Category Archives: Eating Well
Gluten Free Blueberry Banana Muffins
So it’s been a while. Please forgive me…I’ll post an official update in a few days (I think) For the meantime, I’ve been experimenting in the kitchen and it’s going very well. Enjoy these little munchies, guilt free, on me. LOVE
Ingredients
2 Ripe bananas
1 T vanilla extract (This CAN contain gluten)
3 Pastured Eggs
¼ cup maple syrup, honey or organic sugar (If you use sugar, the batter will be VERY dry)
¼ Cup (4 oz) melted (and cooled) butter or Coconut oil (dairy free)
½ teas unrefined seat salt
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ Cups almond flour
2 cups gluten free baking mix with coconut flour. (or sub in 1 ½ cups of straight coconut flour)
1 ½ cups frozen and defrosted blueberries or freshly washed and dried blues.
Mix first 5 ingredients together well. Add salt and baking soda and mix, and then add in the flours, incorporating well after each cup. Make sure not to over mix, but incorporated ingredients well. It will be a stiff batter. If you want them fluffier, add another egg.
Carefully mix in blueberries, trying really hard not to smash them.
Scoop into lined muffin cups or heavily sprayed muffin tins. (DON’T USE PAM!) Bake for 15 minutes for mini muffins, or 20 minutes for regular muffins.
Makes 24 mini’s AND 12 reg size muffins.
Or 24 regular muffins.
Store at room temp 2 days (YEAH right!) Or refrigerate for longer storage. Freeze really well, warm slightly before serving.
SO good with a pat of pastured butter or a sprinkle of raw sugar on top before baking.
Peanut Chicken Soba Sauté
Made this tonight, and even though I desperately need to post a life update more than a recipe for a meal, this one needs celebrating. It was AWESOME. ’nuff said.
Peanut chicken, greens, and soba sauté.
Sauce
2 T rice vinegar
2 T smooth peanut butter (I used our homemade that’s a little sweet because of the honey I add)
2 T tamari soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 teas arrowroot powder (could use cornstarch, but I don’t cook with that anymore, use your judgment…1 teas?)
Mix the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Rest of Ingredients
2 T peanut oil, sesame oil or unflavored coconut oil
4 cups broccoli florets (or more!)
1 red bell pepper sliced or chopped, your preference.
4-5 cups of kale (or other green such as chard or spinach)
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 green onions diced
2 cups of cooked, diced chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
Preparation
Heat over medium high heat the oil in large sauté pan or wok. Add chopped broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Add chopped bell pepper and sauté another 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions to the center of the pan and stir, cooking until fragrant 30 seconds or so. Add kale and a splash of water, cover and steam for a 2 more minutes, uncover and let water evaporate then toss in diced chicken and sauce over everything and stir in and only cook until the chicken is heated through.
Serve over cooked soba noodles or brown rice if you prefer.
Note: This does not make a saucy stir fry, so you may want to toss your noodles in some oil and soy sauce, or cook your rice in a little extra water or broth if you prefer it saucier.
In reflection, this is great because it’s not sweet, and doesn’t have an overly powerful peanut flavor. I hope you enjoy this as much as my kids, the engineer and I did!
Cheers!
Hearty Chicken and Rosemary Stew
It may be April here in California but it’s still rainy and cold frequently. This stew is the perfect spring comfort food. Not heavy with dairy, but sturdy enough to feed the hungriest teenager. (mental note for ten years from now!) Enjoy this with healthy, homemade drop biscuits and a salad. Challenge yourself to see how many vegetables you can eat in one meal! Using homemade chicken broth is amazing in this recipe, and I don’t recommend skimping on the white wine. It really does add a wonderful depth to the stew that is missing if you leave it out. (Ask me how I know?!) I always have fresh rosemary from my garden, so I’ve never tried using dried, but if you substitute it, remember that dried herbs are more potent, so use less. Enjoy!
Increasing Nutrition Through Recipe Changes
So we are on a quest to eat more nutritionally as a family and yet the task can appear rather daunting. Well, Id like to tell you that you don’t have to change everything in order to create or adapt healthy recipes. Who wants to throw out all your family favorite recipes that have been passed down? Or those favorite comfort foods that make your family feel so satisfied and rejuvenated? I don’t know a mom alive who would spend countless hours in the kitchen reinventing the recipe “Wheel”. A few changes here and there (baby steps people!) will go a long way in the kitchen.
Today, I would like to offer a resource of ideas for helping you adapt your favorite recipes to make them healthier. While some of my recipes are loaded with sugar and say regular ol’ “flour” practically every recipe on this site has been a family favorite for quite some time, and have only been adapted in the past few years to replace the ingredients with more real whole food alternatives. The flavors may have changed slightly, but overall, choosing to use real food ingredients only increases the flavor and intensity of each recipe.
I have provided here for you a simple chart to convert those standard ingredients in your everyday recipes to real, whole food ingredients. Don’t feel overwhelmed by this list. Maybe start with one thing a week, or however fast you feel like working through it. Perhaps many of you will find things on this list you are already doing, such as the use of EVOO, or coconut oil…maybe some of you have been gluten free for some time now, and white flour is already gone from your thought process. Good for you! It’s all about baby steps!
Brown sugar: Replace with equal amounts of sucanat or rapadura which have an excellent darker texture and tone similar to brown sugar. If you desire that wetter texture of brown sugar, simply add a Tablespoon of blackstrap molasses to the sucanat or rapadura.
Powered Sugar: replace with powdered sucanat/rapadura, or a dash of stevia.
White Flour: The Colorado State University Cooperative Extension recommends the following for substituting flour when baking.
1 cup of white, all-purpose flour for baking can be substituted with the following:
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs; (Just make sure they are whole wheat)
• 7/8 to 1 cup corn meal; I’ve never tried this.
• 1/2 cup cornstarch plus 1/2 cup rye, potato or rice flour (sift together 6 times, use with 2 tsp baking powder per cup in quick breads as wheat flour allergy substitute);
• 5/8 cup potato flour;
• 7/8 cup rice flour;
• 1 1/3 cups rolled oats;
• 1 1/4 cups rye flour;
• 1 cup minus 1 Tbsp whole wheat flour.
Buttermilk: Replace equally with cultured kefir or yogurt. (Coconut milk kefir is a good choice as well.) You can also make your own milk kefir.
Crisco/Shortening: replace with palm oil, coconut oil, or butter in their solid state.
Thickeners: Replace cornstarch or white flour called for in a recipe to a smaller portion of arrowroot powder (i.e. 1/4 cup flour = 1-2 Tbsp arrowroot powder).
Bouillon cubes: replace with homemade or organic free range chicken/beef broth.(Make sure it’s NO MSG…Not “No added MSG” Usually a recipe will say 1 bouillon cube and 1 cup water, and you can simply replace both with 1 cup homemade broth. You can also freeze homemade stock in ice cube trays to replace the bouillon cubes.
Pancake Syrup: Replace pancake syrup (the fake HFCS sugar syrup) with pure maple syrup (Vermont does not allow formaldehyde in processing or try Canadian sources), honey, or fruit syrup.
Mayonnaise: Make your own homemade mayonnaise or purchase coconut oil mayonnaise or safflower mayonnaise.
Ketchup: Make your own or choice fermented ketchup or an organic variety that does not use HFCS. There are some brands that now advertise no HFCS, and I use so little, that we simply purchase those, but making your own is easy and a great idea if your family consumes a lot.
Bread crumbs/croutons: Make your own from healthy breads or your own that’s a day old.
Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract (not vanilla flavoring or imitation vanilla) or make your own.
Salad Dressings: The best nutritious salad dressing is a simple balsamic vinegar and cold pressed olive oil. But you can also make your own recipes of salad dressings using healthy fats.
Worcestershire Sauce (this often has corn syrup): replace with equal amount of white vinegar.
Baking powder/baking soda: Chose aluminum free varieties (Bob’s Red Mill or Rumford brands).
Moo Shu Chicken (A long awaited post for some of you!)
Sorry ladies, here is the famous Moo Shu Chicken recipe. I have to say that while it was very good, I'm not a huge mushroom fan. So I can't say it's my favorite. But for some of you, it'll be the best! This recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen chicken cookbook that I borrowed form the library. Without further adieu…
Serves 4
(Shredded carrots, bean sprouts, or thinly sliced bamboo shoots can be stirred inthe the pan with the cabbage.)
1/3 C chicken broth preferably lower sodium or homemade.
6 T Hoisin sauce
2 T soy sauce
2 teas non-GMO cornstarch (organic)
2 T coconut oil (or vegetable oil)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms stemmed, wiped clean and sliced thin
3 garlic cloves minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 T grated fresh ginger
2 Cups shredded or thinly sliced cooked chicken
12 oz cabbage washed, cored and shredded (about 4 cups)
5 green onions sliced thin
8 (6") flour tortillas or mandarin pancakes
- Mix the broth, 2 Tablespoons of Hoisin sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 T oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, 4 minutes.
- Clear the center of the pan and add the remaining 1 T oil, the garlic and ginger. Cook, mashing the mixture slightly until it's fragrant. About 30 seconds. Stir in the chicken, cabbage, and green onions and cook until the cabbage begins to wilt, about one minute.
- Whisk the sauce to recombine and add it to the pan, bringing to a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens and the mixture is hot 1-2 minutes.
- Meanwhile warm the tortillas and serve tortillas with the chicken and the 4 remaining tablespoons of Hoisin Sauce.
Enjoy!
Meal Plan Monday
So my mother is coming today. Since we always look forward to cooking together, I have quite the list of meals selected that I'm planning on letting my mom choose from, although I do have a slow cooker recipe planned for tomorrow. Enjoy the list and please feel free to comment if you'd really like to see any of these recipes published here on the blog.
Monday- Slow cooker Chicken and (soaked) Quinoa
Rest of the weeks choices. Whatever doesn't get picked will end up on the menu next week…
- Apple and Walnut stuffed pork chops with green beans or roasted broccoli.
- Minimalist Roast Chicken with Lentils Madrid
- Chimi churri steak sandwiches on sourdough rolls
- Vegetarian Quinoa Chili
- Spicy Meat Chili
- Artichoke and Sun Dried Tomato stuffed chicken breasts
- Tender skewered beef
- Mexican Chicken lasagna with black beans
- Ground Turkey Enchiladas
- Hunan Pork and Zucchini Stir Fry
- Maple Glazed pork Roast
Tasty Tuesday; World’s Best Whole Wheat Cookies (No…Seriously)
I must admit, I did not come up with this recipe on my own unlike my mom who calls me all the time with new cookies to try. But I did tweak it to reduce the sugar a little and I may tweak it some more. I’ll be sure to post an update when I do. This is my new go-to cookie recipe and since it makes a million and one cookies, I won’t have to mix it up as often since we love to freeze and bake 4-8 cookies at a time.
Chicken Stock/Broth
Many people get so used to using canned chicken broths. Cookbooks even recommend their favorite brands, with little consideration to the health of these stocks. Making your own homemade broth is always better than buying it from the store. Why? Because you control the sodium level, you control the spices, you also control the quality because you can buy free range chicken and cook it knowing that you are giving your family the healthiest stock available by eliminating the antibiotics that are still present after cooking the meat.
"Properly prepared, meat stocks are extremely nutritious, containing the minerals of bone, cartilage, marrow and vegetables as electrolytes, a form that is easy to assimilate. Acidic wine or vinegar added during cooking helps to draw minerals, particularly calcium, magnesium and potassium, into the broth. Dr. Francis Pottenger, author of the famous cat studies as well as articles on the benefits of gelatin in broth, taught that the stockpot was the most important piece of equipment to have in one's kitchen."
-Sally Fallon- Nourishing Traditions
So how do you make this most nourishing of foods?
1. Begin with the bones (or whole bird) of a preferably organic or free range (or at the very least, hormone and antibiotic free) chicken, or a bag of beef bones (I buy mine for $5 a bag from my Co-op, and this allows me to make a very large pot of stock). If you do not buy whole chickens, you can save the bones from your wings and legs in a bag in the freezer, until you have a sufficient amount (about equal to the size of a chicken carcass).
2. Put the bones in a large stock pot, completely covered by cold water, add a few couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Let this sit for about an hour.
3. Bring to a boil, and remove the scum that rises to the top.Then add a large onion (chopped in quarters, leave the peel on for a beautiful yellow color in your stock), 2-3 carrots and 2-3 celery sticks (chopped in large pieces) I also add a bay leaf or two. I like to save the remnants of these veggies whenever I'm chopping and preparing other dishes, and put them all in a plastic bag in the freezer until I'm ready to make broth. I just dump all these remnant pieces into my broth and it works just fine, and saves money for sure!
4. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 6 to 24 hours (the longer, the better, as this will allow the gelatin to be more fully released from the bones, and results in a more flavorful broth). You can add fresh parsley or thyme to your stock in the last 10-15 minutes. Also, add salt, to bring out the flavors. If you are using a whole chicken with meat, I find that taking the meat out of the soup after two or three hours helps it to not be too dry, and usually works well in casseroles or other cheesy dishes. I ladle out all my bones onto a cookie sheet, and let them cool while the stock still simmers. removing the meat and tossing everything else back in. Lately, I've been using only leftover bones though, so I haven't done this in a while.
5. Pour through a strainer and set broth aside to cool (in the fridge is best, if you have enough room). Set aside bones and remove all meat for future soups, casseroles, etc. When broth is cool, remove layer of congealed fat from the top and discard.
6. Put broth in containers (glass is ideal- old pickle or mayonnaise jars, or even canning jars, but plastic yogurt containers work well in a pinch). I like to put mine in several different size containers, so that I can remove the size I need depending on what I am doing (2 cups to add to rice, 2 quarts for making soup, etc.). Many people also freeze broth in ice cube trays, then once frozen, store in a large ziploc to take out small amount at a time.
You may find that the stock does not have that extra strong, store-bought bouillon type of flavor. This is because it is lacking in MSG (yes, even if the ingredients don't list MSG, it is probably in there in a hidden form or under one of it's many other names that manufacturers use to hide it's presence).
Adding a bit of extra salt and seasonings to your soups will help to make up for this, although over time you will become accustomed to the more mild (yet richer at the same time) taste of homemade broth and will begin to prefer it, as I have.
Enjoy!!
Honey Oat Bread
FYI, this is not a bread machine recipe…I have only made this recipe in my stand mixer the ol' fashion way!
Honey Oat Bread (2 loaves)
4 teaspoons yeast
½ cup honey
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 cups water
2 eggs
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
1 cup rolled oats
6 ½ cups hard white wheat flour (or white wheat flour)
In a saucepan, warm the honey and oil until the oil is melted. Remove from heat. Add the water. Mixture should be warm (around 110 degrees). Add yeast and stir. Let stand for 10 minutes to proof.
Pour the mixture into your stand mixer. Add three cups of flour and the salt. Beat for 2 minutes on speed 1. Add eggs, oats, and remaining flour until you have a kneadable dough. You may need to add more flour. Knead on speed 1 for 10 minutes.
Move dough to an oiled bowl. Cover to coat all surfaces. Let rise until doubled. Punch down and divide into two loaves.
Put into two greased 9 inch loaf pans, turning to grease all sides. Let rise until doubled.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until they should hollow when tapped. Cool 10 minutes in the pan before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
Good Morning December!
Well, I'm back. Not that I really went anywhere, I just haven't been here on my blog in a while. I promised to return in December and I made it into the first half by just a hair! I have most of my Christmas shopping done, most of the gifts are even wrapped (Thanks to no good places left to hide them!) and I've also managed to make some gifts for the teachers, helpers and other miscellaneous people that we give small gifts to this time of year. It's a low budget year for us, but at least I managed to get Christmas cards made. Still waiting on delivery of said cards, hopefully they will get out before Christmas!
Anyway, there are so many things I've been thinking about for the last few weeks; what to post, how to post it, what to say about it, so on and so forth. I don't really have any new super cool ideas, but I have a few prompts that I'm going to shoot out.
Look for the following posts in coming weeks;
- New products at Courtlynn.com !! (I'm so excited about this!)
- Santa; what we tell our kids about him.
- Biblical Christmas traditions; Eliminating the pagan roots.
- Weekly menu plans (as usual.)
- New Years Resolutions; Why are they so hard to stick to?
I'm sure I'll have a few more, I'm just not sure if they will make it out before Christmas. There are quite a few things going on between then and now! I pray you have a wonderful Christmas season remembering the reason why we celebrate this wonderful time of year.
In Christ,
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