The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen

Adzuki Bean and Sea Vegetable Soup

2012-01-27T10:53:00.000-08:00

Seaweed? Yep, that's right, those beautiful vegetables that grow in the ocean. They're really quite tasty! I realized recently that I had not yet highlighted this wonderful, mineral-rich plant. Did you know that sea vegetables offer a concentrated source of trace minerals, particularly iodine? Iodine is needed to make thyroid hormone. Thyroid hormone is incredibly important for normal function of the human body. So important that every single cell has a receptor for this amazing "master switch" of metabolism. Want to have perfectly regulated body weight and body temperature? Then shoot for optimal thyroid hormone function. How do you do that? Eat a gluten-free diet that keeps your autoimmune thyroid antibodies down, and add in some seaweed on a regular basis.

Seaweed is one of nature's richest sources of iodine. Iodine is THE key ingredient in thyroid hormones. We have all heard of T4, tetraiodothyronine, the pre-hormone, and T3, triiodothyronine, the active form of thyroid hormone, but what does that mean? It means four iodines attached to a tyrosine amino acid or three iodines attached to a tyrosine amino acid. One of these iodines is removed with the help of selenium as a cofactor when turning the inactive T4 into the active T3 thyroid hormone. So in essence, if you do not have adequate iodine and selenium, your body may not be able to produce enough thyroid hormone. Are you eating a diet high in phytates, oxalates, and raw cruciferous vegetables? You may have an increased need for iodine, as these foods tend to bind to iodine.

Seaweed can be found at your local health food store. Look for kombu (kelp), wakame, hijiki, arame, or dulse. I keep kelp granules in a small container on our table to sprinkle on food. I like to add wakame to soups like this one.

Adzuki Bean and Sea Vegetable Soup

Serve this nourishing soup for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. You can make this on the stovetop or in your slow cooker. Although adzuki beans don't need to be soaked before cooking, I have found that when using the slow cooker you need to soak them in order for them to cook properly. Before you go to work or school in the morning, place your beans in a bowl and cover with filtered water. Then before you go to bed that night, drain the beans and place them into your slow cooker with the rest of the ingredients. You will wake up to a pot full of warm soup to serve for breakfast or pack for lunch! I prefer to use homemade chicken stock instead of water for the base of the soup; it adds much more flavor and nutrients. Serve this soup with a dollop of sticky brown rice if desired. This soup can be used for Phase 1 of the Elimination Diet by omitting the mushrooms and using water or homemade vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. Please note that I use a ready-to-use Pacific Wakame from Emerald Cove. It is already broken into small pieces that you can just toss into soups and stews, though I like to crush it to make the pieces even smaller. I use about 2 tablespoons per batch of soup. You can also use wakame strips and then just break them into little pieces. Look for seaweed in the bulk section of your local co-op or health food store (sometimes it can be in an obscure, hidden place) or the asian foods section.

1 cup adzuki beans, soaked for 8 to 12 hours
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
3 to 4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-inch piece of ginger, grated
2 to 3 carrots, diced
1 to 2 stalks celery, diced
4 to 6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 to 2 strips wakame, broken into small pieces
8 cups water or homemade stock
2 teaspoons sea salt (omit or lessen if you are using a salted stock)

Optional Garnishes:
chopped cilantro
hot pepper sesame oil
dash of rice vinegar
dash of coconut aminos
spoonful of soy-free, gluten-free miso

Saute the diced onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, or until softened. If you are making this recipe on the stove, then add the remaining ingredients to a 3 to 4-quart pot, cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

If you are using a crockpot, then add the sautéed onions to the pot and then add the remaining ingredients, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours.

To test and see if the beans are cooked you can take a few out and mash them between your fingers. They should be soft and mash easily. If not, continue to cook until done. Serve hot with optional garnishes (my favorite is a combination of chopped cilantro and hot pepper sesame oil). Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Slow Cooker Update:
After my last slow cooker post I had a few emails and comments about the presence of lead in slow cookers. I did quite a bit of research and found that yes, lead can be found in the ceramic crock but as long as you don't have any cracking in the crock, that no lead would leach out. Here is an interesting article I found: The Skinny on Crock Pots. You can read it and do your own research and then decide whether or not you want to use one. I have a small 3-quart crockpot that I have had for years. It is in great condition because I rarely use it. It is just too small to make meals for our family. When I make a recipe, I like to make a large enough batch so we can actually have leftovers! But it still comes in handy for cooking things like meat, which we eat a much smaller amount of, and for smaller batches of soups and stews on occasion.

More Soups and Stews:
Lentil and Kale Dal
Curried Carrot Cauliflower Soup
Thai Fish Curry

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Chocolate Banana Bread (gluten-free, dairy-free, xanthan-free)

2012-01-16T14:32:00.000-08:00

The marriage of chocolate and bananas is truly divine. This bread is light, yet rich with chunks of sweet banana melting in your mouth with every bite. Have a slice with your breakfast smoothie or as a mid-afternoon snack, but our favorite is always fresh out of the oven! Or, try pairing a slice of this bread with a mug of Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa on a cold snowy day.

I use teff flour in this bread. If you have not figured it out already, you'll know I'm a big fan of teff! You can view all of my teff recipes on this blog if you'd like. I buy large paper bags of the flour for around $40 from Azure Standard. Before my friends and I started a buying club through Azure, I bought it directly from The Teff Company (Azure sells the same brand).

Chocolate Banana Bread

I use Dagoba cocoa powder which is gluten-free and organic. Although, after reading Green America's Fair Trade Chocolate report, I am considering using a different brand. To grind chia seeds, I use the dry container for my Vita-Mix, but a coffee grinder will work too. I grind enough at once to use for one week. I store the ground seeds in a glass jar in my refrigerator to have on hand for different recipes. The ground chia helps to bind the ingredients together without the use of gums. You can buy gluten-free coconut sugar online from Essential Living Foods or Amazon.

Dry Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup teff flour
¼ cup arrowroot or tapioca flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
¼ cup warm water
1 ½ cups mashed banana (about 4 large ripe bananas)
¾ cup coconut sugar
½ cup melted coconut oil
2 large organic eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional Additions:
chopped dark chocolate bar
chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 4.5 x 8.5-inch bread pans with coconut oil.

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate mixing bowl add the ground chia and warm water; whisk together immediately so the chia doesn’t clump up. Then add the remaining wet ingredients and whisk together. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together using a large wooden spoon.

Pour batter into the two bread pans. Bake for about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool for about 20 minutes and then remove bread from pans and continue to cool on a wire rack. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com.

More Gluten-Free Bread and Muffin Recipes:

Gingerbread Muffins (egg-free)

Cherry Pumpkin Seed Flour Muffins (grain-free)

Zucchini-Almond Bread
Carob Banana Bars (grain-free, sugar-free)

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Mung Beans and Rice with Indian Spices and Caramelized Onions

2012-01-12T23:29:00.000-08:00

I have had a number of requests for slow cooker recipes. Thank you! You have inspired me to use my slow cooker more often in the last few weeks! It is so nice to simply add all of the ingredients to the pot, walk away, and come back hours later with a warm, hearty meal in front of you. I have a few new slow cooker recipes to share with you in the coming weeks (both meat and vegetarian). The following recipe is designed for the Elimination Diet and is perfect for all phases.

Aside from being one of the quickest legumes to prepare and the easiest of all beans to digest, mung beans have numerous positive health benefits. They are a good source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals, and protein. They show good antioxidant activity in the scientific literature. Mung beans don't have a very strong flavor so they tend to take on whatever you add to them during cooking. Indian spices pair particularly well with mung beans as do dried herbs. Last week I made a tasty mung bean, leek, and potato soup with dried tarragon, thyme, and dill. You can really play with spices and herbs to create some delicious combinations.

Slow Cooked Mung Beans and Rice With Indian Spices and Caramelized Onions

You can make this recipe using your slow cooker on either the low or high setting. This recipe will cook quickly on high so be ready to come back to it after 3 hours. It will take about 6 1/2 hours on low. During the last 30 to 60 minutes of cooking you can add diced yams, chopped kale, chopped carrots, or any other vegetable you have that needs to be used. If your digestion is week, I suggest soaking the beans and rice overnight in filtered water, then rinsing and draining in the morning.

1 1/2 cups dry short grain brown rice
1 cup dry mung beans
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger or 1/2 teaspoon dried
6 cups filtered water
1 can organic coconut milk
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt

Onions:
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into crescent moons
1/4 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt
1 tablespoon whole cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons black or brown mustard seeds

Garnish:
chopped fresh cilantro

Place the brown rice, mung beans, ground cumin, turmeric, ginger, and water into a 3-quart crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 1/2 hours. After the beans and rice are cooked, stir in coconut milk and salt. Be sure to stir in any additional ingredients about 30 minutes before the end of cooking time. Turn off heat.

Heat a 10 or 11-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, then add onions and salt. Saute for approximately 10 minutes. I like to gradually turn the heat down as they cook so they don't burn. By the end of cooking I am using low heat. After about 10 minutes, add the cumin and mustard seeds. Continue to cook for 3 to 5 more minutes, or until onions are caramelized and spices are fragrant.

You can either stir the onions into the stew or place them atop each serving. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serves 4 to 6. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Elimination Diet Recipes:
Quinoa Salmon Burgers
Nori Rolls with Sticky Brown Rice
Cinnamon Sunflower Truffles
Collard Wraps with Raw Sunflower Pate

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Kale with Caramelized Onions

2012-01-05T13:45:00.000-08:00

Did you know that the food you consume actually changes how your genes are expressed? Every time we eat we tell our bodies which genes to turn on and which genes to turn off. Did you know that there is more gene expression within two hours after eating than any other time of the day? Why? Because food contains gene signaling substances. This is the fascinating world of nutrigenomics, the idea that food is information not merely calories. The Standard American Diet (SAD) turns on genes for heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, and more. Even many gluten-free diets fall into this category. I see many people swapping out wheat bread for super refined gluten-free imitations of bread. These breads, as well as many other refined gluten-free foods, are not healthy even though they may come from a health food store. Basing your diet around organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits is a way to prevent disease, reduce allergies and inflammation, and maintain vibrant health.

This month I am participating in the wonderful blogging event, New Year, New You, hosted by the Daily Bites Blog. This week's theme is Eat More Produce! Kale is a super food, no doubt about it! We have it growing in our garden practically year round. This winter is very mild so the kale didn't die back. We go out everyday and pick what we need for whatever we are making. Kale is one of the easiest ways to Eat More Produce, especially in the wintertime when most fruits and vegetables are out of season. Kale can be chopped and added to just about any soup or stew, added to green smoothies, or sautéed alone or with other ingredients like in the recipe below. Compounds from kale and other brassica family vegetables have been shown in scientific papers to turn on genes that assist with antioxidant formation, increase detoxification, and turn on gene cell cycle arrest. In a nut shell, they help to prevent cancer, and assist in stopping cancer cell growth.

Kale with Caramelized Onions

With only a few ingredients, this recipe can be made very quickly. Kale is great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I like to serve sautéed kale over cooked quinoa with two fried pastured eggs for breakfast. I usually add a whole, diced avocado to the meal too which is helpful for making rich breast milk. Serve this recipe as part of a balanced dinner. It goes well with beans and rice or grilled fish. Our children love this recipe, especially when I add chopped mushrooms! This recipe is also suitable for all phases of the Elimination Diet.

1 to 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small to medium red onion, cut into crescent moons
1 large bunch kale, thinly sliced
Herbamare or sea salt to taste

Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the oil and then the onions. I like to also add a few dashes of sea salt which helps draw out moisture and caramelize the onions. Sauté onions for 7 to 10 minutes or until browned, and very fragrant. Keep the temperature steady and on the lower side so they don't cook too quickly and burn.

Add the kale and sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on the tenderness of the kale and desired doneness. You can add a few tablespoons of water to quickly finish the cooking by steaming if desired. Season with Herbamare or sea salt to taste. Serve warm. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

In our backyard garden this morning picking kale

More Kale Recipes:
Raw Kale and Avocado Salad
Sweet and Spicy Kale Chips
Creamed Kale

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Homemade Hemp Milk

2012-01-03T11:11:00.000-08:00

Making your own hemp milk is easier than buying it! Plus by making your own, you don't get any extra added ingredients, just pure creamy goodness. However, since there are no added flavorings, this milk tastes a lot like hemp seeds (as it should) so the flavor might be a tad stronger if you are accustomed to store-bought hemp milk. We buy Nutiva shelled hemp seeds in bulk through amazon.com. I like to store a jar of them in the refrigerator and the rest in the freezer to keep them fresh.

Use this milk for baking, in pancakes, as a dairy-free milk base for smoothies, poured over whole grain breakfast porridge, or just for drinking. It stores best in the refrigerator in a sealed glass jar or pitcher for 3 to 4 days. The small glass pitcher you see in these photos is from our local food co-op. I actually have two different sizes, both which have a really nice lid that screws on. I store my homemade almond milk and cashew milk in these glass pitchers as well.

Homemade hemp milk is also suitable for anyone following an Elimination Diet. It can be used in all phases of the diet! Hemp seeds are high in easily digested protein, if fact, they contain all 20 known amino acids!

Homemade Hemp Milk

I use a Vita-Mix to make this milk, I have not tried it using a regular blender so don't know how it would work. If you have made it without a Vita-Mix, could you please leave a comment so others can gain from your experience? I always strain my hemp milk using a nut milk bag, though others who commented on our Facebook page said they just blend the seeds and water and didn't mention straining.

1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds
3 cups filtered water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients into a high-powered blender and blend for 60 to 90 seconds or until ultra smooth. Place a nut milk bag into a large jar or pitcher and pour hemp milk through the bag, squeezing out the milk, and leaving the pulp behind. I compost the leftover pulp. Store your hemp milk in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Use it in recipes wherever milk is called for. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Beverage recipes:
Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa
Soothing Tummy Tea
Cranberry Orange Punch

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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Muffins (vegan, nut-free, xanthan-free)

2011-12-21T18:06:00.000-08:00

Happy Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year here in the northern hemisphere. As we were heading out to the beach today with the kids, my 6 year old said to me, "mama, that's weird, I thought today was supposed to be the darkest day of the year, but it's the sunniest!" Yes indeed, today was a beautiful day to spend at the beach playing on the warm, sunny rocks and exploring the trails. Also a good day to come home and bake gingerbread muffins to warm us up along with mugs full of hot spice tea!

These muffins use pureed prunes and chia seeds to bind them together and hold moisture. They are made almost entirely of teff flour. I buy 25 pound paper bags of it from Azure Standard for around $40 with free shipping. That comes out to about $1.60 a pound, which is far less than what you pay for those little packages in the health food store, plus the packaging is biodegradable. I buy organic, unsulphured prunes in bulk from my local food co-op.

Gingerbread Muffins

These moist and slightly sweet muffins would be perfect to serve on Christmas morning or for a holiday family brunch. Serve them with chai tea, spice tea, or hot mulled cider as an afternoon snack. They are also good served with a dollop of creamy almond butter.

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups teff flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour or arrowroot
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup prunes
1 cup very hot water
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside. Place the prunes, hot water, and ground chia into a blender and let soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Then puree and add the applesauce, oil, maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla. puree again until very smooth. Pour into dry ingredients and whisk together until combined.

Spoon batter into muffin pan. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temp. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com.

Organic prunes

More Holiday Baking:
Gingerbread Hazelnut Cookies
Flourless Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oatmeal Cut-Out Cookies
Sugar-Free Sugar Cookies

More Gingerbread Recipes from other Blogs:
Gluten-Free Gingerbread from Phytofoods
Grain-Free Gingerbread Cookies from The Spunky Coconut
Gingerbread Apple Crisp from Elana's Pantry

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Morning Winter Fruit Bowls with Hemp Seeds and Cacao Nibs

2011-12-18T23:00:00.000-08:00

My mother-in-law was visiting earlier this month and she likes to make fruit bowls every morning along with a green smoothie right after her her morning "blissipline" routine. She's almost 70 and is in much better shape than me! Our children love to watch her do the splits and headstands. When Tom was 10 years old she transitioned the family to a vegan diet with the help of their family doctor at the time, Dr. John McDougall. Tom remained a vegan for about 30 years until last year when he began to eat a small amount of wild fish and pastured meats. My mother-in-law is still predominately vegan with a heavy emphasis on raw plant foods. And you can tell by her glowing skin. You can't beat nature's most perfect food.....plants! These fruit bowls are so packed with disease-preventing, life-enhancing phytochemicals.....your body will thank you.

Every morning she had the kids make a list of what they wanted in their fruit bowls. The boys made large spirals because they can't write letters yet. The girls worked on their lists every day to have ready for her. Then she set each bowl out and filled their orders. Pomegranates, apples, pears, oranges, avocados, cashews, brazil nuts, and chopped fresh ginger (for my oldest ginger-loving daughter). Eating a large bowl of fruit and nuts in the morning is actually quite filling and very energizing.

Morning Winter Fruit Bowls

Serve individual bowls of fruit or make a large fruit salad with these festive winter fruits....perfect for a holiday breakfast or brunch! If you are making this for your breakfast you really do need to eat a large bowl to fill up. Adding a whole, small avocado to each bowl helps with satiation. Choose whatever fruits and nuts you have on hand. I should note here that my almost 4 year old twin boys don't do too well with just fruit and nuts for breakfast so we served them the fruit bowls along with scrambled eggs or organic breakfast sausages.

apples, cored and diced
pears, cored and diced
satsumas, peeled and sectioned
avocados, diced
pomegranate arils
persimmons
finely diced fresh ginger
fresh lime juice (optional)
raw cashews
brazil buts
almonds
hemp seeds
raw cacao nibs

Add fruit and nuts to individual bowls. Sprinkle with hemp seeds and cacao nibs. Serve immediately. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Raw Recipes:
Winter Green Smoothie
Raw Super Green Salad
Orange Wasabi Cabbage Salad

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Sustainable Gift Giving Ideas

2011-12-16T00:09:00.000-08:00

I know I predominantly share recipes here, but I have decided to begin sharing more than just recipes, because our health and the health of the planet is all connected in this intricate web we call life. When we purchase toys and products created from industrial plants and cheap labor in Asian countries we continue the demise of our environment and our children's, grandchildren's, and great-grandchildren's health. With the uprise in food allergies, it is clear that our immune systems are very confused and not functioning properly anymore. (We have much more to share on this in the new year). Environmental toxins, GMO's, and stress are the main culprits. We CAN support a cleaner, greener world every day by voting with our dollars. What we buy and consume affects everyone else on the globe. So, I thought I would share some wonderful, eco-friendly gift ideas this holiday season!

Worldly Gifts
Support a family in a developing country with the gift of a goat, ducklings, a cow, a pig, or honeybees through Heifer International. Your gift goes a long way in promoting health and self-reliance in communities. Last year Tom's brother gifted a goat in our name and we thought it was such a wonderful idea that this year we are letting our children pick an animal to gift in their names.

Donate money through World Vision. You can Sponsor a Child, Give an Animal, or Contribute to Clean Water for a community in a developing nation.

Donate to the Environmental Working Group. EWG is a nonprofit action group based on science and research that works to protect the most vulnerable segments of the human population, children, babies, and infants in the womb from health problems attributed to a wide array of toxic contaminants. "EWG's research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know. It shames and shakes up polluters and their lobbyists. It rattles politicians and shapes policy. It persuades bureaucracies to rethink science and strengthen regulation. It provides practical information you can use to protect your family and community."

Give Experiences
What will your child remember most when he or she grows up: a particular toy they received or time spent with you? I remember the trips and fun hiking adventures we did as a family much more than I remember any particular toy. Here are a few of my ideas, please feel free to share your ideas in the comments section. :)

A day sewing with mom. A day skiing in the mountains with dad. A special evening with just the older girls playing cards and having a tea party. Taking the kids to a movie (they have never been to a movie theater yet and our oldest is almost 10)! A little card for the kids saying we will go to Seattle for the day and visit the Zoo and go out to eat. An afternoon at the train museum (for our twin boys).

Unconventional Gift Ideas
Give a six month supply of eco-friendly, biodegradable laundry soap and dishwashing soap to your college student or family member. Most of what you find at your local supermarket is quite toxic to our bodies and local environments after it goes down the drain. These chemical detergents contain hormone disrupters that not only affect ourselves but the aquatic life around us. Plus, they smell disgusting. Products such as Biokleen and Seventh Generation are good choices.

Give a gift certificate to a local food co-op. We received a gift card to our local co-op a few years ago from Tom's family and it was very helpful to stretch the food budget!

Buy a share to a CSA for a friend or family member. Ask your local food co-op or Farmer's Market office to get the names and contact info of a few local organic farmer's who offer CSA's. If you are in the Northwest, this is a good site to look for a CSA.

Eco-Friendly Gifts
Beeswax Candles scented with pure essential oils. Many people do not realize that regular petroleum-based paraffin candles may be emitting solvents like toluene (that can negatively affect the nervous system), and benzene (which has been linked to cancer) when you burn them. As an extra bonus, those candles with wicks that stand up straight may have lead in them. Within an hour of burning these candles, you may end up with an unsafe level of airborne lead that may contribute to learning disabilities in children.

Wooden Toys made in the USA. I have been on a mission since I was pregnant with my first daughter, ten years ago, not to allow plastic toys in the house. We have succeeded for the most part except for last year when the plastic Legos made their appearance. Other than that our children have wood toys and cloth dolls stuffed with wool to play with. What happens to all of these plastic toys when they break? They end up in the landfill causing pollution for many years to come, not to mention the pollution caused during the production of the plastic and toys themselves. Wooden toys can biodegrade once they are old and worn. Before you go online to shop, see if you can find a local wood worker who makes and sells solid wood toys. If you can't find anyone, then shop online at stores such as Nova Natural, A Child's Dream, Bella Luna Toys, or Rosie Hippo.

Non-Toxic natural art supplies such as Beeswax Block Crayons, Gluten-Free Aromatic Play Dough, Hemp Sketch Pads, Unlacquered Colored Pencils, Natural Glue, and Hemp Fabric for sewing projects.

Shop on Etsy.com. Your money goes directly to the person who made the toy, clothing item, house decor, or jewelry. I am amazed at all of the beautiful creative works of art you can find on this site. Everything from upcycled wool clothes to wooden blocks. This felt play food makes a great addition to your child's wooden play kitchen.

Fair Trade Stores are also a good place to shop for unique gift ideas. The communities and people who make these products are not exploited and the materials used often are sustainable or recycled.

Stainless steel lunch containers such as Lunch Bots, Kids Konserve, or a 10-ounce Stainless Steel Thermos for soups and other hot food.

If you have any other ideas you'd like to share, please leave a comment, thanks and Happy Holidays!

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Grain-Free Cupcakes with Vegan Coconut Frosting

2011-12-13T23:59:00.000-08:00

These gorgeous chocolate-banana-honey grain-free cupcakes are from Elana Amsterdam's latest cookbook, Gluten-Free Cupcakes: 50 Irresistible Recipes Made with Almond and Coconut Flour. If you are looking for simple, healthy grain-free cupcake recipes, this is the book to turn to. All but one of the cupcake recipes contain eggs. It isn't easy creating grain-free recipes without using a lot of eggs. There are also a bunch of healthy frosting recipes to choose from, many of them being dairy-free.

My children love flipping through her book picking out the recipes they want me to make.....which is all of them I think! I love that all of Elana's recipes contain very few ingredients and can be made in a snap! Be sure to check out her blog too if you haven't already.

Although I can't share the recipe photographed above, I wanted to mention that I have substituted honey for the agave nectar called for in this recipe with great results. This particular recipe as well as many others are made with coconut flour. Great for those of you who are nut-free. I do have another recipe to share from the book that I think you'll like. And if you are interested in winning a signed copy of this book, please leave a comment below.

If you are interested in checking out another recipe in this book before purchasing it, you can read my friend Shirley's review from last April where she shares Elana's Marble Cupcakes.

Grain-Free Lime Cupcakes with Coconut Frosting

Yield: 10 cupcakes

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 large eggs

1/2 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup agave nectar

2 tablespoons firmly packed lime zest, plus more to decorate (about 3 limes)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 10 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, grapeseed oil, agave nectar, and 2 tablespoons lime zest. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined.

Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.

Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour, then frost, sprinkle with the remaining lime zest, and serve.

Vegan Coconut Frosting

Yield: 2 cups

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon water

1 cup coconut oil, melted over very low heat

In a medium saucepan, bring the coconut milk and agave nectar to a boil over medium heat. Whisk the ingredients together, then decrease the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, to reduce just slightly, stirring frequently.

In a small bowl, dissolve the arrowroot powder in water, stirring to make a slurry. Increase the heat under the saucepan to medium-high so the mixture is bubbling. Add the arrowroot slurry to the coconut mixture, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and turns opaque and shiny, about 1 minute. Once the mixture becomes shiny, remove the pan from the heat and gradually blend in the coconut oil with a handheld mixer until well combined.

Allow to cool on the counter for 15 minutes. The mixture will not look like frosting yet—don’t worry; this is okay.

Chill the frosting in the refrigerator for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the frosting fully solidifies and looks opaque white in color. Remove from the refrigerator and whip with a handheld mixer until thick and fluffy. The frosting will be sticky looking and lumps will dissolve during whipping.

Use immediately or store in a glass Mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the frosting to soften a bit after removing from the refrigerator. Stir with a flexible spatula until spreadable.

(Recipes reprinted with permission from Ten Speed Press).

Enter to Win!

For a chance to win a signed copy of Elana's book, Gluten-Free Cupcakes:

1. Leave a comment (please include your email address or make it VISIBLE in your Blogger profile by clicking edit and checking a box). If it were me, I wouldn't leave my email address out in the open on a blog. It is super duper easy to set up a Blogger account. And you can always uncheck the box that makes your email address visible. A very large part of the comments left on my last giveaway were not counted because there wasn't an email to contact you with if you won. Thanks! :)

2. Share this post on Facebook and come back and leave a second comment saying you did so.

3. Share this post on Twitter mentioning us (@nourishingmeals) and come back and leave a third comment. (When you mention us on Twitter I will see your tweet in my inbox and if you follow us I can send you a message if you won).

This drawing will be open until Friday (12/16/11) at midnight PST.

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Creamy Herb Sunflower Dressing/Dip

2011-12-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

We receive quite a few comments and requests about nut-free recipes. Indeed, we do eat a lot of nuts, but we enjoy seeds quite often as well. This creamy ranch-style dressing is perfect to top any type of green salad, be it a crispy romaine salad or a picnic potato salad. If you use less water the dressing is a creamy dip for carrot and celery sticks. I also love that this dressing is raw, made from soaked raw sunflower seeds. Before you go to bed at night just place the seeds in a bowl and cover with filtered water. If I am making this dressing for dinner then I would begin soaking the seeds around lunchtime.

I use lemon juice and garlic in this dressing, which for some breastfeeding moms might be problematic (if your baby is very young). Our baby just turned 3 months and can tolerate just about anything I eat now. Early on I could not eat lemon juice or raw garlic. So if you are making this recipe for a new mom or are breastfeeding yourself (or cannot tolerate citrus), I would replace the lemon with about 3 tablespoons of raw apple cider vinegar or coconut vinegar and omit the garlic.

Creamy Herb Sunflower Dressing

In the wintertime I use dried herbs, but in the summertime I use whatever fresh herbs are growing in my garden. Snipped chives are particularly delicious, as well as fresh marjoram. Reduce the water and create a luscious, white, creamy dip perfect for any crispy veggie. This dip makes a great holiday party appetizer alongside a platter of raw, organic veggies!

1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for 4 to 6 hours
1/2 to 1 cup water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/2 to 1 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 to 2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme
small handful fresh parsley

Place the sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 4 to 6 hours then drain and rinse. Place into a Vita-Mix or blender with the water (less for a dip, more for a dressing), lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and peppercorns. Blend on high for one minute or until very creamy and smooth. Then add the herbs and blend on a lower speed until combined but not completely pureed.

Pour into a glass mason jar, cover, and store in your refrigerator until ready to serve. The salad pictured here is made from greens, raw carrots, roasted beets, sprouts, and hemp seeds. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Other Yummy Salads and Dressings:
Pear and Hazelnut Salad with Creamy Cranberry Dressing
Orange-Wasabi Cabbage Salad
Asian Chicken Salad with a Soy-Free Dressing

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Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookie Recipe

2011-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Or shall I call them Gingerbread Hazelnut Cookies since they are made primarily with hazelnut flour? Our children have so much fun cutting out and decorating these lovely gluten-free Christmas cookies! Just look at that photo, what is not to love? I am sharing this recipe as part of a wonderful blogging event called Home for the Holidays....Gluten-Free Style hosted by Shirley from gluten-free easily! Twenty-four bloggers were asked to create and share recipes that meant both home and holidays to them. In addition to the recipes, we’ll also be hosting giveaways of the resources you value the most....cookbooks, resource books, apps, and the grand prize, a Vita-Mix!

You can view yesterday's post from Heidi at Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom. She shared her Gluten-Free Fritter recipe. Tomorrow Sunny from And Love it Too will be sharing a holiday recipe. So be sure to go check their sites as well.

For me, Home for the Holidays takes me back to baking gingerbread and sugar cookies with my mother. My brothers and I would decorate dozens of cookies with beautiful colored sprinkles and bright white icing. I wanted to share that experience with my own children, only with a healthier, gluten-free version, and thus this recipe was born (actually the recipe came to me in a flash one night). It uses coconut sugar as the main sweetener, along with a powdered coconut sugar icing. Although coconut sugar is definitely a low-glycemic sweetener, it is still sugar, and these cookies are to be considered a sweet treat.

Gingerbread Hazelnut Cut-Out Cookies

I use Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut Meal Flour. It works beautifully in baking. You can check your local health food store for it or buy it on Amazon.com. If you don't want to use coconut sugar or don't have access to it, Sucanat (whole cane sugar) is a good substitute. It still has all of its nutrients intact like coconut sugar, but has a higher glycemic index. For a dairy-free option, use Earth Balance or Coconut Oil in place of the butter (note that I have not tested the recipe this way though). Use currents, raisins, sliced almonds, natural sprinkles (from Let's Do Organic!), or anything else you can imagine to decorate them. I find the dough is best if it is refrigerated overnight. You can make the dough after your children are in bed and then bake the cookies with them in the morning.

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups hazelnut meal flour

1 cup sweet rice flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wet Ingredients:

1 cup coconut sugar

1/2 cup softened organic butter

1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

1 large organic egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. In a separate, smaller bowl beat with an electric mixer (or vigorously whisk) together the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry and mix together. Form into a ball, cover, and place into the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight.

When the dough is firm and chilled, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place a large piece of parchment or waxed paper down onto a clean, flat work surface. Lightly flour the paper with sweet rice flour. Take part of the dough and roll it out to a little less than 1/4 inch of thickness. Put the remaining dough back in the fridge to keep it chilled. Cut the dough out using your favorite holiday cookie cutters. Carefully peel away the dough around the cut-outs. Then take a thin spatula and lift the cookies onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes depending on how crisp you like them. A few more minutes of baking makes them crispy. Just watch them so they don't overcook. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. Then repeat with remaining dough. Let cook completely before frosting.

Coconut Sugar Icing

You can refer to my last blog post on How to Make Powdered Coconut Sugar in order to make this icing.

1/2 cup Powdered Coconut Sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons milk (I use almond milk)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Place powdered coconut sugar in a small bowl, whisk in the milk and vanilla. Use to ice cooled cookies. You might need to make more depending on how much icing you like on your cookies. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Holiday Treats:

Maple Sunbutter Candy

Maple Caramel Corn

Candied Walnuts

And Now The Giveaways!!

To enter to win one of these fabulous books, please leave a comment below. You can leave up to three comments by sharing this post on Facebook and Twitter. Come back and leave a comment saying you did, so we can count it. All of the comments you leave on this post and any other posts by other bloggers (see the full line-up here) will be entered into the Grand Prize Giveaways. The grand prize winners will be announced on Christmas. Note that you will have 48 hours only to leave a comment here and then I will announce the winners. You will need to have a Blogger account with an email attached to it so we can contact you or leave your email address in the comment like this: jane @ yahoo(dot)com. It only takes a second to set up a Blogger account (you do not need to use gmail to set one up). This is a good way if you feel uncomfortable leaving your email address in the comments. You can view my profile to see how I have my email as a link in my profile if you don't totally understand what I am saying. :)

Grand Prize: A 5200 Vita-Mix which includes the dry container

Second Prize: A $150 shopping spree from freefromgluten.com

Third Prize: $89 dollar value package of Caveman Cookies

Today's Giveaways:

The Pure Kitchen

This book is an awesome addition to any gluten-free, whole foods kitchen. It is filled with nutritious recipes that you will want to make over and over again! When I first opened it I literally wanted to bookmark every recipe. It is written by Hallie Klecker who blogs at Daily Bites. Her recipes are gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free.....and amazing.

Healthier Without Wheat

This is a resource book you will want to have if you are dealing with gluten intolerances or Celiac disease. It covers all the myriad of diseases and symptoms associated with gluten as well as the difference between Celiac Disease and a gluten intolerance. This book was written by Seattle doctor, Stephan Wangen. You can check out his clinic, The IBS Treatment Center for more information.

The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen

I don't own this book (though it looks fabulous) so here is the description from Amazon: The Whole Foods Kosher Kitchen makes cooking healthily both easy and delicious. This veritable volume is chock-full of more than 250 recipes, plenty of color illustrations, and advice on which foods are (or aren’t) okay when powdered, canned, or frozen. Lévana promises your new superfood diet will taste so good, you won’t ever go back.

Gluten-Free Baking for Dummies

This baking book is newly released! It was coauthored by my good friend and local Naturopathic doctor, Jean Layton. Not only is this a recipe book with over 150 recipes, but also a resource book on baking gluten-free. You'll find tips for stocking your kitchen, certain gluten-free baking methods for cakes, cookies, and breads, plus much more!

Please leave a comment to win one of these great books and to be entered into the Grand Prize Giveaway. Remember to include your email address or use your blogger account (with an email address linked in the account). Use your name or initials to distinguish yourself. Your comment will NOT be counted unless we have a way to contact you. Thanks for reading and for your support! :)

This giveaway ends on Saturday morning (12/3) at 7:00am PST.
This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thanks everyone for participating. The winners will be sent an email notifying them. :)

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How to Make Powdered Coconut Sugar

2011-11-27T22:21:00.000-08:00

I like to use coconut sugar when making a treat for our family and friends. It has a rich, caramel-like flavor that isn't too sweet. Plus, coconut sugar doesn't have that heart-palpitating affect like cane sugar does. This powdered coconut sugar recipe can be used to make icing for cookies and cakes, or used wherever powdered sugar is called for in a recipe.

Coconut sugar is a low-glycemic granulated sweetener, with an index of 35. Compare that to honey with a glycemic index of 75, cauliflower at 30, lentils at 35, and watermelon at 100.

Coconut sugar comes from the sap of the coconut palm blossoms. It is dried and granulated making it perfect for cooking and baking. Use it to replace any other granulated sweetener in equal amounts. Coconut sugar is dark so keep in mind that it will turn your "white cake" brown. It is best used in chocolate or spiced molasses type treats. Use it in sweet or savory sauces and in marinades. Use it basically anyplace a granulated sugar is called for. Now you can also replace regular powdered cane sugar with coconut sugar using this method.

Powdered Coconut Sugar

Powdered sugar is harder to replace, but you can make your own by grinding granulated coconut sugar in your Vita-Mix or coffee grinder. Please read my Cranberry-Pear Sauce post where I talked about potential gluten cross contamination in some coconut sugar brands before you go out and purchase any coconut sugar.

1 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

Place the coconut sugar and arrowroot into the dry container of your Vita-Mix. Place the lid on tightly. Start on low speed and gradually work your way up to the highest speed. It will take a few minutes to powder the sugar. You can start and stop the machine if you need to. Just don't open the lid or you will have powdered sugar floating everywhere in the air! The dry container of the Vita-Mix is designed to keep dry ingredients moving and not get hot and cake to the bottom of the container. I don't think the regular liquid container would work for this recipe but you could try it.

Keep blending the sugar until it is all powdered and light brown in color. Keep the lid on for a few minutes to let it settle to the bottom. Then place into a glass jar and cover tightly with a lid. Store it in your pantry until ready to use. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Use powdered coconut sugar to make icing for cookies!

The above photo of gluten-free gingerbread cookies is a recipe that will be coming soon. So stay tuned! If you do not own a Vita-Mix and have been thinking about getting one, the Super Package which includes the dry container is on sale now (11/28) on the Vita-Mix website!

Other recipes using coconut sugar:
Coconut Sugar Apple Crisp
Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
Vegan Corn Muffins

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How to Make Turkey Stock

2011-11-25T23:01:00.000-08:00

For many of you Thanksgiving revolved around a turkey, right? You can make good use of the leftover bones and skin and create a nourishing bone broth. Stock made from leftover vegetable scraps and the bones of animals is extremely economical. Think of how much that box of organic chicken broth costs at your local grocery store? And think of the added flavors and strange ingredients in those store-bought stocks. A gigantic pot of homemade stock can be made for less than the cost of one store-bought carton of stock.

Turkey stock is dark and richly flavored. It can be used to make soup (such as wild rice and veggie soup or turkey-noodle soup), turkey tetrazzini, turkey meatballs, in sauces, or simply heated with garlic and herbs to sip on if you have a cold. And it is remarkably easy to make! All you need to do is add veggies, water, and the leftover turkey bones and skin. Then cover and walk aways from it. Come back a few hours later and strain into jars. That's it!

Homemade Turkey Stock

If your turkey carcass is still whole, you will need a large pot in order to make this. I use my canning pot. The trick to making a good stock is to have a good balance of water to veggies and bones. You can salt it or leave it unsalted. I like to add a moderate amount of sea salt to my stocks. Some people prefer to omit the salt because it is easier to cook with this way. For example, you might end up adding too much salt to the recipe that the stock is used in. Feel free to add a variety of vegetables and vegetable scraps to this stock. Most varieties of mushrooms work well with turkey to create a richly flavored stock. I used shiitake in this batch. Don't add squash peels, potato peels, or tomatoes. Leeks, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, mushrooms, savory herbs all pair well with poultry stock. I add a little vinegar to my stocks which helps to pull the minerals from the animal bones creating a nutrient-rich stock. This is especially important for growing children and pregnant and nursing mamas.

1 turkey carcass, meat all pulled from the bones
2 large onions, chopped
1 leek
1 head garlic, cut in half cross-wise
2 to 4 large carrots, chopped
4 to 5 staks celery, chopped
1 pint mushrooms, chopped
handful of fresh rosemary
handful fresh thyme
handful fresh marjoram
handful fresh sage
half a bunch parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons sea salt
6 to 8 quarts water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Place all of the ingredients into a very large stainless steel pot, at least 12-quart, if not larger. You will want to add enough water to just cover the turkey and vegetables. It might be more or less than what I have indicated above.

Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 to 6 hours. Turn off heat and place a large colander over another large pot. Pour the stock through the colander. Let the vegetables and bones sit in the colander over the pot for at least 10 minutes to fully drain.

Then take about 6 to 8 clean quart jars and place them on your counter. Use a ladle to fill each jar. Leave about 1 to 2 inches of space from the top of the jar if you plan on freezing them. Let them cool. Then place what you want to into your freezer, uncovered, to leave room for expansion. Cover them once they are frozen. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Turkey-Noodle Soup made from stock, leftover meat, noodles, and veggies

More Stocks and Soups:
Healing Nettle Chicken Stock
Healing Chicken Ginger Soup
Healing Quinoa Cabbage Soup

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Yam Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping (Grain-Free)

2011-11-20T22:37:00.000-08:00

This is my healthier take on the traditional Thanksgiving yam casserole recipe. It has a delicious grain-free crumble topping made from ground pecans, a little arrowroot, coconut sugar, cinnamon, and real butter. I think the topping would also work on top of an apple or pear crisp/crumble. It could also be the streusel topping to an apple pie. Lots of ways to use it!

Please read my last post on possible gluten cross-contamination in coconut sugar before making this recipe. I like to use coconut sugar because it is a low-glycemic sweetener, meaning it doesn't cause huge fluctuations in blood sugar. Plus, I can't stand how sweet cane sugar is now if I ever try it, yuck! But I also don't crave sugar. Ever. When I was pregnant I craved raw sauerkraut and ate it daily. Large bowlfuls with quinoa, avocados, and toasted sunflower seeds. That was my first trimester staple! However, if you want to use something other than coconut sugar, you could try maple sugar, brown sugar, or Sucanat.

Yam Casserole with Pecan Streusel Topping

If you are making this for Thanksgiving you can do most of the prep work days ahead of time. Cut and steam the yams and place them into an 8 x 8 baking dish in the fridge, covered. Make the topping ahead of time too and refrigerate it. When ready to bake you can toss it all together in less than 5 minutes. If you use apple cider in this recipe remember to find organic cider or cider from non-sprayed apples. Far too many chemicals are used in the production of non-organic apples. These chemicals may cause disturbances in our immune systems that can possibly cause further food allergies. Butter is also of concern. If I use butter I only use organic, pastured butter ~ butter coming from grass-fed cows. Environmental toxins build up in animals, including humans, and these toxins are excreted through the milk (in the fat). You could use coconut oil in place of the butter if you need to.

Filling:
2 large garnet yams, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or apple cider
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 to 3 tablespoons butter

Topping:
2 cups raw pecans
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chopped yams into a pot and add a little water, cover and steam cook over medium heat until tender but not mushy. About 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how you cut them. Strain off the water and place into an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish. In a separate bowl whisk together the juice, coconut sugar and arrowroot. Pour over the yams. Dot with butter (the butter will melt right away, this is good). Toss together using a large spoon. Now cover the dish and put it in the fridge if you are prepping this for another day. If not, proceed with the topping.

I make the topping when the yams are cooking. Place the pecans into a food processor fitted with the "s" blade. Pulse until ground, but not ground too finely. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined, this takes a little longer than the first pulsing. It should start to come together and hold together if you press it together with your fingers. Crumble it over the yam filling.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Side Dish Recipes:
Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Shallots and Cranberries
Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf
Farmhouse Seed Bread (xanthan-free and vegan)

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Cranberry-Pear Sauce (refined sugar-free)

2011-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

This year's cranberry sauce recipe uses ripe pears to sweeten up the tart and tangy cranberries. I've added a smidgen of coconut sugar to help balance the flavors but I imagine that stevia could be used instead. Coconut sugar is a low glycemic sweetener but stevia is a "no-glycemic" sweetener meaning it doesn't raise blood sugar at all. This recipe can be made days ahead of the big day and served cold or warm.

If you are gluten intolerant be sure that the coconut sugar you are using is gluten-free. Anything that is dry or granulated like sugar, flours, cornmeal, polenta, etc. can be processed in a facility where wheat or gluten products are processed. I use coconut sugar from Big Tree Farms, which is sold under the brands, Sweet Tree and Essential Living Foods. Our wonderful local food co-op also stocks coconut sugar in the bulk section but it is NOT gluten-free. It comes from Glory Bee Foods. I called them and none of their products are anywhere near gluten-free, so beware. Our other health food store in town, Terra Organica, sells coconut sugar in bulk and it comes from Essential Living Foods so it is okay. My friend Melissa from Gluten-Free For Good made a comment in the post we recently did on gluten cross-contamination pointing out that some coconut sugar brands are contaminated with gluten. Other than the one I mentioned above, I have not seen any sold around here. If you know of one, please leave a comment to help each other out.

Cranberry-Pear Sauce

This flavorful cranberry sauce can be served over turkey, roasted salmon, and even on top of oatmeal for breakfast! I always use 1/4 cup of coconut sugar which is just enough to sweeten it and still keep it tart. You could add more if you like.

2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 10 ounces)
2 small ripe pears, peeled, cored, and diced
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice or apple cider
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Place all ingredients into a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes. After about 7 minutes of cooking, use a large spoon to begin mashing the pears and cranberries. Continue to do this until it has become sauce-like and has thickened. It will thicken more once it cools. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Heat on low to warm it up or serve it cold. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Holiday Recipes:
Cranberry Orange Sauce
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake
Orange Pepper Salmon

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Book Review: Food Rules by Michael Pollan

2011-11-16T22:33:00.000-08:00

Hello dear readers, Tom is posting something today for a change. I will be back later this week with a few Thanksgiving recipes for you! -Ali :)

I was asked to do a book review of the new illustrated version of Food Rules by Michael Pollan. What an honor! I have truly appreciated all of the thought provoking pages of Botany of Desire, and my personal favorite for getting a nutrition debate rolling, In Defense of Food. Ah, how simple it was for us to leave In Defense of Food with just seven words to guide us. “Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” Food Rules is an extension to that message, or as Michael puts it “I unpack those seven words of advice into a comprehensive set of rules, or personal policies, designed to help you eat real food in moderation and, by doing so, substantially get off the Western diet.” Simple. Noble. Effective?

There are 83 different rules laid out amongst playful and colorful images from Maira Kalman. Some of these “policies” are timeless and eloquent like this one under Rule #8: Avoid food products that make health claims. "The healthiest food in the supermarket---the fresh produce---doesn’t boast about its healthfulness because the growers don’t have the budget or the packaging. Don’t take the silence of the yams as a sign that they have nothing valuable to say about your health."

I love this one: Rule #12: Get out of the Supermarket Whenever You Can "You won't find any high-fructose corn syrup at the farmer's market. What you will find are fresh, whole foods harvested at the peak of their taste and nutritional quality..."

A rule I found to be a little misleading if the goal is to “substantially get off the Western diet” is rule #45: Eat all the Junk Food You Want as Long as You Cook it Yourself. It is possible that someone could take this recommendation and run with it right back into poor health.

While this light-hearted, at-a-glance rules book has some decent food for thought, I found some core principals of nutrition either completely missing, or entirely miss-represented.

1. Food Sensitivities:

I have a few rules in my practice as well. The first is to do no harm. The second is to assist people in finding options that make them feel good and function better. As many of our clients and readers have testified to us over the years…the food for one can be a poison for another. Many people (at least 1/3 of our general client base) have a negative reaction to gluten, dairy, soy, or some other food component in their diet. Whether it is the gluten that is contributing to intestinal issues, chronic fatigue, ADD/ADHD and iron deficiency, or the dairy that is contributing to asthma, arthritis, or autism, many clients have not gotten better until these foods were removed from their diets. I would add Rule #84: Do an Elimination Diet, to determine what your individual body may be reacting negatively to.

2. GMOs:

No one really knows the possible ramifications these engineered foods may have on our health, and our environment. There were no rules in this book that addressed this specifically. I would add Rule #85: Eat Foods Mother Nature Can Recognize.

3. Environmental Pollutants/Organics:

As the onslaught of industrial chemicals continues to build on our planet, we are finding samples of environmental pollutants in wild animals across the globe. Some researchers are theorizing that our own bioaccumulation of these chemicals may be changing the behavior of our children, our immune system functions, and numerous other pathways in our bodies. I would add Rule #86: Don’t Panic, Eat Organic.

As a whole, I like the vibe that Michael sets up in the book. It is obvious in the introduction that Michael is fed up (pun intended) with the pseudoscience and misleading trends in the field of nutrition (aren’t we all), and would like people to get back to the basics of preparing, eating, and enjoying unadulterated wholesome foods in a form that nature had originally intended. Within the rules, there is an underlying pleading with the reader to stop thinking about the minutia of what biochemical properties foods may or may not have, and savor the essence, and the true genius of the whole food itself.

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Black Quinoa and Roasted Pumpkin Salad

2011-11-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

Ever tried black quinoa? It is delicious, and very nutty-flavored. A bit fibrous. Great for salads. Cooks up quickly like its white counterpart. This quinoa salad embodies the flavors of autumn. Roasted sugar pie pumpkin with a hint of cinnamon combined with dried cranberries, roasted pecans, shallots, and a zesty dressing. Perfect for a simple, nutritious lunch or as part of your Thanksgiving feast.

Black quinoa is colored by a class of compounds called anthocyanins which protect the plant against oxidation and UV damage. Anthocyanins act as powerful antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents that when ingested, protect our bodies against chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. Our modern lifestyle has caused many people to become chronically inflamed. Stress, nutritional deficiencies, elevated toxins in our environment, and lack of sufficient antioxidants causes our bodies to produce higher levels of cytokines which cause inflammation and tissue damage. Cancer cells grow and reproduce under inflammatory conditions. Anthocyanins decrease inflammation and cause cancer cells to die (apoptosis).

Not only is black quinoa a rich source of anthocyanins but also are blueberries, black rice, black beans, blackberries, black raspberries, purple broccoli, purple cauliflower, red cabbage, cherries, and many more. Just think black, purple, dark blue, and dark red.

Black Quinoa and Roasted Pumpkin Salad

If black quinoa can't be found try red or white instead. If you don't have any sugar pie pumpkins on hand you can use any winter squash, though butternut is the easiest to peel. When choosing a pie pumpkin look for one with a smooth skin, which will make the peeling go fast. We grew over 20 sugar pie pumpkins in our little front yard garden patch this year...from only two plants! They are sitting in our garage in boxes right now. I've been using them for pies, soup, muffins, and now quinoa salads! Enjoy!

Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups black quinoa
2 3/4 cup water
pinch sea salt

Salad:
one 2-pound sugar pie pumpkin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Herbamare
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 heaping cup pecans
2 cups diced shallots (or red onions)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon Herbamare

Optional Addition:
crumbled organic feta cheese

Rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and place into a 2-quart pot with the water and sea salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool completely in the pan. If you are making this for Thanksgiving, you can make the quinoa 1 to 2 days beforehand and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel pumpkin then slice in half, scoop out seeds (I like to use a grapefruit spoon for this). Then chop into equal sized pieces. Place into a baking dish and toss with the 2 tablespoons olive oil, Herbamare and cinnamon. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan before removing.

Place the pecans into a separate baking dish and place them into the oven. Roast for 10 minutes then cool on a plate. Chop once cool.

Saute the shallots in a little olive oil in a large pan for about 5 to 7 minutes or until soft and beginning to change color.

Place the cooled quinoa into a large bowl, add the roasted pumpkin, roasted and chopped pecans, sautéed shallots, dried cranberries, and chopped parsley.

In a small bowl whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over quinoa salad. Gently toss together and serve. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Quinoa Recipes:
Quinoa Seed Crackers
Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf
Healing Quinoa Cabbage Soup

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Lentil and Kale Dal + a Video!

2011-11-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Lentils are what we make for dinner if I have not planned ahead of time to soak beans or buy ingredients for a meal. Lentils are inexpensive and cook quickly without the need for soaking. However, if you are gluten-senitive or celiac, there is one thing you need to know about lentils. They are often cross-contaminated with gluten grains. We made a short video in our kitchen to show you. Hope you enjoy!

Gluten Cross-Contamination in Lentils from Whole Life Nutrition on Vimeo.

We have found that the contamination is not happening in the bulk bins, it happens before the lentils arrive to the co-op. The best thing to do is to sort through them and pick out the gluten grains then rinse them thoroughly and proceed with the recipe. One of those grains in a pot of soup can adversely affect someone with gluten issues for weeks or more. You can either remove the grains or remove lentils from your diet to avoid possible cross-contamination.

Lentil and Kale Dal

I add kale to everything because we love it, and we grow it in our backyard green garden. Of course, you could add spinach, chard, broccoli leaves, or any other green you have on hand. You can also add diced zucchini, diced carrots, and whatever vegetables you like to this. I like to keep it simple, this way I can prepare it in 10 minutes or less then walk away from it while it is simmering on the stove. Serve this with a dollop of Spicy Peach Chutney and cooked Sticky Brown Rice.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups French lentils, rinsed
6 cups water
4 cups chopped kale
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
handful cilantro, chopped

Heat a 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Then add the onions and saute for 6 to 7 minutes. Then add the ginger and spices; saute a minute more. Then add the lentils and water; cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

Add the kale and the salt, stir, and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes to cook the kale and reduce the liquid. Continue cooking if you like your dal thicker. Turn off heat and add the cilantro. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: I like to add 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne for my taste but two of our children find this too spicy. They prefer it when I add 1/8 teaspoon or less. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Main Dish Recipes:
Summer Vegetable Kitcheree
Collard Wraps
Chipotle Chicken Stuffed Squash

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Homemade Halloween Candy

2011-10-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

This is a super simple recipe for making your own refined sugar-free, nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free candy. It has only two ingredients plus a little sea salt. It kind of reminds me of a Tootsie Roll but without all of the cell damaging hydrogenated oils, genetically engineered corn syrup, artificial flavors, and sugar!

I am not sure how we have gotten so offtrack when it comes to celebrating holidays. Holidays have become completely commercialized. Halloween is now celebrated by giving pounds of chemical and sugar laden "food" to children wrapped up in plastic packages that end up in a landfill. Our children don't need one more thing damaging their growing bodies. But what do you do? Keep your children from a tradition that has been taking place in our country since the 1930's or let them be part of the fun?

Our tradition on Halloween began when our first daughter was three years old, which was her first year trick-or-treating. We take our children out early, all dressed up in costumes (this year purchased at our local consignment store). They trick-or-treat for about an hour. Then come home and get to choose one piece of candy to eat, usually a lollipop. Then the rest gets put under their bed for the Candy Gnome. The Candy Gnome lives off of candy alone and is very happy to find it there waiting for him. So in return he gives the children each a special treat (a healthy treat)! This is usually a pomegranate, fruit leather, and an herbal tea bag for each child. Our children are thrilled when they wake up on November 1st. Seriously. Though last year the Candy Gnome didn't get much to eat because they happily gave most of it away to other trick-or-treaters later in the evening!

Maple-Sunbutter Candy

I use organic grade B pure maple syrup in this recipe. Grade B syrup is less refined, richer in minerals, and also cheaper! I use Organic Sunbutter which is made from roasted sunflower seeds (the non-organic versions have sugar and other stuff added). This candy can be made with other nut butters if you desire. Almond butter is particularly delicious! I have not tried peanut butter, but I bet it would work too. Adding a few dashes of vanilla would also be good. This candy can easily burn if it is not tended to or if the heat is too high, so watch it carefully.

1 cup grade B maple syrup
1/2 cup organic Sunbutter
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

Place all ingredients into a 2-quart stainless steel pot with a thick, heavy bottom. Whisk together.

Then turn heat to high and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Once it is boiling, immediately turn heat to medium or medium-high, whichever maintains a steady, low boil. Whisk continuously for about 8 minutes or until the candy thickens and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. Remove pan from heat and remove the whisk (otherwise the candy will get stuck inside of the wires as it cools). Let it cool until it is cool enough to handle, about 5 to 10 minutes. Any longer and the candy will begin to get too hard to work with.

Place a piece of parchment paper down on a clean work surface. Roll warm candy into thin, long logs. You will make about 5 of them. Then slice into 1 to 2-inch pieces. Wrap each piece in unbleached parchment or waxed paper. Let cool completely before serving. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Healthy Treats:
Maple Caramel Corn
Cinnamon-Sunflower Truffles
Sugar-Free Chocolate Macadamia Clusters
Almond Goji Berry Truffles

Healthy Candy Recipes from Other Bloggers:
Healthier Candy Recipes from The Nourishing Gourmet
Raw Chocolate Raspberry Candy from The Spunky Coconut
Peppermint Patties from Elana's Pantry
Healthy Butterfinger Candy from Book of Yum

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Sweet and Spicy Kale Chips

2011-10-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

Warning: Kale Chips are highly addictive! There are so many different ways to make kale chips. Usually I just toss kale pieces in olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Blended cashews, red peppers, lemon, and nutritional yeast is another popular combination. Here I combine a little almond butter, lime, olive oil, maple syrup, and chili flakes to create a very addictive, yet healthy snack. This kale chip recipe is the perfect thing to bring to any spooky Halloween parties you may be attending this weekend!

Kale chips can be baked at a low temperature in the oven or dehydrated in a food dehydrator at 115 degrees overnight, or about 10 to 12 hours. I always have great intentions of making large batches of kale chips and then storing them in glass jars on the counter for the kids to munch on but they never make it that far. I prefer making kale chips with curly kale because all the good stuff that you drizzle over the kale tends to stick a bit more. But since we have a lacinato kale forest in our back yard that is what I have been using. Lacinato kale is also called black kale, Tuscan kale, or dinosaur kale by the way.

Sweet and Spicy Kale Chips

Even though the recipe calls for 2 large bunches of kale, once out of the oven, there isn't really that much to go around. I like to use the full teaspoon of chili flakes, which creates a medium-spiciness. One of my 3 year old twin boys loves the spice on these and the other one doesn't. Same with my girls, one loves them and one doesn't. Use 1/2 teaspoon for a mild spiciness. I have found that baking kale chips at any temperature over 250 degrees causes them to burn. It may take longer at a lower temp, but the flavor and crisp are worth it.

2 large bunches kale, stems and inner ribs removed
1 small lime, juiced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons creamy almond butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon Herbamare

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Use a knife to cut out the tough inner rib that runs lengthwise through the center of each kale leaf. Then cut the kale into large pieces.

In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Place the kale into a large bowl, or two, and pour the mixture over the kale. Use your hands to gently massage the mixture in, coating each leaf.

Use one very large cookie sheet or two medium sized sheets and distribute the kale evenly so they are in one layer. Bake for about 40 minutes, removing the pans every so often to stir and flip the leaves. You should only need to do this 2 to 3 times during cooking. If they are not crisp and dry at the end of cooking time just pop them back in until they crisp up. Once they are done, let them cool on the cookie sheets then transfer to a bowl to serve.

Nut-Free Variation: Replace the almond butter with sesame tahini or sunflower seed butter. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

If you make kale chips, how do you make them? Have a really great recipe you would like to share? Love to hear! :)

Part of our backyard kale forest ~ these plants are taller than my children!

More Kale Recipes:
Raw Kale and Avocado Salad
Blanched Kale and Pomegranate Salad
Winter Green Smoothie

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Grain-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes

2011-10-23T22:36:00.000-07:00

After multiple failed attempts to create a grain-free, nut-free, refined sugar-free cupcake recipe I finally got it! We couldn't decide whether or not to call these muffins or cupcakes.....so when frosted they are cupcakes and when plain they are muffins. I sweeten these little treats using pureed medjool dates. Combined with the coconut flour, they taste fairly sweet!

I have found that different brands of coconut flour yield very different results. Most of my coconut flour creations needed to be composted (ok, I have much more experience using grain flours) until I began using a different brand of coconut flour. Has anyone else experienced this? If you bake with coconut flour, what is your favorite brand? Please leave a comment if you have a moment. I have had best results using the Let's Do Organic! brand of coconut flour.

For detailed instructions on making your own pumpkin puree go to the post I did last year on How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree. It is important to make it correctly otherwise your puree could end up too moist which would affect how the cupcakes turn out. I use a Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe I posted over a year ago. I didn't have any opened jars of applesauce so I used 1/4 cup of Tom's freshly made dairy-free coconut yogurt (I normally use 2 tablespoons applesauce). I also increased the coconut oil to 6 tablespoons.

Grain-Free Pumpkin Cupcakes with Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting

These moist and spicy grain-free cupcakes are made with coconut flour and sweetened only with medjool dates. You’ll need a high-powered blender such as a Vita-Mix to make these. I use soft medjool dates that are not soaked first so a regular blender just wouldn’t be able to puree them. Use fresh, homemade pumpkin puree or canned in this recipe. You can also use any type of winter squash puree if sugar pie pumpkins are unavailable. I like to bake and puree a lot of pumpkins in autumn and then freeze the puree in 2-cup containers to use throughout the year.

Dry Ingredients:
½ cup coconut flour
½ cup arrowroot powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups pumpkin puree
1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted
½ cup melted coconut oil
4 large organic eggs
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 recipe Dairy-Free Cream Cheese Frosting
freshly grated nutmeg for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add all of the wet ingredients to a high-powered lender, blend until smooth and creamy, pulsing if needed.

Scoop out wet ingredients with a rubber spatula and whisk into the dry ingredients until combined.

Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to the top. Gently smooth the top of each with your fingertips. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes and cool on a wire rack. If you want to frost these, wait until they are completely cooled. Then top each cupcake with a little freshly grated nutmeg.

If you make the frosting recipe, pour it into a bowl after you blend it and place it in your freezer for 30 to 40 minutes (stirring every 10 minutes or so). This will cause it to solidify to a spreadable consistency. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Pumpkin Recipes:
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Quinoa Cornbread
Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Harvest Green Smoothie

2011-10-15T23:08:00.000-07:00

It is harvest time and we are working on ways to not only preserve the harvest but also to use up nature's bounty while it is nice and fresh. Green smoothies are a great way to use up fresh produce. Plus, they are the perfect vehicle to deliver raw, digestible green vegetables to your children! We began giving green smoothies to our children when they were around nine months old. We always made them without lemon until they were at least twelve months old because citrus can sometimes be harsh on a baby's digestive system.

Offering smoothies when they are young primes their taste buds and other sensory organs, such as the eyes, to like and beg for these drinks. Children who don't get them when they are very young sometimes have a harder time adapting to drinking something bright green when first introduced. Our 3 year old twins love green smoothies. You can watch them help prepare a smoothie with Tom in this video when they were two years old. The other day, I told them that I was going to make a green smoothie but I was still busy in the kitchen with another project. One of my twins said...."mommy when are you going to make the green moothie......momMY, PLEASE make the moothie NOW!" After I made it they each gulped down about 12 ounces. If your child isn't fond of green smoothies, try making them with mostly fruit and maybe only one kale leaf, then, over the days and weeks that you make them, slowly add more greens to let your child's taste buds adapt. Keep trying! Sometimes it takes 15 times of tasting something new for your child to accept it. A straw can also make smoothie time fun! I don't buy plastic straws, but if I were ever to buy some I would purchase either stainless steel or glass drinking straws.

Harvest Green Smoothie

I have been making smoothies out of all of the amazing fruit and greens we have available right now. Honeycrisp apples and bartlett pears create the most delicious fruit base with lovely flowery undertones. The greens are sweet and delicious right now, not as bitter as they are in the middle of the summer. These cold, crisp nights cause them to become sweeter. We like to create green smoothies with whatever we have on hand. I have been freezing plenty of pears and peaches to use when these fruits are out of season. Right now there are plenty of varieties of apples to choose from, pears, grapes (blend the seeds in too), still some peaches, and of course plenty of dark leafy greens to choose from (kale, collards, carrot tops, bok choy, cabbage, arugula, spinach, lettuce). You can be very creative with your smoothie. If it doesn't taste right just add more fruit, lemon juice, or more greens. Please note that this recipe is designed using a Vita-Mix which can make about 2 quarts at a time. Cut this recipe in half if you are using a regular blender. This recipe is acceptable for Phase 2 of the Elimination Diet.

2 honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into chunks
2 small bartlett pears, cored and cut into chunks
1 white peach, pitted
1 lemon, juiced
1 chunk of ginger
3 to 4 cups water
3 to 4 collards leaves
3 to 4 kale leaves
2 to 3 large handfuls spinach leaves

Place the apples, pears, peach, lemon juice, ginger, and water into the Vita-Mix, blend until smooth. Add the greens, a little at a time, blend, and then add more greens, blend again until smooth. Taste the smoothie to determine if it needs more greens, fruit, lemon, or water. I usually taste it and if it too sweet I just keep adding greens until my Vita-Mix is practically overflowing with green smoothie! Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Breastfeeding Update: Now that our daughter is a month and a half old I am making smoothies with kale and collards. I like to drink a quart at a time in between meals as a late afternoon snack (green smoothies are an awesome energizer!). For the first few weeks after she was born, Tom was making smoothies for me using just fruit, spinach, lettuce, and no lemon. She seems to be fine now when I eat many different foods including kale, collards, raw sauerkraut, a small amount of lemon or lime, and even cauliflower soup! You can read the post I did a few weeks ago where I talked about foods for a breastfeeding mama if you are interested.

More Smoothie Recipes:
Blueberry Cucumber Smoothie
Cherry Beet Detox Smoothie
Super Antioxidant Smoothie

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Gluten-Free Oatmeal Plum Cobbler

2011-10-04T16:46:00.000-07:00

This simple gluten-free oatmeal cobbler is also refined sugar-free and vegan, though you can use butter if you like. I make it with Italian plums but you could use any variety of plum or pluot. It can also be made with peaches, blueberries, or blackberries. I've been dehydrating Italian plums like crazy lately. My children love to eat them as a snack in the winter. I keep filling up glass jars and storing them in the back of the pantry. Italian plums can also be halved, pitted, and frozen to use throughout the year. In fact, I have also made this recipe using frozen plums from last year!

Every year in late summer or early Autumn I take the kids around town and harvest plums with them. Usually there are so many trees with plums dropping to the ground and never enough people picking them. We just knock on doors and ask if we can pick plums. People are usually more than happy to have help with the harvest. And we are more than happy to have boxes of local plums to enjoy. This year plums trees around here were not as bountiful so we bought cases of plums from Eastern Washington.

Oatmeal Plum Cobbler

A cobbler is a fruit dessert with a sweet biscuit-like topping. I use gluten-free rolled oats as the main "flour" in the topping. I have also used quinoa flakes in place of the oats but I don't think the flavor is as good. You can substitute peaches, berries, or apples for the plums in the filling if desired. If you are using frozen fruit then be sure to let it partially thaw before using. If you don't have coconut sugar you can replace it with maple sugar, sucanat, or brown sugar. I usually use unsweetened hemp milk or homemade cashew milk in the topping. If you eat dairy then cow or goat milk would work as well.

Filling:
6 cups chopped Italian plums
3 tablespoons sweet rice flour or arrowroot powder
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut sugar

Topping:
1 1/2 cups GF rolled oats, lightly ground
3/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
6 tablespoons organic palm shortening or butter
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Set out an 8 x 8-inch glass baking pan.

Place the chopped plums into a medium-sized bowl. Toss with the sweet rice flour and coconut sugar. Pour into the glass baking pan. Set aside.

I use the dry container of my Vita-Mix to lightly grind the rolled oats into a coarse flour. Place the ground oats, sweet rice flour, flax seeds, coconut sugar, baking powder and spices into a mixing bowl. Whisk together. Then cut in the shortening or butter using your fingers or a pastry cutter. Add the milk and mix together using a fork. Dough will feel slightly thin at first. Let rest for 5 minutes for some of the liquid to be absorbed.

Drop topping by the large spoonful on top of the fruit. Bake for about 40 minutes or until fruit is bubbling up and topping is cooked through. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or cold. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Autumn Recipes:
Apple Crisp
Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies
Deep Dish Apple Pie

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Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

2011-09-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe in not the traditional way to make pasta sauce using fresh tomatoes. I take the easy and fast route. I just don't have time to remove the skins and seeds from 20 pounds of tomatoes each time I make sauce! Place fresh tomatoes in a blender and blend the seeds, skin, and all. Plus, this way we use the *whole food* -- the whole tomato. Once you begin to make your own you'll never want to go back to store-bought pasta sauce!

I have been buying cases of fresh, organic tomatoes from Smallwood Farms in Eastern Washington because I never get a great harvest in my backyard garden. If you grown your own tomatoes, this recipe is a great way to make use of them. The sauce can be canned in mason jars or stored in your freezer for later use. The other day I asked on Facebook what everyone is doing with the tomato harvest this season. There are so many great comments. Be sure to head over there and check them out if you need more ideas!

Fresh Tomato Basil Marinara Sauce

If you want to make a smaller batch you can cut this recipe into thirds. Use about 6 to 7 pounds of tomatoes and one large onion. I like to use a 12-quart stock pot when making this sauce. Though I think an 8-quart pot will work as well, you might just get some sauce splattering out of the pot. I use a food processor to mince the onions and garlic. Then I process about 1/3 of the tomatoes in it as well. This leaves some of the tomatoes a little chunky. Use a blender or Vita-Mix to puree the remaining tomatoes. Once the sauce has cooked down to the consistency you like, taste it and add more sea salt as needed.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 large onions, minced
1 whole head garlic, minced
20 pounds fresh tomatoes
2 cups fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons sea salt

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the minced onions and garlic. Saute for about 10 minutes. Remove the stem-end of the tomatoes. Process some of them in a food processor, leaving them a little chunky. Blend the remaining tomatoes until smooth. Then begin to add the tomatoes to the pot of onions in batches as you puree them. Add the chopped basil, vinegar, sugar, Italian seasoning, and sea salt.

Cook, uncovered, for about 3 hours or until sauce has cooked down and thickened. Be sure to stir it on occasion and keep it on a rapid simmer. Keep cooking until sauce has thickened to your liking. Taste and add more salt if needed. Freeze cooled sauce in jars or can it. I think the recipe makes about 4 quarts, but I never know because my family eats a bunch of it up soon after it is made. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Sauce Recipes:
Homemade Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Thai Green Curry Sauce
Pizza Sauce

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Rice Breakfast Porridge

2011-09-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

We have a newborn baby in the house now and that means that our meals have changed a little. A few weeks ago our sweet new baby girl, Camille Rose Malterre, arrived peacefully in our home by candlelight.....a successful VBAC at home! Our children were all there to witness her birth, though we couldn't really wake our 3-year old twin boys to be fully present. I put myself on a mildly restrictive breastfeeding elimination diet once she was born to help ease the transition into life outside the womb.

Newborn babies have such delicate digestive systems up until around three months of age. Compounds in certain foods can cause fussiness and crying, excess gas, and even skin rashes in the breastfeeding baby. Luckily it is really simple to just remove the most common offending foods from your diet at birth or before to keep baby calm and happy. I actually removed any dairy I was eating a few weeks before she was born as it can take up to a month for dairy to clear your system. Dairy, specifically the casein protein, is often the cause of a lot of digestive and skin issues in newborns. Our sweet baby girl has been sleeping through the night since she was a few days old and is a very peaceful, happy baby.....just like our first daughter, Lily. She has had a few bouts of fussiness, you know the kind where they are really uncomfortable and want to nurse and then cry and then nurse and then cry and so on. I realized those were the days that I had eaten citrus. Testing it one more time to make sure, we found that this is the one food that I simply cannot eat. I have not tested them all, such as dairy, cruciferous vegetables, or raw garlic, and in fact, I would suggest not testing these three foods for many months. I can eat cooked onions, a little cooked garlic, and tomatoes....oh we have been enjoying tomatoes in all sorts of recipes lately, thank goodness!

Baby Camille, 3 weeks, with big sister Grace

I did a great post a year or so ago on Nourishing the New Mom with a list of foods to eat and not to eat in the postpartum period. You can refer to that for more information. Below is a short list on the most common foods breastfeeding babies can react to. I would suggest to avoid them all at the time of birth and then if you are feeling up for it, slowly challenge each food in every 4 days, similar to our Elimination Diet. Please note that some babies require mom to go on a much stricter elimination diet, usually eliminating most foods and sticking with only with rice, millet, quinoa, chicken, turkey, yams, squash, salad greens, olive oil, and sea salt for 2 weeks and then slowly adding back in foods like nuts and seeds, other mild fruits and vegetables, and lastly, those listed below to determine the source of baby's upset.

Foods that most often cause issues in the breastfeeding baby:

dairy (including goat and sheep)
eggs
raw onions and garlic (sometimes cooked can also aggravate babies)
citrus
tomatoes
a lot of acidic fruit
peanuts/peanut butter
chocolate
soy
wheat/gluten
beef
caffeine

Rice Breakfast Porridge

After all of my babies have been born I have craved rice porridge for breakfast and sometimes even as a bedtime snack. It is easy to digest and easy on baby's newly functioning digestive system. Rice porridge can be made out of any brown rice but our favorite is Brown Jasmine Rice. You can try sweet brown rice, short grain, or even black rice if you desire. I like to top my bowl with a little coconut sugar, ground raw almonds, and lately, fresh nectarines or peaches. We have been buying boxes of fresh, organic fruit every week from Smallwood Farms (delivered to Bellingham once a week). They have the most delicious fruit imaginable, plus we save a lot of money buying it by the case! I have been working to freeze and dehydrate most of it to store for the winter.

2 cups uncooked long grain brown rice
6 to 8 cups water
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Optional Toppings:
ground raw almonds
coconut sugar or maple syrup
cinnamon
frozen blueberries

diced apples

chopped peaches or nectarines
raisins

Place the rice into a coffee grinder or high-powered blender and grind into a very fine meal, not as fine as flour, but not too coarse either. We use the dry container of our Vita-Mix to grind the rice and then the almonds for the topping.

Place the water into a 3-quart saucepan and heat over medium heat until warm. Pour in the ground rice, whisk together immediately. Turn heat up and bring cereal to a boil, stirring constantly.

Once boiling, reduce heat to medium or medium-low. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Remove lid and whisk cereal occasionally, adding more water if necessary depending on desired thickness. Cook for a few more minutes then remove from heat. Cereal will thicken as it cools.

Scoop into serving bowls and top with your favorite toppings. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Baby and I in the kitchen of course!

More Breakfast Ideas:

Teff Banana Pancakes

Strawberry Almond Smoothie

Apple-Cinnamon Quinoa

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Creamy Summer Zucchini Soup

2011-08-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

This creamy, refreshing soup is a great way to use up all of that zucchini growing in your garden! Or, perhaps you bought too much from the Farmer's Market and need more ideas on how to use it. This dairy-free zucchini soup doesn't use any type of cream, coconut milk, or nuts to make it creamy. Just a few tablespoons of rice does the trick! My girls, who normally pick out zucchini in meals, love this soup and asked for seconds this evening. Pureeing vegetables into a creamy soup usually doesn't cause the same food aversions in children as does eating the vegetable in its whole form.

I got the recipe idea for this soup during my appointment with my midwife today. She actually gave me a few ideas of how to use zucchini that I had not thought of. The verbal recipe she gave me uses white rice, which is what I used. I believe cooked brown rice would work as well. I would add 1/2 to 3/4 cup of cooked brown rice. Don't use uncooked brown rice as it will not cook fully in the 15 to 20 minutes needed to simmer the soup. You could also use uncooked quinoa or even 1/2 cup of almond flour if you are grain-free.

Creamy Summer Zucchini Soup

Use either green zucchini, yellow zucchini, or patty pan squash in this recipe. Today I used yellow zucchini. I also used a very flavorful homemade herbed chicken stock (made without nettles) in this soup which gave it a deep, rich flavor. You could also use vegetable stock if you are vegan. Our family finished off the entire pot this evening. If you are cooking for one or two people, you may want to freeze half of it for later. The soup should last in the fridge for up to 5 days.

2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
8 to 10 cups chopped zucchini (about 5 to 6 medium zukes)
6 tablespoons uncooked white rice
8 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
sea salt or Herbamare to taste

Heat a 6 to 8-quart pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onion and saute for 5 to 10 minutes or until onion softens and is beginning to change color. Add garlic and cumin and saute a minute more. Then add chopped zucchini, white rice, and chicken stock. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until zucchini is tender and rice is cooked.

Add cilantro and lemon juice to the pot. Remove from heat and puree in your blender or Vita-Mix in batches. I like to toss in the whole bunch of cilantro to one of the batches after I have already pureed it some. This way the cilantro doesn't totally break down while you are pureeing the soup. Pour soup into another clean pot or bowl, stir batches together, and taste. If it needs a flavor boost, add Herbamare or sea salt to taste. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Zucchini Recipes:
Zucchini-Almond Bread
Minty Chicken-Zucchini Kebobs
Zucchini Bake....Tastes Like Cheese!

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**I just realized that I was signed in under Tom's account...this post was put up by Ali!

Honeydew-Cucumber-Mint Popsicles

2011-08-05T18:55:00.000-07:00

I know my blog posts have slowed down quite a bit lately. Remodeling a house, finishing a book, and being pregnant have taken up most of my time. I wanted to share this very easy, nourishing popsicle recipe with you and your children. These popsicles are sugar-free, sweetened only with the fruit itself. Ripe honeydew melon is very sweet, in fact, when I make these with the melon and mint alone, my children think they are too sweet! Adding the cucumber balances the flavors and adds nutrients like silica, and extra potassium and vitamin C.

I made a large batch of this recipe the other day, thinking they would make a great snack during labor. I made about 15 popsicles in varying sizes. Today we have five left. I usually only keep foods in the house I feel comfortable having my children eat; meaning they can go into the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer at any time and make themselves a snack. Today, though, I needed to cut them off from these healthy popsicles!

Everything is ready now for the homebirth our new baby. I have scrubbed the house down, pulled out the cloth diapers, slings, and blankets. I've washed and folded the little newborn clothes. The girls are really looking forward to being "mini-doulas" helping get the receiving blankets and hats when the time comes, as well as anything else that needs to be done. It could be anytime in the next few weeks.....oh the excitement around here lately! The boys ask everyday when the baby is coming.

Honeydew-Cucumber-Mint Popsicles

I like to use a very ripe honeydew melon for this recipe. You could also add the juice from one to two limes for a refreshing tart flavor. If you don't have very many popsicle molds, I would suggest using either a small melon or half a melon and a medium cucumber. You could also add ice cubes to any leftovers that won't fit into the molds and make a refreshing smoothie. Please note that this recipe is also suitable for all phases of the Elimination Diet!

1 medium to large honeydew melon, seeded
1 large cucumber, chopped
1 large handful fresh spearmint leaves

Cut the melon in half, scoop out the seeds, and then scoop out the flesh into a bowl to catch the juices. Add the melon and juices to a blender or Vita-Mix. Then add the chopped cucumber and fresh mint. Blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze overnight. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More frozen summer treats:
Watermelon Sorbet
White Nectarine Ice Cream (dairy-free)
Avocado Fudgesicles

Frozen treats from other bloggers:
Watermelon Fruit Popsicles from the Spunky Coconut
Banana Ice Cream Pops from Gluten-Free Goddess
Red, White, and Blue Popsicles from Cook It Allergy Free

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Creamed Kale (Dairy-Free)

2011-07-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

Do you need more ideas for using up all of that kale growing in your garden? We've been making green smoothies, raw kale salads, sauteed kale with garlic....and now creamed kale as well. This dairy-free version is very easy to make as long as you have a blender. Raw cashews and water make the cream-base, sauteed onions and garlic give it depth, and the jalapeno gives it flavor! Our three year old twins love this recipe, in fact, one of them had three servings tonight and the other one literally licked his bowl clean!

You've probably noticed my lack of blog posts lately. This is because we underwent a small but significant house remodel. We have only begun to make meals again in our new kitchen for the last week. It has taken me quite a bit of time to put the house back together but now our kitchen, living, dining, and family rooms are super organized and clean! Just perfect before the new baby arrives.

Dairy-Free Creamed Kale

Serve this simple recipe with cooked quinoa, black-eyed peas or grilled chicken, and some raw vegetables. You might think that 10 to 12 cups of chopped kale is a lot, but remember that it cooks down considerably. We don't have any leftovers in our house when I make this.

10 to 12 cups finely chopped kale

Sauce:
2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 heaping cup)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup raw cashews
2 cups water
1/2 small jalapeno pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 to 2 teaspoons Herbamare

Chop the kale and set aside.

Heat a large skillet (11 or 12-inch) over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onions and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to change color. Add them to a blender along with the cashews, water, jalapeno pepper, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and Herbamare. Blend until smooth and creamy. I use Vita-Mix for this.

Place the sauce and chopped kale back into your large skillet and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until kale has softened and sauce has thickened. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed.

More Kale Recipes:
Winter Green Smoothie
Raw Super Green Salad
Blanched Kale Salad with Salmon

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Orange Creamsicle Smoothie (dairy-free)

2011-06-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Anyone remember those orange creamsicle popsicles we enjoyed as children? This frosty dairy-free smoothie captures those flavors and provides a host of nutrients and protein. I got the idea for this smoothie from one of our favorite restaurants, Thrive Cafe, in Seattle. Whenever we are in Seattle or driving through we make a stop there either to dine in or to get take-out for the road. It is a mostly raw, vegan, organic cafe with very reasonable prices. All of the to-go containers are biodegradable too!

This smoothie is made with raw almond milk. We have a recipe in our cookbook for making raw almond milk if you need one. I usually soak a big bowl of truly raw organic almonds overnight and scoop out some for almond milk and leave the rest for smoothies and snacking. Place the almonds and water into a high-powered blender. A pinch of sea salt and a dash of maple syrup is all you need to add. Blend, adding more water if needed, and then strain though cheese cloth or a nut milk bag. Tom likes to eat the leftover pulp. You can also use the pulp to make dehydrated crackers or cookies.

Raw Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

This smoothie is more like a frosty beverage rather than a thick smoothie. It is quite refreshing on a very hot day. If you don't want to use raw almond milk or have a nut allergy then use any milk of your choice, such as hemp milk or rice milk. I prefer freshly squeezed orange juice because all of the enzymes needed to help digest it are intact, but you could also use store-bought orange juice. I use valencia oranges because of their high juice content. Omit the frozen bananas if you would like and just use a few cups of ice cubes. This recipe makes a large batch (to feed our family plus some). You can easily make a half batch. Leftovers can also be poured into popsicle molds for a frosty treat later on.

4 cups raw almond milk
2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
2 medium frozen bananas
1 to 2 handfuls ice cubes

Place the almond milk, orange juice, and bananas into a high-powered blender (I use a Vita-Mix) and blend for about 60 seconds or until smooth. Add ice cubes if desired and blend again. Drink immediately or pour into popsicle molds and freeze. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Smoothie Recipes:
Blueberry-Cucumber Smoothie
Super Antioxidant Smoothie
Cherry Beet Detox Smoothie

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Rhubarb Scones (gluten-free + egg-free)

2011-06-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Rhubarb is in season here! It is almost like the first fruit of the season. There are so many creative ways to use rhubarb, such as in compotes, pies, jams, sauces, crisps, scones, and ice cream! If you have any more idea please share. These gluten-free, vegan rhubarb scones make a tasty breakfast treat or afternoon snack with tea.

This is another recipe of mine that doesn't require any starches or xanthan gum. The binding action comes from the chia seeds and sweet rice flour. If you are looking for a good source of chia seeds that are a little less expensive than buying them at your local health food store, I found them on sale today at Nutiva.com. I usually buy a ten pound bag from Azure Standard but forgot to include it in my recent order. Be sure to store them in your refrigerator. I usually grind about a cup in my Vita-Mix to use during the week. I store the ground seeds in a tightly sealed glass jar in my refrigerator.

Gluten-Free Rhubarb Scones

If you prefer to use something other than rhubarb in these scones, try chopped strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or peaches. You can add a small amount of spices to compliment whatever fruit you choose to add. For example, peaches and nutmeg pair well together. I use superfine sweet rice flour from Authentic Foods but I believe any sweet rice flour will work. I normally use coconut sugar in my scone recipes but I realized today that I was out, so I used the organic cane sugar in my pantry for kombucha making. They were slightly sweeter than normal but still tasty!

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
4 tablespoons granulated sugar (coconut, maple, Sucanat, or cane)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons organic palm shortening
3/4 cup chopped fresh rhubarb (chopped small)
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 tablespoons ground chia seeds
2 tablespoons hot water
3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup unsweetened hemp milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, sweet rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the palm shortening using your fingers until pea-sized crumbs form.

Add the rhubarb and orange zest, set aside.

Add to a blender the chia seeds and hot water. Then add the applesauce and hemp milk; blend until thick and creamy. Pour the liquid ingredients over the rhubarb and flour mixture. Quickly mix together using a fork until the ingredients have come together. Do not over-mix.

Lightly flour a wooden board and place the dough ball onto it. Dough will be a little sticky. Sprinkle a little flour over the dough and gently pat into a round disk about 1-inch of thickness. Using a sharp, floured knife, cut into quarters and then eighths, so you have 8 triangles.

Use the knife to slide under each scone and gently pick up. Then with the knife still supporting the scone, place onto a cookie sheet. Brush each scone with hemp milk and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Recipes you Might Enjoy:
Rhubarb Muffins
Maple Raspberry Scones
Strawberry-Hazelnut Shortcakes

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Raw Kale Avocado Salad

2011-05-31T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Farmer's Market was bursting with luscious dark leafy greens on Saturday. I couldn't help but buy at least one bunch of every variety of kale! I made this raw kale salad tonight and my children devoured it. They are accustomed to eating many different types of greens, but for a child who isn't, below are a few tips.

Tips for adding more variety, vegetables, and greens to your child's diet:

Make sure your children are hungry and have not been snacking all afternoon or evening; hungry children are more likely to try and eat new foods.
Serve the new vegetable or salad first. This is especially true for a young child between 2 and 4 years of age.
Sit down as a family and talk about everything but the meal. Focusing on the food can lead to food battles.
Suggest a "try-it-bite" for a child who seems really uncomfortable about trying something new. They may spit it out and that is okay. Sometimes it can take 10 "try-it-bites" over a series of weeks for a child to accept a new food.
Start early! As soon as you have introduced citrus to your toddler's diet offer them a plate of this salad. A one year old won't digest much of it but will gain so much in the way of programming his or her taste buds to accept these types of foods. We put salad greens on our twin's plates by the time they were twelve months old and now they beg for salads at three years old!
Young children learn how to eat and what to eat by watching the adults and caregivers around them. This starts from infancy on.

Our new cookbook as a large chapter devoted to raising healthy eaters, beginning from conception on. These are just a few of the tips on mealtimes with children. I know many of you keep asking when the new book will be available for pre-order. I expected that it would have been ready by now but it is not. I don't have the long focused hours now like I had with our first cookbook. Being pregnant and having four children makes it a little more challenging. It will be done when it is done, that is all I can say. It is close, the recipes are done, but we are still finishing up the content in the beginning. I am confident that you will love it though!

Raw Kale Avocado Salad

Serve this salad alone as a super food meal or serve it over cooked quinoa with a bean soup. If you plan to keep the salad for a few days in your refrigerator then wait to add the avocado to each individual serving. Feel free to add other seasonal vegetables to the salad. Grated carrots, grated beets, diced heirloom tomatoes, or chopped parsley would all be delicious.

Salad:

1 bunch curly kale, chopped (about 8 to 10 cups)

2 avocados, diced

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 6 to 8 hours

Dressing:

3 to 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Herbamare or sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Chop the kale into small pieces and add it to a large bowl. In a smaller, separate bowl whisk together the dressing. Add the dressing to the salad and gently massage it into the kale with your hands. This will soften it almost immediately. Then add the diced avocado. Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds and add them to the salad as well. Gently toss together. Serve. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

This salad is also suitable for Phase 2 of the Elimination Diet.

More Salad and Vegetable Recipes:

Grapefruit, Radish, Cabbage Salad
Jalapeño-Lime Kale Slaw

"Cheesy" Zucchini Almond Bake

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Fish Tacos from Kauai

2011-05-24T01:36:00.000-07:00

Tom and I returned home from Kauai yesterday. We had a wonderful vacation without children this time. They had plenty of fun at home with grandma though! This post is more than a recipe. In fact, after I learned more about mercury levels in Hawaiian fish, I debated posting this at all. But we all make mistakes, and I want to share what I have learned.

When we were packing for our trip I decided to bring a bag of each brown rice, quinoa, pink beans, and raw almonds. I also packed some almond butter, Herbamare, cumin, and our Vita-Mix. Food is much more expensive over there because everything needs to be shipped in. Relying on all of the local foods and the few things we packed, we were able to prepare amazing, nutritious meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner while lessoning our impact on the environment. There is a farmer's market everyday on the island. You just need to be sure that the farmers you buy from are using organic farming methods, as GMO's are prevalent in non-organic papaya crops in particular. Most of the meals we ate were vegan, and many were mostly raw or raw. One evening we went to the local fish market to purchase fish for tacos. We bought opah, commonly known as moonfish. It is a deepwater fish native to Hawaii. We made a lovely meal, that we shared with a friend, of fish tacos, quinoa salad, and for dessert a raw macadamia nut-papaya custard. Everything was local except for the corn tortillas, quinoa, cumin, and the coconut oil used for sauteeing the fish.

After eating this meal two days in a row, I had the thought to check one of the fish lists for safety of consuming opah while pregnant. Sure enough, it is on the avoid list if pregnant and "consume no more than one serving a month" for adults. Luckily I never consume fish with elevated levels of mercury so I don't feel this will pose a significant problem. Mercury in fish damages brain tissue, especially in developing fetuses, infants, and young children. It also damages heart tissue in adults and male reproductive organs and sperm. Two-thirds of mercury in our environment comes from coal-burning power plants, and a significant amount comes from medical and municipal waste. Microorganisms convert elemental mercury to methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury that our bodies cannot get rid of. It first accumulates in microorganisms at the bottom of the food chain and then moves up the food chain ultimately reaching the highest levels in predatory fish (tuna, shark, king mackerel, swordfish, opah, ono). Interestingly, through my research I also learned that opah, like tuna and other deep water fish, are caught by longline fish practices, a type of fishing that places thousands of hooks on a long line. This practice kills many sea birds and other marine creatures, such as sharks, dolphins, and sea turtles in the process.

Mercury in our food supply is a significant issue. When new scientific findings were released that canned tuna contained very high levels of mercury, the EPA downplayed the findings (the tuna industry is big, think lobbying, and the effect on the economy with a large drop of tuna consumption). You'll still see canned tuna on some of the "safe to eat lists" though in reality, it is not safe at all for pregnant women, children, or women of child-bearing age to consume. In fact, children can receive doses of mercury four times the acceptable level by eating six ounces of tuna a week! More info on mercury in fish can be found on websites such as EWG.org. Mercury has also been found in high-fructose corn syrup and therefore also in commercial foods that contain this ingredient, such as snack bars, barbecue sauce, jelly, yogurt, and chocolate syrup. What are we doing to our environment that we can't rely anymore on local food supplies? And why is it "ok" to inject mercury though a vaccine into a newborn baby? We are the cause of many of the problems ailing us today, and we are also the solution. Hopefully this post brings to light some of the issues that can be changed when we focus on human health and the health of our planet instead of the almighty dollar.

Fish Tacos

For a list of safe fish to consume check out this downloadable PDF from GreenAmerica.org or the Smart Seafood Guide 2010 by the Food and Water Watch. This recipe for fish tacos can be made with many of the fish on the safe list. When we make fish tacos at home, we use wild Alaskan salmon. Pictured here is also a fresh salsa that Tom made a few nights in a row (to go with our beans and rice). It is made from tomatoes, avocado, papaya, onions, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and Hawaiian hot chili peppers. Or try serving them with this Papaya Salsa Recipe. We also like to serve fish tacos with thinly sliced napa cabbage and homemade guacamole.

Fish:
1 1/2 to 2 pounds "safe" fish, skinned and cut into chunks
2 large limes, juiced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled
3 Hawaiian hot chili peppers or 1 to 2 jalapenos
1 to 2 teaspoons cumin
1 to 2 teaspoons Herbamare
coconut oil for sauteeing

Other Ingredients:
sprouted corn tortillas
sliced napa cabbage
salsa
guacamole
sprouts

It is much easier to have the fish skinned when you are purchasing it, otherwise you will need a very sharp knife and some skill. Place the chunks of fish (I usually cut it into 1 to 2-inch cubes) into a shallow baking dish, such as an 8 x 8-inch pan. Place the remaining ingredients (lime juice through Herbamare) into a blender and blend for 30 to 60 seconds. Pour marinade over fish. Marinate for about an hour.

To cook the fish, heat a large heavy-bottomed, stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes, then add about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil. Add the fish, start with 1/3 to 1/2 the fish if your skillet is smaller (say 10-inches). If you add too much fish at once to a skillet, it is not able to sear and retain its liquid, therefore drying out quickly. You'll notice a bit of water at the bottom of the pan if you add too much at once. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Remove from the skillet, add a little more oil, and then cook the remaining fish.

Serve with corn tortillas, salsa, guacamole, sprouts, and thinly sliced napa cabbage.

Here is a pregnancy shot of me in Kauai, overlooking Ke'e beach on the north shore.

More Main Dish Recipes:
Spicy Summer Black Bean Salad
Thai Fresh Green Curry
Balsamic Roasted Chicken with Figs and Sweet Onions

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Gluten-Free, Egg-Free Corn Muffins

2011-05-13T11:59:00.000-07:00

We've been experiencing a rather cold, rainy spring here in the pacific northwest so the other night I made a big pot of vegetarian chili. It would not have been complete without a batch of warm corn muffins. Our family enjoyed these so much that I decided to share them with you. I needed to make another batch yesterday just so I could get some photos.

Ground golden flax seeds

The muffins are of course gluten-free, as well as egg-free, dairy-free, and xanthan-free....and still full of so much flavor! I also use flax meal to help bind them together instead of any gums, such as xanthan gum. I grind golden flax seeds in the dry container of my Vita-Mix but a coffee grinder works equally as well. Store any remaining ground seeds in a glass jar for up to a week in your refrigerator. I like to use golden flax seeds when making a lighter colored muffin or bread recipes but you could also use the darker variety if that is what you have on hand.

Vegan Corn Muffins

Serve these perfectly tender and mildly sweet corn muffins with your favorite chili recipe or another bean and vegetable soup. I like to use Arrowhead Mills brand of cornmeal in this recipe because it is both gluten-free and organic.

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:

1/4 cup ground golden flax seeds

1/2 cup hot water

1/3 cup coconut sugar

1/3 cup melted coconut oil or grapeseed oil

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cups unsweetened non-dairy milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Place the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flax seeds and hot water. Let them rest for about 4 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Then add the coconut sugar, oil, and applesauce and whisk again until incorporated. Add the milk and whisk again.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk batter together for a minute or two. The batter should be a little stringy and on the thicker side.

Spoon batter into prepared muffin pan. You will fill each muffin cup to the top. I use a stone muffin pan from Pampered Chef. I don't like using any sort of non-stick cookware or bakeware. Everything I bake cooks evenly and comes out without sticking in the stone pans. These are worth the small investment! Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Run a knife around each muffin to gently release. Cool on a wire rack. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

I look forward to your feedback if you get a chance to make these! :)

Serve These Muffins With:

Spiced Chicken and Rice Stew

Chipotle Black Bean and Yam Stew

Soothing Red Lentil Soup

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Buckwheat Hazelnut Pancakes

2011-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:00

If you have been following our blog for a while you'll know we are big fans of buckwheat. I buy the raw groats and then grind them myself in the dry container of my Vita-Mix. Raw Buckwheat Groats are soft and can also be easily ground in a coffee grinder if you don't happen to have a Vita-Mix. The resulting flour is very mild, creating tender, flavorful pancakes or baked goods. The buckwheat flour you find in the stores is made from roasted buckwheat groats, creating a very strong flavor, which most people don't like. Another thing about raw buckwheat is that it has its own binding power. You'll notice as you mix the batter together it becomes rather "stringy" much like a gluten flour. For this reason, it doesn't require any gums, although pancakes never do.

Buckwheat is not a grain, but rather a seed. It actually has compounds in it that help regulate blood sugar. For this reason it is a great flour to use if you are diabetic.

One of our children's favorite breakfast recipes is the Buckwheat Pancake recipe in our first book, The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook. A few months ago I began adding Hazelnut Meal to the batter to add extra protein and flavor (for this pregnant mama). I never measure, because if the first pancake doesn't turn out quite right you can easily adjust the batter. I finally nailed down the recipe to share with you, just in time for Mother's Day!

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Hazelnut Pancakes

I like to serve these healthy pancakes with warm Blueberry Syrup. Making your own syrup primarily from fruit cuts back on maple syrup intake and cost (pure maple syrup is expensive!). I think we harvested close to 150 pounds of organic blueberries last summer so we still have ample supply in our freezer. You could make this syrup with strawberries also, if they are in season for you now. I use Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut Meal but you could try grinding your own raw hazelnuts to a very fine meal if desired. I usually grind at least 3 cups of raw buckwheat groats at a time and then store the extra flour in a glass jar in my pantry. Use any milk you prefer in the batter. For this batch I used 1 cup water and 1 cup unsweetened hemp milk. Serve pancakes with a green smoothie for a balanced breakfast.

Dry Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups freshly ground buckwheat flour
1 1/2 cups hazelnut meal
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 cups milk (dairy or non-dairy)
2 large organic eggs
2 to 3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 to 3 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

butter or coconut oil for cooking

Begin by heating a heavy-bottomed 10-inch stainless steel skillet over medium heat. For cooking pancakes it is really important to let the pan heat on the stove for about 5 minutes before using it. This way your pancakes won't stick. I usually melt the coconut oil or butter in the heating pan at this point.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients and whisk together again.

If you melted your coconut oil or butter in the pan you should still have a little oil on the bottom for cooking, if not add about a teaspoon now.

Use a 1/2-cup measure to pour batter into pan. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds on each side. Adjust temperature if needed. I usually cook mine just under medium heat. Add a little coconut oil or butter in between pancakes and continue to cook until batter is gone.

Serve with Grade B maple syrup or this quick and easy Blueberry Syrup recipe. Enjoy!

Ingredient Notes:
If you live in the Bellingham area, I noticed yesterday while I was grocery shopping that Terra Organica on Cornwall now carries Bob's Red Mill Hazelnut flour. I've been buying it in bulk from Azurestandard.com to save on cost.

More Buckwheat Recipes:
Vegan Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls
Thin Buckwheat Pizza Crust
Carrot Raisin Buckwheat Muffins

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Healing Nettle Chicken Stock

2011-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Stocks or broths can be used in many different ways, well beyond soups. Homemade stock is far more nutritious than store-bought stock, even the organic brands. For one, commercial stocks, whether chicken or vegetable, use many different "natural" flavorings. What is a natural flavoring anyway? It can be anything, but most often it is a man-made chemical, often containing MSG (free glutamic acid). Did you know that the FDA classifies MSG as "natural" and by using other terms such as "natural flavoring" or "yeast extract," manufacturers can somewhat deceive label-reading consumers into buying their products? The flavoring industry is a billion dollar industry. Most of us won't buy a product that doesn't taste good. Humans have receptors on their tongues for glutamate, the amino acid we recognize as the common "meat" flavor in foods. Using MSG in foods such as chicken stock is a way to cut corners and create a cheap food for a profit. And unfortunately, MSG is a neurotoxic substance causing headaches and in large amounts, possible damage to the brain (in B6 and magnesium deficient people). By making your own stocks using high-quality ingredients, you create so much flavor you would never need to add anything else to them.

Here is an ingredient list for an organic chicken stock made by a well-known company: Organic chicken broth (filtered water, organic chicken), Organic chicken flavor (organic chicken flavor, sea salt), Natural chicken flavor (chicken stock, salt), Sea salt, Organic evaporated cane juice, Organic onion powder, Turmeric, Organic flavor.

Now let's look at the ingredient list for a homemade stock: Organic chicken carcass, onions, garlic, leeks, celery, carrots, parsley, rosemary, thyme, black peppercorns, Herbamare, and fresh nettles.

I know we are all very busy and for some of us, just the thought of making your own stock seems overwhelming. But it doesn't need to be. Stocks can be simmered slowly for hours on the stove with very little attention needed. When you roast a whole chicken and have pulled all the meat from the bones, simply toss it in a stockpot (8-quart), add your vegetables, water, vinegar, and salt then cover and simmer for 6 hours or more. If you don't have time to make stock within a few days of roasting the chicken then put the chicken carcass in the freezer and take it out when you are ready.

Nutritional benefits of consuming homemade chicken stock:

contains nutrients that can strengthen digestion
adds gelatin which is rich in gut and joint supporting components
contains many minerals in an easily absorbable form, including calcium
adds small amounts of easily digested proteins to the diet

Because it is spring, I've been adding fresh nettles to our stock these days. Fresh nettles can be seen in just about every forest around us this time of year. We've harvested some ourselves but need to get out soon and stock up before they get too big. Nettles are best harvested when only a few inches high. If you are interested in learning more on nettle harvesting please read a post I did last year on Harvesting Nettles with Children.

Nutritional benefits of nettles:

rich source of minerals, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc
high in carotenoids, potassium, and Vitamin K
may assist in reversing anemia
contains anti-inflammatory compounds
is a mild diuretic that can decrease water retention problems
can assist in boosting fertility in women

How to Make Chicken Stock with Nettles

Every time we roast a chicken I make stock, not on the same day, but a day or two later. The stock in these photos was made from a locally raised, pastured organic chicken that was rubbed with chipotle chili powder and salt, then roasted. The resulting stock was rich and full-bodied with a hint of spice. I pour my stock into glass mason jars and freeze the majority of it right away. This way my freezer is continually stocked with fresh, homemade, organic stock. Use stock to make soups and stews, or to cook whole grains. You can add it to mashed potatoes, sauces, or basically anywhere a liquid is needed for a savory dish. If I am making a soup and need stock (and I have not thought about thawing it out) I will take a jar out of the freezer and put it into a pot of hot water. By the time my vegetables are chopped and I am ready to add some liquid, enough of it will be thawed out to use in my soup. For this reason I always use wide-mouthed glass pint or quart jars. The vinegar in the stock is needed to help extract the minerals from the chicken bones. The stock won't have a vinegary taste as long as you don't add too much.

1 chicken carcass (from a 3 to 4 pound organic chicken)

1 large onion, chopped

1 head garlic, cut in half cross-wise

1 to 2 leeks, rinsed well and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley

2 cups fresh nettle leaves

few sprigs fresh rosemary and thyme

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

2 to 3 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt

1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

12 cups filtered water

Add all ingredients to an 8-quart stockpot. Gently bring to a simmer. Make sure that it is a gentle simmer, on low or medium-low heat. Cook, covered, for 3 to 6 hours. The longer cooking times will extract more nutrients and produce a richer flavored stock.

Place a large colander over another large pot or bowl. I use an 8-cup pyrex liquid glass measure because it is easy to pour from. I only pour half of the stock through at once to make pouring into the jars easier. If using a bowl or another pot, use a ladle to put the stock into jars. Once all of the jars are filled, let them cool for about 30 minutes, then cover them and freeze (label with date if needed) or refrigerate until ready to use.

Use your homemade stock in these recipes:

Dairy-Free Cream of Broccoli Soup

Spiced Chicken and Rice Stew

Wild Rice Stuffing

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Healthy Easter Basket Ideas

2011-04-22T13:44:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Americans spend around $2 billion each year on Easter candy? Did you know that loading up Easter baskets with candy is a relatively new phenomenon? Eggs have always been a part of Spring and Easter festivals predating passover. Eggs are a pagan symbol of fertility and rebirth. Dying eggs came a bit later and may have originated in Poland, possibly around the 13th century. But candy? How did that come into play?

Some theorize that it was the exchange of Hot Cross Buns for Easter many hundreds of years ago that began the treat giving on Easter. In 1361, a monk named Father Thomas Rockcliffe began a tradition of giving Hot Cross Buns to the poor of St. Albans on Good Friday. Interestingly, like so many Easter symbols, Hot Cross Buns have their roots in ancient pagan traditions. Hot cross buns are regarded by many as the outgrowth of the ancient Pagan sacramental cakes, eaten by Anglo-Saxons in honor of their goddess, Eostre. The cross on the bun representing the four quarters of the moon.

The exact origin of the Easter Bunny is unclear, but rabbits are an ancient symbol of fertility and new life. Some theorize that it has its roots in the 1700's, when Germans settled on the East Coast of the United States and brought with them their tradition of an egg-laying hare called "Osterhase" or "Oschter Haws." Their children made nests in which this creature would lay its colored eggs. The custom then eventually spread across the United States and the Easter Bunny's early morning deliveries expanded to include chocolate and other types of candy and gifts, using decorated baskets to replace the nests.

The business of selling candy on Easter began to take off from the 1930's to the 1960's when candy makers began developing new candies and displaying them in storefront windows before Easter. According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics for 2007, each person in the U.S. eats about 24.5 pounds of candy per year! That is a lot of toxic sugar, food dyes, and chemical stabilizers going into a young child's growing body each year!

Are there other alternatives? Yes!

This is a photo I took in 2005 on Easter when our oldest daughter was 3 years old. Her basket is filled with natural goodies (it was also the only photo I could find of one of our Easter baskets)! These are some great ideas for all children:

organic fruit leathers
chamomile tea bags
organic sunflower seeds for the garden (any seed pack would work)
a small box of Glee Gum
some natural children's toothpaste and a new toothbrush
natural lotion and soap
a few dark chocolates
art supplies

I always fill the Plastic Easter Eggs with simple things that be used in creative play or eaten as a healthy snack. It is the joy of opening them up to see what's inside for young children, not the exact contents:

polished stones
crystals
marbles
beeswax crayons
money
raw nuts and seeds
dried cranberries
dried mango
usually a few organic jelly beans

Interested in dying eggs naturally? We've done it before with red onion skins, turmeric, and spirulina. Here is a link to an exact process for dying eggs with natural colors from plants: Naturally Dyed Eggs from Healthy Child Healthy World, which originally came from Michelle Stern's blog What's Cooking with Kids!

Please share any other ideas you have for a Healthy Easter Basket. I would love to know what you do for your children! :)

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Stevia Sweetened Sugar Cookies (gluten-free and vegan)

2011-04-19T23:53:00.000-07:00

These beautiful holiday cut-out cookies are made with whole food ingredients and sweetened only with stevia. Not only are they gluten-free, but grain-free as well. I use a combination of almond meal and shredded coconut pulsed in the food processor to create a nutritious, low-glycemic, and naturally sweet "flour" blend.

These cookies certainly don't have that toothsome sugary bite even though they use naturally sweet ingredients and a little stevia to help boost the sweetness. My children are not accustomed to really sugary treats so they love these cookies and will devour the whole batch in one day if I let them. If you are accustomed to treats being a little on the sweeter side you may consider replacing 2 tablespoons of the applesauce with 2 tablespoons of honey.

Coconut Almond "Sugar" Cookies

These flakey, flavorful cut-out cookies can be used for just about any holiday. Here we have used Easter cookie cutters and colored the icing with natural food colorings. In the past to color the icing I have used turmeric powder to create yellow, beet juice for pink, and spirulina powder for green. This time I thought we would try something new. I used Seelect plant-based food coloring in these photos. Once the cookies are baked and frosted they are best frozen until ready to serve. This keeps them crispy and flakey and the icing set in place. They will thaw out in a matter of minutes. This is also nice if you don't have a large family and would like to store your cookies for a longer period of time.

Note: I have only tested this recipe twice. First with 1 cup each of the almond meal and shredded coconut and the second time with 1 1/4 cups each. Both ways worked, however using 1 1/4 cup of each resulted in a little more fragile cookie but with great flavor and texture. You can decide how much to add. If you get a chance to leave me some feedback in a comment that would be very helpful, thanks!

Dry Ingredients:
1 to 1 1/4 cups almond meal (I use Bob's Red Mill)
1 to 1 1/4 cups unsweetened finely shredded coconut
1/2 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
6 tablespoons virgin coconut oil (I use Nutiva)
4 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon flavoring
30 to 35 drops liquid stevia

Place the dry ingredients into a food processor fitted with the "s" blade. Pulse the ingredients until combined and ground fine, about 60 to 90 seconds.

Add the wet ingredients and process until a dough ball forms. It will be soft but you should be able to form it into a ball. Place the dough into a bowl sprinkled with a little arrowroot powder. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then remove from refrigerator and roll out in between 2 pieces of wax paper or parchment paper to about 1/8 inch of thickness. Cut out with your favorite cookie cutters (they should all be fairly equal in size).

Bake for 10 minutes and watch carefully as timing and temperature may need to be adjusted. If they cook fast and brown then turn oven temp down to just over 325 degrees. Cool on a wire rack.

Icing:
1/2 cup raw cashews
6 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons coconut nectar, honey, or agave nectar
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon flavoring
2 to 3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Place all ingredients for the icing into a high-powered blender and blend until ultra smooth, stopping the machine if necessary to scrape down the sides. Spoon icing into individual small bowls and add a tiny amount of natural food coloring if desired. We used chopsticks to ice each cookie, then sprinkled them with shredded coconut or natural sprinkles. Freeze the cookies for at least 20 minutes to set the icing. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Easter Dessert Recipes:
Oatmeal Cut-Out Cookies
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Clusters (stevia sweetened)
Raw Chocolate Pie
Mango Coconut Pudding

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Gluten-Free Bread (xanthan-free, vegan)

2011-04-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

Today I have a very unique recipe to share. A gluten-free bread recipe that needs to be kneaded! It is made of whole grain flours and is also free of xanthan gum, starches, nuts, eggs, and dairy. Last August I began creating kneadable dinner rolls and braided bread free of the above mentioned ingredients. But something was missing. You see, I grew up making whole wheat bread from scratch with my mother. When I was two years old I was at the counter kneading bread. In high school I would bake my own bread for sandwiches. I have missed the feel of bread dough.

A few months ago I decided to try adding psyllium husk to my bread to see what would happen....and wow....gluten-free bread that really kneads! I was already using ground chia seeds, which help to hold moisture and bind everything together. But the combination of psyllium husk and ground chia work wonders! Psyllium is a fiber that is used in colon cleansing. It also works wonders on lowering cholesterol levels. It can be found on amazon.com or at your local health food store. Be sure to look for "whole psyllium husk." Whole chia seeds can be found at your local health food store and online. See the tip at the bottom of the recipe for grinding them.

If you try this bread, I would love your feedback in a comment below. Or, you could even upload a photo to our Facebook Page! Enjoy!

Farmhouse Seed Bread

There are so many variations to this bread. I've made it into an Olive-Rosemary bread using 1 cup pitted kalamata olive sliced thin and 2 to 4 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary. You could also try a Garlic-Seed bread by adding in chopped fresh garlic and seeds. I am sure there are many more variations. If you have a corn allergy, try replacing the cornmeal with almond meal. I have made this bread with many different flour combinations so feel free to experiment, but this one is my favorite for flavor and texture. The bread gets its crusty crust from being baked on a stone pan with a pan of water on the lower oven rack. The steam from the water helps to form the crust. The bread will be a little gummy hot out of the oven so be sure to let it cool a bit before cutting into it. Slice it and serve with a good quality olive oil for dipping. It is also delicious spread with either almond butter or hummus!

Wet Ingredients:
2 ½ cups warm water (105 to 110 degrees F)
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (1 package)
1 teaspoon maple syrup or organic cane sugar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/3 cup ground chia seeds
1/3 cup whole psyllium husks

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup teff flour
1 cup sorghum flour
½ cup sweet rice flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt

Topping:
extra virgin olive oil
poppy seeds
sesame seeds

Place the warm water in a bowl or 4-cup liquid glass measure. Add the yeast and teaspoon of maple syrup, whisk together. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes to activate the yeast. The mixture should get foamy or bubbly. If not, dump it out and start over.

While the yeast is activating, mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

After the yeast is activated whisk in the olive oil, maple syrup, ground chia seeds, and psyllium husks into the water-yeast mixture. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes (not any longer) to let the chia and psyllium release their gelatinous substances. Whisk again.

Dough after kneading, before rising.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together with a large wooden spoon until thick. Then knead the dough on a floured wooden board to incorporate the flour. Add more teff and sorghum flours, a little at a time, until the dough holds together and isn’t too sticky (about ¼ to ½ cup total). Don’t add too much flour, otherwise the dough will become very dense; it should still be slightly sticky. Form dough into a ball, place back into the large bowl, and cover with a damp towel. Place in a warm spot to rise. I like to place the bowl over a pot of warm water. Let dough rise for an hour or until doubled in size. Rising time will depend on the temperature of the environment around the dough.

Dough after rising for one hour.

After the dough has risen, place a pizza stone in your oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven (the one beneath the pizza stone). I usually use an 8 x 8-inch glass pan filled ¾ of the way full.

Dough on its second rise.

Punch down the dough and turn out onto a lightly floured wooden board. Knead the dough for about a minute. Then form into a round ball. Place on a square of parchment paper and use a sharp knife to cut a shallow “tic-tac-toe” pattern on the top. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with poppy seeds and sesame seeds. Let rise for about 30 minutes in a warm place while the oven and stone are preheating.

Hot out of the oven!

Carefully lift the parchment paper with the risen loaf and place it onto the stone in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 30 to 60 minutes before cutting into it. The bread will be very gummy hot out of the oven. The texture is perfect once cooled. It reminds me of a hearty whole wheat bread.

Tip: Be sure to buy whole chia seeds and then grind them very finely in a coffee grinder or the dry container of your Vita-Mix. If using a Vita-Mix, it is best to grind at least one cup at a time so they grind properly. Store them in a glass jar in your fridge for no longer than a week.
Note: If you are adding garlic or olives to this bread, add them in when you are kneading the dough the first time.

More Xanthan-Free Baking Recipes:
Carrot Raisin Buckwheat Muffins
Pumpkin Quinoa Cornbread
Peanut Butter Cookies
Yeast-Free Cinnamon Rolls

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Carob-Banana Bars (grain-free + sugar-free)

2011-03-22T19:32:00.000-07:00

These moist, delicious, high-protein gluten-free, sugar-free bars are made with almond flour, carob powder, and a touch of cinnamon. They are sweetened only with mashed banana and liquid stevia. Carob powder is naturally sweet unlike cocoa powder which is very bitter. This means that you do not need to add massive amounts of sweetener as you need to with cocoa powder. Carob is also a decent source of protein and high in calcium. Although carob doesn't taste like chocolate, it does have a sweet, nutty, molasses-like flavor that adds depth and a unique taste to your baked goods.

If you would like to replace the carob in this recipe with cocoa powder then I suggest either increasing the liquid stevia or consider adding about 1/4 cup of coconut sugar to the recipe. I use blanched almond flour in this recipe which is very different from the almond flour you find in most health food stores. It can only be ordered online and can't be substituted with other ingredients. I know many people who are gluten-free already use this flour. It is perfect for grain-free cooking and also adds tenderness, flavor, and nutrition to grain-based gluten-free baking.

Grain-Free Carob-Banana Bars

These bars make a nutritious, quick breakfast or a healthy after-school snack. Serve them with a glass of raw almond milk. I buy my almond flour from Lucy's Kitchen Shop here in Bellingham but you can also find it at Honeyville or Benefit your Life.

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup carob powder
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 large ripe bananas, mashed (1 heaping cup)
2 large organic eggs
1/4 cup melted virgin coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
20 to 25 drops liquid stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8 x 8-inch glass baking dish with coconut oil.

Mix together the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Use your fingers to break up any clumps in the almond flour. Then whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add the bananas and mash with a fork. Measure the mashed bananas to make sure they are just over 1 cup. Add more banana if needed or remove some. Then add the remaining ingredients and stir together with the fork.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk together. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool before cutting into bars. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Grain-Free Recipes:
Vegan Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes
Strawberry Coconut Milk Ice Cream
Raw Chocolate Pie

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Grapefruit, Radish, Cabbage Salad

2011-03-06T22:56:00.000-08:00

For the past few months, citrus and cabbage have become some of my favorite two foods! This scrumptious salad combines them both. I use napa cabbage which is a very mild, tender cabbage. It is also a favorite vegetable of our children. My oldest daughter likes to pack napa cabbage in her lunch! All four of our children devour this salad in no time!

Tom and I also have some more news......we are having another baby! This explains the cravings. All I have wanted to eat is cabbage, raw or cooked, and also raw sauerkraut. Also any kind of citrus works really well. The all day nauseousness finally subsided last week and now I am feeling great! Baby number five is due at the end of the summer. I've also been working on finishing the next cookbook. Can't wait to tell you more about it! It will be out before the baby arrives.

Grapefruit, Radish, and Cabbage Salad

This salad is very quick to prepare. It has a lovely, light dressing that doesn't overpower the flavors of the grapefruit or vegetables. I have chives growing in my herb garden already so I snip a few off for this salad. I suppose chopped parsley or a thinly sliced green onion would also work. Serve with grilled chicken breasts or baked salmon and cooked quinoa.

Salad:
6 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
2 large pink grapefruit
5 to 6 small radishes, sliced thin
1 to 2 tablespoons snipped chives

Dressing:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
freshly ground pepper
few pinches sea salt

Place the napa cabbage into a medium-sized salad bowl. To cut the grapefruit (see photo), first trim the top and bottom off. Then place the grapefruit on one of the cut ends and begin taking the peel and pith off with a sharp paring knife. Then slice the peeled grapefruit into rounds. Then cut each round into quarters. Add the grapefruit to the salad along with the radishes.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Pour over salad and toss together. Sprinkle the chives over the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

We have a winner for the cookbook giveaway I did last week! Joy Gilraine can you please email me with your mailing address so I can get this wonderful cookbook sent to you? Thanks everyone for entering! Here is the winning comment: Goldwood Gardens said...Thanks for always leading me to great new cookbooks! I would love to win this book! Joy Gilraine

If you are interested in a vegan, gluten-free cookie recipe of mine, I shared my recipe for Sesame Orange Anise Cookies on Martha Stewart's Whole Living Blog last week. I will be posting one gluten-free recipe a month there so stay tuned for more to come!

More Fresh Salad Recipes:
Beet, Pear, and Almond Salad
Spring Slaw
Raw Super Green Salad

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Almond Flour Scones

2011-02-27T21:55:00.000-08:00

Today I am excited to share with you a wonderful cookbook using almond flour. The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, by Elana Amsterdam. I have one signed copy to give away, see details below.

Have any of you baked with almond flour before? If not, it is a luscious gluten-free flour made from blanched almonds, also called blanched almond flour. It is a high-protein, low glycemic flour that creates rich, moist, and tender gluten-free baked goods. Blanched almond flour is not the same as Bob's Red Mill almond meal/flour. So be sure not to interchange the two in Elana's recipes.

You can purchase almond flour online at Lucy's Kitchen Shop or Honeyville or Benefit your Life. I feel lucky that Lucy's is right here in Bellingham, Washington! I call and place my order and then go pick it up...no shipping charges!

These scones are out of Elana's cookbook and are entitled, Orange Apricot Scones. I love that they are predominately sweetened with pureed dried apricots and orange juice. I was busy working on my new cookbook when these scones were baking and forgot about them. They were supposed to bake for only 10 to 15 minutes but I baked them for over 30 minutes! Every timing device I have purchased has been dismembered or dunked in the toilet by one of my toddler twin boys so I go by the clock and my sense of smell. This time I was distracted and you'll notice the burned bottoms and golden color of the scones. Totally my fault, not the recipe's.

The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook is filled with healthy grain-free recipes from cakes and cupcakes to salmon burgers and quiche. The Olive Rosemary Bread and Pancakes are next on my list to make. The photos in the book are so enticing! A good portion of the recipes use eggs but there are also many vegan recipes. If you are egg-sensitive, please still consider this book, you'll find many outstanding, nutritious recipes to choose from.

Elana also has a gluten-free, whole foods blog: www.ElanasPantry.com. You'll find simple, healthy, grain-free recipes there that are all family-friendly.

To be entered in this giveaway to win a signed copy of The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook, please leave a comment below. Be sure to include your name or initials. Anonymous comments with no name attached will not be counted. Also, be sure to check back later this week to see if you have won! I have no way of contacting you, unless you have an email address in your Blogger profile (if you have one). The giveaway will be open until this coming Thursday, March 3rd, 2011 at 9pm PST.

Please Note: all blog comments go into moderation which means once you add your comment below it won't appear until I publish it. I do this to avoid the gazillion spam comments that come through every day from appearing on the blog. Thanks for understanding! :)

Update: This contest is now closed. We have a winner! Joy Gilraine can you please email me with your mailing address so I can get this wonderful cookbook sent to you? Thanks everyone for entering! Here is the winning comment: Goldwood Gardens said...Thanks for always leading me to great new cookbooks! I would love to win this book! Joy Gilraine

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Healing Chicken Ginger Soup

2011-02-18T12:21:00.000-08:00

I have been making this soup a lot these days. It is spicy, warming, and healing....just perfect to help kick this cold I've had. First I make a simple broth using bone-in chicken breasts, a bunch of chopped fresh ginger, a whole head of garlic, fresh lemongrass, and a few cups of chopped shiitake mushrooms. Once this has simmered for a few hours, I strain it and add fresh vegetables, the cooked chicken, and some thai rice noodles into the pot. We top each bowl with chopped napa cabbage, basil, and cilantro. And for the grown-ups only, sliced fresh thai chiles!

Shiitake mushrooms provide polysaccharides that stimulate white blood cell function allowing them to be more efficient at combatting bacteria and viruses. Ginger is healing on many fronts. It is anti-microbial, anti-viral, and a natural anti-biotic, killing bacteria and viruses both internally and externally. It can help sooth a sore throat, eliminate congestion, and help combat fevers and chills.

The soup itself is not too spicy and perfect for young children to eat. All of our children love this soup and have fun adding all of the toppings, except for the chiles. The broth is very nourishing and will have you feeling good almost immediately. I've been making double batches lately so I can have leftovers. Hot, clear foods are very beneficial for colds and upper respiratory infections. Try hot tea with ginger and lemon, warm quinoa porridge, or our Healing Quinoa Cabbage Soup. Cold foods can increase congestion so it is best to avoid them until you are feeling better.

Healing Chicken Ginger Soup

My mom always made homemade chicken soup using a whole chicken when I was growing up. I've never made soup using a prepared broth and chicken breasts. Once you make soup this way, you'll never want to go back. The broth is just so fresh and delicious! If you would like to use a whole chicken for this soup instead of the two chicken breasts, simply double the ingredients for the broth and the soup and use an 8 or 12-quart pot instead. Be sure to add the rice noodles to each individual bowl if you plan to have leftovers. Adding them to the whole pot and then reheating the soup the next day can cause the noodles to get quite mushy. This soup also freezes very well, just don't add the noodles or the raw toppings to your freezable portions. Fresh Thai chilies and lemongrass can be found at places like Whole Foods or at your local Asian Market.

Yield: 6 servings

For the Broth:

2 bone-in organic chicken breasts (about 2 pounds total)

8 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

1 whole head garlic, cut in half cross-wise

1/4 to 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh ginger (or more!)

2 to 3 thai chiles, chopped or 1 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes

2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, chopped

cilantro stems

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

3 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt

For the Soup:

1 medium onion, cut into crescent moons

3 to 4 stalks celery, sliced into diagonals

3 carrots, cut into matchsticks

2 to 3 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

cooked chicken pulled from the bone and chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional Additions/Toppings:

rice noodles

chopped fresh basil

chopped fresh napa cabbage

chopped fresh cilantro

chopped fresh thai green chiles

lime wedges

To make the broth, place all ingredients for broth into a 6-quart pot. Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat medium-low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain broth into a large bowl or another pot using a colander. Place chicken breasts onto a plate to cool. Pour the broth back into the pot. Once chicken is cooled, remove the skin, pull the meat from the bone and chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

Place all of the veggies for the soup (onion, carrot, celery, and shiitake mushrooms) into the pot with the broth. Cover and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer a minute or two more or until vegetables are cooked to your liking. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a handful of basil, cilantro, and cabbage on top. Sprinkle with thai chiles if desired. You can also add a handful of cooked thai rice noodles to each bowl if desired. Squeeze a little lime juice over each bowl. Make sure to have some tissues handy if you are using the thai chiles! Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Healing Recipes:
Spiced Pumpkin Soup
Summer Vegetable Kitcheree
Soothing Tummy Tea

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Almond Goji Berry Truffles

2011-02-14T15:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! I wanted to share this luscious truffle recipe made with goji berries. The filling is a deep red color covered in dark chocolate. What could be better on a day like today? Oh, and it only takes about 10 minutes to prepare!

I shared this recipe last Monday at my gluten-free dessert cooking class. Our goji berries were very dry so we decided to soak them for about 10 minutes in warm water. The filling turned to a watery mush! It was a great learning experience for me and the whole class! We started over with a fresh batch of very dry goji berries and it worked out. I was planning on saving this recipe for the next cookbook I'm working on right now, but I just couldn't resist sharing it with you today.

Dried Goji Berries

My recipe testers have given me feedback on this recipe and one of them told me recently that she used raw almond butter which didn't hold the filling together very well and they turned into flat rounds instead of balls. I use a lightly roasted creamy almond butter when I make them. Having fresher, chewier goji berries also changed the outcome. Coconut nectar is thicker than maple syrup so this can also slightly change the outcome. I used maple syrup in the truffles pictured here, though I normally use coconut nectar, which is very thick. If you don't eat these all within a few days, feel free to freeze them and take one out at a time when a chocolate craving arises!

Almond Goji Berry Truffles

Goji berries are a truly remarkable superfood. Ounce for ounce goji berries contain more vitamin C than oranges, more beta-carotene than carrots, and more iron than spinach. They also contain over 20 trace minerals and 18 amino acids! These beautiful truffles contain a flavorful red filling and a rich chocolate exterior, making them a special treat for a Romantic Valentine’s Day evening.

Filling:

1 cup dried goji berries

½ cup creamy almond butter

¼ cup coconut nectar or maple syrup

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

Chocolate Coating:

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla, optional

Place all ingredients for the filling in a food processor fitted with the “s” blade. Process/pulse for a few minutes until ground and sticky. Roll filling into small balls and set onto a plate. They will feel oily. For some reason the oil from the almond butter begins to separate every time I make these. Once they are covered in chocolate no one will notice it.

Place a piece of parchment paper onto a large plate, set aside for your finished truffles.

In a small saucepan add the ingredients for the chocolate coating. Use a double boiler or place the saucepan into another slightly larger pan filled with a few inches of water. If you don’t do this, the chocolate with burn and become unusable. Melt over very low heat, stirring, until the chocolate is completely melted. Turn off heat and immediately drop the first truffle into the chocolate, gently swirl the melted chocolate over it using a spoon. Lift up and place onto the prepared plate with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining truffles.

Once you are finished, place the plate with the truffles into the freezer to set the chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, remove truffles from plate and place into a sealed glass container and store in your refrigerator for up to a week. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Valentine's Day Recipes:

Oatmeal Heart Cut-Out Cookies

Raw Chocolate Pie

Chocolate Brownie Cupcakes

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream

Valentine's Day Recipes from Other Bloggers:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Dessert Waffles from Kim at Cook it Allergy-Free

Almond and Spice Bean Pie from Kelly at The Spunky Coconut

Chocolate Raspberry Bars from Nancy at The Sensitive Pantry

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Balls from Hallie at Daily Bites

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