Crustless Quiche

If you have a crust recipe that you like, you could certainly use one, but I find this so easy without a crust.  This recipe is so simple and works for any meal of the day, is relatively portable, and can even be fancy enough to bring to a gathering or serve to guests. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 eggs
1 can (14-16 oz) of coconut milk without additives
1-2 T butter or fat for cooking
1/2 onion
1 cup diced meat (I prefer ham)
OR diced vegetables (bell pepper, asparagus, greens, or zucchini work especially well)
1 cup of cubed cheese
1/2 tsp salt
other herbs and spices, optional

METHOD:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Crack the eggs into a mixing bowl and beat in the coconut milk.  Mix in the cubed cheese, salt, and any other herbs or spices that you are using.

3.  In a 10 inch skillet (ideally cast iron), melt the fat and saute the onions for several minutes.

4.  If you are using vegetables, add them now and saute several more minutes, allowing any moisture to come out (such as with mushrooms).

5.  Turn off the heat, add your meat and stir, and then pour the egg mixture over the top.

6. Bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

Breakfast Sausage Sticks

Hubby is very picky about his sausage, and he said these were the best of this type he's ever had. I'm sorry I don't have a picture, but we've been having camera problems lately. They look like the Brown n Serve frozen sausages, but taste better!

Ingredients

1 pound ground pork
1 tsp. sage
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. savory
dash of cayenne pepper
pinch of cloves
1 tsp. honey (optional)
1-2 Tbsp. lard or bacon grease for frying

Method

Combine dry ingredients in a medium glass bowl. Rub with your fingers to crush and thoroughly mix. Add ground pork and mix well with your hands. Add optional honey and mix through. Heat 8 inch skillet over medium-low heat. Form sausage into small link-shaped sticks. Saute until browned and cooked through, turning at least twice to brown all sides.

You can partially cook these ahead of time and freeze for a quick breakfast, lunch or dinner in the future. Just them out of the freezer and brown before serving.

Blueberry Coconut French Toast

I have been making cake/bread out of coconut flour recently in order to make it low oxalate (the nut butter bread is high oxalate).  I added some blueberries to the batter to "liven it up", which does raise the oxalate content a bit, but not too much.  This was so delicious!  This would make a wonderful brunch for non-GAPS guests.

To make the batter, follow the recipe for Teri's Almond Cupcakes.  Substitute vanilla for the almond extract and add 1 or 2 handfuls of blueberries, depending on preference.  Bake in an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex dish (or in two loaf pans filled only halfway up).  The cooking time will be at least 10 minutes longer. 

To make the french toast, slice the bread into 3/4 inch thick slices.  If you used a square Pyrex dish, cut it into two 4 x 8 halves first, then cut each half into slices so the slices aren't too long to work with.  Soak in a mixture of 2 eggs with a little coconut milk, kefir, or yogurt, and vanilla extract.  Fry the slices in butter on both sides until golden brown.  Serve warm with jam, honey, or fresh fruit on top.

Jam

This is a very simple way to make GAPS-legal jam.  It is a bit runnier than "normal" jam, but still works well.  You can adjust the level of sweetness to suit your preference.  I made my jam not very sweet at all, figuring that I could always mix honey in later for flavor.  Also, if you make it less sweet, then you can use it in savory sauces and dishes (such as apricot-rosemary turkey breast).

I used apricots, but pretty much any fruit that you would normally make jam from would work.  I simply cut up the fruit into large pieces- probably into quarters or eights- and then put it in a large stock pot.  I covered the fruit with cold filtered water and brought it to a boil, then turned it down to a simmer.  I think I added the honey at this point- I'm not sure it matter exactly when you add it. 

Simmer the fruit for several hours until it thickens and cooks down to a consistency you like (keeping in mind that it is thicker when cool).  Keep a close eye on it while it cooks so it doesn't scorch, and add more water as needed.  Once it has thickened, remove a little and let it cool enough to taste, and add more honey if desired.


Once the jam is done you can either can it or freeze it in small containers or ziploc bags.  I suggest making large batches in the summer when the fruit is in season and less expensive, but many of us on GAPS don't have as much control over when we are ready for certain foods.  You can easily make this in smaller batches during the winter as well.  Even though it may be more expensive, it can still be cost effective compared with purchasing SCD-legal jam online.

This jam is delicious on toast, in sandwiches, on pancakes or french toast, in crepes, or as a filling in desserts.

Yummy Granola

This granola is truly good. It is also nut-free, if you consider coconut a seed (which botanists and most allergy sufferers do). I kept asking myself if I hadn't accidentally grabbed hubby's store-bought stuff. It's easy, stores well, and travels well. Now if that isn't a GAPS convenience food I don't know what is!

Lately I've been able to drink kefir, so having this granola topped with that stuff is like a vacation back to regular food land.

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Ingredients

1 cup pumpkin seeds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup coconut flakes or shreds
1/2 cup honey, warmed
Pinch of salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 TBSP. vanilla extract
1 cup dried fruit (cut up if large)

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT dried fruit. Toss well. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in dried fruit. Continue to stir every few minutes during cooling process as well.

When it is cool, it will be deliciously crunchy.

Note: I did not soak these seeds, as I can digest seeds alright without soaking. I'm sure it would be delicious with soaked and dehydrated seeds too.

French Toast

It would be an understatement to say that we are tired of eating eggs for breakfast, so I've been looking to branch out.  I had part of a loaf of nut butter bread left over and decided to try an old favorite of ours, french toast.  This bread is soft and spongy and worked very well!

To make french toast, first make a loaf of the Nut Butter Bread:
http://grainfreefoodie.blogspot.com/2009/09/nut-butter-bread.html

In a large, flat dish (such as a Pyrex baking dish), put three eggs and several tablespoons of coconut milk.  You may also want to add a dash of vanilla extract and or cinnamon for flavor.  Blend with a fork.

Place slices of the bread in the dish to soak, making sure to flip them over so they soak up the liquid on both sides.  Take care not to soak too long or the bread will come apart when yu try to remove it.  Cook them on a hot greased griddle or skillet, on both sides, until they are brown. 

Serve with butter or ghee, honey, homemade SCD-legal jam, fruit compote, stewed prunes, or honey lemon syrup.  To make honey-lemon syrup:

1/4 C honey
juice of half a lemon
vanilla (optional)

Combine the first two ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. They will heat up and become much thinner very quickly. Turn off heat, and add vanilla, if using. At this point you can further thin the syrup by adding in some filtered water.

This would also be good with a different fruit juice, such as pomegranate or cherry. The Knudsen's Just Juice line is supposed to be acceptable for GAPS, and this could offer some welcome variation.

Banana Hazelnut Bread or Cake

We ate this before I could photograph it :)

This is based on the recipe for banana cake by Elaine Gottschall in Breaking the Vicious Cycle.  The hazelnut flour gave it more of a look and feel of wheat then anything else I've tried.  Unfortunately, I also discovered that I'm allergic to hazelnut flour.  This can be a bread or a cake, depending on how much honey you add to it.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups hazelnut flour (other flour should work as well)
3 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter or ghee
1 tsp baking soda (optional, not GAPS legal)
2 extra ripe mashed bananas
honey- 1/3 cup for bread, 2/3 cup for cake

METHOD:

Mash bananas with a fork in a large mixing bowl.  Add other ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Pour into a greased cake, loaf, or baking pan. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, or until the top springs back when poled.  Baking time will vary depending on the shape of pan used.

Crepes

I am always pleased when I find a food that my whole family enjoys. This definitely fits the bill. I brought these to a non-GAPS brunch recently and was told that they are better than regular crepes. I think they are virtually indistinguishable. The key seems to be generous amounts of vanilla, plus delicious fillings of course.

A lovely lady named Millie, from the GAPSHelp group, posted this recipe http://www.tiana-coconut.com/coconut_flour_recipes.htm recently. I modified it slightly to work for GAPS and my taste buds

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut flour

Method

Blend together butter, eggs, honey, vanilla and salt. Stir in coconut milk. Thoroughly mix in coconut flour. Heat 1/2 teaspoon butter in a small skillet. Pour one tablespoon of the batter into the skillet; immediately rotate skillet until there is a thin even layer of batter. Crepe should be about 4 inches in diameter. Cook until batter is bubbly and cooked (I find it easier to flip if they are slightly browned) around the edges. Turn and cook the other side for a moment. Cover one side of crepes with your choice of chopped fruits, nuts, honey lemon curd, apple butter or homemade jam. Roll up and serve.

I usually double this recipe and keep them warm in the oven until serving time. Leftovers refrigerate well. I'm going to experiment with freezing too.

Makes 6 or more crepes.

Nut Butter Muffins

One of my favorite recipes from Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall is the one for peanut butter brownies. I wanted to come up with a version that is more like a muffin or cupcake, and thus this recipe was born. It is very quick and easy and one of our favorite portable treats.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup nut butter
1/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 T vinegar or lemon juice

METHOD:

Combine all ingredients except for the vinegar and mix well (this usually requires an electric mixer for me). Add the vinegar or lemon juice and mix well, then pour into either muffin cups or a greased muffin tin. I find this recipe makes 9 good-sized muffins, or 12 small ones.

Bake for 25 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven. They are done when an inserted toothpick some out clean.

These are very light and moist with a texture very much like cake. If you use 1/2 cup honey they could easily be used as cupcakes at a birthday party.

Pancake "bread"

I created this recipe while experimenting to find ways of using the nut pulp left over from making nut milk and was surprised by how much the texture reminds me of wheat bread. The flavor and texture will vary quite a bit depending on which nuts the pulp was made from. We eat these either hot off the griddle with butter and honey (in which case they remind me of toast), or let them cool and use them to make round sandwiches. If the sandwiches are to be savory, you can add herbs to the batter, if they are to be sweet (say nut butter and fruit) they taste good with honey added and maybe a little cinnamon.

INGREDIENTS:

5 eggs, separated
1 cup nut butter
1 cup nut pulp
1/2 cup nut milk (or other liquid)
pinch of salt (for savory)
1 T honey (for sweet)

METHOD:

Mix all ingredients except egg whites. Beat egg whites with mixer until they form soft peaks, then fold them into the other ingredients. If the other ingredients are very stiff and it is hard to mix, you can either add more liquid or just keep stirring- even if you lose some of the fluffiness of the egg whites the pancakes will still turn out well.

Cook on hot greased griddle.

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.

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.

Simple Latte

I came up with this option for my very occasional espresso or coffee drink because my counter space is too precious to keep my espresso machine on hand. It's easy to run to a neighborhood coffee shop for the espresso or coffee, but what to do about the foamed milk? I find coconut milk much too strong (and thick) to use as creamer, so here's my solution, which is so good I don't miss the "real" thing!

 INGREDIENTS:

1 c nut milk
1/4 c coconut milk
1 tsp honey or to taste
1-2 shots of espresso
grated nutmeg to sprinkle on top (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

In a small saucepan, mix together the milks. Gently heat the milk mixture while stirring until it reaches the desired temperature.  Remove from heat and stir in the honey to taste and the vanilla if using. 

You can steam the milk with an espresso machine if you have one handy, or you can froth it with a hand blender by gently lifting the blender to the surface while it's running to form bubbles.  Do this slowly and carefully as it can be extremely messy.

Pour the mixture into a tall glass.  Sprinkle nutmeg on top if desired.

VARIATIONS:
The milk mixture also works well as a coffee creamer and makes a good cafe au lait. In the summer, I plan to blend the nut milk with frozen coconut milk in the blender to make an iced latte. You can experiment with various flavoring extracts (such as almond) if you are feeling adventurous.

Stewed Prunes

We tried this with the desire to add something new into our breakfast routine. This goes really well with pancakes, and the liquid makes a wonderful syrup if you allow it to thicken. If you remove the lemon and puree it in the blender it makes a delicious jam.

To make stewed prunes, simply put the amount of prunes you want to cook into a saucepan (we use about a pound) and cover them with cold filtered water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 20 minutes. At this point you can add in some things for flavor- our favorite is a half a lemon, sliced, and a cinnamon stick. Simmer another 10 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Cooking time will vary depending on how dry the prunes were to start and how you like them. If you let them sit they will thicken.

Sunflower Cake

This cake is very simple, with no fancy frills, and would make very good muffins. I think it would also work well as a layer cake.  It is moist and spongy and has the texture of a bran muffin. I have heard of a place in town that sells sunflower shaped cake pans and intend to get one to jazz this up.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups of soaked sunflower seeds
2 T coconut oil
1/3- 1/2  cup honey
4 eggs
2 tsp cinnamon

optional, will make it "spongy-er"

1/2 tsp baking soda
1 T apple cider vinegar

Method:

First, I ground the sunflower seeds into a smooth paste in the food processor..

Then add the other ingredients, including the baking soda if you are using it, but not the vinegar yet. Blend it all until the mixture is well combined, then ad the vinegar if you are using it and blend a little more to mix.

Pour this mixture into a greased 8x8 baking dish or 9" cake pan..

Bake for 50-60 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Knife inserted in center should come out clean when done.

Note- I haven't tried this, but with the addition of the right spices, this cake might make a nice gingerbread.

Banana Caramel Sticky Buns

I was going for muffins with a streusel topping. That didn't work out so well, but they came out like caramel sticky buns, and they were fabulous. I asked my non-GAPS husband if these weren't the "best thing ever", and he replied enthusiastically that yes, the were "the best thing ever!"

One problem I had was that the butter from my topping oozed out all over my oven, creating a smoking mess. Partly that's because I only topped half of the buns since my six year old wanted plain banana muffins (so double high topping). Partly it was because the sticky part of sticky buns is actually supposed to be on the bottom (while baking. You flip them onto a tray when they come out of the oven). I am going to cook them that way tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it works out.

Ingredients for buns

1 Large very ripe banana, mashed
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Ingredients for topping
(These measurements are approximate. It should taste great raw, so feel free to experiment.)

1 cup chopped crispy pecans or walnuts (from Nourishing Traditions or WAPF)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. coconut flour

Method

Makes 12 buns.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix all ingredients for buns with a wire whisk. Pour into a well-greased muffin tin or use silicone liners (I think paper would stick too much).

Mix all ingredients for topping with a fork. Crumble topping on buns.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through. Cool for about two minutes then immediately remove from muffin tin to a wire rack to finish cooling. You will have to scrape the topping back onto buns as you remove them, but the topping will set-up as they cool. Hot caramel can burn skin badly, so please be careful.

Tracy's Fabulous Nut Pancakes

We would like to welcome our newest Grain-Free Foodie, Tracy. This recipe looks delicious and I know we are going to see many more great things from her. Please note that this recipe is unsweetened for those people needing to avoid or restrict honey intake.

Nut Pancakes with Wild Blueberry Topping

2 ½ cups ground nuts and seeds. (Grind nuts first, then measure)

¼ cup COLD butter or Ghee straight from the fridge – it is important that the butter be cold

½ teaspoon baking soda

(note- while baking soda is not technically GAPS-legal, it is neutralized in the cooking process so it shouldn't affect stomach acid)

Juice of 1 large lemon

¼ teaspoon of salt

3 eggs (separated)

1 cup coconut milk, well-chilled

Oil for frying

Topping:

1 cup blueberries (we use Trader Joe’s frozen Organic Wild Blueberries)

Pats of butter

Method:

For this recipe, I use a coffee grinder, food processor, and KitchenAid mixer. I find these very helpful for achieving the consistency and rise in the pancakes. I also tend to keep a can of shaken coconut milk in the fridge at all times, so it is cold when I am ready to use it.

First, grind the nuts. I mix up a combination of cashews, pecans, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed, walnuts, and sunflower seeds, or any combination of the above. Usually, I keep a big bowl on the counter full of this mixture so that when I put a scoop into my coffee grinder, it’s a good combo. Extra ground nuts I keep in the fridge until I’m ready to use them.

Separate the eggs, and put the egg whites into the mixer, and beat them until soft peaks form. Transfer them gently into a large mixing bowl.

Put the nuts into the food processor and add the baking soda and salt. Pulse until combined. Add the very cold butter in chunks and pulse until well-combined. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and the cold coconut milk, and pulse until well-combined. The batter should be thick but not stiff, closer to cake batter than cookie dough; add more coconut milk if necessary. Gently transfer the batter into the mixing bowl and fold the egg whites into the batter.

Fry immediately in a heated frying pan with a generous coating of oil. Pancakes are best eaten hot right off the griddle, but you can also keep them in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Topping:

We like to heat the frozen blueberries in a small saucepan with a little water (maybe 1 or 2 Tbsp per cup of berries) until they release their juices and come to a boil. Use as little water as possible, as it diluted the wonderful juices released.

Serve pancakes hot with pats of butter and scoops of hot blueberries and juice.

Carrot Nutmeg Pie A La Mode

The recipe for this came from another blog called GAPS Guide by Baden. The recipe is called Carrot Mousse Cake and is about halfway down this page.

Baden says the recipe was loosely based on a recipe for a pie filling, so I decided to bake mine in a pie dish rather than a loaf pan. It is delicious! I decided not to use the coconut flakes yet, but I think they will add a nice touch soon.

The whipped topping is meringue batter that I put into my ice cream machine. It came out a little like soft serve ice cream, a lot like frozen whipped topping, and it works perfectly on the pie! The cold topping on the warm pie really gave this a "comfort food" sort of feel.

This would also work as a side dish- it's a bit like candied yams. It would really be nice with a roast turkey breast, chestnut stuffing, and Brussels sprouts.

Light and Fluffy Intro Diet Pancakes with Lemon Honey Syrup

When it came time to try the pancakes for the intro diet- the ones made with nut butter, squash, and eggs- I was not inspired. I couldn't find suggested proportions of each ingredient, and the first batch I made came out dense and very flat and not terribly appetizing. I played around with this recipe until I came up with this version, which are light and fluffy, look like regular pancakes, and taste pretty good.


Ingredients:
1 C pureed, cooked squash
1 C nut butter
5 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
dash of cloves, nutmeg, and any other "pumpkin pie" type spice

Method:
Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until fluffy (soft peaks are fine). In a large bowl, mix together the 5 egg yolks, the squash, the nut butter, and the salt and spices. Blend thoroughly. Fold the egg whites into this mixture gently, so that the resulting batter is airy and light.

Cook on a well-greased griddle on a somewhat low heat, as they do burn easily. Flip them gently as they do not stay together as well as regular pancakes.

NOTE- Pancake batter provides a great opportunity to "hide" healthy ingredients. This morning, I blended in 2 T of beef marrow and about 1/4 of pureed mushroom soup, and the pancakes looked and tasted fine.

For the syrup, you will need:
1/4 C honey
juice of half a lemon
vanilla (optional)

Combine the first two ingredients in a saucepan and heat over medium heat. They will heat up and become much thinner very quickly. Turn off heat, and add vanilla, if using. At this point you can further thin the syrup by adding in some filtered water.

This would also be good with a different fruit juice, such as pomegranate or cherry. The Knudsen's Just Juice line is supposed to be acceptable for GAPS, and this could offer some welcome variation.

Honey Pork Breakfast Sausage Patties

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb ground pork
1/4 C honey
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp chopped or grated onion
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
Dijon mustard (optional)


METHOD:

combine all ingredients with a stand mixer or with your hands.

Form the meat into patties and fry in fat or oil. I find that smaller patties work better, so I make 6 out of this amount of meat.

This is a great way to "hide" healthy things, such as marrow or pureed or chopped soft tissue. Pureed veggies also blend in well, as do chopped mushrooms.

These patties can also be made in large batches and freeze well, with a square of wax paper between each patty to keep them from merging together.