Speedy Hemp Seed Cucumber Dill Soup [Low Carb] [Vegan]
3 large organic cucumbers, washed with skin
3 cloves garlic
1/4" ginger
1 c. organic coconut milk*
1 1/2 c. unsweetened original hemp milk
~2 T. extra virgin olive oil
pinch dried spearmint leaves
dash cayenne pepper (optional!)
sea salt and pepper, to taste
hefty pinch dried dill
4 fresh basil leaves
4-5 fresh mint leaves
1 T. garlic powder
1/4 c. shelled organic hemp seed (plus extra for topping)
* you can use all hemp milk if you'd like. The coconut milk makes the ordinarily thin soup a bit thicker and more satisfying to me.
Wash, dry, and cut a whole cucumber into thirds or quarters. Add the cucumber, ginger root, and garlic to your VitaMix or other blender. For about 30 seconds, blend on medium-hi (5) while using the damper (or a long-handled spoon out of reach of the running blades) to compress the cucumber. Once the larger chunks of cucumber are chopped, turn off the blender.
Add in the hemp milk, coconut milk, olive oil and spices. Use your imagination for spices. I made this soup earlier in the summer when my mint plants were taking over the porch and begging to be used. Turn your blender to high and blend it for 1-2 minutes. I blend my soup until it is thoroughly mixed but there are still shreds of cucumber not pureed so it isn't just a single consistency. Serve cold, sprinkled with hemp seeds. This soup is quick and easy as a delicious, cooling appetizer or side soup.
I used to adore the Hungarian Cucumber Soup I made every summer, but after finally saying adios to yogurt and dairy I've not made it since. A recent onslaught of cucumbers, mint, and dill sent me craving another batch of coconut yogurt for this recipe. I will still do that in the future, but for now I'm making (dairy laden) goat milk yogurt in our Crockpot for Jon. I have to appease the dairy guzzlers in the house occasionally :) I thought a good swap for this soup would be coconut milk, but after reading on and on about Karina's love for hemp milk I decided to use it as the base.
I love hemp anyways and wanted another faucet of this amazing healthfood in my diet. This soup takes about 2-3 minutes in the Vitamix and is a nice cool, refreshing appetizer or meal. For even more protein toss in a scoop of hemp protein powder if you have it on hand. If not, no worries- hemp seed is nature's perfect little vegan package of balanced Omega3:6 healing fats, fiber (low carb!), and complete protein. All those Canadian's sure make a killing off our growing American demand for hemp!
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
20 Jul 2008 at 8:20am
Easy Tahini Dressing [Vegan]
So much for a real recipe from Cindalou's here in the recent past, but since you're already primed for a whole host of non-recipes, I'll use this chance to combat my swamped-at-work-can't-post hysteria with a "recipe" for a healthy dressing or sauce. Of course everyone knows how to whip up (or at least purchase) tahini nowadays, so I'll bore you with more health benefits and history than an actual Tablespoon per tablespoon recipe :) Yes, I still cook. All the time. Cindalou's has taken a back seat to thank you notes, family visits, and our flourishing (and crowded) apartment garden. So how's that for yet another disclaimer/introduction? If you find my intro less than satisfactory, then I recommend Karina's new Strawberry Cobbler post. You'll smile (and lick the computer screen).
Sesame seeds and tahini are quick and easy snacks and make a handy homemade dressing. The seeds themselves claim the honorable position of being one of the oldest condiments and their use seems to be traced back as far as 1600 BC. The seeds are a great source of many trace minerals and Omega 6 fatty acids. Indeed, the seeds were held in high esteem for the quality of the oil which is exceptionally resistant to rancidity and spoilage. One interesting fact: the phrase "Open sesame" stems from the sesame seed pod itself, which bursts open when it reaches maturity.
Tahini dressing:
1/4 c. raw, organic sesame seeds (I use unhulled since they're cheaper here and the hulls contain much of the calcium in the seeds) OR organic tahini (Once Again has a good organic tahini on the market)
1-2 t. sea salt, more to taste
1 t. or "dash" of San-J wheat free tamari (optional, omit for soy free)
4 liberal T. organic extra virgin olive oil*
squeeze lemon juice
Combine the sesame seeds and the salt in the bottom of the Vitamix or your blender. You will probably want to use the dry blade attachment for the Vitamix if you have one. In my experience, the dry-blade purees the seeds better than the regular container. If you only have a normal blender, no worries, but you may need to puree the seeds in spurts (to prevent regular blender overheating) to get them all creamed up. If you 're using jarred tahini, just skip this step.
It only takes about 1 -2 minutes for me to make this batch. I grind the seeds in 30 second intervals, but I take a minute to take the top off and scrape the sides of the blender to mix in the stubborn seeds. Once the seeds are pureed "dry," add the sea salt, olive oil, lemon juice, and tamari (if you're using the San-J). If you want to add a dash of turmeric (a great detoxifier and antioxidant), parsley (high in iron), or rosemary, add it now. Close the lid and blend once more until well mixed. Scrape the sides and pour into your dipping bowl or drizzle over your entree or salad, like below.
I made my sauce here with a bit more olive oil and lemon juice than above in order to achieve a more fluid sauce to dress our grilled salmon and salad. Just adjust the olive oil to seed ratio to vary the consistency between a thick tahini chip/ raw veggie dip and a dressing (like we used it).
* Add more olive oil to taste, I tend to add more olive oil to my share of the dressing since my body burns good fat efficiently (sugars and high carby foods kill my poor digestive system, so to each his own. Check your body type and eat what is fresh, local, and makes you feel best. Perhaps most importantly, trust your instincts... no, that doesn't mean reach for that bag of salted corn chips since you just like the taste!)
Tahini Uses:
Tahini sauced mushroomsSalad dressing (of course)
Tahini Dressed Simple Spinach Salad
grilled wild salmon fillet dressing. I have a few old fish recipes here and the tahini sauce would be great drizzled over some Molasses Balsamic Salmon
Tahini Glazed Salmon
Stir fry dressing/sauceMore Sesame Seed Uses:
Dress up your veggies! Jon likes honey sesame green beans or broccoli
homemade raw (Vegan) food barstoss into any bread, cookie, or muffin/pancake recipe
Sesame seeds are high in Omega 6 fatty acids which are healthy fats, but should not be over consumed since the average diet is already too high in Omega 6 fats compared to Omega 3's. Sesame seeds have a whopping (that sounds quantifiable and scientific doesn't it?) amount of copper, manganese, tryptophan, iron, and some B vitamins to name a few. They also pack a fair amount of fiber for such tiny little packages. The entire nutritional profile from World's Healthiest Foods shows the nutrient scale and there's also a great in depth article on the seeds.
Be warned, however, that sesame seeds can be allergenic to some. Those of us with Celiac or gluten intolerance seem to garner the blessing of having multiple trigger foods (at least while the intestines are still healing). The other disclaimer for sesame seeds involves their oxalate content. Oxalates in the hull of the seed are generally bound in calcium oxalate and some doctors believe that they can aggravate kidney conditions, leading to kidney stones. The verdict is still out on this matter, since dietary intake of oxalates like those found in sesame seed hulls only amount to about 15% of the oxalate in calcium oxalate stones. The general wisdom among experts is, according to WHF,
"that dietary restriction cannot significantly reduce risk of stone formation". In addition, oxalates are naturally present in a full spectrum of fruits and vegetables are normally present no issues with stone formation. Just to be on the safe side, buy the hulled sesame seeds or lightly colored jarred tahini since these varieties have the hull (and thus the calcium oxalate) removed. Of course when you remove the hull you lose nutrition, but a compromise can be struck if you are worried about kidney stones. More interesting stuff on oxalates is here at World's Healthiest Foods.
A balance must be struck in diet just like everywhere in life, but natural and organic tahini is a great and far superior source of Omega 6's as compared with many popular vegetable oils touted for their "healthy mono and polyunsaturated fat content." The problem with many vegetable oils, as I've talked about from time to time, is that virtually all of them except commercial extra virgin olive oil are refined, bleached, or deodorized. These processes damage the unsaturated fat in the oil since the less saturated the oil, the more it is vulnerable to heat, light, and processing damage. So although you think or read the hype about soybean (a particularly poor oil choice), corn, canola, and even sunflower or safflower oils being "healthy," your oil is likely already rancid or damaged. Damaged oil wrecks havoc on our bodies as toxins, but no more about that here. I sound brooding and hell-bent on bringing down the vegetable oil market. If anyone's interested in more details about these fats and oils and the commercial propaganda surrounding them, please comment and let me know. I can expand on the subject and/or point you to fantastic references. It is always best to keep it simple. We use extra virgin olive oil (no heat - dressing and marinades only) and organic virgin coconut oil (for any heat or cooking) exclusively; you can't find another oil in our house except the fat stored in nuts :) This cuts down on buying multiple kinds of different oils and actually saves money and time at the store. It is my advice and practice. If you can do dairy and aren't quite thrilled about coconut oil, another good alternative is full-fat REAL butter, especially grass fed goat or cow butter. The saturated fats are what you need for heat and cooking since they are not destroyed by heat and light, (as opposed to margarine, vegetable (and olive) oils, and reduced or fat free products.) If only we could see our insides, then we'd all be a lot more picky about what we eat and how we prepare it. :)
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
20 Jul 2008 at 4:32pm
Happy Solstice!
NASA APOD
No matter the weather, go stick your head outdoors for the longest day of the year, Horray! Somehow, I am working longer today by happenstance so the rest of you need to get outside and enjoy some of the great day (except if you're in California with all those scorchers). NASA has a great Astronomy Picture of the Day of the moon over Greece, shown below (with permission). If you're not quite familar with all the fascinating astonomical details about solstice, check out Wikipedia's introduction. Sorry, no recipes for now since we'll be out enjoying a later nightfall in our garden.
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
20 Jul 2008 at 4:35pm
Blissful Gluten & Dairy Free Recipes [Low carb] [Vegan]
The long absence of Cindalou's Kitchen Blues was not merely a cosmic accident, lazy blogging on my behalf, nor an overambitious email spam blocker filter for all our subscribers, dear reader. I apologize for our long intermission from the gluten free blogging community. It looks like you all managed quite well without us :) How yummy your Cherry Clafouti looks Natalie! I am eying it alongside my coconut milk and bag of cherries in the fridge and thinking I might give your recipe a dairy-free attempt. I doubt I can touch your level of delicious with that heavy cream, but I'll try. Karina, your Strawberry Chocolate Chip Sherbet looks like the perfect candidate for our new ice cream maker! Funny, we received the same Cuisinart ice cream maker that you have, cool (no pun intended). Goddess, I love your hemp milk addiction- hemp is such a delicious (and nutritious, not that anyone cares about that :)) superfood!
Cindalou's long break from gluten and dairy free blogging is to blaim on my recent wedding to my long-time physics study partner, best friend, college (and grad school) office mate, pain-in-the-arse match made in heaven, and blog admin Jon. I remember my mother saying things like "be careful what you ask for.." and "just wait till you have children.." ... Thanks Mom, I feel like I'm already half there- heaven has divine retribution for my misdeeds by blessing me with possibly the only equally stubborn person in the world :) All joking aside, we are very very happy. A HUGE THANK YOU to our families, friends, and everyone who made our wedding perfect. Pictures aren't available yet, but we'll be sure to post some for you all later. Sorry no recipes yet from Cindalou's, we're working on it. In the interim, I'd like to share the beautiful "Recipes for a Happy Marriage" I received from friends at my fantastic surprise shower.
Ima's recipe:
50% communication
20% humor (laughter)
20% patience
10% temper control
Communication? Is that when I repeat myself 400 billion times and get stared at blankly with the claim that "you never said that"...? If so, we are on it!
Lauren's best friend prescription:
1 cup Love
1 cup Understanding
3 T. Compassion
1/2 t. of "the no look"
1/2 cup of Romance
Ha, I think I have wayyy too much of that "NO!" look going already!
Sandy's sisterly advice:
truckload o' love
bucket o' passion and romance
2 truckloads of patience and understanding
Lots o' fun
much communication
many kisses and hugs!
Does anyone else notice that my sister seems to also have a problem with exact measurements and recipe equivalents? Hmm, maybe its a Wood household thing... I'm blaming you Mom!
Momma's Good Ole' Recipe for Happiness:
Lots of Laughter
Kindness
Gentleness
Surprise
Empathy.
Mix well and often with love, friendship, openness and sharing.
Mom, strange no precise measurements of ingredients... this from the woman who actually does measure an 1/8 a teaspoon and bakes the same holiday poppyseed bread every year but MUST use her original recipe... Although she did include instructions, yey!
Marriage a la Sweethearts
Patience
Forgiveness
Space to be together
Space to be Separate
A Maid!
Ha! I love the space to be seperate- we live, work, and ride the bus to work together. We do sit in different areas of the bus, however, and do our best to pretend we hate each other in public :) Joking... and I am the joyful maid. I was trained at an early age by my Grandmother to wash dishes. We have photo proof of tiny lil Cindalou on a stool washing them (or whatever a 6 year old thinks is washing).
Untitled:
"In our society we teach unconditional love. Love is like air to women. Take away love and women can't breathe and will fight because they can't breathe. For men, take away respect and they can't breathe and they will fight and act unloving to get a breath.
So give your husband unconditional respect. Avoid saying the word "NO," they can easily experience it as disrespect. Read the book "Love and Respect" by E. Eggrich."
Ohh, respect- now that's a fantastic piece of advice! Something so important is often overlooked in the giddy, romantic beginnings of a relationship, but how crucial it is! I guess I don't have to say "NO" either since as Lauren noted I already have "the look" mixed in :)
Thank you all, and you dear reader, for sicking with Cindalous. We'll be back with some of our own dairy and gluten free delights in a short while.
xoxo, Cindalou
You can tell it is our car, huh?
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
17 Jun 2008 at 1:40pm
Coconut Milk Yogurt At Last! [Dairy Free] [Soy Free] [Vegan] [Low Carb]
Alas, the coconut milk yogurt has materialized in my kitchen! Sorry for the ridiculously long wait, but as I mentioned previously in my Ginger Sea Bass post, we were waiting on the probiotic and then went to GA for vacation after my exam and blah blah. Yo don't care, right? The yogurt is here in all of its gluten free, dairy free, soy, nut, corn, yeast, yadda yadda free glory!! I am really sorry I am a month late, Seamadien :) Can you forgive me? I am loving your spinach pie and that St. Pats pot pie looks intriguing...
Anyways, back to the coconut yogurt and why I chose Christian from Stephen's Recipes for my adoption way back when. I have a very strong connection to family (at least in my mind, don't ask my mom :) ) and I admire someone who has children and not only devotes their love and energy to them, but also sets aside time to blog about allergen free living for the rest of us! Christian has a sense of humor (see the taste warning at the blog header) and is committed to providing the healthiest environment for her boys. Today in the American age of McDonald's for dinner and tv or texting during a meal instead of family conversation, family values are of high esteem in my mind. I must sound like a crazy fanatical conservative, but sorry to disappoint you Pat Roberson- I just believe in good, ethical, moral living and loving. You chose your flavor of religious, moral, and lifestyle beliefs to suit you, in so long as you do not infringe on others' rights.
In any case, put the tv remote away and don't worry about bringing a Whopper over to dinner at my place. Cindalou's practices good old family mealtime courtesies and stimulating light dinner conversation like "So Mom, what is the exact significance of Jesus being divine for you? Why do people want someone else to die for their sins? That seems like a bit of a break in the personal responsibility chain..?" Ahh, musings of a curious child with really annoying questions and an even more annoying quest for deep, "not canned" responses. I think I offend people with these questions, but I really want to understand. Can you lend me a hand? Or answer? Please..??
And please excuse my politicking; we just met our favorite candidate for NC Congress, BJ Lawson, and "Mr. Liberty" Presidential Candidate Dr. Ron Paul himself is coming to both UNC and Duke on Jon's birthday- May 2nd!! Our amazing Tarheels for Paul coordinator Paige arranged for Jon to have lunch with Dr. Ron Paul, Dr. Lawson, and a few other campaign donors for his birthday too. I'm so excited!! It's not everyday you get that offer since presidential candidates are swamped with supporters at every stop. I believe both Obama and Hillary are in Chapel Hill now as well - I'll have to go check that out. It will just be such a relief to hear something other than McCain being the only Republican candidate on the ticket. This is not true and just shows irritating ignorance. Ergh, enough political frustration - I know everyone feels it in every party (or nonparty) :) How about some gluten/dairy free yogurt goodness?
Coconut Milk Yogurt (half batch)
1 can (15 oz.) organic coconut milk or lite coconut milk
heaping 1/4 t. dairy free probiotic*
Tools Needed:
2 half-quart Mason jars (I used cleaned salsa jars)
large stainless steel spoon
2 large/medium stainless steel pots (I used a double boiler nested pot setup)
kitchen thermometer
a few old clean kitchen towels, a large pot and lid (large enough to hold mason jars) OR yogurt maker
Yeah, we have a wee bit of coconut milk hangin' around...
*I used Culturaid dairy free probiotic since it is free of many of the common allergens: gluten, dairy, yeast, corn, soy
Instructions for Coconut Milk Yogurt
[Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Yeast Free and Low Carb/Low Fat]
1.) Sterilize your container(s):
I boiled water in my electric kettle to sterilize my yogurt jars and stainless steel pot. After the water boiled, I let it sit for 10 or so minutes while I went onto step 2. When you need two yogurt containers, just discard the hot water.
2.) Pour out the sterilizing water from the pot and pour in the coconut milk. If you didn't shake the can and the milk has separated, just give it a quick stir with a clean/sterilized stainless steel spoon. Turn the milk to medium high heat and keep your thermometer handy. Bring the milk to just boiling with your thermometer in the milk, but not resting or touching the pot (you want the temperature of the milk, not the pot). Continuously stir the milk until it reaches around 160 degrees. I've seen the range of 170-180 degrees for "normal" milk in order to kill the bad bacteria, but the canned organic coconut milk does not suffer bovine growth hormones, animal antibiotics passed into the cow milk, pesticides, or any chemical residues that can hamper regular milk. I am more lax with the temperature for this reason. If you'd prefer to go to the higher temperature, go for it, but make sure to keep stirring so the milk doesn't burn.
3.) Set up your yogurt-making area.
The yogurt culturing area can be a real yogurt maker or this handy type setup shown below. All that is necessary is that the yogurt stay around 100 degrees (or as close as possible). I placed 2 jars in my largest pot with a few warmed towels on the bottom to insulate the jars. I used 1 jar for steaming hot water and the other jar for the yogurt. Here's a cool site for making yogurt by livelonger on HubPages which gives nice pictures and the incubation idea of a cooler and hot water instead of a yogurt maker.
4.) Let the coconut milk cool. Check the milk comes to around 100-110 degrees before adding the probiotic starter. Once the milk has cooled, stir in the probiotic starter. If you were making normal cow-based dairy yogurt, you could use premade/purchased yogurt with live cultures instead of specialty probiotic starter. For dairy free coconut milk yogurt, we can't do this of course- hence the Culturaid.
Boil some more water and pour into one of your open jars shown above. The hot water in this jar along with the insulating towels and closed pot will help keep the yogurt jar warm so the cultures can grown during incubation.
Pour the inoculated yogurt/coconut milk into the other jar and close the lid to keep it warm. I added a few more towels for jar insulation.
5.) Cover the whole setup or your yogurt maker. I turned my pot to very very low heat (barely on) to keep the setup warm. You may not need to do this depending upon the temperature of your kitchen. It was cold and rainy when I made this (Murphy's law in action). Let the yogurt ferment for 6-10 hours. Mine took more like 10 hours since it was so cold in my kitchen (crazy spring weather). Let the yogurt rest while it ferments.
6.) After the allotted time has passed, check the coconut milk yogurt. It should be firm and more of a yogurt texture. Mine was not as thick as cow milk yogurt (which often has yucky thickeners in addition to the plain old yogurt, especially if you eat the nonorganic kind), but it was definitely thicker. It had a nice slightly sweet-sour yogurt bite to it as well as all those uber healthy (nondairy) probiotics! Now I can down yogurt by the quart like Jon, right? :) Refrigerate the yogurt when it is thick and "finished."
The probiotics in yogurt and fermented foods (kraut, etc) are the "good" guys you want in your intestines to help improve your immunity, keep you regular, build and strengthen your bones, lose weight, and detoxify you. One of my favortie online general health bloggers, Cathy Wong, has a great summary of probiotic health benefits and possible interactions. The Harvard Medical School Health Guide also has a good article with some interesting folk uses for yogurt. Probiotics are especially vital in the healing process for those with compromised digestive systems, like those with IBS, Crohn's disease, and Celiac. In addition to this dairy free yourt, I love homemade red cabbage kraut and NutriWest total probiotics. I've noticed a sincere and immeasurable difference in my digestion and energy. It's just anecdotal evidence, but it does obey my "it works" philosophy. Yet another great resource is USProbiotics.org. A general Google search on the health benefits of probiotics is overwhelming, so I'm barely scratching the surface here. Don't fret, I'll be back ranting about them much more in future posts. My other favored site for health info at World's Healthiest Foods has a great summary on (regular) yogurt. Keep in mind that this coconut milk yogurt is dairy free, but since it is cultured with the probiotics it will contain many of the same fermentation byproducts like some B vitamins.
Oh, and Melissa, I have not forgotten about the 6 line meme! Uhh, I am still struggling with 6 (positive.... or at least not blaringly negative) things to say about myself. Here's a try at 6 words that summarize who I am:
independent
open mindedcompassionate (my mom might disagree when we get into politics, hehe)
tenacious (strong willed? what's the difference... it is subtle I guess)assertiveprincipled (to a point of aggravation of others I'm afraid :) )Do I get another 6 billion words to describe a bride-to-be with a few more weeks until her wedding? Suppose not .. stupid rules! Who makes up these things? Why do we need so many rules... why can't we do fun things, like list the top 6 problems with modeling the cosmic ray muon flux near the surface of the Earth? Come on, please? I could use some help and non-wedding motivation :)
Since this post is already riduclously long, I'll be back with a recipe and/or use for the yogurt later. For now I'll just stop here and go spoon some of the leftover yogurt on some freshly ground flaxseed (omega 3's, high protein, and all carbs=fiber), sliced fresh pear (keeping the washed, organic peel for fiber and vitamins), and a drizzle of blackstrap molasses (high in iron, B vitamins). Hey after writing all of this, I'll a little wiped out for a whole fancy recipe :)
A new recipe using yogurt that looks delicious is from Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy who whipped up some yummy Yogurt Raspberry Lime Ice Cream. I can't wait to try it or something similar! I use the Vitamix to make many of our ice creams/sherbets, so maybe I'll toss some coconut yogurt into my old Raspberry Smoothie in honor of your ice cream, Natalie! (I don't use the egg protein anymore, its not necessary with the coconut yogurt and protein powders are NOT health foods- they're more like weight-building short term tools (I am still trying to gain weight & muscle) and not long term health or meal replacements. The only powder is still love is Manitoba Harvest's Organic Hemp powder- it comes in protein powder, powder plus fiber, and good old hemp seeds- all with the perfect balance of Omega3:6 fats for optimal health! It makes a killer blueberry smoothie, Yum!
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
29 Apr 2008 at 6:51am
Ginger Sea Trout Asian-Style Soup [Low Carb] [Low Fat]
Sorry all for the long delay between posts, we've been busy bees trekking back and forth to Atlanta for Easter and wedding planning. Nothing like a great relaxing post-prelim break of driving furiously all around North Carolina and Georgia. If you've never been to Atlanta and like pain, I recommend I-285 during rush hour -- perfect meditation time! What else are you going to do for a 2 hour (10 mile) journey across the dry, cracked pavement? Anyways, Easter was great and family visits home were more than worth the trip (I'm not just saying that because our families read the blog... no way, ha).
I hate the girly details in wedding planning though. I still think jeans and hiking up the Appalachian Trail is a great wedding. God can hike, right? I might need to check on that before I pack my favorite washed denim $3 thrift store jeans. Weddings, I have come to realize, are complicated beasts. Do you know how difficult it is to find inexpensive sundresses or casual bridesmaid dresses?!? Suggestions? Purple and green are the colors so .. if you see any .. :) Has anyone else noticed the 30% increase in price when the "w" word is mentioned?
At least I have an army of angels (oxymoron?); my mom and her friends yanked the devilish details from me (to save my sanity, I lose weight and eat like a monster under high stress. $300+ weekly food bills are frustrating, especially when you keep losing weight!). We are very very grateful guys! How many gals are blessed with volunteer wedding planning friends and great parents (both sides, how lucky!)? ~Contended sigh~ Well, now that I have this plethora of free time nipping at my heels, I can move on and get back to some gluten free goodness. Without further ado, I give you yet another fish and soup recipe! Surprise, I bet you never would have thought I cook soup, right? Nope.
3 large leaves (with stems) Chinese broccoli
2 large handfuls (~ 1 c.) fresh organic collard greens
~1/3 c. fresh organic spinach
3 small sundried tomatoes, chopped
1/4" chunk fresh ginger root, sliced thin
1 large fillet sea trout or cod
~1 T. San-J wheat free low sodium tamari
3-4 T. extra virgin olive oil or to taste
5-6 c. water
Seasonings:
pinch crushed red pepper
sea salt and pepper
a liberal shake ginger powder
garlic powder to taste
In a medium to large pot bring the water to a boil. While the water is warming up, wash and pat dry the greens and slice the ginger thinly. You can chop the greens into bite-sized pieces, but I just tore them leaf-by-leaf directly into the pot to save time. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and add to the water.
Add the spices and tamari to the pot. Once the water is boiling, add the torn greens to the pot. Reduce the heat and let the greens cook for a few minutes until soft but still bright green. The cooking time here is flexible and depends on how mushy you like your vegetables. I like collards very soft but the broccoli and spinach are much better if only simmered for around 3-5 minutes.
Once the greens are to your liking (this was about 5 minutes for me), add the trout fillet and olive oil. I added it whole since it will break up as it cooks. Turn the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for another 2-3 minutes so the fish can poach. You do not want to overcook the fillet, so just check on it after a few minutes by prodding it with a spoon and see how easily it flakes. If it flakes easily, it is finished. Turn off the burner and remove the pot from the heat. Serve immediately.
Optional Additions at serving time (I didn't use them this time though):
sprinkle kelp or sea vegetable of choice (high in iodine, great for your thyroid)dash ginger powder
Hey, it's not Fish Stew of the like of Natalie @ Gluten Free Mommy (which I still want to make, by the way), but this soup had a wonderful flavor and really hit the spot. Of course, ginger and leafy greens are a far cry from a tomato-based stew, but you know I can't follow directions; I can only follow my sense of smell and taste. Besides, who can pass up fresh ginger? Fresh ginger root has many health benefits, but it is particularly excellent for digestion. I love fresh spinach too, so this was a treat. Hope you enjoy it too!
Collards are a great source of dairy free calcium and chlorophyll, so load up! Collards are also high in Vitamin K, A, C, and manganese. According to a study in The Journal of Nutrition, there is some fuss about the phytonutrients in collards helping lower liver cell secretion of the cholesterol transporter apolipoproteinB-100 (apoB) by greater than 50%. ApoB transports LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) to tissues. Maybe eating some collards would be a wise choice in view of the many problems and complications of pharmaceutical cholesterol-lowering drugs. In reality, remember we need a balance of not only nutrients, but also things like cholesterol (ie, LDL is not "bad" unless it is out of balance with your HDL). You should aim for a varied, balanced diet with food-based nutrient sources rather than pills. Isolated vitamins, minerals, and drugs are less recognizable and absorbable to the body. Collards are also a heck of a lot cheaper than a multi vitamin and cholesterol pill. Melissa @ Gluten Free for Good made a recent post on dairy-free woes with fantastic information. Check her Moo-Free Got Milk post for high calcium dairy free foods and explanations of how dairy breaks down.... literally! On an unrelated note, coconut yogurt is incubating now, so it should be up soon... only a month or so late. That's all for my ranting, until next time...slurp!
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
8 Apr 2008 at 10:47pm
Quick Coconut Potato Herb Soup [Vegan]
Good news! This is my first official post-passing-the-prelim post. I have to admit, this is an old post which has been patiently waiting in the bin, so I do apologize for my .. lateness. The hard work paid off and I am now an official PhD candidate (still cheap grad labor, yesss!)... I guess those guys really want to know how 22Ne+p affects 23Na (must they salt their food often I wonder?). The coconut yogurt is still in the works, I promise! Sorry for all the delay and excuses; the gf/df probiotic we ordered is taking its sweet ole' time to ship here.
Thanks for waiting patiently at your computer and Happy Saint Pat's Day!! I figured this green-looking (well, in these pictures at least) soup might add to the cheer since everyone claims that last bit of 1/1000000 drop of Irish heritage today. So drink up (the soup :) ) and honor good old St. Patrick.
I know there are about a billion potato soup recipes out there, but I thought I'd add one more :) I am very pressed for time right now with work and, as I've said before, I am relying on my Vitamix to whip up quick healthy meals. I've done a different soup every night this past week and a half or so (they're all dairy free, and some low carb ones - not this potato one, of course). This is my healthy, dairy-free version of creamy potato soup. As you'll see in the recipe, I use red potatoes for a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. If you like potatoes or are as chilly as we are up here (where is spring darn it?!?) and want a different quick, healthy soup recipe(s), then see my links at the bottom. If you're on a low carb diet, substitute cauliflower for all of the potato and omit the water.
2-3 small to medium red potatoes, with skin (most of the vitamins and fiber are in the skin)
1/2 head fresh cauliflower OR 1/2 lb. frozen cauliflower
1/2 onion
4 T. shredded organic (no sulfur) coconut (divided- half for soup half for garnish)
1 c. water
1 c. low sodium vegetable broth (we use Pacific brand for gluten free vegan convenience broth)
2 c. organic lite coconut milk
2 T. extra virgin olive oil (more to taste)
4 cloves garlic
pinch ginger (ground)
Sea salt and pepper
hearty sprinkle dried dill weed
sprig fresh rosemary
Wash and dry potatoes and cauliflower. Chop the potatoes into halves or quarters and chop the cauliflower into half-fist sized chunks (no need to be exact, prechopping just reduces blending time). Add the potatoes and cauliflower to Vitamix (or your blender).
Pour in the water, coconut milk, vegetable broth, olive oil, and add the spices. I just dropped whole garlic cloves and the chunk of ginger directly into the blender. You can adjust the water to coconut (or other "milk") amounts to suit your taste. More coconut milk will make a creamier soup, of course, so use whichever ratio you prefer. Toss in half of the coconut and secure your blender lid.
Turn on the blender at low variable speed to roughly chop the potatoes and cauliflower in the bottom. Once these have been reduced in size a bit, blend on HIGH for 6-7 minutes or until mixture is steaming. Serve hot with some nice, steamed collard greens like my Easy Cranberry Greens with Kale and Collards and some Irish soda bread (see links below) or my Honey Potato Flatbread. Again, if you're a low carber then sub all cauliflower for potatoes and enjoy!
Other gluten free delicious potato soups:
Sweet Potato Peanut Soup @ Book of YumIrish Potato and Cabbage Soup @ Karina-s Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)St. Pats Irish Stew @ Gluten Free Journey
Potato Soup for the Sensitive Soul @ Karina-s Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)Sweet Potato Black Bean Soup @ Albion Cooks (I have to say I did this one a few nights ago on my own without having seen this recipe. This looks delicious and would work fine as a quick blender soup)My other Vitamix recipes or just plain ole' soup recipes. My old Spinach Potato Soup recipe is also a quick Vitamix soup packed full of the (non-heme) iron and vegan protein power of spinach.
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
17 Mar 2008 at 1:33pm
Adopt a GF Blogger ... Slowly
Hi all, I guess I should apologize for being behind schedule for the Adopt a Blogger Event deadline. You see, though, I never could follow directions. Sorry Seamaiden and Stephen (and all of you who want gf df cf coconut yogurt), but it is coming... slowly.... much akin to the progress on my preliminary exam presentation (also known as D-Day for PhD proposals which is this Thursday). I'm getting there, I promise!
Thursday 11:30 am- 3pm Phillips Hall (Physics) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
In the meantime, can I interest you in some astrophysics? Say, perhaps, hydrogen burning in stars? How about my favorite nuclear reaction, proton capture on 22Ne, which is relevant to evolved star (post main sequence) nucleosynthesis. Red giant stars, classical novae, presolar grains, and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are all my playground (well, sorta). Yes, I hear you shout, "I love it - tell me more!" Even if you don't care, it is still a completely kosher gluten free, dairy free, blah blah free post. Does that count?
Cat Eye Nebula, image courtesy of NASA and ESA
The Cat Eye Nebula was an AGB star which has evaporated off its outer layers until its white dwarf core (tiny white dot in center) and expanding layers remain. The expanding layers are ionized by intense UV radiation and fluorescence, as seen here, in a beautiful planetary nebula.
What about the fact that for hydrogen burning in these aforementioned sites, the 22Ne proton capture rate is uncertain by a factor of up to three orders of magnitude?!? If you think that's not a big deal, imagine your credit card or loan debt suddenly being multiplied by a factor of 1000 or more (your debt, not our national debt, that doesn't count; what's the difference between 9 trillion and 9 trill * 1000?). That little problem might prompt you to take some action, perhaps call the credit company. Alternatively, you could also imagine your waistline g r o w i n g by a factor of 1000. Then you'd have BIG problems, pun not intended.
We can't call God and ask what's up with this reaction uncertainty here in physics, so we have to do experiments. That's where I come in (graduate student = cheap labor.) I love life. I aim to measure this astrophysically interesting nuclear reaction at low energies where hydrogen burning in stars takes place. That is, my experiment hopes to reduce those red and blue lines in Fig 1. below.
Fig 1. Current Proton Capture Reaction Rates, relative to NACRE recommended rates, versus stellar temperature. The regions of temperature relevant to hydrogen burning in various astrophysical sites are shaded; the largest uncertainty in the reaction rate dramatically influences AGB star nucleosynthesis (shown in orange shading). The red line indicates the upper limit (rate+uncertainty) where the blue line is the lower limit (rate-uncertainty)
You're probably thinking.. "Sure. You need to remeasure this reaction since you have whopping issues with pinning down the reaction rate. With that red line, it looks like you can't say much about 22Ne+p for AGB stars." I relent and agree. Then I jump up and down and say "Fund me to do this experiment! Please! I'll make you gluten and dairy free cookies. Maybe even coconut yogurt!"
Then you ask "But you haven't proved that this uncertainty really affects red giants and more evolved stars."
"Ah ha! Sorry, I forgot to show you this little gem, Fig 2, which shows that no direct measurements have ever been made at the astrophysically relevant energies. The red line is the Gamow peak which is a fancy thing that tells you the stellar temperature dependent "window" where the star will burn hydrogen. The dotted lines are indirect measurements which make us think that many low energy states exist in this Gamow window, and will thus contribute greatly to the reaction rate. The blue lines are the existing direct measurements (we know those states are there).
Fig 2. Resonance strengths (which are proportional to reaction rates and cross section, in case you're wondering) versus resonance energy. All the resonances (vertical lines) inside the red peak (Gamow window) will strongly affect the 22Ne+p reaction rate, so we need to know them precisely. That is, we need more direct (blue line) measurements inside the Gamow peak (if the resonances are truly there, we'll see...)
You can plainly see we need more blue lines inside the red hump (that's the technical talk) to better understand this reaction and lower the uncertainty in the rate (see Fig 1). If we can do that, maybe we won't be so full of it, if you know what I mean, when we make hydrogen burning on 22Ne predictions in AGB stars and such.
OK, I need to get back to real work or come Thursday (see above), I won't be looking forward to my passing-the-prelim celebration dinner and wine but rather melting into a sobbing mess of failed graduate student who hadn't prepared properly. I'm off to educate myself in the wise ways of nuclear astro. Hopefully this means I won't sound like so much of a moron. Hopefully. Then I can get back to coconut milk yogurt. Sorry all.
And THANK YOU Gluten Free Mommy! For those of you who don't already know, Cindalou's was adopted by Gluten Free Mommy. She made our flourless low carb/Paleo espresso cake (gluten & dairy free) which looks beautiful! Congrats Natalie, I love it. I'll write a more thorough response post-(passing)prelim. I can't wait! We really do need to meet; Carrboro to Raleigh is not too far. Then I can come knocking on your door for some of that Fish Stew of yours :)
Wondering why nuclear astrophysics interests me (or anyone)?
look up at the night skysalt your food? The 22Ne+p reaction makes 23Na. Good old table salt is NaCl, so as you season your gluten free dinner think "Cindalou's is helping to measure how much of this stuff is made in stars"... cool
use a microwave? Thank radar physics research for finding a consumer use for radar technology (no, there were not Samsung or GE microwaves floating in space)use the internet? That might not be a fair question considering this is a blog :) Thank CERN high energy physics research database construction and networking for the net
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
14 Mar 2008 at 8:39pm
Buckwheat Coconut Caraway Biscuits [Low Carb]
1/2 c. organic buckwheat flour
a generous 1/4 c. organic coconut flour*
1 t. non-aluminum baking powder
sea salt
1 t. organic raw apple cider vinegar
1-2 t. freshly ground caraway seeds (fruit)
onion and garlic powder
punch oregano
2 T. smart balance light, melted or 2 T. organic coconut oil
2 eggs
2 T. agave
1 T. flax (optional)
* You can add water or coconut milk a few tablespoons at a time if yours thickens too much for a biscuit dough
In a medium bowl, mix the eggs (or egg substitute with 3 T. ground flaxseed), melted vegan smart balance (or organic coconut oil, whichever you are using), agave, sea salt, and apple cider vinegar. Add in the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, flax (whole or ground) to the bowl of liquids. Stir the batter as you add the coconut flour and flax so that no lumps are formed and the moisture is distributed evenly. You can add a few tablespoons of water or unsweetened applesauce if the dough becomes too thick and tough to stir. The high fiber content of the coconut flour, flax, and buckwheat will absorb the moisture quickly. Grind the caraway seeds in your mortar by hand, with a little coffee grinder or blender, or just use pre-ground caraway. I prefer the smell of freshly ground caraway seeds and it only take a few seconds to take out any morning aggression on those poor whole seeds with my marble mortar :)
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and drop the dough onto the sheet. You can also use a regular muffin tin as I did. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Keep your eye out after 13 minutes so the muffins do not brown too fast. Remember coconut flour tends to need to cook a little longer than other flours, but it remains moist throughout the longer baking period.
Jon's sunflower seed and shredded cheese variation
Coconut flour and flax are excellent low carb, high fiber healthy flours for gluten and dairy free baking. Flax is a great vegan source of essential Omega 3 fatty acids and is more bioavailable to the body in ground form. You can, of course, chew the whole seeds throughly, but if you're anything like me then you tend to gulp your food, so freshly ground flax is a better option. If you do cook with flax, keep the heat to a minimum (I know, I'm using it here! However, when baked inside a dish the temperature is not as high as the crust or outside of the food. This means the flax is somewhat safer baked into a food then otherwise. Ideally, you would not really bake with flax since the high heat can damage the delicate Omega 3 fats, causing rancidity.) Buckwheat flour is also high in fiber and thus low in "net carbs," making it a great nutritious flour to add to your low glycemic index/low carb gluten free pantry.
Most people know caraway better for its use in rye bread, a gluten grain. I love the smell and taste of rye bread, but after more thought I realized that it was only the smell and robust flavor of the caraway seed which I enjoyed. If you are gluten free and remember that rye bread smell with longing, I suggest just adding some fresh caraway seeds to your gluten free bread. It really does give that rye smell and feel (minus the gluten, of course :) ) Rye bread also has an interesting past shrewed in mystery where it is theorized to have caused hallucinations leading to the Salem witch trials whereby the accusers ingested rye bread contaminated with mold (ergot poisoning, like LSD). Its an interesting tidbit you can ponder as you munch on gluten free coconut caraway biscuits in glee, eh?
by noreply@blogger.com (Jon)
4 Mar 2008 at 12:51pm
Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger
If you're out and about in the GF community, you probably are already aware of Sea @ Book of Yum's Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger Event this month. If not, it goes a bit like this:
blog ?adoption? event where a blogger would ?adopt? another blogger and try one of their recipes and blog both about the blogger and the recipe
I've been adopted by Natalie the Gluten Free Mommy. Thanks Natalie! :) If you haven't been to her blog, I highly recommend it. She has one of the prettiest, best organized, and, for lack of a better description, happiest blogs I've seen!
In that spirit, I adopt Christian (no, not my PhD adviser) @ Stephen's Recipes. He has a great coconut yogurt recipe which I want to make. I have been pondering more dairy replacements using coconut for the past few months, so his recipe is perfect. I'll be sure to keep everyone posted with the recipe (both his and mine) and whatever strangeness I whip up to go with the yogurt. Hey, start with coconut, a metabolism booster and superfood, add probiotics and where can you possibly go wrong?? (hopefully I won't find out :) )
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
13 Mar 2008 at 5:10pm
Quick'n Tangy Broccoli Soup [Vegan] [Low Carb] [Low Fat]
1 lb. fresh broccoli (try to get stalks with as much floret head as possible. Less stem is better!)
2 c. low sodium organic vegetable broth (Pacific brand is gluten, dairy free, and vegan)
1 to 1 1/2 c. organic lite coconut milk
1 c. water
1/4" chunk fresh ginger root
7 cloves fresh garlic
5 t. nutritional yeast
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
Seasonings:
turmeric
freshly ground cumin
rosemary, to taste
sea salt and pepper
1/2 fresh lime, peeled
Optional:
2 T. organic hemp protein powder
Once all of your ingredients are in order, start by washing your fresh broccoli and chopping off a few of the florets to reserve for later. I used these florets at the end for garnish and texture.
Fill your Vita-Mix (or other blender) with the vegetable broth, coconut milk, water, garlic cloves, jalapeño, olive oil and seasonings. The beauty of easy blender soups like this is that you can just throw the veggies in whole; no chopping required. This is a time saver we can all appreciate. I put the garlic and pepper on the bottom of the blender and then pour over the liquids and add the seasonings. Add all the broccoli with the exception of the reserved garnish florets (do this depending on the strength of your blender if it can handle everything at once).
Cover the Vita-Mix and turn from low (1) quickly up to variable speed 10. After a moment, you can turn it all the way up to HIGH and blend for 6-8 minutes or until the soup is hot and steamy. If your blender is not powerful enough to heat the soup without itself overheating, puree the broccoli and soup ingredients in your blender and then warm the soup on low over the stovetop or in your microwave. This second method will take longer than the quick Vitamix method since the Vitamix is built to handle high heat and soup making (it is more of a power hog than your typical blender, however).
Once the soup is steaming, spoon in the nutritional yeast and then pour into serving bowl and drop in your reserved florets. You don't want to add the nutritional yeast until the very end since the hotter blending process can damage the B vitamins. Once completely blended, the steaming soup should not be too hot to add the nutritional yeast. This allows you to retain more of the active B vitamins while still getting that tangy, pungent flavor which the yeast imparts to the soup.
Nutritional yeast is a fantastic gluten free supplement which is easy to use and very flavorful. It is popular with many vegans as a potent source of many other B vitamins and vitamin B12 (if fortified with B12). The flakes are great for making dairy free cheese and cheese sauecsthat dissolve quickly. Nutritional yeast is gluten, dairy, and candida yeast free. It is a great and inexpensive supplement for everyone, but especially gluten free types who can't have brewers yeast.
For an optional protein and Omega fatty acid boost, stir in hemp protein powder at any time during preparation. If you are curious about hemp, read more about the benefits of hemp. Serve hot and enjoy.
Makes ~7 cups
Other uses for nutritional yeast:
The Cheesy Uncheese Sauce @ Karina's Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
25 Feb 2008 at 11:57am
Quick Beet Potato Puree [Vegan]
1 lb. fresh raw beets OR 1 15 oz. can salt-free organic beets
3 small red potatoes
3 cloves fresh garlic
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c. black olives
Seasonings:
rosemary (dried)
sea salt and pepper
turmeric
dried parsley
This is yet another delicious, quick, and healthy vegan side dish courtesy of the Vitamix (or your blender/food processor). This whole meal takes about 2 minutes from start to finish if you have the potatoes already cooked.
Wash off potatoes, cook if necessary. I had precooked potatoes on hand for ease of use when I come home late from work (like today). You can always resort to the quick paper towel-microwave method for cooking the potatoes, if absolutely necessary, but I recommend roasting a few on the weekend for later weekday consumption.
The actual "instructions" are a breeze: place the garlic, small potatoes (or halved medium cooked potatoes), raw washed beets, olive oil, and seasonings in the Vita-Mix. Turn from low (speed 1) to variable high (8-10) for approximately 1-1 1/2 minutes to blend while pushing the chunks to the bottom of the Vitamix with the damper. That's it! Blend to the consistency of your choice; I did a puree here which lends itself nicely for a topping for the rotisserie lamb we had tonight as a late celebration for Valentine's day. Garnish with parsley and enjoy either cold or warm. If you like it cold, it is better to eat beets this way in their raw form to retain folate and flavonoid content.
My other Vitamix recipes
Beets are a fantastic wintertime root vegetable packed with nutrients (as if the bright, intoxicating red color didn't signal that already!). The beautiful reddish-purple color of beets and their juice comes from pigment betacyanin which has an impressive number of health benefits. The beet pigment contains flavonoids called anthycyanins which seems to be responsible for much of the health-promoting effects of beets. World's Healthiest Foods gives a great summary on the health benefits of beets, but I'll summarize a few pointers:
Beets are high in folate and manganese. Folate is an essential B vitamin of which many women and the elderly rarely consume sufficient amounts. Deficiency of folate can lead to birth defects in newborns and neuromuscular degeneration, to name a few conditions.They help protect against cancer, particularly colon cancer by encourgaing secretion of CD8 immune cells in the colon which help identify pre-cancerous cells.They help protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol (while raising HDL) and lowering triglycerides.Help protect against birth defects (due to high folate content)
Of course, beets are not low glycemic index so take care to enjoy them in moderation while they are in season and fresh. The high sugar content of beets is what make them a traditional natural source of unrefined sugar. The sugar content is not outrageous, so beets can be safely consumed by diabetics in very small quantities and on rare occasion. Remember that adding a splash of extra olive oil to the beets will help lower the glycemic impact of the dish since high quality "good" monounsaturated olive oil fat lowers the insulin response in the body.
Again, try your fresh beets either raw in a salad or a puree, or only lightly steamed (save the juice, it contains much of the lost folate and Vitamin C!). The beneficial flavonoids and water soluble vitamins are lost in cooking and under heat. Folate is especially vulnerable to cooking. A disclaimer for anyone with kidney problems: the naturally occurring oxalates in beets can aggravate an oxalate imbalance in the body. Kidney and gallbladder problems allow high abnormal concentrations of oxalates to build up and crystallize, whereas a healthy body could process the oxalates found not only in beets, but also in many other veggies as well as in own own bodies.
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
18 Feb 2008 at 4:53pm
Easy Roasted Chili Salsa [Vegan] [Low Carb] [Low Fat]
These past few months, Jon and I have been quite busy. From plodding through our degree programs and planning our wedding, finding a time to sit down, relax, and write to you has been a blessing seldom received. Rest assured, we've still been cooking and have plenty recipes stored away! Lately, we've focused on the often-requested, though rarely shared, weekend meals to last the week. Recipes for roasted-quinoa porridge, David's coconut guacamole, roasted tomato hummus, and cinnamon flax butter adorn our more recent list of recipes yet-to-be-posted. The Omega-3 packed cinnamon flax butter was delicious on our Sunrise Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits. We traded a batch of our roasted tomato hummus for two of Pete's Kombucha SCOBY's, for which Pete said:
That was very likely the best hummus I've ever tasted. I had to control myself to not eat the entire tub... With those SCOBY's, we started brewing our own kombucha. [My addiction was becoming a tad too expensive .. :) ]
One thing is certain - when pressed for time, the Vita-Mix is perfect! Jon *promised* to buy us a new one when our warranty runs up, but if you're interested now, be sure to check out the new Vita-Mix-5200 with free shipping using the coupon code: 06-002697. It's pricey for a "blender", but we use it on a daily basis. In fact, we've already used it three times today! For instance, our Roasted Chili Salsa:
2 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 jalapeño, roasted
1 small, fresh habanero
1 lb. fresh, roasted organic tomatoes OR 1 28 oz can fire roasted whole tomatoes with juice
5 cloves garlic
3-4 whole green chilies OR 1 can (drained)
1 t. organic raw apple cider vinegar
handful fresh cilantro
sea salt and pepper to taste
2 T. organic tomato paste
1/2 fresh lime
dash turmeric
dash dried red pepper flakes
dash dried parsley
pinch fresh whole cumin
Add all of the ingredients to the Vitamix or your blender. If you do not have any roasted peppers on hand, you can use fresh (or canned) ones, but those will be more pungent than roasted peppers. The roasting process changes some of the spicy heat to a smoky flavor as the pepper skins start to brown and convert to simpler sugars. Try to use fresh (then grill/roast your own) peppers rather than canned, since the water-soluble vitamin C in the peppers is lost in the canning process (especially if you drain your canned veggies!). Remember that old adage "fresh is better than frozen is better than canned?" Well, maybe it didn't quite go like that, but you get the idea.
As for the "instructions," just throw everything in your blender and whirl! I turned the Vitamix from low (1) to speed 10 in three 4-5 second intervals so that I could have chunky salsa. If you like your's more fluid, by all means, blend on.
Serve chilled. This is a great way to get fresh, raw vegetables in your diet. I've heard estimates that somewhere between half to 1/3 of your diet should come from raw food, but I think you should maximize whatever your body can handle. Raw food retains the vitamins, minerals, and especially enzymes which are destroyed by cooking. Personally, I eat salsa with a spoon, but even if you're just a chip and dip person, salsa is a great fat free condiment to replace soybean-oil mayo and commercial pasteurized dairy products (sour cream , cream cheese dip, etc). In case you're wondering, the high temperatures of pasteurization kill the bad bacteria alongside the good probiotics, so you're missing out on the healthy good bacteria. It's throwing out the baby with the bathwater, in my opinion. If you eat commercial dairy products (or pasteurized orange and other citrus juices), look for "live cultures" where at least some of the probiotics are added back to the food.
Oh, and remember that fat free isn't all its cracked up to be. Salsa is a great, healthy and raw low calorie food/condiment, but you shouldn't shun the fresh guacamole or extra virgin olive oil. Your body must have healthy fats in order to survive and repair itself, so remember to keep a balance! This goes great with some sundried tomato blue corn crips, flax crisps (coming soon), or good old fashioned cut up veggies. I also have a standing side of salsa with any fish or protein since it balances the flavors nicely. Hey, for about 3 minutes of your time, a blender, and a few produce ingredients, you can make your own specialty organic salsa. I don't know about you, but I certainly enjoy fun money savers like this! Most organic salsas are over $4/lb - this quick recipe makes about 7 c. (~3.5 lbs).
Yield: 7 c. salsa
Like this uber easy recipe? Check out my other Vitamix timer-saver recipes. And don't forget the guacamole, especially since avocados are in season!
Great gluten free blogger guac recipes (sorry if I missed yours, this is just the most recent batch):
Zesty Guacamole @ Gluten Free for Good
Joey's Kicked Up Rockin' Guac @ Karina's Kitchen (Gluten Free Goddess)
by noreply@blogger.com (Jon)
18 Feb 2008 at 8:22am
A Recipe for Disaster
As it is Super Tuesday, I've a special recipe I'd like to share courtesy of a friend. It's not very appetizing. In fact, the thought alone will probably upset your stomach. Nonetheless, it's this very recipe that we've been spoon fed.
First, pour a trillion dollars of military spending in a pot. Next, add a heaping tablespoon of debt to China. Finally, mix in a half a cup of federal reserve notes printed from thin air. Bake in warmonger propaganda and what do you get? Inflation, a falling dollar, and a collapsing economy!
If you find this recipe distasteful, then educate yourself and vote! You can make a difference.
by noreply@blogger.com (Jon)
5 Feb 2008 at 12:48pm
Coconut Lime Seared Salmon [Paleo] [Low Carb]
At a junction between the Superbowl and Super Tuesday, I thought I'd send you a delicious salmon recipe of ours and a little reminder: Don't forget to vote tomorrow (Feb 5th)! Before heading out to vote, please consider the once-in-a-lifetime candidate for president, Ron Paul. Thanks - enjoy :)
4 fillets fresh or frozen (defrosted) wild caught Alaskan salmon with skin
lemon juice
squeeze lime juice
sea salt and pepper
4 T. organic virgin coconut oil (or olive oil) for frying
Seasonings:
dried
sprinkle dill and lemon seasoning
Coconut Lime Sauce:
1 can organic coconut milk
1/3 c. lime juice
peel of fresh lime, grated for zest
handful organic no-sulfur shredded coconut (extra for garnish)
slices of fresh lime, garnish
Prepare your coconut sauce by combining and stirring all the lime sauce ingredients in a large bowl. Once mixed, poor roughly two-thirds of the glaze and salmon in a leak proof bag and let marinate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to meld.
Coat your grill with olive oil (spray or otherwise). Grill the salmon for 2-3 minutes per side - we like our salmon rare-medium, depending on freshness. Once the salmon is done to your liking, remove it from the grill and drizzle over the remaining coconut lime sauce. Sprinkle the coconut flakes on top and serve hot with a wedge of fresh lime.
As I mentioned previously in my Balsamic Molasses Grilled Salmon, eat the skin of the salmon to ingest the good Omega 3 fats. I know that sounds repulsive to some (my parents), but the Omega 3's are found right under the skin. In his nutritional bible Fats that Heal, Fats that Kill, Udo Erasmus cites the areas right underneath the skin, around the gills, fins, and belly as the sites of Omega 3 fish oil stores (pg. 263 in case you're curious). The good Omega 3 fats are a class of essential fats which our bodies cannot synthesize on their own, so they must come from our diet. The American/Western diet is lacking in quality fat (fish oils, coconut oil, hemp, flax, and olive oil), consumes far too much processed food, and has a highly distorted Omega3:Omega 6 ratio. This imbalance heightens the necessity for one to supplement his/her diet with more Omega 3 fats. Don't worry, the good fat is metabolized quickly and efficiently in the body, so it is not stored; you will not "get fat" by eating the correct fats. Indeed, the opposite is true when reasonable consumption of quality fats are included in the diet. Besides, salmon is virtually adored by everyone (vegan excluded, of course :) ), so dig in!
by noreply@blogger.com (Cindy)
4 Feb 2008 at 7:57pm
Tabouli - Gluten Free
Variation on the classic dish for those who can not eat gluten. -- posted by Rossly
17 Jun 2008 at 1:22am
Vanilla Sponge Cake- Gluten, Dairy, Nut and Egg Free
Posting this cake for those who are looking for a cake that is gluten, dairy, egg and nut free. For allergies or food intolerances be sure to read all product labelling and be sure to buy flours that are suitab;e. This recipe uses a ready mixed gluten-free flour blend that has added gums for baking qualitites. If you use a blend that does not have any added gums or gluten-free stabiliser then add in one teaspoon of xantahn or guar gum with the flour. I use ORGRAN brand flour and this is from one of their magazines. Orgran is gluten, airy, nut, egg free and is vegan diet suitable -- posted by **Jubes**
18 Jun 2008 at 12:03am
Patty Cakes - Egg, Dairy, Gluten, Nut and Soy Free
Posted in response to recipes wanted for allergy sufferers. As with all allergies or food intolerances be sure to read all packaging to ensure ingredients used are suitable. If you can have dairy use a suitable margarine or butter These cakes are suitable to be frozen. Decorate as desired -- posted by **Jubes**
18 Jun 2008 at 12:03am
The Best Gluten Free Biscuits
I tried many gluten free recipes for biscuits. They were either crumbly, or lacked any flavor. I then went back through older recipes, and converted my "good ol'" biscuit recipe to a gluten free one. I use them for sausage gravy, chicken 'n' biscuits, shortcakes and even breakfast sandwiches. Everyone who has tried them, loves them. -- posted by BeckyCherwak
18 Jun 2008 at 12:24am
Almond Lemon Cookies
scrumptious, chewy, lemony cookies that are also gluten free -- posted by SmileyRiley
19 Jun 2008 at 9:03pm
Ugandan Curried Potatoes
This is a great recipe for a potatoe side dish from Uganda, It is simple to make, fast & very tasty! Posted for ZWT 4. -- posted by Um Safia
19 Jun 2008 at 11:34pm
Mchicha - Tanzanian Spinach & Peanut Curry.
Mchicha is a very traditional dish in Tanzania & can be made like this with peanut butter - homemade or natural is best - or it can be made with a whole coconut (grated flesh & milk) instead. Posted for ZWT 4. -- posted by Um Safia
23 Jun 2008 at 9:22pm
Roasted Strawberries With Wine & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce
I have yet to try - but didn't want to lose this recipe! It was sent to me via email from Glutenfreeda.com! I cannot wait for fresh summer strawberries to try it!!! Let me know what you think if you get to it before I do!! -- posted by ukichix
23 Jun 2008 at 9:31pm
Summer Salad With Quinoa
This healthy and refreshing salad is a favorite summer recipe. I use ingredients that I have on-hand and it is very easy to prepare. You could easily substitute with your favorite seasonal veggies in place of those that I used. Great on its own as a side dish or served over mixed greens as a main course salad. -- posted by Katie In Miami
23 Jun 2008 at 9:43pm
Creamed Leeks
This is a James Martin recipe,that he used on his Christmas shows.I also use this recipe for part of our Christmas lunch,( or our Sunday roast) as it can be prepared well in advance and then finished in the oven just before serving.Leeks,cream and cheese are a match made in heaven,and this is no exception.I hope you enjoy it. -- posted by Noo
24 Jun 2008 at 1:20pm
Sweet Red Dessert Sauce
A fruity sauce that is scrumptious when used as a topping for ice cream or pie. -- posted by katii
24 Jun 2008 at 3:42pm
Texas Jalapeno Corn
A simple, delicious addition to any meal, Tex-Mex or otherwise. I personally like a bit of spice, so I use 3 jalapenos. You may use 2 if you can't handle much of a kick. -- posted by Melanie2590
25 Jun 2008 at 6:44pm
Gluten Free/Casein Free Bread
This an adaptation of a bread recipe by Bette Hagman. A few tweaks turned it into the best tasting (and smelling) GF/CF bread I've tried. So close to wheat bread, you'll never miss it! -- posted by jen74campbell
26 Jun 2008 at 6:16pm
Creme Caramela - Sudanese Caramel Custard.
This is a traditional recipe for the famous Sudanese version of creme caramel. Posted for ZWT 4. If you dont have a star shaped mould then use what you have. You can also make individidual servings. -- posted by Um Safia
27 Jun 2008 at 10:53am
Sudanese Cinnamon Tea.
This is a lovely simple recipe for traditional cinnamon tea as it is drunk in Sudan. You can reduce / increase the servings easily also. Posted for ZWT 4. -- posted by Um Safia
27 Jun 2008 at 10:54am
Chestnut Pumpkin Danish
A June Daring Baker's Challenge
This month's challenge was hosted by the lovely Kelly of Sass & Veracity and the fabulous Ben from What's Cookin'?. They selected the "Danish Braid" from Sherry Yard's "Secret of Baking". Kelly and Ben chose for us to make danishes for a variety of reasons, one of them would allow us as Daring Bakers to get creative with our fillings and the shapes of our braids.
Pumpkin is a favorite flavor in my house, attaining a level of popularity that out shines any fruit including apple. When I started contemplating what flavors to use, my kids wanted to know what was wrong with using pumpkin. Absolutely nothing, I assured them, so pumpkin it is.
The dough was easy to make and worked very well with all the changes I made to make it gluten and dairy free. The finished dough turned out flaky and flavorful as well. I made a braid and several smaller pinwheel danishes with the dough, but the pinwheels were devoured by my eager family when they first came out of the oven.
This was a wonderful challenge for a gluten free baker with learning to make laminated dough and then make different shapes with the dough. My family loved the danish, everything from the crisp flaky dough to the pumpkin custard filling. I served it on Father's Day for breakfast and we almost ate the entire danish at one sitting. Simply delicious.
Thanks Kelly and Ben for a great challenge!
Recipe
Dough
½ cup brown rice flour
½ cup chestnut flour
¼ cup + 1 Tb arrowroot starch
¼ cup + 2 Tb sweet rice flour
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp chia seed meal
½ tsp pectin powder
1 pkg dry active yeast
¼ cup + 2 Tb almond milk
Pinch monocalcium phosphate powder *
3 Tb cane sugar
1 Tb chestnut spread **
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, chilled & beaten
Shortening Block
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
2 Tb coconut oil
2 Tb sweet rice flour
Dough
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flours, salt, chia seed meal and pectin. Stir and make sure the chia seed meal and pectin are thoroughly incorporated through out the flours.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the yeast, almond milk and calcium powder. Start mixing on low speed. Slowly add the sugar, vanilla extract, chestnut spread and egg. Continue mixing and slowly add the dry ingredients into the bowl. If the dough is sticky add a tablespoon of flour.
3. Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and wrap it. Then place it in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Shortening Block
1. In a mixing bowl, dump in the vegetable shortening, coconut oil and flour. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape the sides down and beat for 1 more minute.
2. Transfer the shortening mixture to a small bowl. Leave at room temperature.
Layering the Dough & Shortening Block
1. Once the dough has chilled for 30 minutes, turn it out on a parchment paper covered surface. Sprinkle with flour and then cover with parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is ¼ inch thick. If the dough is sticky, keep sprinkling it with flour. After it is rolled out, slightly score the dough into thirds. Spread some of the shortening block on the middle and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left side into the center and then the right side on top of the left side. Wrap in the parchment paper and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. This is the end of the first turn.
2. Remove from the freezer and rotate the dough. Repeat the above steps and place back in the freezer to chill for 30 minutes. This is the end of the second turn. Repeat the same for the third and fourth turns.
3. Once the fourth turn has been completed, leave the dough in the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight. The dough is now ready to be used. If you aren?t going to use it within 24 hours, roll out the dough until it is about 1 inch in thickness. Then wrap it in plastic wrap and place back in the freezer. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Making the Braid
1. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. On another sheet of parchment paper, sprinkle it with some flour and then lay down the Danish dough. Sprinkle the top with flour and cover with parchment paper. Roll out into a rectangle that is ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes and then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 3 - 4 inch long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the other side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you?ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling in the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom flaps, fold down the top flap over the filling to cover it. Then, fold the bottom flap up to cover the filling. This helps to keep the braid net and to hold in the filling. Begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.
Chestnut Pumpkin Danish Filling
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp chia seed meal
¼ cup arrowroot starch
½ tsp vanilla extract
1. Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the mixture has thickened.
2. Spoon the mixture down the center of the danish dough.
3. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container if you are not planning to use the filling right away.
Chestnut Glaze
1 Tb chestnut spread
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 Tb almond milk
1. Place the ingredients in a small bowl and stir together. Work the mixture with the back of a spoon to work out any lumps that might remain.
2. Pour over the top of the warm danish.
Proofing and Baking
1. Set the baking sheet with the Danish on it in a warm location. Cover the Danish and allow it to rise for 2 hours or until it has doubled in volume.
2. Near the end of the time the bread needs to rise, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake the Danish for 10 minutes then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake about 15 ? 20 minutes more or until it is golden brown.
4. Cool and serve the braid either warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for 1 month.
* The monocalcium phosphate powder is part of the Pomona?s Universal Pectin package.
** Chestnut Spread is by Clement Faugier (crème de marrons de l?ardeche).
by noreply@blogger.com (Sheltie Girl)
29 Jun 2008 at 7:01am
Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate chips cookies are a fixture at our house. I periodically tinker with the recipe or try new ones just to see what my family thinks about them. Lately, I've been trying out making some of our favorite baked goods with honey. We've been enjoying trying out different flavors of honey, from the mild clover honey to the robust mesquite honey.
For this experiment, I used the Honey Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe from the Culinary Institute Arts Encyclopedic Cookbook, edited by Rose Berolzheimer. These cookies turned out beautifully with a hint of honey. My daughter was thrilled with these cookies and preferred them slightly warmed.
Recipe
1/4 cup millet flour
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 tsp chia seed meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, dump in the flours, chia seed meal, baking powder and sea salt. Stir and make sure the chia seed meal is mixed through out.
3. In a small bowl, pour in the honey, egg and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
4. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir together. Dump in the nuts and chocolate chips, then fold them into the batter.
Substitutions
1. You can substitute 1 cup of a gluten free flour mix for the individual flours. If the flour mix has xanthan gum, do not add the chia seed meal.
2. You can substitute 1/2 tsp xanthan or guar gum for the chia seed meal.
by noreply@blogger.com (Sheltie Girl)
18 Jun 2008 at 7:22am
Rustic Millet Bread - Testing A Biga
It has been a busy time at our house the last week and a half. School and sporting activities are finishing off for the summer. We've been darting here and there around town for the last ten days. There have been school programs, last dance classes and several karate belt tests.
In the midst of all this I was trying to finesse a special request cake recipe for the kids. I thought I had it just right and the power goes out. Five hours of twilight and a cake in a rapidly cooling oven. High temperatures and the need for air conditioning had over whelmed the utilities. I hoped the residual heat in the oven would keep the cake baking, but instead it deflated and turned into a flabby Frisbee.
I decided to drown my cake baking sorrows in another kitchen experiment. I pulled out my copy of Peter Reinhart's Crust and Crumb and flipped to the pages on making pre-ferments. I'd tried my hand at making bread with a poolish and this time I would try to making bread with an Italian style biga pre-ferment.
An Italian style biga is usually firm pre-ferment for making bread. Like making sourdough, the biga is a sponge of flours, yeast and water. The difference is that the biga is made with cool water and the texture is firmer than other styles, like the poolish. They also take longer to rise, due to the thicker dough. According Reinhart, a biga will stay active for up to 3 days if kept refrigerated, will freeze for up to 6 months.
I didn't use a binding agent like xanthan gum or chia seed gel for this rustic bread. It's the combination of flours that keeps the bread together. If you alter the flours used in this recipe, make sure to add a binder when you make it. You would use 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon chia seed gel. Add both to the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix into the flours.
This is a lovely bread, full of holes and delightfully flavorful. I sliced thin strips of bread and toasted them. Then I made a bean relish of navy beans, carrots, radishes, dill, parsley, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. It was delicious and made a wonderful appetizer to our meal. My husband and I thoroughly nibbled on these while we waited for dinner to cook. Our children preferred eating hunks of the bread all alone.
Making the Biga Pre-Ferment (Firm)
½ cup millet flour
½ cup gluten free oat flour
½ cup arrowroot starch
¼ cup sweet potato flour
1 package active dry yeast
2/3 to ¾ cup cool water (65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 Tb agave syrup
1. In a small bowl, measure out a small amount of the water and then pour in the yeast. Allow it to soften for about 5 minutes before using.
2. In a large bowl, dump in the flours and stir together. Slowly add the softened yeast and agave syrup to the bowl. Then begin to stir, slowly add enough of the rest of the water until the dough is smooth and slightly firm. The dough shouldn?t be loose and runny.
3. Cover the dough and set aside for it to rise at room temperature for 3 to 5 hours.
4. Use right away or store the biga in the refrigerator to retard it overnight.
Rustic Bread*
1 1/3 cup biga
½ cup millet flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup arrowroot starch
¾ cup sweet potato flour
2 tsp sea salt
1 package active dry yeast
¼ cup almond milk, room temperature
1 Tb agave syrup
1 ½ Tb olive oil
½ cup cool water (65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Olive oil
Hot water for steaming bowl
1. If the biga has been in the refrigerator, set out for an hour before using. Then measure out the biga into a large bowl.
2. Dump the various flours, salt, and yeast in the bowl. Stir until the yeast is thoroughly mixed throughout.
3. In a large measuring cup, pour in the agave syrup, olive oil and water. Gently stir together and pour into the bowl of dry ingredients. Use the spoon to work the dough together taking care to work the biga into the dough.
4. Cover the dough and set aside to rise for 2 to 4 hours or until the dough is 1 ½ times its original size.
5. Set out 3 pieces of parchment paper and then divide the dough in to 3 equal pieces. Place the individual portions dough into the center of each piece of parchment paper. Shape into a rectangular shape and brush olive oil over the top of the bread. Do not press or squeeze, so that the air remains in the dough. Cover the loaves and allow to rise for 2 hours or until it rises 1 ½ times its original size.
6. Place a pizza stone or bread baking stone on a rack placed into the center of the oven. Place a heat proof bowl on a rack below the baking stone for steaming. When the bread is just about finished rising, preheat the oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Place a loaf on parchment paper on the baking stone. Pour about 2 cups of hot water into the heat proof bowl. Then spritz water over the loaf and the sides of the oven.
8. Bake for 2 minutes. Spritz the oven with water again. Bake for another 5 minutes and then reduce the oven?s heat to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for 20 minutes until the loaf is a golden brown or sounds hollow when thumped.
9. Cool for 1 hour before cutting and eating.
* I didn't use a binding agent like xanthan gum or chia seed gel for this rustic bread. It's the combination of flours that keeps the bread together. If you alter the flours used in this recipe, make sure to add a binder when you make it. You would use 1 teaspoon xanthan gum or 1 teaspoon chia seed gel. Add both to the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix into the flours.by noreply@blogger.com (Sheltie Girl)
14 Jun 2008 at 2:33pm
Muffuletta
If you haven't been introduced to a fabulous New Orleans sandwich, the Muffuletta, then read on. The layered sandwich originated at the Central Grocery, a small Italian-American grocery store in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The muffuletta is a delightful meal of a soft light bread filled with a variety of meats, cheeses and a zesty olive salad.
My gluten free version of the muffuletta is based on the recipe from Nola Cuisine. Danno has created a wonderful sandwich that he based on the one from Terry Thompson-Anderson's book, Cajun-Creole Cooking. This recipe makes a fabulous tender loaf of bread that's perfect for letting the filling of a sandwich shine through and a spicy olive salad for the filling.
Since this was one of our favorite sandwiches, my husband and I were thrilled with how it turned out. Our children really enjoyed it, however they weren't as keen on the olive salad. This recipe makes enough for one meal for four people, but don't count on leftovers. My family made sure that every scrumptious bit was devoured, before asking me to make this one again.
Recipes
Muffuletta Bread
1 cup warm water (110 - 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 1/2 tsp cane sugar
2 tsp chia seed meal
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup gf oat flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 Tb vegetable shortening
sesame seeds
Egg Wash
1 egg, beaten
2 Tb cold water
1. In a large bowl, pour in the yeast, sugar and water. Stir and let stand for 30 minutes or until the yeast is bubbly. While the yeast is proofing, cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium sized bowl, dump in the flours, chia seed meal, salt and shortening. Using a fork, work the shortening into the flour until it is in small bits.
3. Slowly stir the flour into the yeast until the dough comes together. Then set the dough on the paper covered cookie sheet and shape into a round loaf. Set the cookie sheet in a warm location and allow the bread