Breakfast Dishes

Everybody says they don’t eat breakfast, or that they get bored with it, or that it takes too long in the morning…or they are in a daze until they’ve had a few cups of coffee.. It is crucial to eat breakfast, it should be a third of your calories and nutrients; 700 calories.  It takes 2000 calories a day to meet your nutrient needs, from the right foods.  fat and protein, with only 20 to 25% of that meals calories coming from carbs is ideal.  I like eating fruit with breakfast.  If you feel to awful to eat in the morning or absolutely cannot wake up without a few cups of coffee…then it is time to think about changing your nutrition, detoxing, the result will be that you wake up raring to go, enjoy that one cup of coffee instead of needing it.

Here are plenty of meal ideas to get you started!

1) Organic Scrambled Eggs with Butter, Salsa w/Fruit & Ezekiel Toast
2) Turkey Omelet & Melon
3) Red-flannel Hash with an Egg Blanket
4) Mexican Style Omelet with Chicken Sausage
5) Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Fruit and Macadamia Nuts
6) Omelet with Side of Fruit
7) Breakfast Tostada with Fresh Fruit Salad
8) Mushroom and Onion Omelet/ Fresh Fruit Salad
9) Eggs Florentine with Rice Mozzarella and Pineapple/ Nuts
10) Vegetable Omelet with Fresh Fruit
11) Gluten free Bagel, Rice Cream Cheese, Smoked Salmon, Tomatoes and Onion
12) Grilled Chicken and Egg Tostada, Fresh Fruit Salad
13) Roasted Turkey, Scrambled Eggs, Peaches
14) Gluten Free Waffles w/Walnuts and Sautéed Bananas
15) Broccoli & Turkey Omelets/ Fruit salad
16) Scrambled Eggs/ Raw Grated Applesauce with Figs and Dates
17) Spinach Quiche w/ Rice Mozzarella Cheese, Watermelon
18) Scrambled Parmesan Frittata & Melon Salad
19) Turkey Omelet w/ Fruit Salad
20)Three Onion Omelet w Eggs with Salsa w/ Melon & Blueberries
21) Egg White & Rice-Cheddar Omelet w/ Fruit Salad
22) Ezekiel Bread French Toast w/ Fruit Salad
23) Ezekiel Bread w/ Peanut Butter / Eggs / Fruit Salad
24) Ezekiel Bagel & Eggs
25) Tomato & Herb Omelet w/ Parmesan & Fruit Salad
26) Broccoli & Turkey w/ Scrambled Eggs / Fruit Salad
27) Ezekiel Bread French Toast Stuffed with Rice Cream Cheese with Walnuts and Vanilla, Organic Maple Syrup or Bananas Sautéed with Butter

2 Giblet Gravy Recipes- One Paleo, One Vegetarian

Chicken Giblet Gravy
makes about 2 cups

2 tablespoon butter
2 celery rib, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/2  onion, chopped
a couple cracks of pepper
giblets from an organic roasting chicken (neck, liver, gizzard, sometimes heart)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
drippings from a roasted chicken (about 2 or 3 tablespoons
2 cups almond milk
2 tablespoon sweet rice flour

I)  In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add celery and mushrooms and simmer about 10 minutes more.  Add a few cracks of freshly ground pepper, salt and thyme, sage.

2) In a small pan, simmer the giblets in water to just cover, cover with lid. Raise heat and bring to a gentle boil then reduce heat to low and simmer covered for about an hour. Turn off heat, drain, cool.

3)  Remove as much meat from the neck as possible, then discard bones and neck fat. Chop neck meat and giblets into very fine pieces. Set aside.

4)  In a medium skillet, heat pan drippings from roasted chicken over medium low heat. Add cooked giblets and sauté for a minute. Add enough flour to make a thick roux, a teaspoon at a time . Allow the roux to cook for a minute. Add almond milk, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with a whisk into a roux.

5)  Continue adding almond milk as gravy cooks and thickens.

Vegetarian “Giblet” Gravy

makes about 2 cups

4 tablespoon butter
2 celery rib, chopped
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
3 hard boiled eggs
2 cups almond milk
2 tablespoon sweet rice flour

I) In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the onion until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Add celery and mushrooms and simmer about 10 minutes more. Add a few cracks of freshly ground pepper, salt and thyme, sage.

4) In a medium skillet, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter. Add enough flour to make a thick roux, a teaspoon at a time . Allow the roux to cook for a minute. Add almond milk, 1/4 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with a whisk into a roux. Whisk in egg yolk, dice and add egg white.

5) Continue adding almond milk as gravy cooks and thickens.

Green Bean Casserole- Dairy and Gluten Free

2 pounds green beans- French cut (or buy and drain canned ones)
3/4 pound sliced mushrooms
5 Tablespoons butter
1 medium Spanish or Vidalia onions- cut in medium half moons
4 cups almond milk
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder
2 cups gluten free bread crumbs (I make them from Ezekiel bread)

1)  Sauté onions in pan with 2 Tablespoons butter until caramelized.  If using fresh beans steam until al dente.

2) After onions are done (about 35) minutes) add mushrooms and continue to cook until they are soft.  Add seasoning and simmer about 5 minutes. 

3)  Add all but 1/2 cup of the almond milk to the pot, and bring to a simmer.  Mix arrowroot powder in 1/2 cup almond milk, add to pot, then stir until thickened.

4)  Add in beans, stir well, pour into baking dish.  Mix remaining 3 Tablespoons butter  with bread crumbs. Top casserole with bread crumbs and bake in 350 degree oven until beans are bubbly and topping is golden brown.

Gluten Free Chicken Pot Pie

I grew up eating Chicken Pot Pies. My mom made everything instant. It’s why I learned to cook as a child, I longed for real food, the kind I ate ate my grandmothers house.  I can’t say I have missed them much but I saw someone ask how to make them gluten free on a web page recently.

I’m serving it to my clients on the Meal Delivery Service today and had it for dinner last night.  It was amazing and I’ll be making it again!

Here’s the recipe;

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small Spanish onions, diced
2 cups broccoli flowerets
2 carrots, cut in rounds
1 cup mushrooms
1 1/2 cups chicken breasts, steamed and then pulled
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup coconut milk
3 tablespoons arrowroot powder

Topping;
1 1/4 cup Sweet rice flour (not regular rice flour)
1/4 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1/3 teaspoon xanthan gum
2/3 cup coconut milk
2 egg
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1)  Heat oven to 350ºF. In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in vegetables, chicken, chicken broth, salt and thyme; heat to boiling.

2)  In small bowl, mix 3/4 cup milk and the arrowroot with wire whisk until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Heat just to boiling. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole.

3)  In small bowl, stir all topping ingredients except parsley with fork until blended. Drop topping mixture by small spoonfuls over chicken mixture. Sprinkle with parsley.

4)  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of topping comes out clean and top is golden brown

Weight Loss Myths

Fat is bad for us
– Starchy carbohydrates should be the main building blocks of our diet
– Saturated fat causes heart disease
– We should eat more fiber
– Fruit and veg are the most nutritious things to eat
– You need to eat five portions of fruit and veg a day
– Cholesterol is a dietary enemy
– Losing weight is about calories in vs calories out
– More exercise is a cure for the obesity epidemic
– Food advisory bodies give us sound, impartial advice

Chocolate Crème Brulee

 
Yields 6 servings

2 cups coconut milk
1 vanilla pod, split
11 ounces plain dark chocolate
4 medium egg yolks
2 ounces powdered sugar, sifted

In a heavy pan heat the cream with the vanilla pod until scalding hot but not boiling.

Remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse for 15 minutes.

Remove the pod and scrape seeds into the cream with the tip of a knife.

Break up the chocolate and stir into the cream until melted and smooth.
 
Put the egg yolks and icing sugar into a bowl.

Beat with a wooden spoon until well blended and then stir in chocolate cream.

Pour into ramekin dishes. Stand in a bain-marie (water-bath).

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until firm.

Remove and cool. Chill overnight or for up to 48 hours.

Sprinkle brown sugar over the top and put under a hot grill to caramelize.

Serve within 1 hour.

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Recovering From Food Allergies

Most people think that all it takes to stop the symptoms from food allergies is to stop eating the food that you react to. While that is certainly the first step, it takes more than that to truly get well and repair the immune system. It is important to remember that the digestive and immune system has been damaged, hormone imbalances are common, and there is always a leaky gut.

Leaky gut begins when foods are introduced too early in the first year of life, when babies are not breast fed, when too much sugar or grains are eaten, when we are deficient in the right fats.  Intolerance to foods, sleep disorders, colic, reflux, ear infections, colds, sore throats, indigestion, constipation, hyperactivity, joint pain, irritability…are all some of the most common symptoms. 

Eventually leaky gut develops; the epithelial cells lining the stomach become damaged.  These cells normally secrete digestive juices and also act as a barrier to block undigested proteins from entering the bloodstream.  When they break down we no longer digest food well, undigested proteins cause allergy or intolerance symptoms.  If not corrected these can and often do, lead to full blown allergic reactions.

So along with removing, and keeping, the foods you react to out of the diet you also need to follow the protocol for healing a leaky gut; no lactose or grains whatsoever, no soy, no acidic foods, no alcohol, lower sodium.  You need high quality proteins from organic and/or grass fed meat, eggs, plenty of traditional bone stocks and low glycemic vegetables…with the focus on greens. I also recommend probiotics for that year to replenish the intestinal flora which in turns begins to repair the immune system. 

It takes close to a year to completely heal the gut, depending on how strict you are with your diet, what the stress level is in your life, how much rest you get.  But don’t think that it is going to take a whole year to feel better!   Following a leaky gut protocol will make you feel better in under  week; more energy, symptoms abating, digestion improving.  But you have to stay on track, the discipline will pay off, you will get well!

Photo from balancedbodywellnesscentre.com

Thanksgiving Meals and menus

I will be posting many Thanksgiving Dishes over the next week here.  All will be gluten and lactose free, of course!

I will also be cooking for the Meal Delivery Service for Thanksgiving and will post that menu earlier than I do normally.  You can order whole meals or a la carte, as well as desserts.  Meal Delivery Service

The desserts I will be making are;

Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Blueberry Cheesecake

Thanksgiving Week Order form;

Menu and Order Form Week of; Thanksgiving

Any of the vegetable Side dishes can be served in portions large enough
for use as an Entree. The cost is $14.00 each.

* The side dishes can be made vegan, indicate that choice when you place your
order!

Sweet Potato Gallette with Lemon and Ginger

4 Tablespoons butter, melted in small pan
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons grate fresh ginger
2 teaspoons lemon zest
4 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled, sliced thin
1 lemon, cut in wedges

1) Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar, ginger, lemon peel and salt; stir until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Keep warm.

2) Position rack in top third of oven and preheat to 400°F. Preheat a 12 inch iron skillet, then add butter generously. Toss sweet potatoes with tapioca flour in large bowl. Add brown sugar mixture; stir to coat potatoes and yams. Arrange sweet potatoes and yams alternately in overlapping circles in prepared skillet.  Spoon any remaining brown sugar mixture over potatoes. Press on potatoes to compact. Cover with lid.

3)    Bake potatoes until just tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and press potatoes with metal spatula to compact. Continue baking until potatoes are very tender, pressing on potatoes occasionally, about 30 minutes longer.