Almond Flour Applesauce Muffins, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD

Almond Flour Applesauce Muffins    makes 12

3 Cups Honeyville Blanched Almond Flour
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Salt
1 TSP Organic Cinnamon
3 TBSP Organic or Local Honey
1/2 Cup homemade Yogurt
1/2 Cup Organic Eden brand Applesauce
1 TSP Vanilla
3 Organic Eggs, beaten

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.
• Combine wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl with beaten eggs. 
• Add combined dry ingredients into wet ingredients mixing well by hand.
• Using naturally refined Organic Coconut Oil, grease muffin tin.
• Spoon mixture into muffin tins, makes 12 muffins.
• Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown (depending on the brand of almond flour, baking time may vary so start watching muffins at about 20 minutes so they don't over bake)

These muffins freeze well in freezer safe Mason Jars for one month.  Not all mason jars are freezer safe!!

Cheese Bread Buns, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD Legal

Cheese Bread Buns, Specific Carbohydrate Diet, SCD legal    makes 6 buns

2 1/2 cups Honeyville brand Blanched Almond Flour
1/4 cup Naturally Refined Organic Coconut Oil
1 cup shredded Organic Cheddar block cheese (don't buy already shredded)
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/8 TSP Salt
3 large, Organic Eggs, beaten

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix Almond Flour, Baking Soda and Salt.
• Add shredded Cheese and mix.
• Add beaten eggs and mix. Dough will be thick like cookie dough
• Scoop into coconut oil greased Muffin Top pans and press to form bun.  Makes 6.
• Bake until golden brown on top, about 18-20 minutes.
• Let cool, then slice into buns.

Recipe Adapted from the book, "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall.  This book explains The Specific Carbohydrate Diet so well, highly recommended reading.

I made these in a Muffin Top Pan then carefully slice into "buns".  This original recipe said to bake in a buttered 4x8 loaf pan at 350 degrees until golden brown.

I substituted naturally refined Organic Coconut Oil for the butter that was in the original recipe.

Yellow Squash Casserole, AIP legal

Yellow Squash Casserole SCD legal            1-2 servings

2 medium organic Yellow Squash, sliced NOTE TO HUBBY...please peel my squash and take seeds out
1 medium Vidalia Onion or organic sweet onion, sliced
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 organic eggs
1/4 cup homemade 24 hour yogurt
1/4 tsp sea salt

Cook onions in olive oil until caramalized about 7-10 minutes.  Beat eggs and yogurt together, then add squash and onion mixture, stir well.  Grease or spray square 9 inch casserole dish with nonstick spray. Pour mixture into dish.

Bake 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until it looks done, the egg and milk will be "set".

ALMOND FLOUR ZUCCHINI MUFFINS

ALMOND FLOUR ZUCCHINI MUFFINS     makes 12 muffins
2 cups Blanched Almond Flour (Honeyville is by far the best that I have used)
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Sea Salt
1 TSP Organic Ground Cinnamon
2 TBSP Organic Coconut Oil, melted
3 Organic Eggs
1 TSP White Vinegar
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup Organic Applesauce
3 TBSP Organic Honey or local honey
1 1/2 Cups Organic peeled, shredded Zucchini (about 1 medium)

 Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

• Lay peeled, shredded zucchini on paper towels and mash moisture from zucchini, zucchini needs to be as dry as possible.
• Mix Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside. 
• Crack eggs into another bowl.  Whisk eggs by hand with a fork.  Add Vanilla Extract, White Vinegar, Honey and Applesauce.
• Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir.
• Add zucchini and stir in.
• Add coconut oil and continue to mix by hand until all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
• Prepare muffin tins with brushed on coconut oil.  Divide mixture into 12 muffins.  About 1/3 full.
• Bake 25 minutes.  Loosen edges and remove from pan while still hot.  Place on wire rack to cool.

I freeze these muffins in freezer safe mason jars.  I am not sure how long they will stay good in the freezer, they don't last long enough in this house to know.  LOL

Almond Flour Banana Muffins, gluten free. SCD legal

ALMOND FLOUR BANANA MUFFINS     makes 12 muffins

2 cups Blanched Almond Flour (Honeyville is by far the best that I have used)
1 TSP Baking Soda
1/2 TSP Sea Salt
1 TSP Organic Ground Cinnamon
2 TBSP Organic Coconut Oil, melted
3 Organic Eggs
1 TSP White Vinegar
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
2 ripe Organic Bananas, mashed
(optional: add blueberries to muffins)

 Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

• Mix Almond Flour, Baking Soda, Salt and Cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.
• Mash bananas.  I just lay them on a plate and mash with a fork. 
• Crack eggs into another bowl.  Whisk eggs by hand with a fork.  Add banana and continue to mix well until banana is mixed in eggs.  Add Vanilla Extract and White Vinegar.
• Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients and stir.
• Add coconut oil and continue to mix by hand until all the dry ingredients are mixed well.
• Prepare muffin tins with brushed on coconut oil.  Divide mixture into 12 muffins.  About 1/3 full.
• Bake 25 minutes.  Loosen edges and remove from pan while still hot.  Place on wire rack to cool.

I freeze these muffins in freezer safe mason jars.  I am not sure how long they will stay good in the freezer, they don't last long enough in this house to know.  LOL

GREEN EGGS & GUACAMOLE, SCD, CLEAN EATING IDEAS

GREEN EGGS & GUACAMOLE, AIP, CLEAN EATING

 

Doesn't that look like green deliciousness just waiting to be eaten!  I decided to try eggs for breakfast for the first time since doing the Autoimmune Protocol AIP diet for three months and now transitioning to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet SCD for two months.  Prior to these lifestyle changes, if I ate eggs for breakfast, I would be in the bathroom within 20 minutes cramping, bloated, painful diarrhea and generally ruined the remainder of my day in and out of the bathroom.  So far, no issues after eating my "Green Breakfast".

 

There are quite a few variables that could be making the difference in my gut health.  Let's start with the pan I cook in, I only use stainless steel pans now, no nonstick surfaces.  The eggs are organic instead of non organic.  I didn't cook them in margarine, butter or with non-stick spray. I cooked the eggs in organic coconut oil.  And perhaps the most important thing is this...my gut has had a total of five months of no refined sugar, no eating out, only organic homemade real food with three months to heal on the elimination diet and two months to continue healing on the SCD diet.  And did I mention homemade chicken bone broth every day for 5 months!

I used two eggs and a half cup of very finely chopped spinach in my eggs.  The guacamole is pretty simple.  I used an avocado, 1 TBSP lime juice with a sprinkle of salt and just mashed it up. 

 



Eggs, Specific Carbohydrate Diet Allowed Food

Eggs are one of the foods that I was never too sure about.  If I ate eggs for breakfast, I generally got a tummy ache right after eating them.  I would be in the bathroom sometimes ten times in a 2 hour period making it very difficult to even leave the house before noon.  Eating them later in the day or for dinner could go either way. 

But, was it the eggs or the coffee full of high fructose corn syrup creamer that I used to drink while eating them.  Or was it the processed bread, full of gluten and lots of additives including high fructose corn syrup, that usually accompanied the eggs.  Or was it because they were not organic eggs...what had the chickens been eating and how much of that was in the eggs I ate!  Or was it just my very unhealthy gut!  So many variables.

I started eating pastured, organic eggs about a week ago.  I really don't like eggs very much but thought I should try them first before reintroducing any other foods.  That way I would know if I can use them in recipes. The recipes in the book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, use a lot of eggs.  I am not sure how much I will use eggs but it gives me options. 

I have eaten eggs for lunch and dinner boiled, scrambled and fried in olive oil with the yellow cooked well.  I still haven't eaten eggs for breakfast, only for lunch or dinner.  I am too afraid that first thing in the morning would be too much for my gut to handle just yet...don't push my luck. 

So far, my tummy is happy and I haven't noticed any increase in pain, brain fog or increased fatigue or insomnia after eating eggs.

I think the three months of following the anti inflammatory diet has had a very positive impact on my gut and my overall health. 

Organic Black Bean Quinoa Carrot Burgers (Recipe Makeover)

Organic black bean / quinoa / carrot burgers have become a favorite in my house!  I am so happy I have been able to add black beans back into my diet. They quickly became that "go to" meal when we can't think of what to make for dinner. These healthy bean burgers have kept us from eating out more than once!  Serve on a bed of lettuce, baby spinach and avocado/homemade guacamole and we have a filling, healthy meal.

These burgers also freeze well!

Organic Black Bean Quinoa Carrot Burgers                    makes 4 burgers / 2 servings

1/2 cup cooked organic quinoa (not SCD legal but my tummy tolerates just fine)
15 ounce can organic black beans, rinsed and drain, mash with hand masher leaving some whole or use 1 1/2 cups homemade cooked organic black beans
3/4 cup finely shredded organic carrots
1/4 cup organic Almond Flour
1 clove organic garlic, minced
1 tsp organic cumin (if allowed on your diet)
(optional 1/4 tsp sea salt)
1-2 TBSP olive oil for cooking burgers

Cook quinoa according to package directions to equal 1/2 cup cooked.  Let cool, then add shredded carrots, minced garlic, mashed beans, almond flour, cumin and salt.  Mixture will be lumpy but should stick together.  Form into 4 patties.  I like mine flattened a little so there is more crunchy surface, if you like a softer burger leave it a little thicker.  Cook 8 minutes on each side in olive oil over medium heat.  If they start to get too brown/crunchy, turn the heat down slightly.

I freeze these burgers on a cookie sheet individually, then place parchment paper between them before placing in freezer container.  This makes it easier to just remove one burger at a time.