Spring-Vegetable Soup

Spring is definitely here. I can tell because of the roller-coaster ride weather. Some days it's freezing; some days it's blowing and freezing; and some days it's warm and beautiful. Unfortunately, the warm and beautiful days are few and far between.

On those cold and windy days, I feel like it's still winter and reach for a bowl of soup. Spring-Vegetable Soup is delicious and fits my low-gylcemic eating plan. Hopefully, some day I'll be able to get my garden planted and start growing some of my own spring veggies for this soup. In the meantime, I'm not being a locavore with this soup.

I like this soup because it has lots of optional add-ins. You can add diced chicken for more protein, and 1 cup cooked quinoa and/or diced baked sweet potato for more carbs. I usually add some quinoa if I'm eating the soup for breakfast.

Spring-Vegetable Soup

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1/2 sweet or yellow onion, sliced

1 T. olive oil

2 zucchini squash, diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

3-4 cups vegetable broth

1/2 pound asparagus, cut into 1 or 2-inch lengths

3/4 cup frozen peas

Optional: diced chicken, 1 diced baked sweet potato and/or 1 cup cooked quinoa

1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated

Directions:

In a large skillet, cook onion in olive oil. Add zucchini and saute until slightly soft. Add bell pepper and cook, 3 minutes more.

Add chickpeas and 3 cups broth to same pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus, peas, ginger and other options. Simmer for 2-3 minutes until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add a little more broth. Spoon into your bowl and enjoy.

Mint-cacao bit ice cream with hemp milk

My favorite flavor of ice cream is mint-chocolate chip. I decided to treat myself for Easter to my own version of my favorite flavor. The trick would be making it low carb and free of dairy, sugar, and eggs. It was surprisingly easy to make and delicious to eat.

I also have been dreaming of peppermint patties for some reason lately. I knew a regular peppermint patty would be impossible to recreate given my dietary restrictions. Instead, I opted to satisfy my craving with peppermint ice cream sandwiches which utilized some of my ice cream creation. The ice cream sandwiches were yummy and filled in quite nicely for a peppermint patty.

Mint-Cacao Bit (Hemp Milk) Ice Cream

(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened vanilla hemp milk

3 tsp. egg replacer mixed with 4 T. hemp milk

10-12 drops vanilla-flavored stevia

1 T. cacao bits

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the hemp milk and egg replacer. Add the stevia. Heat till mixture thickens like pudding. Stir constantly as the mixture thickens. Transfer mixture to a bowl and refrigerate until cold. Freeze mixture in your ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Add the cacao bits towards the end the freezing process.

Peppermint Ice Cream Sandwiches

1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/8 cup powdered stevia such as SweetLeaf

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or carob powder

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/8 cup canola oil

egg replacer for 4 eggs (use hemp milk in place of water)

1/2 tsp. peppermint extract (alcohol free)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine first five ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the egg replacer, canola oil and peppermint extract in a small bowl. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

Spray a large cookie sheet with pan spray. Drop teaspoonsful of dough onto the baking sheet. You should get 12 small cookies. Bake 7-9 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

To assemble ice cream sandwiches, soften the mint ice cream slightly. Spread ice cream between two cookies. Set sandwiches on a cookie sheet, uncovered, and freeze until firm. When hard, wrap each cookie individually in plastic wrap.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I've always craved carbs but since being on the candida diet, I've wanted them even more. The question is how do you stave off the desire for sweets when you shouldn't have them. For me, part of the answer is eating more protein. It helps keep me full longer so I don't want to snack as much. When I do snack, I need to eat something with protein, such as Roasted Red Pepper Hummus.

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (Hint: save some of the bean water to use to thin the hummus if needed.)

1 large red pepper, cut into strips and roasted under the broiler until darkened (Hint: It's not necessary to peel the red pepper before using.)

1 T. chopped red onion

1 minced garlic clove

1 T. tahini

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 T. olive oil

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

3 T. cilantro chopped

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended. Add some of the reserved bean juice if the mixture is too thick. Serve with cut veggies for a great filling snack.

Sunbutter biscuits

It's been nearly a year since I started the candida diet, and I confess I still have the same struggle every day. I want something sweet. But what do you eat when you can't have sugar and should avoid chocolate? You turn to healthy fat, right? You know nuts, seeds and coconut.

Unfortunately, that doesn't work for me. You see I have no gallbladder which makes eating more than a little fat an unpleasant experience. This dilemma has lead me to endless searching for something to eat that will satisfy my sweet tooth but won't violate my two rules of no sugar and little fat. The result is sometimes I violate the fat rule which causes me days of stomach distress. You would think I would learn but I guess my drive for something sweet trumps my good judgment. PLEASE send me any recipe ideas you have to help me stave off my sweet/fat cravings.

Occasionally, I make something like Sunbutter Biscuits that satisfies my sweet/fat craving but doesn't upset my stomach. It's a versatile recipe too. You can eat them as biscuits or turn them into a berry shortcake as pictured above.

Sunbutter Biscuits
(makes 8-10)

Ingredients:
1 T. lemon juice mixed with 1 cup hemp milk or other unsweetened dairy beverage
3 T. ground flax
10 drop vanilla-flavored stevia
3 T. sunbutter (unsweetened)
2 T. olive oil
3/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup garbanzo bean flour

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with pan spray.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to blend. The dough will be soft. Scoop out portions of the dough with a large spoon or use your hands. To prevent sticking, wet the spoon or hands with cold water. Place the biscuits about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. Extra biscuits may be frozen.

Brown Basmati Rice Pudding

I was getting myself into trouble in Hawaii by eating sticky brown rice wrapped in banana leaves. It was absolutely yummy and just slightly sweet but obviously carb overload for someone trying to keep candida under control. If I ever get this candida under control, I want to learn how to make sticky brown rice. Of course, I would never eat it with wreckless abandon as I did on my trip.

I did try something pretty close to that yummy treat---Brown Basmati Rice Pudding. But this time I ate one serving and froze the rest since I couldn't find anyone else to eat the extra.

Brown Basmati Rice Pudding
(makes 4 generous servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup brown basmati rice
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened hemp milk (or soy or rice milk)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 inch gingerroot, peeled and minced
6 cardamon pods, crushed or 1 tsp. ground cardamon
one cinnamon stick or 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 T. SweetLeaf Powdered Stevia
1 can light coconut milk or other alternative beverage if coconut is an issue

Directions:

Rinse and place the rice in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the water, milk, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cardamon. Bring the rice to a boil; reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 45 minutes.

Stir in the sweetener and coconut milk and continue to simmer the rice without a lid over low heat. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the rice pudding thickens. This takes about 30 minutes or more. Remove the whole spices if used. I left in the ginger. Serve hot or warm with blueberries on top. The blueberries add some extra natural sweetness.

Avocado-lime "ice cream"

The Big Island of Hawaii was my destination for a winter escape vacation. I had never been to any of the islands but chose Hawaii because I wanted more solitude and lots of island to explore. Hawaii delivered on both but it didn't have inexpensive veggies. I ended up eating far too many papayas (which were 50 cents each at the farmers' markets) and not enough veggies. I also indulged in some sticky brown rice sticks, wrapped in banana leaves, (also 50 cents each) which I should have passed on. Couple that with a long flight and exposure to germs, it's no surprise that I ended up with a full-blown cold, bordering on a sinus infection, when I returned home.

Now, I'm forced to be good again and return to my low-carb, low-glycemic diet. But I still want a treat now and then. I got inspired by the giant avocadoes I saw in Hawaii to create avocado-lime "ice cream."

Avocado-Lime Ice Cream
(makes 4 small servings)

Ingredients:

1 medium ripe avocado

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2-1 cup unsweetened hemp milk

10 drops liquid stevia

1 tsp. chia seeds (optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Chill the avocado mixture in the fridge. Freeze according to directions for your ice cream maker. Serve immediately. Ice cream can be stored in the freezer but will need softening before serving. If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply place the mixture in the freezer until somewhat frozen.

Chocolate sunflower seeds

The Big Island of Hawaii lured me away for the past few weeks. It was my escape from the winter cold where I could be free of heavy coats and gloves, and sit by the ocean eating a papaya. The temperatures in the 80s made me sweat but I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, the trip ended all too soon.

I brought back an idea for a recipe I wanted to try and share. There was a little snack shop in Hilo called Wilson's by the Bay. They made chocolate-covered sunflower seeds which I hoped I could eat. I had to pass because the chocolate coating contained sugar. I promised I would try making the treat without sugar when I returned.

They were a snap to make. But beware. They are quite addictive. I made just a small batch to lessen the temptation. I also diluted the chocolate with sunbutter to reduce the amount of saturated fat which can be a problem for me. You can make it with straight chocolate if you prefer.

Here's my recipe for Chocolate-covered Sunflower Seeds (and a few pumpkin seeds too).

Ingredients:
1 small square 100 percent cacoa

1 T. sunbutter without sugar

3 T. raw sunflower seeds

1 T. raw pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Melt the cacoa and sunbutter in a microwave-safe container. Stir in the seeds to coat with the cacoa-sunbutter mixture. Spread the chocolate-covered seeds out on a pan and place in the freezer to harden the coating. When ready, munch on a few and store the rest in a covered container in the freezer.

Gluten-free Chocolate-Carob Scones

I know I promised not to eat as much chocolate but I succumbed to the invisible force field of chocolate that grows stronger around Valentine's Day. At least, I used baking cocoa rather than hard chocolate, and I substituted carob for half the chocolate.

Have a great Valentine's Day!

Gluten-free Chocolate-Carob Scones

(makes 10 medium-sized scones)

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups garbanzo bean flour

1 T. SweetLeaf powdered stevia

1/4 cup baking cocoa, 1/4 cup carob powder

2 1/2 tsps. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 T. olive oil

2 T. tahini

2/3 cup hemp milk

Optional: add almonds, mini-chocolate chips or dried cherries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Then add olive oil, tahini and hemp milk. Continue pulsing to mix.

Drop batter by generous spoonfuls onto a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven.

Gluten-free Sweet Potato Biscuits

It's been almost a year since I ate biscuits because of the anti-candida diet. I couldn't resist trying these fairly ACD-friendly Gluten-free Sweet Potato Biscuits made with garbanzo bean flour. They would make a special breakfast treat for Valentine's Day for someone who must avoid gluten. Or you can eat them anytime. They also make a tasty topping for a veggie potpie, shown below.
Gluten-free Sweet Potato Biscuits

(makes 8 biscuits)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup mashed sweet potato

1 3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

2 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 T. olive oil

1/3 cup hemp milk (or other dairy beverage)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake a sweet potato until tender, about 45 minutes. Peel and mash the sweet potato. Set aside 3/4 cup of mashed potato for the biscuits and let cool completely. Reserve the rest for another use. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees.

In a food processor, pulse the flour, baking powder and soda, salt and olive oil. Add the hemp milk and sweet potato and continue blending.

Drop the dough by large spoonfuls onto a sprayed baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. Eat them all right away or freeze the extras.

Strawberry garbanzo bean flour cupcakes

Just mention Valentine's Day to me and I become ravenous for chocolate. I'm not sure why because some of my experiences with chocolate have been anything but positive. The saturated fat content in hard chocolate is too hard on my innards but yet it keeps calling my name.

This February I've been trying to treat myself with low glycemic desserts without chocolate. I made the two desserts, pictured here, from a batch of strawberry cupcakes I baked with mixture of garbanzo bean flour, brown rice flour and flax. The top one I call a berry trifle and the other is a strawberry shortcake. And I still have 10 cupcakes left to experiment with.Strawberry Garbanzo Bean Cupcakes

(makes 12 small cupcakes)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup ground flax

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 T. SweetLeaf powdered stevia

1 T. olive oil

2 T. tahini

1/2 cup unsweetened hempmilk or other dairy beverage

2 cups thawed frozen or fresh strawberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 415 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake papers. Put strawberries in a food processor and puree slightly. Reserve strawberries.

Put all the other ingredients in a food processor and blend. Fill each cupcake paper with batter. Spoon one tablespoon of pureed strawberries on top of the cupcakes before placing in the oven. Bake for approximately 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to cool.

To assemble the trifle, layer berries, cupcake pieces (slightly frozen) and strawberry sorbet into dessert dishes. Make your own sorbet by whirling frozen strawberries in a food processor.

For strawberry shortcakes, top a cupcake with pureed berries and sorbet.

Note: Both desserts are better if placed in the freezer for a half hour or so prior to serving.

Mediterranean Curry Soup

Yoga is something I practice every day. I also "suggest," not nag, on a regular basis that my husband to do more stretching. My suggestions usually fall on deaf ears except on rare occasions as captured in the photo above. My husband has found a stretching partner, Kona, who likes to reward effort with lots of slups.

I enjoy getting "slups" from Kona too but I especially like getting her to warm me up as an extra big lap dog on a cold winter day. Another winter warm-up for me is a hot bowl of soup.

A recipe for a spicy, curry veggie soup caught my eye recently in a magazine while I was waiting for an appointment. If I could remember the recipe, I knew what I wanted to fix for dinner as soon as I got home. The soup ended up being delicious although it was more my creation since I added chicken and couldn't recall all the ingredients.

Mediterranean Curry Soup

(serves 4)

1 cup chopped cooked chicken

2 T. olive oil

1/2 medium chopped onion

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. fresh grated gingerroot

1 zucchini, diced

1/4 head cauliflower, chopped into small bite-size pieces

1 carrot, diced

1/2 cup garbanzo beans

Optional: chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds and coriander seeds, toasted

1 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. cardamon

1 tsp. Indian curry

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. coriander

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups vegetable broth (Imagine makes a good one without added sugar.)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Saute the garlic, ginger and onions until soft. Add the zucchini, carrot and cauliflower and continue sauteeing until tender. Toss in the spices, salt and pepper to taste, and stir. Add the chicken, garbanzo beans and the broth, and heat to a simmer. Garnish the soup with toasted seeds and chopped cilantro and serve.

Note: I really like the spiciness of this soup but feel free to adjust the amount of each spice.

Quinoa muesli

My orange pals, Pumpkin and Kona, are always providing me with a show while I'm in the kitchen. Pumpkin, the cat, races around the house with Kona, the golden retriever, hot on his heels. The chase is followed by more play in the form of a boxing match. Pumpkin's paws are no match for Kona's but they still play box for a few seconds. The two are the best of friends but this winter they seemed to have gotten even closer.

Pumpkin is really a housecat but sometimes I take him outside on a leash. When winter arrives, he becomes a complete sissy pants. Snowy, rainy or windy conditions are completely unacceptable to him. He'd rather sleep or play with Kona and me.

Eleven-year-old Kona, on the other hand, loves to go for a romp in the snow. Put her out in the snow and she instantly becomes a puppy again. I wish snow would do that for me!

Snowy, wintry days do have one affect on me. They make me hungry for carbs, which I'm sure I've mentioned before. The problem is I need to keep my carb intake low while I continue to battle candida. One of my recent cravings was for muesli. I'm not sure where that craving came from because I've never been a big fan of granola or muesli, largely because of the calories and the ingredients.

Most granola or muesli contains oil, nuts, dried fruit, oatmeal and tons of sugar/honey, which ups the calories. I decided to try to make allergen-free muesli using quinoa flakes and seeds. It turned out to be tasty and easy to make. I started sprinkling just a tablespoon's worth on top of tofu mixed with fruit for a quick treat, breakfast or dessert as pictured above. Now, I pretty much avoid tofu/soy at least for now while my thyroid is on the mend. As an alternative, I sprinkle it on berries or pudding, thickened with chia seeds. Here's a link to my recipe for chia-seed pudding http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2009/08/chia-seed-parfait.html

Here's how to make this super, simple muesli.

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa flakes

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1-2 T. SweetLeaf stevia powder

pan spray

Optional: 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with pan spray. Spread the quinoa flakes mixed with seeds, stevia powder and cinnamon, if desired, on the pan. Spray the top of the muesli with some additonal pan spray or mist with olive oil if you prefer. Place in the oven and toast the mixture for about 5-10 minutes, depending on your oven. Toss the muesli often to insure even toasting and respray if needed. When the muesli is golden brown, remove it from the oven to cool. Store the muesli in a container in the freezer.

Chocolate-sunbutter hemp milk ice cream

It's not easy making ice cream that tastes delicious when you have to leave out all the good stuff, like sugar, eggs, milk and cream. But it has been my challenge in recent weeks to come up with a creamy "ice cream" where the main ingredients are hemp milk and stevia sweetener.

I have an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer that makes my experimenting fairly easy to do. I keep the ice cream maker bowl always ready to use in the freezer. I've tried making all kinds of flavors, including pumpkin, chocolate, carob, green tea, vanilla, strawberry and sunbutter.

The closest I've come to decadent is chocolate-sunbutter hemp milk ice cream, pictured above.

This ice cream was actually creamy in texture thanks to the addition of the sunbutter. It was easy to make too with my ice cream maker attachment.

Chocolate-Sunbutter Hemp Milk Ice Cream

(makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 cups unsweetened hemp milk (Or other dairy beverage of choice)

2 T. unsweetened sunbutter

1/4 cup dark baking cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla powder

1-2 T. pure stevia powder

Directions:

Soften the sunbutter in the microwave in a medium-sized bowl. Add the cocoa powder and the hemp milk. Continue heating in the microwave, occasionally stirring to blend in the cocoa powder. Remove and stir in the vanilla powder and stevia.

Place the ice cream mixture in the refrigerator to chill. Follow your ice cream-maker instructions to freeze the mixture. This ice cream is ready to eat right out of the ice cream freezer. You don't have to worry about continuing to firm it up in your refrigerator freezer. Resist the impulse to eat it all yourself.

Vegan pumpkin ice cream

I'm really missing being able to eat soy foods as part of my diet. But my thyroid comes first. Soy was interferring with the absorption of my thyroid medication. My thyroid hormone levels came back normal this week after staying away from soy for a month.

I've switched from soy milk to hemp milk. It's a little pricey and difficult to find, at least where I live. I've considered making my own but I wonder how many hemp seeds it takes to make a batch. I guess I'll have to check into that.

I know there are other alternative dairy beverages but hemp milk seems to be the best choice for me given my food sensitivities. It does have some negative aspects. It doesn't heat up well and tends to separate when heated above a certain temperature. That's a problem since I like to add milk to my tea. Tempt hemp milk is the one brand I've found that doesn't separate as easily.

My ice cream freezer has come in handy since I've given up soy. I used to make quick soy puddings with silken tofu. Lately, I've been experimenting with different vegan ice cream mixtures that are made with unsweetened hemp milk and sweetened with stevia. One of my favorites is Vegan Pumpkin Ice Cream.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups hemp milk (Other alternative milks can be substituted.)

1 cup pumpkin puree (I used canned pumpkin.)

1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 T. stevia powder (Sugar or agave nectar can be substituted if not following the ACD diet.)

2 T. chia flour or arrowroot for thickener

1 T. vanilla powder (I found this in a health food store. It's ground up vanilla bean. It's ACD friendly because it has no added alcohol.)

Directions:

Mix 1/4 cup of hemp milk with 2 T. of chia flour or arrowroot. Set aside.

Mix the remaining milk, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice together in a saucepan and bring to almost a boil. When the mixture has just started to boil, remove it from the heat and stir in the chia or arrowroot slurry. This should cause the liquid to thicken some.

Stir in the stevia powder and vanilla. Chill the ice cream mixture. Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions. When done, the mixture will still be soft. You can put it in the freezer for awhile to help it firm up before serving. Makes about 4 generous servings or 6 small servings.

Korean veggie pancakes

I discovered over the holidays that I had been eating too much soy. I knew because I started to develop symptoms of low thyroid, including extreme tiredness and sensitivity to cold, dry and breaking hair, wounds that wouldn't heal and sudden weight gain. Here is a link to other common symptoms of thyroid disease: http://mayoclinic.com/health/hypthyroidism/DS00353/DSECTION=symptoms

I recognized the symptoms because I had experienced them before being diagnosed with hypothyroidism and getting on thyroid replacement medication. There is some disagreement about the effects of soy on the thyroid. However, it seems to be widely believed that those on thyroid medication should restrict soy to no more than a serving every other day. The reason is soy interferes with the absorption of the thyroid replacement medicaiton.

My consumption of soy foods got out of hand in conjunction with being on the anti-candida diet. I think I thought it was okay since there were so many other foods I could not eat. Obviously, I was being guided by emotions rather than logic.

I've come to my senses, and I'm now on the "soy wagon." In fact, it's been more than three weeks since I've eaten anything containing soy. I'm starting to feel better, and I won't be cooking up any recipes with soy for awhile.

Here's one of the latest no-soy recipes I recently cooked up although Korean Veggie Pancakes could be topped with tamari sauce.

Ingredients:

1 cup garbanzo bean flour
salt and black pepper to taste
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup shredded cabbage
1/3 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup broccoli slaw (I used the pre-packaged version.)
3-4 T. olive or canola oils
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4-1 1/4 cups water

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Gradually add the water and 2 T. oil to make a thick pancake batter. Set aside.

Saute the veggies until slightly tender. Mix the veggies into the pancake batter.

Spray and oil a baking sheet with the remaining oil. Heat in the oven for a few minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Ladle scoops of pancake batter onto the pan leaving adequate space between pancakes. Bake the pancakes in the oven. Check after about 10 minutes. Turn them over if they are ready to be flipped. Bake another 5-10 minutes.

These pancakes are versatile. They can be eaten for any meal or even as a snack. They also store well in the fridge or even in the freezer for later eating.

Holiday pumpkin-garbanzo bean flour pancakes

It seems like a cruel joke to have to be on the anti-candida diet over the holidays. Every time I turned around someone was bringing over a gift bag containing candy, cookies or other sugary treats. I appreciated the gesture while my husband appreciated the treats.

I survived Christmas without succumbing to temptation and going off my low-carb diet. Now, it's on to phase 2--New Year's. The holidays truly are a difficult time for anyone who is watching what they eat. Avoiding carbs, as well as certain food allergens, just adds new layers to the difficulty level. My approach is to always take food with me. That way I won't be tempted to stray from my eating plan. It's not as much fun but at least, it keeps me well as I continue to battle my problem with candida.

I don't expect to start a new holiday trend but healthy foods, low in carbs, can actually be delicious. For Christmas breakfast, I enjoyed some yummy Pumpkin-garbanzo bean flour pancakes. These gluten-free, egg-free pancakes can be eaten any morning but make an extra special breakfast for Christmas or New Year's. They also are super easy because you can bake them in the oven all at once and use less oil.

Pumpkin-Garbanzo Bean Flour Pancakes
(makes 8 medium-sized pancakes)

Ingredients:
1 cup garbanzo bean flour
1 cup pumpkin puree (You can use canned.)
2 T. canola or other healthy oil
In place of 1 egg: 1 T. flax mixed with 3 T. water to form a slurry
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. gluten-free baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1-1 1/2 cups water
Extra pumpkin puree
Pure stevia powder
Toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to mix. Add the pumpkin puree, oil and egg or egg replacer of your choice. At this point, the mixture will be thick. Begin adding water to thin the mixture to a consistency somewhere between pancake and muffin batter. I used about 1 1/2 cups. The batter will still be thicker than regular pancake batter because the garbanzo bean flour absorbs water. Set aside.

Spray a large cookie sheet with pan spray. A little oil may be placed on the pan if desired. Place the pan in the oven for a few minutes to heat the oil. Once heated, spoon the batter with a ladle or large spoon onto the pan. Leave a little room between pancakes because they will spread out slightly.

Bake the pancakes for about 10 minutes per side. Serve hot with a topping of pumpkin puree mixed with stevia powder to desired sweetness. Sprinkle a few toasted pumpkin seeds on top.

Quinoa cookies

I was doing some holiday baking this week when suddenly it occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to eat or even taste test any of the cookies I had baked. That's because of my lovely problem with candida, a fungus that lives in our bodies and feeds on carbohydrates. The higher the glycemic index, the more the candida thrive.

It suddenly became a challenge for me to come up with a cookie that I could eat and not go off the anti-candida diet. I decided to adapt a recipe for quinoa sunflower seed clusters that I posted in February, 2008. My ACD-friendly version turned out tasty and satisfied my desire for a cookie. The clusters are a healthy alternative to cookies, contain lots of protein, fiber, whole grains and good fats but they still have carbs. Which means I need to eat just one.

Their main drawback is that they are a bit crumbly but I thought, what the heck, I can use the crumbs for a topping on carob tofu pudding. The crumbly aspect could probably be solved by using eggs, which I am allergic to, or by replacing canola oil with coconut oil or using more tahini in the recipe. I will try using more tahini next time. Here's the recipe:

ACD-friendly Quinoa Sunflower Seed Clusters

Ingredients:
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/2 cups quinoa flakes
1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
2 T. chia seeds
1/8 cup stevia powder (I used SweetLeaf)
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 T. canola oil
2 T. tahini butter
Egg replacer for 3 eggs made by mixing 3 T. ground flax with 9 T. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook the quinoa. Then, transfer the quinoa to a large, rimmed cookie sheet. Bake, fluffing with a fork occasionally, until the quinoa is toasted and golden, about 30-35 minutes. Place in a bowl to cool.

Spread the quinoa flakes on a baking sheet. Toast for about 5 minutes in the oven. Watch carefully because the quinoa flakes toast quickly. Add the flakes to the bowl with the cooked quinoa.

Toast the sunflower and pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet for about 5-7 minutes. Add the seeds to the bowl with the quinoa mixture.

Mix in the other ingredients, including the flax and water. Spray several large cookie sheets with pan spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup of batter onto the sheet for each cluster. Flatten slightly. Bake, rotating, sheets halfway through, until crisp, about 25 minutes.

Allow the clusters to cool completely before transferring to a storage container. Remember they are a bit fragile compared to regular cookies. You might try using more tahini or coconut oil as mentioned earlier to solve the crumbly problem. They are yummy especially for those of us who need ACD-friendly treats. If you don't have a candida problem, refer to the original recipe at http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2008/02/quinoa-sunflower-seed-clusters.html

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Basil

There's nothing like a snowy day to make me start craving hot chocolate, brownies and other assorted carbs but instead I'm munching on spaghetti squash. It's been snowing all day here, and carbs have been calling my name.

But I must ignore them because I am still battling candida. I've come a long way in six months but every time I start thinking I can have a few extra carbs, my symptoms start returning.

I also thought I could indulge in a little caffeine but then, I don't know how to indulge just a little. Once I opened the caffeine door, I just wanted some every day. Candida definitely thrives on caffeine. At least, so it seems based on what happens to me every time I get started drinking hot drinks with caffeine.

Anyhow, a plate of spahetti squash seemed like a sort of compromise today: some carbs, but not too much. I have a plentiful supply of spaghetti squash that I grew in my garden this summer. I have been holding off eating them because they fall into the winter squash category which should be added sparingly to your anti-candida diet. I also have basil growing indoors in my AeroGrow, a spacesaver hydroponic garden. Here's the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash with Fresh Basil
(serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 small spaghetti squash
1 tsp. olive oil
2-3 T. fresh basil, finely chopped. Or use other fresh herbs, such as chives, parsley, oregano.
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise. Place cut side down in a baking dish. Add some water to the bottom of the pan and cover the pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Remove the squash from the oven, uncover and allow to cool slightly. Use a spoon to remove the seeds. Use a fork to pull out the squash strands and place in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet. Add the squash, herbs, salt and pepper. Toss and heat. Serve as a side dish.

Shrimp roll-ups in collard leaves

Six months have passed since I first began the anti-candida diet (ACD). My blog has morphed from lots of gluten-free deserts and breads to recipes featuring mostly veggies and low-fat protein. I wonder if I will ever get back to being able to eat chocolate (without cheating).

I think I have to admit that all my years of antibiotics, sugar-free sweeteners, diet pop and coffee addiction have made me an extreme candida case. I believe I am stuck with the ACD way of eating for the long haul.

Many of my symptoms have completely disappeared or at least abated since I began the candida diet. I am able to eat soy and many more vegetables than I could before. However, some things remain the same. My stomach continues to be a mystery with flare-ups for no apparent reasons. (Okay, I confess; mostly because of eating too many fats.) I still avoid gluten, eggs, nuts and dairy. I still have animals in my kitchen; my orange Dennis the Menace, Pumpkin, and Kona, my canine floor rug. Yes, she is always in the way, sprawled out on the floor, in the doorways, wherever I am.

Winter is the most challenging time for me as I crave carbs more than ever. That's right. I still crave carbs/sugar, even after all this time. I doubt if that will ever change. I'm just hardwired for sugar. I've tried to satisfy my cravings with fats, like pumpkin butter, sunbutter, soybutter, tahini, coconut butter and black tahini, but it's just not the same. Some people are fat-aholics and I'm a self-confessed carb-aholic. The only thing I've gotten from the fats is digestive troubles.

This coming week I'm going to once again reintroduce some whole grains into my diet. I'm really looking forward to a hot steaming bowl of gluten-free oatmeal. I've also discovered that collard leaves make great replacements for tortillas or pita breads for wraps. Until I made this discovery, I used to buy collard and the poor collard would end up pining away in the fridge. I'd look at the stuff and say, "What am I supposed to do with it?" Now, I know: make collard leaf shrimp roll-ups.

Shrimp Roll-ups in Collard Leaves
(Makes 3-4)

Ingredients:
Large collard leaves with stems removed
1 tsp. grapeola or canola oil
Medium peeled shrimp, halved (about 10-12) Note: I get the precooked kind.
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 zucchini, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 small green cabbage, shredded
2 garlic cloves
1 inch ginger root, peeled and minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 tsp. Bragg's amino acids

Directions:

Chop and shred the veggies and set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and ginger and cook until soft. Add the veggies and saute until tender crisp. Add the shrimp and cook until heated. Toss in the chopped green onions. Drizzle with Bragg's amino acids.

To make the roll-ups, trim the collard leaves off their stems. Scoot the shrimp-veggie mixture off to one side in the skillet. Drop in a few collard leaves and heat slightly. Place the appropriate amount of shrimp-veggie mixture on each one and roll them up. Serve with a salad for lunch or dinner.

Note: Collard leaves also can be used to make great hummus roll-ups. Do you have some other ideas? Please post a comment and share.

Tofu Omelet

My foot is all healed from the exploding Pyrex pan; the antibiotics are all finished; and the dreaded candida did not make a triumphant return. I guess I have a lot to be thankful for.

I believe the key to keeping the candida at bay was strictly following the anti-candida diet (ACD). It was difficult but I even made it through the Thanksgiving feast without cracking. My family gnoshed on the traditional foods while I ate mainly turkey and vegetables. I love turkey so it was all good. I also whipped up a pumpkin-tofu custard for dessert.

Something else I'm thankful for is I discovered you can use tofu to make omelets that taste almost like the real thing. I love omelets but I had to give them up long ago when I discovered I am allergic to eggs. Thirty minutes after seeing a picture of a tofu omelet on the internet, I was in the kitchen trying to whip one of my own up. This proved to be quite a learning experience.

My first omelet turned out being more like scrambled tofu. I was too eager and tried to flip the omelet too soon. I decided to try the oven instead as that always worked out better for me even when I used to make omelets from eggs. I used one of my oven-proof skillets; sprayed and oiled it lightly; poured in the some of the tofu omelet mixture; and popped it in the oven. It worked like magic. The tofu omelet stayed together instead of getting scrambled. It was almost perfect. Well, except that I left it in the oven a little too long, and it got a little too dark on top. Next time, I will have discovered all the secrets of cooking tofu omelets, and it will come out perfectly.

Here's the recipe for my Tofu Omelet with Veggie Filling (makes 2 large omelets).

Ingredients:

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini, diced

1/2 pkg. soft Silken tofu

1/4 pkg. extra-firm tofu

1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 T. dried parsley

1 T. ground flax

2 T. tahini butter

2 T. garbanzo bean flour

To make the filling: saute the onions, peppers and zucchini in a sprayed or lightly oiled skillet.

To make the omelets: combine all the other ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Spray an omelet-sized pan with pan spray. Make sure the pan is oven safe. Pour in 1/2 of the omelet mixture and spread to cover evenly. Place in the oven, preheated to 450 degrees, for 6-8 minutes. I left mine in the oven for 10 minutes and that was too long. So keep an eye on it.

If you're feeling adventurous, you also can cook the omelet in the skillet on the stove top but again I didn't have much success with this. So, if you do, let me know the secret.

To complete the omelets, spoon in some of the veggie filling and fold over. I hope you enjoy your tofu omelet as much as I enjoyed mine.