Thursday, July 31, 2014

San Antonio Squash - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free

San Antonio Squash


When we lived in Austin, my favorite dish at Threadgill's restaurant was their San Antonio squash, which is a cheesy casserole made with yellow or crookneck squash, mild peppers and cheesy white sauce.  This is my version, made gluten/grain free.

3 medium yellow squash
1 anaheim pepper - can use poblano or any other mild pepper
1/2 onion, cut into strips
1 T butter
1/2 C cheddar
1 garlic cheddar biscuit (if you don't have any, substitute 1/2 C almond flour)
1/2 C milk
2 t xanthan gum
Slice the onion and yellow squashes.  Chop the pepper.  Saute the onion and pepper in the butter, adding the squash when the onion just starts to brown.  Barely brown the squash, remove from heat before it gets too squishy.
Meanwhile, combine the biscuit, half the cheddar cheese, the xanthan gum and milk in a microwave safe dish or bowl and microwave, stirring until it turns into a thick cheesy sauce.
Mix with the vegetables and put in casserole dish and cover with the remaining cheese.
Bake at 350 for 15-30 minutes or until it starts to bubble and brown.


 Pictured at right, just before putting it in the oven.

Makes around 10 side dish servings - 50 calories, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Meat Loaf - Wheat Free/Grain Free - can be made Dairy Free

Meat Loaf

Most meat loaf recipes have bread in them, and if you just skip the bread, they turn out too dense.  I discovered using one of the garlic cheese biscuits makes the density just right.  If you don't have time to make biscuits, substituting 1/2 C almond flour will bring you close.

1 pound country sausage - find a kind with no gluten or added sugar.  In the picture to the right, you can't see the sausage, it's on the bottom, but the sausage gives it just the right spices
1 pound ground beef or ground turkey (I used turkey here)
1/2 C milk
1/2 C diced onion
1 biscuit or 1/2 C almond flour
1 egg
1 tomato
2 t salt
1 t pepper

Put all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix, or just use your hands in a large bowl.  Mix until everything is evenly distributed.  Put in a loaf pan and top with sliced tomatoes.  Bake at 350 degrees until the center comes to 170 degrees.

Cool, slice and serve.  (Picture to the left is just before going into the oven).

Makes around 8 servings, 333 calories each, 2 grams carbohydrates, less than 1 gram fiber.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Fun Find

Lily's Chocolate


Today's post isn't a recipe, but it was such a great find for me that I had to share.  I found these chocolate bars at Whole Foods, they also come in milk chocolate with salted almonds and several varieties of dark chocolate (I didn't buy any of those though, I'm not really a dark chocolate fan).  These are NOT sweetened with the typical malitol you find in other no sugar added chocolates.  Malitol has issues with causing gas and diarrhea if you eat too much, or even if you don't eat too much sometimes.  This is sweetened with Stevia and Erythritol so no worries about later paying for that candy bar you ate.

Monday, July 28, 2014

Berry Smoothie - Grain Free/Sugar Free/Dairy Free

Berry Smoothie

 Tired of eggs for breakfast?  Here's something different.  

1 cup coconut milk - the carton kind not the one from a can.  You can also use almond milk or regular whole milk.  
1/2 C frozen strawberries
1/4 C frozen blueberries

Pour all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  You can add sugar substitute to taste if this is too tart.

Calories:  89, 13 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams fiber.  If you need to cut the carbs down a bit, you can use 3/4 C strawberries and skip the blueberries, this will drop the carbs by 3 and the fiber stays about the same.


Friday, July 25, 2014

Swedish Meatballs - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free - can be made dairy free

Swedish Meatballs



Many people are in a dilemma about starting a grain free, sugar free diet because their families aren't quite ready to join them.  Here's one of my recipes that can be adapted for people who aren't following a grain free or low carb diet. 
This has been my kids' favorite recipes and originally I assumed it was off my list of dinners because it has wheat in the meatballs and used canned mushroom soup.  But I have recreated it without those ingredients.


1/2 onion, cut into slices/strips
2 t butter or olive oil
1 C chicken broth - either homemade or in a carton or can or reconstituted bouillon
1/2 t xanthan gum
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 C sour cream - if dairy free, use dairy free sour cream substitute - it works well in this recipe.
1-2 zucchini per person who is not grain free (if making this grain free for the entire recipe, use 5-6 zucchini)
1/2 C dried egg noodles per person who is not grain free

Instead of boiling the meatballs, once they are formed, bake them in the oven at 350, turning occasionally until cooked through.  This will make a large enough batch for 3-4 family sized dinners, so freeze the leftovers.  If you are making dairy free, skip the Parmesan cheese.

If you are making this for people who are not grain free also, use egg noodles and as they boil, just stick your zucchini noodles in a steamer on top of the boiling noodles - yours can cook right along with theirs and will actually finish first.

To make the egg noodle substitute, peel 1-2 zucchini, then using the peeler, keep peeling off egg noodle sized strips.  Place them in a steamer basket or a metal colander over the top of the regular egg noodles as they boil.

Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil or butter.  As soon as it browns, add chicken broth and xanthan gum.  Stir until the xanthan gum is completely incorporated.  Add meatballs and salt and pepper the broth to taste.  Bring to a boil, covered.  Once boiling, uncover and continue cooking until gravy thickens.  Add sour cream and serve.  Pictured below is just before adding sour cream.

 Calories (using zucchini) - around 150, 3 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber.

For those of you who are curious, adding 1 C cooked regular egg noodles, adds around 200 calories.  That may convince a few family members to eat the wheat free version instead :)

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Baba Gannouj - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Dairy Free/Sugar Free

Baba Gannouj




This has a very similar taste to Hummus, so if you can't have hummus, this is the perfect substitute.  This can be used as a dip for veggies or a sauce for meats and if you've ever had Schwarma, this is the typical sauce used on that.

1 eggplant
1/4 C Tahini sauce
1 t cumin
1 T lemon juice
1 T olive oil

This can also be easily doubled for a larger group.  Spear the eggplant with a knife about every 2-3 inches all around.  Wrap in tin foil and grill on a barbecue or under a broiler until the insides are completely gooey.  Scoop them out, trying to leave behind as much of the peel as possible, but don't worry if you get some in the sauce - too much will make it bitter though.
Put it in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients and blend until smooth.  This will thicken up once refrigerated and is served either hot or cold.


Calories for the whole recipe:  423, 31.5 grams carbohydrates, 19 grams fiber.  For 1-2 T serving size:  42 calories, 3 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber.





Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Hummus - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Dairy Free/Sugar Free

Hummus


Hummus is a traditional Middle Eastern dish, made in pretty much every country from Egypt to Turkey.  Many people in that area have it as a side dish at least every day, sometimes several times a day.  It's a staple in many countries.  It's often served with flat bread (pitas) but for those of us who are skipping wheat, can also be used as a dip with veggies or as a condiment with meats.
The main ingredient is chick peas, also called garbanzo beans, and if these aren't allowed on your diet, or are too high in carbs, look for a similar recipe tomorrow, that can be used the same way, but uses eggplant as it's basis instead of the chick peas.

2 - 16 oz cans chick peas
1 T cumin
juice of 1 lemon (around 1/4 C)
Around 4 oz olive oil

Put the chick peas and Tahini sauce in a blender or food processor.  Add lemon juice and cumin and blend until smooth.  Slowly drizzle the olive oil as you blend until the hummus becomes smooth and almost fluffy.  This is similar to making home made mayo if you've ever done that before, the olive oil gives it a mayo like consistency as it's drizzled in and blended.

Serve with veggies or as a condiment.

For a 1-2 T serving - 256 calories, 13.5 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Tahini Sauce - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Dairy Free

Tahini Sauce


Despite what you may read elsewhere on the internet, Tahini paste and Tahini sauce (which are also called Tahina paste and sauce) are actually two different things.  Tahini paste is 100% sesame seeds, just ground up like peanut butter and it usually has that same consistency - look for the kind that has a layer of oil on top and a thick paste at the bottom.  That means it probably doesn't have any added water or other stuff.
Tahini sauce on the other hand, it made from Tahini paste and is used an ingredient in a number of Middle Eastern recipes such as Hummus and Baba Gannouj - recipes for both of these to come.  But my favorite way to use it is just plain as a salad dressing.  Really, try it, it's yummy.

Recipe:
16 oz tahini paste
1/2 C lemon juice
2 t salt
1 t oregano
1 T garlic powder (powder actually is best here, actual minced garlic clove can make this grainy)
1 t tabasco sauce - but you can also use any kind of pepper juice and adjust it to your taste or just leave it out if you're not find of spicy stuff
3/4 C water - adjust until this is the right consistency

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

For a 2-3 T size serving - 200 calories, 3.6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber

Monday, July 21, 2014

Sugar Free Whipped Cream - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free

Sugar Free Whipped Cream



If you've never made your own whipped cream before, you are in for a treat, it's so much better than the stuff in the freezer section of your grocery store!  And it's simple to make if you have a stand mixer.

1/2 C heavy cream - also labeled as whipping cream
1/2 t vanilla
2 t swerve or a few drops of liquid stevia

This recipe can be increased for a large group.  This also whips up quickest if you have the cream, the bowl and the beater attachment(s) all cold when you start.  Put the cream in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer and using the whisk attachment (if you don't have a stand mixer, or a wire attachment, don't worry, you can do this with a hand mixer and regular beaters, it's just quicker if you do have these items).  Beat on medium until the cream just starts to thicken and then turn it to the highest setting.  Whip just until you see patterns forming in the cream and check.  Keep whipping until stiff peaks form in the cream.  If you continue beating much past this point you'll have butter.  Turn the mixer off and add vanilla and sweetener.  Mix again just until the sweetener and vanilla are combined and serve.

If you are making some for people who do not want sugar free, you can increase the cream, whip until stiff, then remove part of the recipe, add the sweetener, put in a separate bowl and return the unsweetened portion and add 2 t sugar and 1/2 t vanilla to every 1/2 C cream you used, and follow the final instructions, mixing until just combined - that way you will have some regular and some sugar free from the same batch of cream.

Makes enough for several dollops of topping or enough to cover the top of a regular sized pie.  Entire recipe - 200 calories, 2 grams carbohydrates (no fiber).

Friday, July 18, 2014

Key Lime Pie - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free/Dairy Free

Key Lime Pie


I have always made traditional Key Lime Pie using Betty Crocker's recipe, which is the same as the one that is often on a can of sweetened condensed milk but it has large amounts of sugar and wheat so it's now off my list.  But after trying a recipe for sweetened condensed milk using coconut milk and Swerve (see here), I decided it was worth trying for a makeover.  I made both kinds, the regular key lime pie for family and friends, and a small key lime pie using the coconut milk and one of my miniature pie plates, just for me.

 First I broke up gluten free/sugar free cookie crumbs (recipe to come, but you can use any sugar free cookie such as the chocolate chip cookies, just leave out any chip bits) and mixed with just enough butter to hold together, to form the "crust" for the bottom of the pie shell.  I could have made enough to push up the sides as well, but I didn't want it to be too much crust.

1/2 C coconut "sweetened condensed milk" from the earlier recipe here
1 egg white or half of one of the eggs from the regular key lime pie recipe if you are making both recipes like I was.
1/4 C key lime juice

Mix sweetened coconut milk, lime juice and egg until smooth and pour over crust.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 min or until center is set.  It took a bit longer than the regular key lime pie that I baked at the same time.  Cool completely before eating.


 For those of you interested in the regular, full sugar, full dairy recipe, here it is:
1 graham cracker crumb pie shell
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C key lime juice
3 1/2 - 4 eggs

Beat sweetened condensed milk with lime juice and eggs, pour into pie shell and bake at 350 15 minutes or until set.  Cool.  Typically served with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

Below is both pies before cooking.  Note the difference in color between the sugar free/dairy free version and the regular version.  This is due to the caramel color of the sweetened condensed milk.


Thursday, July 17, 2014

Cauliflower Say Cheese - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free

Cauliflower Say Cheese


This is from an Alton Brown "Good Eats" episode which I saw after I had already made the earlier version of cheesy cauliflower.  I decided to try it with a bit of modification to make it gluten free.  Although I liked the earlier one, I have to admit, this one is better.  Alton Brown's stuff always seems to be.  Bear in mind this is not a saucy cauliflower cheese dish, it's drier than the earlier recipe, but still plenty yummy.
Served above with teriyaki pork chops, with a side of hummus (recipe to come) and Emeril's green bean salad.



1 large head cauliflower
4 1/2 oz Cheddar, grated
1/2 C almond flour
1 egg
1 t salt
1 t dry mustard powder
1/2 t paprika (I used smoked, and Alton Brown's recipe also calls for smoked, but I'm sure sweet or Hungarian will be fine)
1/4 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne
1/2 C cream or whole milk



 Cut the core out of the cauliflower and remove any green leaves, if it breaks the cauliflower into florets, that's fine, if not, that's fine too.  Stick it upside down (stem side up) in a bowl and cover.  Microwave 4-5 minutes depending on how high the voltage is on your microwave (longer for older models, 4 min should be fine on newer ones).
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees and combine half the cheese with the seasonings and almond flour, mix well.  Once the cauliflower is done cooking, remove from microwave but leave covered another 4 minutes.
Microwave the cream or milk 30 seconds and then combine with cheese mixture.  It should be just hot enough to slightly melt the cheese, but not so hot that it curdles the cream.
Once the cauliflower has set, it should be soft enough to easily break into florets, do so and toss with the cheese/cream mixture and put in a 9x13" baking pan.
Bake 20 minutes at 400 degrees, remove and sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Change the oven to broil setting and cook 5 minutes longer or until cheese just browns.
First picture is before going into the oven the first time, second picture is being taken out of the oven, just finished.

Makes about 5 servings:  177 calories, 10 grams carbohydrates, 4.5 grams fiber using cream, slightly less calories with whole milk but similar carb counts.

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Pork and Sauerkraut - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free/Dairy Free

Pork and Sauerkraut - Crockpot


Traditionally this is a New Year's Day dish, it's supposed to bring you good luck if you eat it on New Year's.  But it's also an easy dish to do in the crock pot, so good for a summer evening when you don't want to heat up your kitchen by turning on the oven or working over a hot stove.  Also, I had some leftover sauerkraut from hot dogs I wanted to use up.

1 small pork roast, any cut
2 C sauerkraut
1 apple
1 T caraway seeds
Salt and Pepper

I also added two potatoes for my family to eat, I left them in the pot when taking out my portion.

You can leave the pork frozen when you start, just take it out of any packaging..  Rinse and drain the sauerkraut.  If you want a little more tartness to yours, you can leave it as is, and not rinse it.  Cut up the apple and potatoes if you are using them and throw everything into the slow cooker.  Top with the pork and sprinkle with the caraway seeds, salt and pepper.  Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8.  Remove the pork and cut into sections.  Mine practically fell apart while trying to cut it.

When done you can serve alone or with mustard sauce - combine equal portions of spicy brown mustard and mayonnaise and serve along side the pork.

Serves about 6:  200 calories, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber.
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Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Emeril's Asian Green Bean Salad - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free/Dairy Free

Emeril's Asian Green Bean Salad


Looking for something nice and cool on a hot summer day?  Salads are always a hit and this one stands up to picnics in the summer heat really well.

  • 1 pound long green beans
  • 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons crushed toasted peanuts
  • Salt and pepper

  • Trim the green beans, cut them into manageable sections and boil them until just done, but still retain a bit of crispness.  Rinse and cool.  Combine vinegar, garlic, olive and sesame oils and stir.  Pour over green beans in a salad bowl and top with cherry tomatoes and peanuts.  Toss.  Salt and pepper to taste.

  • Makes around 8 small servings if you have several other salads or side dishes:  160 calories, 7 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber.
  • Monday, July 14, 2014

    Granola - wheat free/grain free/sugar free/dairy free

    Granola  - or since there's no grain in it, Nutola?


    Getting tired of eggs for breakfast?  This is a nice chance of pace.  A mixture of nuts held together with protein powder and you can pour milk (or almond milk, or coconut milk) on your breakfast again.

    1 C pecans
    1/2 C sliced almonds (the really thin sliced ones)
    1/2 C sunflower seeds
    3/4 C vanilla powder (either whey powder or egg protein powder will work
    1/4 C sesame seeds
    1/4 C swerve or other sugar free sweetener
    1 t cinnamon
    1/8 t salt
    3/4 C coconut oil


    Mix dry ingredients.  Meanwhile, melt the coconut oil until it's liquid, pour over the mixed ingredients and stir.  Spread out on parchment covered baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 20 min.

    Mine turned out a little darker than I expected (see above - picture left is before baking), so maybe check at 15 minutes.

    Break into pieces and keep in an air tight container

    I expected this to be hard, but it was actually pretty crumbly, so be gentle with it or you might turn it into powder.

    Makes around 10 servings:  300 calories, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber

    Friday, July 11, 2014

    Pecan Crackers - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free

    Pecan Crackers


    Have you tried grain free crackers like Flackers and just not found them all that appealing?  To me they are just too different from the crackers I am used to.  These crackers though are really pretty similar, not too crisp, so they don't fall apart when you touch them, but not to stiff.  They have just the right amount of crunch.  Unfortunately, these are not dairy free.  I may do some experimenting to see if I can get them diary free, but the Parmesan does seem to give them a crunch that I think would be missing without it.

    1/4 C parmesan cheese
    3/4 C almond flour
    3/4 C pecan meal
    1/8 t dried basil
    1/8 t garlic powder
    1/8 t onion powder
    1 egg
    1 1/2 T olive oil
    salt
     
    Mix all dry ingredients then beat in egg and olive oil until it forms a stiff dough.  Lay down one piece of parchment and put the dough on top.  Cover it with a layer of plastic wrap and roll out with a rolling pin to the thickness of a cracker similar to wheat thins.  Sprinkle liberally with salt.  Cut into squares using a pizza cutter and bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the edges start to brown.  If you want crisper crackers, separate the squares and bake them for another 5 min.

    These even hold up to spreadable cheese!

    Makes around 50 crackers, each serving of about 8 crackers has 200 calories, 4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber.


    Thursday, July 10, 2014

    Italian Sausage with Onion and Pepper - wheat free/grain free/sugar free/dairy free

    Italian Sausage with Onion and Peppers


    This is a popular dish in many northeast coast cities where they have heavy Italian populations.  Normally, this is made with bell peppers, but I'm not crazy about bell peppers, I much prefer canned cherry peppers.  This is a quick and easy lunch, and can be eaten by itself or leave the sausage whole and serve on wheat free buns, just make them into a hot dog bun shape.



    1-2 Italian Sausages - look for kinds that are sugar free, typically the ones labeled "hot" rather than "sweet" will be sugar and wheat free.
    1 small onion
    3 cherry peppers (I would have used more, but that's all I had left in the jar)

    Slice the sausages if you are planning to eat them without a bun, otherwise, keep whole.
    Slice the onion and peppers.

    Heat 1 t butter and 1 t olive oil (the combination keeps it from smoking as easily) in a hot pan on the stove and add the sausages, onion and peppers.  Add 1 T water and cover to steam the sausage until cooked through.  Add more water if it needs longer cooking.  Remove the cover and let the steam all escape, stirring to keep everything from sticking.  As soon as the water evaporates and things start to brown, it's ready to eat!

    Serves 1 - Calories with 1 sausage:  312, 8.6 grams carbohydrates, .6 grams fiber
    With 2 sausages:  580 calories, 8.6 grams carbohydrates, .6 grams fiber


    Wednesday, July 9, 2014

    Beef Stir Fry - wheat free/grain free/sugar free/dairy free

    Beef Stir Fry

     This is similar to beef and broccoli only I had more vegetables, so I wanted to use them all.  Most Chinese sauces have wheat in them, but they are usually easy to duplicate, so I make my own.  You just need a few specialty ingredients to give it an authentic Chinese flavor.  You probably know about soy sauce, but even more important is sesame oil.  It has a definite but subtle flavor and aroma that will make the difference in any Chinese dish.



    1 6-8 oz steak, any steak you have will probably do fine.
    1 crown of broccoli
    1 carrot
    1/4 head of cabbage
    1 small onion
    1 T sesame oil
    1 T gluten free soy sauce or shoyu or liquid aminos
    1 t lemon grass
    2 t grated ginger
    1 t xanthan gum (optional - this makes it a bit thicker)
    1/2 t red pepper flakes (optional)

    While the steak is still a little bit frozen, slice it thinly against the grain.  It's easier to slice when slightly frozen. Peel the carrot and cut all the vegetables into bite sized or smaller pieces.  Cutting the carrot on a diagonal and slicing the cabbage into thin strips makes it look more like servings in a Chinese restaurant.

    Mix the soy sauce, lemon grass, ginger and xanthan gum into a sauce.  You can taste it and adjust the seasonings, adding flakes of red pepper if you are brave.

    Pour the sesame oil into a hot pan, a wok would be best, but I don't have one.  Cook the vegetables first until they just barely start to soften and add the steak.  As soon as the steak starts to brown, add the sauce and cook until it thickens (if you are using xanthan gum) or heats through (if you are not).

    You can eat this as is, or make cauliflower "rice" by grating cauliflower and then microwaving it until soft.

    Serves around 3 -
    Calories using xanthan gum and pepper flakes:  246, 15.5 grams carbohydrates, 5.6 grams fiber

    Tuesday, July 8, 2014

    Grilled Steak - wheat free/grain free/sugar free/dairy free

    Grilled Steak


    This one is about the easiest meal you can make.  I have a George Forman grill, so I didn't even have to go outside.  Sprinkle the seasonings on the steak, let it sit for 10-15 minutes at room temperature (this makes it cook more evenly) and then stick it on the hot grill for about 5 minutes if you like it medium rare, longer for well done.

    For each person:  1 6 oz rib eye steak
    1 t ground pepper
    1 t salt
    1/2 t paprika
    1/2 t onion salt
    1/2 t garlic

    Sprinkle steaks, let them sit at room temperature and grill 5 minutes per side on a traditional (one sided) grill, or 5 min total on a George Foreman Grill.  Served above with leftover cheesy cauliflower bake.

    Calories: for each 6 oz steak, around 460 calories, 0 carbohydrates

    Monday, July 7, 2014

    Chile Rellenos Fritatta - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free - sorry, not dairy free

    Chile Rellenos Fritatta

    Chile rellenos are usually made by stuffing large, mild green chilies such as Poblano or Anaheim peppers with cheese, then covering them with a flour or corn batter and frying them and they are wonderful.  But with no flour and no corn, pretty much impossible to make that way.  So I found some "chile rellenos casserole" recipes that I could actually play with to make wheat and corn free.  Here is the result.  If you like chile rellenos, you'll love these, and you serve this the same way, with salsa, tomato or tomatillo sauce, sour cream, avocado or whatever you like served with other mexican foods.  This is very mild despite the peppers, so if you have any people with squeamish taste buds, don't worry, they will probably still love it.


    1 C grated cheese - I used cheddar because it's what I have, but you could use a milder cheese like monterey jack or pepper jack if you are more adventurous
    1 can (4 oz) green chiles, I used Old El Paso brand, but if you have any whole roasted Poblano or Anaheim chiles, they would be much better, just cut them and lay them out instead of spreading out the canned chopped chiles.
    2 eggs separated
    2 T cream or whole milk
    1 t salt
    1/4 t ground pepper
    1 t almond flour

    This recipe can be doubled or quadrupled and made into a family sized entree.

    Grate the cheese and put half in a small individual casserole dish (or a 9x9" dish or 9x13" dish if you are doubling or quadrupling).  Spread the chiles on the cheese and top with remaining cheese.  Meanwhile, beat the egg whites until stiff.  Mix the remaining ingredients with the egg yolks and gently fold into the egg whites.  You usually read to fold with egg whites by hand, but I just use my same mixer, being careful not to keep the batter still fluffy enough to form peaks (picture to the left is with the yolks and other ingredients folded in).  Pour over the cheese and chiles and poke with a fork to get the egg all through the cheese and then smooth out the top.

    Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, depending on how deep and how big your casserole is, checking to see that its cooked through and not liquid in the middle.  Cool, and serve with salsa, sauce, sour cream and/or avocados.

    Makes one large serving with amounts above:  390 calories, 12 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber.  I kept getting different numbers on this when I entered it into my calorie counter, so don't quote me on these.  The variation may be different kinds of cheese, different types of chiles or just weirdness in my counter.



    Friday, July 4, 2014

    Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies - Wheat Free/Grain Free - can be sugar or dairy free.

    Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies

    I discovered Guittard extra dark chocolate chips, which are dairy free.  Ingredients are chocolate liquor, sugar, soya lecithin and vanilla and that's it.  They are only 63% chocolate (not the 85% recommended by the Wheat Belly diet), and 8 grams carbohydrates  for a 40 gram serving (all of which is sugar), so if you can't do that, just substitute sugar free chocolate, loosely chopped.



    2 C almond flour
    1/2 t salt
    1/2 t baking soda (not powder)
    1/3 C grapeseed oil (if you don't have any, regular cooking oil should be fine)
    1/3 C swerve or other sweetener
    1 t vanilla
    zest and juice from 1 orange
    1/3 C chocolate chips (see above for options here)

    Mix almond flour, salt and baking soda.  Add sweetener, grapeseed oil and vanilla and mix well.  Grate the zest from the outside of the orange and add that, then juice the orange and add the juice as well.  Mix until dough consistency.  The nice thing about this is there are no raw eggs, so you can taste the dough and see if you need more sweetener - I think you shouldn't though, this was plenty sweet.

    I think this should have made a dozen cookies, but I ended up with 14  - 2 extra :)

    Roll into balls (or use a cookie scoop like I did, I love those things), and bake on a parchment lined sheet at 350 for 7-10 minutes or until the edges start to brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

    Even after cooling these weren't exactly a cookie consistency, a little more gooey than I expect cookies to be, but they were so good I ate way more than I should have and will definitely be making them again.

    With 14 cookies like I ended up with and using the dark chocolate chips, each cookie is 162 calories, 7 grams of carbohydrates and 2 grams fiber (not counting the Swerve/erythritol/sweetener).   If you use sugar free chocolate, chopped into chocolate chip sized bits - 160 calories, 6 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber.  In either case, these are a splurge so you shouldn't eat the whole pan, but trust me, you'll be tempted to.


    Thursday, July 3, 2014

    Cheesy Cauliflower - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free - sorry, this one's not dairy free

    Cheesy Cauliflower


    Homemade macaroni and cheese was always one of my favorite "comfort" foods, but I found I could make something similar, but much healthier, using cauliflower and gluten free cheese sauce.

    1/2 head of cauliflower, steamed and broken into florets
    1/2 C shredded cheddar, I used white extra sharp
    1 T butter
    1 T almond flour
    1 t xanthan gum
    2 T milk
    1 t mustard
    1 t salt
    1/2 t pepper

    While the cauliflower is steaming (on the stove or in the microwave), melt the butter.  Add the almond flour and mix.  Add remaining ingredients, mix to make sure almond flour and xanthan gum are blended with no lumps.  Microwave until it starts to boil and thicken a bit.  Add half the cheese and mix, still microwaving until the cheese is all melted and it becomes an even saucy texture.  Put cauliflower in a casserole baking dish.  The one I have pictured is 6.5" square and 2.5" deep.  If you don't have anything that size, you can increase each ingredient by about third and use a 9x9" casserole.

    Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese starts to brown on top.  This makes a great side dish for meat and veggies.

    Makes around 6 servings as a side - 63 calories, 19 grams carbohydrates, but 17.5 of these are fiber, so only net 1.5.


    Wednesday, July 2, 2014

    Teriyaki Style Pork Chops - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free/Dairy Free

    Teriyaki Style Pork Chops

    This is a delicious way to make pork chops and makes a nice change from regular chops.

    Marinade:
    1/4 C gluten free soy sauce - if you can't find this, you can use Bragg liquid aminos or Shoyu sauce, both of which can usually be found in the health food sections of grocery stores or specialty health food stores.
    1/4 C Worcester sauce
    If your diet allows honey, you can add 1/4 C honey.  Alternately, you can add another sweetener, but I'm fine with my pork chops not being too sweet anyway, so I just leave it out.

    Mix all ingredients and pour over six 1 inch thick pork chops in a shallow dish or pan (I use a large covered tupperware) and place in the refrigerator - I used pork loin chops, you can also use bone in pork chops and other cuts.  Leave in marinade, flipping occasionally for 1-2 hours.  Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature (this will make it cook more evenly and not leave a so much of a pink center with a charred outside).  Then grill on a barbecue or broil in the oven (grilling is so much better though).

    The sauce adds only 14 calories and about 2 carbs to each pork chop - probably less since much of it is poured off.

    Tuesday, July 1, 2014

    German Pancakes - Wheat Free/Grain Free/Sugar Free/Can be made Dairy Free

    German Pancakes


    German Pancakes are usually light, puffy and much fatter than regular pancakes.  Normally they are made with some flour, but I thought I'd try almond flour instead.  It turned out not as light and fluffy and didn't puff up as much as the traditional recipe did, but they were yummy anyway and a good substitute for regular pancakes.

    1 T butter or coconut oil
    3 eggs
    1/4 C almond flour
    1/4 C milk or almond milk

    This can be doubled to make enough for 4 servings.

    Place butter in a shallow dish, like a pie dish or a 9x9" square baking dish.  Put it in the oven while you preheat to 400 degrees.  Meanwhile, beat together the remaining ingredients until smooth.  Once the butter has melted and oven reaches temperature, pour in the batter and return to the oven.  (Pictured above just as I popped it into the oven).  Bake at 400 degrees until it puffs up and lightly browns.

    I served with 1/4 C strawberries (fresh from my back yard) and Nature's Hollow sugar free raspberry syrup.

    Makes two (slightly small) servings, 245 calories, 5 grams carbohydrates, 1.5 grams fiber - recipe only.  With 1/4 C strawberries - 250 calories, 6.4 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber.  2 T Nature's Hollow syrup will add 20 calories and 1 net carb.