Monday, November 26, 2012

Rustic Grain-free Apple Blackberry Tart


Happy belated Thanksgiving to all! I've just returned from a much needed vacation in Philadelphia. I'm feeling recharged and even more inspired to make things happen. Here's a quick easy recipe I baked last week before departing for the holiday. I had some leftover apples and sweet blackberries that I wanted to use up since I wasn't bringing them to Philly. I love throwing bits and pieces of leftover ingredients together to make new delicious creations and this one just happens to be completely grain-free and SCD legal (specific carbohydrate diet safe).


Rustic Grain-Free Apple and Blackberry Tart

This recipe makes about 6-8 servings and is free of: Gluten, Grain, Dairy, Soy, Eggs, Peanuts, Yeast, Sugar, and Legumes.

This recipe uses my almond flour pie crust recipe.

Tart topping:

  • 2 ripe apples, sliced very thin with a knife or mandolin slicer.
  • 3/4 cup fresh blackberries
  • 1/2 cup xylitol (birch sugar) or sweetener of choice. I choose xylitol from birch because it's candida safe, and has no actual sugar. Stevia can be substituted here instead, just decrease the proportion used.
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup raw chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Use this almond flour crust recipe and press with fingers into a flat oval (about 1/2 inch thick) on a greased baking sheet.
  2. Place sliced apples, blackberries, xylitol, vanilla, cinnamon, and coconut oil in a sauce pan and heat over low-medium heat for 5 minutes until well combined. The blackberries may start to break apart a bit and release juices. This is normal.
  3. Remove from heat and cool. Arrange filling in rows on the crust and top with raw chopped walnuts, chia seeds, and sprinkle with coconut flour to absorb some of the juices.
  4. Bake in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit is cooked through. Serve warm or cool with dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
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Saturday, November 17, 2012

My Allergy Friendly Kitchen


I'm lucky to have a mostly dedicated gluten-free kitchen, thanks to the help of my boyfriend, who isn't exclusively gluten-free. He's a kitchen whiz and a fast learner. Sometimes I think he knows how to handle my allergies better than I do. So when we're at home, this is where the magic happens. I happily spend most of my time in this room. Some readers have been asking about how I keep my kitchen functional and allergy friendly at the same time so I decided to give everyone an inside look at the staples, setup, and equipment that are always in my kitchen.


Left to right: Centrifugal juicer, Sodastream Maker, Black & Decker High Speed Blender

 We set up an exclusive beverage station since raw juices, smoothies, seltzer water, and homemade soda are constantly happening in our kitchen. Instead of coffee, we down a large glass of green veggie juice or a fruit and veggie smoothie which I feel is even more energizing than a large cup of joe. The vitamins hit your system immediately and alkalize on the way. What better way to start the day?

A wide variety of spices are always on hand in my kitchen. My parents are big on bold flavors and it definitely rubbed off on me. No matter how simple a dish, you can always spark it to life with a good combination of herbs and spices.


I love that most herbal tea is naturally allergen free and gluten-free. Our tea and bar cabinet is a great addition to keeping things organized. Some of the liquors on the bottom are exclusively Y's since we haven't checked the whiskey for gluten content yet (please excuse the Wild Turkey...) My staples include a good organic red wine, chamomile, pau D'arco, some Yogi teas, and all Traditional Medicinal teas.


Fridge magnets hold up our Ph balancing chart, which is a basic breakdown between some highly alkaline and highly acidic foods. I believe a slightly alkaline body is a healthy goal to shoot for, so we try to minimize our intake of highly acidic foods. We usually eat meat 1 to 2 times a week and always have vegetables and greens on hand via juices, smoothies, sautes, and more. Low glycemic fruits such as berries and apples are also a staple on the menu.


Some of my favorite flours/gluten-free grains to cook and bake with are quinoa, millet, buckwheat/buckwheat flour, almond Flour, hazelnut flour, brown rice flour, coconut flour, corn meal.

Staples in the pantry: Black rice, brown rice, wild rice, Tinkyada brown rice pasta, canned olives, canned pumpkin, coconut milk, raw nuts and seeds, Terra sweet potato chips, almond milk, xylitol, coconut sugar, agave nectar, coconut oil, olive oil, Namaste foods mixes, King Arthur gluten-free mixes, Enjoy Life snacks and more.


Many meals are happily shared here (but no "Happy Meals" mind you!) If any soy or gluten does make it's way into the kitchen on occasion, we have dedicated dishes and pans for keeping things segregated.


Our kitchen has lovely natural light that I love utilizing in my photography. At the end of the hallway, it takes a right towards the backdoor which leads out to one of our mini gardens...


And what would a gluten-free, allergy friendly kitchen be without a raw produce section on hand? We call it the farmacy. It's getting cold out, but our mighty kale is still standing strong. The flavors of fresh produce and herbs is truly incredible and I'm lucky to walk out my door to have my pick. I hope you enjoyed the inside look!

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Friday, November 16, 2012

Gluten-Free Beauty: Hugo Naturals


I'm really excited to talk about my latest find for gluten-free, soy-free beauty: Hugo Naturals. Until today, I'd never heard of the brand but am so delightfully surprised to find that their products are gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, cruelty free, and 100% natural. Most of you probably understand how difficult of a feat something like this can be to find. Surprisingly, I actually found this on a whim when I keyed "soy-free lip balm" into the google search bar, half expecting that nothing would come up. Not only does Hugo Naturals have safe lip balm, they have all natural deodorants, shampoo, conditioners, soaps, body butters, lotions, and more. The best part? I found them at my local Whole Foods on my lunch break at work! Hello happy winter skin!

 
For the record, this is my own opinion and I have not been compensated in any way for this review. I can't wait to try all the products in Vanilla & Sweet Orange scent. Check out Hugo Naturals for gluten-free, soy-free body goodness!

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Hazelnut Buckwheat Pancakes


I've been loving simple and fast recipes lately. It's been a pretty busy whirlwind around here getting ready for the fast approaching winter and juggling our to-do lists. I'm glad I found a few minutes to experiment with some gluten-free flour mixing somewhere between the deep cleaning of the house and the home office organization this week. While I'm not the biggest fan of plain buckwheat flour, it really lends itself to a thick fluffy gluten-free pancake. I decided to mix it with hazelnut flour for a natural nutty sweetness and the result has become my new go-to breakfast. As an added bonus, this recipe is fine for candida detox diets (leave off the raw honey for this) and is higher in protein than most other standard pancake recipes.



Paired with a steaming cup of Yogi Echinacea tea these babies were sweet, rich and well...surprisingly 'normal'. I can't wait to experiment a bit more with mixing alternative flours with sweet nut flours this winter. It'll be a great way to warm the house--with fantastic scents and the glow of the oven on a snowy morning. I can't believe I'm saying this already, but bring on the cold weather! I think I'm ready to cozy up.



Hazelnut Buckwheat Pancakes

This recipe is free of: Gluten, Soy, Dairy, Peanuts, Yeast, Processed Sugar, & Legumes.

Makes 5-6 medium/large pancakes

  • 1 3/4 cup buckwheat flour
  • 1/4 cup hazelnut flour
  • 1 cup almond milk, flax milk or coconut milk. Water can be used instead if desired.
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons xylitol (birch sugar) or sweetener of choice.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Dash of salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
  1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well by hand, eliminating any large lumps in the batter.
  2. Heat a large skillet pan to medium heat and drizzle with desired cooking oil.
  3. Pour 1/3 cup of the batter (or desired amount) into the skillet. Flip when small bubbles form near the middle of the pancake batter. Repeat until no batter remains.
  4. Serve drizzle with raw honey, raw maple syrup, or topped with coconut spread.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

A New Leaf


I want to talk a little candid today.

I have a bone to pick. With myself. Too often in the past, I've only used the new year opportunity to make resolutions. But I really have to be honest here. Sometimes I'm not too thrilled with some of my habits and the way I've been operating as of late.

In the past, despite having some existing health issues, I've been content to indulge in some unhealthy habits such as bumming the occasional cigar from a friend, having that extra cocktail to take the edge off a long week at the office, and simply wishing some things would magically change without me having to do anything to make that happen. I'm calling foul on myself here and taking the big step out of a rut I've been sitting in for awhile. Why is it so easy to know what's healthy but still choosing a road that might not reflect that? I'm not saying I or anyone else has to be perfect in this regard, but some indulgences I think I'd be much better off without.

Health and well-being is more than just eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. I've been turning a blind eye to some of the other aspects of my life that need some streamlining and balance, so I'm not waiting for the new year to turn over a new leaf. No matter how cliche it might sound, now is always the right time. I'm challenging myself to break some bad habits for good. Here are my goals:

  1. Choosing the career path that best reflects my passions.
  2. Saying NO to overindulging in unhealthy distractions.
  3. Turning off the cable TV and getting a move on! I have a nasty habit of plopping down on the cushy couch after work and blaming it on the imaginary force field which sucks me into the slump. It's not my fault, right!?....Wrong.
  4. Getting it organized to make it a reality. I've got some big ideas floating around in my head, but that's a big problem. They're just floating there. Writing them down, planning them out, and making it happen isn't going to happen on it's own. There's no better time than the here and now.
  5. Practicing Mind, Body, and Spirit. Cranking up the green juices, healing smoothies, yoga, meditation, and brain exercises is happening, starting now. In the words of the powerful Kris Carr, "What we Eat, Drink, and Think matters."

Along with some personal changes I'll be making, there will be some changes here on the blog. What's older on the site is going to be new and fresh, with some updated content and new photography. Be sure to check back in my older posts to see some new stuff. It feels great to make some resolutions because of myself instead of a new year. There's no better reason if you ask me. Health is wealth.

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