Thursday, March 13, 2025

Chipotle Dipping Sauce

 My favorite restaurant, GOODONYA, use to make this amazing turkey kraut grilled cheese sandwich that came with this delicious chipotle dipping sauce. Well, they stopped making both the sandwich and the sauce. So, I decided to come up with my own sauce.

What you need:

Mayonnaise

Sour Cream

Greek Yogurt

Chipotle Powder

Bowl and spoon


What you do:

Mix 1/3 part mayonnaise, 1/3 part sour cream, 1/3 part yogurt (or whatever combination you desire)

Add chipotle powder to taste

Mix well


This dip is amazing on grilled cheese sandwiches, roasted veggies and chips. But, watch out...it's addictive. ;-)

Enjoy!

Gluten-Free Sourdough Bread

 Since I realized I had to completely cut gluten out of my diet, I have been enjoying this gluten-free sourdough bread a little too much! I looked at several recipes. This one from Rachel Conners at Bakerita is my favorite! I have adjusted her original recipe to make a larger loaf. I use only organic ingredients and a high quality salt. I shop for the ingredients at Thrive MarketiHerb and Vitacost. (If you sign up with iHerb and Vitacost, they often send emails announcing up to 20% off orders!)

EQUIPMENT

Scale

Quart Mason jar

Large bowl

Medium sized bowl

Dough whisk

Whisk

Sieve or small bowl

Linen or tea towels


Preferment

195g active gluten free sourdough starter

130g filtered water

105g white or brown rice flour


Liquids

30g psyllium husk (not powder)

400g filtered water

20g olive oil


Flour mixes

105g potato starch

85g tapioca flour or arrowroot flour

105g sorghum flour

105g white or brown rice flour

20g good quality salt


WHAT YOU DO:

To make the preferment

~In a quart mason jar, mix together 195g active starter, water and rice flour. Mix until smooth, then cover and leave on counter for 4 to 18 hours. 


To make the dough

1) In a medium size bowl, whisk together the psyllium husk, water and olive oil. Let gel while preparing the flour mixture

2) In a large bowl, combine all the flours, startchs and salt. 

3) Pour the preferment into the psyllium gel mix and whisk until well blended.

4) Add the wet ingredients from step 3 into the large bowl of flour from step 2. I use a dough whisk to combine as well as I can. Then I use my hands to mix more thoroughly until a smooth dough forms.

5) Line a sieve or bowl with a tea towel. Dust with rice flour. 

6) Transfer the dough into the lined sieve or bowl, smooth side down. 

7) Cover with a tea towel and let proof for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator. If you are proofing your dough in the refrigerator, take it out an hour or two before cooking. 


To bake

1) With your Dutch oven in your oven, preheat to 450°. 

2) When your oven is preheated and your dough is well proofed, carefully flip the dough onto a sheet of parchment paper. Dust the top with rice flour and score as desired.

3) Remove your Dutch oven carefully from the oven. Carefully lower your loaf into the Dutch oven, replace the lid and put your bread in the oven for 50 minutes.

4) After 50 minutes of baking, remove the lid and bake for an additional 35 minutes. 

5) Remove bread from oven. Carefully flip onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.


This bread is definitely the tastiest on the day it was baked. However, what bread we don't eat in the first two days, I slice and put in zip-lock bags and store in the freezer. From the freezer it is fabulous for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches.

Enjoy!




Friday, April 12, 2024

Ginger Chicken (or Shrimp) with Rice Noodles

Karen, this one's for you! So fun having this meal with you and Bill up in Healdsburg! Always great times when the four of us are together! Thanking God for your friendship. 💓

My sister, Debbi, is an amazing cook! This recipe is a go-to at her home. Once she shared it with me, it's become the same for us. Simple, healthy and delicious as left-overs.


What you need:

Chicken (I've used roasted chicken if I have it on hand) or shrimp

Onions and garlic, chopped

Ghee

Veggies, chopped (I use mushrooms, red peppers, carrots, spinach, kale, etc.)

Ginger, finely chopped

Coconut aminos

Cilantro, chopped

Rice noodles


What you do:

Sauté the chicken or shrimp in ghee with onions and garlic (if not already cooked)

Set that aside in a bowl

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions

Using same pan in which the meat was cooked, saute all veggies in ghee

Add ginger

Add coconut aminos

Add cilantro

Add the chicken or shrimp back to pan with veggies

Add the rice noodles

Enjoy!


Wednesday, March 17, 2021

Overnight French Toast Casserole

While cooking French toast for a large group is time consuming, this recipe is put together the night before, and just popped in the oven the next morning. This recipe from Amy at chewoutloud.com is a great way to use up my einkorn bread that has been in the freezer for awhile. 


What you need:

8 cups cubed einkorn bread

7 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cup milk (I use coconut milk)

1 cup half & half

2 tsp vanilla

2 tsp almond extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

1 cup coconut sugar

3 Tbs maple syrup


What you do:

Butter a 9X13 baking dish and arrange the bread cubes evenly in the dish.

In large bowl, add all the remaining ingredients and beat until fully incorporated

Evenly and slowly pour liquid mixture over the bread crumbs, gently tossing to ensure that all bread is coated with egg mixture.

Cover with foil and refrigerate over night.

Remove casserole from refrigerator and uncover

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, or until French toast is quite puffy and golden brown

Let casserole rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving

Serve with butter, syrup and berries

Enjoy!

Oven Baked Meatballs

 Our neighbor gifted us with many pounds of elk! These easy to make, healthy meatballs from Heather at mommypotamus.com taste great using the ground elk. 

What you need:

2 lbs groud elk (or other ground meat)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

1 large onion, minced

1/2 cup finely chopped kale or spinach

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp basil

1/4 tsp thyme, rosemary and/or sage

1/4 tsp garlic powder

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp ground pepper


What you do:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In large mixing bowl, mix the veggies, spices, salt and pepper

Add the meat and mix everything together with clean hands

Form the meat mixture into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet

(Make sure there is space between so the meatballs cook evenly. You may need 2 baking sheets)

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until inside is no longer pink

Enjoy!


These freeze well. To freeze, place meatballs on the baking sheet in the freezer to freeze for about 2 hours. Then transfer to a freezer storage bag and store up to 3 months.

For a quick dinner, I serve with store bought organic marinara sauce over Jovial organic cassava pasta.




Monday, March 15, 2021

Pecan Pie with Coconut Flour Crust

This is a great alternative to conventional pecan pie! The recipe for the pie (not the crust) is from Katie Wells. She has great recipes.

What you need for the crust:
1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil)
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup coconut flour

What you need for the filling:
3/4 cup maple syrup
3 eggs
3 Tbs butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup coconut sugar
2 to 2 1/2 cups pecans

What you do:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
In medium bowl beat butter, eggs and salt together with a fork
Add coconut flour and stir until dough holds together
Gather the dough into a ball, then pat into a 9" greased pie pan
Prick the dough with a fork
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly brown (I cover the edges with aluminum foil)
Let cool

Turn oven down to 375 degrees
In small saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a simmer and simmer for about 5 mins
Pour into a bowl and add the butter, vanilla and coconut sugar
Use an immersion blender to combine
Add eggs and blend until smooth
Place pecans in pie crust and pour the liquid mixture over the pecans
Bake for 30 minutes or until the center is mostly set. Do not overbake
Enjoy!

Tip: 
A key to making a good pie crust is to keep your fats cold and not over mix



Thai Chicken Stew

 I found this recipe on Danielle Walker's Instagram. She cooked it in a Instapot. I used my Crockpot. Super easy, healthy and delicious!

What you need:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken (I prefer thighs)

1/2 chopped onion

2 to 3 cloves chopped garlic

Juice from 1 lime

2 Tbs. fish sauce

2 Tbs. coconut aminos

1 jar Thai Curry Paste

7 oz. tomato paste

Finely chopped ginger

1 can coconut milk

Veggies- sliced mushrooms, yellow, orange or red pepper, broccoli, 


What you do:

Place all ingredients in a Crockpot, except vegetables

Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours

The last hour, add the vegetables

When cooked, shred chicken with two forks

Serve over sprouted brown rice

Enjoy!