Cats in the Kitchen

Chocolate raspberry truffle tart

2012-01-28T15:46:00.000-08:00

Kona, Bailey and Misha "meditate."

I've been trying to incorporate 5-10 minutes of meditation into each day because of the health benefits. Meditation produces a wonderful calming feeling only when the dogs are doing their own "meditation" as pictured above. I meditate because it enhances the immune system, and reduces or helps control my chronic pain.

It works well for me to do meditation on the end of a yoga or stretching session. But just about anytime you have a few quiet moments will work. You don't need any special equipment, and it can be done just about any place when there are no distractions. I just sit or lie down quietly and begin envisioning myself being at my best, either physically or mentally. It's kind of like giving yourself a little pep talk.

Misha takes another relaxation pose.

Unfortunately, not everyone can be like Misha, pictured above, in his relaxation mode. That's where meditation helps. Meditation can wipe away the day's stress and lower your blood pressure.

Nika uses a very weird "pillow."

Meditation also can reduce headaches and migraines. I think I would need some meditation or yoga after sleeping with a 30-pound dumbbell for a pillow, like Nika, pictured above. In fact, I might even have to reach for a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Smoothie.

Chocolate raspberry truffle smoothie

Yes, I'm still craving everything chocolate and raspberry. Even my husband (AKA Ridalin Boy) has noticed my recent addiction. He came back from a bike ride with a container of fresh raspberries in his backpack. Wasn't that sweet? Those fresh raspberries would be the perfect topping for another Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Smoothie. It makes the perfect Sunday morning breakfast treat.

Ingredients

1/2 small to medium ripe avocado

1 cup frozen raspberries

1 T. rice protein powder

1 T. chia seed

3/4-1 cup hemp or other non-dairy milk

2 T. sunbutter or other seed/nut butter

1 T. shredded coconut

1 T. cacao nibs

6-8 ice cubes

stevia or other sweetener to taste

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth and thick. Pour in a tall glass or big mug. Top with more raspberries, cacao nibs and shredded coconut.

Chocolate raspberry truffle tart

If you're like me, you can never get enough chocolate and raspberries. And so the chocolate raspberry truffle smoothie morphed into a Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Tart. Yes, I am still trying to lose weight so I keep this in the freezer for an occasional nibble now and then.

Ingredients for filling

1/2 ripe avocado

3/4 cup frozen raspberries

stevia

2 tsp. chia seed

3-4 T. hemp milk

2 T. sunbutter

Ingredients for crust

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1-2 T. cacao nibs

1 T. tahinia

dash of sea salt

Directions

Put all crust ingredients in a food processor and combine. Press crust mixture into two free-form, mini tart pans.

Blend all the filling ingredients in a blender. Divide evenly between the two tart pans. Lucky you. You'll probably have some left over to nibble on.

Freeze the tarts until ready to eat. Allow to soften slightly before topping with more raspberries, cacao nibs and coconut.

I am sharing this post with:

http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/01/26/wellness-weekend-january-26-30-2012/

Chocolate raspberry kale chips

2012-01-21T14:21:00.000-08:00

Bailey and Nika sleeping-bagging it.

There's nothing better than snuggling in a warm sleeping bag in the midst of winter as Bailey and Nika (pictured above) will tell you. This week we got our first blast of real winter (yes, in mid-January), complete with blizzard-like conditions that turned to rain and flooding, all in a period of 24 hours.

The snow piled up briefly before melting. I didn't even have a chance to snap pictures of Misha and Nika enjoying their first snowfall at home. But they did have fun romping about in it before things turned to a muddy mess.

Misha loves all things soft and cuddly.

Misha really enjoys sleeping bags too as you can see. Now, that it's all muddy and wet outside with rain continuing to fall the pooches are having to spend more time indoors but they don't seem to mind.

Here's almost everyone sprawled out on sleeping bags.

I have really been devouring kale this winter. Sometimes it's hard to find quality kale in some markets but it's worth the effort to find your local grocer who has connections for the good stuff. Kale is one of those cruciferous veggies, also known as "super vegetables." These veggies enhance immunity and prevent disease.

I love kale all year round but it's especially worth eating kale and other cruciferous veggies in the winter when your immune system is being bombarded by viruses and germs. Other commonly consumed cruciferous vegetables are broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, brussels sprouts, bok choy, rutabaga, cabbage and mustard greens.

As far as recipes go, I guess I am beginning to sound like a broken record as every recipe I've featured recently has been some form of kale chips. What can I say. I'm addicted to kale chips but I also eat kale raw as that's when this cruciferous veggie is at its best.

But ah, kale chips. They make such crunchy snacks. This week I have been craving raspberries and chocolate. I thought, "What do you think raspberries and chocolate kale chips would taste like?" I wasn't sure what my efforts would produce when I set about mixing raspberries and cacao powder but the result was delish.

Chocolate raspberry kale chips

Chocolate raspberry kale chips

Ingredients:

1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed
2 T. cacao powder
2 T. coconut oil, melted
stevia or other sweetener to taste
optional: 1-2 T. ground cacao nibs for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet with pan spray.
Wash kale and remove the leaves from the stems. Cut the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces. Drain and dry kale.
Combine the raspberries, cacao, coconut oil and sweetener in a small bowl.
Pour several tablespoons-full of chocolate-raspberry mixture over kale, placed in a large bowl.
With your hands, massage into kale leaves the chocolate-raspberry mixture.
Spread the kale on the baking sheet. As an option, sprinkle the kale leaves with ground cacao nibs for an added dose of chocolate. Note: I made the kale with and without added cacao nibs and found the raspberry chocolate flavor more intense without the nibs.
Place the pan of kale in oven.
Leave kale in the oven for 30 minutes. Turn leaves over about halfway. Remove leaves as they get dry.
Eat and enjoy! Store the extras in the fridge.

I am sharing this recipe with Weekend Wellness at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/01/19/wellness-weekend-january-19-23-2011/

Sun-dried tomato kale chips and soup

2012-01-14T16:56:00.000-08:00

Misha "investigates" the grocery bags.

The canines continue their daily takeover of my kitchen. Do you think there is something they want in the kitchen? I'm a little puzzled. I think they are stalking me. Every time I go in the kitchen, there are my furry "little" (I say that facetiously) shadows.

Misha and Nika spar.

Of course, even the would-be chefs have to reserve some time for play or are those teeth I see bared?

Misha and Nika take a break from "helping" out in the kitchen.

Actually, these two are BFF's as you can see in the picture above. Can you believe how quickly Nika, the one on the left, is catching up in size with Misha?

Sun-dried tomato kale chips

I have been working on trying to shed some extra poundage since November. I thought I was getting serious when I switched back to my strict low-glycemic diet at my health-care provider's urging to winter-proof me against a recurrence of candida. But alas, no poundage budged and some candida-related symptoms began to appear (stuffy nose, congestion, digestive problems).

I decided it was time to really dig in my heels. I have switched to a somewhat liquid diet in the form of smoothies and soups in order to detox my system and give it time to heal from my excesses (you know too many "healthy" cookie dough truffles).

I also make sure I have plenty of good-for-me snacks on hand to prevent over-indulging in something bad. That's why I continue to expand my kale chip recipe file. This week I tried Sun-dried tomato kale chips. My favorite soup of the week was Sunbutter Soup with Butternut Squash and Collard Greens. Recipes follow.

Sun-dried tomato kale chips

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, soaked in boiling water for a few minutes
1 roma tomato, diced
1/4 cup tahini
1 T. Bragg's amino acids
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper
1 bunch kale, removed from stems and torn into small pieces

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
Wash and prepare the kale. Tear the kale into small pieces after removing from the stems.
Allow the kale to dry or blot with a paper towel.
Prepare the sundried tomato topping for the kale by placing all the ingredients, listed above, except for the kale in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Pour 2 T. of the sundried tomato topping on the kale pieces, placed in a large bowl. Toss with your hands to distribute the sauce evenly.
Spread the kale pieces on a large cookie sheet and place in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
Turn the kale pieces over and continue drying in the oven for another 15 minutes.
Allow to cool before storing in the fridge.
Note: there will be plenty of extra sundried tomato topping for several other bunches of kale.

Sunbutter soup with butternut squash and collard greens

Sunbutter Soup with Butternut Squash and Collard Greens (meat or vegan options)

Ingredients:

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and diced
For meat version: 8 ounches boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into one-inch pieces
1/2 cup unsweetened sunbutter
1 cup collard greens, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine the stock, onion, butternut squash, celery and carrot in a stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add optional chicken, if desired. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sunbutter and 1/2 cup soup mixture into a thick paste. Add the collard greens to the soup and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes to soften the collard greens. Stir in the sunbutter paste. Season with salt and pepper.
Makes 3-4 servings.

These recipes have been shared with: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/01/12/wellness-weekend-january-12-16-2012/

Chocolate lovers' kale

2012-01-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Misha, Nika and Brian snowshoeing at Sunset Mountain

Snow is in short supply this winter where we live but we found some way up high in the mountains at 6,000 feet plus. It was a first for our pooches, Misha and Nika, who had never been in the snow. They were loving every minute.

It also was a first for me to be out snowshoeing with my people and dog buddies doing something I had to pass on for the past two winters. I used to go nordic or skate skiing every winter on a regular basis until chronic muscle pain sidelined me.

But this time, I made it. I didn't have to cry to myself as my husband and son headed off on one of their snowshoeing adventures. I would be lying to say I had no pain, but it was within tolerable limits. It was in marked contrast to last winter when I could hardly walk out to the mailbox without doubling over in pain. I owe it all to my physical therapist and my hubby who continues the myofascial release therapy at home. I have to give myself credit as well. Every morning, you'll find me doing core conditioning exercises.

Misha carrying his water, treats in his new pack

It was the best day ever for me because of what it represented. I was able to return to something I love doing during the winter. Now, if we can just get some more snow!

Here's Misha all tired out from snowshoeing but reunited with his buddies, Kona and Bailey

Losing the five pounds I have gained this fall and winter may not be as fun as snowsheoing was. I have been following a strict, low-glycemic diet since November. So far, only one pound has budged. I great resource for tips and recipes has been the 28-day Whole Living Action Plan http://www.wholeliving.com/136308/action-plan-week-1-detox-recipes/@center/136747/whole-living-action-plan-28-day-challenge. The best part is it's totally free and most of the recipes are ones I can eat with an occasional tweak.

Unfortunately, my weakness continues to be chocolate. I have resolved to only make chocolate recipes that utilize veggies. This week I indulged in Chocolate Lovers' Kale.

Chocolate Lovers' Kale

Ingredients:
1- 1 1/2 bunches of kale
1-2 T. cacao powder
1 T. coconut oil
1 T. sunbutter (optional)
stevia to taste
1 T. each chia seed, sunflower seeds and cacao nibs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Wash kale. Trim from stems and separate into small pieces. Pat the kale pieces dry with a paper towel.
Grind the chia, sunflower seeds and cacao nibs to a coarse grind.
Melt the coconut oil and combine with sunbutter, stevia, cacao powder and ground seed/nib blend to make a paste. Thin with more coconut oil if not pourable. (note: sunbutter could be omitted)
Working in batches pour 1-2 T. mixture over kale placed in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage in the chocolate mixture.
Spread the choco-covered kale pieces on a large cookie sheet, sprayed with pan spray.
Place in the oven for about 20 minutes until the leaves are dry but pliable.
Remove from oven and allow kale pieces to cool before diving in.
Note: I found this treat satisfying and was not tempted to eat more than a few leaves.

I'm contributing this recipe to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2012/01/05/wellness-weekend-january-5-9-2012/

Veggie seed crackers

2011-12-31T16:33:00.000-08:00

Nika, the little baker

Happy New Year from the now mostly Canines in the Kitchen with an occasional cat.

Can you believe my little baker, Nika, pictured above? In case you were wondering, my kitchen has gone to the dogs. The situation is only going to get worse as the twosome, Misha (8 months) and Nika (4 months), get bigger and stronger.

Actually, the muffin tin that Nika is removing from the counter is her new dog-food dish. I'm not exaggerating but Nika is a shop-vac when it comes to eating her food. We tried spreading her food all over the floor and she still manages to vaccuum it up without chewing in less than 45 seconds. Taking her food and distributing it in the sections of the muffin tin forces her to slow down just a bit. Now, it takes her two minutes to eat.

Hey, Mom, I love my canine buddies.

Bailey really does love all his canine pals. This picture was taken at night when they all had been sleeping together on the floor with Bailey in the midst of his rather large dog buddies.

Nika with her latest heist

Along with shop-vacuuming her food, Nika enjoys "stealing" Ridalin Boy's cup now and then. In this case, it was filled with water when she pilfered it from where he was sitting watching a football game. Instant, game intermission to mop up the mess.

Misha models his new backpack from Santa

Misha, modeling his new backpack from Santa, looks huge compared to Nika in this Christmas Day photo. Actually, Nika is rapidly closing the weight gap. Misha weighs in at 55 pounds at eight months and Nika is 35 at four months. Do you think she is going to be a bit large?

As 2012 approaches, I am still sticking with my low-glycemic diet in an effort to keep sinus problems and candida from returning. Recently, I made these Veggie Seed Crackers and saved some in the freezer for New Year's snacking.

Veggie Seed Crackers

Ingredients:

2 T. hemp seeds
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 T. chia seed
sea salt to taste
1 T. olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 T. coconut flour
1 cup chopped veggies such as carrot and zucchini
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. dried cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet with pan spray.
Grind all the seeds to a coarse grind in a coffee grinder.
Grind veggies in the food processor.
Add the ground seeds and other ingredients to the food processor, containing the veggies.
Pulse to mix to somewhat wet dough.
Spread the dough with wet hands to keep dough from sticking on the cookie sheet.
The dough should be about 1/4-inch thick and in the shape of a large rectangle about 10 X 15 inches.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Remove from oven and use a pizza cutter to cut cracker shapes.
Spread the crackers and return to oven.
Continue baking the crackers until they are hard and crisp. Turn the crackers over and turn the pan from time to time to facilitate crisping.

This recipe is included in Weekend Wellness: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/12/29/wellness-weekend-december-29-2011-january-2-2012/

Mystery ingredient (cauliflower) truffles

2011-12-24T14:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from dog buddies: Misha, Kona and Nika. Also pictured Sheree and son, Brian.

Here's the gang wishing you a Merry Christmas. It looks like we're ready to go on an Arctic expedition because, even though we have no snow, it's burrr cold outside.

Misha takes over the couch.

Misha looks relaxed here but he's really on Santa's naughty list. He's not supposed to be on the couch at all. Yesterday, he and Nika made our living room into a track and chased each other around and around. It's a good thing we have put off replacing our 12-year-old carpeting. Maybe that will be a Christmas present next year when the two are a little more tame.

Nika sneaking food

Nika is high on Santa's naughty list as well. Here she gets busted trying to sneak some extra food out of the container where it's kept.

My toy. No, my toy.

They're not trying very hard to get off Santa's bad list. Here they fight over a toy that actually belongs to Bailey, our cat.

Keep it a secret. These treats contain cauliflower.

I love winter, especially if it snows, but the season of being more indoors creates issues for me, healthwise. During the warmer months, I can get away with relaxing my low-glycemic diet but not so during the winter. Too many carbs and I start experiencing stomach and sinus problems. That's why I have to keep away from even low-glycemic sweeteners and grains during these months.

I'm focusing more on veggies, basically the anti-candida diet with a few exceptions. You know just a bit of chocolate here and there. I got to wondering if I could make a treat with veggies as the centerpiece but still include enough chocolate to get my fix. It worked in the form of Cauliflower cookie dough truffles. To be perfectly honest, I can't tell the truffles contain cauliflower.

Freeze these up once you've got them made and keep them on hand for your treat fix. Just pop one in the microwave for about 12 seconds and it's perfect to eat.

Cauliflower Cookie Dough Truffles

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cauliflower, riced in food processor (just toss small pieces of your washed and trimmed cauliflower in the food processor and pulse until the cauliflower looks like rice).
3 T. unsweetened sunbutter or other nut or seed butter of choice
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 T. cacao nibs
powdered stevia to taste
Options: if candida is not an issue, throw in some agave nectar and/or vanilla extract.
For chocolate glaze: 1 T. coconut oil, 2 T. cacao powder, 1 T. sunbutter, stevia to taste and other sweetener if candida not an issue.

Directions:

Rice the cauliflower and add in other ingredients and pulse to mix.
Shape the dough into balls and freeze on cookie sheets in the freezer.
In the meantime, prepare the chocolate dip by melting the coconut oil and blending in the sunbutter, cacao powder and stevia.
Dip the frozen truffles in the chocolate sauce. Remove to wax-paper covered cookie sheet to allow chocolate the harden in the freezer.
To eat, thaw the balls out slightly or place in the microwave for about 12 seconds.

Recipe contributed to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/12/22/wellness-weekend-holiday-edition-december-22-26-2011/

Kale chips with the works

2011-12-18T14:16:00.000-08:00

Misha and Nika workout in preparation for their assault on our Christmas decorations.

Christmas is approaching fast and we have yet to put up our tree. Do you think our procrastination has anything to do with the dynamic duo, Misha and Nika (pictured above)? I think they have been working out in preparation for their assault on our Christmas decorations. Fool you guys. The Christmas decorations and tree are going to stay safe and sound in their boxes in the garage.

"But mom, we'll be the only ones in the neighborhood without a tree."

Don't call me a Grinch. I'm just trying to save the cost of a huge veterinary bill. Seriously, our veterinarian told us that every year she sees lots of pets around the holidays who have ingested Christmas tree ornaments and other decorations. The bill for surgery can be pretty staggering. A friend's cat swallowed a glitter ball and the bill for vet care amounted to $2,000+. Better to forego the tree.

Cheer up guys. We'll spend all the money we saved on vet bills on dog treats and chew toys.

No tree? What's a fun-loving cat to do?

Where has December gone? My normally energetic hubby (nicknamed Ridalin Boy for being ADHD) and I have been sick with the cold/flu for what seems like most of December. And of course, every day is pure mayhem with Team Destructo---Misha, Nika and Bailey. Kona is the good one.

Does this mean I get some extra treats because I'm the good one?

It's really been a drag with everyone sick with a cold/flu. For me there's a double whammy because I have to worry about the dreaded sinusitis coming back. I decided my best defense would be skipping the Christmas goodies and mainly eating veggies and low-glycemic fruit, fish and seeds, and whole grains, and drinking lots of broth and herbal teas. So far, my strategy seems to be working. I've found myself healing from a cold much more quickly than those in my family who ate whatever they wanted.

Here's what I've been eating:

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, which support the body’s ability to resist and heal from infection.
Fish, nuts and seeds provide valuable nutrients, including zinc, which play an important role in the immune system. They also are good sources of essential fatty acids which may reduce inflammation and production of phlegm.
Whole grains provide more vitamins, minerals, nutrients, fiber and antioxidants than refined grains. Individuals who ate more whole grains and passed on processed and fatty foods produced less phlegm when sick, according to studies.
Warm fluids are recommended to fight a cold because the vapor from the liquids helps open up the sinuses and thin out mucus. Best choices are herbal teas, broth and dairy-free beverages. Skip caffeinated drinks.

What I've been avoiding are sweets and anything high in carbs. Sugar reduces the effectiveness of your immune response to fight infection. With that in mind, my series of snacks continues but the focus is on low carbohydrate.

Kale chips with the works

I loved kale in all forms but especially kale chips. I gave them a makeover and poured a veggie blend over the top before drying them in the oven. It gave them a creamy, nutty texture.

Kale Chips with the Works

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale, washed and dried
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 unpeeled carrot
1 T. raw tahini
2 T. Bragg's amino acids
2-4 T. lemon juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet.
Remove the washed and dried kale from the stems. Break the leaves into small pieces. Place half the kale pieces in a large bowl and set aside.
Prepare the coating by blending the red bell pepper, carrot, tahini, Bragg's, lemon juice in a food processor. (Note: This makes enough for another batch of kale chips the next day.)
Spoon several large tablespoonsfull of the coating over the kale in the bowl. Toss to distribute the mixture and coat the leaves.
Spread the coated kale on the cookie sheet.
Place in the oven and bake until dry but pliable.
Once the first batch is done, repeat with the remaining kale leaves.

This recipe has been entered in: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/12/16/wellness-weekend-december-13-19-2011/

Sweet nori crisps

2011-12-09T14:36:00.000-08:00

Nika waits for the snow while I spin indoors.

Snow...that's probably what Nika is dreaming about as I pedal my legs off on my indoor trainer. Can you believe she can sleep this close to a spinning wheel that sounds like a jet taking off? If only the rest of us could sleep this soundly.

I think I'll nap while you spin.

I'm looking forward (the dogs too) to going snowshoeing or cross-country skiing but instead the dogs and I are spending more of our time indoors. We've got an inversion or high-pressure or something. The explanation by the weather people changes every day. In the meantime, it's freezing outside but no snow. I have to put on numerous layers just to take the dogs outside for their many daily walks.

The bundling up is one of the things that I don't like about winter. I also suffer from chronic pain which is made worse by excessive cold. The only thing that helps with my pain is myofascial release.

Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. This soft tissue can become restricted due to psychogenic disease, overuse, trauma, infectious agents, or inactivity, often resulting in pain, muscle tension, and corresponding diminished blood flow. In my case, the problem has been caused by injury and overuse.
Irritation of fascia or muscle causes local inflammation which in me shows up as knots in the fascia or muscle. These knots don't go away with inactivity or stretching or even massage. That's where my husband comes in. My physicial therapist, whom I see from time to time when I have severe flareups, has taught my husband how to do some basic myofascial release treatment, which involves sustained pressure over the affected areas.

Bailey joins in giving me "myofascial release" treatment.

Myofascial release can benefit just about anyone but for me, it's a lifesaver. It's the only thing that keeps me able to walk my dogs and ride my bike. Several years ago, before myofascial treatment, I wasn't able to do these things without severe pain. And it's a good thing I can keep on walking those dogs. Instead of bouncing off the walls, they are relaxed and sublime (ha ha).

Nika looking all relaxed.

The holidays, cold weather and winter usually take their toll on my waistline. This year I have decided to snack smarter. I have made up a list of 30+ snacks for those like me who must eat free of gluten, dairy, egg, nuts, legume and some other food allergens. I will be sharing these snacks in the weeks ahead. The first one on my list is Sweet Nori Crisps.

Sweet nori chips

Ingredients:
4 sheets of nori
raw sesame seeds
1 T. coconut syrup or agave syrup
1 T. olive oil
sea salt

Directions:
Begin by preheating the oven to 250 degrees. Lay two sheets of nori side by side on a cutting board. Lightly spray or paint water on the sheets, just enough to make them a little sticky.

Sprinkle the dampened sheets with salt. Cover each dampened nori sheet with a dry one so that the two sheets fit together. Use kitchen shears to cut the sheets into rectangular-shaped chips.
Lay these strips on a cookie sheet.

Combine the coconut syrup and olive oil in a small bowl. Using a pastry brush, brush the strips with the mixture. Sprinkle lightly with sesame seeds. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove the strips when they are slightly crisp. They will continue to crisp up while they are cooling.

More healthy ideas at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/12/08/wellness-weekend-december-8-12-2011/

Vegan chocolate-sunbutter pillows

2011-12-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Bailey loves our drippy faucet

It seems like my world has gone to the dogs lately but yes, there still is a cat in the kitchen, pictured above. Bailey loves our drippy kitchen faucet. It delivers just the right amount of water with every drip to keep him fascinated.

Nika and Misha wait eagerly for me to get clumsy and drop food

Bailey enjoys the faucet while the canine kitchen helpers prefer waiting underfoot to see if anything is dropped by accident during food prep. I feel like I am cooking in a tank of sharks waiting to pounce. I am surprised by how fast they can scoop up a dropped piece of lettuce or carrot peel. Veggies aren't their favorite but they will force them down just to keep the other one from enjoying the spoils.

Vegan chocolate-sunbutter cookies

Here's something I'm not planning to drop, vegan chocolate-sunbutter pillows. These are so scrumptious I'm glad the recipe only made eight cookies, otherwise I'd be tempted to keep on eating when I should be stopping. These combine my two favorite ingredients: chocolate and sunbutter. Before food allergies and candida, chocolate and peanut butter used to be my sweettooth craving. Sunbutter fills in perfectly for the peanut butter.

Vegan chocolate-sunbutter pillows
(makes 8 large cookies)

Ingredients for chocolate outside:

3/4 cup quinoa flour
6 T. raw cacao powder
1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup coconut syrup
2 T. coconut nectar
3 T. unsweetened hemp milk
3 T. olive oil

Ingredients for sunbutter filling:

1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter
1/4 cup dry soy milk (unsweetened)
2 T. hemp milk
1 T. coconut syrup
stevia to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with pan spray.
For the chocolate cookies, combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, combine the filling ingredients.
Use about a tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Form balls and then flatten on the cookie sheet.
Place a teaspoon of sunbutter filling in the center of each cookie and fold up the sides of the dough to encase the filling.
Bake for about 10 minutes.

Note: These say nice and soft even when placed in the freezer.

I have entered this recipe in Weekend Wellness at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/12/01/wellness-weekend-december-1-5-2011/

Vegan pumpkin pie brownie

2011-11-23T11:30:00.000-08:00

Misha and Nika have a pillow fight.

Ever since these two were added to our menagerie, there has never been a dull moment. In fact, I can safely say I never sit around for very long. I'm sure I am following the new guidelines of never sitting for more than 30 minutes at a stretch. I'm usually grabbing a leash to head outside for a walk, romp or something. I'm not advocating getting a pair like this to keep you moving but it definitely works unless you want your house in shambles.

Nika tries to snatch a muffin.

Even your breakfast might get snatched if you are not vigilant as my husband found out while checking his e-mails.

Child's pose with help

I turn to yoga to try to destress from all this doggie activity but even that is not canine-free.

Too much yoga help

Yoga is not always relaxing. This is where the dynamic duo get sent outside to their pen.

Bailey and Kona do the relaxation pose.

Why can't the other two be more like these guys? The look so relaxed I wish I could join them.

Vegan pumpkin pie brownie

Amidst all the doggie activity, I still had time to experiment with a recipe for Thanksgiving. I've never been a fan of pumpkin pie which my hubby dearly loves. It's got to have a chocolate or what is the point of consuming the extra calories in my book. I thought why not combine my favorite with his and Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownie was born.

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Brownie

Ingredients for Brownie Layer:

2/3 cup cacao powder
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup coconut sugar plus stevia to taste
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 flax egg (1 T. flax mixed with 3 T. hemp milk)

Ingredients for Pumpkin Layer:

1 cup pumpkin puree
1 T. flax
1/2 cup non-dairy milk, such as hemp
1/4 cup coconut sugar plus stevia to taste
1/4 tsp each cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon
Optional: cacao nibs for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an eight-inch square pan.
Make the pumpkin layer first by mixing all the pumpkin layer ingredients in a food processor. Pour the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
Don't bother rinsing out the food processor before moving onto the brownie layer. Mix all the brownie layer ingredients in the food processor.
Pour the brownie layer mixture into your prepared baking pan. Pour the pumpkin layer on top and smooth it out to the sides.
Bake for 30+ minutes until the pumpkin layer looks firm and has cracked at the edges.
Let cool before decorating with cacao nibs or chocolate drizzle.

Misha takes a break but not for long.

Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving and try to enjoy some relaxation time, just like Misha, above.

This recipe is entered in Weekend Wellness at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/11/24/wellness-weekend-november-24-28-2011/

Vegan chocolate kiss, cookie dough cookies

2011-11-18T09:59:00.000-08:00

Misha underfoot

Kona blocking door

Misha and Kona blocking yet another door

I guess you can see from the pix above why one of the No. 1 accidents around the house is from tripping over a dog or dogs. So far, no injuries have occurred in our household, probably because this has been going on since we added Kona, now 13, to our household. We have acquired the skill of stepping carefully about the house.

Kona was the first one to perfect blocking doorways and being underfoot. Now, she has passed this "skill" along to our newbies, Misha and Nika, and even our cat, Bailey. We have tried to train this out of our brood but they are so darned pack-driven they just keep coming back to their favorite spots which happen to be in the way.

Vegan chocolate kiss, cookie dough cookies

Do you think I can blame all these dogs underfoot for my chocolate attacks/obsession? It works for me. I have been a lover of cookie dough since the beginning of time. Cookie dough balls, dipped in chocolate, fly out of my freezer. The last one I devoured recently was delicious but also an inspiration for another chocolate treat. As I savoured the last bite, I thought why not put the chocolate on the inside. That didn't work but instead Vegan chocolate kiss, cookie dough cookies were born. The name is a mouthful to say but who cares about the name, just eat 'em.

Vegan Chocalate Kiss, Cookie Dough Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup ground raw or toasted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup quinoa flakes
2 scoops rice protein powder
1/4 cup cacao nibs
1 T. chia seeds
Pinch of salt
1 T. coconut nectar or agave nectar
Powdered stevia to taste
2 T. hemp milk or enough to make every stick together
Chocolate protein seed butter (make your own by combining 2 T. melted coconut oil with 1/2 cup unsweetened sunbutter or other seed/nut butter of choice, stevia, 2-3 scoops rice protein powder)

Directions:
For the cookie dough: mix everything but chocolate protein seed butter in a food processor. Scoop out tablespoonsful of the cookie dough and place onto a wax-paper lined cookie sheet. Pick up one hunk at a time and make a small indentation on top with your fingers. Fill the indentation with chocolate protein seed butter which serves as the "chocolate kiss." Place the cookie dough cookies in the freezer to firm everything up. Snack on as desired but be careful, these are dangerous!

More good stuff at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/11/17/wellness-weekend-november-17-21/

Vegan pumpkin seed bars with coconut glaze

2011-11-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

Dogs in the kitchen as usual

Bailey and Misha investigating food ops in kitchen

Vegan pumpkin seed bars with coconut glaze

The dogs are still overtaking my life and my kitchen but they are adorable especially when sleeping. The rest of the time it is pure chaos. Bailey and Misha offer a glimpse of what it's like getting anything done in the kitchen in the photo above where they are investigating what's on the stove.

The new kid in the house, Nika, loves food like nothing I have ever seen. She is literally a shopvac when it comes to eating her food. She could easily enter a professional eating contest if they had such a thing for canines.

The best time to prepare anything for the humans in the house to eat is when all the dogs are sleeping which actally works part of the time. I had a nice one-hour window of tranquility to prepare the vegan pumpkin seeds bars.

Vegan Pumpkin Seeds Bars

Ingredients:

3 cups of quinoa flakes or rolled oats
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup coconut syrup
stevia for additional sweetness
3 scoops rice protein powder
2 cups of seeds (or nuts) of your choice ground in a coffee grinder.
1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter or use other seed or nut butter of choice.
2 T. coconut oil, melted
1 T. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup unsweetened hemp milk (or other alternative dairy beverage)
1 + cups of pumpkin puree

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a large cookie sheet.
Process all the ingredients in a food processor.
Add enough pumpkin puree and hemp milk to get the mixture to hold together.
Spread the mixture onto the cookie sheet. It should be about 1/3-inch thick.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or so.
Cut into bars and spread them apart on the cookie sheet.
Return the bars to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove them again and flip them over
Continue baking until the bars are firm. Remove those that get done sooner as needed.
When done, place the bars to cool on a rack.
In the meantime, prepare a simple glaze of 1-2 T. coconut butter melted with 1 T. coconut oil.
Drizzle on the cooled bars and allow to harden.
Store the bars in the fridge or freezer.

There's more at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/11/10/wellness-weekend-november-10-14-2011/

Cauliflower-pumpkin (cheesecake) spread

2011-11-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Take a look at my kitchen floor. There's nary a cat in sight but the dogs are wall to wall as my menagerie grows yet again. This time the new addition is two-month-old Nika, a red malamute pup. I think I should have called my blog, "Dogs in the Kitchen," because it looks like they have taken over.

Here's some shots of the new dog in the kitchen.

Well, you can probably guess this new little "floor rug" has been keeping me busy, almost too busy to cook. The first few days I had no life other than getting Misha, Kona and Bailey, the cat, to embrace their new sister, Nika. There was lots of protesting in the form of howling and whimpering from Nika, and snarling and snapping from hyper, alpha boy, Misha. Kona was good with whatever as long as she got her food while Bailey hid under the bed.

Fortuntely, most of the kinks have been ironed out in the past three days; well, all but the potty training. That's a whole different issue. I continue to spend most of my time at the end of several leashes as I take the wee one (16 pounds), accompanied by her new pals, on endless walks to get the "deed" done outside.

I managed to pull together a nice veggie-protein spread, "Cauliflower-pumpkin (cheesecake) spread," that keeps my snacking, hunger-pains at bay and tastes delicious too, almost like pumpkin cheesecake, but much healthier! It's super easy too which makes it a lifesaver right now.

Cauliflower-pumpkin spread

Cauliflower-pumpkin spread with chocolate topping

Cauliflower-pumpkin (cheesecake) spread

Ingredients:

1/2 medium cauliflower, washed, trimmed and riced in food processor
2 T. unsweetened sunbutter, tahini or other nut or seed butter
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp. agave nectar plus stevia
1 tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
2-3 T. rice protein powder

Directions:

Rice the cauliflower in a food processor
Add the nut or seed butter, pumpkin, protein powder and sweetener
Process until you have a smooth spread
Add more pumpkin puree or bit of water if spread is too thick
Serve on crackers, rice cakes
Extra stores well in fridge for up to a week

Don't forget to take a gander at more recipes at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/11/03/wellness-weekend-november-3-7-2011/

Celebrating Halloween candida-style

2011-10-28T10:28:00.000-07:00

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays even though environmental and food allergies (and now candida) prevent me from enjoying some of the traditional festivities, such as hayrides, corn mazes and eating lots of goodies. The trick to having a good Halloween and other holidays, despite your issues, is to stick to foods you can eat and create new traditions.

Replace traditions that won’t work with new ones. The past few years I have been growing a huge pumpkin patch. When the pumpkins are ready, I invite friends with their kids over to pick a pumpkin or two for their Halloween jack-‘o-lanterns. The extra pumpkins are donated to the Salvation Army for families in need.

Some others Halloween activities I’ve tried are a scary movie night with “safe” snacks and goodies, going out to a favorite restaurant and movie, and hosting a gathering at my home (this can be with or without costumes). For a child with food allergies, plan a Halloween scavenger hunt instead of trick or treating.

Don’t wait until the last minute to make "safe" treats, or plan a Halloween menu if you or family members have food concerns. This year, I've already tried out a few "spooktacular" recipes.

Sunflower-seed encrusted apples

For a healthier take on candied apples, I made sunflower-seed encrusted apples. If nuts work for you, try almonds in place of the sunflower seeds.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1 tsp. apple pie spice
1/4 cup coconut sugar
2 gala apples, halved and cored
1 T. coconut oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Grind the sunflower seeds in a coffee grinder. Combine the ground seeds with spices and sugar in a small dish. Wet the apples lightly and press into the spice mixture.

Heat the coconut oil in a heavy skillet. Brown the cut sides of the apples in the oil for 1-2 minutes. Turn the apples over, and add the water and extra spice mixture. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and sauce is thick.

Place an apple half in a small dessert dish and top with extra sauce and vegan yogurt.

Vegan pumpkin squares

I also tried Vegan pumpkin squares.

Ingredients:
1 cup amaranth or quinoa flour
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup coconut kefir milk
1 T. chia seeds with 4 T. of water
1 1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking power
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup coconut sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 X 8-inch baking pan. Mix all ingredients in food processor. Pour into the prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until fork inserted comes out clean. Cool slightly and serve with dollop of vegan coconut yogurt.

Pretty spooky: a dog with a cone head

3 more days with hood

My pup, Misha, will be celebrating Halloween in an extra special way---cone-free after 15 long days. It's been a long period of confinement for not just Misha, but all of us. You can see from the pix above that Kona will appreciate the cone-less Misha more as well. We were thinking of dressing Misha up as a megaphone for Halloween but somehow I don't think he would appreciate it!

More great recipe ideas at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/10/27/wellness-weekend-october-27-31-2011/

Herbed flax-quinoa crackers

2011-10-22T14:49:00.000-07:00

I'm just a little hooded husky!

I can't get this cone off no matter what position I'm in.

I feel so trapped!

My husband and my husky, Misha, have a common bond. They are both ADHD! Now, imagine putting one of them--the six-month-old husky--- in a cone for two weeks while he recovers from surgery. I've been called a saint for putting up with my husband but this is really testing my mettle.

Misha is usually bouncing off the walls but the cone has added a whole new dimension. He reminds so much of my husband after he has been concentrating on something for a few hours. He's like someone ready to come out of his skin.

He (the animal ADHD'er) can't chew any of his toys or play with his animal buddies, Kona and Bailey. He has no peripheral vision which means he can't be allowed to have any unstructured play. His lack of vision also makes him a total klutz when it comes to chasing a ball or even sniffing for a bathroom spot. I wish I had a time machine to transport him 10 more days into the future when he gets his sutures out.

I've noticed a stronger bond between my human and animal ADHD'ers since Misha had his surgery. I think my husband can empathize much better than I can because he feels trapped like Misha does in the cone. But his human entrapments are the constraints of job, time schedule and other demands. He really comes to Misha's defense when I'm about ready to phone for doggie day care (not really).

There are certain advantages of having to provide only structured activities for a hooded husky. The biggest one is all the walks I've been taking the pooch on. I call this an advantage because all of the delicious recipes I've been trying recently have packed on the pounds.

I guess that's one of the problems of being a recipe blogger. You are constantly experimenting with and trying new recipes, many of which are desserts because after all, what do we all love. But, I need to get real. There are only so many desserts any human who wants to maintain or lose weight should be eating.

Another problem is no one else in my family wants to eat vegan, no-gluten desserts. You guessed it. I have to finish all of it which is not a good plan. This is why I have challenged myself to try only one new dessert or snack recipe each week. I guess what I am saying is we need more low-calorie vegan options out there. I would challenge all of you (who are fellow bloggers) to rethink what we are putting on our blogs. Are we contributing to obesity or does everyone out there have self-control?

This week I made some healthy crackers, instead of a dessert. They are lower calorie but not calorie-less. I'm guessing a serving would be about four crackers (120 calories). That's assuming you cut 48 crackers. Mine are extra thich because I am not good at rolling stuff out. I only got 24 crackers.

I also made a sweet, low-calorie chocolate spread to go with the crackers but my human ADHD'er snagged the camera before I could snap a picture. (He put the camera out in the car because he was going to need it the next day. It's one of his ADHD memory tricks. Put things in the car or in your backpack the night before.)

Flax-quinoa crackers

Herbed Flax-Quinoa Crackers
(makes 4 dozen if you are good at rolling out the dough)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ground golden flax
1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 T. melted coconut oil
1 T. dried cilantro or parsley (your choice)
Optional: other dried herbs
1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
pan spray
ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put flax, flour, baking powder, salt and coconut oil in a food processor and mix until mixture resembles a coarse meal.
Stir in herbs. Pour in milk and mix until dough comes together.
Divide dough in half. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to a nine-inch square. Transfer to sprayed baking sheets. Cut each square into about 24 crackers with a pizza cutter.
Spray with pan spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake until slightly firm about 20 minutes.
Flip crackers and continue baking until firm and brown. About 10 more minutes.
Check often to account for differences in oven temperatures.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Wellness at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/10/20/wellness-weekend-october-20-24-2011/

Kale apple salad

2011-10-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Kale apple salad

Kale has been recognized as an incredibly nutritious vegetable since ancient Greek and Roman times. It's rich in health-benefiting polyphenolic flavonoid compounds such as lutein, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.

Best yet, kale loves cool fall weather which makes the vegetable sweeter and more flavorful. I love kale which is a good thing since I have a plentiful crop in my garden. Three years ago, I planted some kale and ever since then my crop has spread to cover two-thirds of a 16-by-20-foot garden area. You probably guessed kale has some great self-propagating qualities.

Here's a simple-to-make recipe using kale and other fall crops.

Kale Apple Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients:

One bunch kale, washed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 gala or other sweet red apple, cored and diced
Optional: 2 diced green onions
Lime sunbutter dressing: in a food processor, combine 1/4 cup sunbutter, 2 T. sunflower seeds, 1/4 cup lime juice, stevia, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 T. Bragg's amino acids, water to thin if needed.
Optional: toasted sunflower seeds for sprinkling on top

Directions:

Combine kale, carrot, apple in a large salad bowl. Toss ingredients and drizzle 3 T or more of the lime sunbutter dressing. Reserve the rest for later.
Give the salad another toss to mix the dressing.
Sprinkle on the sunflower seeds if desired.

Shared with http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/10/13/wellness-weekend-october-13-17-2011/

Vegan brown rice pudding with pomegranate and chocolate

2011-10-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

Jerusalem artichokes in bloom

Jerusalem artichokes at 12 feet in height

Vegan brown rice pudding with pomegranate and cacao nibs

I decided to try growing Jerusalem artichokes this summer for the first time. I didn't know quite what to expect and was totally overwhelmed when they bloomed just like sunflowers (pictured above). I have always loved sunflowers and decided to snap a few photos before the blooms faded away.

Now, I am waiting to harvest the artichokes which are actually tubers that grow underground like potatoes but are lower glycemic. I can't have any artichokes just yet as they cannot be harvested until after the first frost but I can still enjoy their beautiful blooms. In the meantime, I have no recipe with Jerusalem artichokes but I did get a inspiration for a dessert/breakfast from a pomegranate I found at the market.

Vegan Brown Rice Pudding with Pomegranate and Cacao Nibs

Ingredients:

2 cups regular coconut milk
4-5 T. coconut nectar or substitute less agave syrup
2 T. chia seeds
2 cups brown rice cooked
pomegranate seeds
cacao nibs

Directions:

Place the coconut milk and nectar in a pan. Heat the mixture.
Add the precooked rice to the milk mixture and bring to a low simmer for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds.
Place in a container and cool in the fridge.
To serve, spoon into dessert dishes and top with a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds and cacao nibs or shaved chocolate.

More great ideas here: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/10/06/wellness-weekend-october-6-10-2011/

Kale-topped sweet potato

2011-09-30T15:58:00.000-07:00

Backpacking to Box Lake near McCall, Idaho

Misha recovering from backpacking trip

My recovery food: kale-topped sweet potato

Beets and sweets; another favorite

September has provided such unbelievable weather where I live. We had to take advantage of the warm days and cooler nights to plan and take another backpacking trip. We made an overnight trek to Box Lake near McCall, Idaho, about a three-hour drive from where we live.

It was absolutely perfect (well, except for the 1,800-feet elevation gain in 2.7 miles). There were no bugs; the lake and sky were crystal clear; and the temperature was in the 70s.

We're all nursing some sore legs after climbing and then descending the steep trail on the return. Misha, our Malamute-Husky, accompanied us and had another great adventure. He dug in the wet sand along the lake beach; chewed on all the pine cones he could find; and dove in the water again and again.

Now, he is tired as you can see in the picture above. He managed to find enough energy to hop up on the bed, where he is not supposed to be. I didn't have the heart to chase him off.

As for me, I am craving my favorite sweet potato dishes. One is kale-topped sweet potato which is oh, so easy to prepare. Simple-to-prepare dishes are my cup of tea.

Kale-topped Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

1 baked sweet potato
2 cups chopped kale
1 diced zucchini
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 tsp. olive oil
optional: 2 garlic cloves minced
lime-sunbutter dressing (2 T. sunbutter, 1/4 cup water, juice of one lime, 1 tsp. sesame seed oil, 1 T. sunflower seeds, dash of stevia)

Directions:

Saute the kale and zucchini in olive oil with the optional minced garlic cloves added if desired. Season with salt and pepper.
Whirl up lime-sunbutter dressing in your food processor.
To assemble, top sweet potato with kale mixture and finish with a dollop of lime-sunbutter dressing.

Check out some more healthy recipes at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/29/wellness-weekend-september-29-october-3-2011/

Carrot cake bites

2011-09-22T14:08:00.000-07:00

Okra in bloom

Carrot cake bites

I wish I had planted more okra this summer. Not only is it delicious but okra has the most gorgeous yellow blooms, as pictured above. My new favorite way to eat okra is to toss it with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast it in the oven until tender. I just wish I had more!

My other most recent food passion is carrot cake. Well, my version of carrot cake isn't exactly a sheet cake with cream cheese frosting. Last week, I posted vegan carrot cake chia pudding. http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/09/vegan-carrot-cake-chia-pudding.html
This week, I wanted small bites of carrot cake-flavored morsels so I came up with Carrot Cake Bites.

Ingredients for approximately 12:

2-3 T. of raw tahini butter
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
stevia to taste
2 T. raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. raw sunflower seeds
1 T. chia seeds
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. Artisana coconut butter

Directions:

Chop or grate one carrot in the food processor.
Add the seeds and pulse to chop.
Add the tahini, coconut flakes, stevia, cinnamon, and continue pulsing until mixture sticks together.
Roll small balls of the mixture and drizzle with melted coconut butter.
Chill in the fridge to harden coconut butter. These also store well in the freezer and do not become hard.

There are many other great recipes at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/22/wellness-weekend-september-22-26-2011

Vegan carrot cake chia pudding

2011-09-17T16:18:00.000-07:00

Misha mugs hubby while Bailey watches from background and Kona doesn't want to look.

Vegan carrot cake chia pudding

Don't let Misha's cute, smiling face fool you. He is a handful as you can see in the picture above. My hubby was trying to check Kona's feet for cheat grass only to be mugged from the rear by Misha. Bailey, the smallest pet in the family, was smart. He stayed back and watched from a distance.

My husband, true to form, wanted a photo of Misha being naughty. I think the two have a common bond as they both are ADHD.

Anyhow, all of this interrupted me as I was about to dig into a batch of Vegan Carrot Cake Chia Pudding.
This stuff is so good I would actually rather eat it than chocolate. That's pretty hard to believe for a chocolate addict as I am. It's also easy to make which pleases me.

Vegan Carrot Cake Chia Pudding
Ingredients:

1 medium carrot, peeled
3 T. chia seed
1 scoop vegan rice protein powder
powdered stevia
1 -2 T. pumpkin seeds
1 T. sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 T. unsweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or other non-dairy "milk"
Optional: 1 tsp. agave or coconut nectar
Artisana coconut butter for drizzling on top

Directions:

Grate carrot in your food processor. Add everything else except the Artisana coconut butter. Pulse until everything is mixed. Pour into container for refrigerating overnight. Drizzle on coconut butter just before eating.

I submitted this recipe to Weekend Wellness at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/15/wellness-weekend-september-15-19-2011/

Gluten-free, Vegan Chocolate-Zucchini Brownie in a Mug or Pan

2011-09-11T15:41:00.000-07:00

Chocolate-Zucchini Pan of Pudding Brownies

Chocolate-Zucchini Brownie in a Mug

Bailey and Kona lounging

Desserts are my downfall, especially chocolate ones. That's why I've decided to make single-serving desserts as much as possible. My theory is there will no longer be the call of the leftover desserts from the freezer or fridge.

I probably sabotaged my whole plan by making my first single-serving dessert creation a microwavable one that can be ready in five or less minutes. Oh well, I guess I will need some willpower after all.

I took a full-size recipe for vegan and gluten-free brownie pudding cake (pictured above) and modified it to add zucchini and make one serving. Below are both single-serve and pan recipes.

Chocolate-Zucchini Brownie in a Mug (Vegan and Gluten-Free)
Make one huge serving or two small ones.

Ingredients:

one medium-sized microwavable mug (I used a small one and had an overflow problem.)
pan spray
4 T. amaranth flour or other gluten-free flour
1/4 cup grated zucchini
2 T. raw cacao
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. chia seed mixed with 1 T. water
3 T. cultured coconut kefir milk or regular coconut milk
1 T. melted coconut oil
1 T. coconut sugar or other sweetener
1 T. cacao nibs
1/2 tsp. gluten free baking powder
1/4 cup water mixed with 2 tsp. cacao and 1 T. coconut sugar

Directions:

Spray mug with pan spray.
Measure flour, zucchini, salt, cacao, baking powder in mug.
Place chia in water in a separate container and let stand for a few minutes before adding to mug ingredients.
Add coconut kefir or milk, chia, coconut oil and cacao nibs and mix.
Pour on top the water, cacao, coconut sugar mixture.
Microwave 3 minutes and enjoy immediately or later depending on your willpower.

Full Size Chocolate-Zucchini Brownie Pudding Cake
(makes 6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup amaranth flour
1 cup grated zucchini
1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut kefir
4 T. cacao powder
1 T. chia seeds mixed with 4 T. water, allow to set 15 minutes
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. melted coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 1/2 cups boiling water mixed with 1/3 cup cacao powder, dash of salt and 1/2 cup coconut sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix all ingredients (#1-10 in ingredients list) in a large bowl with the exception of the 1 1/2 cups boiling water, 1/3 cup cacao, dash of salt and coconut sugar.
Spray an 8 by 8-inch baking pan.
Pour ingredients #1-10 into baking pan.
Pour boiling water mixture over the top.
Bake 40 minutes at 350 degees.
Serve warm with vegan ice cream.

Okra saute and my journey into raw and veganism

2011-09-08T14:48:00.000-07:00

Okra saute plated with veggie burger and savoy cabbage slaw

Savoy and red cabbage slaw

Sometimes I call myself a vegan just to make it easier for others to understand that I cannot eat dairy, eggs and many kinds of meat. It's less complicated than explaining, "You see I have these delayed food allergies to all these things, blah, blah, blah," which usually results in them giving me blank stares.

So, since I've been using the vegan label, I decided I would actually go completely vegan (and dabble into raw cooking sometimes) for two weeks. I also secretly hoped going vegan might help me lose some weight. That was a pipe dream. You see, you actually have to reduce your caloric intake to lose weight.

It's also a perfect time to become vegan as my garden is overflowing with produce. This year, I grew okra, a vegetable I remember fondly from childhood. My father was a good ole Alabama boy who loved his okra. But somehow, eating okra as an adult escaped me. It probably didn't help that everytime I mentioned it to my husband, he would respond, "Oh, you mean that slimy stuff."

Strangely, I didn't remember it as a slimy vegetable.When I saw okra in this year's seed catalog, I knew I had to give it a try. Okra, fresh from the garden, is amazing! Just make sure you pick it when the pods are four or less inches long. I didn't realize this on my first harvest and let them get really big before picking. It was like eating wood. Pick them small and they are wonderfully tender.

I must admit after many years of not eating okra, I wasn't sure how to prepare it. I searched the internet and found a vegan recipe for okra saute which I adapted to fit my needs.

Okra Veggie Saute on Veggie Burgers with Savoy Cabbage Slaw
(serves one or two)

Ingredients:

5-6 small okra sliced into rounds
pan spray and olive oil
salt and pepper
optional: cumin
half a medium onion sliced into half moons
small or medium zucchini, diced
veggie burger(s)
cole slaw (recipe for my version below)

Directions for Saute:

Heat oil in a medium skillet.
Add onion and cook 2 minutes.
Add okra and zucchini and continue cooking until all veggies are tender. Salt and pepper and add any other spices, herbs.
While the veggies are cooking, slide them over and add your veggie burgers to cook.
Serve on a bed of slaw with a drizzle of your favorite vegan dressing or more of the slaw dressing described below.

Savoy Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

1/4 head savoy cabbage chopped
1/4 head red cabbage chopped
1 carrot peeled and chopped or shredded
For dressing: 1/4 cup tahini, juice of one lime, 3-4 T. water, 1 tsp. sesame oil, salt and pepper, stevia to taste, 2 diced green onions, 2 T. raw sunflower seeds (Makes more than you will need for slaw.)

Directions:

Mix dressing ingredients in a food processor. Add more water to make it pourable.
Put veggies in a large bowl and drizzle on desired amount of dressing.
Toss and mix.

I've shared this recipe on http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/08/wellness-weekend-september-8-12-2011/.

Post-backpacking reward

2011-09-01T16:48:00.000-07:00

Misha and I in the a.m. at Loon Lake

My post-backpacking reward

Lace cookie cones

Baked
lace cookie cones before shaping. Notice their airy appearance.

No- cook backpacking cereal with blueberries

Food and environmental allergies, as well as candida, needn’t stop you from getting out and trying new adventures as I found out when I went backpacking. The keys to making it work and having fun are planning and preparation.

I recently completed two overnight adventures with all my gear on my back. That gear included my allergy meds (singulair, nasal wash syringe and solution packets, nasal spray) and all my allergen-free meals and snacks that also were low glycemic.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started preparing my own backpacking foods for a two trips, one for two days and the other for three days. But it was well worth the effort. Our last backpacking trip was into Loon Lake, a 12-mile round trip journey along the Secesh River. The scene I enjoyed in the morning after our hike in the previous day is pictured above. Misha, my husky-malamute, went along.

I enjoyed some great food including No-cook breakfast cereal which was a tweaked version of Breakfast Porridge, a recipe I found on http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/

Ingredients
2 T. unsweetened coconut flakes
2 T. raw pumpkin or sunflower seeds
1 T. chia or flax seeds
2-4 T. quinoa flakes
1 T. vegan rice protein
½-3/4 boiling water
Sweetener of choice
½ cup freeze-dried blueberries
2 T. powdered soy milk

Pre-trip preparation: grind seeds and coconut in a coffee grinder. Transfer to a container and mix in other dry ingredients. Pour into a zippered plastic bag. Place blueberries in a separate pouch. Rehydrate everything with 1/2-3/4 cup boiling water when ready to eat and enjoy. I rehydrated and ate my breakfast in the same heavy-duty freezer bag I used to pack it in. It saves a lot of clean up!

The weather on our outing was a bit hot for the mountains, high 80s, so I was kind of drooling for something cold and refreshing after hiking out. The next day after getting home, I got busy in the kitchen whipping up some blackberry-banana sorbet. That wasn't enough. I also wanted some kind of cone to put it in, just like an ice cream cone. The result was Lace Cookie Cones with Blackberry Sorbet. The cones were super easy to make.

Ingredients
2 T. coconut sugar
1 T. agave nectar or yacon syrup
1/4 cup quinoa flour
3 T. canola oil

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Pan spray a cookie sheet. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. You should get a fairly runny batter. If not runny, add more oil or agave. Drop by tablespoons-full onto the cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 4-5 minutes. The batter should spread out as pictured above. If it doesn't, you will end up with cookies rather than lace cookies.

Remove from the oven. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before attempting to move with a spatula. Shape the cookies into cones by wrapping around a wooden spoon handle. Or shape into a small edible dish by placing into a small dessert bowl. Place in the freezer to harden before filling with your favorite frozen dessert.

I made blackberry sorbet with one-cup of fresh blackberries I picked from the garden. Other ingredients included: frozen banana chunks from 1/2 a medium banana, 1 tsp. agave nectar, 2 T.+ coconut milk and dash of stevia.

It came together pretty fast, which was a good thing, as I had been drooling for a frozen dessert since hiking out the day before.

I've entered this recipe in Wellness Weekend at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/09/01/wellness-weekend-sept-1-5-2011-plus-an-event-update

Backpacking cacao-spinach-chia pudding

2011-08-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

Bad boy Misha investigates dinner and backpacking foods on counter.

Freezer bag backpacking meals

Backpacking or easy-travel cacao chia pudding

My husky puppy, Misha's latest trick is to stand on his hind legs to try to reach whatever food items are on the kitchen counter. What this means is never leave the kitchen unsupervised when food is out. The picture above was taken after I didn't follow this rule and left the kitchen to return to find "you know who" trying to reach our dinner. Of course, my husband had to encourage him to do it again so he could snap a picture.

At least, the masked-bandit Misha wasn't successful in making off with any of our food. It's hard to stay mad at him but I admit I could have if he had taken any of the backpacking foods I had labored over preparing for hours.

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started preparing my own backpacking foods for a two trips, one for two days and the other for three days. It took forever and didn't help that husband simply grabbed some Mountain House entrees off the shelf at REI.

I spread the task over several days and ended up spending about four hours. All those freezer bags in the photos above contain all my meals, treats, snacks for the trips. Everything had to be pre-assembled in freezer bags and ready to simply add hot or cold water on the trail to rehydrate. Fortunately, I got some great ideas from a website called http://www.trailcooking.com/

I tested out some of my backpacking meals at home and found out how easy it is to rehydrate foods in freezer bags. The idea of pre-packaging foods in freezer bags can be used for taking lunch items to work or packing along foods for travel, biking trips, hiking. I'm sure there are more possibilities!

One of my favorite backpacking recipes is Backpacking Cacao-Spinach-Chia Pudding. If you are not a backpacker or hiker, it could easily be taken along anywhere or just kept on hand for easy preparation when you are in a hurry.

Ingredients for 1 serving:

2 T. freeze-dried spinach (can be purchased from http://www.beprepared.com/)
1 1/2 T. chia seeds
1 1/2 T. cacao powder
Stevia to taste
2 T. seeds of your choice (I used half each pumpkin and sunflower seeds)
1 T. hemp seeds
1 T. rice protein powder
1-2 tsp. cacao nibs
Optional: 1 T. unsweetened coconut flakes, 1 T. powdered soymilk (purchased from http://www.iherb.com/)

Directions:

Place chia seeds, pumpkin, sunflower and hemp seeds in a coffee grinder and grind until a coarse meal.
Place all ingredients in a pre-labeled pint or quart-sized freezer bag.
To rehydrate, simply add 1/2 cup cold or warm water. Can be eaten immediately but best if you wait several hours.

Get more healthy, vegan recipe ideas at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/25/wellness-weekend-august-25-29-2011/

Backpacking with candida and food allergies

2011-08-18T14:58:00.000-07:00

Bailey, the new fur kid, on the kitchen counter again!

Bailey and Misha rampage in the living room.

Backpacking seed bars with other assorted freeze-dried foods

More than a decade ago, I considered myself an avid backpacker. It didn’t seem unusual for me to hike into a remote lake with all my gear and food loaded into a backpack. Stomach issues that turned out to be delayed food allergies curbed my enthusiasm for the activity.

Now, I am preparing for my first backpacking trip in 12 years. The last time I headed into the woods was when my daughter was still in high school. No, it’s not a mid-life crisis that’s prompting me to dust off my backpacking gear. My son has fond memories of backpacking with his parents and has invited us to go along with him on several short trips.

Regular car trips have posed problems for me because I have multiple food allergies. I have dealt with the problem by taking along lots of my own food and limiting eating out.

Locating “safe” foods for backpacking is a challenge on another level. Sure I am still taking along my own allergen-free items but whatever I pack must be lightweight which rules out regular food.

Backpackers usually pack easy-to-prepare meals that are pre-packaged and can be made ready by simply adding water to rehydrate the freeze-dried or dehydrated foods. Unfortunately, the meals are loaded with many of the foods I need to avoid, such as dairy, gluten, legumes and eggs.

In my search to find suitable food, I found some companies that manufacture meals for backpackers have begun to take note of the fact that there are vegans and people with gluten sensitivity. There also are companies that produce organic meals.

I didn’t expect companies to prepare foods for individuals like myself with multiple food sensitivities. My plan was to purchase freeze-dried foods and assemble my own safe meals.

I found all kinds of freeze-dried vegetables, meats and fruits at http://www.nutsonline.com/search?q=freeze+dried+vegetables and http://beprepared.com/. I purchased carrots, broccoli, asparagus, celery, chicken, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, dried soup mix, soy milk powder, brown rice and quinoa. I can make a variety of meals and snacks from these ingredients as well as some items I already have in my pantry.

Here’s a recipe for a packable backpacking seed bar that can be taken along on your next adventure whether it is backpacking, camping, biking, traveling. I used Ricki's coconut brittle as my inspiration. http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/?s=coconut+brittle&submit.x=9&submit.y=7

Backpacking Seed Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups raw or toasted seeds of your choice ( I used 1/2 cup each of hemp, pumpkin, and sunflower, and 1/4 cup each of sesame and amaranth)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 T. raw cacao nibs
2 T. chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 T. tahini
2 T. olive oil
2 T. water
3 T. yacon or agave nectar
powdered stevia to taste
Pinch of sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with pan spray.
Grind all seeds and cacao nibs in a coffee grinder. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Combine the applesauce, oil, tahini, water, yacon, stevia and sea salt in a food processor. Add the coconut and ground seeds and nibs and process until the mixture comes together into a sticky dough.
Spread the dough in a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick on the sprayed cookie sheet.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes. If the top is dry, cut the rectangle into 16 pieces and separate the pieces to leave space between them.
Continue baking for up to another hour until the bars are crispy.
Allow to cool and store in ziploc baggies in the freezer for your next adventure.

Don't forget to check out more vegan recipe ideas at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/18/wellness-weekend-august-18-22-2011

Cold avocado-spinach soup

2011-08-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

Bailey's version of Where's Waldo?

Cold avocado-spinach soup

Can you find camocat, A.K.A. Bailey, in the photo above? He likes to play his version of Where's Waldo? On numerous occasions, I have searched high and low for Bailey only to finally find him playing camocat with Kona. The two are nearly a match colorwise. Sometimes you have to look several times to spot him nestled in the crook of Kona's body.

I remember when I was a kid growing up in sunny Southern California. We had an avocado tree in our yard and a backyard chicken, named Henny Penny, who always perched in the tree. Henny Penny had the opposite problem of Bailey. She was white and always easy to spot up in her avocado tree.

These days, the price of avocadoes has me wishing I had an avocado tree in my backyard. Avocado is one of the top twelve supermarket remedies to inhibit candida. It contains antifungal fatty acids and is low glycemic. Best of all, avocadoes are delicious!

Recently, I saw a recipe called Avocado Soup. It looked refreshing and yummy but needed some modifications for my diet. Here is my version.

Cold Avocado-Spinach Soup
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocadoes (reserve 1/2 of a whole avocado for garnish)
1 cup unsweetened hemp milk (or other alternative dairy beverage of your choice)
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds + 1 T. for garnish
1/4 cup chopped red onion + 1 T. for garnish
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
salt to taste
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup water

Directions:

Cut the avocadoes in half. Reserve 1/2 for garnish. Scoop out the meat of 1 1/2 avocadoes.
Place the avocado and other ingredients in a food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Serve in bowls garnished with extra red onion, pumpkin seeds and diced avocado.
Use any extra "soup" as a sauce or topping for tacos, pasta. It also makes a delicious salad dressing.

Get more healthy, delicious recipes at Weekend Wellness at http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/11/wellness-weekend-august-11-15/ I know I have benefitted from all the great ideas/recipes shared here.

Sunbuttery zucchini noodles

2011-08-04T16:33:00.000-07:00

Misha "helps" me in the vegetable garden.

Sunbuttery zucchini noodles

Whenever my husky puppy, Misha, gets really quiet I know, if he is not asleep, that he is up to no good. The picture above shows one of those occasions. I took him out to the garden expecting him to do some exploring while I did some weeding. Silly me.

He decided to "help" me while I was pulling weeds. When I turned around, there he was digging a huge trench where I had just planted seeds. Lucky for him, he is so cute. Otherwise he'd be in the "doghouse" every day.

Despite Misha's digging in the garden, I am experiencing a bumper crop of zucchini and cucumbers. I used them to make a yummy meal of raw veggies topped with my version of Thai peanut sauce that substitutes sunbutter for peanut butter.

Sunbuttery Zucchini Noodles
(serves 2-4)

Ingredients for the Sauce

1/3 cup sunbutter (unsweetened)
1/4+ cup water
1 T. sesame oil
2 T. aminos
1 T. lime juice
salt and pepper
Optional: pinch of stevia and 1 clove of garlic

Directions:

Put everything in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add additional water if mixture is too thick.
Serve over zucchini ribbons piled with other veggies, cut into matchstick pieces. Use carrots, cucumber, jicama, radishes. Top with toasted sunflower seeds and sliced green onions. Optional: Serve sliced grilled chicken breast.

This recipe and other healthy ones are linked to: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/08/04/wellness-weekend-august-4-8-2011

No bean, no soy, no gluten veggie burgers with rutabaga fries

2011-07-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

Veggie burger with rutabaga fries

I've been going crazy for a veggie burger but every pre-packaged variety has all the stuff I can't eat, and recipes are the same. I finally decided to re-invent the veggie burger, free of all the stuff I cannot eat because of delayed food allergies. This means my recipe has no beans, no soy, no gluten, no oats, no peppers and no mushrooms. I omitted spices/herbs but these can be optional. The burgers had plenty of flavor without them.

My veggie burgers looked more like giant cookies, according to my son, but hey, that means I can imagine I'm getting my entree and my dessert, all at the same time. I replaced the beans with sweet potato and the typical red peppers and mushrooms with zucchini, which I have in abundance from the garden. Quinoa in various forms, flour, flakes and whole grain, replaced your typical oats and wheat flour. Rice protein was used instead of soy. Voila, a veggie burger for Sheree was born. And don't forget the fries. I chose to use rutabagas because they are low glycemic.

No bean, no soy, no gluten veggie burgers

Ingredients:

1/2 medium sweet potato, baked
1 carrot
1/2 medium yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped zucchini
2 handfuls of spinach
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 T. chia seeds
1/4 cup (possibly more) quinoa flour
1/2 cup cooked red quinoa (or black or regular)
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1 T. vegan rice protein powder
1/4 tsp. sea salt
dash of black pepper
optional: spices/herbs such as basil, garlic

Directions:

Place all ingredients except flour in a food processor and pulse to blend and chop.
Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add flour a little at a time until mixture holds together and is somewhat dry.
Shape into 6-8 patties. Freeze patties not needed for your meal.
Spray a skillet or grill with pan spray and olive oil. Cook veggie burgers on medium-high heat, about 5-8 minutes on each side.

Rutabaga fries

(2 servings_

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Peel 1 large rutabaga and cut into steak fries.
Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Spray and oil a shallow baking sheet.
Add to the pan in one layer.
Bake for about 30 minutes or more until crispy and golden. Flip after about 15 minutes.

This recipe is linked to other healthy recipes at Wellness Weekends on http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/07/28/wellness-weekend-july-28-august-1/

Whole amaranth and quinoa granola

2011-07-23T16:34:00.000-07:00

Kona babysitting Misha and Bailey

Three for fun

Whole amaranth and quinoa granola

Granola topping on berries and coconut cultured milk

Today I awoke to find another one of my houseplants overturned. Potting soil was spread everywhere on the dining room floor. The guilty parties, Misha and Bailey, had tracked the wet potting soil in every direction. They hung their heads as if to say, "We're sorry."

Once I got that cleaned up I turned around to see Bailey hanging like a monkey from one of my houseplants as it toppled to the floor. Yes, I know they look so cute and innocent but I have nicknamed them big Chaos (Misha) and Destructo Cat (Bailey). I never know what to expect next. If it weren't for their interactive toy (Kona), I cannot even imagine what chaos and destruction they would create.

Somehow in the midst of this pet chaos, I still managed to find time to try a new recipe: Whole Amaranth and Quinoa Granola. It's chocked full of whole grains, fiber, healthy seeds and low-glycemic sweetener. It makes the perfect topping for my new favorite, vegan So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk, and summertime berries. My raspberry bushes are producing an abundant crop.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup amaranth seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup coconut nectar + 1 tsp. pure powdered stevia (substitute agave or yacon syrup if desired)
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup quinoa flakes (or substitute rolled oats)
1 cup dried yacon slices (crumbled) or substitute dried cranberries, cherries or blueberries

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and put rack in the middle of the oven.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the amaranth when the skillet is heated. Cover with a glass lid and shake the pan until the amaranth is about half popped (approximately 1-2 minutes). Transfer the seeds to a large bowl. Add the quinoa flakes and other seeds.
Combine the canola oil, syrup and stevia in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat.
Pour the syrup mixture over the seeds. Stir until mixture is moist throughout.
Evenly spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, about 5-10 minutes. Stir and continue to bake until lightly browned all over, about 5 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Blend in the crumbled up yacon slices or other berries.
Store the granola in an airtight container in the fridge.

Find more healthy recipes ideas at Wellness Weekends at: http://www.dietdessertndogs.com/2011/07/21/wellness-weekend-july-21-25-2011/

Whole Amaranth Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-07-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

Kona makes a great pillow for Misha.

Those little seeds are whole amaranth.

My husband and I are celebrating four decades of marriage this weekend. I decided to celebrate by making his and her's chocolate chip cookies. His have almost all the regular ingredients and mine are well, different but tasty.

The unique ingredient in my cookies is whole amaranth seed. Actually, I mixed in some whole amaranth in the cookies I made for my husband and he loved the extra crunch. I confess too that I used cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips in both versions and replaced the sugar with low-glycemic yacon syrup.

Whole Amaranth Seed Chocolate Chip Cookies
(makes about 12 small cookies)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup quinoa flour
1/4 cup whole amaranth seed
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 T. flax mixed with 3 T. water
1/4 cup canola oil
dash sea salt
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
2 T. cacao nibs
1/4 cup yacon syrup
1 tsp. powdered stevia

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients and blend in the oil, syrup and flax mixed with water. Add an extra tablespoon of water if mixture appears too dry. Blend in the seeds and nibs.
Use a teaspoon to measure out the dough onto a sprayed baking sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Dairy-free coconut kefir

2011-07-10T14:20:00.000-07:00

Misha thinks he's a cat too!

Kona gives Misha a hug.

So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk with berries

It has bummed me out for years that I have had to take probiotic supplements rather than getting to eat healthy stuff like yogurt and kefir. But dairy intolerance and candida is what it is.

It was a pleasant surprise to discover that now I have an alternative in the form of So Delicious Coconut Milk Kefir.This drinkable yogurt-alternative is dairy and soy-free, vegan and certified gluten-free. The kefir comes in four flavors: original, strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.

I have been drinking the original flavor, which has the lowest sugar content. It’s a delicious way to get your daily dose of probiotics, which can prevent or reduce the severity of colds and flu, according to Mayo Clinic researchers. Other studies have shown that you may be able to reduce your allergy symptoms by improving the health of your gut.

I chose the original because it is the lowest in carbohydrates and has no added sweetener. One cup has 70 calories, 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of fiber and one gram of protein.

It can be a bit of a shock to your taste buds if you are used to sweet-tasting beverages. Drinking it straight from the bottle or pouring it on cereal is not something I would recommend. Rather it pairs well with berries, either in a smoothie or in a bowl with granola. Don’t use it in cooked recipes as heating will destroy the live bacteria.

So Delicious kefir is fortified with calcium, magnesium and vitamin B12. It contains prebiotics (inulin from chicory root extract); active, live probiotic bacteria and coconut fat which is comprised of approximately 65 percent medium chain fatty acids (MCFs); 10 active and live cultures including L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus. L. Plantarum, L. Rhamnosus. L. Paracasei, Bif. Lactus, Bif. Bifidum. Bif. Animalis, L. Acidophilus, Leuconostoc Cremoris.

This product has not been on the market long and may be a little difficult to find. I located it at Fred Meyer in their health and nutrition section. It runs about $4.29 for a 32-ounce bottle compared to $3.70 or so for dairy kefir.

My recommended serving suggestion is: Coconut Milk Kefir with Frozen Berries (Slightly Thawed)

Ingredients for one serving:

One cup So Delicious Cultured Coconut Milk (original flavor)
3/4 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, etc.); slightly thawed
Powdered stevia to taste

Directions:

Place the slightly thawed berries in a bowl. Sprinkle with stevia. Pour coconut milk kefir on top. It instantly forms a yummy slightly frozen bowl of deliciousness.
Additional serving ideas: sprinkle with unsweetened coconut, cacao nibs, toasted sunflower seeds and/or homemade quinoa granola.

Gooey Chocolate Amaranth Brownies

2011-07-03T14:24:00.000-07:00

Dog tired

Boxes make the best toys

Gooey chocolate amaranth brownies

Misha and Bailey, my two new pets, have only two speeds, either full throttle or out like a light, as they demonstrate in the photos above. In many ways, they are like human babies. They take hours and hours of time each day, just like my human kids did. They prefer boxes to expensive toys and can fall asleep just about anywhere.

The July 4th weekend seems like the perfect time to enjoy the outdoors with my two new pals plus Kona and eat some chocolate brownies. The Gooey Chocolate Amaranth Brownies pictured above taste decadent but are filled with quality ingredients, and are gluten, dairy and egg free.

Ingredients for 12 brownies

2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
2/3 cup organic cacao powder
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 T. yacon syrup + 1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1 small sweet potato, peeled, baked and pureed with 1/4 cup hemp milk
1 flax egg (mix 1 T. ground flax with 3 T. hemp milk)
Optional frosting: 1 T. sunbutter, 1 T. coconut oil, 1/2 T. yacon syrup

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch square pan with pan spray. Set aside.
In food processor, puree the sweet potato with hemp milk. Add in other ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
Pour mixture into baking pan.
Bake until a knife comes out of the brownies with few moist crumbs, about 20 minutes.
Cool to room temperature.
Frost with a mixture of sunbutter, coconut oil and yacon syrup. Melt in a saucepan and then pour over brownies and spread evenly.

Fish tacos with crunchy squash topping on quinoa tortillas

2011-06-24T15:26:00.000-07:00

Bailey (in middle) sandwiched between two dog pals, Kona (left) and Misha (right)

Misha and Bailey being mischievous

Fish taco with crunchy squash topping on quinoa flour tortilla

"The Bailey, Misha and Kona Show" continues daily at my house. It's way more entertaining than what's on TV.

Today, Kona (just turned 13 years) decided to greet the UPS man by jumping in his truck while he was in the back fetching a package. Imagine his surprise when he turned around to see Kona wagging her tail to greet him in hopes of retrieving a doggie bone. Of course, her efforts were rewarded.

In the meantime, Misha and little scrapper Bailey are doing their version of "wrestle mania" over on the grass lawn. Bailey can hold his own despite being outweighed 3:1. First, Bailey is on top; then Misha: and so on and so forth. Finally one of them squeals, "I give up," and the match ends.

In between all this entertainment, I found the opportunity to make fish tacos with the quinoa flour tortillas I posted about last time. Find the recipe for the tortillas at: http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/quinoa-tortillas.html

Fish Tacos with Crunchy Squash Topping and Butternut Spread on Quinoa Tortillas

Ingredients for two tacos:

2 fish filets such as perch or tilapia (use wild caught)
1-2 T. quinoa flour for breading
1/2 small spaghetti squash, baked until fork tender in oven or microwave
1/2 small butternut squash, baked until fork tender in oven or microwave
1 T. unsweetened sunbutter
1/4 cup hemp milk or alternative dairy beverage
1 cup shredded red cabbage
1/2 cup diced jicama
2 T. chopped green onion
optional: chopped cilantro
2 T. + grapeseed or other oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Several hours ahead or a day ahead, bake the squashes, either in the microwave or oven, until fork tender. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Prepare the shredded cabbage, jicama and green onion, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Rinse fish filets and roll them in quinoa flour, mixed with a little salt and pepper.
Heat 1 T. oil in a large skillet. Crispy fry the fish filets. Wrap in foil and keep warm in the oven. (For extra flavor, add 1/2 tsp. of cumin to your flour coating. For extra crunch, add some ground whole quinoa to your flour mixture.)
Heat quinoa flour tortillas in the oven on low setting. Wrap in foil until ready to use.
Scoop out the flesh from the squashes. Keep them separate.
Take the butternut squash flesh and place it in a food processor with 1 T. sunbutter and 1/4 cup alternative dairy beverage, such as hemp milk. Adjust the hemp milk if needed. Add some salt and pepper if desired. Blend until smooth. Set aside for serving with the tacos.
Heat additional oil in a clean skillet. Toss in the stringy pieces of spaghetti squash and fry until crispy. Remove to a paper towel.

To plate up the tacos, place 1 T. butternut squash mixture on each tortilla and spread. On top of this, place a crispy fish filet, cabbage, jicama and green onion. Finally, top with crunchy spaghetti squash.

Quinoa tortillas

2011-06-19T14:46:00.000-07:00

Bailey, my new sidekick, in watering can

Bailey, Kona and new pal, Misha.

Quinoa flour tortillas

I've added yet another new pet to my household, Misha, a two-month-old Husky-Malamute cross. He and Bailey, just three months, are great interactive toys for each other. They wrestle for what seems like hours and then cuddle up with their older, wiser pal, Kona.

Their favorite place to nap seems to be the doorway to the kitchen. This has always been Kona's favorite spot but now I have quite an obstacle to get across when the threesome are napping.

I still manage to get past the pile of dogs and kitten to get to the kitchen. Recently while the trio were napping, I experimented making quinoa flour tortillas. I enjoy eating these, smeared with a little tahini or sunbutter for breakfast. They also are great for fish tacos.

These are super simple to make if you have a tortilla press and cast-iron tortilla pan. You can make them without but they may look like blobs from some other universe.

Quinoa Flour Tortillas
(makes 10-12 small tortillas)

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa flour plus more for shaping dough balls and pressing tortillas.
1/2 cup ground whole quinoa
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Grind 1/2 cup whole quinoa in a coffee grinder.
Put all dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Add olive oil and water and mix.
Now the fun begins. Add more quinoa flour and knead until the dough is dry to shape into balls.
Press dough into tortillas using the tortilla press or rolling pin on flour dusted cutting board.
Cook tortillas one at a time in cast-iron tortilla pan. Cook about 30 seconds each side.
Extra tortillas can be stored in the freeze for future use.

Amaranth-millet tortillas

2011-06-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

Kona with our new friend, Bailey.

I have a new kitten friend in the kitchen. His name is Bailey. At 10 weeks old, he already is making his loving, curious personality known. He makes it more enjoyable for me to be in the kitchen or in any room in the house as he provides constant entertainment as he explores everything.

Tiny Bailey weighs in at less than two pounds.

We adopted Bailey from the local animal shelter. We've had him for just three days. In the photo above, he shows his diminutive size in comparison to the pillow he is perched on.

Amaranth-millet flour tortillas

Bailey has succeeded in getting me back into the kitchen to experiment with new recipes, including the amaranth-millet flour tortillas,pictured above. The purchase of a tortilla press is a must for these unless you are more skilled than I am with a rolling pin. Another essential is a cast-iron tortilla pan. Before purchasing these two items, the tortillas I made were edible but looked like something from another planet.

Amaranth-millet flour tortillas
(makes approximately 10-12 tortillas)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup amaranth flour to start + ? more
1/2 cup millet flour to start + ? more
1 T. olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 cup water

Directions:

Combine 1/2 cup of each flour in a large bowl. Add sea salt and oil.
Add water to mixture and combine. Add more of one or both flours until dough is no longer sticky to the touch.
Shape 10-12 balls adding more flour to get the right consistency for pressing.
Heat the cast-iron skillet.
Press the balls of dough into tortillas using your tortilla press or rolling pin.
Cook one tortilla at a time once skillet is hot. These are done in a flash so be vigilent.

Keep your tortillas hot in a tortilla warmer or by wrapping in aluminum foil. I like spreading them with sunbutter. Yum! Extras can be frozen until you are ready for more. Next project: make quinoa flour tortillas.

Quinoa granola bars

2011-05-22T14:11:00.000-07:00

Quinoa Granola Bars

I think my dog Kona is missing our little pal, Pumpkin, as much as I am. Pumpkin died last week from Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FEV), kind of a feline version of AIDS. The veterinarian isn't sure how he got it but no matter, it's really bad stuff.

There is no vaccine for it. Pretty much, all you can do is make sure your cat is screened for it before adoption. Pumpkin was a feral cat that we adopted from a friend who knew nothing about the disease and neither did we. Even our vet never mentioned it until Pumpkin got sick.

Kona and I are spending more time together. We just got back from an hour-long walk with lots of stops for Kona to dip in the irrigation canal. Now, it's time to snack on one of the Quinoa Granola Bars I recently made. Kona will have a few of her Hill's dental kibbles.

Quinoa Granola Bars
Ingredients:

Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa grain, toasted
2 T. cacao nibs
1/4 cup yacon powder
1/2 cup yacon syrup
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

Spray an 8-X-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place 1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes in a large bowl.
Spread 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa grains on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.
Once cooled, add the toasted quinoa to the large bowl with the quinoa flakes. Stir in the cacao nibs. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, mix together the yacon powder, yacon syrup and olive oil. Place over medium high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add to the quinoa flakes and grains. Stir until all the grains and nibs are coated and combined.
Evenly pour the quinoa mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature. Cut into bars.
Store in an airtight container and wrap individual bars and freeze for future snacking.

Chocolate sunflower seed tart-ACD friendly

2011-05-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Chocolate sunflower seed tart

It's been a really sad time for me the past week. My little cat pal, Pumpkin, died after a long illness. He was barely four years old so it was unexpected. I'm having a hard time dealing with his loss. Right now, there are no cats in the kitchen, only my dog pal, Kona.

I'm somewhat of an emotional eater but I'm trying to avoid eating foods that will increase my candida symptoms. I did make the Chocolate Sunflower Seed Tart, pictured above. I shared it with others to avoid being tempted to eat more than I should. It's especially good topped with berries of some sort.

Chocolate Sunflower Seed Tart

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 T. olive oil
2 T. yacon syrup

Crust directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grind the toasted sunflower seeds to a flour-like consistency in a food processor.
Add in the salt, baking soda and give another pulse to blend. Then, blend in the olive oil and yacon syrup.
Spoon the crust mixture into a sprayed pie pan. Using damp fingers spread the crust evenly along the bottom and sides of the pan.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove the crust from the oven and allow to cool.

Filling Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato, baked and peeled
2 T. sunbutter
3/4 cup hempmilk
2 T. ground flax mixed with 1/4 cup hempmilk
1 T. yacon syrup
1 tsp. chia seeds
dash of powdered stevia
1 T. cacao powder

Filling Directions:

Place sweet potato in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add in other ingredients and keep blending until everything is mixed and smooth.
Spoon the filling evenly into the cooled sunflower seed crust.
Chill in the fridge.
Serving suggestion: place the tart in the freezer for 30 minutes or so before serving.

Zucchini fries

2011-05-07T11:14:00.000-07:00

Zucchini fries ready for the oven

Zucchini fries ready to eat

Candida may have reared its ugly head again for me which is probably due to me getting too lax with carbs. It's mainly impacting my stomach. All I'm craving is salty things to soothe my irritated tummy.

Low-carb salty snacks are in short supply but zucchini fries fills the bill for me. All you need is a mandolin slicer with a fry-cutting blade to make these. This recipe also will come in handy later in the gardening season when zucchinis are in abundance.

Zucchini fries (1 serving)
Ingredients:
1 or 2 zucchinis depending on size and your appetite
dash of olive oil and pan spray
lots of salt

Directions:
Wash and trim your zucchini. Slice into fry-sized pieces with a mandolin. If you don't have a mandolin, use a sharp knife. Mandolins are a great kitchen utensil. You can pick up a cheap one for less than $20.

Toss the zucchini fries with a dash of olive oil. Lay the fries on a pan-sprayed baking sheet. Salt the fries as desired. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and check the fries frequently to avoid overcooking. As an alternative, the fries can be cooked in oil in a skillet.

Strawberry pie, gluten-free, ACD friendly

2011-04-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Strawberry-fruit pie, ACD friendly

I can't eat a lot of fruit on the ACD diet so I stick to the low-glycemic ones, like strawberries, blueberries, kiwis and papayas. For Mother's Day, I've been thinking I want to treat myself to strawberry pie because strawberries are in season.

I wanted to have the recipe perfected by Mother's Day so I started practicing early. The result was a strawberry-fruit pie with all my other low-glycemic favorite fruits added. The recipe is easily adaptable to any kind of fruit and could be made with strawberries only.

Strawberry-Kiwi-Blueberry-Papaya (or whatever kind of fruit) Pie: ACD friendly

Ingredients for the filling:

1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
1 cup blueberries
1-2 kiwis peeled and sliced
Fruit of one small papaya, diced
2 T. agar agar
1 3/4 cups water + 1/4 cup lemon juice
stevia to taste

Ingredients for the crust:

1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup sunbutter, unsweetened (or tahini or almond butter may be used)
2 T. cacao nibs

Directions:

Prepare the crust by grinding the sunflower seeds in a food processor. Add the coconut and nibs and continue to pulse. Fold in the sunbutter and blend the mixture until it sticks together.

Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a pie pan. Allow to set while making the filling.

Prepare and cut all the fruit, and evenly distribute in the pie pan. In a saucepan, bring to boil the water-lemon juice mixture with 2 T. agar agar. The liquid mixture will begin to thicken slightly like gelatin. The majority of the thickening will occur after the liquid is cooled.

Allow the liquid to cool slightly and then pour over the fruit. Place the pie in the fridge to set.

As a variation, you can make individual pies by distributing the ingredients in smaller containers.

Easter treats-ACD friendly

2011-04-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

Haystacks, upper left; chocolate-covered strawberries, upper right; sunbutter crunchy cup, right front; quinoa chocolate cookies, left front.

There will be no Cadbury eggs for me this Easter but at least I have some ACD-friendly treats stashed in the freezer that will quell my longing for an Easter basket of goodies. The good thing about these treats is they can be made with either chocolate or carob, depending on your sensitivities.

I purchased some dried gooseberries and mulberries from Navitas Naturals. They are dried without added sugars or preservatives. They became the inspiration for the Chocolate Haystacks.

Chocolate or carob haystacks

Let your food sensitivities guide you in making this recipe. You can use chocolate or carob.

1 4-ounce chocolate bar, 100 percent cacao (or substitute 1 cup carob chips)

1 cup trail mix (toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried cherries, dried cranberries, dried blueberries; include nuts if tolerated)

Dash of powdered stevia or 1 T. maple sugar

Optional: 1 T. coconut oil to make it easier to pour

Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Drop tablespoons of trail mix about 2-3 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Melt chocolate or carob (with coconut oil if desired) in a small saucepan. Add sweetener. Stir until chocolate or carob has melted.

Spoon the chocolate or carob evenly over each pile of trail mix on the baking sheet. Add additional piles of trail mix and spoon on chocolate/carob until all is used up.

Refrigerate haystacks until they are hardened. Store them in a container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to eat.

Crunchy Chocolate or carob sunbutter cups

¾ cup sunbutter

¾ cup crumbs made from homemade quinoa chocolate cookies (pictured above) or substitute gluten-free graham crackers

dash of powdered stevia

1 4-ounce baking bar 100 percent cacao with 1 T. coconut oil or substitute 1 cup nondairy chocolate or carob chips melted with ¼ cup dairy beverage (soy, rice, hemp or nut milk)

Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Soften sunbutter and add crumbs, and sweetener. Remove from heat and divide evenly among muffin cups, about 2 T. per treat.

In another saucepan, melt chocolate or carob chips, combined with dairy beverage. Or melt 100 percent cacao bar with 1 T. coconut oil and add a pinch of stevia. Stir until smooth.

Spoon chocolate/carob mixture evenly over sunbutter in muffin cups. Top with seeds or nuts if desired.

Refrigerate until firm. Store them in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Chocolate or carob-covered strawberries

Use up any extra melted chocolate or carob from the recipes above to coat fresh or frozen strawberries. Or mix up more of the chocolate mixture from the haystack recipe to coat a batch of strawberries.

Choco sunbutter bars with sweet potato

2011-04-16T15:39:00.000-07:00

Choco sunbutter sweet potato bars

Easter is coming up and I'm thinking chocolate! Of course, my Easter treat has to be whole grain plus free of eggs, soy, nuts, dairy, sugar, corn, potatoes and gluten. That seems like a pretty tall order but I think I created a keeper, at least for me. My choco sunbutter bars include a crust made from black quinoa, amaranth flour, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut and cacao nibs. The filling is a blend of sweet potatoes, sunbutter, cocoa powder, cacao nibs and coconut. It's yummy slightly frozen.

Choco Sunbutter Bars with Sweet Potato

Ingredients for Crust:

1/2 cup black quinoa, ground into coarse flour in a coffee grinder
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
Pinch of sea salt
1 T. cocoa powder
Powdered stevia to taste
1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 T. cacao nibs
3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup + cold water

Ingredients for Filling:

2 baked and peeled large sweet potatoes
2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
2 T. cocoa powder
Optional: 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
Optional: 1 T. cacao nibs
Powdered stevia to taste
1 cup unsweetened, plain hemp milk
2 T. ground flax mixed with 5 T. hemp milk
Pinch of sea salt

Directions for Crust:
Grind the black quinoa into a coarse flour in a coffee grinder. Toast the seeds in a large skillet. Once the seeds are cool, finely grind them in a food processor. Add the cacao nibs and coconut and continue pulsing to grind. Add the flours, stevia, cocoa powder and blend. Remove and reserve 1/4 cup of the dry mixture for the topping. Put the rest into a large bowl. Add the oil and water, and mix with a fork until combined. Pat the mixture into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes or so in an oven preheated to 400 degrees. Remove and cool.

Directions for the Filling:
Microwave the sweet potatoes until tender. Allow to cool and peel. Put the sweet potatoes in the food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sunbutter, cocoa powder, salt, ground flax mixed with 5 T. hempmilk, 1 cup hempmilk, optional coconut and cacao nibs, and blend until smooth.

Pour the filling into the pan with the cooled crust and spread evenly. Sprinkle the reserved flour/cocoa mixture on top. Bake at 400 degrees for 30+ minutes until a fork inserted comes out fairly clean.

Once the bars are cooled, cut into squares. Extras can be stored in the freezer for several weeks or more. And they are quite tasty slightly thawed out.

Chocolate/black quinoa pudding

2011-04-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

Chocolate black quinoa pudding

Black quinoa has such a nutty texture. It's become my favorite quinoa. I used it recently to create a delicious chocolate dessert but I admit I ate it for breakfast.

Black quinoa/chocolate pudding

Ingredients

1 cup black quinoa cooked according to instructions on package
2 T. cocoa powder
1 T. ground flax
1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
stevia to taste
Add-ins: cacao nibs, blueberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, toasted coconut

Directions:

Place cooked quinoa, hemp milk, flax, cocoa and stevia in a saucepan. Heat until mixture is thickened.
Remove from heat and stir in 1-2 T. cacao nibs.

Garnish with blueberries, pumpkin seeds, coconut, additional cacao nibs when ready to serve.

Sunbutter, sweet potato bars

2011-04-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

Sunbutter, sweet potato bars

I've stayed free of colds and sinus issues for almost one year now thanks to following an anti-candida diet (ACD). My candida overgrowth was the result of taking too many broad spectrum antibiotics prescribed for sinus infections.My recommendation is: never take antiobiotics unless you absolutely have to! If you do, then make sure you load up on probiotics to replace the good bacteria killed off by the antibiotics. I'm still replenishing good bacteria one year later by taking probiotics.

One year later I'm still following a low-glycemic diet but find that I can lighten up just a bit by adding a few more good quality carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes. I combined sweet potatoes with my personal favorite, sunbutter, to create Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars. They are free of sugar and artificial sweeteners, eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, corn and nuts but they still have the texture of cheesecake and the taste of a peanut butter bar.

Sunbutter/Sweet Potato Bars

Filling Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and pureed
1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
powdered stevia (SweetLeaf is my personal favorite.)
2 flax eggs ( Usually made with 1 T. flax dissolved in 3 T. water. I used 2 T. Nutri-Flax ground flax seed powder dissolved in 4 T. hemp milk.)
1/2 tsp. salt

Crust Ingredients:

1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup black quinoa, ground in a coffee grinder to a coarse flour
2 T. olive oil
powdered stevia
2 T. + water

Directions:

Grind seeds into a coarse powder in the food processor. Grind black quinoa in a coffee grinder. Add black quinoa flour, amaranth flour and stevia to seeds and pulse to mix. Remove all but 1/4 cup to a large bowl and add oil and water until the dough clings together. Press into a sprayed 8 X 8-inch pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.

In the meantime, microwave sweet potatoes until tender, about 6-7 minutes. Cool and peel. Put sweet potatoes in food processor and puree. Add sunbutter, hemp milk, stevia, salt and flax eggs. Pulse until mixture is smooth and thickened.

Once crust is set, pour in filling mixture and spread evenly. Sprinkle reserved flour mixture on top.

Return to the oven and bake another 30 minutes until filling is set. Allow to cool before cutting into bars.

Garnish with a teaspoon of chocolate sauce for an extra special treat.

Red quinoa flatbread

2011-03-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Quinoa (pronounced "Keen-wa") is not a true grain but rather the seed of the goosefoot plant. Its origins can be traced back to the Andes Mountains of South America where it was one of three staple foods, along with corn and potatoes, of the ancient Inca civilization.

This versatile food contains more protein than any other grain, an average of 16.2 percent, which means it rivals the protein content of meat. It's also a complete protein with an essential amino acid balance close to ideal.

A super food, quinoa also is high in calcium and iron, and a relatively good source of vitamin E and several of the B vitamins. It has a mild, slightly nutty flavor, and can be used as a whole-grain side dish, in baked goods or in place of hot cereal.

There are many varieties of quinoa but one of my favorites is red quinoa. Here is a recipe for a flatbread I made with whole grain, red quinoa. The recipe was kind of an experiment but turned out delicious. I was trying to make a bread that would be sturdy enough for a sandwich. I failed at that but the bread makes a good breakfast bread, toasted in the oven, or on the side with soup.It has a texture somewhat like cornbread.

Red quinoa flatbread ready to store in freezer

Red quinoa flatbread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup ground red quinoa
1/2 cup ground white quinoa
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. each baking powder and baking soda
1 cup water
2 flax eggs ( Usually made with 1 T. flax dissolved in 3 T. water. I used 2 T. Nutri-Flax ground flax seed powder dissolved in 4 T. hemp milk.)
1 T. olive oil

Directions:

I used a coffee grinder to grind the whole grain quinoa into a coarse flour.
Mix all flours and other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix flax eggs and blend with 1 cup of water and 1 T. oil.
Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix.
Pour mixture into two 8 X 8 square pans, sprayed with pan spray and drizzled with olive oil. Use slightly dampened hands to spread the dough evenly.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool slightly. Each pan yield four large pieces.
To make the bread sturdier, toast pieces in the oven on a baking sheet.

Untoasted red quinoa bread

Sunbutter bark

2011-03-19T09:38:00.000-07:00

Okay, I admit I am a sunbutter addict. I'm really trying to cut down but everytime I think of a recipe it features sunbutter like this Sunbutter Bark.

I made it with a mixture of purchased and homemade sunbutter to give it a crunchier texture. You can eat it in small squares as pictured above or break it into tiny bits to use as a topping on fruit. The recipe also is easily adaptable to using only purchased sunbutter or only homemade. It's your choice.

Sunbutter Bark

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sunbutter, either purchased or homemade, or a mixture
1/2 cup coconut oil
stevia to taste
2 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
1 T. toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

Melt coconut oil in microwave.
Blend softened coconut oil, sunbutter and stevia in a food processor.
Pour mixture into an 8 X 8 pan sprayed with pan spray. Spread evenly.
Top with pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes. Press in slightly.
Chill mixture before cutting into small squares or tiny bits. Stores well in fridge or freezer.

Quinoa/millet crackers

2011-03-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

It's tricky making crackers with whole grains but I gave it a shot with these Quinoa/Millet Crackers. They also have a touch of my favorite ingredient, sunbutter. Of course, I can use more sunbutter on top too.

These were easy but a bit time-consuming, not labor wise, but in terms of baking time. The crackers are actually twice-baked to make them crispy.

Twice-baked Quinoa-Millet Crackers
Ingredients:

1/2 cup millet ground into a grainy flour
1/2 cup quinoa ground into a coarse flour
2 T. sunbutter
Flax egg (2 T ground flax or my new favorite flax, Nutri-Flax, in 2-3 T. water
1/4-1/3 cup hemp milk (I use unsweetened)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1-2 T. sesame seeds
1-2 T. ground flax

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, add the wet ingredients and stir to get a dough that forms a loose ball.
Spray and oil lightly a large baking sheet and preheat in the oven to distribute the oil.
Press the dough flat on the baking sheet with your fingers. It should be about 1/4-inch thick. Dip your fingers and hands in water to make the dough easier to flatten.
Sprinkle the dough with sesame and flax and press in slightly.
Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until dough begins to get crispy.
Remove baking sheet from oven and cut crackers into small squares using a pizza cutter.
Spread the squares apart slightly and return them to the oven for more crisping. This may take another 30 minutes.

Time consuming but well worth the effort. They are whole grain and tasty with seed or nut butter.

Rutabaga and zucchini pancakes, ACD friendly

2011-03-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

Detecting hidden food allergies may help lower your inflammation as I have found out. I have been trying to recover from an injury for a year. While physical therapy helped some, I did not reap the full benefit because I had additional inflammation caused by delayed food allergies.

Researchers are just beginning to discover how detrimental chronic inflammation, like that caused by allergies, can be to one’s overall health. We have heard over and over again what chronic stress can do to our bodies but few realize that unchecked allergies have equally serious consequences for our bodies. When inflammation persists---when the immune system is always activated---this is known as chronic inflammation and can lead to chronic disease.

In my case, it lead to chronic muscle pain. At my physical therapist's urging, I had blood testing done for delayed food allergies. There were some interesting findings. I have sensitivity to fish oil, spices and herbs galore, oysters and clams, all legumes. These are things I never would have figured out through an elimination diet.

After eliminating those things for the past month, I am making progress I never thought possible with my physical therapy. I am beginning to do physical activities I avoided before without any setbacks.

Here is some other interesting information about delayed food allergies:

Delayed food allergies have been identified as a leading contributor to making environmental allergy symptoms worse.
Allergies trigger inflammatory responses that can elevate C-reative protein (CRP), a protein produced in the liver and a known marker for inflammation. According to the British Journal of Nutrition, increased levels of CRP are a good predictor for the onset of both Type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
A study reported in the February 2011 issue of Good Housekeeping Magazine is a real eye opener about the harmful effects of chronic inflammation, caused by allergies. Allergic adults with wheezing have more than double the risk of heart disease. Allergy sufferers with sniffles are slightly more vulnerable. Why? Inflammation may lead to thickening of blood vessels.

The difficult part of my diet is avoiding spices and herbs, which add flavor to foods. But I am finding out that good old salt and pepper works too. That's all I used for flavoring on the rutabaga and zucchini pancakes.
Next time, I will try adding diced green onions or yellow onion.

Rutabaga and Zucchini Pancakes
(makes 4 medium pancakes)

Ingredients:

1 peeled and shredded rutabaga
2 shredded zucchini
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 1 diced green onion or 1-2 T. chopped onion; herbs and spices of your choice
1 T. Nutri Flax Seed Seed Powder or 1 T. ground flax dissolved in 2 T. hemp milk (or one egg if tolerated)
olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Oil and spray a baking sheet. Preheat the baking sheet for about 5 minutes.
Drop spoonfuls of mixture onto baking sheet to make 3-inch pancakes.
Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes. Flip the pancakes and continue cooking on the other side for an additional 10 minutes.
Optional: cook in an oiled skillet.
Serve as a side dish.

New no-stir creamy SunButter and pancakes

2011-02-22T20:02:00.000-08:00

No-stir creamy SunButter

I received the most delicious gift in the mail for Valentine's Day. It was a jar of the new No-Stir Creamy SunButter, a free sample for me to try, along with heart-shaped cookie cutters. They must have read my mind that I love SunButter.

This new SunButter is just as delicious as all the other varieties but has the advantage of not separating like the original flavors. They've added some additional ingredients to prevent separation. Hence, it doesn't require stirring before using.

I like this feature but I was already sold on SunButter. My family members, however, really appreciated this new SunButter because they don't like their butters to separate when they spread it on crackers and bread. In a taste comparison, they said they liked both the old and new SunButters.

I decided to go all out and try something I haven't made for awhile with the new SunButter. I made pancakes but not just any pancakes: Quinoa/Millet Sunbutter Pancakes. Now that's a mouthful.

I used 1/2 cup each of whole grain quinoa and millet. I ground them to a coarse powder in my coffee gringer. Next, I put the freshly ground flours in my food processor with 1/2 tsp. gluten-free baking powder and dash of salt. To this, I added 2 T. of the new no-stir SunButter, 2 T. ground flax mixed with 2 T. water, and 1/4-1/3 cup unsweetened hempmilk. Pulse to mix to a thin batter.

Cook the pancakes in a well-heated skillet, sprayed and oiled. Cooking pancakes requires you to be very patient as I found out. I spoiled several before learning to wait for the bubbles in the dough to break.

Here's the final product, spread with more SunButter, of course. Mmmm good! Thanks, SunButter, for giving me an excuse to eat more of what I love.

More Valentine's recipes for the ACD diet

2011-02-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Pomegranate-glazed whole chicken

Tossed salad with shaved parsnips and pomegranate

Dessert is the best part of Valentine's Day dinner but don't forget the entree. I decided on roast chicken with pomegranate glaze. Get dessert ideas at: http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-acd-style.html

Pomegranate molasses, mixed with olive oil in a 1:1 ratio, was used to baste and glaze the chicken. The molasses is made by simmering pomegranate juice until it's thick or purchasing it pre-made. Find it in large supermarkets near the vinegar or molasses or in Middle Eastern markets.

The roast chicken came out very moist and tasty but I didn't want to overdo the glaze because pomegranate molasses has about 7 grams of carbs per teaspoon. That's why I mixed it with olive oil. I could get the taste without as many carbs.

Feel free to use your favorite herb/spice mixture to rub the chicken with but I am limited to salt and pepper as I have delayed food allergies to just about any imaginable spice or herb.

Pomegranate-glazed roast chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Remove giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse the chicken with water. Rub all over with salt and pepper.
Spray a roasting pan with pan spray. Place the chicken, breast side up, in the pan. Pour in about 1/2 cup of water to keep the bird moist.
Baste the chicken with some of the pomegranate/olive oil mixture.
Roast the chicken for about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over, baste again and cook for another 30 minutes.
Turn the chicken over one more time, baste with the remaining glaze and cook until a thermometer inserted into a thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 30 minutes more.
Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the chicken. Serve with additional pomegranate molasses if not concerned about carbs.

Tossed green salad with shaved parsnips

Ingredients:

Spring mix greens
1 parsnip, peeled
Pomegranate seeds or substitute cranberries
Dressing of choice. I made a simple oil, lemon dressing.

Directions:

Put greens on salad plates.
Shave parsnips with a vegetable peeler. Distribute shavings between plates of greens.
Sprinkle on a few pomegranate seeds for garnish.

Chocolate/sunbutter fondue, ACD friendly, for Valentine's

2011-02-12T09:44:00.000-08:00

Chocolate/sunbutter fondue sauce

I've got to have chocolate on Valentine's Day. Carob is good too but I found out I am allergic after having my delayed food allergy testing. Carob is a legume and I am intolerant to all things legume.

The only problem with unsweetened chocolate is it does not seem to be compatible with stevia. The chocolate turns out more bitter than it already was when you add stevia. My solution is to add sunbutter which is naturally sweet. Or if carob is your cup of tea, it will be naturally sweet.

Here's my recipe for chocolate/sunbutter fondue sauce.

2 ounces 100 percent cacao chopped, 4+T unsweetened hempmilk, 2 T. brewed espresso, pinch of salt, 1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter, stevia if desired: microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds and adding additional liquid if needed.

Place the sauce in a bowl, surrounded by chunks of fruit on toothpicks. Yummy!

Check out my flax hearts' recipe too here :http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-day-acd-style.html

Get entree and salad recipes here: http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-valentines-recipes-for-acd-diet.html

Valentine's Day ACD style

2011-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

Flax hearts

I love Valentine's Day, mainly because it signals that the worst parts of winter are over. This winter has been especially rough on me because of injuries that just won't heal which has made it difficult to do my favorite winter outdoor activities, like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing.

But since I eliminated all those foods/spices/herbs that were interferring with my healing, I am doing much better. I am getting hopeful that I am on the right track by lowering my inflammation caused by those additional food allergens I discovered were sabotaging my efforts. I'm beginning to think that blood testing for delayed food allergies was a worthwhile investment.

I am celebrating by planning a delicious Valentine's Day dinner for my family.Of course, it's all ACD-friendly. Here's what I have planned:

Pomegranate-glazed roast chicken
Roasted vegetables
Mixed green salad topped with shaved parsnips and pomegranate seeds
Chocolate fondue and fruit chunks http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/chocolatesunbutter-fondue-acd-friendly.html
Flax hearts glazed with chocolate

Get entree and salad recipe here: http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/more-valentines-recipes-for-acd-diet.html

Dessert is the best so that's where I will start. I saw a recipe for flax cakes somewhere and loved them. I decided to change them up a bit for Valentine's Day.

Flax hearts
(makes 6 large or 12 small)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups ground flax
2 T. coconut oil
2-4 T. water
2 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
Liquid, alcohol-free stevia to taste
Chocolate glaze for hearts (3 ounces cacao with no sugar, 1 T. coconut oil, stevia if desired; melt in microwave, stirring every 20 seconds)

Directions:

Mix flax, shredded coconut, coconut oil, water and stevia in a bowl. Add additional water if needed to get the mixture to stick together.
On a baking sheet, press mixture into a heart-shaped cookie cutter to mold flax hearts.
Place molded flax hearts in the freezer to harden.
In the meantime, prepare the chocolate sauce.
When hardened, remove from freezer and dip into chocolate glaze to coat the tops. Return them to the baking sheet and the freezer to harden the topping.

This is definitely a heart-friendly Valentine's treat but you might want to make small ones if you are not used to flax.

Super Bowl tacos, ACD-friendly

2011-02-06T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ground turkey tacos

Spices are banished from my diet after receiving the results of my food allergy blood test. I reacted to all of them. But it is still possible to make flavorful tacos that are ACD-friendly. I know what I will be eating for my Super Bowl party.

My food allelrgy testing also revealed that I am sensitive to oysters and clams, which I seldom eat. The source I discovered was calcium carbonate used as the calcium source in almond milk and the calcium supplements I was using.

My Tempt hempmilk is safe as the source is tricalcium phosphate which is made from calcium salts from rock. But I admit I will be trying to get more of my calcium from greens like kale, spinach, etc. I will mainly use the hempmilk in my tea or hot cocoa.

I also want to applaud Pyrex cookware for their recent safety campaign for their glass bakeware. If you are a blog follower of mine, you know I had a "run-in" with an exploding pyrex glass baking pan about 1 1/2 years ago. I ended up needing stitches on my right foot, getting blood poisoning and being sidelined with this injury for months.

Pyrex is trying to prevent such kitchen mishaps by offering free hot pads that list the four main do's and don'ts of cooking with glass. They are: 1) never place directly on burner or under broiler; 2) add liquid prior to cooking meat or vegetables; 3) preheat oven; 4) place hot glassware on a dry, cloth potholder.

Get a free potholder reminding you of these safety rules at: http://www.pyrexware.com/

Super Bowl Tacos, ACD-friendly

Ingredients:

Large napa cabbage leaves
1 pound ground turkey
Juice of 1 lime
Lime wedges for garnish
1 large red onion, chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
Jicama cut into matchsticks
Green onions chopped
Shredded red cabbage
Sliced black olives

Directions:

Make the guacamole first. Take the meat of one avocado, 1/2 the chopped red onion, lime juice, salt and pepper, and place in a food processor. Process but leave somewhat chunky. An add-in here for those not avoiding spices would be 1 tsp. cumin. Scoop the guacomole into a container and put in the fridge to chill.

Heat a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Add the other half of the chopped onion and cook until tender. Add the ground turkey and season with salt and pepper. Cook until almost done and squeeze on the juice of one lime. Continue cooking until browned.

While the turkey is cooking, chop up the other veggies (jicama, red cabbage, green onions, olives, lime wedges, etc) for toppings.

Serve on napa cabbage leaves with your choice of toppings. Note: Add spices or herbs of your choices if you are not in my spice/herb predicament.

Creamy tahini dressing for fruit

2011-02-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

I have tried several elimination diets where certain foods that are potential food allergens are avoided for two-four weeks and then gradually reintroduced. Certain symptoms disappeared when I eliminated gluten, eggs, dairy and corn but the cause of chronic muscle pain and fatigue continued to be a mystery. The question was could certain foods/additives be causing inflammation that prevented me from healing.

My physical therapist suggested a blood test, one designed to measure IgG and IgE antibodies in my blood. IgG responses were my concern as my symptoms have always been delayed ones. The results shed new light on the potential causes of my persistent symptoms.

Read more about my test results in "Food Allergy Testing" at http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/p/food-allergy-testing.html

I was surprised to discover that I was reacting to all kinds of spices and herbs, garlic, fish oil found in Fish Oil Tablets and all kinds of legumes.

I've been eliminating all the suspected "villains" for most of this week. For the first 3-4 days, my whole body seemed to be going haywire, apparently a typical response, according to my health care provider.
The first improvement I've noticed is my stomach seems to be feeling better and that's where the healing begins, with the digestive system.

The most difficult part is the waiting to see if my symptoms continue to improve. My therapist believes they will, and I will finally heal from an injury that occured several years ago, the source of my chronic pain.

In the meantime, I am working on changing the way I cook (no more spices), the beverages I drink (no more herbal teas) and the supplements I take. I’m hoping the end result will be lessened muscle pain and fatigue.

I'm always on the lookout for ways to get flavorful food without spices, herbs or sugar. My newest favorite is Creamy Tahini Dressing for Fruit.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
liquid stevia to taste
2+ tablespoons water
4 cups sliced fruit such as papaya, strawberries, blueberries, kiwi
Optional: unsweetened coconut flakes (I can top mine with coconut if I want. I've always thought I had a sensitivity to coconut but my food allergy testing showed none.)

Directions:

Combine tahini, applesauce, stevia and water in a food processor. Pulse until smooth. Drizzle 1-2 T. dressing on 1/2 or more fruit for an individual serving.
Top with coconut flakes, if desired.

Homemade sunbutter and pumpkin butter saves bucks

2011-01-29T10:11:00.000-08:00

Homemade sunbutter

Homemade pumpkin butter

Monday will be the day I get the results of my food sensitivity testing. I'm looking forward to uncovering something that has gone undetected in numerous elimination diets where you stop eating certain foods for a month or more, and then retest for reactions by gradually adding them back in.

They did the food sensitivity test on me rather than the allergic resonse test. I have never had an allergic response to any foods but instead have food intolerances which are far more difficult to figure out because sometimes responses don't occur for three days. It seems weird to hope something shows up but yet it might shed light on why I get certain symptoms, like upset stomach and chronic muscle pain caused by trigger points.

I'm hoping that the test doesn't show I have a problem with sunflower or pumpkin seeds because they are two of my very favorite foods. I have winced at the price but have purchased sunbutter and pumpkin butter for years. $6-8 for sunbutter and $10-12 for pumpkin butter recently inspired me to try making my own and see how much I could save.

I purchased raw sunflower seeds for $1.70 a pound in bulk and figured I would need 2 1/2 cups to make a pound of sunbutter. That equates to $4.25 for seeds compared to $6.99 for sunbutter which I paid at my most recent purchase. I calculate a savings of about $2.70.

Pumpkin seeds are a little more pricey, $3+. I haven't done the cost analysis on making my own pumpkin butter yet but I'll figure that out next time I purchase pumpkin seeds.

To make sunflower or pumpkin butter:

Begin by toasting one or two cups of seeds either in a skillet or baking sheet in low heat oven. I set the oven for 325 degrees and keep a close eye on the seeds.
Note #1: don't skip the toasting step. This is key to getting the seeds to turn into a creamy butter.
Note #2: The toastier the seeds the more intense the flavor.
Cool the seeds slightly.
Pour into your food processor and begin grinding. Gradually add in 2 or more tablespoons of grapeseed or other oil, and continue processing until you have a smooth paste.
Add a few drops of liquid stevia if desired.

That's all it takes to make some delicious sunbutter or pumpkin butter. It does take some time but if you eat a lot of the stuff it can save you some money.

Breakfast quinoa

2011-01-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

Breakfast quinoa with fruit and seeds

I'm on a mission to break out of my breakfast rut. It's been protein smoothies for months and months and months until I can't stand it anymore. Things are definitely looking up with breakfast quinoa with fruit and seeds as well as breakfast sweet potato with pomegranate and seeds( http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/01/acd-diet-breakfast-pomegranate-sweet.html).

I love it when things are easy like both of these recipes. For the quinoa, I cook up one cup of quinoa the night before while I'm preparing dinner. I prepare the fruit topping and toasted seeds in advance too. I know this is beginning to sound complicated but the prep work saves you time in the morning when you don't have time. You also have enough for three or more breakfasts.

In the morning, I spoon about one-third cup into a bowl, pour on some hemp milk and pop the quinoa into the microwave for about 90 seconds. Top your quinoa with a little fruit and toasted seeds and you're ready to eat.

Here are the directions for making all the ingredients and assembling them into your breakfast quinoa.

Breafast Quinoa with Fruit Compote and Seeds

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup each raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds
1 package frozen or fresh cranberres and 1 cup frozen blueberries
unsweetened hemp milk
liquid, alcohol-free stevia

Directions:

For the toasted seeds: Spread pumpkin and sunflower seeds on a baking sheet, sprayed with pan spray. Coat the seeds lightly with pan spray as well. Toast the seeds in a preheated oven set to 325 degrees for about 10 minutes. Check often and stir the seeds to prevent burning. Remove from seeds from the oven, allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
For the fruit compote: Pour one package of frozen or fresh cranberries in a heavy saucepan and add 1/2 cup water. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries pop and continue cooking for several more minutes. Remove the cranberries from the heat and mix in one cup frozen blueberries. Sweeten with liquid stevia to taste. Store the compote in the fridge.
For the quinoa: Put one cup quinoa in a saucepan with two cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and continue cooking for about 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. Store the quinoa in the fridge.
For the breakfast quinoa: Heat up some quinoa mixed with hemp milk in the microwave for about 90 seconds. Top with some fruit compote and seeds and dig in.

ACD-diet breakfast: pomegranate sweet potato

2011-01-23T15:50:00.000-08:00

Kona takes over the bed

Breakfast sweet potato

Kona, my golden retriever, has the right idea. She loves to sleep in but she does it her way. Her morning starts by getting up whenever I do as early or late as that might be. After gobbling up her doggie chow, she heads back to bed as pictured above.

Actually, that's not her bed of choice. She prefers to sleep by the fireplace on her doggie bed. I snapped the picture above when she jumped up on one of our beds to escape the evil vacuum cleaner. She's proof that it's not just cats that are afraid of vacuum cleaners.

While Kona snoozes, I get busy pondering what to serve myself for breakfast. Lately, sweet potatoes have been a bit of a favorite. For a long time, I avoided sweet potatoes because I feared that would bring back my candida. Now, a year into my ACD diet, I no longer fear them as long as I don't eat a whole sweet potato at one time. I usually eat a large one over three breakfasts.

Sweet potatoes with pomegranate and pumpkin seeds is one of my favorite recipes for breakfast.

Ingredients:

One medium or large sweet potato
1-2 T. hemp milk, unsweetened
1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
1-2 T. pomegranate seeds
Sea salt

Directions:

Bake sweet potato (I do mine in the microwave because it's faster, about 6-8 minutes, as opposed to 40 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. Prick the sweet potato with a fork prior to baking.)
Let cool slightly.
Slice the top of the potato and use a fork to mash the insides a bit.
Drizzle on the hemp milk and mix in.
Sprinkle on the seeds and season with salt if desired.

Rutabaga-salmon scramble

2011-01-15T19:30:00.000-08:00

Rutabaga-salmon scramble

Inspirations for good things to eat, like this rutabaga-salmon scramble, come from all sorts of experiences, cravings and sometimes unexpected places. I was watching a show on PBS that features well-known breakfast spots in cities around the U.S. I don't know what compelled me to watch because I knew breakfast eateries would have all the things I cannot eat like pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, ham, etc. Maybe I just wanted to torture myself.

A potato-salmon-spinach scramble at one of the featured restaurants caught my attention. With the exception of the potatoes, it looked pretty ACD-friendly. A simple switcheroo of ingredients and I could have myself a dish that could be served for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Now I'm glad I watched that show because Rutabaga-Salmon Scramble made a great dinner last night. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients for 1 serving:
1 salmon filet precooked and cut into pieces
1 rutabaga., peeled, sliced and boiled until tender but still firm
1/4 onion sliced
2-3 large handfuls of fresh spinach
sprig of parsley for garnish
salt and pepper
2 tsp. canola or olive oil

Directions:

Saute onions in oil in large, heavy skillet.
Add rutabagas and cook until browned.
Add salmon pieces and continue cooking until hot.
Toss in spinach and continue cooking until wilted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve on a plate and garnish with parsley.

Swiss chard rollups

2011-01-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

Swiss chard rollups

I hate going to the doctor. I think it's because I have had so many wrong diagnoses. I start dreading the appointment days ahead. If I could, I would call and reschedule or cancel the appointment.

Sometimes, I've actually done that but not yesterday. They drew lots of blood for testing. I think they sucked me dry because I turned white as a sheet and felt like I was sick the rest of the day.

One of the tests was for food intolerances. I've done elimination diets numerous times to test for food intolerances but never had a blood test. I need to find out if there is something I am eating that is contributing to my chronic muscle pain.

We also discussed the role of environmental mold sensitivity in chronic health problems. I have been extremely sensitive to mold for years and then of course, there's the whole candida problem. I will post more on the environmental molds later.

In the meantime as I wait for my results, I cannot eat the Swiss Chard Rollups pictured in this post unless I modify my own recipe. I made it right before I eliminated nightshade veggies (tomatoes, peppers). But maybe you can enjoy it. I know I did.

Swiss Chard Rollups

Ingredients:

4 medium Swiss chard leaves
1/2 cup Silken tofu
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced zucchini
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup homemade or safe marinara sauce
1/2 baked spaghetti squash

Directions:

Cook the Swiss chard leaves in boiling salted water for one minutes or until wilted.
Remove the stem at the bottom of each leaf.
Mix together 2 T. marinara, silken tofu, red bell pepper, zucchini, salt and pepper to taste.
Divide tofu/veggies mixture among the Swiss Chard leaves. Roll each one, tucking in the sides so the filling won't seep out.
Place stuffed leaves in a small baking dish and top with the remaining marinara sauce.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Scoop out the meat of spaghetti squash.
Serve the rollups over the spaghetti squash.

Beet chips

2011-01-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

Don't let the appearance of these beet chips fool you. They look a little dark but they are so-so delicious.
I haven't eaten beets in a long time because of their carb count. But I have to get some carbs now that I'm following the caveman diet where grains are not allowed (kind of like the ACD diet). And beets in moderation are even allowed on the ACD diet. Just remember the word "moderation" with these chips.

Beet Chips (makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 medium beets
1-2 tsp. olive oil
sea salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Peel beets and slice thinly with a mandoline slicer. Note: The beets have to be thin to get crisp. My mandoline slicer blade was a bit dull and my slices were a little too thick which may account for why they got dark before they got done.
In a bowl, toss the beets with olive oil
Spray a large baking sheet with pan spray.
Spread the beet slices out on the sheet in a single layer.
Sprinkle with salt.
Bake until the edges of the beets begin to dry out. This takes a long time especially if the beets aren't thin enough. Plan on 30 minutes for super thin slices and 40-50 minutes for thicker slices.
Check the beets often and remove individual chips as they get done.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool and crisp.
Don't eat them all at one time!

Caveman diet and poached salmon

2011-01-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

Poached salmon

Two weeks ago I scratched nightshade veggies off my eating list in hopes of reducing a chronic pain issue I have. I almost felt like I was going through withdrawal when I stopped eating my favorite red bell peppers, jalapenos and spices made from peppers (paprika, cayenne, chili powder). I also realized just how much of this stuff I consumed each day.

Here's my logic for cutting out nightshade veggies:

Tomatoes, peppers and goji berries are touted for their health benefits. But these nutrition-packed foods have a dark side for those who experience intolerance or allergic reaction. Plants from the nightshade family may cause, or contribute, to arthritic symptoms.

Nightshade plants produce drug-like chemicals, called alkaloids. These alkaloids - nicotine, atropine, capsaicin, solanine, and tomatine - build up in the body’s tissues and may produce pain and inflammation in the joints and muscles. Nightshades were originally used as ornamental plants because of their toxic nature.

One 20-year study, of 1,400 volunteers, found nightshade to be a causative factor in arthritis in sensitive people. In another study, 72.7 percent of the 763 participants reported a marked lessening of arthritis symptoms when they strictly eliminated nightshade foods and/or tobacco.

The best way to diagnose intolerance is to follow a “no nightshades” diet for at least one month. That means you avoid eating all nightshade vegetables and spices. You also abstain from tobacco use as well.

Here's a list of nightshade veggies:
Nightshades are plants from the Solanaceae family, including tobacco, potatoes, eggplant, hot and sweet peppers, tomatillos and gooseberries. Spices and condiments made from nightshades include cayenne, chili powder, curry, paprika, ketchup and Tabasco. All nightshade foods contain nicotine in some form.

I've seen some lessening of pain, along with getting physical therapy. But that's not the end of the story for me. There are more foods that can be contributing to my pain. I'm not sure which ones but I definitely suspect chocolate.

The easiest way for me to find out is to get a blood test for food sensitivities which I probably will. That will take awhile so in the meantime, I have opted to follow the Caveman Diet which is kind of like the strict anti-candida diet. You basically eat unprocessed fish and turkey (no chicken), veggies and fruit, and seeds/nuts.
Find about more info at http://dietsexplained.wordpress.com/2008/05/10/news-flash-caveman-diet-goodyour-diet-bad/

I've always loved salmon but now I'm looking for more salmon recipes. Please share if you have some.
Here's my current favorite.

Poached Salmon

Ingredients:

16 ounces wild salmon
2 cups chicken broth (I fudged on this one and bought Imagine free-range, organic chicken broth but I noticed it contains "natural flavor" which potentially could include paprika or other nightshade spice. I need to make up some of my own veggie broth because chicken is supposed to be avoided. )
1 tsp. whole peppercorns
1 bay leaf
4 scallions

Directions:

Heat a skillet with 2 tsp. olive oil. Add salmon filets, broth, bay leaf, peppercorns.
Cook in liquid until just about done, about 6 minutes. Add scallions and cook another minute or so.
Serve with other veggies or on a plate of greens.

Note: Keep me in mind if you have some "clean" recipes for salmon. I'm going to need some variety.

Skinny cocoa

2011-01-04T16:12:00.000-08:00

Pumpkin's pose of tranquility

Sometimes, don't you just feel like finding a sunny spot and taking a little catnap? I think Pumpkin, my buddy, has it down pat. I think he looks so adorable in his pose of tranquility.

I've been having a little trouble keeping him from incessantly asking for food. I guess he's suffering from winter boredom. He's a house cat but I don't want him to get tubby. Every day, I measure out his food allotment and that's all he gets no matter how cute he acts or how much he begs.

Unfortunately, we humans don't have someone to restrict us when the winter munchies strike. I admit lately I've been doing my own share of winter overgrazing. But I have a solution in the form of a low-glycemic cocoa drink.

Ingredients for skinny cocoa

My skinny cocoa is simple to make but extremely satisfying. It's low-glycemic because it's made with unsweetened chocolate-flavored Almond Breeze, water, tea and no-alcohol stevia. It's kind of a chocolate tea latte. I find it keeps me away from dreaming of other chocolate confections.

The drink probably has at most a whopping 45 calories if you use a whole cup of Almond Breeze. Feel free to substitute some other alternative dairy beverage, chocolate flavored.

Here's how I make it:

Fill a heavy mug with half water and half Almond Breeze.
Heat in the microwave to a boil, about 3- 3 1/2 minutes.
Remove from the microwave and drop in one tea bag. My two favorite flavors are pictured above. For mint cocoa, I add peppermint tea. For vanilla cocoa, I use the Sleepytime Vanilla.
Add liquid stevia to sweeten and get ready to sip a delicious cocoa drink that won't spike your sugar levels.

Carob sunbutter cups

2011-01-03T10:01:00.000-08:00

Carob sunbutter cups

I'm still on my kicks to make treats. I haven't made my all-time favorite for a really long time because I didn't realize unsweetened carob chips were available. I found some that are even dairy free at http://www.barryfarm.com/nutri_info/baking%20supplies/carobchipsunsw.htm. These are so good you really don't even need much stevia because the carob and sunbutter are naturally sweet. And they are ACD friendly!

Sunbutter/Carob Cups

Ingredients:

1 bag vegan unsweetened carob chips

1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter (sunflower butter)

Liquid or powdered stevia to taste (use the non-alcohol added variety)

1 mini-muffin pan

Melt carob chips in microwave. Add stevia and stir to blend. Spoon 1 tsp. or so into each section of the mini-muffin pan. Top with 1 tsp. sunbutter. You can top with additional melted carob chips if desired. Refrigerate until set. Makes 12 cups.

Coconut butter revisited

2011-01-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Homemade coconut/cacao butter

I am on a kick to come up with a healthy treat that's ACD friendly. Coconut has long been off my list because of the saturated fat that tends to upset my digestive tract. I have no gallbladder which means saturated fats don't go down well. And I have no self control. It's better if it's not in the house.

For some reason, I decided to give coconut another try. I even had a bag of organic coconut tucked away in the freezer from my last coconut indulgence. I saw a video on the internet that showed how to make your own coconut butter out of coconut flakes. Premade coconut butter such as Artisana is expensive. It looked like a challenge to see if I could make my own.

All you do is pour some unsweetened coconut flakes in your food processor and start processing. I didn't want to make a ton so I just put in one cup of flakes. It takes about 20 minutes with some scraping of the sides to keep the mixture blending. Voila! It worked.

From scratch coconut butter

Things started getting dangerous once I had the coconut butter made. I decided to add cacao bits to make my version of Artisana's coconut-cacao bliss. I added 2 T. cacao bits and some stevia. Add more if you want more chocolate flavor.

Now, my problem is limiting myself. I eagerly gobbled up a couple of bites and stored the rest in the fridge.
I've been restricting myself to a bit sprinkled on top of berries as a dessert. By eating it sparingly, I have been able to avoid the dreaded stomach issues. I'm still mulling over other ways to use it. Please share your ideas.

Pimped up sunbutter

2011-01-01T14:27:00.000-08:00

Pimped-up sunbutter with flax, cinnamon and hemp seeds

I had to eat something extra special to celebrate New Year's Day. My first thought was something with sunbutter which I absolutely love. But then, I thought why not try making a pimped-up sunbutter.

Recently, when browsing the internet, I had come across a pre-made sunbutter with some yummy add-ins (vanilla, cinnamon, flax and hemp seed). It looked incredibly delicious. I almost ordered it until I realized it contained evaporated cane juice, just another name for sugar which is a no-no for candida sufferers.

That cinnamon/vanilla sunbutter was the inspiration for my pimped-up sunbutter but I made mine free of sugar. It was super simple to make and oh, so delicious. I spooned some on my hot quinoa for breakfast but it kind of got lost in the almond milk. The next time I'll try putting it on less milky quinoa.

Hot quinoa with designer sunbutter added.

Pimped-up Sunbutter

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsweetened sunbutter
2 T. ground flax seed
Few drop on alcohol-free stevia
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 T. hemp seed
Optional: alcohol-free vanilla or vanilla bean which I didn't have. I'll try that next time and trust me there will be lots of next times.
Note: If you want more, just double or triple the ingredients.

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor.
Blend on high until smooth.
Store your designer sunbutter in a storage container.

No-egg cauliflower breadsticks

2010-12-31T09:31:00.000-08:00

Kona keeping her feet mud free with her new Christmas booties.

First attempt cauliflower breadsticks with no egg.

This past year has brought me several health victories. I have candida and sinus issues under control, not that it's not an on-going battle to maintain the delicate equilibrium of good and bad bacteria. I know I still am susceptible. One of the most telltale signs is my winter problem with athlete's foot. I have to disinfect my yoga mat frequently, keep my shower clean as a whistle and put baby powder in my shocks daily to keep my tootsies free of this problem.

Even as New Year's approaches, I'm not planning to go whole hog and abandon my low-carb, low-glycemic diet. I guess it's something I will have to do for my lifetime. One health issue that I continue to tackle is chronic muscle pain that hasn't disappeared with the candida diet. My pain is somewhat arthritic-like but confined to only muscles, not joints.

I recently did some research on nightshade allergy/intolerance to help a friend who potentially has rheumatoid arthritis. As I read the symptoms, I began to see myself and decided to eliminate my lovely peppers and tomatoes from my diet. Nightshade vegetables can cause or contribute to arthritis symptoms in sensitive individuals. I have already eliminated potatoes and eggplants, also nightshade, so I thought what the heck. It's worth a try. In some studies, 70-80 percent of participants found relief from their pain by strictly eliminating nightshade foods. I've gone three days so far; too soon to tell.

New Year's Eve has me planning what to cook. But Kona, my 12-year-old pup, has been out frolicking in her new booties she got for Christmas. We decided to purchase some for her because she looks forlorn every time we have to leave her in the garage to let her muddy feet dry out before coming indoors. The booties solve the problem. She's so docile she doesn't care a bit when I put them on her or when she's running around in them.

I decided to try out some appetizer recipes for New Year's. The cauliflower breadsticks came out of seeing a post numerous places for cauliflower pizza. Unfortunately, the recipe uses egg and cheese. I am allergic to eggs and cheese is off limits for candida. My first attempt yielded tasty but somewhat flimsy breadsticks. That egg would be a great addition so if it's not a problem go for it.

Cauliflower Breadsticks
Ingredients:
1 cup riced cauliflower
1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour
salt and pepper
1 T. olive oil
herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary
Optional: one egg

Directions:

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spray and lightly oil a baking sheet.

To rice cauliflower, steam 1/2 head of cauliflower cut into florettes just until fork tender. Drain the cauliflower and place in your food processor. Pulse until the cauliflower becomes pearl-sized.

Mix 1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour with 3/4-1 cup water. Stir to blend. Let set until it thickens. It should be the thickness of thin pudding. Add olive oil, herbs, salt and pepper, and cauliflower. Stir to blend.

Preheat the baking sheet slightly in the oven to distribute the oil evenly on the pan. Spoon and spread the batter on the pan. The batter should be thick enough to shape into a rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.

Bake for 12 minutes or longer until batter is cooked and set. Remove the pan from the oven. Allow the cooked batter to cool slightly. Then, cut into breadsticks with a pizza cutter.

Turn the oven up to broil. Place the breadsticks back in the oven until they are crispy but watch them carefully to prevent burning.

Allow the breadsticks to cool slightly again. They will be somewhat fragile until fairly cool.

I thought they were pretty tasty but next time I will add more herbs and try adding some chia slurry or flax slurry to get them to bind together better. If anyone has success with this, let me know.

Anti-Candida Christmas dessert recipe

2010-12-24T09:34:00.000-08:00

What's Christmas dinner without dessert, even for us candida folks? My dessert uses some of the trail mix I talked about in my first post about by Christmas dinner menu at http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/anti-candida-christmas-dinner.html. It also makes use of my favorite vanilla tea smoothie recipe at http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/sleepytime-vanilla-tea-smoothie-acd.html.

I simply whipped up some of this smoothie in the morning and poured it into a freezer-safe container. I stored it in the freezer all day and took it out in the evening. After thawing it out slightly, I spooned it into my food processor and blended it on high into an soft-serve ice cream consistency. It really does resemble soft-serve ice cream.

Spoon this frozen dessert into a ice-cream dish and top off with a tablespoon of trail mix and voila: dessert for anti-candida me!

Merry Christmas everyone!

Anti-candida Christmas dinner continued

2010-12-23T19:37:00.000-08:00

The mock mashed potatoes came out oh so yummy. I'd say better than real mashed potatoes. The combination of rutabagas and cauliflower had a almost sweet taste which made the lack of butter unnoticeable.

I will serve this side dish as part of my candida Christmas dinner. Get the full menu in my previous post at
http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2010/12/anti-candida-christmas-dinner.html.

Here's the recipe I created for Mock Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
• 1 head of cauliflower, washed, trimmed and chopped into pieces.

• 3-4 medium rutabagas, washed, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces.

• Chicken broth

• Hemp milk or other alternative dairy beverage

• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Bring water to a boil in two large saucepans. You will need to cook the two veggies separately since the rutabagas will take longer to cook.

• Add a sprinkle of salt to each pot.

• Put the rutabagas in one pot and the cauliflower in the other.

• Cook until each is fork tender.

• Drain both cauliflower and rutabagas.

• Combine the two veggies in a large pot.

• Add a bit of chicken broth, milk of your choice, salt and pepper.

• Start the mashing process with a potato masher.

• Add more liquids if needed.

• Finish whipping with a hand mixer.

• Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.

There's one more recipe to practice: the mock vanilla ice cream topped with trail mix. That will be tomorrow.

Anti-candida Christmas dinner

2010-12-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

The anti-candida diet has become so much a part of me that it seldom bothers me to sit across from someone eating desserts or bread or other carb-loaded foods. That is until the holidays roll around. Then, it starts to bother me again. All the traditional Christmas foods are paraded in front of me via advertising, parties, etc.

It's hard to not feel a bit resentful but this year, I've planned a counterattack because I want to stay as mellow as my cat, Pumpkin, sleeping under the Christmas tree in the photo above. I've carefully planned and even tried the recipes for my anti-candida Christmas dinner. Here's what I have planned for dinner:

Appetizer: cucumber slices, red pepper triangles and other raw veggies with chickpea dip.
Salad: mixed greens or spinach with dried cranberries and avocado.
Entree: roasted free-range turkey.
Sides: mashed rutabaga/cauliflower blend; roasted brussel sprouts; green beans.
Dessert: ACD-safe vanilla frozen dessert topped with trail mix (cacao bits, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dried cranberries).

I started my counterattack several days ago by making the dried cranberries. The ones you buy in the store are soaked in sugar which will not work for low-glycemic folks. I'm planning to use the dried cranberries in the salad and as an ingredient in the trail mix.

If you like cranberries a lot, it's a good idea right now to grab a few extra packages while they are cheaper and available, and stow them in the freezer. Here's the procedure/recipe I followed for drying cranberries.

Drying cranberries

Place one bag of fresh or frozen cranberries into a pot with water. Bring the cranberries and water to boil.
Allow the cranberries to sit in the water long enough to burst. Drain the water from the cranberries. Add stevia (either liquid or powder) and toss to coat the cranberries.
Spread the cranberries on a baking sheet. Place in the freezer for at least two hours. The instructions I followed indicated that cranberries dehydrate faster when frozen first. It still took a long, long, long time.
Place the cranberries onto a sheet in a food dehydrator. Allow to dehyrate for 12+ hours. Begin checking after 10 hours to remove the ones that are dry. Note: You could dry the cranberries in your oven as well at 250 degrees.
Store the dried cranberries in a container in the freezer until ready to use.

Well, that completes round one. Next up, making the trail mix which I will use as a topping for the vanilla frozen dessert.

This is super easy. Just toast some pumpkin and sunflower seeds either in a heavy skillet on the stovetop, or in the oven on a baking sheet at 325 degrees. I prefer the stovetop because I can monitor them more carefully. I start by spraying the pan with pan spray and dumping in one cup of each type of seeds. Spread the seeds around; spray with additional pan spray to coat; and salt to taste. Toast the seeds on medium heat until they begin to pop.

Allow the seeds to cool before mixing with 2 T. dried cranberries and 2 T. cacao bits. Store in the freezer to keep yourself from nibbling.

The mashed cauliflower/rutabaga mixture is my project for tonight. Post, directions and picture coming.

Low-carb cranberry salsa

2010-12-19T14:19:00.000-08:00

I finally got a photo of my cat pal, Pumpkin, napping with his face down on his paw. It just makes me want to go love him to pieces but he'd never go for that. After all, he is a cat.

I've been trying to expand my fruit repertoire on my low-glycemic, ACD diet. I looked up the nutrition facts for cranberries and discovered if eaten without sugar, they are pretty low carb (6g of carbs with 2g of sugars and 2g of fiber in a 1/2 cup serving). Of course, cranberries without some sort of sweetener are pretty hard to swallow. But they taste delicious when added to a salsa blend or sweetened with stevia. Here's my recipe for Cranberry Salsa. It's tasty on grilled chicken or fish or as a topping on salad. It stores well in the fridge for several days.

Ingredients:

1 package fresh cranberries
1 pasilla pepper seeded and chopped roughly
1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped roughly
1 cup chopped cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Optional: onion, hotter peppers

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely chopped.