DELICIOUS EATS...& HEALTHY TOO!

Photo: Jordan Matter 

Hello my friends. 

I love eating healthy and I've been cooking a lot lately... usually put my own spin on recipes like using almond flour and honey instead of white/ processed flour and sugar.  You can twist and tweak them yourself to make them your own. And, if you do come up with your own variation or a new recipe please share! For my friends that are vegetarians, it is possible to cook these recipes without dairy or meat, you just have to be creative. 

Here's to good health.

*Coming up... my spectacular home-made dairy free ice cream recipe made with coconut milk!

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
2 large egg whites
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 ½ cups coconut flakes

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together egg whites and honey with a fork
Briefly whisk in salt, then stir in coconut flakes
Place bowl in fridge to chill for ½ hour
Fill a 2 tablespoon scoop with batter, so it’s heaping full
Using your hand, firmly pack batter into scoop so it is level
Release batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for 10-12 minutes, until macaroons are golden brown
Cool for 1 hour and serve
Yields 8

                                       Banana Bread 

This is my one and only banana bread recipe. And, it's the revised version. This is the one I make practically every week as a snack. Enjoyxo

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana-medium sized, mashed  (large banana makes it too moist, almost uncooked tasting, stick w/med to small)

1 egg

1/2 cup honey

3 cups almond flour (I like Bob's Red Mill / super-fine)

½ teaspoon sea salt

2 TBS melted butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use organic)

*optional: Add 1cup chopped dates to make it sweeter and more moist

*optional: Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for crunch

Mix ingredients together, add in almond flour last

Scoop batter into a greased baking pan

Pre-heat oven and bake at 350° for 31 minutes (stick middle with knife to be sure it comes out clean)

Almond flour pancakes

Ingredients
3 large eggs
1/4 cup homemade fermented yogurt or coconut milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a few tablespoons of coconut oil or ghee (for the skillet)

Directions:
Whisk together all the wet ingredients in a large bowl.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend well.
Heat a skillet on a low to medium heat with about 1 tablespoon of oil or ghee.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter per pancake on the heated skillet.
When you can slide a spatula under the pancake easily, flip the pancake and cook on the other side.
Cook for a few more minutes and place the cooked pancakes on a warm plate and cover. Repeat for the remaining batter.
Enjoy with honey, cinnamon, fruit, fresh pure SCD jam, or (homemade) yogurt topping.

Makes about 20 silver-dollar sized pancakes or about 4 servings

Fermented goat's milk yogurt

I make this fermented goat's milk yogurt and it's soon easy. C'mon, if I can do this you can too.  I use this as a substitute for anything that calls for milk or cream. It's not as thick as the yogurt in the stores, but I promise, it's tart and tasty!

Ingredients: 

2 Quarts Goat's milk 

Directions:

1.Pour 2 quarts of goat's milk into a pot and heat until the milk reaches 180° F.  (use a meat thermometer, but don't leave it in the pot, the steam will ruin it) Stir occasionally. If it gets a film on the top, just scoop out and keep stirring. (Note: You do not need to start over if you accidentally heat the milk too hot.

2. Allow it to cool covered (don’t want any extra microbes getting in there).. Stir it occasionally and check the temperature. Once it has reached about 100° F, it is ready to go. It usually takes around 1 to 1 ½ hours to cool, this can be sped up by putting it in the refrigerator.

3.Once the milk has cooled, a separated layer of milk will have formed at the top of the bowl if you don't stir occasionally.  Scoop off and discard stir gently. Pour the milk into the inner glass container of the yogurt maker.

4.Add 1/8 teaspoon of the GI ProStarter for every 2 quarts. Whisk the milk very well so that everything is dissolved.

5. Put 1.5  cups of room temperature water in the outer container of your  Yogourmet Yogurt Maker (2 quart capacity) Then put batch container in the unit. This allows the container to float in water and evenly distribute the heat.

6. Plug in your yogourment yogurt maker in an out-of-the-way area of your house where the temperature will not change during the fermentation (for instance, not next to the stove where you will be cooking).

7. Let that ferment for at least 24 hours and no more than 28 hours. Then unplug the yogurt maker, empty the water in the outer container and carefully place the inner container with the yogurt batch  in the refrigerator for 8 hours. The yogurt has live cultures that are very sensitive to movement until everything is set up. Once it has set up for 8 hours, stir gently and serve cold. It will stay fresh for up to 3 weeks, however the good bacteria will start dying after the second week.

Almond flour pizza!

Photo: Roberta Rockwell

I crave pizza. Crave...as in can't live without.  But, I don't make a habit of eating flour and soft cheeses, so I found this amazing recipe and it's my go-to for when I'm craving a pizza pie. This Italian girl has to have her pie.  

Ingredients:

1cup Hard goat's cheese

black olives

homemade marinara sauce (mine is grandma's recipe...use any red sauce that you'd normally make)

Almond flour pizza crust ready made purchased here. (If you make it from scratch, freeze it until you're ready to use it and thaw out 30 min prior to cooking). Almond flour can be purchased here.   Get finely ground almond flour at the same place as the ready-made crust. And follow this recipe found at the bottom to make it from scratch.

SCD Pizza Crust
2 c. almond flour
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/8 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
pinch of sea salt
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
4 tsp. olive or coconut oil

**Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Spread sauce on pizza crust as desired

Sprinkle the grated hard goat's cheese as desired

Place as many olives as you like on top

Add your favorite toppings

Bake for 15 minutes 

Add grated hard parmesan cheese when serving if you like. In mine as shown above, I added homemade meatballs  

Pizza crust from scratch:
Combine all ingredients together and let rest 5 minutes. Stir dough, it should be as thick as cookie dough, if it isn't add more almond flour a tablespoon at a time until it is. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper (I tried to bake it without the parchment and ended up with a mess). Place half the dough in a mound on one half of the sheet and the rest of the dough in a mound on the other half. Using your hand or a small rolling pin push/roll the dough into a circle (mine were about 8 inches each). (It sticks less if you cover the dough in plastic wrap before rolling it out. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until barely brown. Then follow the **DIRECTIONS above.

Enjoy this healthy meal! If you don't eat dairy, eliminate the cheese and add the toppings of your choice!

...you're welcome!
xo

Mac and cheese!

Baked macaroni and cheese using cauliflower instead of pasta...but sometimes you just have to have the pasta :)

Ingredients:
1 head Cauliflower, cut into small pieces
3 TBSP Butter
1 cup Yogurt Cream
1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

Steam cauliflower for a few minutes, just until barely tender. Drain well and pour into the casserole dish.
In a saucepan melt butter. Add yogurt and heat through. Add Parmesan cheese and stir until blended. Add cheddar and seasonings. Stir until melted and blended. Pour over cauliflower and bake about 15 minutes until bubbly and slightly browned.

Eggplant Parmesan

Photo: Roberta Rockwell

Yummmmm...Eggplant Parmesan! This recipe is a little bit healthier than your average EP Parm recipe- first because the skin is removed. It's hard to digest and let's face it, you bite into a piece that still has the skin on it and you end up peeling it off anyway! Also, I just use easier to digest hard cheeses like hard goat's cheese or hard asiago.  So, here ya go:

Ingredients:

Hard cheese (pick your fav)

2 eggplants

1 can of tomato sauce (to be sure it's not gmo, I use either homemade sauce or if I'm in a hurry I use Wild Harvest organic tomato sauce)

Italian olives

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Slice cheese

Peel eggplants

Slice into thin disks approximately 1/4" thick

Smear olive oil on the bottom of the pan and with a cooking brush, brush olive oil on both sides of the sliced eggplants and layer them on a cookie sheet 

Bake for 12minutes then flip them over and bake another 12 minutes

Take out of the oven and start layering with a drop of sauce on the bottom of a pan and then add layers of eggplant and top with cheese and olives--as much or as little as you like and keep layering.

Bake again at 375 degrees for 1 hour 

Cool and serve

Lemonade

Pinterest photo

Ok, so it's pretty basic you say?. Well, it is but how about just making it a little healthier.

Ingredients:

Lemons

Water

Honey

Mint leaves

Directions: 

Squeeze in lemons and mix in honey, ice and mint to taste. That's it. Forget the sugar. Enjoy.

KALE CHIPS

You don't need a dehydrator to make delicious kale chips. Try these and you'll forget the potato chips!

Ingredients:

4 bunches of kale

1/4 c Coconut oil

1 teaspoon of sea salt

1 tablespoon of chili powder

One lime

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Wash kale and let dry (approx. 15 min) Tear off at the stem and break it into small pieces. 

Melt the coconut oil in sauce pan and add the salt and chili powder

Mix in the kale, make sure all nooks and crannies of the kale are covered

Spread the kale out on a baking dish or cookie sheet

Bake for 10-12 minutes, turn them over and bake another 10-12 minutes

Squeeze lime on kale and let cool

Cauliflower Bread

This one comes straight from my friend Loretta! (I substituted her mozzarella cheese for farmer's cheese because mozzerella is soft and not allowed on the scd diet, so forgive me Lo!)

Ingredients: 

1 large head of raw cauliflower

1 ½ cups of egg whites

1 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 packages of 8 oz farmer's cheese (a.k.a- dried curd cottage cheese:)

Herbs: basil and oregano

Directions:

Pre-heat oven 425

Mix above in large bowl as you would meat loaf. (I used my hands) Line two 18x26 inch pans (like jelly roll pans) with parchment paper, leaving edges of paper over the pan. Spread mixture with hands, pat down to the edge of the pan as thin as you can without leaving holes. (paper should be sticking out about 2 inches around the pan so you can grab it easily).
Sprinkle with herbs. I used a mixture of sea salt, red pepper flakes, basil and oregano.
Bake 20 minutes. Slide bread from pan; put another piece of parchment paper in the pan. Flip bread over and put back into pan. Bake another 10 minutes. Put on rack to cool. Cut in squares. I freeze most of it. You can take out the pieces frozen and microwave about 15 seconds. 

Dip in a marinara sauce like you would chicken fingers or top it with sauce to make a great pizza.

Vanilla Cupcakes  {using coconut flour}

Photo: Roberta Rockwell

 If you love coconut as much as I do, you're gonna flip over these cupcakes!! I was craving Crumbs coconut cupcakes but they're baked with white flour and of course--sugar, so before I did anything I knew I'd regret-- I made these from scratch and they're SCD diet legal! Ok, so they're not quite the same as Crumbs--i'm woman enough to admit that....but they are delicious and oh-so healthy, and did I say delicious? C'mon, you know you love me for this.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1/3 cup of either melted  ghee or coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk or my scd yogurt made from goat's milk (see above for recipt)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F
Combine all the dry in ingredients and blend well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and use a mixer to blend well. You can use a food processor, hand or standing mixer to get it well-blended. Let the batter sit for a few minutes and mix once more.
Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way with batter.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
Cool and then frost with scd frosting (sometimes) found here.
Store covered for a few days at room temperature, or the refrigerator for a few weeks, or freeze for a few months.

Makes 8 cupcakes.

Cocktail Sauce

I love shrimp cocktail. But I don't understand why companies put sugar in cocktail sauce?? Why is this necessary?? So, I decided to make my own and ya know what? It's better than store bought. Four simple ingredients.  Boom. Done. Enjoy. xo

Ingredients: 

1.5 tsp Salt

12 Tbsp Horseradish

18oz Tomato Paste

1.5 Lemons (juice)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in small mixing bowl

Whisk together with a fork until an even consistency

Serve with Shrimp Cocktail or Crab Cakes

(Serves 12)

Butternut squash fries

I love potato french fries but after trying my homemade butternut squash fries they're now my absolute fav!

Ingredients:

1 large Organic Butternut squash

Butter (1 stick)
Salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425
Peel skin off squash
cut in half and scoop out seeds
cut into desired sized strips (thin for skinny fries or thick for steak fries)
Melt butter and place butter in mixing bowl with sliced squash and mix to evenly coat
all pieces with butter
place on cookie sheet evenly
bake in oven until a fork cannot go through, they should be soft. (bake for approx. 45-55minutes)
Sprinkle salt (I prefer Celtic coarse salt)

Veggie - Fruit Smoothie

I've been juicing every day since I got a nutri bullet a few months ago. I've since tossed my old juicer the bullet is less clean up and you eat the fiber. It mulches everything!  Here's what I've been making for lunch almost every day. It may not sound tasty but I promise--because of the secret ingredient it's delicious!

Ingredients:
1 small ripe banana
3 strawberries fresh or frozen (and/or a handful of blueberries)
1/2 an apple
1 cup of Knudsens grape juice (it's only ingredients are organic grapes and water!)
1/2 cup of spring water
1 peeled carrots (if you don't like the gritty consistency then leave out the carrot)
handful of baby spinach
handful of romaine
hand full of kale
small piece of peeled ginger root
small piece of peeled turmeric root
hand full of crushed ice
**secret ingredient: CILANTRO !!!!!!**

Directions:
Wash all veggies
Use as much or as little of everything as you want
Substitute your fav fruits
Just don't forget the Cilantro !!
Mix it in your bullet and serve. 

Here's to laughter, art, and good food. xoRoberta