Fresh Tomato Salsa

My 10-year-old daughter has been learning to cook simple meals for our family, and quesadillas are one of her favorite things to make. I'm not sure if everyone knows what quesadillas are, but in case you don't know, quesadillas are simply tortillas, buttered on the outside, and filled with cheese. We cook them until they are crispy in a skillet.

Quesadillas are a very common food here in the southwestern USA, but we didn't eat them for years since my husband and daughter were not eating many grains. Recently, though, we have found excellent grain-free tortillas, and we've been so excited to once again eat quesadillas.

October is panning out to be the month of the tomato here, with lots of tomatoes fresh from our garden. Fresh salsa and sour cream are perfect accompaniments to quesadillas. This recipe for fresh tomato salsa is very simple. I've purposely made it with ingredients I generally have on-hand by substituting coriander and cayenne pepper for the typical fresh cilantro and jalapenos.

Fresh Tomato Salsa 

• 1 cup fresh ripe tomatoes, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced thinly
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp coriander
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper (use more if you like your salsa very spicy)

1. Chop the tomatoes and slice the green onions.
2. Juice the lime. A lemon reamer works great for this.
3. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. Serve immediately. Fresh tomato salsa is great with tortilla chips, quesadillas, or tacos.

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Blini - Russian Pancakes - With Savory or Sweet Toppings (gluten-free : nutrient-dense)

Blini - I had never heard of these thin Russian pancakes before our homeschool world studies last fall.  Now blini are an adored recipe in our household, and everyone is excited for Blini Night. On Blini Night, I work at the stove, cooking the blinis, while everyone keeps coming back for more. We have both savory and sweet toppings ready, and it feels like a simple feast.

For the savory blini, we use sour cream with smoked salmon, thinly-sliced cucumbers, capers, and green onions. Our sweet blinis are topped with sour cream and jam, honey, or strawberries. Sour cream, salmon, and honey are all traditional Russian foods, so these toppings work well for our Russian-inspired meals.   

Traditionally, blini are made with either buckwheat or wheat flour. Since two members of our household are still most often avoiding gluten, and tolerate other grains to varying degrees, I make our blini primarily with white rice flour. Tapioca starch is used to give the blini a bit of holding power, since blini made with only rice flour break very easily. Milk kefir gives these blini a fantastic taste.

Blini - Russian Pancakes

Makes 12-14 blini

For the Blini:

• 1 cup plus 2 Tb white rice flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 Tb organic sugar
• 1/4 tsp finely ground celtic sea salt
• 2 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• 1&3/4 cup whole milk kefir (or substitute buttermilk)
• 2 Tb nutrient-dense butter, melted
• Additional 1 stick of nutrient-dense butter, for cooking the blini 

1. Combine the white rice flour, tapioca starch, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk to combine. 
2. In a small bowl, beat two eggs with a fork.  Add the milk kefir and stir well to combine.
3. Using a hand mixer or whisk, mix the kefir mixture into the flour mixture.
4. Mix in the 2 Tb melted butter.
5. Set aside the blini batter for 10 minutes.
6. In the meantime prepare the toppings (ingredients listed below).
7. Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. I like to use a cast iron skillet to cook the blini.
8. Melt some butter in the skillet, coating the bottom of the skillet well. Use a 1/4 cup of batter for each blini (a 1/4 measuring cup works well for this). Immediately after pouring the batter into the skillet, give the skillet a gentle swirl to allow the batter to spread out. 
9. Cook the blini until golden brown on one side (about 2 minutes), then add more butter to the skillet and flip the blini. Cook an additional 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
10. Top the blini with savory or sweet toppings and enjoy!

Savory Blini Toppings:

• sour cream
• smoked salmon
• green onions, green parts only, sliced thinly
• thinly sliced cucumbers
• capers

1. Start by spreading the sour cream over the blini, then add the rest of the toppings. 
2. If desired, fold the blini over the toppings.

Sweet Blini Toppings:

• sour cream
• honey
• jam
• strawberries

1. Start by spreading the sour cream over the blini.
2. Add jam or honey, and fresh strawberries if desired.  
3. If desired, fold the blini over the toppings.

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Cobb Salad (grain-free : gluten-free : nutrient-dense)

As my children and I are wrapping up our unit study on the United States, we're "visiting" the west coast.  Cobb Salad is a California specialty that has become a mainstay salad all over the country.

An easy way to remember the ingredients in Cobb Salad is to use the acronym EAT COBB - Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Bleu cheese. My family enjoyed this hearty salad recipe, although it was preferred to substitute goat cheese for the bleu cheese.

Cobb Salad
Serves 4

• For the chicken:
• 3 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped roughly
• 1 celery stalk, chopped roughly
• 1 white onion, in large chunks
• Celtic sea salt
• filtered water
• For the bacon and eggs:
• 6 slices of bacon, preferably nitrate-free
• 4 eggs, preferably from pastured hens
• filtered water
• For the salad:
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 1/2 head red leaf lettuce
• 2 small endives, diced
• 2 ripe avocados, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• 3 Tb diced green onions, green parts only
• 1/2 cup crumbled bleu cheese or goat cheese
• For the dressing:
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 drop hot sauce
• 1/8 tsp soy sauce
• 1/8 tsp blackstrap molasses
• 1/8 tsp fish sauce
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp finely-ground Celtic sea salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook the chicken: 

1. Place the carrot, celery, and onion in a 4-qt pot. Add the chicken thighs, cover with filtered water, and add a generous pinch of salt. 
2. Bring the pot of chicken to a low simmer. Cover the pot and allow the chicken to gently simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Use tongs to remove the chicken from the pot and allow to cool until it can be handled easily. (The super-delicious broth leftover from cooking the chicken can be used for some other meal later on. It makes fantastic nutrient-dense white rice.)
4. Once the chicken is cool enough, remove and discard the chicken skin. (Or feed it to the dog!) Remove the chicken meat from the bones, being careful to avoid any cartilage or other chewy bits. The bones can be saved for making chicken bone broth. 
5. Chop the chicken into small pieces.
6. The chicken can be prepared earlier in the day or even a day in advance of the meal. If so, just allow the chicken to sit out for a few minutes before adding it to the salad, so the chicken isn't refrigerator-cold. 

Cook the bacon:

1. Cook the bacon until it is nicely crisp. My favorite way to cook bacon is to bake it in the oven at in a 9X13 glass baking dish. It takes about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees, and seems to cook best on the bottom rack.
2. When the bacon is done, place it on paper towels to remove the excess grease. Once the bacon is cool enough, it can be chopped or crumbled for the salad. 
3. The bacon can be cooked earlier in the day or even a day in advance of the meal.

Boil the eggs:

1. Boil the eggs to your liking. My preferred way to make boiled eggs is as follows: Put the eggs in a small pot and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover the pot. Set a timer for 15-18 minutes (depending on the size of the eggs). When the timer goes off, pour out the hot water and then add cold water and ice to cool the eggs down quickly (so they don't continue to cook).
2. Once the boiled eggs have cooled enough to handle, peel them. Chop the eggs into wedges or slices.
3. The eggs can be boiled and peeled earlier in the day or even a day in advance of the meal.

Prepare the dressing:

1. Combine the red wine vinegar with all other ingredients except for the olive oil.
2. Whisk or shake vigorously to mix it all up. I like to use this salad dressing bottle so I can just put on the lid and shake it all together.
3. Add about 1 tsp of the olive oil and whisk/shake vigorously again. Adding a small amount of oil first helps the dressing become better mixed so it won't separate back into oil and vinegar as quickly.
4. Add the rest of the olive oil and whisk or shake to combine.

Prepare the salad:

1. Rip the lettuce into bite-sized pieces and chop the endive. Wash and dry the lettuces and endive. A salad spinner works excellently for this. I use this method to easily wash and dry all of my salad greens.
2. Chop up the avocado, slice the tomatoes, and dice the scallions.

Bring it all together:

1. Place a generous amount of lettuce on each plate.
2. Create stripes over top of the lettuce, adding the avocado, bacon, eggs, bleu cheese (or goat cheese), chicken, and tomatoes. Sprinkle the green onions over it all.
3. Shake up the dressing and drizzle to taste.
4. Serve and enjoy!

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Cherry Cranberry Sauce

I was inspired to try a new recipe for cranberry sauce for the holidays when I saw Elana's recipe for cranberry sauce that included cherries. I normally make my cranberry sauce with the addition of apples, but since I still have sweet cherries in the freezer from last summer's harvest, I was intrigued to try making cranberry sauce with cherries. 

This Cherry Cranberry Sauce recipe uses fresh-squeezed orange juice and honey to balance the super tartness of the cranberries. The cinnamon stick adds a nice depth of flavor to the sauce, and this recipe resulted in a yummy sweet-tart cranberry sauce that made an excellent addition to our holiday meals. While I typically only make cranberry sauce around the holidays, my children enjoyed this recipe so much that they have begged me to make it several more times. This cherry cranberry sauce makes a yummy side dish any time of day, and is also great with granola or stirred into plain whole-milk yogurt.

Cherry Cranberry Sauce

Makes ~3 cups

• 2 cups cranberries
• 2 cups pitted sweet cherries
• 1 cup freshly-squeezed orange or tangerine juice
• 5 Tb mild-flavored honey (or more if you like your sauce sweeter)
• one cinnamon stick

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium pot. I use frozen cherries and cranberries in this recipe.  A lemon reamer works well for juicing the oranges/tangerines.
2. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook for about 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and the fruit has gotten rather soft. Stir occasionally.
3. Use a potato masher or fork to lightly mash the fruit, and cook a few minutes more.
4. Turn off heat and remove the cinnamon stick.
5. Allow to cool, then refrigerate in air-tight containers.
6. Enjoy this cranberry sauce as a side dish, with granola, or stirred into some plain, whole-milk yogurt.

Does your family enjoy cranberry sauce? Do you eat it only around the holidays?

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Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip (probiotic : nutrient-dense)

Ranch dressing is a staple item in our household. We use it as a salad dressing, as a dip for veggie sticks and homemade pizza, and as a sandwich condiment. I previously blogged my original ranch dressing recipe 4 years ago; this new recipe is another version of ranch dressing that we have been enjoying for about a year now.  The milk kefir adds wonderful flavor and a good dose of healthy probiotics to this ranch dressing.


Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip

• 1 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• 1/4 cup raw milk kefir (buttermilk or additional yogurt could be substituted, but milk kefir gives the best flavor)
• 1 Tb fresh lemon juice (a lemon reamer works great for getting more juice from every lemon)
• 1 med garlic clove, pressed (or substitute 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp fine-ground celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried dill

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl or 2-cup measuring cup. (Putting all of the ingredients into a 2-cup measuring cup saves on having to dirty many different measuring cups.) Whisk or stir well to combine. 
2. If possible, make this dressing at least an hour before it will be consumed, so the flavors have a chance to meld.
3. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge.  This ranch dressing will keep for at least a week. If separation occurs, just give it a quick stir before using it. 

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Hot Fudge Sauce (grain-free : gluten-free : nutrient-dense)

As a special treat, my husband requested hot fudge sundaes. I was excited to develop this recipe for hot fudge sauce with simple ingredients that I always have on-hand. The results are fantastic: rich, creamy fudge sauce that is perfect on vanilla ice cream. This recipe is so delicious that you'll be licking the spoon and trying to find other things to dip in chocolate. Yup, it's great on strawberries and bananas too!

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1 cup soy-free chocolate chips
• 4 Tb whole milk, preferably from grassfed cows
• 3 Tb butter, preferably from grassfed cows
• 1 Tb sucanat
• 1/2 tsp organic or homemade vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan.
2. Melt over very low heat, whisking frequently. 
3. Continue to whisk occasionally until the sauce is velvety smooth. 
4. Drizzle over ice cream or fruit. Enjoy!
5. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Re-warm gently before serving. Consume within a week.

Creamy White Pizza Sauce (nutrient-dense : gluten-free)

Often on Friday nights, we have pizza for dinner.  Looking for a change from our usual pizza sauce, I came up with this creamy white pizza sauce.  This sauce has a great flavor from the basil and garlic.  It makes a delicious base for our favorite pizza toppings.

White Pizza Sauce
Makes sauce for one 12-inch pizza

• 3 Tb butter, preferably from pastured cows 
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 cup whole milk, preferably from pastured cows
• 1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil OR 1 Tb fresh minced basil
• 2 Tb white rice flour*

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Let the butter start to brown a bit (but make sure it doesn't burn).
2. Use a garlic press to mince the garlic.  Add the garlic to the melted butter and saute for 20-30 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant. 
3. Stir in the milk. Add the salt, pepper, and basil. 
4. Bring to a simmer and cook for about five minutes. Stir frequently so the milk doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.
5. Carefully remove ~1/4 cup of the hot liquid from the pan and pour it into a glass cup. I like to use a glass Pyrex measuring cup for this. Whisk the rice flour into the cup of  milk. Once it is well-combined, whisk the rice/milk mixture into the saucepan.  
6. Continue to simmer the mixture for 5-10 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened considerably.
7. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
8. Spread the sauce over a pizza crust of your choice**. Top with your favorite toppings and bake.  We topped the white pizza sauce with sauteed mushroom, nitrate-free salami, green onions, and plenty of cheese. 
9. Slice and enjoy!

*Wondering why I use white rice instead of brown rice? Check out this article to find out.
**We are currently loving Against the Grain Gourmet brand pizza crust, which is sold in the freezer case at our local healthfood store.  It is composed primarily of cheese, milk, eggs, and tapioca starch. My only complaint with the ingredients is that there is a small amount of canola oil in these crusts, but since the amount is small I have decided not to worry about it.  I know some of my blog readers have reported that my Cheesy Bread recipe also works well as a pizza crust, but I haven't tried that yet since my family just devours the cheesy bread every time I make it.

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Homemade Spiced Ketchup (primal : GAPS : gluten-free)

While we enjoy my basic ketchup recipe as well, lately we've really been enjoying this spiced ketchup recipe. This ketchup is a bit sweeter and more like store-bought ketchup than my other recipe. It is a bit like a cross between ketchup and barbecue sauce. The ketchup is great on bunless burgers, hot dogs, and with french fries.

Since this ketchup is fermented, it is a great source of probiotics too!
Homemade Spiced Ketchup
Makes 1 quart

• Three 7-oz glass jars of tomato paste
• 1/2 cup plus 1 Tb raw mild-flavored honey
• 1/3 cup raw apple cider vinegar
• 1&1/2 tsp finely ground celtic sea salt
• 1/4 tsp dried allspice
• 1/2 tsp dried paprika
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 6 Tb raw whey
• Equipment needed: one quart mason jar, or two pint mason jars

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (if using a quart mason jar, you can save on dirty dishes by mixing this up directly in the jar). Stir well to combine. If using pint mason jars, pour the ketchup into the jars.
2. Ensure that the top of the ketchup is at least 1-inch below the top of the jar(s).
3. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, wipe the top of the jar above the ketchup clean.
4. Put a lid on the jar and leave at room temperature for 3 days; then transfer to the refrigerator.

Apple Season!

Fresh apples are a wonderful treat at this time of year.  I try to avoid buying apples at other times of year when they are not in season (like during the spring and summer).  Eating fruit as it comes in season is a great way to ensure that the fruit you buy will always be fresh and delicious, rather than picked and then transported for weeks from some far away locale.  This year, our two apple trees provided us with plenty of apples right from our back yard.

Enjoy them now
We love to eat apples raw, and there are also some great ways to cook with apples.  Some of our favorite ways to cook with apples are:

• Apple clafoutis is one our top five grain-free breakfasts. 
• Cooked apples make a delicious side dish alongside pork or chicken.  Simply combine chopped apples with some butter, a dash of salt, and a bit of honey if desired. Then cook for about an hour over low heat.
• Caramel apples are a delicious treat!
• Apple cinnamon muffins are another beloved grain-free breakfast in our home.  

Preserve some apples
To extend our apple enjoyment, I like to preserve lots of apples.  An apple corer-peeler-slicer is essential to save time.  My favorite ways to preserve apples are:

• Dried apples: Core and slice the apples; then dry them in a dehydrator or oven at the lowest temperature.  We like to dry them until they are nice and crispy.  Dried apples make a great snack, and they can also be used to make apple raisin snack bars.
• Spiced apple butter: Throw cored apples (whole or sliced, with the peel on) into a slow cooker and let them cook all day.  Add spices like cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and cloves.  Add a pinch of salt and some honey if desired.  Then blend it all with an immersion blender until it is nice and smooth.  I store apple butter in small jars in the freezer rather than canning it. It is wonderful stirred into a bowl of yogurt, on buttered toast, or on top of some homemade ice cream.
• Apple worms: Rather than throwing the apple peels into the compost bucket, I combine them with a dash of maple syrup and sometimes sprinkle them with a touch of cinnamon. Then dry them in the oven for several hours at 200 degrees F.  The result is a wonderful, crispy snack!  My kids gets a kick out of eating these "worms".

• Frozen raw apples: In a large pot or bowl, combine cold filtered water and some sea salt (I use 1/4 cup salt to one gallon water). Core, peel, and slice the apples, and then chop them a bit more into smaller pieces.  As each apple is prepared, drop the pieces into the salt water.  Once all the apples are immersed, give them a stir. Drain into a colander and do NOT rinse the apples.  Put the apples into quart freezer bags, and transfer to the freezer. Frozen appples are  wonderful in the middle of winter cooked into clafoutis or an apple crisp. 
• Frozen cooked apples: Peel, core, and slice apples.  Cook them over low heat with a dash of salt and a little butter or coconut oil.  When they are nice and soft, they are done!  Scoop them into glass jars or bowls and freeze them.  These make a great quick side dish or treat.  
• Apple core and peel jelly: Leftover apple cores and peels can be cooked to make a simple apple jelly.  I combine the peels and cores of about 20 apples with about 6 cups of water.  Cook over at a low simmer for about an hour, then strain.  The resulting apple liquid can be combined with sweetener of your choice to make jelly.  I use Pomona's pectin, which allows you to use any sweetener you like in much lesser quantities than traditional jelly recipes.

What are your favorite apple recipes? Are you preserving any apples this year?

LEAVE THE BUTTER OUT! (on the counter, of course)

When we switched to using wholesome, healthy butter back in 2005, one of my biggest complaints was how hard it was to spread butter on bread, muffins, and waffles.  Luckily, a friend who had grown up eating butter told me the trick: leave the butter out on the counter!

What a perfect solution!  I always have a stick of butter in the butter dish on the counter.  It is always nice and soft, ready to slather on our morning waffles, muffins, or even sandwich bread. And for those of you wondering: no, the butter doesn't go bad on the counter!  Admittedly, a stick of butter never lasts us more than a week, but I know others who have left it out for over a week with no problem. 

I do not use one of those fancy butter keepers that have water in them, just a plain butter dish.  My butter dish happens to be metal, but glass is fine, too. I like to leave the butter stick in its wrapper, so that I don't have to clean the butter dish very often.  But I know plenty of others who go ahead and place the stick of butter directly on the butter dish.

A couple cautions:
1. If you buy RAW butter, I would not recommend leaving it out on the counter.  If you do, it will develop a much stronger, almost cheesy flavor over time. This is because the live enzymes in the raw butter are still working just as they would in making raw milk clabber on the counter.
2. If it is very hot in your house in the summer months, then your butter might melt and make a big mess.  This won't be a problem unless it gets upwards of 90 degrees in your house.

My Grain-Free e-Cookbook - Nourishing Eats

I'm pleased to announce the release of Nourishing Eats, my grain-free e-cookbook.  This cookbook contains 60 nutrient-dense recipes.  This book is perfect for the GAPS Diet since 57 of the recipes are legal for the Full GAPS Diet.  It is also suitable for primal/paleo eating. I've kept the price low so that more people can benefit from this great resource.

The book comes in PDF format, and is ready to print for those who prefer to have something they can easily refer to in the kitchen. It is a great value at only $7.99.

Here is the full table of contents for the cookbook:
Characteristics of Nourishing Diets
 
Why Grain-Free, and What is the GAPS Diet?

A Note About Ingredients and Which Recipes are GAPS-legal

Breakfasts

• Tips and Ideas for Easy Grain-Free Breakfasts 
• Baked Bacon and Eggs  
• Banana Bread  
• Banana Coconut Baked Custard  
• Cinnamon Raisin Bread  
• Coconut and Fruit Granola  
• Clafoutis: Apple, Pear, or Peach Blueberry  
• Crispy Almond Pancakes  
• Ham and Cheese Egg Cups  
• Muffins: Blueberry Banana, Apple Cinnamon, Ginger Pear, or Cranberry Orange  
• Parmesan Spinach Bread  
• Pesto and Dried Tomato Egg Cups

Snacks and Desserts

• Grain-Free Snack Ideas 
• Apple Raisin Snack Bars  
• Apple Snap Granola  
• Chewy Cinnamon Almond Cookies  
• Crispy Nuts and Flour  
• Lime and Coconut Macaroons  
• Liver and Butter Sauté  
• Mint Ice Cream  
• Peanut Butter Coconut Bars  
• Pumpkin Pie Clafoutis  
• Pumpkin Spice Bread  
• Red Crackers  
• Tips for the Best Nourishing Smoothies  
• Warm Vanilla Milk  
• Yellow Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting  
• Vanilla or Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

 Main Courses

• Bacon-wrapped Salmon Cakes with Tartar Sauce 
• Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Salad  
• Best Stovetop Hamburgers  
• Braised Short Ribs  
• Brisket with Carrots and Onions  
• Cheese and Veggie Cakes  
• Cheesy Beef and Vegetable Soup  
• Creamy Chicken and Thyme Soup  
• Crustless Chicken Pizza Casserole with Nourishing Pizza Sauce  
• Egg Drop Soup  
• Green Chile Beef Stew  
• Ham, Bean, and Bacon Soup  
• Herbed Pork and Cabbage Stew  
• Honey-Glazed Pork Chops  
• Pork Carnitas  
• Grain-Free Tortillas  
• Shredded Beef Taco Salad  
• Skillet Lasagna

Dressings, Sauces, and Fermented Foods

• Balsamic Vinaigrette 
• Easy Creamy Salad Dressing  
• Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip  
• Honey Mustard Mayo Sauce, Dip, and Dressing  
• Bread and Butter Pickles  
• Ginger Dill Sauerkraut  
• Ketchup made with Honey and Apple Cider Vinegar  
• Homemade Mayonnaise  
• How to Make Whey and Cream Cheese from Milk Kefir, Raw Milk, or Yogurt  
• Kombucha Tea and Vinegar

Purchase Information

Click here to buy the Nourishing Eats eCookbook.

Nourishing Eats $7.99 USD

Money Back Guarantee: If you don’t love the book, I will refund your money within 30 days of
your purchase date.

Delivery: The download link for the ebook will emailed to you within 24-48 hours from receipt of payment. Should you have any difficulty, you can contact me at nourishedandnurtured[at]gmail[dot]com.

Four Great Ways to Use Bacon Grease

I save bacon grease, but don't typically cook with it much as I prefer the flavor of butter. So what do I do with the bacon grease?

• Drizzle melted bacon grease on a green salad in place of oil: This is my absolute favorite way to use bacon grease!  It makes salads taste fabulous. Balsamic vinegar and honey mustard both pair wonderfully with bacon grease on a salad.  Lately, we've really been enjoying salad dressed with salt and pepper, bacon grease, homemade mayo, and homemade honey mustard (made by mixing equal parts raw honey and dijon mustard). 
• Use bacon grease to replace some of the oil in homemade mayo: This makes for some tasty bacon mayo!  With my immersion blender, I don't even have to melt the bacon grease to use it in mayo (but it should be at room temperature).  And then you can even use the bacon mayo to make bacon-flavored homemade ranch dressing.
• Rub kale with bacon grease instead of oil when making kale chips:The flavor of kale pairs wonderfully with the flavor of bacon.
• Bacon grease can really change up the flavor of soups: I really like the flavor of bacon when added to chicken-based soups.

What are your favorite ways to use bacon grease?

This post is part of Fat Tuesday and Monday Mania! 

My Family's Favorite Homemade Ketchup (and it's GAPS-legal!)

Homemade ketchup is much more nourishing than ketchup from the store.  We've enjoyed a few different fermented ketchup recipes (including the one in Nourishing Traditions), but I wanted something a bit more basic, without the strong flavor imparted by the fish sauce.  This recipe is bursting with tomato flavor, with just the right tang from the cider vinegar and garlic.  My family prefers this ketchup to the other recipes I've tried. Since this recipe includes whey, it is also a great probiotic condiment. It will keep for several months in the fridge.

This recipe is also a great base for homemade cocktail sauce.  Just add a bit of prepared horseradish to taste, and then dip away!

My Family's Favorite Homemade Ketchup
Makes about 3.5 cups ketchup

• Three 7-oz jars of tomato paste, preferably in glass jars to avoid BPA
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tb raw honey
• 3 Tb raw apple cider vinegar 
• 3 small garlic cloves, pressed
• 6 Tb whey
• 2&1/4 tsp finely ground celtic sea salt
• pinch cayenne pepper
• Equipment needed: one quart mason jar, or two pint mason jars

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl (if using a quart mason jar, you can save on dirty dishes by mixing this up directly in the jar). Stir well to combine. If using pint mason jars, pour the ketchup into the jars.
2. Ensure that the top of the ketchup is at least 1-inch below the top of the jar(s). 
3. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, wipe the top of the jar above the ketchup clean. 
4. Put lid on jar and leave at room temperature for 3 days; then transfer to the refrigerator.  It will keep for several months in the fridge.

This post is part of Fat Tuesday at Real Food Forager, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet, Real Food Wednesday with Kelly the Kitchen Kop and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!

Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip

Homemade ranch dressing is very easy to make and tastes so much better than the store-bought kind.  Ranch is of course delicious on salads, but it is also great on as a dip for veggies, pizza, sandwiches, and even hard-boiled eggs. Give it a try!

Homemade Ranch Dressing and Dip

½ c. sour cream or milk kefir

½ c. mayonnaise, preferably homemade*

Heaping 1 Tb onion powder

1/4 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic

3 Tb dried parsley

2 Tb finely grated Parmesan

½ tsp celtic sea salt

¼ tsp pepper

Yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir, optional

1-2 Tb flax oil**, optional

Combine all ingredients and stir well.  For dressing, add a little yogurt, buttermilk, or kefir to thin to desired consistency.  Chill for at least 1 hour, or preferably 3 hours.

Tasty Tip: The onion powder is key to this recipe.  If, after being chilled for a few hours, the dressing doesn’t taste quite ranch-y enough, add more onion powder.

Preservation Tip: Using homemade mayo helps the ranch keep longer, not that it stays around long at our house anyway. Regardless, it will last for at least a week in the fridge.

*If you're using store-bought mayo, try to avoid soy and preservatives.  The kind we used to buy is Hain’s safflower mayo.

**Only a small amount of flax oil is needed as it is very high in omega 3's. Make sure you buy flax oil that is refrigerated, as the high omega 3 content makes flax oil go rancid easily. Also, keep your flax oil refrigerated and never heat it.

This post is part of Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist, Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet and Real Food Wednesday at Kelly the Kitchen Kop! 

Balsamic Vinaigrette (GAPS-legal)

Did you know that it is lettuce season?  Lettuce is a cool-season crop, so Spring and Fall are typically the best times to find local lettuce and other salad greens.  My own meager lettuce crop is ready for harvest, and we've been enjoying lettuce from my mom's garden for months. Since we've been eating lots of salad, it is nice to have some variety in salad dressings.  Making homemade salad dressing is very easy, and the taste and nutrition of homemade dressing are unmatched by salad dressing from the store. 

Balsamic Vinaigrette
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar*
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1/2 Tb raw honey
1-2 Tb flax oil**
3/4-1 c. olive oil and/or sunflower oil***

1. Combine vinegar, mustard, salt, honey, and spices.  Whisk until well-combined.  
2. Add a small amount of oil, and whisk well to combine. (Adding a small amount of oil initially helps the dressing to become emulsified so that it will not separate readily into vinegar and oil.)  
3. Add remaining oil and whisk to combine.  
4. Store in the fridge.  I find that this dressing keeps for at least a week or two.  

Serve over salad and enjoy!  For a new twist, try drizzling both balsamic vinaigrette and Easy Creamy Dressing onto a salad.

*Balsamic vinegar is listed as not allowed on the GAPS food list.  However, according to the SCD-legal and illegal list, the reason is that many balsamic vinegars have sugar in them.  To make this dressing GAPS-legal, make sure your balsamic vinegar does not have sugar.
**Only a small amount of flax oil is needed as it is very high in omega 3's. Make sure you buy flax oil that is refrigerated, as the high omega 3 content makes flax oil go rancid easily. Also, keep your flax oil refrigerated and never heat it.
***Feel free to use all olive oil; I use a combination of olive oil and sunflower oil as I find that it makes the dressing pourable directly from the fridge.  When I've used all olive oil, the oil solidifies in the fridge so that the dressing has to be warmed to room temperature before use.  I like my dressing to have quite a vinegar tang; if you like yours more mild, use the full 1 cup of oil.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet and Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist!

The Best Stovetop Hamburgers with Homemade Ketchup (GAPS-legal)

Everyone in my household loves hamburgers. When we started on the GAPS diet about seven months ago, we switched to eating bunless burgers. My favorite way to cook burgers is on the stovetop in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet. A few months ago, I stumbled upon a trick to make burgers even tastier: fry them in a mixture of butter and oil!  These burgers are so delicious that we do not miss the bun at all!

I know many people like to add spices or even some minced onion to their hamburger meat, but I like to keep it simple with just salt and pepper.  The flavor of the beef really shines in this recipe.

Best Bunless Burgers:

• one pound ground beef, preferably grassfed
• 1.5 tsp Celtic sea salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 1-2 Tb butter, chopped into pieces
• 1-2 Tb sunflower oil (or other oil with a high smoke point, such as refined coconut oil)
• splatter screen (optional)
• cheddar cheese, sliced thinly
• homemade mayonnaise
• lactofermented pickles (we use Bubbies)
• homemade ketchup (recipe follows)

1. Using your hands, mix the salt and pepper into the ground beef. 
2. Divide the meat into four equal portions and pat into patties that are about 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick. I also pull a bit off each patty to make a couple miniature burgers for my 4-year-old daughter.
3. Heat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat.  The skillet is ready when you can sprinkle a couple water droplets in and they immediately sizzle and evaporate. Try not to overheat the skillet as you don't want to burn the oil and butter.
4. Drizzle about 1Tb of oil into the pan and sprinkle around about 1 Tb of butter. The butter will very quickly melt, so be ready to add your burgers.
5. Place your burger patties into the oil/butter mixture.  If you have a splatter screen, cover the skillet to reduce the mess on the stove. Resist the urge to move the patties around, and just let them cook for about 3-4 minutes. 
6. Flip the burgers, and feel free to add a bit more butter and oil if needed. Carefully top the burgers with the sliced cheddar cheese. Cover once again with the splatter screen and cook some more (about 2 more minutes for a medium-rare burger or longer if you like your burgers more well done). If you are making any miniature burgers for the kids, only cook the second side for about 1 minute.
7. Remove burgers from heat, and let them rest for a few minutes to allow the juices to settle back into the meat.  If you eat them right away, you'll lose most of the juice on your plate.
8. Top the burgers with a smear of homemade mayonnaise and serve them with homemade ketchup, a side salad, and perhaps some sliced avocado. If you feel the need for something to replace the typical french fries, try some pork rinds.

Why make homemade ketchup?
Store-bought ketchup is loaded with sugar and is not a nourishing food. Making homemade ketchup is very easy, and it tastes great! Once you get used to eating homemade ketchup, you'll find store-bought ketchup to be overly sweet with a very one-dimensional flavor. I based my recipe on the one in Nourishing Traditions, but have made it GAPS-legal by using honey instead of maple syrup. Since this ketchup has whey in it, it is also a great way to add some probiotics to your diet.

Homemade Ketchup:

• 1 & 1/4 cups BPA-free tomato paste (from glass jars, such as Bionaturae brand)
• 1/8 cup whey 
• 1.5 tsp Celtic sea salt
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup raw honey
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 small (or 1 large) cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fish sauce*

1. Add all ingredients to a 2-cup glass jar. Stir well to combine. 
2. Ensure that the top of the ketchup is at least 1-inch below the top of the jar. 
3. Using a clean cloth or paper towel, wipe the top of the jar above the ketchup clean.  Put lid on jar and leave at room temperature for 2-3 days; then transfer to the refrigerator.

*Don't worry: the fish sauce does not make this ketchup taste fishy! I use store-bought fish sauce, but if you are on GAPS you need to make sure it does not have added sugar.  You could also make your own using the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

This post is part of Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade, Pennywise Platter at The Nourishing Gourmet, and Monday Mania at The Healthy Home Economist!