Almond Crescents

This recipe is modified from a recipe for Greek Almond Crescents that appeared in the Australian Women's Weekly. It is moist and chewy, and can be altered to fir your mood.

INGREDIENTS:

3 1/2 to 4 cups of almond flour
2 capfulls of almond extract (about 1/4 tsp)
1/2 cup honey
3 egg whites, lightly beaten

optional- shredded coconut, sliced almond, raisins, etc.

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg whites, then add the almond extract and honey and beat a little longer.

Gently stir in 3 1/2 cups almond flour to form a thick paste. The dough should be thick enough to be rolled into a ball. If it isn't, add more almond flour (up to about 4 cups). If the dough is still too soft, refrigerate it for an hour or two. Some of you may want to use less honey, in which case less almond flour will be needed.

Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch across, roll in sliced almonds or shredded coconut if desired, then roll into a log and form a crescent shape. Place on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Bake 15-20 minutes, depending on how soft or crunchy you prefer these.

VARIATIONS:

Raisins or other dried fruit (chopped) can be added after the almond flour.

The almond extract could be replaced with another flavor, such as lemon or orange extract.

The dough can be made into various shapes or letters, or just squashed flat to make a circle.

Part of the almond flour could be replaces with other ground nuts or seeds.

Pepper and Basil Soup

This is a simple yet flavorful soup. It is suitable for intro but can be "dressed up" and enjoyed later in the diet as well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of meat stock
1 bell pepper (yellow or red works well)
1 handful of basil
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the pepper into pieces. Bring the meat stock to a boil, add the pepper, and cook until just tender. Add the basil leaves and cook another few minutes. Remove from heat and puree.

For variety, try using cilantro leaves instead of basil and add some lime juice. You can also try adding curry powder.

Turkey Hash

I was inspired by Sierra's stuffing recipe, and I came up with this fried leftovers version that was really tasty. My DH couldn't get enough of it. This is great with fried eggs for breakfast.

Ingredients

3-4 Tbsp. butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large stalk of celery, chopped

1 tsp. dried sage, rubbed

1 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed

1 tsp. dried thyme, rubbed

1 head of cauliflower, cored and finely chopped (I use a food processor.)

1 -2 cups cooked chopped turkey meat

Turkey or chicken broth as needed to keep from sticking

Salt and pepper to taste

Method

In a large frying pan or wok, cook onion, carrots, and celery in the butter until they are starting to soften. Add dried herbs, rubbing to release flavor. Stir. Add cauliflower, turkey and some broth to keep from sticking. Continue cooking and stirring until cauliflower is cooked through and the veggies begin to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stuffed cabbage soup

I was in the mood for stuffed cabbage, but I was too lazy to do the work :), plus I thought I should get my soup in. Along the way, I remembered that I had some roasted bell pepper in the fridge, so I threw them in too. The result is pretty yummy :)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. fat (olive oil, butter, ghee, tallow, lard--whatever you can tolerate)

2 onions, chopped

2 lbs. ground beef

1 Tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. dried thyme

Salt to taste

2 quarts beef broth

1 head green cabbage, washed, cored and chopped

Roasted red bell pepper strips for garnish, if desired

Method

Saute onions and ground beef in fat until onions are translucent and beef is browned. Add spices and stir. Add broth. Stir in cabbage. Add more broth or water if necessary to cover cabbage completely. Cook until cabbage is done. Serve with pepper strips, if using.

Ceviche

My DH used to make ceviche with large shrimp when we lived on the East Coast. Now that we live on the West Coast, we use small salad style shrimp which are local, wild and sustainable, not to mention inexpensive here. I recommend making this in the morning on the day you will be serving it. I found this to be delicious, even two days after it was made.

Ingredients

1 pound small salad shrimp, cooked

2 lemons, juiced

2 limes, juiced

2 oranges, juiced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

4-6 jalapeno rings finely chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces

1 tablespoon roughly chopped cilantro leaves, plus leaves for garnish

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Method

Rinse and drain shrimp. Place in a non-reactive bowl (I use glass). Add the lemon, lime and orange juices and stir in the cucumber, red onion and chiles. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Stir the tomato, avocado, chopped cilantro, and olive oil into the shrimp mixture at least 30 minutes before serving.

Cappuccino Cupcakes

These are pretty darn good. They have a strong coffee flavor, which is what I wanted. I think the butter really makes them taste more like a cappuccino than an espresso. The fluffy frosting and cinnamon on top help with that too. They would probably be good with cinnamon in the batter as well, but I haven't tried that yet.

Ingredients for Cupcakes

1/2 cup double strength espresso (I use decaf and brew half a pot with a full filter of beans.)

1/3 cup butter

6 eggs lightly beaten

1/2 cup honey

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 - 3/4 cup coconut flour

Method for Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 muffin cups. Pour hot espresso over butter to melt. Add honey and stir. Add eggs, sea salt, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Add coconut flour and blend thoroughly. Add more coconut flour, if the batter seems too thin. It should be the consisitency of normal cake batter, maybe slightly thinner.

Pour into greased muffin cups and bake for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting and dusting with cinnamon

Ingredients for Frosting

3 egg whites at room temperature

1 cup honey

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Method for Frosting

Beat egg whites until foamy. Boil honey until it forms a hard ball in cold water (about 210 degrees on a candy thermometer, if I remember correctly). With the mixer running, continue to beat the egg whites while adding the boiling honey. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Add vanilla and mix until incorporated. This makes way more frosting than you will need for the cupcakes.

Jambalaya

We were able to special order GAPS-legal Andouille sausage from the meat department of our local grocery store, which naturally led to a foray into adjusting Cajun recipes for GAPS. This recipe is the first success from this adventure. It was inspired by this recipe on this wonderful blog of New Orleans cooking:
http://neworleanscuisine.blogspot.com/2005/03/jambalaya.html

If you can't get ready made Andouille sausage, you can still make this recipe with other meat, but if you are feeling adventurous, this blog has a recipe for Andouille that you could adapt:
http://www.nolacuisine.com/2005/11/14/andouille-sausage-recipe/ (make sure to replace the powdered milk!)

INGREDIENTS:

2 T butter or ghee
2 cups Andouille sausage, chopped*
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
4 T garlic, minced
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or additional chopped tomatoes)
2 1/2 cups of chicken stock
2 cups grated cauliflower
2 cups additional meat (chopped raw chicken, shrimp, ham, etc)

Seasoning Mix:
1/4 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
1 1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp rubbed sage
3 bay leaves

*If you can't find Andouille sausage, you can use Kielbasa, chorizo, other sausage, ham, or other meats if you want to experiment.

METHOD:

Melt the butter and saute the sausage until lightly browned, then add 1/2 of the onions, celery, and green pepper. Saute about 5 more minutes, then add the chopped tomato, tomato sauce (if using), and garlic and saute several more minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (including the other half of the onions, celery, and peppers). Mix thoroughly and cook another 5 or 10 minutes to make sure all the veggies are meat are cooked through. Garnish with parsley and chopped green onion.

Avgolemono Soup (Greek Egg-Lemon Soup)

This is a very simple soup that is great for intro, once whole eggs are tolerated in soups. It is light and refreshing but also a little bland. It serves as a nice "base" for adding additional ingredients. In the second photo I have added chopped avocado, tomato, and cilantro. This recipe is modified from the one in The New York Times Cook Book.

INGREDIENTS:

2 quarts meat stock
1/2 cup grated cauliflower (replaces rice)
4 eggs
juice of 2 lemons

METHOD:

Bring the meat stock to a boil and add the cauliflower. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the cauliflower softens. Turn heat off.

Beat the eggs well, then slowly beat in the lemon juice. Slowly add some of the hot soup while you are beating to temper the soup (about 2 cups of soup), then slowly pour this mixture into the hot soup while beating. This is to keep the eggs from scrambling in the soup.

Turn the heat back on and bring the soup close to a boil, but do not let it boil or the soup will curdle. You can serve it as is, or you can add just about anything to liven it up, including leftover cooked meat, veggies, or stew, or add other flavorful ingredients and spices.

Nut Butter "Snowballs" (also nut butter playdough)

This is a new version of a snack that we used to love before the GAPS diet. It is also filling and portable, which is more important now as we go into summer. This is one of those recipes that can be endlessly modified, or just eaten as is for a fast and simple snack.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup nut butter
1/2 cup ground nuts or seeds
1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus additional for rolling finished balls in)
1 T honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
raisins (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix thoroughly. Test for thickness by forming a ball to see if it holds its shape as desired. At this point, the mixture is just right for nut butter playdough.

For nut butter balls, pull off a piece of dough and roll into a ball about 1 inch or more across. Roll the ball in shredded coconut and set aside, continue until all the dough is rolled.

These are best stored in the refrigerator.

Here are two ideas for variations:

1. Add cinnamon, ground cardamom, and chopped dates.
2. Add sesame oil, substitute tahini for some of the nut butter, and roll in toasted sesame seeds.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

I came up with this recipe as a way to use the chicken meat left over from making meat stock. Soup with meat has not been a big hit around here, and I find the leftover meat too well cooked to use for many things such as chicken salad. My 7-year-old, who is not normally a big fan of chicken, loves this dish. The meat called for in this recipe is the meat from 3 or 4 chicken legs that have been boiled for several hours. This recipe is great served with fresh salsa and iceberg lettuce leaves as taco shells or on top of a salad. At the bottom of the recipe there is a suggestion for making this on the intro diet.

INGREDIENTS:

Meat from 3 or 4 chicken legs, or equivalent
2 T fat for cooking
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 Anaheim or Poblano pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
salt to taste
pinch of chipotle powder
1-2 tsp cumin powder
3 cloves of garlic (or more)
1-2 tsp dried oregano or Mexican seasoning mix*
Meat stock, about 1/4 to 1/2 cup
1 large handful of chopped cilantro

*I use the Mexican seasoning blend from Mountain Rose Herbs, it is a pure spice blend.

METHOD:

Remove the meat from the chicken legs. It can be in chunks or shredded.

Melt the fat for cooking (I use coconut oil) in a large skillet. Add the chopped onions and saute for several minutes to let them soften. Add the chopped peppers and continue to saute several more minutes.

Add the garlic, salt and dry spices and let cook for several minutes while stirring. Pour in some meat stock and continue to saute for about 10 more minutes, pouring in more stock as the mixture becomes dry or to keep it from burning. This part is not precise, it is just to allow the veggies to cook well while staying moist.

Add the chicken and stir to incorporate into the mixture. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and cook and stir just long enough to mix thoroughly and heat everything through. Remove from heat.

Adjust seasonings. You may want to add in more crushed garlic at this point.

For intro diet, start by heating just enough broth to make a stew with the meat. Add in chopped veggies that work for you- possibly peppers, a tomato, greens, chopped zucchini, chopped onion- and let cook until the veggies well cooked. Add in the meat and lime juice, and if you tolerate them, crushed garlic and fresh cilantro. You can cook the cilantro a little if that helps you. Season to taste with whichever spices from the above recipe that you can tolerate. You can stir in egg and probiotic liquid once it has cooled enough.

Spiced Steamed Milk

This has taken the place of hot chocolate in our family as a warm comfort drink.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c nut milk
1/2 c coconut milk
1 T honey or to taste
2 egg yolks (optional)

spices-
-5 green cardamom pods, or
-1 stick cinnamon and 5 whole cloves, or
lavender or rose petals, or
-1-2  tsp vanilla extract

To make this, combine the milks in a saucepan. Gently heat the mixture over medium to low heat and add the desired spices (except for vanilla).  If using cardamom pods, press on them to crack them open before adding to the pan.  Turn heat to low (or off), cover, and let sit for 15-30 minutes, or until then milk is spiced to taste.

 Strain the mixture into a bowl.  Stir in the honey to taste and the vanilla if using.  If using egg yolks, mix them in with either a whisk or hand blender (the hand blender will make the milk mixture frothy).

Pour into cups and serve.  This recipe makes two servings.