Other yummy recipes and brilliant ideas...

-Pecan-glazed butternut squash pudding   (this takes a little bit of time, but it so worth it!)

-Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce  I modified this recipe a lot and it still turned out wonderful. I didn't bother with sticks and just pan fried the chicken and piled it on top of some cauli-rice.

- BLT spagetti

- Egg White Cake (Pavlova)  I make this cake a lot. Sometimes with as many as 8 or 12 egg whites! You really can use very little sweetening with it (I've used just a TBSP honey for 8 egg whites before) and it goes wonderfully with the GAPS Russian Custard.

- Think the absence of starches means no more gravy? Think again!

 - If you find truly uncured bacon (or want to make other types of bacon): How to cure your own bacon at home.

 

Not  recipes: 

- useful info about Honey!

 - Recognizing the true cost of different cuts of meat. (I don't recommend using TVP or soy ever, of course, and certainly you want to be eating the fat, but this is nonetheless helpful info. Don't forget the huge savings by making your own stock from leftover bones!)

- Also coming soon - a GAPS cookbook! 

I'll be adding more to this page as time goes on :D -

 

Sweet & Sour Soup

I wanted stir fry.... but I wanted to stretch it, and therefore, we had sweet and sour soup. If you aren't avoiding starches, it would thicken nicely with a little arrowroot (mix with water before adding to pot) but it tastes quite good without. You can also drizzle beaten egg into the simmering mixture, but I chose to scramble my eggs in another pan before adding. You can also skip other veggies and merely add a few green onions so this is a side dish. So really, this is very versatile. Here are the requirements to make it sweet and sour soup:

1 part vinegar (use a good one!) to 1 part sweetening (honey is wonderful! Just keep in mind, it is doubley sweet.)

and here is what I did:

4 small organic carrots
1 whole celery
1 large red onion
2 large pastured eggs
6 cups chicken stock + added filtered water
2 cup lentils (sprouted would be best)
3 Tbsp pineapple vinegar
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
lard or coconut oil
1-2 tsp ginger
2 tsp salt
couple swishes wheat-free fermented Tamari sauce

See this post for how to sprout lentils. Sprouting increases bioavailability of many nutrients, including vit. C, and makes them easier to digest. You can also just soak in water and a Tbsp whey for most of the day or overnight.

Simmer lentils along with stock for about 20-30 minutes, until tender. (You could also add the other veggies at this time too, but I wanted some crisp to them.) Chop all veggies and heat skillet with a little of your favorite fat to medium-high heat. Sauté one at a time (unless you have a really big skillet and they all fit!) and add to pot just before they are all the way done. (If you don't want to overcook them, you can transfer cooked veggies to a plate while the lentils finish cooking. Onions and carrots will withstand the most cooking.) Scramble eggs and add to pot.

Add ginger, salt, and Tamari sauce. I also had a little fish sauce on hand as well. Turn off heat and add vinegar and honey. Taste and add more salt if needed, and serve.

Linked up on Monday Mania.

Navy Bean Squash Stew

This is rich, filling, flavorful and so gooood! It requires a little bit of prep, but the pay-off is high. No it doesn't look very attractive in the bowl. I could have thinned it with water more, but I left it gloppy. My husband called it gruel, and then asked for seconds.

1 med. butternut squash
1 lb navy/white beans, soaked, sprouted
1 leek
4 cloves garlic (or more)
4 ribs celery
leftover beef roast (about 1-2 cups cubed)
3 cups beef stock, or several beef bones
2-3 Tbsp stock paste

This is a true crock pot meal - but you don't have to use one, just keep a close eye on your stove.

the night before, soak your beans in water with some baking soda, or soak *without* baking soda a couple days before so you can sprout your beans. The previous day is when you cook your beef roast too and set some aside for this dish.

Drain beans and put them in the pot with beef stock, (or with a couple beef bones and a Tbsp vinegar). Add the stock paste (I had some frozen from chicken stock) and add enough filtered water to cover. They should simmer for about 3 hours.

Peel and chunk your butternut squash. You can do larger cubes if you are tired of chopping, but they will need more time. I ut them into bite-sized peices, and they simmered with the beans for an hour and a half.

Chop onions, garlic, celery, and leeks, add them the last hour of cooking.

Chop your leftover roast into small pieces and add a little before serving, a long with a little red wine vinegar, a couple teaspoons salt, (taste as see) and oregano, thyme, and other seasonings that strike you.

This so so hearty and rich and wonderful on a cold day, even if it does look like gruel.