Almond Joy Fudge - redo - wheat free/sugar free/dairy free

Almond Joy Fudge - redo

A short while ago I tried making fudge out of an 85% dark chocolate bar, sugar substitute (Swerve), coconut oil and almonds.  It turned out good, but not quite what I had in mind.  At room temperature it was too soft and kept refrigerated it was harder than fudge (more like a chocolate bar).  It was still yummy and I ate the whole thing, but I thought I'd give it another try, this time using canned coconut milk instead of the coconut oil.

1/2 of a 14 oz can coconut milk
1/2 C Swerve, Truvia or other sugar substitute
3/4 C chopped almonds
2 - 3 oz bars 85% dark chocolate

Melt the sugar substitute into the coconut milk over medium heat in a sauce pan.  Cook, stirring until reduced by about half.  This makes a really good substitute for sweetened condensed milk, so if you want, double the recipe using the whole can and 1 C sweetener and use the rest of it in place of sweetened condensed milk in other recipes (key lime pie comes to mind, I may try that and post a recipe later).

Stir in chocolate bars and almonds until chocolate melts and pour into a plastic wrap covered long, shallow container.

Cool in the refrigerator overnight.  Cut into pieces and store in the refrigerator.

Neither recipe turned out to have as much of a coconut flavor as I anticipated, they are more like regular almond nut fudge, but still pretty good for sugar free, dairy free and wheat free!

Makes about 15 pieces, each have 129 calories, 14 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber.

Egg Drop Soup - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Dairy Free

Egg Drop Soup

Today I woke up with a nasty cold and chicken soup sounded really good.  But I didn't have energy to spend hours chopping, cooking, etc.  And I didn't really feel like sipping plain chicken broth, but then it occurred to me, egg drop soup takes literally less than two minutes to make once the broth boils.  It was so good this is pretty much what I ate for both breakfast and lunch today.

3 Cups Chicken Broth

2 T Diced Vegetables

1 t sesame oil

1 egg

Start 3 Cups Chicken Broth (I just used 3 Cups water and 3 teaspoons gluten free, calorie free bouillon) boiling in a small pot on the stove.  Meanwhile, if you have leftover veggies you can use them.  I didn't, so I chopped up one small carrot and a slice off an onion - took me less than a minute.  Drizzle about a teaspoon of sesame oil (this gives it that "Chinese" smell) and microwaved them for 30 seconds until they were soft.  Add them to the boiling broth.   Beat the egg and while the broth is still boiling, slowly drizzle the egg into the boiling broth.

Serves 3 - 75 calories, 1.5 carbohydrates per serving.

Chicken Specialty Pizza - Another Wheat Free Option

Chicken Specialty Pizza - again!

After yesterday's experiment at making my own Domino's Chicken Specialty Pizza, I couldn't wait to try another variety - but then it occurred to me, why limit myself to the varieties Domino's offers?  So I decided to try my own toppings - this one is topped with pepperoni and olives.

I also tried making it in my toaster oven instead of on a pizza stone in my oven and it turned out just as good - yum!

The original "breaded" chicken had 152 calories, 1.3 grams carbohydrates, .5 grams fiber.  The pepperoni, olives marinara sauce and cheese added 250 calories, 2 grams carbohydrates.

Specialty Chicken "Pizza" - Wheat Free, Sugar Free

Specialty Chicken "Pizza"

Have you seen those new Domino's specialty chicken "pizzas?"  They looked so good and I thought, Oh, I can have those.  I almost cried when I realized they are made with breaded chicken breasts (regardless of their carb count, I can't have wheat).  Then I realized I can make them at home - using the leftover "Chicken un-Parmesan" from 5/15.

Take a leftover chicken breast from making the Chicken un-Parmesan or make a new batch.  Cut up into bite sized pieces and arrange on parchment lined pizza stone.  Spoon on "no sugar added" marinara sauce and add any of the following toppings:

1. Slices of pickled jalapeno and pineapple (I used one pineapple chunk, cut into 4 sections - total of 1 carb - just to give it a tiny bit of sweetness to go with the spicy).  
2. Sundried tomato and bacon.
3. 1/2 t Frank's hot sauce (this is the sauce the original Buffalo Wings used)
4. BBQ sauce (from 5/23) instead of the marinara sauce, and bacon

Top with a slice of mozarella or provalone cheese and put in hot - 400-475 degree oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

The original "un-parmesan" chicken breast had 152 calories, 1.3 gram carbohydrates and .5 grams fiber per serving, the jalapenos, pineapple, sauce and cheese added 140 calories and 2 carbohydrates.

Almond Joy Fudge - Sugar Free, Wheat Free, can be made dairy free

Almond Joy Fudge - Memorial Day Treat!

The "Wheat Belly" diet allows for 85% dark chocolate, but I'm one of those people who firmly believes there are two kinds of chocolate - the good kind, and dark chocolate.  I thought it might grow on me, and maybe the 70% might, but the 85% - it's just not happening.  It tastes like eating Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder.  But I've found a good use for it - turn it into fudge!

1 3.5 oz bar 85% dark chocolate - you can usually find dairy free varieties

1/3 C almonds, coarsely chopped

1/3 C coconut oil

Sugar substitute to taste - the liquid kind works best here, either Truvia to go (in the little bottle that you can squirt) or Stevia glycerate are good.

Melt all ingredients in a microwave safe dish, just until barely melted.  Pour into an airtight dish (glad or ziplock leftover containers work well here), lined with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator or freezer.  Once hard, chop into bite sized pieces.  This actually turned out firmer than I expected, similar to a candy bar.  But at room temperature, this melted the minute I touched it, so I kept it in the refrigerator.  That seems to be the fault of the coconut oil, so I may redo this again with coconut milk.

Makes about 6 servings (the way I eat it, a handful of pieces at a sitting).  238 calories, 7 grams carbohydrates, 2.5 grams fiber.

Barbecue Ribs - Wheat Free, Sugar Free, Dairy Free

Barbecue Ribs - 

Cooked to tender in a Crockpot and then grilled - Perfect!

Have you checked the label on your favorite barbecue sauce?  Mine had high fructose corn syrup as the first ingredient!  So, time to come up with a new recipe for barbecue.  I've always done ribs in a crockpot or slow cooker first - it makes them perfectly tender!  But I basted them with a store bought barbecue sauce, so this is my first attempt at making my own - and it turned out perfect!

Ribs
2 full racks pork ribs
1 t red pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t black pepper
2 t salt
1/4 C onion
3 cloves garlic

Sauce
6 oz can tomato paste
1 C liquid from crockpot
1 T Mustard
2 T apple cider or red wine vinegar
1 T olive oil
3 T sugar substitute - Truvia, Swerve, Splenda or a few drops Stevia

Mix the dry ingredients and rub on top and bottom of the ribs.  Cut up the racks into sections that will fit in a crock pot.  Add garlic and onion and water to cover (if your ribs stick out, that's fine, just turn them around halfway through cooking).  Cook on low 4-6 hours.

When you are within an hour of eating, remove the ribs to cool slightly, add 1 C of the sauce to a small saucepan and add the rest of the sauce ingredients.  Boil and stir until reduced and thickened.  Add more spices or sugar substitute to taste.
Place ribs on foil on a grill and baste with sauce.  Cook until slightly charred at the edges.  This will be "fall off the bones" tender from pre-cooking in the crock pot and from now on, this is the way you'll always cook ribs!

Makes enough for about 6 servings:  490 calories per serving, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1.5 grams fiber.

Greek Scramble - Wheat Free, Sugar Free, Grain Free - can be made dairy free

Greek Scramble

This is a quick and easy breakfast - and ALL of the ingredients except the egg are optional.  Feel free to add or delete whatever!

1 t butter

1/4 C onion, chopped 

1 slice ham, chopped

1 egg (or make it two if you are hungrier)

5-6 Kalamata olives, sliced

2 T feta cheese crumbles

3-4 leaves spinach

Heat the butter in a non-stick pan.  Add onion and cook until just starting to brown.  Add the other ingredients, stir until the egg is cooked through and eat.

With 1 egg:  236 calories, 7 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber.  With 2 eggs:  299 calories, same carbohydrates and fiber.

Wheat/Grain Free King Ranch Casserole

Wheat Free, Grain Free King Ranch Casserole

King Ranch Casserole is a uniquely Texan dish, like bean-less chili, dry rub barbecue or Texas sheet cake with melted on icing.  Typically it's made of cooked chicken (but you can use pork in a pinch, like I did here), onions, peppers, and tortillas in a cheesy, tomato-cream cheese sauce.  Sorry, this one can't be made dairy free.  As a substitute for the normal torn up pieces of tortillas, I used peeled and thinly sliced pieces of yellow squash (just keep peeling pieces until it's all gone).

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T pickled jalapeno (or other peppers)
1 t olive oil or butter
1 lb cooked chicken, chopped into 1/2" sections - can use pork
1-2 yellow squash, peeled and using the peeler, make egg noodle sized bits.  Can use zucchini squash.
1 can crushed tomatoes (28 oz)
1/2 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 T coconut flour
2 T almond flour
2 eggs
1/2 C sour cream
1 C shredded cheddar cheese

Brown onion and garlic, add peppers and chicken in an oven proof pan or casserole dish that's stove top safe.  If you don't have one, move from a pan to a casserole after all ingredients are combined.  While the vegetables and chicken are browning, mix tomatoes, spices, flours, and eggs and stir until flours are all evenly distributed.  Stir into vegetable/chicken mixture and add squash and heat until squash is cooked and turn off burner.  Add the sour cream/tomato mixture and stir.  Add cheese and melt.  Place into 350 degree oven and cook until bubbly.

This may still be more runny than the normal King Ranch Casserole would be.  That's the difficulty with substituting vegetables for pasta or tortillas.  Normally the taste and consistency may be just fine but the pasta or tortillas will absorb liquid while veggies give off liquid.  Adding the eggs and flours compensate for that somewhat, but it still might be soft when you take it out of the oven.  It will thicken as it cools though.

Serve with traditional Mexican garnishes like avocado, shredded lettuce, salsa or tomato.

Makes about 9 servings - each serving 236 calories, 7.6 grams carbohydrates, 2.4 grams fiber.

Wheat Free Take Along Lunch #4 - Pecan Feta Salad

Pecan Feta Salad

Did you know that most people who are sensitive to dairy can actually have goat or sheep's cheese?  Since it's a completely different species, it often doesn't bother them the way cow's milk cheese does.  And you can almost always find goat or sheep feta cheese.  It's a little stronger tasting than regular cow's milk feta, but since you often use feta in small amounts, it's all good.
I use a large Glad or Ziplock leftover container with a lid for salads.  You can put the lid on and shake up the salad with toppings and dressing to get your salad evenly coated.  If you are putting this together hours before you will be eating it, put the cheese and dressing in a small container, the rest of the ingredients can go all together in the main container.
3 C "spring greens" salad mix - or mixture of green and red lettuce plus spinach (and/or other greens you have handy)
2-3 T loosely chopped pecans
Optional:  1 1/2 T dried cranberries - this will add 10 net carbs, so feel free to leave them out
1 oz feta cheese (if all kinds of cheese bother you, just skip this)
Optional:  cooked, sliced chicken breast
2 T Vinaigrette salad dressing - my personal favorite is Brianna's Home Style, Real French Vinaigrette with the picture of an artichoke on the bottle (don't ask me why, there isn't any artichoke in there).  But any vinaigrette with zero carbs and no gluten, no sugar and no odd ingredients is fine.  The ones labeled All Natural or No Sugar are good ones to start with.  Don't bother with the low fat ones, they will usually have gluten, sugar and a whole paragraph of other stuff.

Keep the cheese and dressing separate until eating, they can cause the greens to wilt if left together too long.  When ready to eat, throw everything in together, put on the lid and shake it up!

Serves 1 - 211 calories, 13 carbohydrates, including cranberries and cheese, 3 grams fiber.

Wheat Free, Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Chili

Wheat Free Slow Cooker (Crockpot) Chili

 Don't even think about using those seasoning packets to make chili - first, they are loaded with gluten and other stuff you probably shouldn't be eating, and second, homemade chili is EASY to make if you have a crockpot!  Actually, even if you don't.  Just put these same ingredients in a large pot on low on the stove instead.
I have included beans, I know some diets like Paleo or Primal don't allow beans. Wheat belly does in limited amounts.  If they will be a problem for you - just skip them.  You don't need beans to make a good chili, ask any Texan.  In this recipe they add a total of 60 carbs, 24 of them being fiber.  Each 1 C serving is around 118 calories and 5 net carbs without the beans, or 211 calories with 17 net carbs with the beans - so up to you.

1/2 C dried beans - pinto, white beans, navy beans, black beans or any combination.  Or you can use 1 1/2 C canned beans.
16 ounces canned tomatoes - I can my own from my garden, but store bought canned tomatoes or even fresh tomatoes (around 5, skinned) are fine too
1 - 2 T chopped pickled jalapeno - again, I pickled my own, but ones from the store are fine.  If jalapeno is too hot for you, use a small can of mild chilies - you can use the whole can.
6 oz can tomato paste
1 T dried cumin
2 t chili powder
1 large onion - enough to make at least a Cup of loosely chopped onion
1 T minced garlic
1 T olive oil or butter
1 pound ground meat - either beef or turkey works fine, coarsely ground is best if you can find it.  You can also use loosely chopped beef chuck - just make sure you cook the chili it until the beef falls apart.

If you are using dried beans, cover them with 3 cups water in a crock pot on low all day or overnight.

Chop the onion and brown it in the olive oil or butter.  When it's getting lightly browned, add the garlic and ground meat and brown them.  In the meanwhile, add the tomatoes, jalapeno and tomato paste to the beans (if you are using them) in the slow cooker.  Add the seasonings to the meat, taste and add salt and pepper to taste - be a little heavy handed on the salt if you used dried beans, but not if you used canned beans because they will typically already have plenty of salt.  Add the meat mixture to the tomato mixture.  It's ready to eat at this point if you want, but it will get better the longer it simmers.  You can also start this in the morning and leave it all day on low in the slow cooker to get the best flavor.  Leftovers are great too!

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies 

sorry this one can't be made dairy free

1/4 C butter
1 egg
1/2 C sweetener (swerve, truvia or erythritol)
1 C almond flour
3/4 C vanilla whey
1/2 salt
1 t baking powder
3 oz sugar free chocolate bar cut into chip sized pieces.

If you are doing the wheat belly diet, you can use 85% dark chocolate chips instead.

Beat butter, mix dry ingredients and add with egg - beating until smooth.  Add chocolate.  Use a small cookie scoop to place onto parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake for 10-15 min or until just barely browning on the edges.  Remove and cool completely.

Gluten Free Chicken un-Parmesan (can be made dairy free too)

Gluten Free Chicken un-Parmesan

3 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 C egg whites (or 1 large whole egg)
1/2 t salt, 1/2 t pepper, 1/2 t cayenne
3/4 C almond flour
1-2 T Italian seasonings
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1 T paprika
(optional - 1/4 C Parmesan)

1/2 jar no sugar added marinara sauce
slices provolone or mozzarella (optional)

Slice the chicken breasts along the flat to make 2 thinner breasts.  You can also pound them to make more surface area and flatter if you wish.  Add egg whites plus the salt, pepper and cayenne to a shallow bowl.  Mix the almond flour and remaining seasonings in a large flat plate (I do this half at a time to keep my almond flour mixture from getting too goopy).  Fill a heavy frying pan (cast iron is my favorite) with an oil that has a high smoke point to 1/4-1/2" deep and heat over medium high.  Dip the chicken breasts first in the egg wash and then in the almond flour mixture and brown on each side 3-4 minutes per side.  Set in a large, flat casserole (9x13" or bigger).  Put in a 350 degree oven until a meat thermometer tests done for poultry (165 - shouldn't take too long, but depends on how thick your chicken is).  Remove and drain off excess oil and liquid if you wish.  Spoon marinara sauce onto chicken breasts and top with cheese.  I left out the Parmesan and only put cheese on half since two of my daughters are dairy sensitive as well as wheat sensitive.  Put back in the oven until the cheese melts and/or the sauce starts to bubble.  Serve on top of spaghetti squash with a salad on the side.

Makes 6 servings, each serving (without sauce and cheese) 152 calories, 1.3 carbohydrates, .5 fiber

Mexican Omelet

Mexican Omelet

Omelets are the most basic of foods, humans have been raising chickens and eating eggs since recorded history began, and yet, in the last two decades, they have gotten such a bad rap.  But it turns out those doctors who said to stay away from eggs because of cholesterol concerns were wrong - eggs are a source of protein and healthy fats, plus they are very low in calories.  If you fry them in 1 t butter, they are 90 calories, boiled or poached - only 70 calories each!

Look at the difference here - one breakfast:  a Cup of Raisin Bran or Mini Wheats (these have the same calorie count) one Cup of skim milk and 1 banana adds up to a total of 378 calories.   The second breakfast:  a one egg omelet with half a slice of bacon or ham (crumbled) a Tablespoon of whole milk plus a sprinkling of shredded cheddar?  Under 200 calories.  Add another egg and the other half of the slice of bacon or ham and some salsa, a quarter of an avocado - you have a really big, hearty breakfast and you are finally up to the same calories to the cereal breakfast that you probably thought was low in calories (don't even get me started on those cereals that are loaded with sugar).  And here's another thing - the omelet breakfast has real nutrition in it.  The cereal?  It has "fortified" nutrition - meaning they ground up a vitamin pill so they could list it with some vitamins, as normally it would have almost zero.  And I'm willing to bet the egg breakfast will keep you full a LOT longer.  In the pictures my omelet has two eggs and half a slice of ham.

1- 2 eggs
1 T whole milk (if cutting out dairy, just skip this)
1/2 slice - 1 slice ham or bacon
(Optional) 1 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 T Salsa or Picante sauce
1/4 Avocado

Beat eggs, adding milk (if using).  Melt 1 t butter in the bottom of a non-stick pan (I normally use stainless steel pans because they brown and cook much better, but if you're cooking eggs and don't want to have half your breakfast stuck to the pan, the non-stick kind is the only thing that works).  When the top starts to set, add the bacon or ham and the cheese.  Keep cooking until the cheese melts and the bottom is turning brown (lift and edge to check).  If your top isn't setting very well, turn on your broiler and stick it under there for a few seconds (assuming your pan is oven safe - you may want to check).  Once done through and browned, top with salsa or picante sauce, flip it in half or roll and top with avocado, sliced.  I should have stuck with folded in half, rolled kind of fell apart for me (see above) - but it still tasted great!

Thai Red Curry - Leftover Clean up Food

Thai Red Curry

The word "curry" realistically means the same thing as the word "gravy."  There are as many different curries in India or Thailand as there are different types of gravy in the US.  And they are each quite different.  For example, most Indian curries use cream or yogurt as a base, while Thai curries tend to use coconut milk (which makes Thai food perfect for people with dairy sensitivities).  And typically cooks from those countries will use curry paste rather than the curry powder available in most grocery stores.  And if you are looking for authentic taste, stick to the pastes.  If you can't find any, there are recipes on line for the various Indian and Thai curry pastes.  Don't use the powder for this recipe - it's a blend of Indian spices, not Thai spices.  For Thai recipes the basics are red, green and yellow curry pastes, my personal favorite being red.  If you have food allergies, read the labels carefully, although most don't contain gluten they DO typically contain seafood.

Here's where this recipe comes in handy - this is so versatile you can use this for almost any leftovers you have in your fridge - it just takes 1 pound of meat (chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, pretty much whatever) and 2 Cups of veggies (broccoli, onion, zucchini, carrots, pea pods, mushrooms - you are only limited by what you have in your fridge and your imagination).  Today I used leftover chicken with leftover broccoli and carrots.

1 pound meat (see above), cooked and thinly sliced.

2 C vegetables (see above) cut into bite sized pieces and lightly steamed or sauteed.

1-2 T red curry paste - you can adjust this to how spicy you want the dish

(Optional:  1 t red chili flakes - for those really adventurous)

14 oz full fat, unsweetened coconut milk (not the lite kind - it won't get thick enough)

Fresh basil

1 t peanuts (optional)

Combine the curry paste, chili flakes (if you are using them) and coconut milk - taste to see if this is spicy enough for you, but be careful, it will get spicier as it cooks and even more so as leftovers.  Pour over meat and veggies in a saute pan and heat through.  If the sauce is thin, keep cooking to condense it.  You can also adjust up the heat by adding more curry paste as it cooks.  Serve over cauliflower rice (grate cauliflower with a box grater and microwave until soft).  Garnish with a couple of extra basil leaves and peanuts.

Traditional Pork Chops

Traditional Pork Chops

Years ago, pig farmers started raising their pigs on leaner foods, creating leaner pork.  That changed the taste of many pork products to taste drier than they did in the 1950s and 1960s.  Because of that, your grandmother's pork recipe may not taste as good as when she made it.  On top of that, people who write the recipe books started revising their recipes to include less fat and suddenly pork chops have become almost inedible.  But there are a couple of things you can do to avoid those pitfalls.   First, use a brine to soak your pork chops before you cook them.  That helps with the leaner meat.  Second, use an age old recipe like this one, cooked in the traditional way using bacon fat and a cast iron pan.

5-6 pork chops - either bone in or boneless tenderloin or sirloin cuts.
1/2 C salt
1 1/2 C water
4-5 slices bacon
blackening seasoning - of if you don't have any blackened seasoning, here's a simple recipe for that:
1 T paprika
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T dried thyme
1 t ground black pepper
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t dried basil
1 t oregano
Combine these and keep in an airtight container with holes in the top for sprinkling, you'll use about 1 T of this.






Stir salt into cold water and pour over pork in a gallon sized zip top bag.  Set in a container (in case it leaks) in the refrigerator for 2-8 hours.  Don't leave this longer than that, the pork will absorb too much salt and end up salty (I've made this mistake before).
Drain, rinse and pat the pork chops dry.







Cook the bacon in the cast iron pan and remove leaving the bacon fat (have the bacon for breakfast tomorrow or use in quiche recipe posted earlier).  Leave the fat in the pan, sprinkle the pork, both sides with blackened seasonings and brown 3-4 minutes on each side.

Drain the excess fat (you may want to keep it, it's great for cooking in) and add 1/2 C water, cover and cook until the pork is completely done on the inside (either use a meat thermometer or just cut one open and check for pink).



Serve with the mock mashed potatoes (mashed cauliflower from the last post) and veggies. - See top picture.

Traditionally, you would make a "country gravy" by adding 2 T flour to the bottom of the pan after removing the pork chops, then 1 C of milk, stirring and scraping up the bottom bits.  But I haven't seen a good substitute for country gravy.  :(

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower (Mock Mashed Potatoes)

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

 Years ago I tried mashed cauliflower (mock mashed potatoes) in a restaurant and they were AWFUL!  I decided then and there never to order them again.  But years later I was told a recipe that a friend swore was actually good, so I tried it myself.  And lo and behold - they really DO taste good, and very much like real mashed potatoes.  I think the difference may be the cream cheese.  Sorry - those of you who are both dairy AND gluten intolerant, but the dairy does seem to make a big difference in this dish.

1/2 large head cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 T cream cheese
1/2 t minced garlic
1 t chicken bouillon (I use the paste kind you keep in the refrigerator)

Steam the cauliflower either on the stove or in the microwave for around 10 minutes or until it's way past overdone - seriously, make it very mushy.  Drain well (cauliflower will tend to be more liquid than regular mashed potatoes, so drain it as much as possible), then put in a large food processor.  Add the other ingredients and process with the blade, pulsing until all the florets are incorporated and the mixture is smooth (see top picture).

I make this at the same time as regular mashed potatoes for the rest of my family since they finish cooking first.  My daughter, who's not on a diet, actually prefers them to potatoes.

Wheat Free Take Along Lunch #3!

Salmon Lettuce Wraps

1 6 oz can salmon (can use chicken or tuna instead)
1/2 8 oz can water chestnuts
1/2 8 oz can bamboo shoots (not pictured)
2 T mayo
1 t gluten free soy sauce
1 t sesame oil
6-8 romaine lettuce leaves
Optional:  diced green onion

Drain the cans, dice the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots and mix all ingredients and keep in an air tight container.  Wrap the lettuce leaves in plastic wrap and bring lots of napkins (this can get messy).  When ready to eat, spoon salmon mixture on to lettuce and eat!

Serve with ginger pecans (from yesterday), snow peas with dressing (for dip) and berries.

Ginger Pecans

Gingered Pecans

 1 T Powdered Ginger
1 t salt
2 t olive oil
1 t sesame oil
1 t Thai chili flakes
1 pound pecans
1 T gluten free soy sauce
1 T Worcester sauce

This recipe is adapted from Alton Brown's Gingered Almonds, but I started it and discovered that I was out of almonds - so - contingency play - I used pecans and discovered - hey!  I liked these better!

Mix the ginger and salt in a large bowl.  Meanwhile, heat the oils and chili flakes on medium high heat around 30-45 seconds until you can smell the flavors cooking.  Add the nuts and stir quickly, coating them in the oil.  Combine the soy sauce and worcester sauces and pour on top of the hot nuts in the pan, stirring continually until all are coated.  Cook another 5 minutes, stirring until most of the liquid is absorbed and coating the nuts.

Pour into the ginger and salt and shake around to coat them.  Heat oven to 200 degrees and place almonds on a parchment covered cookie sheet in the oven for 20 minutes.  Cool 30 minutes and keep in an air tight container.

A couple of notes - there is more wheat than soy in most soy sauces, so definitely look for the gluten free kind.  If you can't find it, Tamari sauce will also work or so will Bragg's liquid aminos.

These work when I'm craving something snack-like and salty, instead of chips or popcorn!

Wheat Free Take Along Lunch Idea #2!

CUCUMBER STACKS

Add caption

1 cucumber, sliced

1 large slice - spiral sliced ham (NOT the glazed kind, it's full of sugar - or buy the glazed kind with the glaze in a separate packet and throw away the packet)

10 small cheddar cheese slices - I buy the white (un-dyed), extra sharp kind and use a cheese slicer - with mixed results, you can see above it doesn't always like to be sliced.

10 pepperoni slices

onion slices

1 dill pickle

Toothpicks

Stack sliced cucumber with meat and cheese slices, top with large slice of dill pickle, attaching with a toothpick.  Wrap in plastic wrap or place in air tight square food container or lunch box.

Other ideas:  Turkey and Swiss cheese, roast beef and pepper jack, sprouts and cream cheese, top with stuffed green olives instead of dill pickle.

Options:  pair with slices of apple and peanut butter - spread peanut butter on apple slices and put the apple back together, wrap in plastic wrap.  Watch for sugar content in your peanut butter.  I buy the kind with just peanuts and salt.

Or pair with carrot and celery sticks with Ranch dip (watch the label on the ranch dressing, some have added sugar).

Wheat Free Take Along Lunch Idea!

TUNA STUFFED TOMATOES

Here's a great idea for lunch boxes:

2-4 medium tomatoes, or 8 cherry tomatoes

1 6 oz can tuna, drained

1 2.25 oz can sliced olives, drained

1 hard boiled egg, chopped

1 T dill pickle relish or 1 dill pickle, chopped

2 T mayo

Cut tomatoes in half and scoop out insides.  Add to the tomato insides, the remaining ingredients adding more mayo if needed to hold together.  Stuff the tomato halves.  

Wrap in plastic wrap.  You can also bring along mixed nuts, string cheese and berries.

Wheat Free Broccoli Bacon Quiche

Wheat Free Broccoli Bacon Quiche

The crust from this recipe was "borrowed" from Ayla at Gourmet Girl Cooks - I LOVE her blog.  I have yet to try anything she has posted that didn't turn out to be THE BEST!

I found the cutest little pie dishes.  They are just right for making a smaller pie when I'm making a large version with wheat and sugar for the rest of the family.  To use the smaller dishes like I did, cut all the ingredients in half.

Crust:
2 C Almond Flour
1 t salt
3 T cold butter
1 egg white

Filling:
1 C cheddar cheese
1 C broccoli florets, loosely chopped and briefly steamed or microwaved
4-5 strips of bacon, cooked and cut up
5 eggs
1/2 C cream, half and half or whole milk



Mix the almond flour and salt and "cut" in the butter.  This is easiest using a pastry "cutter" but you can do it with a couple of forks or just with your fingers.  The goal is to have the whole mixture resemble pebbles with tiny bits of butter still visible.  That will make the crust more flaky.  Add the egg white and press into the pie shells.  An easy way to do this is to cover with plastic wrap and press the dough down with another pie dish.  Unfortunately, that only works for the first pie shell, unless you have extra dishes   :)

Bake the shell at 325 degrees for 15 min.  Remove the shell and increase the temperature to 350 while you assemble the rest of the quiche.

Place the cheese, broccoli and bacon into the pie shell.  Beat the eggs with the milk or cream and pour over the top.  Bake another 20 min, lower the oven back to 325 and finish baking a final 10-15 min or until the center is fully set.

Pictured above are the pie dishes I used, with a regular pie server next to them for size comparison.  Aren't they cute?

Remember - cut this recipe in half if you are only filling one of these tiny pie shells.