GAPS Cookbook is Now Available

The new GAPS Cookbook is now available. It features 140 GAPS recipes, 82 of which are from Grain-Free Foodies! We've included a few that aren't here on the blog, plus there are those from other authors. I know I'm going to find it very convenient to have the recipes in printed form. We hope you enjoy it. We'd love to hear any feedback. There's a permanent link now on the side of our blog, if anyone wants to order it.

http://shop.gapsdiet.com/product.sc?productId=83&categoryId=7

We're finally on Facebook!

Hi All,

A rare, non-food-related post from us :) We finally have a page on Facebook. Check us out, we're Grainfreefoodies, and become a fan! We will be posting GAPS-supporting articles and other info there. We will continue to devote this site to recipes.

We invite you all to post links to your own GAPS-related site and/or to share recipes there. Facebook is a much better venue for that kind of thing. If we like your recipe, we'll post it here, with your permission and a grateful acknowledgment, of course!

Hugs and health,

Teri

Kefir Cream Cheese

Ingredients

2 Tbs. kefir grains (available online, through friends or places like Craigslist)
1 Quart heavy cream

Method

Pour cream over grains in a glass jar. Leave about an inch of head space. Cover. Shake the jar and leave on the counter for 24-48 hours, shaking every now and then. When it is fermented it will taste sour, like sour cream. Strain through a fine mesh stainless steel sieve, pushing the cream through with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula. The grains will remain in the sieve and can be reused indefinitely to ferment cream and/or milk. (They will multiply too, and can be eaten as an excellent probiotic source.)

Take the strained, fermented cream and pour into a sieve lined with a quadruple layer of cheese cloth. Tie the ends of the cheese cloth together to form a little package inside the sieve. Put the whole thing (with sieve) over a tall bowl or large Pyrex measuring cup and place in the refrigerator. The whey will drip out into the bowl and the solids will remain in the cheese cloth. After 24 hours, flip the soft cream cheese over into fresh cheese cloth, tie, put back in the sieve over the bowl, and place the whole lot back in refrigerator for another 24 hours.

Remove cheese cloth and place in a jar for storage in the refrigerator.

Roasted Peppers

This is a simple thing to do to add some wonderful flavor to many different dishes.  Roasted peppers are great in salads, mixed in lima bean hummus, added to salsa, on pizza and burgers, and so many other things. 

The technique I use is simple.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Wash the peppers and cut them in half, then clean the seeds and pith out of the middle.  Rub the skins with oil or fat (I used olive oil) and place them skin side up on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the peppers are soft.  I like it when the skins get a little burned or charred.  When they are cool enough, remove the skins.  If using smaller peppers such as Anaheim, reduce the cooking time.

Peppers, particularly hot chili peppers, are also very good roasted over a fire or roasted in the broiler for a similar effect.  Hold them near the fire until their skins blacken, then cover them or put them in a bag for 10 minutes, which will cause the skins to come off more easily.  Be careful with hot peppers- roasting them in any fashion can release the capsaicin (what makes them hot) into the air which can irritate your eyes and nose.

Vanilla Extract

I use a lot of vanilla. It makes smoothies taste special. Mixed with peanut butter and honey, it makes an instant candy-filling-like treat. I like it in chai, and in coconut cappuccino. It's indispensible in most baked goods. When using coconut milk, oil, flour or flakes, I find it necessary to really up the amount of vanilla in order to get the flavor. Organic vanilla is expensive, so I am making my own extract.

Ingredients

1 oz. (about 6 or so) vanilla beans
750 mL vodka (1 standard bottle)

Method

Split vanilla beans in half lengthwise. Pour a couple of ounces out of your vodka bottle to make room for the vanilla beans. Place split vanilla beans in bottle. Store in a cool, dark place, shaking every so often, for two or more months. When it is ready, it will be a deep caramel color and will smell delicious.