Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

 This recipe is straight from the Nourishing Days website.  I have been dying to try them and they are amazing. 

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

Recipe Notes: Both cow and coconut milk work well in this recipe. You can also add cinnamon or fruit as desired. Just keep the pancakes small and watch them so they don’t burn.
Ingredients

• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup milk (raw cow’s or coconut both work)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• coconut oil or butter for frying

Directions

1. Preheat griddle over medium-low heat. In a small bowl beat eggs until frothy, about two minutes. Mix in milk, vanilla, and honey or stevia.
2. In a medium-sized bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda, and sea salt and whisk together. Stir wet mixture into dry until coconut flour is incorporated.
3. Grease pan with butter or coconut oil. Ladle a few tablespoons of batter into pan for each pancake. Spread out slightly with the back of a spoon. The pancakes should be 2-3 inches in diameter and fairly thick. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the tops dry out slightly and the bottoms start to brown. Flip and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
4. Serve hot with butter, coconut oil, honey, syrup, or fruit.

Turkey Soup with Blue Kale and Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

• 16 Turkey Necks (works well with a whole small turkey or other turkey parts)
• 3 bags of frozen chopped onions or 4-5 small onions chopped
• 2-4 lbs of butternut squash.  I use the kind from Costco that is already cubed and ready to dump in.
• 2 bags of frozen greens (kale, collard, spinach, etc. )
• 2-3 Tbls of dried Tarragon (rub between your fingers to powder it)
• 1-3 tsp of salt (add one and taste to see if you need more)

Serves 18-20 or a family of 6 throughout the day

This is one of our favorite easy recipes.  Last night I put 16 turkey necks into my large stock pot and covered them with water.  I added 2 Tbls of A.C. Vinegar and brought it to a rolling boil.  I skimmed the scum from the top, reduced the heat so it was barely simmering, put the lid on and went to bed.  This morning I got up, took out all of the turkey necks and put them into a pan to be picked out.  I added the onions, kale, butternut squash and tarragon.  I brought everything to a boil and cooked the squash until they were fork-tender and then turned it on low.  While the veggies were cooking, I picked out the turkey necks.  It takes about 10 minutes and is a great job for little hands.  Just make sure most of the meat goes into a bowl and not their mouths!  Turkey neck meat is cheap, tender and fun to pick out and eat for kids.  I put the neck meat into the soup, stirred it in and dished it up.  I will leave the pot on low and we will eat this soup all day long until supper.  

Today's Dinner - Liver

I am going to try this recipe from Nourishing Days.  We regularly eat calf liver because of the high nutrient content and because my kids love it, but I do not love it.  It satisfies me in some deep nutrient starved way, but my taste buds definitely are not thrilled. Since I love bacon, onions and garlic this has promise! 

Liver with Bacon and Onions

Syrups

Its hard to talk about pancakes without thinking about syrup.  Syrup is really something always to be used in moderation.  We have been told to hold the butter and pour on the syrup, but its really the opposite that is true.  Slather on the butter ( organic, grass-fed, raw are all really good options, but at least with only cream and salt as ingredients) and put enough syrup to sweeten things up but not drown the cakes.  Some good options for syrup are:

• Pure maple syrup
• Raw honey
• Molasses
• Fresh berries and bananas
• Peanut butter or other nut butters (so good with sliced bananas and raw honey)
• Fruit syrup  (cook some berries in a bit of water with honey until soft and either blend it up and use it that way, pour it on unblended or strain it and just use the thickened fruit syrup)  I will get an actual recipe out at some point. 

Pancakes

I love pancakes, and biscuits.  They have to be two of my favorite bread items.  I have made pancakes out of every imaginable combination of grains in the world!  People all over the world make pancakes and flatbreads out of rice or chickpea or millet or corn, and the list goes on and on.  I have several favorite pancake recipes made from whole grains blended up into a batter, but I am going to save those for latter gluten-free posts.  These are very healthy and can be used not only for breakfast, but as snacks or bread with soup or lunch meat.

This is a Nourishing Traditions recipes:

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

• 2 cups freshly ground spelt, kamut or whole wheat flour
• 2 cups buttermilk, kefir or yogurt (if avoiding dairy see below)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbl melted butter

Soak flour in the buttermilk, kefir or yogurt in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.  Stir in other ingredients and add a bit of water to thin to desired consistency if too thick.  Cook on a hot griddle in butter.  Flip when the bubbles have appeared but before they pot to get the maximum rise.  These are kind of a sourdough flavor.  Serve with lots of butter and either maple syrup, molasses, raw honey or fruit syrup.

Dairy-free alternative:  2 cups of warm filtered water with 2 Tbl apple cider vinegar, whey or lemon juice in place of the buttermilk

Additions:
berries
mashed bananas
nuts
buckwheat, corn or oat flour for 1 cup of the wheat

Herbs and Spices

Our family has been putting in our early garden this week and I have been wanting to blog about it.  So when a friend became sick, I started thinking about just how important the topic of herbs and spices is to our nutrition.   For thousands of years man  has cooked with herbs. We have fallen into the idea that herbs are for flavor, but herbs are so much more than that.  Herbs are full of a variety of nutrients such as mineral salts (calcium, magnesium) essential oils, mucilage, bitter principles and others.  The essential oils in oregano, thyme, cinnamon and others are extremely successful at killing many bacteria such as e.coli and salmonella.

Not all herbs that are sold are worth buying.  It is very important to buy non-irradiated and if possible organic, which means you need to either grow them, buy them locally or from a health foods store such as Whole Foods.

 Here is a list of herbs and spices that I use extensively and the healing properties that I value them for. Most of these herbs or spices have many other healing benefits as well.   Some of these I make tea with and some I cook with, but most I do both with:

• Oregano (anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal)

• Thyme (anti-bacterial and good for chest congestion and bronchitis)
• Cinnamon (anti-bacterial and anti-fungal)
• Fenugreek (This combined with thyme is amazing for congestion and by itself stimulates digestion)
• Cayenne pepper (anti-bacterial and maybe anti-others)
• Marjoram (love the flavor but not sure what it does for me)
• Chamomile (anti-inflammatory and relaxing before bed)
• Turmeric (anti-inflammatory)
• Tarragon (stimulates bile production, which helps to process our food correctly)
• Ginger (stimulates the digestion, sooths nausea and carsickness, helps heat up the body an rid it of viruses or bacteria)
• Peppermint (helps indigestion)
• Cumin (stimulates digestion)
• Cilantro (heavy metal detoxification, such as mercury)
• Basil (anti-bacterial)

I cook with tons of these herbs and use them as healing teas when we feel under the weather. The above list is just what I personally have been using on a regular basis.  There are so many more herbs and spices and I am always eager to incorporate new ones into our diet.  I love the complexity of flavors that these foods bring, but I think what most amazes me is that God did not just create herbs and spices for flavor, but for healing and well-being!  We can think of it as just daily providing our bodies with the arsenal it needs to keep itself healthy.  It really is remarkable. 

Kitchen Appliances

I frequently get asked about the usefulness of a grain mill versus a blender. I only own a blender and so have not personally experienced the benefits of a grain mill, but I can tell you what each can do for you. Please read the link about soaking to understand my comments about wet grain.

Blender

Does a wide variety of kitchen jobs including, but not limited to:

• smoothies,
• salad dressings
• salsa
• soups
• mayonnaise
• frozen concoctions (drinks or ice creams)
• small batches of flour
• batters for pancakes or breads (*grains can be wet from soaking when making bread batter)

Grain Mill

Designed for one purpose:

• Turns large amounts of grain (wheat, buckwheat, corn, millet, etc.) into flour (*grains must be dry so makes soaking before milling a lengthy process)

*Why soak

We own a Blendtec blender and it is awesome. I know that Vitamix is also an amazing blender. Costco sells them both once a year about 6 months apart. They are really a whole different animal than a normal blender. They are the type of blenders that smoothie shops use. When we went wheat free and had to start using other grains, our purchase of a Blendtec truly revolutionized our cooking. I don't know what we would have done without it.

It really is comparing apples to oranges in a way. It just depends on what your family needs and what you are cooking. They are both awesome appliances.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Making homemade mayo has been one of my favorite things to learn ever! I used to hate mayo with a passion, but once we got on the GAPS diet and I kept reading about how good it is for you and how easy, I had to try it. They were right. It is amazing and so versatile. Please remember that recipes like this are so subjective to taste. We like ours mayo tart so generally add more Apple Cider Vinegar. Feel free to experiment and find what your family likes. Here is my recipe with some variations.

Ingredients:

3 large egg yolks at room temperature*see below
1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp juice from ferments (optional)
1/2 tsp Real or sea salt
1 cup olive oil

additions:
garlic (1-2 cloves)

1 tsp dried or 2 tsp fresh of any of the following
dill
chives
other herbs

Put everything into a large mouth mason jar or a tall plastic cup. Using an immersion blender, put the blender stick all the way down until it touches the bottom of the container. Turn it on and slowly bring it up through the ingredients. When you reach the top you will have mayo! You can take it up and down through the mayo to continue to thicken it abit. This makes a really thick mayo. You can add up to 1/4 cup more olive oil to have a thinner variety.

Blender or food processor method:

The first time I made this it turned into a runny mess. I was trying in my blender. It is a little more challenging in the blender or food processor, but here is the process:

Put all ingredients in the container except for the oil. Turn on the machine and slowly dribble in the oil through the top. This will work, it is just a little less fool-proof than using the immersion blender.

Alternative mayo recipe:

Here is another recipe that I have heard is wonderful and it uses coconut oil and the whole egg. For those of you who have digestion issues, its best to stick to the yolk only in the raw state.


* Salmonella is a bacteria that can make you very sick. Fortunately it is very rare even in battery raised chickens (huge buildings with 1000's of chicken in tiny cages, laying eggs). In pasture raised (chickens that are allowed access to the outside, and hopefully grass and have a much healthier living environment) it is almost non-existent. It truly is a product of unhealthy livestock management. Not that there is not a risk, but it is very small. Also, the addition of the vinegar or lemon juice makes the environment of the mayo inhospitable to bad bacteria.

** Adding a bit of fermented juice from fermented veggies if you are making them, definitely gives it a nice flavor and extends the shelf life and puts some good bacteria and enzymes in your mayo.

Beef Marrow Bone Stock

Marrow bones are just not something most of us have encountered before.  The first time I went shopping for them, I didn't even know what to look for.  When I check out with them at Whole Foods, the checker always asks "are these for your dog?".  I say "no, we make stock out of them," and they get all excited because I am the first person they have talked to that actually makes stock out of them!  Its pretty humorous.

You can find marrow bones at Whole Foods (WF) for 1.99 a lb.  They are in a plastic bag in the freezer section on the back wall.  I have also found them a few times at HEB, but it is erratic.  

Marrow bones make a very, very rich stock.  It took a  little getting used to for our family.  The following recipe is what we did a lot in the beginning of the GAPS intro and even now its what we generally do.

Ingredients:

2 bags of marrow bones
1  4 lb chuck roast
1 Tbl of apple cider vinegar (draws minerals from the bones)
water to cover

Place the bones in the stockpot
Rinse your meat and add it
Cover with water and add the vinegar
Bring to a boil and skim off the scum that forms on top
Turn down to a simmer and cover
Cook for at least 6 hours and it is better to go overnight

In the morning I pull out the roast onto a platter and pull the marrow bones out into a bowl to cool.  At this point you can do a couple of things.

1. You can strain the broth and just keep it to drink or cook with
2. You can allow the bones to cool and dump the marrow, which is the fatty center of the bone, back into the stock and use a stick or immersion blender into the stock and blend it all together until it is smooth.  It will just make your stock a bit creamy and rich.  We love it this way.  It is the basis for beef soup of many kinds.  
3. You can dump the marrow into a blender and make Paté

These are just some of the things you can do with beef marrow and one way to make stock.

Coconut Flour Pancakes

Today I had some leftover Kaboto squash (similar to acorn squash) and wanted to make a yummy treat for us.  I saw the coconut flour pancake recipe on Food Renegade and decided to try it.  They were fantastic!  We added some fresh blackberries (Costco) and some homemade coconut milk and had a delicious, very healthy snack.  My son Josh did the photography work, while his impatient siblings waited to eat!

Ingredients:


4 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce or squash puree (just well mashed)
1/4 cup coconut flour
pinch of salt

Beat eggs with salt then add in squash, beat again and then add in coconut flour.  Beat it well and let it sit for 5-10 minutes while you preheat your gridle or pan to medium.  The coconut flour needs to absorb the liquid.
Put coconut oil or ghee or some animal fat in your pan.  Let the fat melt and fry them until they are browned about 4-5 minutes on each side.

They were very bread-like and delicious.  I am sure that with the applesauce they would be sweeter.  The other nice thing about them is that I poured coconut milk on mine and then it sat for a bit.  I imagined that they would be soggy, but they were not at all.

Chicken Stock

Basic chicken stock can be made with one or two chickens or a package of chicken thighs or legs or wings or any combination. Stock with a high gelatin content is the most healing, so chicken pieces, such as the legs and wings make the best stock. You will need a large stockpot.

Ingredients:

2 whole chickens
cold (filtered is best) water to cover
1 Tbl of raw apple cider vinegar

Rinse your chickens well and remove the neck and giblets. Put the neck in the pot and throw out the giblets. Put the chickens, water and vinegar in the pot and put it on the stove. Bring it to a boil and skim all of the scum from the top. Turn it down to a very low simmer. Simmer for 4 hours for a meat stock and overnight or 12 hours for a good mineral-rich bone stock. Pull your chickens out and pick the meat out to be used in other recipes. We've kept the stock for up to a week in the fridge. It can also be frozen.

Additions:

carrots
celery
onions
bay leaf
sprigs of thyme, oregano, marjoram

The above ingredients are added for flavor and mineral content. They are removed from the stock when it is done. You can always feed the carrots to the kids as a snack!

Cooking with a friend!

Just had an amazing afternoon cooking with my dear friend Stef. I got to show her how to cook meatballs and tomato sauce and she set up this amazing blog!

Meatballs In Tomato Sauce

Lets do it Tuesday. What time do you pick kids up? I would need a couple of hours first thing in the morning to do history and such. Is it better for the little boys and I to come there? I was thinking about right after lunch. You could even go get your kids and we could work some more if we want to. Do we want to make meatballs in tomato sauce and sauted carrots and salad? I have the tomato sauce. The kids can even make the meatballs. If that sounds good, we need

ground beef 5lbs
1 bunch of celery
couple onions
oregano
frozen fajita mix (4 bags if you like bell peppers and onions, 2 if not)
4 lbs of baby carrots
romaine lettuce.

I will bring the tomato sauce and some stuff for the salad. We will need olive oil and apple cider vinager and some chicken broth. Do you have any frozen broth? I usually have a ton, but not sure I will have any by Tuesday.

The Many Uses Of Double Concentrated Tomato Paste

We love to use this item in:

buffalo wings (recipes to follow)
homemade ketchup (mix paste, apple cider vinegar, onion powder, allspice, salt, and little tomato sauce)
salad dressing
marinara sauce

Turkey Soup

Turkey
Zuchinni
Onions
Taragon
Salt
Pepper

Turkey on in water for 4-10 hours, add onion and springs of thyme
Pull turkey out
Add zuchinni and onions
Pick out turkey meat
Put skin and fat into blender with Tarragon, salt and pepper
Blend until smooth
when veggie are tender add gravy and turkey
Cook and eat all day