Home Style Chicken Soup ( GAPS friendly)

When I started the GAPS diet this was my " default food" It's simple, easy, easy on the stomach, and tastes pretty good. It is essentially my grandma's recipe and is thereby, for me, sorta kinda.. well, comfort food. ^_^ You know, the same thing that I would revert to if I felt miserable I had a cold. Homey, and comforting and GAPS friendly. So here it is! Enjoy for what it's worth! =)

You start with the same basic way as making the broth in my earlier post about broth. Use this recipe to get started.
Once you have strained out the chicken and peppercorns. Remove the chicken from the bones and set it aside. I would personally also only use half of the broth from the other recipe to make this soup.. (just set the other half aside and save it for later to drink or use) but that would depend on how brothy vs. hearty you like your soup.


OK, so you have your broth.
Next you add this to it:

1/4 cup of fresh parsley (washed and chopped)

1 medium yellow onion (chopped)

and approximately 1/3- 1/2 cup of the leaves and tender shoots from the inside of the celery. (chopped fine)

Return broth to boil while you chop;

3-4 large carrots (peeled and chopped)


2 medium sized turnips peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes.
IF you are NOT on GAPS... 2-3 medium peeled potatoes could easily be substituted here. =)
(Note, on GAPS she DOES allow turnips.. but if you were starting early on I may replace the turnips with a peeled and chopped zucchini or two instead just to be safe. If you do use zucchini, add them with the tomatoes later on.)

2-3 medium sized tomatoes ( remove seeds and chop into chunks)

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic , minced. ( This is optional, but it tastes good X)

1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen green beans ( for those who can have them. X)

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Add those to the boiling broth. Wait until the broth boils again; reduce the heat, cover it with the lid and allow it to simmer for 30-40 minutes. ( until the carrots and turnips start to become tender)

add:

2-3 medium sized tomatoes ( remove seeds and chop into chunks)

(if you are using zucchini, add it here.)

And the chicken back in.

Cover the soup again and simmer for another 20 minutes or so or until zucchini is tender.
Tada! It's done! Enjoy. (I'll try to get a picture up here shortly. =) )

Fermented Vegetables ( yes, you heard correctly)

Fermented Vegetables.

If you are looking into starting the GAPS protocol, this is essentially your starting point. It is used daily through most of the diet and health benefit wise, is just plain cool. IF however, you subscribed to this blog strictly for the gluten-free cookie recipes... I'm sorry, this post *probably * isn't for you... in fact.. if you are reading it at all it is quite possible you are doing so out of morbid curiosity as much as anything else. X

BUT, if you are looking for a recipe for easily digestible vitamins and minerals, as well as probiotics... than you've come to the right place. =)

My mother and I had a bit of a run-around with the recipes for fermenting vegetables. Frankly, it's not hard AT ALL, but we..really did not find a single one that was very clear at all. >.< SO! After some adjustments and clarifications. Here is OUR version of the recipe. (Yes, I'll be keeping it as simple as possible. )

This is what you will need.

Approximately 4lbs vegetables ( Carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage etc. You can use many kinds, but cabbage is the important one.)
One VERY large mixing bowl
2 half/gallon (mason style) jars with sealable lids. ( If you are doing a half of a recipe, two quart sized jars are fine.)
A knife or food processor. ( food processors make it go quicker, but really aren't necessary.)

Pure (non city) water,
Culture starter (optional)
Honey ( only needed if using the culture starter.)
Fresh herbs of whatever kind you like to flavor it with (optional)
Sea salt

This is what you will need to do.

Wash the vegetables.

Dissolve the culture starter into a cup of 90 degree water with approximately ½ tsp honey.

Finely chop ( or food processor) the vegetables, leaving several cabbage leaves whole for later use.

Put them in the bowl. ( This step is so complicated I know. ;)

Add 3 TBS sea salt to approximately 2 cups warm (approx 90 degree) water. ( This is a basic starter measurement... you can use a lot more water than this if you would like more brine! You will need enough brine to cover your vegetables once you put them in the jars, so if this doesn't cover them. Make more. =)

Add the brine to the vegetables and “knead” the vegetables. This kind of bruises them a little bit and also makes them juicer. Do it as long as you feel like. There is no need to knock yourself out with this, but a minute or two of kneading would be good. =) Squish them hard.

Add herbs (if desired)

Add dissolved culture starter ( if desired)

Mix very well.

With a utensil, or your hand, pack the vegetables into the jars and fill with brine, making sure to leave about two/two and a half inches of space at the top of the jars. Also, when you pack them in, make sure there are no air bubbles left in between them (the brine helps this). If there is air inside, the vegetables touching the air will rot instead of fermenting.

Take the whole cabbage leaves that you saved and fold them into a little “ pillow” about the same size around as the jar. (you may have to trim them a little..)
Pack the leaf “pillow” into the mouth of your jar making sure it is touching the sides of the jar as well as the vegetables/brine underneath. This creates kind of a natural seal that helps seal it, but also allows the bubbles of gas to escape as the vegetables ferment.

Put the lids on the jars “snugly”. ( You know, Goldy Locks style, not incredible hulk style... Otherwise you will probably *need * the dear mister Hulk to help you get those silly lids off again later.)

Set the jars some place that stays approximately 70 degrees... and (here's the hard part) leave them alone and watch the action. ;)

Leave the jars for approximately a week to 10 days or two weeks. They will bubble an change a bit here and there but really all you have to do is leave them alone. ( Note on this part, we filled the jars too full the first time and they bubbled juice all over the counter, so, be warned. It could get a little messy.)

At the end of that time, you can either use them right away, or put them in the refrigerator. They will store in the fridge around 4 weeks or so.

When you go to use them, open the jars and remove and discard the cabbage leaves and anything touching them or that fell off of them that looks dark or discolored. You will note that the leaves rotted due to being exposed to the air, while the rest of the vegetables ( if done correctly) will be just fine. Pretty cool eh? I have to comment, they will taste SOUR... not sour as in bad just as in.. make you pucker if you're not expecting it. X)

The juice can be used in soups or as a salad dressing, the veggies themselves can be added to a salad, or used like sauerkraut on sausage ( or whatever else you use sauerkraut on...) as a condiment/probiotic supplement or side dish. =)

Note; if you want more and more flavorful brine/juice, you can take up to ½ of your vegetables and herbs with some of the salt water and blend them in a blender to make more brine.

Also note; You honestly don't need the culture starter to ferment vegetables! ( as long as you have not-overly-sanitized cabbage.)
We wanted to make sure we did it right the first time, and also wanted lots of (and several kinds of) good bacteria in ours, so we bought a Culture Starter from Body Ecology. (pictured below) It is good stuff, works well, and is not dairy-based like many others. (in case you are allergic to dairy like I am) It *is * somewhat expensive however, so that may be something to note.

We have since tried fermenting vegetables without it. It works just fine. =)

Basic GAPS Chicken Broth

Broth.

I think the very word is synonymous to most people as... boring. You know, that part of the soup that is the absolute least thought of. It is what happens when you mixed the over-chemicaled-over-salted- condensed soups with water. Or, if you are brave, it is what you, in our busy modern life, open a carton for when you make " homemade" soup. Perhaps if you are recalling the 70's it may be even what you put a cube of practically nutrition-less bullion into a hot cup of water to drink as a diet food.

Not so with GAPS.
In the GAPS diet, broth ( Chicken, duck, beef etc.) is a staple, and here's why. True broth... REAL broth, is a very easily digestible food that is extremely high in nutrients for it's digestibility (and lack of bad-bacteria-feeding-sugar.) In fact, it is one of the best and most healing foods. So, at the beginning of the GAPS program, she has you start with LOTS and lots of broth.
But Dr. Campbell-McBride wants you to have REAL broth; not the chemical-infested, over-salted, artificially flavored and uber-preserved junk. ( are you sick of my hyphens yet? )
Dr. Campbell-McBride has you do broth the old fashioned way. So my recipe today, is doing chicken broth... like your grandparents did it when they were kids. ( excepting maybe the use of an electric stove and kitchen shears. ;)

So here is the recipe. " GAPS friendly", simple and imho the absolute best way to drink it. =)

Basic GAPS Chicken Broth (Sarah's style)

Start with a 1 1/2 gallon (or 6 quart) kettle or crock pot. ( Yes, this recipe makes a lot... But it goes quick when you're on the diet)

Fill it with pure (non-city) water, leaving a little space at the top of the kettle for displacement.

Add:

1 to 1 1/2 TBS salt.

15-20 whole black peppercorns. Cracked, not ground. ( We, honestly, put them in a little plastic lunch bag and smack them with a hammer a few times. ^_^ It works great!)

AAAaaand of course the chicken.
In this case, 1/2 of an organically grown (thawed and rinsed) chicken.
(The easiest way to end up with half of it, that we have found, is to cut it right down the middle with big pair of kitchen shears. Put the other half in a baggy in the freezer and save it for later. )

(This could also be done with about 3 lbs of organic chicken legs, and thighs etc. (approximately 6 of them)

So yes.. All of this goes into the kettle, and you put the kettle and turn it on. When it boils turn it down to a simmer, put the lid on the kettle and let it boil for at 3-4 hours. (8 hours or so on low for crockpot) Turn it off, make sure the chicken is tender. Strain the chicken and peppercorns out, and voila! You have homemade chicken broth!
*nom* It can ( and for GAPS is supposed to be) drunk as it is. It can also be made into any chicken-based soup you wish. It can have various fresh herbs added (to broth or soups ) for different flavors, or simply left plain, cooled and stored in the freezer for use at a later date.
Enjoy! =)

Note: For old style, "bone broth" once you have removed the boiled chicken from the bones; (to eat or put in soups) save the bones, skin and gristle; put them back in a kettle of fresh water; follow the same recipe as for the chicken broth with everything except put the bones and skin in instead of the chicken. Let this new kettle boil for 6+ hours, strain out the bones and you've got yourself another entire pot of broth! =)

Another Note:
Organic chicken, or better yet locally grown free-range chicken is FAR FAR Better than the anemic store-bought kind. Not just for the chemical content either. No lie. My mother and I did several pots of broth, and you can literally see an extreme difference in color of the store bought normal chicken vs the organic or free-range chicken. The taste and nutrition difference is profound as well. The broth I have pictured is made from a local free-range chicken. It is covered in golden fat ( that is full of vitamin A) and tastes positively amazing compared to any of the broth I've previously made. =) =)

The (almost) Epic start of the GAPS diet

Sooo... My life has been a little bit... insane for the past while since I have posted last. (My mother having cancer; my sudden trip to Ecuador with her to get natural treatment; her eventual healing; and simply trying to re-prioritize and make life work since then... etc. etc.) In spite of those excuses though, I apologize for not posting for all this time! I also apologize for not yet posting some of the recipes I promised a few of you! ( I still plan on it though!) Please be patient with me! I will get them up eventually!

Otherwise though, this post is basically to introduce a new set of posts that I will be doing. This past year, my mother and I started doing research on the GAPS diet. ( For those of you who do not know, GAPS stands for Gut And Psychology Syndrome) It is based on the studies and research of Doctor Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, MMedsci(neurology), MMedsi (nutrition)
All of those letters put into other words, she is a doctor who is also a medical scientist in the fields of neurology and nutrition.

Dr Campbell-Mcbride studied the relation between many of the neurological diseases (Autism, depression, dyslexia, ADHD, Crohns, Celiac etc.) and other digestion issues, made some amazing discoveries and healed her autistic son. She basically, goes through and shows you what to do to use the proper nutrition (in ways that a compromised and weakened body can handle) to heal the body of digestion problems and a lot of those neurological problems as well. Amazing right?
You can find the book on Amazon here.
Or see a website explaining more about the GAPS diet here:

So, like I said, essentially, she shows you how to heal your digestion. (from intolerance, food allergies, parasites, non-beneficial bacteria overgrowth, yeast overgrowth etc.) and helps you learn to feed your body the proper nutrition to heal not only your digestion, but so it has the building blocks to re-build the rest of your immune system, including a compromised neurological system, hence aiding greatly in the healing of those diseases.

Because I am someone with A) Multiple food allergies (and other digestive issues) and B) other chronic health issues. When I found someone who basically put every bit of research I had found valid over the many years of searching and studying concerning things that I had (as well as what many other people had) and what I should to to recover/heal from it... Iiiiii was pretty excited! She not only puts a lot of the medical research into fairly shirt-sleeve English, but she combined what I already knew and gives a step-by-step on what to heal from it.
My mother and I found this diet that basically teaches how to be healed from almost every food allergy, as well as parasites and such ( which I have fought with endlessly over the years) So that they don't come back. So, since it doesn't contradict most research I've done, (and actually supports practically all of it) you better believe that I am going to do it!

... Ok, sounds vaguely interesting, but kind of complicated, and NOT like a recipe, right?

Let me bottom line why I am telling you about all of this. *stands on a shoe box and proclaims * HENCEFORTH, All recipes on this blog (unless otherwise clearly stated) are going to be what I and my family have dubbed " GAPS friendly"! ^_^ They may not be * as* interesting to some of you. I apologize if that is the case, but I hope that many will still be... fairly interesting!
For anyone else wanting to heal from food allergies or digestive issues, or if you are otherwise wanting to implement the GAPS diet --
Here is the recipes for what I made and am making, so, if you wish, you can do them yourself. Also, at my new blog will be (a revised version of this post) AND the extent of my path and (a probably greatly simplified version of) the day-to-day happenings of living on the GAPS diet, as well the process of my gradual healing. I'm doing this in order for anyone wanting to do the GAPS diet themselves to see what I am doing, how it works, and what tips there are that I would give any fellow GAPSters from my journey towards a healthy- allergy free body. =)
*Woot!* =)

(P.S. for anyone actually starting the GAPS diet, I would also highly recommend the "GAPS GUIDE" book, as it is a bit more of a comprehensive guide to actually implementing the GAPS protocol. )

Vegetarian Penne Pasta With Summer Vegetables and Olive Oil

MMmmmmmmmm summer. The air, the foliage... the food!

Here is one of my family's stand-bys that I love to default to in the summer. It's has taken a bit of effort and has had some perfecting over time, so I really hope ya'll enjoy the result and get as much "yum" out of it as I do. =)

Vegetarian Penne Pasta with Summer Vegetables With Olive Oil


(... yeah I'm seriously thinking about shortening the name to VPPSV. *nods* )

2 Tbs Olive oil
3medium-small carrots julienned
1-2 small onions chopped

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1 medium zucchini cut into 1 ½” by 1” pieces
1 medium summer squash cut into 1”pieces
1/3 Cup white wine ( I like to use Chablis as a good standby, but any semi-dry white wine is fine.)
1 8oz container of button mushrooms washed and sliced or quartered
2 tsp dried basil

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8 or so pieces of sun-dried tomatoe ( cut into strips)
3 small tomatoes ( roma work well) slice into quarters or eights and remove seeds
Approximately 4 cups fresh spinach (wilted.)
OR
1 can spinach drained and rinsed
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

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Approximately 1Lb (a 16 oz package) of gluten free penne, pasta.

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Directions:

In large pan or wok, heat olive oil and add onions and carrots. Saute 2-3 minutes. ( until lightly browned/ just *starting* to soften.)
Add zucchini and summer squash, saute 1 minute, then add ½ white wine, mushrooms and basil.

Cook another 3-4 minutes until zucchini is starting to soften.
Add tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and spinach.

Cook 2-4 more minutes or until vegetables are cooked to taste. ( Do not over cook! =)
Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions.
(I like to have the water heating for the pasta while I cook the vegetables.)
Rinse pasta and pasta pot in cold water and place in large glass serving bowl.
Drizzle pasta with an additional ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Add vegetables and stir them in gently. Serve immediately. =)

This makes a rather large batch. It feeds about 5-6 very hungry people.. I'm not even going to tell you (or attempt to tell you) The actual “ serving sizes”... my family just doesn't eat like that. ;)

I gave you how you are “ supposed” to cook this ( so many minutes of this.. so many minutes of that..) But for those of us with busy lives, here's a hint. It works pretty well if you just cut things and add them to the pan in the order in which they are listed. (provided you do so fairly quickly and keep an eye on it/stir it so it doesn't burn.) It doesn't turn out quite as perfect. But it still works and saves a little hassle if you're just wanting something without the extra trouble. =)

This is a favorite family stand-by; especially when the summer vegetables are in. And it's a great healthy vegetarian dish! =)

Options:

Like I said, this IS a great vegetarian dish, but IF you reeeeeeally want to... you can add a few sliced/sauted chicken breasts and it is also really good. =) Or, if you're like my exercise physiologist brother and want an even easier way to add some protein, two 10 oz cans of canned chicken. =)

Liiiike most of these... you *can* add a clove or two of minced garlic at the beginning with the carrots and onions. I honestly don't think it's a bit necessary... but it would be good. I'll be honest.

This recipe can also be done with any variety of vegetables! It's great with asparagus ( which I'm allergic too unfortunately.. ) And various other veggies. Feel free to experiment and try it a number of different ways! =) I hope you enjoy!

2 Tbs Olive oil
3medium-small carrots julienned
1-2 small onions chopped

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1 ½ -2 zucchini cut into 1 ½” by 1” pieces
1 ½ - 2 medium summer squash cut into 1”pieces
½ Cup white wine ( I like to use Chablis as a good standby, but any semi-dry white wine is fine.)
1 8oz container of button mushrooms washed and sliced or quartered
2 tsp dried basil

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8 or so pieces of sun-dried tomato ( cut into strips)
3-4 small fresh tomatoes ( roma work well) slice into quarters or eights and remove seeds
Approximately 4 cups fresh spinach (wilted... if you like you can just put them in on top of the other hot vegetables while they are cooking and they wilt down pretty well. =)
OR
1 can spinach drained and rinsed
1 ½ – 2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

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Approximately 24 oz of gluten free penne, or fettucini pasta.

In large pan or wok, heat olive oil and add onions and carrots. Saute 2-3 minutes. ( until lightly browned/ just *starting* to soften.)
Add zucchini and summer squash, saute 1 minute, then add ½ white wine, mushrooms and basil.

Cook another 3-4 minutes until zucchini is starting to soften.
Add tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and spinach.

Cook 2-4 more minutes or until vegetables are cooked to taste. ( Do not over cook! =)
Remove from heat and set aside.

Cook pasta according to directions.
(I like to have the water heating for the pasta while I cook the vegetables.)
Rinse pasta and pasta pot in cold water and place in large glass serving bowl.
Drizzle pasta with an additional ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. Add vegetables and stir them in gently. Serve immediately. =)

This makes a rather large batch. It feeds about 5 very hungry people.. I'm not even going to tell you (or attempt to tell you) The actual “ serving sizes”... my family just doesn't eat like that. ;)

I gave you how you are “ supposed” to cook this ( so many minutes of this.. so many minutes of that..) But for those of us with busy lives, here's a hint. It works pretty well if you just cut things and add them to the pan in the order in which they are listed. (provided you do so fairly quickly and keep an eye on it/stir it so it doesn't burn.) It doesn't turn out quite as perfect. But it still works and saves a little hassle if you're just wanting something without the extra trouble. =)

This is a favorite family stand-by; especially when the summer vegetables are in. And it's a great healthy vegetarian dish! =)

Options:

Liiiike most of these... you *can* add a clove or two of minced garlic at the beginning with the carrots and onions. I honestly don't think it's a bit necessary... but it would be good. I'll be honest.

Like I said, this IS a great vegetarian dish, but IF you reeeeeeally want to... you can add a few sliced/sauted chicken breasts and it is also really good. =) Or, if you're like my exercise physiologist brother and want an even easier way to add some protein, two 10 oz cans of canned chicken. =)

If you are completely grain-intolerant. The first half of this makes a pretty handy vegetable (or vegetable and chicken) medley just by itself. ( I would add a few teaspoons or so of the extra virgin olive oil at the end just for falvor.)

This recipe can also be done with any variety of vegetables! It's great with asparagus ( which I'm allergic too unfortunately.. ) And various other veggies. Feel free to experiment and try it a number of different ways! =) I hope you ennjoy!

Ratatouille!

Ratatouille!

If you have not heard of the dish ratatouille... odds are you haven't watched many animated movies in the past few years.
Though there is some debate on how on earth you are *actually* supposed to make the stuff, (and there seem to be as many versions as there are people who've tried to make it.) the general consensus remains that it is a " traditional French provincial stewed vegetable dish, made of tomatoes,egg plant, zucchini, onions and peppers." And it generally served with (or over) some form of grain, such as pasta, bread or rice.
So! After some research... Yup, you've guessed it. I made my own. =)
This particular recipe is not the fancily layered kind that you saw in the movie, but the slightly more conventional, provincial stew style. Of course, " more conventional" is relative with me. ^_^ But my family really loves it. I hope you all will too.


Sarah and Susie's Provencal style Ratatouille


One medium/large onion, diced

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, diced ( opt.)

One half of a medium sized eggplant cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Two pint cans diced tomatoes (3 1/2 to 4 fresh tomatoes can be substituted. blanch and peal tomatoes, dice into 3/4 inch pieces and drain off excess liquid.)

One half of a green bell pepper cut into1/2 inch pieces

One medium zucchini cut into 1/2 inch cubes

One medium summer squash cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 Tbs fresh thyme chopped

Two small bay leaves

½ tsp onion powder

1 1/2 to 2 tsp salt ( or to taste)

1/2 to 1 tsp pepper ( or to taste)

2 tsp olive oil

1 (15 oz) can canned beef (opt)

Saute onions and in olive oil until tender.
Add egg plant, garlic and tomatoes. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add green pepper, zucchini, summer squash, thyme, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and extra olive oil ( and beef if using beef) and simmer until vegetables are tender and tomatoes are reduced slightly. (approximately 10 -20 minutes) Ratatouille should be the consistency of a thick soup or stew when finished. (This may take slightly longer if using fresh tomatoes)
Remove bay leaves and serve over rice, polenta or other grain. =)
( A time saver tip; I like to use the "Ten minute brown rice" it is quick [ takes SO much less time than regular brown rice] and has basically the same nutritional value as the long cook kind.)

( note: Traditional ratatouille does not contain beef. I just added that because my family has a distinct protein preference. =)


Special thanks to Susan T! Her and I spent quite a fun afternoon in her kitchen creating this recipe. =D

Breakfast! ( well the recipe is for the pancakes ) ...* nom*

Soooooooo it just so happens... that I have been craving pancakes like crazy for the past few days. Now they say cravings usually don't last more than an hour or so... But I tell you, this has NOT been the case. Yesterday and today, I have been craving pancakes like you wouldn't believe. lol SO! Today I made myself a recipe, and made myself and mother pancakes for lunch. (Lol Yup, lunch. *quirky smile* Yes, I am perfectly aware of what I titled this.)

So anywayzz.. Here 'tis! My egg free, gluten free dairy, free recipe for pancakes... And it is now being blogged for all of you. Because? Well, I happen to like pancakes very much, and figure I'm not the only one. ^_^

Pancakes

¾ Cup millet flour

½ Cup white rice flour

1 Tbs Potato starch

¼ Cup oat bran ( Note: Although oats are not technically a gluten grain, a lot of people with sensitivity to gluten also have trouble with oats. I personally can do some oats ( and oat bran) as long as I don't eat a whole ton of it at once, but this may not be the case for some of you. If you have a sensitivity to oats, you could either leave this bit out or just add a little whole grain flour or another grain bran [ maybe brown rice] for the same general effect.)

1 ½ Tbs cornstarch

½ tsp salt

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

----

Mix together dry ingredients then ...

Combine; 1 Tbs ground chia ( salvia ) seed with

¼ cup cold/room temperature water ( this serves as my egg substitute) Stir and let jell.

Next add;

1 Tbs light olive oil ( or grape seed oil)

2/3 cup rice milk

¼ tsp apple cider vinegar

½ tsp agave nectar ( or honey)

2 Tbs water

------

Mix wet and dry ingredients together, and set pan to heating on stove to about medium heat.

Add approximately a tablespoon ( or a little less) of oil to the pan and wait until it is hot enough so that a droplet of water “ dances” when it is put into the pan. ( without spattering)

And this, my friends... is where cooking becomes art. Lol It seems making pancakes ( especially ones as delicate as these) takes a certain knack. I will try to explain how I to do them in as detailed as I can. It really is not that difficult. Though, if you're like me, it may take a smidgen of practice. =)

Once the pan is sufficiently heated, pour a 3 inch round dob of batter into the pan. ( using a fork or spoon) flatten the batter a little until it is about 4 inches around. (I highly suggest not making the pancakes much (if any) bigger than that, because it becomes extremely difficult to filp them in one piece.)

The oil should sizzle around the edges where the batter meets the pan juuuuuuust a little.

Cook for about a minute, until the edges and sides near the pan start to stiffen ever so slightly.

Using the metal spatula, “loosen” the pancake from the pan by sliding the spatula under it against the pan from all sides..... Aaaand flip!

Now there is a rule of pancake making that my mother taught me long ago, and it is this:
“ The first pancake from every batch never turns out.” Lol

Even in spite of my best efforts... I have always seen this to be true. I wish you could have seen the first pancake ( or what was left of it anyway) that came out of this batch. *laughs* I should have taken a picture. It was a hopeless pile of pathetic looking crumbs -Tasty pathetic looking crumbs - but pathetic looking crumbs none the less. Don't worry though, the rest of the batch *points to picture* turned out lovely!

Repeat with rest of batter! I do suggest that you clean out any straying fragments of pancake, and re-oil the pan in between each pancake. It makes things cook so much better. ( You also may tilt the pan around a little while the pancake is in transit during being flipped so that the oil is again beneath the pancake.

Another tip would be make sure to keep the heat as correctly as possible. ( you may have to turn the heat down after the first pancake) This is a little hard to describe, but it needs to be hot enough so that the pancake sizzles slightly, but not so hot that the oil is smoking or forming patterns on the bottom of the pan.

Recipe makes approximately 5 four inch pancakes. ( four/ four and a half-ish depending on how you do or don't include the first one. ;)

Options:

If you can eat eggs,

The chia seed mixture would be replaced with one egg. =)

Serving suggestions... ( Wow, I always laugh at the cereal boxes when they do this so I find it ironic that I now am. haha! )

I like my pancakes with banana slices and MAPLE SYRUP! ( I love this stuff! lol =)

Also for a protein source turkey bacon is delicious. * nods* I have been able to find it without soy or any other allergic-ly objectionable ingredients. You have to check the labels though, because most of them do.

My Favoritist Ever ( so far) Homemade Chicken Coconut Curry.

Curry.

Deliciousness in a word.

The problem with curry is simply that almost every bit of Indian food out there, (including curries) involves at least some form of dairy. (This ( as far as I'm concerned) = * big sigh* Are you with me here?) A good friend of mine just made a lovely Indian recipe that I felt illustrated that rather well. * laughs* It involved... not one... not two...or even three, but four forms of dairy. Sadly, for us dairy-free people, that's not all that unusual. So, how do you make amazing chicken curry without dairy?

*points to recipe excitedly* Like this. XD

Coconut Chicken Curry

2 ½ Tblsp Olive oil and

2 Medium onions

1 small piece ( aprox 1 inch piece) of fresh ginger (grated) [Or 1 tsp ground dried ginger]

2 Tbs Tomato paste

2 Tbs Curry powder

½ Tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 Cinnamon stick

½ tsp ground chipotle chill pepper

1 Can coconut milk

1 (15 oz) Can chicken broth

2 medium/small tomatoes seeded and chopped

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( cut into 1” strips)

2 ½ Tbs fresh cilantro ( or 3 tsp dried)

3 Tbs lemon juice

Also ½ cup cold water and

3 heaping Tbls corn starch

Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet or pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, ginger, and cook until the onions are soft and transparent. ( about 15 minutes)

(I know , I know. The recipe is just starting here but seriously, I think the smell of the onions and ginger together [though a bit pungent] is just awesome.)

Add tomato paste, curry powder, cinnamon stick, and chilli pepper. Stir and season with salt and pepper. Add coconut milk and chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, chicken, cilantro and lemon juice. Simmer until chicken is cooked trough, ( about 10-15 minutes.) Thicken mixture with ½ cup water and 2 heaping tablespoons of corn starch.

Remove cinnamon stick. Serve over gluten free fettuccine ( a little unconventional but extremely good!) It also can be served over rice, or with gluten free Indian flat bread.

( feeds about 5 hungry eaters)

Aaaaaaand the traditional adding of optional garlic ( 2-3 cloves) if you so desire.

More options:

Mom also suggested that this would be good with 8 oz fresh mushrooms washed cut and cooked in. And …. although I usually protest against her proclivity too add mushrooms to everything X) in this case I may agree... on occasion. =)

(Special thanks to my mother and brother with their major amounts of help with this one!)

Hearty Experimental Vegetable Beef Soup =)

So, as you've probably figured out by now; everything on this website started out as an an experiment that turned out well enough for me to want to share it with all of you. ( No, don't worry, I won't share the ones that did not turn out. ;) But this one was one was my experimenting, rather kind of on a whim. One day, I really just wanted beef vegetable soup... with... LOTS and lots of vegetables. SO! Here it is. And it's hearty with lots of vegetables as promised. It is especially nice for a somewhat chilly day. ( I seem to be on a soup posting phase..lol. I'll blame it on the cold weather we've been having. ^_^ )

Hearty Experimental Vegetable Beef Soup

1 large Onion ( diced)

3-4 Medium carrots ( pealed & diced)

3 stalks celery ( diced)

Aprox 2 ½ cups cabbage ( shredded)

1 medium turnip

1 medium rutabaga

2 small potatoes ( two more small potatoes could be substituted for turnip and rutabaga)

5 cups beef broth

[ As a note; (And I'll probably comment on this later,but, ) IF you are using commercial beef broth be sure to double check the labels. Most of them contain soy ( either lecithin or protein) Milk ( as natural flavoring) garlic... or even gluten ( masquerading under the amazingly un-suspicious name of “modified food starch.” It IS possible to find them without these things, but it takes some searching.) I usually just make my own broth at home and freeze or can it for convenient use later.]

1 16 oz can tomatoes ( not drained)

1 medium/small zucchini

1 medium/small summer squash

¾ cup wilted ( or frozen) spinach ( opt)

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp parsley flakes

½ tsp pepper

½ tsp onion powder

1 16 oz can pre-cooked beef

In large kettle, put in onion, carrots, celery, and broth, bring to simmer, cook 5-10 minutes.

Put in cabbage, tomatoes, turnips/potatoes, salt, pepper, parsley and onion powder. Cook 15 minutes.

Then add zucchini, summer squash and spinach.

Cover and cook another 5-10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.

Add beef and cook 5 minutes longer.

Serve! =)

If you reeeeeeeeally like you can take the extra time and effort to saute` the carrots, celery and onion. But imho this just adds an extra step and doesn't really make that much of a difference flavor wise. X)

Options:

2 cloves minced garlic ( can be added with the tomatoes)

Another potential is to add 2 cups of frozen green beans with the carrots and onions. ( You may want to add just a little bit more broth ( or even a little water) if you do this though; just to keep the vegetables moist while they're cooking.)

Gluten free/ dairy free/ egg free APPLE PIE!!!!!

OOOOOOooohhh the joy. Oh the HAPPINESS! Complete *BLISS* Moment.
LOL Yup. This was my reaction upon the climax of my success. Warm, amazing apple pie that I COULD EAT!
After all those allergies and years without eating any dessert I was determined that I was going to create a dessert I could have. After some help brainstorming (Thanks Sarah F.)
I had a day with the house completely to myself. A day to do absolutely whatever I wanted. That day...I was going to make a "Sarah friendly" pie. ( lol I know I'm such a crazy partier. =p)

I experimented and fussed and tweaked for what seemed like a remarkably long time. (And though I still think I may be able to adjust some things on the typed out version of the recipe . ) The result... was seriously, the an extremely amazing homemade apple pie.

( For the reference, I had people without food allergies eating it. And they labeled it " as good as bakery pie". So I feel I have right to be quite pleased with my outcome. X) lol)

Let's start with the crust.

Gluten free dairy free pie crust ( Sarah style X)

This recipe is rather large. It makes two deep-dish 9inch pie pans. ( hooray for [hopefully] extra pie! =)

Alrightie! Let's start with the crust.

Mix together in a large bowl.

¾ Cup coconut oil

1/2 Cup Cashew butter ( both room temperature)

Next ingredients –

1 tsp salt

2 Cups White rice flour

1 Cup cornstarch

1 ¾ Cup millet flour

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 1/2 Cup Rice milk

Next, Mix in flours ( including cornstarch) and salt. When mixture is dry and fairly crumbly, mix in maple syrup and rice milk until mixture pulls away from sides of bowl just enough to form a dough. ( You may or may not use quite all of the rice milk to get it to this point... but it will be very close to using it up if you don't.) It is helpful if you refrigerate after this step.

Take out 1/4 of pie dough, and roll out between two sheets of plastic wrap or freezer paper to about 1/8^th inch thick.

Lay dough flat in refrigerator. ( You may have to clear off a few shelves to do this, but the dough is much easier to work with if you can just slide your hands under the [then stiffened] sheet of pie dough.=)
While it is hardening you can roll out the others and refrigerate them in the same way.

Remove one sheet of pie crust from the refrigerator and remove one of the sheets of plastic.
Lay the pie pan on top of it then flip them gently. Use the second sheet of plastic wrap ( now on top) to help you press the crust gently into the bottom of the pan. ( repeat for second pan) And place both pans back in the refrigerator.

Next! Mix up the pie filling.

Apple Pie Filling

6-7 granny smith apples pealed and sliced

7-8 Johnathan or gala apples pealed and sliced

( all together this is about 14 cups of apples)

The juice from half a lemon sprinkled across the apples as you slice them (Aprox 2 ½ tbsp)

1 ½ cup sugar

2 ½ tbsp cup maple syrup

1 ¾ tsp cinnamon

1/8 - ¼ tsp cloves

1/8 -¼ tsp ginger

½ cup cornstarch

Mix together ( be sure to put the cornstarch in last) and pour into pie dish.

Ok, got all that? Here is the next bit.

Take the next pie crust sheet from the fridge and ( again) remove the top piece of plastic wrap, and flip it onto the top of the ( now full) pie pan.
You may want to wait a moment until it starts to melt eeeever so slightly so that the edges mush together easier. Then just cut off the scraps from around the edge of the pie pan and crimp edges of the crust together gently.

Cut vents in the top crust with a knife. ( This allows steam to escape and makes it preeeeeeeetty! )

Using tin foil, create a rim around the pie pan that covers the edges of the crust so that they don't brown over much. ( They have little pie edge cover thingies that do this same thing without the hassle of crimping pieces of tin foil together... but I do not have one of those. X)

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Chicken Chili

If you are allergic to chicken, this recipe can also be done very well with turkey!
It is rather spicy, if you do not want it spicy though, you may want to half the chili powder.
( Just as a comment, I really like it how it is; as does my family who usually aren't fond of overly spicy things)
This recipe is also a great way to use up all that leftover turkey from thanksgiving. ( And trust me, by the time it is done, it doesn't even remotely resemble thanksgiving turkey anymore! =)

Chicken Chili

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

¼ cup (garlic free) chili powder

1 ½ tsp. Dried oregano

1 ½ tsp ground cumin

¾ tsp salt

3 cups chicken stock

1 ( 14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes ( not drained)

3 cups diced, cooked chicken (or turkey)


Heat oil in dutch oven over med-high heat. Add onions and saute` 5 minutes.
Add chili powder and next 4 ingredients. Saute` 30 seconds. Add chicken stock, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat ( med-low) simmer 20-30 minutes. Add chicken and simmer 15 min.

Options:


Ok! For you people *not* allergic to garlic and beans you can also add;

2 garlic cloves, minced ( after you saute`the onions)

and

1 ( 16 oz) can kidney beans, drained (at the same time you add the tomatoes.)

( thanks for the original base of this recipe goes to Patty Wayne)

____________________________________________________

For those with garlic allergies here is my garlic free chili powder recipe.
Make SURE when you look for chile pepper that it does not have garlic already in it. ( most of them do) I found that Spice Island has a gound chipoltle chile pepper that does not, and I like it pretty well. =)

Sarah's garlic free chili powder
( only instructions.... put into a bowl and mix together! ) =)

1 ½ tbs paprika

1 ½ tbs ground chipoltle chile peppers

2 tbs cumin

1 ½ tbs oregano

1 tbs salt

2tsp Onion powder

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

This is an old stand by that I use quite a bit on cold wintry days.
I'm looking to potentially add some new spices and things to it to liven it up a bit ( I may add them in as optional later) But for now. Here is the basic recipe as I have it. ( It happens to be one of my comfort foods. ^_^ )

Beef Stew

1 ½ Lb/ Stew beef ( cubed)

2 Tbs. Oil

1 ½ Tsp salt

1 Tsp Ground black pepper

½ Tsp Celery seed

½ Cup chopped celery

2 Quarts water ( Or beef broth if you want more flavor)

2 cups ( one pint) tomato juice (or 1 can ( 15oz) sauce)

4 medium potatoes

4 medium carrots


[ Also needed]

½ cup cold water

¼ cup cornstarch


1.Heat oil in a heavy- bottomed kettle.
2.Add beef, onion and spices ( next 3 ingredients) and cook until meat is well browned.
3. Add water/broth, celery and tomato juice. Bring to boil and simmer covered 1 ½ hours.
4.While meat is boiling prepare vegetables.
5.Add carrots when meat is tender, cook 20 minutes more. ( adjust salt to taste.)
6.Add potatoes and cook another 20 minutes.
7.Mix together cold water and cornstarch. Then pour into still boiling stew to thicken it. Stir gently! Serve hot.


Options:

If you can have these feel free to add...

1 Tsp. Chopped garlic to the meat

and 1 Lb. Frozen green beans (with the carrots)