I’m JUICING, and it’s Legal!
Fresh fruits and vegetables when juiced make a healing tonic
That’s right, I have just fallen in love with making fruit and vegetable juices! This was my first juice film and only my second time to juice, so sorry the video is a bit rough:
Here is why juicing is so amazing in a nut shell:
1. Juicing vegetables is particularly beneficial because the juicer smashes everything up into a liquid form that is easily assimilated into your cells, because your body doesn’t have to waste energy digesting the fiber of the vegetable. Vegetable juices are like an instant multi vitamin to your cells!
2. Juicing is Nature’s liver scrubber. Your liver, my friends, lives a hard life, especially in this day and age. It is working overtime to process the crummy food you eat, alcohol, caffeine AND all the crazy toxins that are now in our environment. Show it some love and help it stay clean with juices, so it can in turn help your whole body stay clean.
Please don’t be dismayed by my ancient juicer or the murky green juice it produces; trust me, it tastes great!
If you have cash to burn and want to buy the Cadillac of juicers, I think something like this would be lovely.
I think juicing is one of those habits where if you adopt it today and juice a few times a week or more, your body is going to thank you ten-fold down the road. When everyone else is old and wobbly, you’ll be full of life, like this guy.
Killer Mediterranean Salad with Hummus, Tabouleh, and Grilled Chicken
Hi Folks! This meal is a winner! My husband loves it, and I do too. It is one of those meals that just feels so natural and, therfore, good going down! Don’t let it’s simplicity fool you; this meal packs a HUGE zippy flavor punch!
Now, I actually botched this video, deleting the first two thirds of the filming, so I had to go back and redo the day after, hence the change in clothes, etc. In refilming, I forgot to redo the directions for marinating the grilled chicken, but I’ll include that info, as well as the other recipes below this video:
Grilled Chicken Marinade: Well, there is no magic here. Any time you want to add a little somethinn’ somethin’ to your meats this is the way to go. Salt and pepper both sides of the meat (and in this case, I added some paprika too). Place the meat in a plastic bag or dish. To the meat add olive oil, a squeeze of lemon, and fresh minced garlic. Smoosh everything around the meat evenly. I don’t know the exact amounts. Just use your common sense. You only need enough ‘stuff’ to cover the meat, so maybe 2-4T oil per piece of meat, and the juice of a quarter of a lemon per piece of meat. Experiment…it’s pretty hard to mess up; I promise.
Grill meat, let rest, and slice at an angle against the grain. My husband does the grilling. I am no expert, but this guy is.
Hummus
1.5 C Cooked Garbanzo beans/Chickpeas
1.5 T Tahini (If you aren’t allergic to sesame)
3-5 T Lemon juice
2 Cloves of Garlic
1/2 t salt
1/4 C+ Olive Oil
Dump and combine in food processor or blender. Slowly add in extra olive oil if need be until desired consistency is reached. Garnish with fresh parsley if you like. Eat warm or chilled. I prefer chilled. FYI, this is a great snack for allergy folks to have around. Try dipping carrot or celery sticks into the hummus!
This recipe was adapted from this Hummus recipe I found on About.com.
Erica’s Sans Tomato Tabouleh
I wish I could eat tomatoes, but I can’t. If you can, throw 1-2 chopped tomatoes in there!
1 c quinoa
2 c water
3 medium Green onions cut into little circles
1/4 C chopped shallot
3/4 C chopped cucumber (skin on or off…your call)
1 C chopped parsley
1 C chopped fresh mint (You have to have this; it makes the recipe!)
1/2 C lemon juice
1/3 C olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1t sea salt
pepper
- Put the quinoa in a wire strainer and thoroughly rinse with hot water to remove any bitter flavor.
- Cook the quinoa according to the package, or dump the quinoa and water in a rice cooker, to make it super easy.
- Let cool completely.
- Stir the onions, cucumber, parsley, and mint into the quinoa.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, oil, garlic and salt.
- Pour over the quinoa and toss well.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
This recipe was adapted from this Tabouleh recipe I found on Food.com.
The Salad
Lay a bed of greens on a plate, and add a few of your favorite veggies, like julienned carrots, and cabbage. On the perimeter of the plate, scoop out a serving of hummus. On the opposite site of the plate, scoop out a serving of tabouleh. Place meat on top of salad like a pinwheel coming from the middle. Garnish with orange or lemon slices, that can be squeezed on salad, and serve with extra olive oil. For mopping up the hummus and tabouleh, I like to use these GF tortillas in lieu of pita.
Homemade Chicken & Rice Soup Like Grandma Made
Remember how moms and grandmas of yore always recommended chicken soup when you were sick? Was it really healing? Yes! Old school chicken soups made with homemade chicken broth contain great nutrients from the bone marrow and are healing. Not only is it useful when you have a cold, but it also useful when you’re trying to heal a damaged GI Tract like mine. It’s not as hard as you think and is such a great way to save $ by using leftovers rather than tossing them out. I highly recommend that you make a good homemade broth every now and then! Add some veggies, rice, and shredded chicken, and you have a soup everyone will love! I love making a big pot of soup earlier in the week. That way, I not only have a dinner or two, but I also have a great lunch item ready to go, which keeps me from getting frustrated and hungry! Watch me throw this together and check out the recipe high points below the video.
Homemade Chicken Broth:
Don’t take this recipe too ‘by the book.’ Use what you have; that is the beauty of it!
Fill a Dutch Oven or big soup pot with:
Chicken meat, bones, scraps
Chunks of onion, carrot, celery
Any other veggie bits you can find (I keep a plastic bag full of veggie remnants, like the stalks, and wilted veggies, and then freeze them that way I always have good brother fodder.)
Season with salt and pepper
Cover everything with water
Bring to a boil and then simmer with the lid on. Low and slow is best. Give your broth at least a couple hours to simmer.
OR Toss all the same constituents in a slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
Separate out meat and veggie parts and discard.
Chicken and Rice Soup:
To homemade chicken broth add 3/4 C Rice. Bring pot to a boil and then turn down to simmer. Set your timer, when the rice is half way cooked add:
1 C carrot
1 C Celery
1C+ of Shredded Chicken
Any other veggies you want to chop and toss in
When all is cooked, season to your taste with salt and pepper and enjoy!
Source: Who knows who first came up with chicken and rice?! Keep the oral tradition going!
Chimichurri Lamb with Spring Onion Fusilli and Simple Salad with Herb Vinaigrette
Think you don’t like lamb? Think again! When you tend to have food sensitivities, it is a really good idea to rotate your foods, to include your meats, so you don’t create new sensitivities/intolerances. Because of this fact, I was motivated to try out lamb. I always thought I didn’t like it. I think I had some gritty lamb at a kebab place, which formed my unfair opinion. Lamb tenderloins are juicy and tender, especially when grilled. Add a stellar chimichurri sauce, a delicate pasta dish, fresh salad, and you have a PHENOMENAL meal!
The recipes are posted below the video.
Lamb Tenderloin with Mint Chimichurri
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups fresh mint
- 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chicken broth
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 2 teaspoons minced shallots
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
- 8 (4-ounce) lamb loin chops, trimmed
1. Combine mint, parsley, oil, broth, vinegar, shallots, red pepper, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a food processor; process until blended.
2. Sprinkle lamb loin chops on both sides with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Heat grill over medium-high heat. Cook lamb for about 8 minutes or until achieved desired doneness. Serve with chimichurri.
This recipe was adapted from Grilled Lamb Chops and Mint Chimichurri APRIL 2011
Spring Onion Fusilli
Ingredients
- 1/3 loaf of Gluten Free Bread
- 2 tabelspoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 cups thinly sliced spring onions (about 1 pound)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 8 ounces uncooked Rice Fusilli
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/8-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- Non-Dairy, Non-Soy Mozzerella
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pulse 1/3 loaf of Gluten Free Bread in a food processor. Place crumbs on cookie sheet and bake in the oven 5-10 minutes or until crumbs are golden. (You may have to separate the crumbs again with your hands after baking, as the tapioca bread crumbs tend to ‘glue’ back together when baked.) Season generously with garlic salt, dried basil, and dried oregano. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add onions to pan; cook 20 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1 teaspoon garlic and wine. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute. Add broth; cook until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 4 minutes).
4. Cook pasta in boiling water with 1 tablespoon kosher salt according to package directions. Drain. Add pasta, remaining salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to onion mixture; toss gently. Place a serving of pasta on plate; sprinkle each serving with 2 tablespoons GF breadcrumbs and Non-Dairy, Non-Soy Mozzerella.
This recipe was adapted from Fusilli with Caramelized Spring Onions and White Wine Cooking Light APRIL 2011
Simple Salad with Herb Vinaigrette:
Throw greens and your favorite veggies together and serve with the Easy Herb Vinaigrette on the Simple Salad Sauce Page.
Meatloaf, Double Beatloaf with Bacon!
OK first, in order to get into the proper spirit, please take a listen to A Christmas Story clip fav: http://wilstar.com/midi/meatloaf.wav.
Now, I actually love Meatloaf, Double Beatloaf especially when it is covered in bacon and allergen free…say what?! Yes, it is true. My husband went NUTS over this meatloaf calling it the best thing I had made since my diagnosis. This meal is hearty, comforting and makes you feel like you’re cheating on your allergen-free diet!
So, watch me make a delish meatloaf with Oven Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Artichoke Hearts and Throw-Together Cabbage with Prosciutto. This dinner takes a little longer than some, but it is worth it, as you’ll have leftovers for a couple nights at least…and even extra meatloaf for sandwiches!
The recipes are below the videos.
Meatloaf, Double Beatloaf with Bacon:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 3-4 small ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- About 3/4 cup Gluten Free Beer
- 1/3-1/2 loaf of Gluten Free Bread
- 3/4 cup Plain Dairy Free Milk
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup grated Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Cheddar
- 1 tablespoon dried mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons Natural Beef Broth
- 2 EnerG ‘Eggs’
- 3/4 pound good-quality, thinly-sliced uncured bacon
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 375°F.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat the olive oil, a turn of the pan, in a medium size skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add the celery, onion, carrot and garlic; season with salt and pepper and sauté to soften, 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in the beer and stir. Let the beer reduce by half. Turn off the heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, soak the Gluten Free bread in the Non-Dairy milk. Place the ground beef in a bowl and add the cheese. Wring out the bread and add it to the meat, crumbling it into small crumbs over the bowl. Season with salt, pepper, mustard, cayenne and beef broth. Add the EnerG eggs, then mix with your hands to combine.
Form the meat into a long brick shape about 4 inches high on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap the bacon slices across the top, then around sides of the loaf. Bake for 1 hour in the middle of the oven, then switch on the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up that bacon!
This recipe was adapted from Irish Pub Meatloaf by Rachael Ray 2011.
Oven Roasted Fingerlings with Artichoke Hearts
2 lbs. Fingerling Potatoes cut into bit size pieces (@1 in. all around)
8 oz. of Frozen Artichoke Hearts (thawed)
1 Medium or half of 1 large onion sliced in half moons (Cut the onion in half. Put the cut side down, and cut perpendicularly to board to creat half moon shape.)
Salt and Pepper
Dry Mustard
Mustard Seeds
Olive Oil
1/4 c Fresh Italian Parsley chopped
In a BIG bowl combine potatoes, artichoke hearts, and onion. Generously sprinkle the top of the bowl with salt, pepper, dry mustard, and mustard seeds. Add a couple turns of the bowl of olive oil. Mix with your hands or salad fingers. Bake at 425 degrees for about 50 minutes. When the potatoes come out, sprinkle them with the parsley and mix in to wilt.
I’ve been making this from my head for a bit, but I recall that my influences were a potato recipe from Barefoot Contessa at Home: Everyday Recipes You’ll Make Over and Over Again by Ina Garten and Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and Baby Artichokes by Cooking Light 2010.
Throw-Together Cabbage with Prosciutto
Heat skillet on medium heat
Add a couple turns of the pan of olive oil
Add 1/2 head of cabbage coarsely chopped
(May drizzle in a little bacon grease from meatloaf for flavor if you dare!)
Sautee until tender
Throw in torn shreds of proscuitto
Season with Salt and Pepper
Salmon Parchment Hearts and Rice
Sometimes I miss the days of going out on a Friday night and getting sloppy Mexican food or a juicy burger, but I don’t miss the pain in my belly! Since cooking on the weekends seems a little bit ‘boring’ I try to find fun and easy things to cook and always serve them with a cocktail 🙂
This recipe is one of those that I will add to my ‘weekend night’ recipe repertoire. It is fancy and elegant yet so easy! It’s a great meal for two or can be doubled for a family.
I also think it’s worth noting that after making this recipe we served it again to dinner guests, and they loved it equally. Ideally, you can have the packets already bundled and rice in the steamer, so you can literally pop the packets in the oven, hit the ‘on’ button on the rice steamer and actually enjoy your guests rather than running around frantically!
See the recipes posted below the video.
Salmon Parchment Hearts and Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ghee, softened
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 t dried targon
- 2 (6-ounce) salmon arctic char fillets
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 cup julienne-cut leeks
- 1/4 cup julienne-carrot
- 1/4 cup julienne-cut snow peas
- 1/4 cup julienne-cut zucchini
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until blended. Divide that ‘sauce’ into two bowls.
3. Cut 2 giant hearts out of parchment paper. (Fold in half crosswise. Cut out a large heart half on each piece, with the fold of the paper along the center of the heart and open…just like Elementary School!)
4. Sprinkle both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Place one fillet near fold of each parchment heart. Top each fillet with half the vegetables and half of one of the bowls of the ghee sauce.
5. Start at the top of the heart and fold edges of parchment, sealing edges with narrow folds. Twist the end tip to secure tightly. Place packets on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 12-15 minutes.
6. Serve up with Rice and anoint the top of the fish with a bit of the other bowl of ghee sauce.
I adapted my recipe from Arctic Char and Vegetables in Parchment Hearts by Cooking Light 2011.
Erica’s Favorite Rice
In the rice cooker dump:
- 1 c Jasmine rice
- 2 3/4 c water
- 1T olive oil
- Zest of one clean lime
- 1 t of salt
- 1/4 c of green (in this case, green onion)
You can also cook this in a pot, and just follow the ratios for water to rice on the package of rice.
Adapted from Lime Cilantro Rice at Allrecipes.com.
Try it at home, and let me know how it turns out!
Do You Miss Chocolate Chip Cookies and Milk?
Well miss no more! I periodically make a batch of tasty little gluten, dairy, soy, corn, oat free cookies and freeze them, so I always have a little indulgence ready when I need it. Sometimes I warm them up, but sometimes I like to let the little frozen guys float around in one of my many dairy free milks and soak up all that good milkiness. You’ve got to try them out!
Watch me quickly whip together tasty cookies in my KitchenAid Mixer (You can mix by hand too).
Be sure to check out ‘My Pantry’ to see the featured products I used such as:
Spectrum All Vegetable Shortening
EnerG Egg Replacer
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour
Bob’s Red Mill Xanthan Gum
EnjoyLife Mini Chocolate Chips
The recipe is posted below the videos. ENJOY!!!
Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 c dairy-free, soy- free vegetable shortening (I use Spectrum. See ‘My Pantry;
1/2 c turbinado
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1t pure vanilla extract
3/4 t Ener-G egg replacer
1 1/4 Gluten Free Flour Mix
1/2 t xanthan gum
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t sea salt
4 T non-dairy milk
1/2 c dairy-free, soy-free chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream shortening, turbinado, brown sugar, mixing on medium for about 1 minute. Add the vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg replacer, flour mix, xanthan gum, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add the flour mixture to mixer in three batches mixing on low and alternating with the non-dairy milk.
5. Add the chocolate chips. I usually add these by hand.
5. Use a little cookie dough scoop to drop by rounded tablespoons on the baking sheets. (I use these Calphalon Insulated Cookie Sheets, which don’t require any oil or parchment.) Bake around 8-10 minutes for soft cookies. Let cool for 5 minutes on a baking sheets before transferring to a cooking rack.
This recipe was adapted from the Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Raisin Cookie recipe found in Allergen-Free Baker’s Handbook by Cybele Pascal. I’m not big on most allergy-free cookbooks, because I find them boring and plain tasting. This book, however, is beautiful, inspiring, delicious, and covers a multitude of baked goods!
Erica’s Brown Bag Lunch
Last summer my husband purchased Rosie, a used fishing boat. Rosie is used mostly for fishing purposes, but she can get you from Point A to Point B on Lake Travis just fine. One of my favorite weekend activities is when we go and anchor Rosie in the lake and have lunch, drinks, and bob around in the water. Last summer, doing so was a bit of a daunting task. I didn’t know how to pack a simple lunch , so I was always making big complicated salads and bringing containers filled with olive oil. I was sure there was a simpler but tasty lunch option for me. Well there is, my Apple and Herb Turkey Sandwich is my ‘go to’ when I’m on the go. (See Applegate link in ‘My Pantry’) I pair it with some Good Health Olive Oil Potato Chips (Popchips are awesome too. See ‘My Pantry’), fruit, and maybe even some of my homemade allergy-free baked gods, like my Chocolate Chip Cookies I’m soon to share, and I’m good to go! I hope this short video inspires you to create your own Brown Bag Lunch!
Cook Allergen Free! Tasty Allergen Free Meals Everyone Will Love! 