Sprouted Navy Bean Hummus, GAPS legal

Woohoo, GAPS legal hummus!  What is GAPS?  It stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and it’s the diet that has helped so many.  It is based on the SCD (specific carbohydrate diet) which is the diet that turned our family’s life around.  You can see our story here:  http://www.picklemetoo.com/2011/11/our-journey-with-autism.html

What makes something GAPS legal?  It contains only monosaccharide carbohydrates (the simplest of sugars that can’t be broken down any further, no starches or complex carbs that are difficult for GAPS people to digest).  The basic idea behind the GAPS diet is to give the digestive track a break and allow it to heal.  My oldest son ate this way for a full 2 years.  It was hard but it was worth it.

Usually making a substitute food ends up being sub par.  This is not the case here.  This is good hummus!  my kids are eating it by the bowlful.

Sprouting the Beans

To sprout the beans, place in a bowl with a lid.  Fill with water. Let soak overnight.  The next day, drain the water and rinse but don’t fill with water again.  Just cover the bowl.  Drain and rinse 3 times a day until you see sprouts emerging.  It should only take 2-3 days.  Discard if it starts to smell bad.  Great information on why to sprout your beans can be found here:  http://www.cookingtf.com/2011/04/19/why-i-no-longer-soak-my-beans/

If you don’t sprout the beans, you should at least soak them for 12-24 hrs.

To cook, place beans in a large pot and cover with water to about an inch over the top of the beans.  Bring to a boil and let simmer for about 4 hrs.  Skim the bubbles off the top and add more water if needed.  Crock pots are great for cooking beans.

Navy Bean Hummus 

• 3 cups soaked or sprouted navy beans, cooked
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup whey
• 1/2 preserved lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice with zest
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cumin

In a food processor, add all ingredients and process until a smooth paste.  Place in a quart sized mason jar filling only to about 2″ below the lid (you might have some left over to enjoy now).  Cover loosely and let set at room temp for 3 days.  Move to cold storage.

Part of Freaky Friday, Make Your Own Monday

Orange Spice Dutch Baby Sourdough Pancake

With a box full of oranges, lemons and mandarins, I’m trying to come up with creative ways to use them up (besides just eating them).  Jenny from the Nourished Kitchen clued me in to this tasty variation of pancakes.  My version is flavored with oranges and spices and used a gluten free sourdough starter.  My family LOVES pancakes but I don’t like making them. At all.  They eat them faster than I can make them and by the time the batter is all used up, I didn’t get any.

I also love how these use 6 eggs. I’m always on the look out for ways to use more eggs.  Our hens are producing at least a dozen a day!  And now that I have a sourdough starter going, I need was to use up the discarded batter. I hate throwing away good food!  The best part about using sourdough is that you can skip the soaking period since the sourdough is already soaked.  And it doesn’t have to be in active stage.  You can use refrigerated sourdough starter.

Orange Spice Dutch Baby Sourdough Pancake

• 2 tbsp butter (for the skillet)
• 6 eggs from pasture raised hens
• 1 cup sourdough starter (I use gluten free in a brown rice base)
• 3 tbsp honey (or 1/4 cup rapadura sugar)
• Juice and zest from 1 orange (use organic especially since we are using the skins)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp orange extract (optional, just adds another boost of taste)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of clove
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 425F.  Heat cast iron skillet with butter over medium heat.  Beat eggs, add sourdough starter, sweetener, orange zest and juice and remaining ingredients (except butter).  Batter should be quite liquid.  Add a little milk if it is too thick.

Pour batter into skillet.  Cook until the edges begin to pull away from the side, only 5 mins.  Place in the oven and cook until eggs are set, about 30-40 mins.  

Part of Traditional Tuesday , Fat Tuesday, Whole Food Wednesday

Coconut Saffron Shrimp Soup

So good.  So good.  This was another ‘no leftovers’ meal.  With having a perpetual stock pot always brewing up tasty stock, we’ve been trying to add more soups to our diet.  For my pot of soup, I did leave the skins on (thought maybe some of the nutrients might leach out into the soup).  Before eating, I just pulled the shrimp out, peeled them and popped them back in.  You can use peeled shrimp if you want to save a step.

Coconut Saffron Shrimp Soup

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2″ knob of ginger, grated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 quart chicken stock
• 2 med carrots, julienned
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust amount for more or less spice)
• a small pinch of saffron threads
• 1 lb shrimp
• scallions, chopped for garnish
• sea salt to taste
• Juice of 1 lime

In a large saucepan, melt butter and saute garlic and ginger for about 1 min.  Add coconut milk, stock, carrots , red pepper flakes and saffron.  Let simmer for about 10 mins or until carrots are soft.  Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp are pink.  Stir in lime juice and serve.

Part of Sunday Night Soup Night

Ain’t No Thang but a Chicken Wing.

It feels so good to finally get a recipe right.  I’ve made a few different attempts at making hot wings but they all ended up being just so-so.  Nothing spectacular.  Finally. Finally, I got it right.  Everyone at the table loved it and that is a rare occurrence.  You know how picky kids can be.  I nailed this whole meal.  They even licked their plates clean!  No leftovers for tomorrow!

When chili peppers were in season, I made a whole bunch of hot chili sauce. Enough to get me through the winter and even give some away as Christmas presents.

Hot Wings

• 1 cup hot chili sauce (commercial is okay but homemade is better.  Hot Chili Sauce from Nourished Kitchen.  Mine was made with jalapenos.)
• 1/2 tsp minced garlic (or fermented garlic paste)
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• cayenne pepper to taste (add more for more heat)
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp arrowroot powder
• 2 tsp water
• 24 chicken wings
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix coconut flour and salt. Toss chicken and flour together.  Bake chicken for about 45 mins or until done (165F).  

Mix chili sauce, garlic, butter and cayenne in a small saucepan.  Bring to a gentle boil.  Mix arrowroot powder, egg yolk and water.  Slowly pour into chili sauce mix while stirring  with a whisk.  Chili sauce will thicken up nicely.  Toss chicken in hot sauce and serve.

Fermented Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I’ve seen a number of lactofermented hummus recipes out there so I know I’m not venturing into new territory.  Of course I still have to put my own twist on this yummy version of hummus.  My favorite hummus recipe has always included roasted red peppers.  It makes it such a pretty orange color too.  The hardest part about this ferment is not eating it before it’s done fermenting!  This tastes great when used as a dip for crackers, pita bread or veggies.

Fermented Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

• 2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves (a great use for fermented garlic cloves)
• 1/3 cup tahini
• 1 Indian Hot Lemon (any preserved lemon or 2 tbsp lemon juice)
• 1 roasted red pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable culture (or fresh whey)

Combine everything in a food processor and process until it is a smooth paste (might take a while).  Pour into a quart sized mason jar and set at room temp for about 3 days.

Part of Fight Back Friday, Sunday School Blog Carnival, Make Your Own Monday

Chocolate Dipped Mandarin Slices

After dipping a pound of bacon the other day, we still had chocolate left over.  I glanced over at my box of fresh citrus my sister-in-law sent me from Ripe To You full of Meyer Lemons, mandarins and navel oranges, all picked and packed at peak taste, and thought chocolate dipped mandarin slices… Mmm!

My husband is returning from deployment tonight, a day after Valentine’s, so we are celebrating Valentine’s Day tonight with these chocolate dipped yummies.  Of course we had to do a taste test and they were as tasty as I had hoped they would be.  They make a fun juicy burst in your mouth.  Love it!

Chocolate Dipped Mandarins

• 4 mandarin oranges, peeled and divided
• 1 bag Enjoy Life chocolate chips (or chocolate of your choice)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

Melt chocolate and coconut oil together in a double boiler or small sauce pan.  

Dip mandarin slices and set on a tray lined with wax paper.  Set in the fridge or freezer until chocolate is set.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Yes, yes I did.  I fried up some bacon, melted some chocolate and dipped the bacon in the chocolate.  Crazy?  Either it would be the worst thing ever or the best thing ever.  Best. Thing. Ever. Further proof the bacon does indeed make everything better.  The salty sweetness is actually quite delicious with a good dark chocolate.  And for a little fun on Valentine’s Day, which I have to spend apart from my sweetie, I shaped the bacon into hearts.  I was going to make my own chocolate coating with raw cacao, cocoa butter and rapadura but there was no cocoa butter to be found in my town.  So I settled for Enjoy Life chocolate chips which weren’t too bad.  It contains evaporated cane juice, chocolate liquor, and cocoa butter which wasn’t too far off from what I was going to use anyway.

Chocolate Covered Bacon

• 1 lb bacon, nitrate free
• 10 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life is what I used)
• 1 tbsp coconut oil

To make heart shaped bacon, cut in half and over lap like this:

Bake at 400F for about 12-15 mins.  You’ll want them crispy.  Remove from oven, drain fat and let cool enough to handle.
Melt chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler or small saucepan.
Dip bacon into chocolate and set on a wax paper lined tray.  Set in the fridge (or freezer) to let the chocolate set.

Part of Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Whole Food Wednesday 

Fermented Bean Dip

I was just going to skip Ferment Friday this week but I’ve been wanting to try this for a while anyway.  If I were a sports fan, I might have thought ahead and posted this before the Superbowl but I’m not a big baseball fan anyway.

This is based on Nourishing Tradition’s Bean Paste recipe but I found it too salty to be palatable and it needed some spices.  I halved the salt and used Caldwell’s vegetable starter along with some of my favorite Mexican herbs/spices.  Perfect!  It has the most interesting tang but interesting in a very good way.

Fermented Bean Dip

• 3 cups cooked pinto beans (I bet black beans would be tasty too)
• 1/2 med onion, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne (optional)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp vegetable culture or fresh whey, divided

Combine everything, reserving 1 tbsp of culture, in a food processor.  Process until smooth and transfer to a quart sized mason jar.  Smooth top and clean the edges.  Top with remaining tbsp of culture. Let set at room temperature for about 3 days and then move to the fridge.

**A word of caution though, leave enough head space in the jar for the beans to expand because they will expand (ask me how I know, lol!). 3″ should be enough but just in case of overflow, place on a plate to catch any drippings. **

To serve, bring to room temp and enjoy with corn chips, pita bread, veggie dip.  Mix with fermented salsa or shredded cheese for more yum!

For the record, I’m just kidding.  I know the Superbowl is for basketball.

Part of Fight Back Friday, Freaky Friday, Fat Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday…

Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Gluten Free

I made these for lunch today and they were too good not to share.  My kids tell me they don’t like black beans so I just didn’t tell them that is what these patties were made out of.  And they have vegetables!  Eeek!

Black Bean Veggie Burgers

• 2 cups black beans, cooked, rinsed and drained (or one 15 oz can)
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1 large carrot, peeled 
• 1 celery rib
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 med onion
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 4 eggs, beaten (from pastured hens of course)
• 2 tbsp coconut oil (or butter or lard)

In a food processor, chop carrots, celery, garlic and onion very finely.  In a separate bowl, mash black beans with a potato masher so it’s mashed but has a little bit of texture.  Mix in eggs. Stir in almond flour, veggie mixture, spices and salt.  Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a cast iron skillet.  The mixture will be fairly liquid so it would be hard to form patties with your hands.  Instead drop the bean mixture into a hot skillet and smooth into a pattie with the back of your spoon.  Cook about 5 mins each side. 

Curtido

Did you know there is a Mexican/Central American sauerkraut?  Curtido is a mix of carrot, onion, cabbage and spices.  This is my favorite way to enjoy fermented cabbage.  Jenny from the Nourished Kitchen introduced me to curtido last year through her Simple Meal Plans.  Each week she includes a lacto-fermented recipe in addition to 3 delicious meals, a dessert and a soup all using seasonal foods.

Curtido

• 1 small head of cabbage, cored and shredded
• 3 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 small onion, shredded
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper (or 1 jalapeno chopped)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 cup fresh whey
• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

In a large non-reactive bowl, combine everything.  Mash together using a wooden spoon or or this masher from Cultures For Health.  You can also use your hands to really squeeze the juices out.  Once the juice is released from the vegetables, begin layering and pounding the mixture into a fermenting crock or mason jar.

Use a plate or a gallon sized Ziploc bag filled partway with water to keep the vegetable mixture submerged in it’s juices.  Let sit at room temperature for 2-4 weeks.  Mold may grow on top but just scoop it off.  After the ferment period, place in cold storage.  It will last a year or so.

This is my sauerkraut set up, a cheap glass jar from a craft store.  Once it’s done fermenting, I’ll put the curtido in quart sized mason jars so I can start another batch.  Maybe fermented lemons next…

This recipe is part of Fight Back Friday and Real Food Wednesday.