Coconut Oil Kettle Corn Recipe

I made some "kettle corn" today for our rainy day inside watching movies.  It came out surprisingly good, considering I had no idea what I was doing!  I was all out of sunflower oil to pop the corn in, so I used coconut oil instead.  When I added the kernels I added some raw sugar....yum!

Coconut Oil Kettle Corn

3 TBS coconut oil

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

1/4 tsp pink sea salt (or any sea salt)

2 TBS raw sugar

-Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. (Add 2-3 kernels, when they pop quickly add the 1/2 cup of kernels to the pan, salt and sugar)

Ginger Chicken Quinoa

Well guess I'm on a quinoa kick.
I call this my superfood quinoa. I had a bunch of random ingredients laying around the kitchen the other night, so thought I would put them to good use before they went bad. This is what I came up with!

Ginger Chicken Quinoa

3 cups quinoa cooked as directed on the package. Replace water with chicken bone broth (store bought works fine as well)

1 cup shredded chicken
You could also just use 2 chopped chicken breasts

1/2 cup shredded carrots

3 TBS Carrot Ginger fermented kraut

-They sell this one at my local Whole Foods.
If you can't find it, you could substitute
kraut for 2 TBS of shredded carrots 1 tsp lime or lemon juice, and 1/4 tsp-1/2 tsp of grated ginger ( depends on how gingery or spicy you want it)

1/4 yellow onion sliced very thin.
Marinate in a little fresh lime juice about 10-15 min

1 TBS of cilantro chopped

Juice of one lime

1 cup of roasted brussel sprouts.

-Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut sprouts in half and drizzle sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper cook about 30 min.

1 avocado cut into chunks. Salt and pepper and squeeze some lime juice on it

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half. Salt pepper and squeeze more lime juice

2 cups of baby spinach

Dressing

Combine :
1 TBS Annie's Naturals Goddess Dressing
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1 tsp of lime juice

Combine all ingredients. I like this warm or room temperature.

Chart For Soaking and Sprouting -grains, nuts, and seeds

I came across this on Facebook and thought it might be helpful to share for those interested in eating foods in a more traditional way.

Chicken and Quinoa Salad

Seriously, this is so good, and so good for you. My husband said he didn't like quinoa before I started cooking it this way. The great thing about quinoa is that it takes on pretty much anything you flavor it with its like a little sponge. It's also high in protein, so you don't have to feel as bad eating a grain.






Mango and Avocado Chicken Quinoa Salad

3 cups (cooked) quinoa

2 cups chicken broth (preferably bone broth)

1-2 chicken breasts (chopped or shredded)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

2 TBS red onion (thinly sliced)

1 avocado (bite size chunks)

1 mango (bite size chucks)

2 TBS Cilantro (chopped)

1 lime (juice only)

3 cups baby spinach

First cook the quinoa as directed on the package. I typically replace half of the water that it calls for with chicken broth. I also add sea salt and pepper to it prior to cooking.

While the quinoa is cooking sauté the chicken in a very hot pan with olive oil. I salt and pepper the chicken first. Sear the chicken on each side (about 3 min on each side in a very hot pan). Then add crushed garlic to the top of the chicken breasts. Pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock and cover. I typically let mine simmer about 20-30 min on very low. The chicken stock will reduce down and make a nice sauce. It will also keep the chicken tender.

Once chicken has finished cooking let it rest a few minutes, then slice into thin pieces or chop into bite sized chunks.

Cut onion paper thin, add to a bowl and squeeze a bit of lime juice on it, as well as salt and pepper. You can let this sit for as long as you like. I prefer at least 10 minutes.

While the quinoa is warm, combine with all ingredients in a large bowl. Add as much of the reduced chicken broth to taste, lime juice and sea salt and pepper.

Homemade Sourdough English Muffins

I'm kinda obsessed with sourdough right now. I'm talking about the homemade fermented kind. All natural yeast, no commercial store bought yeast here. To make these you have to plan a head. I bought a sourdough starter online and it took about 7 days to ferment and become active enough to use for baking.

Once you have your mature sourdough starter, let the fun begin! I've made pancakes, english muffins, doughnuts, and bread with mine; and I've only had it a few weeks.

Why is sourdough better for you than regular bread?
"Real" sourdough, the kind that is fermented (most of the stuff in the store is not real) is much easier to digest than regular bread and starches. The natural yeast in the sourdough naturally breaks down the gluten in the flour. A lot of people that are gluten intolerant can actually tolerate real sourdough. It is also chock full of good bacteria, that are essential for a healthy digestive tract. I also love the history behind it. Sourdough is a bread that has been eaten for century's. There are sourdough starters that have been passed down for hundreds of years. The one I used was from Lyon France and has been passed down for generations.

A little history about sourdough, and
5 Good Reasons To Eat Sourdough
Thanks to Real Food Forager

Originating in Ancient Egypt around 1500 BC, sourdough was probably the first form of leavening available. Sourdough remained the usual form of leavening into the European Middle Ages. Later on it was replaced by barm from the beer brewing process, and then purpose-cultured yeast.

Sourdough leavening is a traditional preparation of grains

Bread made from 100 percent rye flour, which is very popular in the northern half of Europe, is usually leavened with sourdough. We actually know that the people in the isolated Lötschental Valley in Switzerland, who were studied by Dr. Price, made huge loaves of sourdough rye that went through a two week fermentation process.

The fermentation process removes phytates and enzyme inhibitors

Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. However, the lactobacillus is much greater in proportion to the yeast. In comparison with yeast-based breads, sourdough produces a distinctively tangy or sour taste, mainly because of the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli.

Ancestral Pre-Ferment

The actual medium, known as starter or levain, is in essence an ancestral form of pre-ferment. It is not uncommon for a baker’s starter dough to have years of history, from many hundreds of previous generations. Sourdough was the main bread made in Northern California during the California Gold Rush. The bread was so common that sourdough became a general nickname for the gold prospectors.

Sourdough fermentation was carried into Alaska and the western Canadian territories during the Klondike Gold Rush. Conventional leavenings such as yeast and baking soda were not reliable in the conditions faced by the prospectors. Miners and other settlers carried a pouch of starter either around their neck or on a belt in order to protect the cultures from freezing.

5 Benefits to Sourdough Preparation


1- Increases beneficial lactic acid

The longer rise time needed for sourdough increases the lactic acid and creates an ideal pH for the enzyme phytase. This enzyme breaks down phytates (read more about the dangers of phytic acid here) more effectively than in yeast breads. Sourdough rye has the least amount of phytates (somehow the Swiss culture mentioned above must have known this) making it a healthier bread.

2- Predigestion of starches

The bacteria and yeast in the sourdough culture work to predigest the starches in the grains, thus making it more easily digestible to the consumer.

3- Breakdown of gluten

Here again, the longer soaking and rising times in the preparation of sourdough breaks the protein gluten into amino acids, making it more digestible.

4- Preservative

The acetic acid which is produced along with lactic acid, helps preserve the bread by inhibiting the growth of mold.

5- Better blood glucose regulation

There has been some research suggesting that sourdough bread — sourdough white bread — showed positive physiological responses. The subjects’ blood glucose levels were lower after eating sourdough white bread compared to whole wheat, whole wheat with barley and plain white bread. Interestingly, the subjects tested after eating whole wheat bread fared the worse — with spiking blood glucose levels.

Additionally, the researchers found that the positive response lasted through the next meal and for several hours after that. They concluded that what you have for breakfast will influence how the body responds to the next meal.

Another good read about the many health benefits of sourdough:

Kitchen Stewardship


So back to the english muffins. A little bit of work...yes, but honestly not that much. Its really more of needing to prepare before hand. Once you try these you will never want to eat the store bought ones again! 

Here is the recipe I used
Thanks to The Fresh Loaf

Sourdough English Muffins

1/2 C starter (mine is a 100% hydration white starter)

1 C milk

2-3/4 C all purpose flour

1 TBSP sugar

3/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Semolina or cornmeal, for dusting

Combine starter, 2 C of flour and milk in a large bowl. Stir to combine, cover with plastic wrap, and leave out for 8 hours or overnight.

After the overnight rest, add the sugar, salt and baking soda and mix well. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 4-5 minutes. Roll out to 3/4" and cut with a biscuit cutter into rounds. You can re roll the scraps, but you may need to let the dough rest before cutting more muffins from them.

Side note; I used my scraps to make a pizza crust. I let it rise the 45 min then topped it with sauce and cheese. Baked in a 400 degree oven for 15-20 min. It was really good and super easy!

Place muffins on a piece of parchment dusted with semolina and let rest for 45 minutes.

Coat the griddle with oil, I used a drizzle of olive oil. Heat to medium and cook muffins for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until browned on the top and bottom and cooked through. (I cooked mine about 2 min each side).

I have eaten them with butter and honey, butter and jam, and butter and cinnamon sugar! Yum!

 

http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2010/03/05/food-for-thought-health-benefits-of-sourdough/

Banana Almond Coconut Smoothie

My inspiration for this came from my husband. He loves this place here called The Plant. They make a smoothie like this and it is so good, but at $10 a smoothie no thanks! In my opinion, I think mine is better anyway wink wink!

I have been drinking one of these for breakfast every morning. It's fast, easy, nutritious, and filing. I like that I don't have to sit down and eat it...what busy mom has time for that anyway!!!

Banana Almond Coconut Smoothie

Serves 2

1 whole banana

1 cup coconut milk 

1 cup almond milk

1 TBS of almond butter

Add ins - *optional* 1 TBS chia seeds or 1TBS flax seeds or 1TBS hemp seeds

1 1/2-2 cups of ice

* You can also add a little honey or maple syrup if you like it a little sweeter. 

* You can also use only almond milk and it's still delicious. 

Just toss it all in the blender (love my Vitamix) and blend until smooth. If you use the coconut milk in the dairy isle it won't be as good (in my opinion). It doesn't have much coconut taste.
Canned coconut milk is a better option, but then there is BPA in the lining of the can. I have been making my own for my youngest son A who has multiple food intolerances. It's really easy and to die for good. I will post the recipe and instructions for the one I make. Coconut milk is so good for you too. In moderation obviously, it is high in calories and fat. But the fat is good for you fats and lauric acid a essential medium chain fatty acid. I think this may deserve a separate blog entry, all about coconut!
Yum, so good!! 

Enjoy!!

Homemade Coconut Milk:

Finally, here is my recipe for coconut milk. I add a couple Medjool dates for sweetness. Coconut milk is naturally low in sugar and carbs, which is great for most adults. 

2 cups of dried organic raw coconut flakes

4 cups of filtered water

*Optional* 2 Medjool dates (or any date)

2 pinches of sea salt

Combine all the ingredients in the blender. Blend on high for 3-5 min. in a regular blender, only about 1 min in a Vitamix or high powered blender. I find the longer it blends the smoother and creamier it gets. 
Strain the milk and pulp through a nut milk bag or a fine mesh strainer. I finally decided to try the nut milk bag, and let me tell you. So much easier and less messy!  

Here is a nut milk bag:
I have this one and it works great!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00158U8DU- nut milk bag

That's it! I store mine in an old glass milk bottle in the fridge. It separates so you want to give a good shake each time you use it. It should last 3-4 days. Enjoy! You will never drink canned or boxed coconut milk again.

Red Wine Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings

This is a delicious dish. The red wine adds such depth of flavor. I make it using my homemade beef bone broth. This is super easy to make and is such a great food to consume during the "sick" months due to its ability to boost the immune system. Bone broth is chuck full of vitamins and minerals. I have a post on making chicken bone broth and you can make beef the exact Same way. I make at least one or two batches a week. Chicken, beef or both. I would love to try a pork one too. I made one with leftover ham over Christmas and made an awesome smokey ham and bean soup. You can freeze the broth too. My freezer is stocked. Here is my recipe for the beef stew.

Red Wine Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings
Ingredients:

2-3 lb roast

2 cups beef broth

(I prefer using home made, but if you use store bought be sure to get the low sodium)

1/2 cup of red wine

1 large onion large diced

2 whole cloves of garlic crushed

3 carrots chopped into bite size chunks

3 celery stalks cut in bite sized chunks

6-8 mushrooms sliced

1 tsp of fresh oregano chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme chopped

3 small potatoes chopped into bite size chunks

1/2 can diced tomatoes with juice

3 TBS flour

3 TBS butter

Instructions:

Season beef with sea salt and pepper

Add about a TBS olive oil to hot pan (you want the pan really hot to crisp up the outside of the beef and seal in all the juices)

Brown each side of beef then put in crock pot

Add stock and wine

Add veggies, herbs and 1/2 of the can of tomatoes with the juice

Sauté butter in a pan, or melt in the microwave in a small bowl
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Add to broth mixture.

Cover and cook on low for at least 6 hours

The dumplings only take about 20 min to prepare and cook.
Just before serving mix up the dumplings and allow 15 min for them to cook

Dumplings Recipe:

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp raw cane sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 TBS Butter

1/2 Cup milk

Chopped fresh herbs (I used thyme and rosemary)

Mix flour, salt and baking soda and herbs. Cut in butter with a fork or a pastry cutter. Stir in milk until a soft dough forms.

Drop by big spoonfuls into the crock pot. Cover the crockpot tightly with the lid. Cook 15 min. Don't peek, the steam is what cooks the dumplings.

Sausage & White Bean Pasta

Ask my husband and he is sure to tell you that this is my "go to" meal!  Its just so good, so easy, filling and nutritious!  I typically never really make it the same way twice.  The great thing about this blog, is that it might force me to actually write one of my recipes down once and a while so I can remember it next time I want to make it!
I go heavy on the beans and sausage and lighter on the pasta in this dish.  We are trying to limit the amount of refined carbs we take in, so this is a great meal for getting a little taste of pasta, but not over doing it.  Its all about moderation!  Enjoy!

 

Sausage & White Bean Pasta
Ingredients:

1/4-1/2 box of any type of dried Pasta.  I like penne or rotini for this dish.

1 TBS Olive Oil

1/2 Onion chopped

1 clove of Garlic chopped
(I use my garlic press)

1 Cup of White Beans
(I prefer to use dry beans and soak them overnight and cook them on the stove top.  I really prefer the taste and texture much more than canned beans.  They are also much healthier for you that way.  Canned is absolutely fine to use though.  Many a time I have used can and it still tastes good).

2 Pork or Chicken Sausages
(halved and sliced  I really like pork in this particular dish.  The sausage I used was a Salt and Pepper pre cooked pork sausage from Whole Foods)

1 tsp of fresh chopped Oregano

1/2 Cup of Chicken Stock
(I really like to use homemade for cooking, but canned or boxed stock will suffice) 

3 TBS of Mascarpone Cheese

3 TBS of Parmesan Cheese

Instructions:

Heat the olive oil in sauté pan on medium
Add the onion and sliced sausage
Cook until the sausage is brown and the onion begins to brown and become translucent
Add the garlic.  Let that cook about 1-2 min.  Garlic burns easily, so keep and eye on it.
Add the beans and the chicken stock to de-glaze the pan.
Simmer on Medium-Low until the sauce starts to thicken up and reduce
Add the oregano, mascarpone and Parmesan cheese.
Mix everything well
Add the cooked pasta to the sauté pan.  Be sure to reserve some of the pasta water in case you need to thin the sauce out at the end.
Mix well and serve!
I usually sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese on top as well.

This dish really has endless possibilities, throw in some spinach, kale, broccoli, or whatever!

 

Paleo Herb Crackers

My youngest is on a grain free diet due to multiple food protein intolerances.
A lot of times, children with some type of auto immune dysfunction will have what is called "Leaky Gut Syndrome". I've said this before, but this has just very recently been recognized by the AAP as a true diagnosis. What a huge step! Without getting into too much detail, Leaky gut can cause a variety of gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms.
Here is a quick explanation from Dr. Andrew Weil
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/QAA361058/what-is-leaky-gut.html

Leaky gut syndrome (also called increased intestinal permeability), is the result of damage to the intestinal lining, making it less able to protect the internal environment as well as to filter needed nutrients and other biological substances. As a consequence, some bacteria and their toxins, incompletely digested proteins and fats, and waste not normally absorbed may "leak" out of the intestines into the blood stream. This triggers an autoimmune reaction, which can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint pain, skin rashes, and autoimmunity. The cause of this syndrome may be chronic inflammation, food sensitivity, damage from taking large amounts of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), cytotoxic drugs and radiation or certain antibiotics, excessive alcohol consumption, or compromised immunity.
Leaky gut syndrome may trigger or worsen such disorders as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma.
My colleague, pediatrician Sandy Newmark, M.D., who deals with leaky gut syndrome in children, tells me that it isn't clear how many people have this disorder or exactly what problems can be attributed to it. Dr. Newmark says that it has been established that a significant percentage of children with autism have increased intestinal permeability, but it isn't known whether this is a cause or an effect of food sensitivities and an underlying metabolic problem.

So back to the crackers!  These are great, because I can give them to both kids and A doesn't feel like he is missing out.  These are really good too.  They are made using almond flour and they have a light buttery crispy texture.  Paleo diet or not, they are good.  I'm am going to try some other flavors.  I already made an apple cinnamon one along with the herb.  I am thinking of making a cheese one for W, and maybe a pumpkin one, and one using my chicken bone broth.  I cut them out in little shapes that were easy for them to pick up.  I'm going to look around for some cute little cookie cutters.  Here is the recipe for the Herb crackers.

 

Paleo Herb Crackers (thanks to http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2011/09/paleo-herb-crackers/)

 

2 cups almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoon favorite herbs of choice (I used a blend of pizza seasoning and rosemary)

2 tablespoons water

1 egg white

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon coconut oil

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.
Combine almond flour, salt, and spices in a medium mixing bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk together the water, egg white, olive oil, and coconut oil (melted).  Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir until stiff dough forms and all dry ingredients are wet.
Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll out to an even thickness of about 1/8 of an inch.  Transfer parchment to a baking sheet pan and remove the top piece of parchment.  Using a pizza cutter trim off uneven edges of dough, then cut the sheet of dough into cracker size pieces/squares.
Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn off oven and let crackers sit inside oven for an additional 10 minutes, until golden. 

Chewy Granola Bars

I found this recipe on Pinterest (of course)  These are so good, make a double batch because they are going to go fast!  I eat them as a little treat after dinner too. 


Chewy Granola Bars

1/2 Cup of Almond Butter  You can use any kind of nut butter, but I like almond in this the best. 

1/3 Cup of Honey

1/4 Cup Coconut oil

1 Cup of Old Fashioned Oats

1 Cup total of any combination of:
coconut flakes, raisins, chocolate chips (chopped or mini), chopped almonds, nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, dried fruit

Directions:

In a medium sized saucepan, melt together the almond butter, honey and coconut oil

Remove from heat and add in one cup of oats, and your "combination of goodies" that equal one cup. 

Stir well, and spread mixture into a 8x8 or 9x4 pan.  Line your pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the bars. 

Chill them for about 2 hours in the fridge, then cut into bars.  Wrap them individually in parchment or plastic wrap, for a quick accessible snack. 

I store mine in the fridge, because they tend to get soft really easy and fast at room temperature.