured butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup brazil nuts
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
32 oz. frozen wild blueberries
pinch of salt
additional coconut oil or pastured butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start to thaw wild blueberries, they do not necessarily have to be totally defrosted.

In a food processor combine soaked figs and coconut oil or butter. Process until fairly smooth. Add in vanilla extract and brazil nuts. Pulse until brazil nuts are broken into smaller pieces. Add coconut and pulse some more until a pleasing crumble texture is achieved.

In a deep baking dish pour half of the blueberries. Put a few pats of coconut oil or butter on the bluerries. Spread about half of the crumble mixture over the blueberries. Add the rest of the blueberries and again top with a few pats of oil or butter and spread the rest of the crumble mixture on top.

Place in oven and bake for 20-30minutes or until the crumble is warmed through and starting to brown on the top.

Food Stuff

My eating lately has been schizophrenic at best lately. I wish I could blame the holidays or traveling or work but honestly it’s just been a lack of focus and commitment. As a result all those early warning signs that I’m on the wrong dietary path have started to rear their ugly little heads. Namely, chronic heartburn, skin issues and aching joints.

I think part of the issue has been a deep ambivalence regarding how to eat. My dietary journey has taken me on a long and winding path: I was raised by a gourmet chef, became a pretty mainstream vegetarian, traditional foods, and raw foods as a vegan, vegetarian and omnivore. These days I’ve been eating a pretty basic “healthy” diet. This has included whole grains, gluten-free baked goods, some pasture raised animal foods and not as many vegetables as I usually like to eat but still more than most people probably.

Throughout all of these dietary adjustments it has become very clear to me that I do not do well with grains, of any kind. I also don’t do very well with most dairy. When I was my sickest I was eating a mainstream vegetarian diet and the traditional foods diet. Both of these diets can easily become very dairy and grain heavy. I started to see vast improvements on the raw vegan diet. While eating this way my skin issues subsided, my digestive issues disappeared and my joints eased their constant aching. My energy level improved slightly but was still very low on this diet though. I found it impossible to exercise and in general got worn out easily. I tweaked the raw diet extensively trying every variation from high-fruit to low-glycemic and consistently had low energy.

I’ve experimented with adding things into my diet in conjunction with raw foods and increasing my protein levels seem to be the key. The protein sources though seem to only be animal foods, plant proteins such as legumes and nuts, almost immediately start aggravating my system again.

Another thing that seems to help my digestion especially are higher levels of fat in the diet, specifically fat from coconut, pastured butter and olive oil. A higher fat diet also leaves me feeling more relaxed.

So, as much as I hate the label, my diet by default seems to be leaning towards a primal diet. Mind you a very vegetable heavy paleo diet with a lot of raw techniques and foods thrown in for good measure. Yesterday, as I sat on the couch recovering from my shoddy diet as of late, I read Mark’s Daily Apple (check out his Creamy Turmeric Tea, it’s to die for) and a cookbook I purchased on my iPad, Make It Paleo.

While I was digesting all of this information I ate 3 yummy meals sans grains and this morning woke up feeling much improved over my achy, cranky self yesterday. I plan on keeping you updated and posting some recipes furthering the blending of raw foods and paleo.

WAPF vs. RAW Recipe: Raw Lemon Bars

WAPF vs. RAW Recipes will be a new series of recipes and posts I’m going to be posting regarding my hybrid diet. For those of you who are not nutrition nerds, such as me, may not know a lot about these two diets. WAPF is an abbreviation of the Weston A Price Foundation which is a group which promotes the work of dentist turned nutrition researcher Weston Price. Raw foods are becoming more well known and consist mostly of raw plant foods and is typically a vegan diet.

I have followed both of these diets fairly religiously at one time or another but have found that a hybrid of the diets works quite well for me. I find that a mostly raw diet, filled with lots of leafy greens, some superfoods and minimal grains mixed with some pasture raised animal foods keeps me feeling energized and reduces health issues that I have suffered from in the past.

So this series is going to focus on some of the more interesting recipes that I craft using these principles. The first thing up is lemon bars. Now my cooked gluten-free lemon bars are honestly pretty divine but they are far from healthy. I love lemon bars though and have had it in my mind for quite some time that I could make a raw, whole food based, gluten-free lemon bar. They came out really great. This morning my daughter packed her lunch with a huge square of these very lemon bars.

Raw Lemon Bars

1/2 cup irish moss, soaked 12-24 hours
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup raw, local honey (I used a thick mesquite honey)
3 tbs. pastured, raw butter, softened

Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Let rest while you prepare the “shortbread”.

1/2 lb. macadamia nuts
1/4 lb. pastured, raw butter, softened
1/3 cup raw, local honey
pinch of real salt or celtic salt

Cream butter and honey together until well combined. Place macadamias in a food processor and pulse until you a achieve a coarse, breadcrumb-like texture. Mix macadamia meal in with the butter and honey and salt. Using wet hands press the mixture into a glass baking dish, mine was about 6″x9″ but you could use a slightly larger dish as well.

Once the dough is evenly distributed pour the lemon mix through a sieve to strain out any large chunks of moss and spread over the “shortbread”. Place in the refrigerator. It should set within 2-6 hours.

Recipe: Collard Casserole

A few weeks back I came across collard greens on sale. Huge, beautiful bunches for only a dollar. So obviously I stocked up on them. Typically I eat collards raw, either salt-wilted or I use them to wrap up sandwich fillings like I would use a tortilla. I decided I wanted to try a cooked collard dish with some of this time and this is what I came up with.

Collard Casserole

2 tbs. pastured butter (raw is preferable)
2 vidalia onions, chopped
2 garlic clove
2 bunches collards
2 tbs. rice vinegar
6-8 pastured eggs
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
4 ounces raw, goat cheddar, shredded or sliced
2 tbs. almond meal
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Over medium high heat melt butter in a pan that can also be used in the oven. Toss in onions. While the onions are cooking remove the stems from the collards (I save them for green juice). Make sure to stir your onions occasionally. Then take your collards and stack 6 or so leaves on top of one another and roll them like a cigar. Using a sharp knife slice the roll into narrow ribbons. Once all of your collards are cut into ribbons throw them in with your onions. Using a miroplaner shred the garlic into the onion and collard mixture. Then add a bit of salt and the rice vinegar, combine well.

Now, start breaking the eggs on top of the collards, these should be arranged evenly around the pan. You can reduce the heat at this point to medium. Once all of the eggs are arranged cover the pan and allow everything to cook for about 4 or 5 minutes.

When you uncover the pan the eggs should look almost like they have been poached. Turn off the heat. Pour your can of tomatoes over everything in the pan and be sure it is evenly distributed. Then arrange the cheese evenly over the top. Toss the almond meal with the paprika, salt and pepper and sprinkle over the cheese.

Place the pan under a broiler and let it stay there until cheese is melted and starting to brown. Once it is finished you can eat this on its own or over a sweet potato.

New Recipe: GF Salmon Cakes

I’m from Maine originally, right on the shore as Downeast as you can go. My grandmother would make the most divine fish cakes for dinner (which was actually at lunch time, we had supper at dinner time and a little lunch for a snack). She would use salted cod and serve them with spiced vinegar. A favorite meal for sure. My father owned a salmon farm for quite some time and then started a smoked salmon business. Fish is a large part of my family history.

At this point in my life I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with fish. I mean, I LOVE fish. Seafood of any sort is my favorite thing to eat. I grew up with seafood in every part of my life between the stories above and my mother being a chef in a seafood restaurant, to the countless relatives who have spent their lives as fisherman or digging clams or gathering winkles and even gathering sea urchins.

Seems like there’s not much hate there, right? Well the hate comes in because of the state of our oceans. Fish stocks are depleted while we fill the ocean with garbage and chemicals and, thanks to Fukushima, radiation. It is hard to feel as if eating fish is an ethical decision at this point.

And perhaps it’s not. But occasionally I do allow myself to indulge in a bit of wild-caught salmon, sardines or if I’m lucky shellfish.I have tweaked and twisted and adjusted my diet for at least a decade now and the fact of the matter is I do feel better with some animal protein in my diet. This tasty dish is one of the ways I choose to do so.

These cakes are gluten-free and grain-free. They are crumbly but served with a big salad are really quite delightful.

GF Salmon Cakes

1 lb. wild salmon filet with skin
1/2 cup vidalia onion, minced
1/2 cup celery, minced
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, minced
1 tbs. dijon mustard
1 large lacto-fermented pickle, I used Bubbies, minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
1 cup almond meal
3 pastured eggs
handful of parsley, minced
a bit of coconut oil for frying

Place salmon, skin side up, on a greased sheet pan. Place salmon under a broiler and broil for a few minutes, until skin starts to get crispy. I do it this way because I love salmon skin and don’t want to waste it! If its on the bottom the whole time it gets soggy and you can’t use it easily in the recipe. Once the skin is starting to get crispy I flip the fish over and return in to the broiler. Let it cook another few minutes leaving it a bit rare. This fish will cook more in the cakes.

Toss the filet in a bowl and mash it up. You may need to chop up the skin with a knife but it is really lovely in the cakes so give it a try!

Now add the remaining ingredients and combine really well. As I said, these cakes are a bit crumbly. You could add a bit of flour or a binding agent if this bothers you.

Next, start to heat up your frying pan over medium high heat and add a bit of coconut oil. Form your mix into little patties and cook on both sides until desired level of crispiness is achieved.

These are also great the next day chilled and crumbled over salad.