Cashew Cookies

Just the thing to eat when you want a treat and... err. There are no cookies in the house anymore. These are soft, chewy, and wonderful, without being cakey. And so yummy.

3 c finely ground cashews/cashew butter
2 eggs
1/2 c honey

Blend cashews in a food processor as long as you can stand. The smoother they are, the better the cookies. Transfer to a bowl and mix in eggs and honey. Batter will be soupy/gloppy. A little time in the fridge helps. Drop in gloppy spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet and bake at 350º for 10-12 minutes. They will spread, fluff up, and finally turn golden brown. Allow to cool on the pan before transfering to a cooling rack. Or your mouth. Makes 2 dozen large cookies, or 3 dozen smaller ones.

idea from: Premeditated Leftovers

Notes: I could easily see this working with 1 egg per two cups cashews. You could also use less honey if you like since cashews are naturally sweet.

I'm anxious to try this with other nuts when they come in. Mmm....

Cauliflower "Popcorn"

This was the dish that convinced my husband and I that cauliflower does *not* have to taste like cardboard. The two of us ate an entire head of cauliflower in one sitting. Mmmm.... it was so good. Now my husband requests this. I get excited when cauliflower is on sale. Really. We never liked this white vegetable before!

Now why is it called "popcorn"? Well, forgive me for losing the link to the original recipe that I base this off of, but that person found it from someone else, who found it in a newspaper, and even though long ago it was determined this wasn't really popcorn-like, nobody came up with a better name. And perhaps there is no need to, because this is so addictive that you eat it as you would popcorn. Down to the last little bit in the bottom of the bowl :)

Cauliflower "Popcorn"

• 1 head cauliflower
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/4 c parmesan

Preheat oven to 425F, Cut out and put in compost cauliflower core and thick stems.
Break the cauliflower into bite size pieces. I find this easier to do with my hands initially, then I use a knife on the final chunks. In a large bowl, add cauliflower, and other ingredients. Toss thoroughly. If it looks like it needs more of any seasonings or you're feeling adventurous, throw it in. I never measure with this, I just see how it looks. Spread in a flat layer on a baking sheet or stone and bake for one hour, turning at least once or twice while roasting. Allow to cool for a minute so you don't burn yourself, and then dive in.

Time saving option: Clean and trim cauliflower and then place whole head in a pot to steam for 5-7 minutes until looking somewhat clear. Drain and run under cold water briefly. Then follow the rest of the steps, but bake only 20 minutes in a 450º oven. You could also steam them before roasting on the grill.

On the Menu

• Taco salad
• Beef soup (green beans, celery, onions, etc.)
• Crispy kale & roast
• Shrimp fried cauli-rice

Week 5

One month just about completed! I will confess that we went out and had some completely illegal food a couple days before the month was up, but it was the right time, and Hubby & I had some very good conversation. I could tell I had a sugar headache, but otherwise not too bad.

I’m working toward really incorporating all of the GAPS protocol:  eating lots of fermented probiotic laden foods, taking cod liver oil and essential fatty acids daily, and getting lots of good stock. Not having a vegetable juicer, and not being able to use any of the sweeter vegetables to make that tolerable, I’m not doing the recommended juicing, but I shouldn’t detox too quickly anyway with a very dependent nursling. I have cravings occasionally still, but it is more the memory of the taste, (for which I try to find a substitute) than a craving for that particular item. I do miss bread and dark chocolate, but it isn’t that hard to pass such items by so I can continue making progress.

The most fascinating thing for me is how many vegetables I’ve learned to like and use since changing my diet. I’ve discovered squash, radishes, bitter greens such as kale, chard, etc., brussell sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, and no longer shy away from buying or receiving a vegetable that looks weird and I’ve never heard of. All this wonderful greenery needs is the right seasoning and a little fat. Some are best baked, or pan fried, or raw, or crisped in the oven, and a little experimenting and google searching will easily reveal that. Had I not decided to radically change my diet, I may have tried some new ones eventually, but it would be slow, and I would probably stick to classics that I know - it is much more fun to be adventurous. It’s more nutritious too - different vegetables have different blends of nutrients, and eating what is in season means you get the most nutritionally dense item available.

Meanwhile, I have to plan some good GAPs packable meals for the 4th. Any ideas?

Tiptoeing toward ferments

I finally felt daring enough to try the fermented salsa I made. I was a little apprehensive - not only because I don’t really like the ferment flavor (though with the diet change I’m learning to!) - but it had gotten a little mold on it because I didn’t keep all the stuff down below the liquid. I now know the cabbage end trick (using a cabbage chunk to push down all the chunky pieces.) But given the assurance that what was in the liquid should be fine, I scraped off the moldy bits and put it in the fridge. There is nothing hard about fermenting. For this salsa I merely dumped in a glass jar a little bit of salsa I had made, screwed the lid on tight, and let it sit at room temperature for 3 days. I didn’t even add any whey since there was already plenty of acid from the lemon juice, jalepeños, and tomatoes, and salt for flavor. And finally, after a week of it looking at me from the fridge door, I pulled it out and tasted a little bit on a cheese chip.

And...?

It wasn’t too bad actually. It tasted like salsa, just with more of a buzz and a tang and less of a burning jalepeño aftertaste. Different, but not so terrible that I couldn’t get used to it. I figure I'll dump a bunch on taco salad tomorrow.

I also ate a little of my sauerkraut. That almost tasted good! I learned from a friend of mine that if you put it thru the processor (which is MUCH faster!) it also gives it a better flavor. Seasonings help too. I tried out garlic and oregano in this batch. I think I’ll be able to get used to it and learn to really enjoy it. And eat my probiotics!

What are you fermenting?

Mmmm.... Sausage

Oh sausage. I didn't eat sausage for many years, because between the pepper and the commercial pork, I would feel pretty sick after eating it. I would feel sick with it just cooking actually. But now, I have found a source for pork that is raised properly, allowed to root around on the ground and be happy. So I buy ground pork and make my own sausage. Mmmm...


Here is my recipe for polish (?) sausage.
1/2 lb ground pork
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 cayenne
couple pinches ginger
couple pinches pepper

Mix all thoroughly with a heavy spoon. (Not the easiest to blend, but so worth it!) Shape into patties (if you make them a little thinner in the center that helps them cook flat instead of football shaped.) Cook on medium heat on cast iron until starting to look cooked through, then flip over to brown on other side. You could probably also cook it in the oven.

For italian sausage, use your italian seasoning blend - Margoram, basil, thyme, oregano, rosemary - along with salt and pepper. Use a liberal amount, these are not quite as overpowering as cayenne and cumin can be.

You may also like a lot more ginger and pepper than I use - my body just doesn't tolerate more at this point.

Serve up with eggs and squash cakes and lots of butter :)

Grilled Zucchini Boats

I got this idea from a friend and tried them out last night - yummy! Best of all, I only used one pan (though I had to do this in two rounds). Yay for cast iron!

2 gigantic zucchini, or 3 smaller ones
half bulb garlic, minced (I love garlic, you may want less)
1 medium onion
1 huge tomato or a couple small ones
lots of cheese
little salt to taste

Chop up onion and garlic, and cook until onions are almost translucent with a little bacon fat, ghee, or other fat. While those are cooking, dice tomato, set aside. Cut zucchini in half-lengthwise, scoop out the soft flesh and chop up. Add zucchini guts and tomato to pan and cook on medium to low heat for another five minutes, until everything is soft, and a lot of the liquid has evaporated. Salt to taste and add other seasonings as desired. (Basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram... any would have been a good addition, I was just in a hurry and didn't have time to experiment.) When the filling is ready, use a spoon to fill your hollowed out zucchini “boats” and top with a thick slice of cheese. (I use cheddar and colby jack - you cheese fanatics might like an enjoy a nice goat cheese.) After you’ve scraped out the last bit of filling into your boats, throw some more fat into your pan and carefully put the zucchini in. If you have an actually grill fired up, this is the time to put them on. Next time my hubby has the grill going I’ll do these that way. Put a lid on to help contain the heat and melt the cheese, and cook till the cheese is melty - but not oozing everywhere!

Top with a sail and eat up - these were quite filling, yummy, and messy :)