Banana Bread

I actually made this recipe up myself. That is an unheard of feat for me. When I was in high school I was making a batch of brownies from a box and after I read "mix by hand" I actually stuck my hand in the batter and stirred it around.

That is my cooking background.

Yes, I've come a long way.

This recipe calls from 1 tsp of honey but I think it would be fine without it as long as your bananas are very, very ripe. It is made without eggs.

Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

5 very ripe bananas

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. honey

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup coconut oil (soft) or ghee (soft)

1 tsp. cinnamon

Method

whisk all dry ingredients together

blend all wet ingredients together

blend dry ingredients into wet

Pour into loaf pan greased with ghee or coconut oil

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes

then turn down to 300 and cook until mostly firm in the middle (it never firms up completely)

Carrot Latkes

Snow day today!!!! I LOVE snow days. I love waking up and telling Tyler he can stay home from school. I love the laziness of a day that is also magical. I took advantage of the extra time and made some carrot latkes for breakfast this morning. They really don't take that much time and they're very worth it. They have the taste of hashbrowns with a touch of sweetness from the carrots.

Carrot Scallion Latkes
Ingredients
3 cups shredded carrots
3 scallions, finely chopped (I've also done 1/2 medium onion)
3 eggs, whisked
1-2 teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon coconut flour
olive oil or bacon fat for frying
Method
In a large bowl combine carrots, scallions and eggs
Stir salt and coconut flour into carrot mixture
In a large skillet heat oil
Scoop large tablespoonfuls of batter onto skillet
Fry patties on each side over medium heat until browned and crispy
Transfer latkes to a paper towel lined plate
Repeat process until all of the batter is used up

Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping

I know I am horrible at keeping up with this blog. It still works as a great place for organizing my stuff. So at least its working for me :-).

I've actually created some of my own recipes lately. Which is pretty amazing if you knew me. This is one I just made adaptations to a few recipes from other blogs. I served it last night to friends and, except for the fact that I over cooked them, they were a hit. This is a great treat for any one on or off GAPS. By using almond flour instead of traditional flour this treat is full of protein instead of just adding to our already starch filled diet.

The main idea is from Elana's pantry and the struesel topping comes from the Nourishing Gourmet. I'm sure this could easily be adapted to muffins.

Pumpkin Bars
1 cup pumpkin (acorn, butternut or other squash) puree
½-1 cup honey
4 eggs
2 cup blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves

Streusel Topping
3 tablespoons of arrowroot powder, (not GAPS legal)
3 tablespoons of coconut crystals
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
dash of salt
3 tablespoons of cold coconut oil
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts

1. In a food processor, combine pumpkin, honey and eggs and pulse for 2 minutes
2. Pulse dry ingredients into wet for a full minute, until well combined
3. Pour batter into a greased 8 X 8 (greased with ghee or coconut oil)
4. Mix together first four Streusel ingredients. Then cut in coconut oil with a fork until small clumps are formed. Then stir in chopped walnuts.
5. Pour topping on top of bars
6. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes

REAL Pancakes!

It's been a while since I've done any baking. Mostly because its a lot of work and the kids will gobble up 30 minutes of work in about 3 minutes. I am also really limited in recipes as we can not tolerate any sweetener, even honey. Also, about half of the new recipes I try end up failing. It would help if I was a better cook. I don't have that natural skill..maybe someday.

Well, I was motivated to get some freezable snacks for our vacation in a couple of months. Even though its about 90 degrees in my kitchen today, I decided to do a mass baking day. It was a successful cooking day.

Tyler helped (which means he mostly licked all the spoons and bowls) me make muffins and pancakes. We tried a couple of recipes and the last one we tried was a hit! "These taste like REAL pancakes," Tyler yelled after he tried one. They really do. We made them with sunflower seeds which is the first time we've tried them on the GAPS diet. So, the hope will be that our tummies can handle butter made from sunflower seeds and then these can become a staple in our house.

Here is the recipe:
BANANA PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES
from Pecan Bread

1 ripe banana
1/4 cup peanut butter (we used Sunflower Seed butter) (see below for how I made the butter)
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (not GAPS legal so we left out)

Mix all ingredients with a mixer. Spoon into hot oiled (coconut oil) skillet and brown on both sides

Tip: Small pancakes are easier to turn.

How to make sunflower butter
Sprout seeds first to nuetralize phytic acid which inhibits absorption of minerals and neutralizes enzyme inhibitors which can make seeds difficult to digest.
Fill a mason jar 1/3 full with raw, hulled sunflower seeds. Add filtered water to the top of the jar and screw on the top with a screen insert. Allow the seeds to soak overnight, for one night only, and pour off the water. Rinse the seeds well-you can do this without removing the top. Invert the jar and let it sit at an angle so it can drain, and to allow air to circulate. The seeds should be rinsed 2 times per day. Sprouts are ready in 12-18 hours, when the sprout is just barely showing.

Rinse the seeds again and drain before putting into a food processor or blender. I used my VitaMix which is my most favorite thing in my kitchen (thanks mom and dad!). Blend into a butter.

My new favorite food

I discovered this recipe last week on Grain-free Foodie. I had to make a few modifications because we can not tolerate honey. My sweet cousin offered to make them for me and she loved them. I love when the food we eat tastes good to other people too. Laura made a batch with 3 lbs of sausage and I froze them by the dozen. They are perfect for snacks or meals on the go. I feel so good when the kids eat them because they are getting protein, fat, and veggies all at once.

Sausage Patties
Combine:
1 lb ground pastured pork
1/4 tsp of liquid Stevia or 1 packet of powder
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp chopped or grated onion
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2-1 cup of pureed cooked veggies (we used green beans)
2 frozen fat pureed from previously cooked chicken (optional)

Form the meat into patties and fry in fat (lard, tallow or ghee) or coconut oil. I find that smaller patties work better. This is a great way to "hide" healthy things, such as marrow or pureed or chopped soft tissue.

Christmas Recipes

I am doing this post more for me that anything else. I've spent the last few days collecting recipes to get us through Christmas. Our celebrating starts tonight.

Dinner:
Ham
Broccoli
Glazed Turnips
-2 lbs turnips, peeled and quartered
-4 T. ghee
-1 cup beef stock
-plunge turnips into boiling salted, filtered water fr 3-5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Saute in ghee until lightly browned. Add stock and boil down until turnips are coated and liquid has almost completely evaporated.

Breakfast Tomorrow (for opening our stockings):

Egg Casserole

• 6 eggs
• 1 c. milk (I'm going to try to sub with 3/4 c. chicken stock)
• 2 Tbsp. ghee, melted
• 1-2 cups chopped spinach
  
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• about 1 c. diced ham
• Cashew Cheese
  1 tsp olive oil or coconut oil
  1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 6 hours
  1 1/4 cup water
  
• drain the cashews and put them in blender with the water. Blend until very
  smooth.
  
• In a skillet, add the cashew milk and turn heat to high.
  Stir frequently to prevent sticking and reduce to a low
  simmer as soon as it boils. Keep stirring and cover to
  keep it from splattering. Continue to cook for a few
  more minutes, then remove it from heat.
• preheat oven to 400. Grease 9X9 pan with ghee or coconut oil. With wire whisk, beat eggs, stock, spinach, salt, pepper, and ghee until mixed. Add cashew cheese. Pour into pan. Sprinkle ham evenly over top. Bake 20 min or until set and golden.
• I may leave out the cashew cheese as this will be a test to see if we can tolerate cashew butter and we can't over do it. Most of the other recipes for the day also have cashew butter in them.
  

Cashew Butter Pancakes
Ingredients:
1 C pureed, cooked squash or zuchinni
1 C nut butter (we used cashew butter made from soaking cashew 6 hours then blending)
5 pastured or free-range organic eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 T cinnamon
dash of cloves, nutmeg, and any other "pumpkin pie" type spice

Method:
Separate the eggs, and beat the whites until fluffy (soft peaks are fine). In a large bowl, mix together the 5 egg yolks, the squash, the nut butter, and the salt and spices. Blend thoroughly. Fold the egg whites into this mixture gently, so that the resulting batter is airy and light.

Cook on a well-greased griddle on a somewhat low heat, as they do burn easily. Flip them gently as they do not stay together as well as regular pancakes.

Jesus' Birthday Cupcakes
-1 c. cashew butter (made from soaked cashews)
-1 Tbsp. ghee or unrefined coconut oil
-1/2-1tsp. stevia
-2 pastured or free-range organic eggs seperated
-Mix stevia, butter. ghee and egg yolks together. Beat egg whites until stiff then fold into mixture. Pour into cup cake liners.
-Frosting:
--1/2 c. ghee
--3/4 tsp. stevia
--1-1.5tsp vanilla (alcohol free)
--1/8c. nut butter
Bake at 300 for about 20 min for cupcakes

Christmas Cookies
2 cups almond flour (I get mine at Trader Joe's)
4 T ghee, melted (Coconut oil also works)
1/4 cup honey or 1/4-1/2 tsp. Stevia
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp salt

Optional add-ins: 1/2 cup raisins, 1/4 cup shredded coconut, 1/4 cup chopped nuts
350 degrees

1. Cream together first three ingredients. Add the spices.
2. Fold in optional ingredients, if using.
3. Drop by spoonfuls on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Veggie Pancakes

I am learning you can make any kind of pancake or bread with pureed veggies and eggs. This recipe has become a staple in our house now:

Pumpkin Pancakes

4 pastured or free-range organic eggs
1 cup squash (or any other pureed vegetable...we've used spinach, kale, zucchini, pumpkin, butternut)
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp alcohol-free vanilla
1 TBL melted coconut oil or ghee

Mix all ingredients well and prepare as small pancakes. Use a medium-low heat (between 3 and 4 on my stove). It takes a while for each pancake to set (4-5 min). Watch for bubbles on the top. They are thin and very yummy, almost like a crepe. We fill them sometimes with avocado or cooked spinach.

Squash mini muffins

Another recipe for freezing and packing

4 pastured or free-range organic eggs seperated
1 cooked acorn squash or 1/2 cooked large butternut squash (1 1/2-2cups) (this also works with pumpkin or really any pureed veggie) (the easiest way to cook the squash is to put it whole in the oven at 350 for 45-60 min, then cut and discard seeds, scoop out flesh for recipe)
1 TBS of Coconut Oil or ghee (optional)
1 TSP of Cinnamon.
4-5 drops of Stevia (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease a mini-muffin tin or use small muffin cups. Combine egg yolks with all other ingredients in a food processor or blender and process just until smooth. Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Stir egg whites into mixture. Spoon into muffin cups.
Bake 30 to 40 minutes until muffins pull away from the sides of the
pan and appear dry and browned around the edges.
Carefully cut around the edges and lift out.

Quiche Muffins

I am on the search for recipes that are freezable and portable. I found this yesterday and I've tried it twice. They came different each time. I'm not sure why yet, but both times were good.

Quiche Muffins

• 3-5 eggs
• 1/2-1 cup of green puree (boiled spinach, collard greens, kale, etc. pureed)
• salt
• 2 Tbsp. of coconut oil
• spices of choice

Blend together. Line muffin tins. Bake 350 for 20-30 min.
They boys loved these!!

Nut Butter Pancakes

From the blog GAPSters

• 2 medium zucchini--peeled, de-seeded, blended
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup almond nut-butter--made from soaked and dehydrated almonds
• pinch Celtic sea salt

In a food processor, blend zucchini. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend well. Heat a fry pan and add ghee. Pour enough batter in the pan to make pancakes a little larger than 'silver dollar' pancake size.

FYI: The heat needed to be lower than I expected--on my electric stove I set the heat between 3 and 4.

Non-Nut Butter Pancake Sandwiches

I found this recipe at GAPSters

A stage 3 recipe.

Makes one sandwich.

2 Non-Nut Butter Pancakes

1 avocado

1 tsp shredded fermented vegetable, or as much as can be tolerated

Celtic sea salt

Put fruit from avocado in a bowl. Sprinkle salt to taste. Mash avocado and salt together with a fork, making a salt/avocado-only guacamole. Spread 2 tablespoons or so (depending on the size of the pancakes) on one of the pancakes. Sprinkle on the fermented vegetable. Top with remaining pancake. Slice into wedges and you've got finger food!

Soft Boiled Eggs and Egg Salad

I got this recipe from GAPSters

Put eggs in a pot and cover with water. Set on the stove, cover, bring to a boil. While waiting for boil, put a large pat of ghee in a bowl. When eggs begin to boil, take them off heat and let sit 2-3 minutes. Drain, fill pot with cold water. Peel eggs quickly and place them in the bowl with ghee. When all eggs are peeled, add Celtic sea salt and mash with a fork.

These are soft-boiled, with whites firm and yolks runny. Delicious, creamy buttery eggs. Flavor kind of reminds me of pasta with butter.

Now for egg salad:

Add chopped fermented cucumber pickles, or any fermented vegetable

Add chopped avocado

Mix.

Recipes

If you are cooking one of these recipes for us, please double check the "what we can eat" page to see an updated list of "safe" foods. If you are following GAPS, please note that I categorized the following recipes by Intro Stages myself so there may be some recipes that are not in the right spot. Always gauge by what your body can tolerate.

GAPS Recipes
Intro Phase 1
Bone Stock
soups
Carrot & Ginger Soup
Zucchini Soup
French Beef Stew
Winter Squash Soup
Meatball Soup
Butternut Squash & Fennel Soup
Cream of Vegetable Soup
Crock-Pot Roast
Pea Soup
snacks
Orange-Colored "Jello"
Mint Tea
Mint Tea Popsicles
Sparking Water
Simmer simple meatballs in beef broth (make meatballs with ground beef, onion, garlic, salt, fresh sage).
Pumpkin Ice Cream

Intro Phase 2
breakfast or snack
Soft Boiled Eggs and Egg Salad
Non-nut butter pancakes
casseroles/stews
Beef & Eggplant Casserole
Big Kid's Casserole
Pork Stew
Melt in your Mouth Beef Soup
Mashed "too-tatoes"
Beef & Pumpkin Stew
Veggie Minestrone
I Heart Texas Chili
Veggie Chicken Salad
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Salad
Chicken Nuggets
Rice & Gravy
snacks/desserts
Beets
Butternut Squash Ice Cream
Orange Popsicles
Carrot Coins and "Cheese"
Chicken Pancakes
Pumpkin Pie Filling
Coconut Oil Candies


Intro Phase 3
Hamburger/Hot Dog Buns
Pesto Sauce
Chicken Salad
Non-nut butter pancake sandwiches
Quiche Muffins
Carrot Latkes
snacks/desserts
Nut butter pancakes
Squash Mini Muffins
Veggie Pancakes
Cashew Butter Pancakes
Cashew Butter Cupcakes
Meringues
Nut butter Caramels
Nut butter snow balls
Almond butter muffins
Banana Sunflower Butter Pancakes
Crackers


Intro Phase 4
Almond Bread
Grain-Free Indian Flat Bread
Biscuits
Sloppy Joes
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Roasted Cabbage
Baked Radish Chips
Breakfast Sausages
Chicken Nuggets
Glazed Turnips
Egg Casserole
desserts
Grain-Free Oatmeal Cookies
Cookie Cutter Cookies
Truffles
Apple Pie
Banana Bread

Moving On these are recipes we can currently do (or we use when we need to make exceptions) but are considered "Full Gaps"
Coconut Milk Jigglers
Banana Walnut Muffins
Graham Crackers/S'mores
Yoda Bars
Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel topping
Morning Smoothie
Yoda Bars

Healthy Fats
Rendering Lard
Ghee (clarified butter)

Condiments
Lacto-Fermented Mayo
Mayo with coconut & olive oil
BBQ Sauce
Ketchup
Taco Seasoning

Fermented Vegetables
Cauliflower Pickles

Non-GAPS recipes
Breakfasts
Dutch Babies
Desserts
Coconut Oil Fudge

Easy Breakfast

Dutch Babies (like pancakes baked in oven)
Here is the basic recipe:
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix all together, pour into greased pie pan or 8 X 8 pan. Bake for 10 minutes or until brown on top. Sprinkle with sugar and serve with fresh fruit and yogurt.

Here are my variations:
2/3 c. coconut milk (So Delicious Brand found at Whole Foods)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. sea salt (I've learned that coarse sea salt is far superior than refined table salt)
2 local, range fed eggs

The night before, pour 1 Tbsp of lemon juice into measuring cup. Fill up measuring cup with coconut milk until it measure 2/3 cup (This is my version of buttermilk). Mix in flour. Cover and let soak overnight. (I'll post later on the benefits of soaking grains). In the morning add eggs and salt and bake. I greased my pan with coconut oil to avoid bad vegetable fats and dairy. (I'll post later on the good and bad fats).

I served it this morning cut into strips with a bowl of honey to dip in. They loved it! I also had the thought of cutting it in squares and spreading something yummy (peanut butter, fried bananas, etc) in between two pieces as a breakfast sandwich.

You could also add applesauce, mashed bananas or other yummy stuff into the batter before baking.

Any other ideas?