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Perpetual cocoyo (My weekday brekkie)

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

image

Oh bliss…hanging out in my activewear in a different postcode, green tea in the sun and blogging about food…before lunch at the amazing 2 birds eatery and partying with friends tonight…thanks and gratitude for this juicy little MIT (Moment In Time ;)..its the little things that count right…? And the theme of the week has been work life balance…my solution is… Cocoyo….Seriously, life will be taken up a notch by this decadent (but healthy) treat.  Forget working late..make some cocoyo… its so easy! Put the weetbix aside…eat cocoyo..its so yummy!  Forget financial stress..save $$ with cocoyo..its cheap!

Coconut yoghurt is a staple in my fridge… As is a jar of soaked chia and a defrosted jar of chopped pineapple and a random jar mixture of nuts and seeds, cinnamon and cacao powder..and a sprinkle of maca. Most mornings I’ll grab the handful of oob blueberries I left out to defrost the night before and add a few tablespoons of all of the above and thats brekkie.  Fast, nutritious and easy on the digestion.  You could add some green powder…or really, whatever floats your boat, coconut is really good… Personally, I find green powder ruins the taste and I prefer to take my green shot (wheat or barley grass, moringa, spirulina, apple cider vinegar) as a one gulp tonic without bastardizing my food!

Note on nuts and seeds – The key to making the nuts and seeds more digestible is to activate them.  This removes the phytates.  Phytates are not readily available to our digestive systems.  This makes a lot of sense.  Heres why…Nuts and seeds are able to be stored dry for long periods of time.   During this time they lie dormant.  As soon as water and light are introduced, life begins!  Phytates are the energy that the seed uses to explode into its true form ….    (cue inspirational Discovery music and David Attenborough voice over)… a tiny little sprout!  So you don’t need phytates in your body..they are super duper seed energy – not homosapien energy. 

Anyway…sidetrack…you can buy activated nuts and seeds but they’re expensive.  However if you’re a crazy, hippy healthnut such as myself, you might have a dehydrator, in which case you can soak, then dehydrate and store your bounty in glass jars.  I highly recommend as you’ll end up with a crunchy, yummy nut or seed…once you’ve had activated, you won’t want to go back.  And your tummy will thank you for it!

You might ask the question of all those paleo-manics out there – so clearly cavemen didn’t pull out the dehydrator … so…why bother?   I say, take advantage of technology and science…try it..if it works..if its good value for the effort in your world…then good…There are many reasons why our digestive systems aren’t working optimally.  This is just one way of helping it along. 

I’m a huge fan of getting bang for your buck.  I’ve made several batches of cocoyo since my last published cocoyo recipe and after a prompt from a friend I thought I’d run a little update….

Cocoyo

1L Kara coconut cream
1 packet body ecology yoghurt/kefir starter
2 T non refined sweetener (raw honey/brown rice syrup etc)

1.  Heat the coconut cream just so its a bit warmer than room temperature.  You don’t want it too hot as the good bacteria in the honey will die as will your starter.
2.  Add the sweetener and starter.  Mix well.
3.  Put in oven overnight with the light on.
4.  Store in the fridge.  Lasts for a couple of weeks minimum.

So this is how you make your first batch.  However!! Reserve 1/4 cup from this batch to use as the starter for your next batch IN PLACE OF the body ecology.  Now you have Perpetual Cocoyo!!

Notes
1.  To make an even thicker yoghurt, store your Kara in the fridge and use just the coconut cream, not the liquid whey.  You can also strain it through a few layers of cheesecloth.
2.  I’ve found I have the best result (& value for money) with Kara.  The next best is the Tradeaid coconut milk which has the consistency of cream.  The best coconut cream on the market in terms of straight cream without any preservatives and additives is Ayam, but it just doesn’t make as good of an end product and its more expensive.
3. You can use 6-7 capsules of a good probiotic like Lifestream Advanced instead of Body ecology. 

BTW if you’re in Palmy postcode you can buy Kara at any supermarket ($5-$6) and body ecology at Organic living.  Its about $10.

Go well healthnuts..have an off the chart weekend x

Coconut yoghurt!

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

There seems to be a dozen different ways to make yoghurt.  I just want one and I want it to be easy.  I have had loads of fails, but this morning I woke up to perfectly creamy greek style yoghurt!  Oh so yum!

When it comes to coconut cream, not all are equal.  Of most of the brands I looked at in the supermarket, most had a stabliser and an emulsifier.  The best one I’ve found in NZ at my local supermarkets is the AYAM blend which is 100% coconut.  You can really taste the difference.  The colour is more of a light grey than the white colour you see in other brands.  My second favourite is TradeAid coconut milk which is more like coconut cream because its so thick.

HOWEVER – Using cans and tetrapacks is not my preferred means to source coconut cream.  It goes against my whole ethos of shunning highly processed foods.  In this case, the desire for coconut yoghurt seems to have outweighed this in this moment!   My disclaimer is that doing the best with the ingredients you have and the education and budget you have is totally acceptable!

Ultra-high temperature processing (UHT), or ultra-heat treatment, sterilizes food by heating it above 135 °C (275 °F) – the temperature required to kill spores in milk – for 1 to 2 seconds. UHT is most commonly used in milk production, but the process is also used for fruit juices, cream, soy milk, yogurt, wine, soups, honey, and stews.

The second unfortunate thing about buying cans is they’re full of BPA’s.  There’s no doubt that making raw coconut yoghurt from fresh coconut meat is by far a superior method, however finding coconut meat locally is a tall order – a recipe for another day perhaps.  By the way if you’re in the Auckland area, The Kefir company sells frozen coconut flesh – just email Anita.  And you can get fresh coconuts delivered to your door from Cocoloco.

So before you get started, you might need to do a bit of a hunt around for some must have ingredients.  For the yoghurt culture, you can either use some store bought organic yoghurt or you can buy some yoghurt starter.  I used Mad Millie which you can buy from any health store.  It’s usually stored in the fridge or freezer.  You can also use probiotics (use 5), however they work out to be more expensive.

Then you need a warm place to culture the yoghurt overnight.  I used my easiyo, however you could use a slow cooker or put your yoghurt into the oven with the light on:

Coconut Yoghurt

Eziyo yoghurt maker

2 x 400ml cans Tradeaid Coconut cream

1 x satchet of Mad Millie Yoghurt culture

  1. Put your cans in the fridge overnight and use only the cream portion – use the liquid for smoothies.
  2. In many recipes its better to heat the cream.  I didn’t do this, although if you have       lumps, it does smooth them out.
  3. Blend your cream with the culture.
  4. In many recipes you’re meant to sterilize your jars for 10 minutes – I did mine for 5 mins in a pot of boiling water.
  5. Fill your easiyo with boiling water, put your jar in and leave overnight.  If your yoghurt is not ‘tangy’ enough you can refill with boiling water and leave it a further 6 hours or so until its as you like it.  At this stage its probably still quite runny.  Don’t despair!
  6. Put your yoghurt in the fridge.  It firms up remarkably well.
  7. If you want thick greek style yoghurt, put a double layer of cheesecloth over a sieve.  Place this over a bowl and put your yoghurt on top of the cheesecloth.  Put everything in the fridge overnight.  In the morning you’ll have a thick, decadent yoghurt!

PS Don’t give up if your yoghurt isn’t exactly the way you like it.  Its finnicky, dependent on the weather and the methods you use.

coconut yog

 

Tahini

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

Tahini is the easiest thing in the world to make.  I use tonnes of it to put in slices, hummus, as toppings or just by the spoon full!  It’s a great no-nut peanut butter substitute.  Sesame seeds are full of all the good stuff:

  • Incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. Calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium, and copper are especially concentrated in sesame seeds. Many of these minerals have a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme synthesis, hormone production, as well as regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.
  • The seeds are especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid, which comprises of up to 50% of fatty acids in them. Oleic acid helps lower LDL or “bad cholesterol” and increases HDL or “good cholesterol” in the blood. Research studies suggest that Mediterranean diet which is rich in mono-unsaturated fats may help prevent coronary artery disease, and stroke by favoring healthy serum lipid profile.
  • Sesame seeds contain many health benefiting compounds such as sesamol (3, 4-methylene-dioxyphenol), sesaminol, furyl-methanthiol, guajacol (2-methoxyphenol), phenylethanthiol and furaneol, vinylguacol, and decadienal. Sesamol and sesaminol are phenolic anti-oxidants. Together, these compounds help stave off harmful free radicals from the human body.
  • Sesame is among the seeds rich in quality vitamins, and minerals. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and riboflavin.
  • 100 g of sesame contains 97 µg of folic acid, about 25% of recommended daily intake. Folic acid is essential for DNA synthesis. When given to expectant mothers during their peri-conception period, it may prevent neural tube defects in the newborns.

Just a handful of sesame a day provides enough recommended levels of phenolic anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and protein.

I used unhulled sesame seeds in this recipe, which you can buy from Binn Inn.  But you can use hulled (the white ones) seeds also.  You can also make this a raw tahini by omitting the toasting step.  Toasting (and the unhulled seeds) give the tahini a nuttier flavour which I prefer.

Tahini (makes about 400 gm)

Recipe inspiration from http://www.thekitchn.com

250 gm Unhulled sesame seeds

1/2 cup Grapeseed oil (or any neutral flavoured oil)

  1. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 5-10 minutes until they are fragrant.
  2. Blend until the seeds form a powder that starts to stick together
  3. Add in the oil until it reaches the consistency you desire.  It should have the texture of peanut butter.

Store in the fridge.

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References

Nutrition and you

The Kitchn

Battle of the gingernuts – Griffins v Leda

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

Leda ginger cookies

Leda-Gingernut-GF-Cookies-155g.jpgLeda gingernuts are gluten, dairy, egg free, but still sugar heavy with 1.3 tsp of sugar per serving – which is just 2 cookies.

I don’t dare have these in the pantry – they’re just too scrummy – I prefer them to Griffins!  If you’re looking for a gingery, crunchy treat thats gluten, dairy and egg free and a little healthier than you usual gingernuts, these are great.

The sugar content comes from golden syrup,which is a refined sugar containing 25% fructose.  Its Glycemic index (GI) is lower than sugar at 60.

Unlike molasses the calories in golden syrup are empty – no nutrition whatsoever, no vitamins or minerals.

These cookies are vegan.

Ingredients:

Gluten free flour (Tapioca, Besan), Raw Sugar, Vegetable Oil [Vit E – Soy derived], Golden Syrup, Treacle, Ginger Powder (1.4%), Guar Gum,  Raising Agent – Sodium Bicarbonate, Salt. Contains Soy.  Also contains sulphites.

Griffins gingernuts

griffins gingernutsCompare these to Griffins gingernuts which have 2.3 tsps of sugar per serving (from brown sugar)and contain gluten and dairy.

Brown sugar is effectively refined white sugar with a bit of molasses added back in to give it a brown colour.  It has a GI of 64.

Again there is scant nutrition in brown sugar.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Fat [Antioxidant (306)], Brown Sugar, Ginger (1%), Salt, Flavour, Raising Agent (Baking Soda), Milk Solids.

Palm oil is used in both of these biscuits, and apparently in most commercial biscuits.  Its cleverly disguised as vegetable fat/shortening.

Nutrition content

nutrition ginger cookies

Summary

The big differences are in sodium levels, fibre and total fat – Griffins has over twice as much salt and no fibre plus twice as much sugar.  Leda has over twice as much fat but 40 less calories – due in part to the smaller serving size.

I kind of wanted Leda to win this contest but all in all, it’d be better to make my own!…At least I’ll know whats in them!  These cookies are really easy and taste crunchy and delicious.  I don’t think they require the sesame seeds, next time I’ll leave them out.  Oh, and space them out a little – mine are smooshed together!  While these are no substitute for my Leda cookies, they’re pretty damn good!

Sesame ginger cookies

1.5 cups ground almonds

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1/3 cup unhulled tahini

3.5 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup sesame seeds for rolling (optional)

Method:

Combine ground almonds, ginger, baking soda in a bowl and stir to blend.  Add syrup, tahini and vanilla and stir until the mixture forms a moist dough.  Take teaspoons of the mixture in wet hands, and roll into balls.  Drop into the sesame seeds and coat evenly.  Space the balls out on a baking tray, they expand.  Flatten. Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for about 10-15 minutes.  Be careful not to overcook as they burn easily.  Makes around 40 small biscuits or 15 larger sized.  If you want them larger, cook for 5 minutes more.

sesame ginger cookies

References

Stuff

My fitness pal

Fat secret

Leda

Griffins

High histamine foods

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

Do you experience unexplained headaches or anxiety? What about irregular menstrual cycles? Does your face flush when you drink red wine? Do you get an itchy tongue or runny nose when you eat bananas, avocados, or eggplants? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you could have a histamine intolerance.

What is histamine?

Histamine is a chemical involved in your immune system, proper digestion, and your central nervous system. As a neurotransmitter, it communicates important messages from your body to your brain. It is also a component of stomach acid, which is what helps you break down food in your stomach.

You might be most familiar with histamine as it relates to the immune system. If you’ve suffered from seasonal allergies or food allergies, you may have noticed that antihistamine medications like Zytrec, Allegra or Benedryl provide quick relief of your symptoms. This is because histamine’s role in the body is to cause an immediate inflammatory response. It serves as a red flag in your immune system, notifying your body of any potential attackers.

Histamine causes your blood vessels to swell, or dilate, so that your white blood cells can quickly find and attack the infection or problem. The histamine buildup is what gives you a headache and leaves you feeling flushed, itchy and miserable. This is part of the body’s natural immune response, but if you don’t break down histamine properly, you could develop what we call histamine intolerance.

Because it travels throughout your bloodstream, histamine can affect your gut, lungs, skin, brain, and entire cardiovascular system, contributing to a wide range of problems often making it difficult to pinpoint and diagnose.

Anybody can have Histamine Intolerance, but you are at higher risk if you eat a GAPS diet, low-carb diet, enjoy gourmet foods, or have been swept up in the current fermented foods fad, because histamine is found lurking primarily in aged, fermented, cured, cultured, and smoked foods. Foods like aged beef, ripe cheeses, salami, sauerkraut, red wine, and natto can all be quite high in histamine.

What Causes High Histamine Levels?

Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include:

  • Headaches/migraines
  • Difficulty falling asleep, easily arousal
  • Hypertension
  • Vertigo or dizziness
  • Arrhythmia, or accelerated heart rate
  • Difficulty regulating body temperature
  • Anxiety
  • Nausea, vomiting
  • Abdominal cramps
  • Flushing
  • Nasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathing
  • Abnormal menstrual cycle
  • Hives
  • Fatigue
  • Tissue swelling

What Causes High Histamine Levels?

 

Low histamine level foods:

  • Fresh meat (cooled, frozen or fresh)
  • Freshly caught fish
  • Chicken (skinned and fresh)
  • Egg yolk
  • Fresh fruits – with the exception of strawberries, most fresh fruits are considered to have a low histamine level (also see histamine liberators below)
  • Fresh vegetables – with the exception of tomatoes
  • Grains – rice noodles, yeast free rye bread, rice crisp bread, oats, puffed rice crackers, millet flour, pasta (spelt and corn based)
  • Fresh pasteurised milk and milk products
  • Milk substitutes – coconut milk, rice milk
  • Cream cheese, butter (without the histamine generating rancidity)
  • Most cooking oils – check suitability before use
  • Most leafy herbs – check suitability before use
  • Most non-citric fruit juices
  • Herbal teas – with the exception of those listed below

High histamine level foods:

  • Alcohol
  • Pickled or canned foods – sauerkrauts
  • Matured cheeses
  • Smoked meat products – salami, ham, sausages….
  • Shellfish
  • Beans and pulses – chickpeas, soy beans, peanuts
  • Nuts – walnuts, cashew nuts
  • Chocolates and other cocoa based products
  • Vinegar
  • Ready meals
  • Salty snacks, sweets with preservatives and artificial colourings

Histamine liberators:

  • Most citric fruits – kiwi, lemon, lime, pineapple, plums…
  • Cocoa and chocolate
  • Nuts
  • Papaya
  • Beans and pulses
  • Tomatoes
  • Wheat germ
  • Additives – benzoate, sulphites, nitrites, glutamate, food dyes

Diamine Oxidase (DAO) blockers:

Diamine oxidase is an enzyme that helps us digest.  It’s present in food in various levels.  Legumes contain high amounts, as well as some internal organs like kidneys and intestines.  You want to have DAO, so the blockers should be limited.

  • Alcohol
  • Black tea
  • Energy drinks
  • Green tea
  • Mate tea

Debatable:

  • Yoghurt – depends on the bacteria culture used
  • Egg white – it is a histamine liberator only when in its raw state

Other

  • Yeast – even though it does not contain histamine as such, yeast serves as a catalyst for histamine generation during manufacture. There is no yeast in the end product.

 

References
Histamine intolerance UK

Diagnosis diet

Mindbodygreen

Is Marmite full of MSG?

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

Homemade Organic Gluten-Free "Vegemite" {Vegan, Refined Sugar-Free}

This blog is based off the unconventional bakers blog.

The short answer is yes, there are glutamates in all of the ‘mites (Marmite, Vegemite, Promite).   I actually made a call to Sanitarium to check the ingredients, as the blog mentioned that ingredients under 1gm don’t have to be disclosed on labels.  They said, no – no MSG or glutamate additives.  So where didthis whole MSG-gate come from?

How are the ‘mites’ made? 

Salt is added to yeast which is grown on barley or wheat.  (This is why the mites are NOT considered gluten free).  This causes the cell to dry up and self destruct.  Chemical enzymes are added to kill the yeast cells outright.  Refining processes are used to leave a paste high in glutamic acid.  At this point, there is no difference between this and MSG – they are functionally identical.

Umami – MSG – and can 1 tsp on my toast harm me?

The ‘umami’ taste of MSG is what attracts us to products like marmite.  Umami is a Japanese word that describes one of the 5 taste sensations.  Its refers to a pleasant savoury  taste.  What you probably didn’t know is that the pleasant taste we all love is due to receptors specific to glutamate.  Glutamates are present in a number of foods like meat broths and fermented foods.  It’s delicious!    Having a bit of MSG is not likely to hurt most people.  However to those that are sensitive or allergic it can cause massive issues.  In studies its claimed to be linked to autism, obesity and inflammation.

Yes there are studies on both mice and humans to prove some of the above.  I guess I’m more interested in the personal stories of Mums with children whose behaviour has signficantly improved from removing Marmite and MSG from their diet and suchlike.  You can read about some of these in the references below.

FDA considers the addition of MSG to foods to be “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS). Although many people identify themselves as sensitive to MSG, in studies with such individuals given MSG or a placebo, scientists have not been able to consistently trigger reactions.

Vegemite has WAAAY less sugar!

Marmite is just over 11% sugar

Promite is 18% sugar  (shock horror)

Vegemite is far better at only 2.2% sugar

More importantly – what about the sugar content???

Unfortunately if you’re trying to lower your sugar consumption Kiwi’s, it looks like our favourite spread has been outsmarted in the sugar stakes by Vegemite.

All of these yeast spreads are full of B vitamins.  But whats the skinny on the rest of the ingredients?

Whats inside?  

  • Marmite contains 15% of the daily recommended intake of iron.  Vegemite does not.
  • All contain barley and wheat derivatives so not suitable for coeliacs
  • All contain corn maltodextrin – a polysaccharide (and carbohydrate) that is derived from corn or wheat (corn in this case), is high glycemic, highly processed.  However according to healthline, its the high sugar content that is of most risk to diabetics and those with blood sugar issues.
  • Promite has a huge list of additives – so that’s why it tastes so good.  Immediate strike off any future grocery list.

 

Summary

Its fair to say that the ‘mites are highly processed.  As usual, its not the teaspoon of your preferred ‘mite on toast – its a diet high in all that processed, packaged, sugary crap that will harm.  But I have to say, I was very surprised of some of the facts in my research, particularly the huge difference in sugar content.  And now to my big omission – don’t hate me..I’m a closet vegemite lover…eek…

Click here for a list of how MSG can be hidden in your food.

Home made Marmite

  • ½ cup black tahini sesame butter
  • 4 tbsp tamari
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender and process into a creamy and smooth consistency {I used my magic bullet because it’s such a small batch and it worked perfectly! An immersion blender would be the next best way to go in my opinion}. Store in the fridge. Lightly spread on {non-dairy} buttery {gf} toast and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

References:

The unconventional baker

Livestrong

Healthline

Natural news

Science direct

The Smithsonian

My goodness organics

American Nutrition Association

Buckwheat porridge

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

20160218_084839

Buckwheat, like amaranth and quinoa is a seed – therefore it doesn’t contain wheat and is gluten free.  It’s also full of fibre, and minerals.  However it is low in protein (3.4%) and higher in carbs.  Interestingly, it is low to medium on the glycemic index, so its suitable for diabetics…..and its alkalizing so its good for cleansing and detox.

In animals, buckwheat protein has been found to be effective in lowering blood cholesterol (14, 15), suppressing gallstone formation (16, 17) and reducing the risk of colon cancer (13).

In order to increase protein availability, just like any other seed, by sprouting, digestibility is increased (next time!)

Vitamins and Minerals

Buckwheat Groats

Buckwheat is richer in minerals than many common cereals, such as rice, wheat and corn (5).

However, buckwheat is not particularly rich in vitamins.  Here are the most abundant minerals found in common buckwheat:

  • Manganese: Found in high amounts in whole grains, manganese is essential for healthy metabolism, growth, development and the body’s antioxidant defenses.
  • Copper: Often lacking in the Western diet, copper is an essential trace element that may have beneficial effects on heart health when eaten in small amounts (19).
  • Magnesium: When present in sufficient amounts in the diet, this essential mineral may lower the risk of various chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease (20).
  • Iron: Deficiency in this important mineral leads to anemia, a condition characterized by reduced oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
  • Phosphorus: This mineral plays an essential role in the growth and maintenance of body tissues.

Compared to other grains, the minerals in cooked buckwheat groats are particularly well absorbed.  This is because buckwheat is relatively low in phytic acid, a common inhibitor of mineral absorption found in most grains (6).

 

Buckwheat porridge

My new fav porridge!!  I love buckwheat because it produces a creamy porridge, especially using the soy milk.   To up the protein, I just add a tablespoon of LSA!

Recipe adapted from deliciously ella.com  (Serves 2)

1 cup of buckwheat grouts

2 cups of homemade almond milk (I subbed in 1 cup rice milk, 1 cup soy milk)

1 cup of water

1 T brown rice syrup (or bettasweet or sweetener of your choice) (optional)

2 T dessicated coconut (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

Soak buckwheat groats overnight. The next morning, rinse thoroughly. Put the buckwheat and cinnamon into a pan with one cup of boiling water, allow this to heat for a couple of minutes. Once the water is absorbed add one cup of almond milk and stir well. Allow it to keep cooking and gradually add in the second cup of almond milk when it’s needed – don’t let the buckwheat run out of liquid ever. It should take about 20 minutes to cook completely, at which point stir in your sweetener, vanilla and coconut.

Top with a tablespoon of LSA.  Mine is served with a sliced golden queen peach from Mum’s tree -yummo!

Ella’s recipe also adds in banana’s and almond butter which makes this porridge creamier.  You can see her original recipe here.

 

References

Deliciously Ella

Authority Nutrition  (I unashamedly copied and pasted from this article)

Butternut soup (GAPS)

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

20160207_165934.jpg

With GAPS, the philosophy is based around trying one food at a time, checking to see if the body likes it or not.  I chose butternut as my vege for my first bone broth soup.  This cheap as chips vege turns out a sweet, beautifully coloured, silky smooth soup.  I could devour a whole lot of this!  And once the bone broth is made, the soup is SOOO easy.

 

Butternut bone broth soup

Chop one butternut into cubes.  Put into a pot.  Pour over enough bone broth to just cover the butternut.  I added a continental stockpot liquid stock, however if you were doing 100% GAPS you would only add himalayan or celtic salt to taste.  Bring to the boil, then simmer until butternut is tender.  Cool.

Blend until silky smooth.

This soup is sweet and nourishing.

Triple Citrus Dill Vinaigrette

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

 

Triple Citrus Dill Vinaigrette

Recipe credit to the Gerson Institute

Ingredients:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup grapefruit juice
1 day-old baked potato
1/4 cup dill leaves
1/2 cup flax oil
Instructions: Put all ingredients in blender and puree. That’s it!
Store in a mason jar and enjoy on salad or cooked greens!

Yield: About 3 cups

Super green pie (with chickpea crust)

Posted on by Kirsty Healey

Thanks to Ma for the recipe for this superfood pie, and pics – love your work!

This is a nutritious and yum take on the traditional quiche – but all whole food, dairy, gluten and sugar free – and full of veggies, good protein from the chickpeas, fat from the eggs, carbs from the veggies and rice flour.  The crust on this pie is so versatile – you could vary the filling – make it your own!

Chickpea crust

1.5 cups of cooked chickpeas or one can well rinsed
quarter cup brown rice flour
2T tapioca flour
3/4 t baking powder
2T Olive oil
good pinch of salt

Whizz chickpeas then add rice flour, tapioca flour, baking power mix well then add salt and oil. Gently press into a lightly oiled baking dish. Cook on 160C for approx 8mins no longer than 10minutes (you just need the base to set in order to hold the filling if you over cook it, it will harden and then crack (filling leaks out!)

Filling
2 cloves of garlic
1 onion
3 T olive oil
5 eggs
1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
Good handful of spinach
1 courgette
1 carrot
handful of fresh herbs (eg parsley, coriander or basil)…or combination of these
salt and pepper
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 tsp cumin
3 tomatoes or 1cup of cherry tomatoes

Whizz garlic and onion (or finely chop), add olive oil, saute.
Whizz eggs, milk, add finely grated courgette, carrot and herbs ( I blitz in thermomix). Mix in garlic and onion, spices and season with salt and pepper. Pour into crust, top with sliced tomatoes.
Cook 180 C for approximately 45 mins.

Enjoy with fresh salad and a selection of raw vege sticks with homemade hummus

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