Strawberry pie, gluten-free, ACD friendly

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. 1 pint strawberries, cleaned and sliced
2. 1 cup blueberries
3. 1-2 kiwis peeled and sliced
4. Fruit of one small papaya, diced
5. 2 T. agar agar
6. 1 3/4 cups water + 1/4 cup lemon juice
7. stevia to taste 

Ingredients for the crust:

1. 1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
2. 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
3. 1/4 cup sunbutter, unsweetened (or tahini or almond butter may be used)
4. 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

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

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. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground into coarse flour in a coffee grinder
2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
3. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
4. Pinch of sea salt
5. 1 T. cocoa powder
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
8. 1 T. cacao nibs
9. 3 T. olive oil
10. 1/4 cup + cold water

Ingredients for Filling:

1. 2 baked and peeled large sweet potatoes
2. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
3. 2 T. cocoa powder
4. Optional: 1 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
5. Optional: 1 T. cacao nibs
6. Powdered stevia to taste
7. 1 cup unsweetened, plain hemp milk
8. 2 T. ground flax mixed with 5 T. hemp milk
9. 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

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. 1 cup black quinoa cooked according to instructions on package
2. 2 T. cocoa powder
3. 1 T. ground flax
4. 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk
5. stevia to taste
6. Add-ins: cacao nibs, blueberries, toasted pumpkin seeds,  toasted coconut

Directions:

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

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

Sunbutter, sweet potato bars



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:

1. 2 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and pureed
2. 1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk
3. 2 T. unsweetened sunbutter
4. powdered stevia (SweetLeaf is my personal favorite.)
5. 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.)
6. 1/2 tsp. salt

Crust Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup each toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds
2. 1/2 cup amaranth flour
3. 1/2 cup black quinoa, ground in a coffee grinder to a coarse flour
4. 2 T. olive oil
5. powdered stevia
6. 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

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. 1/2 cup ground red quinoa
2. 1/2 cup ground white quinoa
3. 1/2 cup millet flour
4. 1/2 tsp. powdered stevia
5. 1/2 tsp. salt
6. 1/2 tsp. each baking powder and baking soda
7. 1 cup water
8. 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.)
9. 1 T. olive oil

Directions:

1. I used a coffee grinder to grind the whole grain quinoa into a coarse flour.
2. Mix all flours and other dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Mix flax eggs and blend with 1 cup of water and 1 T. oil.
4. Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix.
5. 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.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from oven, cool slightly. Each pan yield four large pieces.
8. To make the bread sturdier, toast pieces in the oven on a baking sheet.

Untoasted red quinoa bread

Sunbutter bark

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.  1/2 cup sunbutter, either purchased or homemade, or a mixture
2. 1/2 cup coconut oil
3. stevia to taste
4. 2 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
5. 1 T. toasted unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

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

Quinoa/millet crackers

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. 1/2 cup millet ground into a grainy flour
2. 1/2 cup quinoa ground into a coarse flour
3. 2 T. sunbutter
4. Flax egg (2 T ground flax or my new favorite flax, Nutri-Flax, in 2-3 T. water
5. 1/4-1/3 cup hemp milk (I use unsweetened)
6. 1/2 tsp. baking soda
7. 1/4 tsp. salt
8. 1-2 T. sesame seeds
9. 1-2 T. ground flax

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. 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.
3. Spray and oil lightly a large baking sheet and preheat in the oven to distribute the oil.
4. 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.
5. Sprinkle the dough with sesame and flax and press in slightly.
6. Bake for approximately 20-30 minutes until dough begins to get crispy.
7. Remove baking sheet from oven and cut crackers into small squares using a pizza cutter.
8. 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

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. 1 peeled and shredded rutabaga
2. 2 shredded zucchini
3. salt and pepper to taste
4. Optional: 1 diced green onion or 1-2 T. chopped onion; herbs and spices of your choice
5. 1 T.  Nutri Flax Seed Seed Powder or 1 T. ground flax dissolved in 2 T. hemp milk (or one egg if tolerated)
6. olive oil

Directions:

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

New no-stir creamy SunButter and pancakes

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

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. 1 whole chicken
2. Salt and pepper
3. 1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
4. 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Remove giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse the chicken with water. Rub all over with salt and pepper.
3. 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.
4. Baste the chicken with some of the pomegranate/olive oil mixture.
5. Roast the chicken for about 30 minutes. Turn the chicken over, baste again and cook for another 30 minutes.
6. 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.
7. 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:

1. Spring mix greens
2. 1 parsnip, peeled
3. Pomegranate seeds or substitute cranberries
4. Dressing of choice. I made a simple oil, lemon dressing.

Directions:

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

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

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

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:

1.  Pomegranate-glazed roast chicken
2. Roasted vegetables
3. Mixed green salad topped with shaved parsnips and pomegranate seeds
4. Chocolate fondue and fruit chunks http://catsinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/chocolatesunbutter-fondue-acd-friendly.html
5. 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 1/2 cups ground flax
2. 2 T. coconut oil
3. 2-4 T. water
4. 2 T. shredded, unsweetened coconut
5. Liquid, alcohol-free stevia to taste
6. 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:

1.  Mix flax, shredded coconut, coconut oil, water and stevia in a bowl. Add additional water if needed to get the mixture to stick together.
2. On a baking sheet, press mixture into a heart-shaped cookie cutter to mold flax hearts.
3. Place molded flax hearts in the freezer to harden.
4. In the meantime, prepare the chocolate sauce.
5. 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

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

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

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:

1. 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.
2. Note #1: don't skip the toasting step. This is key to getting the seeds to turn into a creamy butter.
3. Note #2: The toastier the seeds the more intense the flavor.
4. Cool the seeds slightly.
5. 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.
6. 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

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. 1 cup quinoa
2. 1/2 cup each raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds
3. 1 package frozen or fresh cranberres and  1 cup frozen blueberries
4. unsweetened hemp milk
5. liquid, alcohol-free stevia

Directions:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

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:

1. One medium or large sweet potato
2. 1-2 T. hemp milk, unsweetened
3. 1 T. toasted pumpkin seeds
4. 1-2 T. pomegranate seeds
5. Sea salt

Directions:

1. 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.)
2. Let cool slightly.
3. Slice the top of the potato and use a fork to mash the insides a bit.
4. Drizzle on the hemp milk and mix in.
5. Sprinkle on the seeds and season with salt if desired.

Rutabaga-salmon scramble

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:

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

Swiss chard rollups

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:

1. 4 medium Swiss chard leaves
2. 1/2 cup Silken tofu
3. 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
4. 1/4 cup diced zucchini
5. Salt and pepper
6. 3/4 cup homemade or safe marinara sauce
7. 1/2 baked spaghetti squash

Directions:

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