Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayo

I've taken a little gardening indoors this winter thanks to a recent purchase of an AeroGarden. It's a hydroponic garden that grows plants under perfect conditions (http://www.aerogarden.com). I planted an herb garden on Jan. 29 and have already started harvesting some basil. I'm growing Italian basil, purple basil, mint, dill, thyme, parsley and chives. You can see in the photo above how much faster the two varieties of basil are growing. That's why I decided to incorporate some basil into a recent recipe for Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayo. I found out it didn't taken much basil because this stuff is so potent (in a good way).

Turkey Burgers with Basil Mayo (Vegan)

Serves 4

Ingredients for burgers:
1 pound turkey burger (I use the 99 percent fat-free kind.)
1/2 cup torn basil leaves (or less if you pick them right out of the garden)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
1 T. olive oil
gluten-free buns or bread optional

Ingredients for grilled veggies:
Salt, pepper to taste
1 T. olive oil
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 large green zucchini (peeled and cut into thick slices)
1 medium tomato (cut into thick slices)
1 sliced red onion
1/2 T. lemon juice

Ingredients for Basil Vegan Mayo:
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise (Follow Your Heart brand)
2 basil leaves finely chopped (or 1 tsp. dried basil)

Directions:
Preheat a grill pan (or use a grill or the broiler of your oven). Mix turkey burger with basil leaves, olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper. Shape into four patties, refrigerate until grilling after other food items under way. When ready to cook, place in the grill pan (or other cooking device of choice) for about 10-12 minutes, depending on size of patties.

Prepare the veggies. Toss with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and vinegar. Cook on a grill or under the broiler. Turn them frequently and cook until veggies are tender and browned on both sides.

Mix the basil mayo in a small bowl with a spoon. To assemble the burgers, place burgers between grilled veggies and top with a dollop of basil mayo. Use a bun if desired. Serve oven-roasted sweet potatoes on the side.

Tofu Mango Freeze

My sinus infection is slowly getting better despite all the set backs from the medications I found I was allergic to. It's definitely true that often the remedy is worse than the illness. I guess it's pretty common for people with other allergies or sensitivities to have problems with medications as well. I definitely want to avoid one of these again. I can't take the misery from the sinuses or the stomach pain caused by the medications.

That's why I've invested in a Hydro-Pulse Sinus Irrigator. It's kind of a Water Pik device for your nasal passages. I know to some people it sounds painful while others may find it disgusting but it's really just like a Neti Pot with some extra umph. It may not work but it's worth a try.

Hopefully, it will turn out to be as good a find as the chewable papaya tablets were. I'm still taking them and they are helping my tummy through the tough times of taking antibiotics. I also take a vegan probiotic with every meal.

I tried another mango dessert that is equally as good as the one I made last week. The difference is this one has soy in the form of tofu while the other was free of soy. I only eat soy once in awhile but this dessert is definitely worth trying if you can tolerate soy and love mango like me.

Tofu Mango Freeze (serves 2)

Ingredients:

2 cups of diced mango

1/2 cup vanilla-flavored, unsweetened hemp milk (You also may use soy milk.)

6 ounces (half a 12-ounce package) silken tofu

2-4 T. Fruit Sweet (from Wax Orchard's) or other sweetener such as agave nectar (add a little at a time and test for desired sweetness)

1 T. lemon juice

Directions:

In a blender, blend until smooth 1 cup mango, hemp milk, tofu, lemon juice and sweetener. Pour the mixture in a container and freeze slightly. In the meantime, puree the remaining cup of mango with a little sweetener and refrigerate until serving time. To serve, divide the mango tofu mixture between dessert dishes and spoon the mango puree down one side of each dessert.

Mango parfait

I've been fighting a sinus infection for what seems like forever. I could handle the sinus problem better if I could find some kind of decongestant medication that doesn't cause me severe abdominal distress. First it was the Mucinex which added excruciating stomach pain to what I was already experiencing from the sinus infection. That sent me to the internet to see if I could find any other medications that didn't have stomach issues as side effects. I came up empty handed. Finally, out of desperation, I decided to give Sudafed a try. I took one lousy four-hour tablet and ended up with 20 hours of stomach pain. Not much of a trade off for a few hours of head relief. The pain was so bad I couldn't even sleep.

There was one positive thing that came out of this. I was searching the internet and came across a website for a book entitled, "The Sinus Cure." One of the suggestions in the book was to take chewable papaya tablets for sinus pain, as well as digestion. Papaya apparently has anti-inflammatory properties. The papaya tablets didn't work for my sinuses but they are the only thing that pulled my stomach out of the mess created by Mucinex and then Sudafed. And they are keeping my tummy under control while I take antibiotics for the sinus infection. Just make sure you don't get the sugar-free ones. They contain sorbitol and mannitol which are sure to play havoc with your stomach.

Papayas are amazing. I wanted to use them in a dessert idea I had but unfortunately I could only find mango. So I came up with a dessert recipe that could be used with either mango or papaya.

Mango or Papaya Parfait (serves two)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cubed mango or papaya (reserve 1/2 cup for assembling parfaits)
1 1/4 cups vanilla-flavored hemp milk or other alternative dairy beverage (I used the unsweetened, vanilla-flavored hemp milk.)
2-3 T. agave nectar
1-2 tsps. lime juice
2 T. sweet rice flour for thickening

Directions:
Blend the hemp milk and fruit in a food processor or blender as if you were making a smoothie. Pour the mixture, agave nectar, lime juice and sweet rice flour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Whisk constantly while the mixture is thickening. It should reach a pudding like texture. If needed, add more milk. Once thickened, pour the mixture into a container and refrigerate until cooled. To assemble parfaits, layer pudding with diced reserved mango or papaya or consider a combination of the two fruits in dessert dishes. Yum! It's better than chocolate.

Kiwi Freeze

I learned once again this past week how important it is for anyone, but especially someone with stomach issues and allergies, to carefully read side effects when taking prescription or over-the-counter medicines. I'm still recovering from taking Mucinex which a nurse practitioner suggested I take for my chronic sinus problems. I experienced some of the rare side effects that left me pretty much incapacitated for four days. I hadn't felt that kind of stomach pain and gas since I realized four years ago that I was sensitive to artificial sweeteners. It's taken most of a week since I stopped taking it for my stomach to begin to feel more normal.

Prior to the whole Mucinex thing, I had finally gotten my stomach under control after eliminating chocolate from my diet. My stomach was feeling good but not my mind that kept telling me to eat chocolate, which I dearly love. Anyhow, I had to come up with some substitutes to keep my sweet tooth happy. The Kiwi Freeze was one of my chocolate substitutes.

Kiwi Freeze for 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup plain hemp milk
2 T. sweet rice flour for thickening
2-4 kiwis peeled and diced
sweetener of choice to taste (I used 2T. white grape juice concentrate)

Directions:
Add hemp milk and sweet rice flour to a medium saucepan. Whisk to mix and then add white grape juice concentrate. Bring slowly to a boil whisking constantly. Mixture will thicken to texture of pudding. Add more hemp milk or sweetener if needed. Transfer mixture to a container for cooling in the fridge. About half hour before serving, place the amount you're going to eat in a serving dish and transfer to the freezer. Allow the mixture to freeze slightly and then top with diced kiwis. Yum! In fact, my son thought I was making frosting when it was cooking because the smell and flavor was very similar.

Salmon with Grape Tomato Salsa

This has got to be the longest winter ever since I've lived in southern Idaho. I'm sure we've set an all-time record for winter inversion days in a row. Our previous record was 20 days in a row.

I'm not the only one suffering health wise. I keep hearing about people with sinus and ear infections that won't clear up and other assorted ailments related to our dirty, cold air. I've felt so bad this winter that I went to have my blood checked for Vitamin D and B, among other things. So far, I haven't gotten the results.

In the meantime, I gave up chocolate because it seemed to be causing me additional stomach issues. I haven't had any chocolate for about two weeks and it seems like an eternity. Everywhere I turn there are ads, recipes, pictures, etc., of chocolate, especially with Valentine's Day on the horizon. It's as bad as when I gave up coffee about 5 years ago. It was pure torture for quite awhile. Hopefully, I'll be able to have some chocolate in small, infrequent quantities in the future. At least, I'm consoling myself with that for right now.

I did try out a delicious recipe for salmon, topped with a grape-tomato-caper salsa.

Ingredients:

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or 1/8 cup dried parsley

1 T. capers

1 T. white wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 T. olive oil, divided

1/4 tsp. salt, divided

1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper, divided

2-3 four-oz. salmon filets

Directions:

Preheat broiler. Combine the first six ingredients in a medium bowl, and stir in 1 1/2 tsp. oil, 1/8 tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper.

Brush salmon with remaining 1 T. oil; sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Place salmon on a sprayed grill pan. Broil salmon filets until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness is reached. Serve topped with grape-tomato-caper salsa.

Five Food Group Cookies

Our endless winter with no sun drags on and as it does, my health seems to deteriorate. I can't seem to eat anything without ending up with stomach or intestinal pain; my muscles and joints ache so much I can barely walk a block without pain; I have sinus pain and headaches; and of course, no energy. I decided to take a friend's advice and go have my blood tested for Vitamin D deficiency.

At first, I ignored his suggestion because I have been taking 1,000 IU of Vitamin D all winter. I thought I couldn't possibly have a Vitamin D deficiency but after doing some more internet research, I found enough information to support that possibility. I already knew 85 percent of the U.S. population may be Vitamin D deficient but I didn't know that individuals with darker complexions are more likely to have this condition. That explains why even in Hawaii (land of the sun) they have a high Vitamin D deficiency. In addition, people with stomach/intestinal disorders are at risk because they cannot absorb Vitamin D added to foods or in vitamin form.

Many of the symptoms I am experiencing are typical of Vitamin D deficiency although other disorders have similar symptoms. All that explains why I am going for testing next week. Hopefully, I'll find some explanation for my endless winter symptoms.

During one of my "bursts" of energy, I decided to whip up some cookies for the family. I was inspired by cookies I saw in a local coffee shop, called "Five Food Group Cookies," obviously a name designed to take away the guilt of having a cookie because after all, you're eating all five groups and satisfying your sweet tooth. I took a basic vegan carrot-raisin cookie recipe and doctored it up to give it all five food groups.

Five Food Group Cookies (makes 2 dozen small or 1 dozen large)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy flour

1/2 cup gluten-free flour such as sorghum flour or if using wheat flour, try whole wheat

1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup gluten-free oatmeal or quinoa flakes (I prefer quinoa because it's more digestible.)

Optional: add 1-2 tablespoons for vegan rice protein powder to bump up the protein

1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or nuts such as walnuts if not allergic

1/3 cup raisins or dried cherries or cranberries

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

2 large carrots, finely shredded

1/4 cup canola oil combined with 1/4 cup natural applesauce

1/2 cup maple syrup or other liquidy sweetener

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat over to 375 degrees. I did 400 degrees but watched them carefully. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add seeds or nuts, dried fruit, cinnamon, chocolate chips and carrots. In a different bowl, whisk together the oil, applesauce, syrup and vanilla. Add this to the dry ingredients and blend well.

Drop batter by tablespoonsful for large cookies or teaspoonsful for smaller ones onto sprayed cookie sheet. Dip the spoon into cold water to keep dough from sticking. Flatten the cookies to about 1/2-inch thickness. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. The cookies may take a little longer because the dough is quite moist. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.

Cautions: Be careful eating these if your stomach is sensitive to dried fruit or just leave it out of the recipe. After all you have the fruit in the added applesauce. Another caution would be the uncooked oats or quinoa. Even though these ingredients will absorb some moisture during cooking, it's not the same as cooking them first before mixing them in. I wouldn't eat more than one small or half a large cookie every few days. Give most of them to family and friends. They'll love them because they are getting all five food groups and some sugar too!

Shrimp soba noodle bowls

Tummy troubles persist, coming and going every three days. Now I must do some detective work to see if these problems are being caused by some new food sensitivity or if it's just a problem of the season. Where I live, we experience severe inversions during the winter which produces foggy, sunless days and freezing cold temperatures. Not exactly conducive to wanting to be outside walking or doing any other outdoor activity.

Yesterday was absolutely the pits. My stomach hurt so bad all I could do was sit on the couch curled up in a blanket watching really awful Saturday TV programming. But I didn't care. The only thing that gave me some comfort was peppermint tea. I think that's all I lived on yesterday.

Actually I did try eating some Shrimp Soba Noodles but despite how tasty it was I walked away after eating just a little. It is really important when you have a stomach attack that you continue trying to eat something easy on the stomach with lots of soluble fiber. This noodle dish fills the bill.

Shrimp Soba Noodle Bowls
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:

1 pkg. soba noodles (Make sure you buy the 100 percent buckwheat ones. Some are made with a blend of wheat and buckwheat. Don't buy those if you are sensitive to wheat or gluten.)

1-2 T. canola oil

1/2 pound shrimp (I just buy the frozen, medium-sized shrimp that is already peeled with tails removed.)

2-inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced

2 -3 garlic cloves minced

Ground black pepper

2 bunches of green onions, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces on an angle

2-3 carrots peeled and cut into matchsticks and steamed

1 bunch bok choy, chopped

6-8 asparagus speers cut into 3-4 inch pieces and steamed

broccoli spears, steamed

1/3 cup sherry cooking wine

1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce

1 T. agave nectar

1 T. sesame seed oil

Heat a large pot of salted water for the noodles. Place the noodles into boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain.

Steam the veggies (broccoli, carrot, bok choy, asparagus).

Thaw the shrimp by plunging in hot water. Drain.

In a large skillet, heat the canola oil. Toss in the ginger and garlic and saute. Add in the green onions, sherry, soy sauce, agave nectar and sesame oil. Bring to a bubble and simmer one minute.

To the ginger/garlic mixture, add the drained noodles, thawed shrimp and veggies and toss to combine. To serve, place in bowls.

Vegan pumpkin bread

After having a good fall, I've had nothing but tummy troubles this winter. I've spent the past two weeks being sick, then better for a few hours, then sick again. It feels like you have the stomach flu but you don't. It's just more typical stomach problems. Anyhow, when I feel like this it's really difficult to get interested in eating. But for some reason, this vegan pumpkin bread sounded tasty.

Pumpkin is supposed to be good for tummy troubles. I'm always on the lookout for tasty recipes utilizing pumpkin. The cinnamon and other spices you usually add to it can really help settle a stomach. This pumpkin bread is delicious and dangerous, because I can't stop eating it. Here's the recipe.


Vegan Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup cinnamon applesauce
1/4-1/2 cup agave nectar
1/2 cup water
egg replacer for 2 eggs
1 2/3 cup sorghum or other gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a nine-inch bread pan.
Whisk together the agave nectar, pumpkin, applesauce, water and egg replacer and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring well to combine. Pour into prepared pan, and sprinkle a bit of extra spices on top if desired.

Bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the pumpkin bread comes out clean. Serve your pumpkin bread warm.

Turkey Quinoa Soup

The really cold, stuck-in-the-house days of winter have arrived and so have my dreaded stomach problems. The last few days I've looked and felt like death warmed over or whatever that expression is. I've tried very hard this winter to follow my rotation diet and get plenty of exercise. Those are the only things that seem to help my stomach issues. I've also been trying a light box this winter and taking Vitamin D. The jury is still out on whether these help or not.

The past few weeks the temps have been below 30 degrees with a wind chill factor and I've been forced indoors to exercise. It's just not the same as getting outside. I also realize the importance of staying on a pretty rigid schedule for meal times. You know how some people can function just fine having erratic eating times. That's not me and I'm guessing if you have stomach problems, it's probably not good for you either. Anyhow, with Christmas and the holidays, meal times can get out of control a bit especially if you're invited to someone else's house. My conclusion is that's what contributed to my current state of stomach affairs---eating a little bit differently because of the holidays and restricted outdoor exercise. My advice: if you don't want to suffer the consequences, stick to your eating plan and meal times. Vary things as little as possible and you might have a chance of avoiding getting sick.

And of course, if you're eating out, make sure you know what's in everything. I almost learned this the hard way a few weeks ago. I was about to chow down on some delicious roasted chicken prepared by my host. I had mentioned earlier that I was intolerant of dairy products and that suddenly rang a bell with the cook who said, "I'm sorry but a basted the chicken with butter." I appreciated her alerting me and fortunately I had my back-up soup with me. Here's the recipe for my delicious back-up soup, also known as Turkey Quinoa Vegetable Soup.

Ingredients for soup: serves 8

1 T. olive oil

3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced

3-4 celery stalks, chopped

3-4 stalks of chard, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups water

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa rinsed

2 cups leftover turkey or chicken cooked and diced

1-2 T. dry parsley

1-2 garlic gloves minced

1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper and sea salt

Roasted vegetables for garnish:

3-4 peeled zucchinis, cut into half moons

10 mushrooms, sliced

1 cup snap peas

2-3 yukon potatoes, peeled and quartered

Directions:

For the soup: in a large sauce pan, heat 1 T. of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic to the heated oil and saute lightly. Then add the chopped veggies (except chard greens) to the heated oil and saute until veggies just start to brown. Stir in 2 cups of water and 3 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the rinsed quinoa, the turkey or chicken, parsley, black pepper and salt. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low and cook for about 20-30 minutes.

For the roasted veggie topping: While the soup is cooking, prepare the roasted veggies. Toss all the veggies in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a sprayed roasting pan and place in the oven, heated to 400-425 degrees. Roast the veggies until slightly brown and tender.

Ladle the soup in bowls and top with a generous serving of the roasted veggies. Save the extras for your back-up plan meal.

Dark Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Chocolate is one of those indulgences it would be hard to live without. Some individuals with stomach problems, such as mine, must do so or suffer the consequences. Fortunately for me, I can have chocolate on my own terms. That means only occasionally and without dairy, gluten or eggs, and seldom in the form of a dark chocolate bar. So to get my chocolate fix, I resort to blending it with tofu, sweetener and dark baking cocoa to make a delicious and simple dark chocolate pudding. I continue to follow a somewhat tweaked rotation diet so I would only eat something with soy, as this desert contains, every fourth day.

Dark Chocolate Tofu Pudding

Ingredients for one serving:

One fifth package of soft or silken tofu

1 T. of Wax Orchard's Fruit Sweet or 1 tsp. of Agave syrup (or to taste)

1/2-1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1-2 T. dark unsweetened baking cocoa powder (use more or less depending on preference)

1-3 T. alternative dairy beverage of choice (soy, rice or hemp milk)

Note: Ingredients may be doubled or tripled depending on servings desired.

Directions:

Measure and place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into desert cup and enjoy! As an alternative, place the chocolate tofu pudding into the freezer and freezer until semi-frozen for a yummy frozen treat.

Spaghetti Squash with Hearty Turkey Sauce

I had to go on a marathon car trip this week. Seven hours in the car both ways in two days. Not a good thing for someone with stomach problems. First problem is the amount of sitting time with not much moving around, Exercise is essential for someone with digestive issues. You want to keep things moving so to speak. Second problem is the temptation to eat "bad" stuff for you when stopping in restaurants.

Here's my solution to the first problem. I knew the winter weather (temps in the teens or below with the wind chill) would prevent getting out of the car to take a few walks here and there along the route. With that in mind, I got up really early and did a sizeable chunk of my exercise before leaving. I did some additional exercise upon arrival. I followed the same plan for my return day. It wasn't perfect but it helped A LOT!

Food was a more formidable problem. Our travel route had mainly "Mom and Pop" cafes that offer typical American foods, such as hamburgers, chili, club sandwiches, etc. I would be lucky if I found anything that was "safe" for me to eat. My solution: pack my own food. I spent several days ahead of departure cooking extra food, such as soup, to take along in an ice chest. While my traveling companions chowed down on their burgers, etc, I pulled out some of my food and enjoyed a healthy, safe meal. Our servers were very agreeable when I explained the situation.

Again not perfect but better than being sick either on the trip or for days after returning.

I was definitely ready for something other than soup when I returned. One of my favorite recipes is Roasted Spaghetti Squash topped with Hearty Marinara Sauce. It replaces regular spaghetti noodles (which you can use instead because they are available gluten-free) with spaghetti squash, which is low-calorie and high in vitamins, minerals and fiber. I also still have a plentiful supply of them from my summer garden. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 small/medium spaghetti squash halved (Use 1/2 per portion)

1 pound extra lean ground turkey

1 small can tomato paste

1 onion chopped

2-4 garlic cloves minced

3 peeled and chopped carrots

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 bottle red cooking wine

Dried or fresh oregano, basil, parsley

Olive oil

Directions:

Halve spaghetti squash lengthwise. Scoop out seeds from centers. Place the squash halves on a sprayed baking sheet, skin side down. Sprinkle the squash with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place in a oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the chunky marinara sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add in ground turkey and brown up with a little salt and pepper. Remove the cooked ground turkey. To the same skillet, add and heat a little more olive oil. Saute chopped onion and garlic. Add in other chopped veggies (carrots and mushrooms). Continue sauteeing until soft. Add in a 1/4 cup red wine and tomato paste. Sprinkle in desired herbs. Cook until heated through. You may need to add more cooking wine to get desired consistency. Keep in mind it's going to be thick and chunky.

Serve by placing a spaghetti squash halve on each plate and top with a generous portion of the sauce. Sprinkle the top with more herbs or parmessan cheese if you can eat it (I'll pass on the cheese and stick with lots of fresh basil). It's delicious!

Buckwheat Groats Pilaf

This picture looks exactly like last week's photo because it is. Last time, I posted the recipe for the spicy mustard-glazed veggies. This time, I will share the recipe for the other side dish on the plate: Buckwheat groats with mushrooms, balsamic vinegar and thyme. I served this dish with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. It makes a great gluten-free substitute "stuffing." Here's the recipe:

Buckwheat Groats with Mushrooms, Balsamic Vinegar and Thyme

Ingredients:

3 cups cooked buckwheat groats (also called kasha)

3 T. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced red onions

2-3 cups sliced mushrooms

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 T. water

1 tsp. dried thyme

To prepare the buckwheat groats, heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a heavy saucepan. Add 1 cup uncooked buckwheat and toast by stirring in the pan for a few minutes. Then, add in 2 cups of boiling water. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Check the buckwheat after about 15 minutes so that it doesn't get overdone.

In the meantime, heat the remaining oil in a heavy skillet. Add in the onion and garlic and saute until tender. Add the sliced mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and saute over medium heat until mushrooms are browned.

Stir in the vinegar mixed with water and the thyme. Cook until liquid is most evaporated. Add the cooked buckwheat and heat. Add a little water if needed and season with salt. Serve hot with turkey, chicken or fish.

Spicy mustard sauce for roasted veggies

This winter I feel like I've become like my cats, always seeking out the sun. In their case, they are looking for a warm spot to lounge in. For me, I'm after Vitamin D which has been linked to so many functions in our bodies. I've been taking Vitamin D supplements for almost a year now as well as getting as much outdoor sun as possible every day to see what affect it might have on my stomach problems. I also invested in a light box this fall which I try to use up to two hours a day. I have it on when I'm doing computer work or doing my daily yoga workouts.

The results have been amazing. The fall/winter months have always been my worse for bouts of stomach issues. I would say this year stomach problems have been consistent throughout all the seasons. I'm not saying I don't have any difficulty but on a bad to good scale of 1 to 10, I'm calling most days a 6-8 whereas last winter I labeled most days a 1, 2, or 3. I do have to really watch what I eat. For me, that means no cheating of any kind. I also exercise religiously because that has a positive effect as well. Right now, I'm giving the sunlight and Vitamin D a thumbs up.

Life's looking pretty sweet. As an added bonus, I found a recipe for a spicy-sweet mustard glaze that makes roasted veggies absolutely delicious. Here's the super, easy recipe.

Spicy Mustard Dressing
1/2 cup spicy mustard
3 T. olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T. maple syrup

Mix all the ingredients together. Cut up veggies such as brussel sprouts, carrots, onions, cauliflower, zucchini or winter squash or potatoes. Toss with spicy mustard sauce and then roast in the oven until tender. Another version would be to roast the veggies first and then toss them in the dressing. Try it both ways and see which one you like best. This dressing will make you want to eat a whole plate of veggies.

Chocolate-dipped frozen pears

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving. I try not to overindulge at Thanksgiving or other holidays because I know what that will do to my stomach. I usually limit my menu to just a few items rather than going for the full spread as many people do. It's still a Thanksgiving feast with roasted turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, roasted winter veggies, a dab of homemade cranberry sauce and a pumpkin-tofu custard. There really aren't that many leftovers other than turkey because I don't make that much. That's my trick to keeping my stomach happy and keeping the weight off.

In the days that follow, I can make up some of those additional sides that I like and serve them with the turkey leftovers. That way I don't feel cheated or deprived. I can still eat them, just not all of them at the same time.

I try not to eat a lot of sweets but I admit I like to have something sweet every day. One of my favorites is chocolate-dipped frozen pear slices. It's very simple to make and really satisfies the need for something sweet without breaking the calorie bank and messing up your stomach.

Chocolate-dipped frozen pears

Peel and slice one or more bosc or other favorite pears. Dip the ends of each pear slice in a little chocolate sauce. I use Wax Orchards Fat-free, Fruit Sweetened Fudge sauce because it's vegan and delicious. It contains only fruit juice concentrate and cocoa, and has about 45 calories per tablespoon. Place the pear slices on a wax-paper lined plate and place in the freezer to freeze. Thaw the slices out slightly to eat and yum!

Yummy, sticky lemon chicken

I've discovered there may be some link between fewer hours of daylight per day and increased IBS/stomach problems during the fall/winter months. Each year, as the amount of daylight diminishes, my stomach problems increase. And in the spring to summer, as daylight increases, the stomach problems diminish.

This time of year, it's not because of inactivity because I try to keep my physical activity as constant as possible. I also eat exactly the same way. So the only difference is daylight.

This has perplexed me for years. But last winter, I started taking Vitamin D and although I didn't see immediate results, I definitely saw an improvement. This year, I'm continuing the Vitamin D and now experimenting with a light box. I've been working up to two hours a day around the old light box. So far, it's not a miracle cure but I feel better. I'll see how it goes and keep posting.

In the meantime, here's an unbelievably yummy recipe to try. It's got a lot of lemon so be careful if you're sensitive to lemon/citrus. I am a little because citrus stuff can make my mouth break out if I eat it too often. But "Yummy, Sticky Lemon Chicken" is one of those once-every-so-often indulgences.

Yummy, Sticky Lemon Chicken

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts halved (or a combination of thighs, chicken breasts to equal four pieces of chicken)

Sea salt and black pepper

2 T. olive oil

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (remove leaves)

1 T. sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 T. gluten-free soy sauce

1-2 T. Wax Orchards Fruit Sweet (made totally from fruit concentrate; just as sweet and lower in calories) or Agave Nectar (You also can use honey.)

1 lemon, thinly sliced

Fresh Italian parsley chopped ((about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Brown the chicken with the garlic and thyme for 2-3 minutes on each side. Add the wine vinegar and bubble until reduced by half. Drizzle over the soy sauce and sweetener of choice and shake the pan to mix.

Pour in some hot water and add the lemon slices. Let the liquid bubble and reduce down until syrupy about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and sprinkle over chopped parsley. Serve with steamed brown rice and green beans. And lick your fingers!

Pear sorbet

Pears are wonderful for everyone but especially for individuals with stomach issues. I can eat pears with no problems as long as I peel them. Even peeled, they are still loaded with lots of soluble fiber and great flavor. The best part, they are available in abundance this time of year. I've been getting mine from a local organic grower I've been visiting throughout this year's growing season.

Pear sorbet is one of my favorite recipes for pears. I get lots of soluble fiber and a low calorie sweet treat. Here's the super easy recipe:

Ingredients for two servings:
2 pears peeled, cored, sliced and frozen (Bartlett or Bosc are two of my favorite varieties.)
1-2 T. fruit juice sweetener (I use Wax Orchard's fruit sweet.) Or use 1-2 tsp. of agave nectar or other sweetener
1 cup crushed ice
1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions:
Thaw the pear pieces out just slightly. Put frozen pears, crushed ice, sweetener and water in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is blended into a nice sorbet-like consistency. Serve immediately in desert dishes with sprigs of mint.

Easy kiwi-mint sorbet

Other projects have kept me from blogging in awhile but now I've returned and am ready to get back to business. Fall is kind of a pins and needles time of year for me. In the past, it has been when my stomach starts treating me badly after taking a hiatus during the summer. I think part of the problem is my fall allergies are pretty severe which tends to weaken my immune system making me more vulnerable. Summer also lulls me into thinking I've got this thing whipped because I'm feeling pretty good and I start going off the strict dietary wagon, so to speak.



But this year has been different. I have had a few moments here and there but so far I'm holding my own. I attribute this to sticking with my rotation diet and my regimen of taking Vitamin D daily. I'm also trying a daily pumpkin seed oil tab because as an anti-inflammatory, it is supposed to ease IBS symptoms. Fall has just gotten under way: I'm being a good girl in terms of diet; and time will tell.



In the meantime, here's a refreshing desert that's very kind to a sensitive stomach because it's loaded with mint: Kiwi-Mint Sorbet (serves 1)

Ingredients:

2 medium kiwis, peeled and quartered

small palmful of chopped fresh mint (Use less if you don't like a lot of mint taste)

1/2 cup crushed ice

1/4 cup ice cold water

1-2 tsp. agave nectar or other sweetener

Directions:

1. Peel, quarter kiwis and freeze until slightly firm on a tray in freezer. Or freeze kiwis pieces ahead of time, remove from freezer and thaw slightly.

2. Wash and chop fresh mint leaves.

3. Put semi-frozen kiwi pieces, crushed ice, cold water and sweetener in a food processor and blend. Add a few mint leaves at a time and pulse. Taste. Add more mint depending on personal preference. I like mine really minty.

4. It should form a smooth sorbet-like consistency.

5. Serve in an ice-cream dish, garnished with a sprig of mint.

6. If kiwi-mint sorbet is too soft, freeze until slightly firm in the freezer.

Salmon with apricot salsa

I've been enjoying an abundant harvest of apricots from a neighbor's tree this summer. And thanks to my stomach functioning well, I can even eat them with the skins. I'm hesitant to proclaim victory in winning the war of the stomach but I can say the rotation diet has definitely made an improvement. I also added one Vitamin D tablet to my daily routine many months ago, along with a probiotic with every meal. Many individuals have Vitamin D deficiency as well as insufficient beneficial digestive bacteria. Both are linked to numerous health problems. I know I'm feeling better than I have in years.

I'd be happy to share more information about the rotation diet with anyone who is interested. It's really not all that complicated once you get into the routine. And it's all right if you occasionally go off of it. I do all the time when I travel.

The salmon with apricot salsa actually is a rotation diet recipe. Individuals with IBS or other stomach issues may have to remove the apricot skins and cook them until just heated. I didn't remove the skins but I did saute the apricots and onions in the recipe. Here's the recipe and directions.

Salmon with Apricot Salsa

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

2 tsp. mustard seeds

1 pound apricots

2 T. lemon juice

1/2 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1-2 tsp. sea salt

1/4 to 1/2 seeded and chopped jalapeno is optional (I'm allergic and it doesn't belong on this day's rotation diet plan.)

4 salmon fillets

Rub of choice for salmon: I combined 2 T. sea salt, 2 tsp. ground cumin, 2 tsp. coriander seed, 1 tsp. Spanish paprika, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. black pepper, and rubbed it all over the fillets.

Directions:

Toast the mustard seeds in a skillet with a little oil. Pour the seeds into a medium sized bowl and let cool slightly. Halve and pit the apricots. Then dice the apricots and chop the onion. Saute the diced onion and apricots in a little oil in the same skillet. Saute until just tender. Don't overcook. Add the sauted onion and apricots to the bowl with mustard seeds. Toss in lemon juice and cilantro. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.

Meantime, prepare the salmon to be grilled or pan fried. Rub the salmon all over with the rub and allow to set for a bit before cooking. Then, grill in the oven or on a barbecue or pan fry. Top with a little olive oil during the cooking process. Serve with a wilted greens salad and topped with several tablespoons of apricot salsa. I recommend wilted greens because fresh salad is often not tolerated but most sensitive stomachs. Ignore the fact that I pictured the salmon in the photo above with a fresh salad. That was my husband's dinner and it looked prettier than my wilted salad.

Cod with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I'm pretty much back to normal after my run-in (allergic reaction) to antibiotics with sulfonomides. A friend of mine in the medical field warned me to never take them again because a second reaction would be even worse. I told her not to worry. Even a nice cash bonus for taking them would not entice me a second time.

I did find some absolutely delish vegan mayo that I've been using on everything. It's that good. I've tried other vegan mayos before but nothing compares to Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise. I used my newly discovered "safe" mayo to make a sun-dried tomato topping for cod fillets. You'll love this recipe both for its delicious taste and simplicity of making. And it's all safe for individuals with IBS or other digestive issues.

Cod with Sun-Dried Tomatoes (served with Roasted Potato and Asparagus Salad)

Ingredients for Cod:
1 pound cod fillets
8 sun-dried tomato halves, not oil-packed
1/4 cup Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise (or other vegan mayo)
2 T. chopped parsley
1/8 tsp. pepper

Ingredients for Roasted Potato and Asparagus Salad:
6 medium red potatoes, cut into quarters
2 T. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
8-10 chopped sun-dried tomatoes
8-10 chopped pitted Kalamata olives
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease or spray two glass baking dishes or other oven pans. Soak tomato halves in 1 cup boiling water for about 5 minutes or until softened. Drain and finely chop. Reserve for later. Toss potatoes with 1 T. olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread on a baking pan and bake until golden brown, 30-40 minutes. Steam asparagus pieces in boiling water for about 4 minutes or until tender. In a large bowl, mix vinegar, mustard, 1 T. olive oil. Add potatoes and drained asparagus pieces. Toss to coat. Mix in 1/4 cup of the sun-dried tomatoes, olives and basil. Set aside.

Place fish on pan and bake for 8 minutes. In the meantime, mix the remaining sun-dried tomatoes with 1/4 cup vegan mayo, parsley and pepper. Remove fish and spread some of the sun-dried tomato topping on each fillet. Reserve any extra for serving with the fish. Bake the fish 4 minutes longer or until topping is light brown and fish flakes easily with fork.

Serve fish alongside a bed of wilted greens topped with potato salad and roasted broccoli spears. Yum! Even a fish skeptic will love this dish.

Salmon burgers

An allergic reaction to medicine is no fun as I found out last week. I reacted to an antibiotic, Trimetho/sulfamethox, which contained sulfonamides, with an all-over skin rash, stomach problems and heart irregularities. What fun! I was sick for about five days before I returned to "normal." I was taking the antibiotics for a sinus infection, fortunately the antibiotics did their job on it before doing a number of me. It surprised me to discover that most reactions occur between 8-10 days of taking an antibiotic. And here I thought I was safe.

I didn't have much energy but I really wanted salmon burgers for some reason. I propped myself up in the kitchen and went to work. It was worth it. Here's the recipe.

Salmon Burgers with Dill Potatoes and Cabbage Slaw
(Serves 2)
Ingredients:
For the salmon burgers:
2 salmon fillets, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
Egg replacer for one egg
1 T. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. g/f hot sauce
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 T. fresh ginger, minced
1 shallot minced
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. chopped fresh mint
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Olive oil for cooking

Directions:
Place the salmon in a food processor and pulse until minced. Put the salmon into a bowl and add the egg replacer, fish sauce, hot sauce, garlic, shallot, ginger, lemon juice, cilantro, mint, salt and pepper, and quinoa. Fold the mixture together. Using lightly oiled hands, form the salmon mixture into 3-4 patties. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. In the meantime, prepare cabbage slaw and roasted dill potatoes.

To pan fry, add olive oil to a large skillet and heat over medium high heat. Cook 2 salmon burgers at a time. Cook about 7 minutes total, turning half-way through. Serve with chilled cabbage slaw and oven-roasted potatoes.