Category Archives: Recipes

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

Enjoy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies Dough Bites. A healthy alternative to cookie making.  No added flour, nor oil, not even white sugar! Easy to make gluten free…
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups (400 grams) canned or cooked chickpeas, well-rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel. 200g chickpeas = 440g soaked chickpeas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (165 grams) natural peanut butter (will not work with “Hydrogenated Peant Butter)
1/4 cup (80 grams) honey (or Agave)
1 teaspoon baking powder*
Reserve until last
1/2 cup (90 grams) chocolate chips

*For grain-free baking powder, combine 1/2 Tablespoon Baking Soda and 1 Tablespoon Cream of Tartar. Use 1 teaspoon in recipe; seal and save remaining ingredients, store in refrigerator and use up to 2 weeks.

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F / 175°C.
Combine all the ingredients, except for the chocolate chips, in a food processor and mix until smooth. Make sure to scrape the sides and the top to get the little chunks of chickpeas and process again until they’re combined.
Add in the chocolate chips (stir it if you can), or pulse it once or twice.
Mixture will be very thick and sticky. Place a small amount of oil on hands, form dough into 1 1/2″ balls. Place onto a piece of parchment paper. If you want them to look more like normal cookies, press down slightly on the balls. They will not rise.
Bake for about 10 minutes. Yields about fourteen 1 1/2″ cookie dough balls.

Almond Citrus Talapia

Almond Citrus Talapia

Improve on the dietary benefits by adding almonds to talapia fish! Talapia is an easy fish to prepare, but carries lower amounts of nutrients compared to other fish.  Adding a handful of crushed nuts to coat the fish, boosts the health of  the heart and blood pressure by more than tripling  the amounts of: omega oils, vitamin E, magnesium, phosphorous and potassium.

The dinner is easy to prepare and in less in than twenty minutes is ready to serve!

Preheat Oven to 350 F

6 fillets of Talapia
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup crushed almonds
Zest of 1 lemon

For Rice
1 & 1/2 cup Arborio Rice
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame seeds

Side of Spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
6 cups of packed spinach

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 F
16 minutes to prepare rice
In a large pan add 4 cups of water and rice, bring to a boil, reduce to low heat and cover allow to boil for 14 minutes.

4 minutes to prepare fish
While the rice is boiling, begin to coat the talapia fillets with bread crumbs and place in a baking dish one at a time. Sprinkle with salt. Scatter almonds over all the fillets. Top off by placing lemon zest onto each fillet. Drizzle olive oil over the fish. Place into oven and allow to bake for 12 minutes.

3 minutes to prepare soy sauce
Place sauce pan on medium heat, add soy sauce and sesame seeds. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes and turn off heat. Cover with lid.

2 minutes to prepare spinach
In a frying pan, warm oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add garlic and spinach to pan. With 2 spoons or tongs begin to toss the spinach in pan for 30 seconds. Turn off heat remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid to seal heat; spinach will continue to slightly wilt.
Drain water from rice.

Presentation
Place rice onto dish. Pour soy sauce over rice. Next, layer spinach onto bed of rice. Lastly, place baked almond talapia on spinach! Enjoy!!!

Chicken Curry Salad

Curry Chicken Salad

Curry Chicken Salad

A healthy dish that can be served on a sandwich or on a salad.  Boost your immune system with presence of turmeric, garlic, and chicken by eating this savory dish at lunch or dinner. Easy to prepare, Chicken Curry Salad can be consumed over 48 hours time, or may be frozen and thawed at room temperature.

In a frying pan combine:

2 pounds of chicken breasts cut and cubed
3/4 tsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBSP chopped parsley
1/2 tsp pepper
2 TBSP Olive Oil

Cover pan and place on medium heat cooking the chicken for about 12 minutes on medium heat. Remove and allow to cool. Drain juice from chicken once cooled.

Meanwhile in a large bowl add:
1 1/4 cup celery diced
3/4 cup red pepper diced (reserve 1/4 cup for topping the salad)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (light)
1 TBSP curry (Turmeric is part of the curry mixture bought in USA grocers)
1 tsp ground cumin (may add an additional 1/2 tsp for a spicier flavor)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Presentation
1/4 chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced peppers

Stir all ingredients with a wooden spoon until well blended. Add cooked and drained chicken cubes to mayonnaise mixture. Top off with cilantro and then add diced red peppers on top of the chicken for a nice presentation.
Cover and place on lowest shelf in the refrigerator. Can be stored in refrigerator and served up to 48 hours after preparation.

Chard or Kale Saute`

Saute` Kale topped off with parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

3 Cheers for Cruciferous Vegetables! They are proving to be an added health factor in dietary intake. Exciting studies link the kale power house to inhibiting tumor growth “at the top of the cancer-related research for colon cancer and breast cancer, but risk of bladder cancer, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer have all been found to decrease in relationship to routine intake of kale.”  While all of this is promising, it is also important to note that some digestive tracks can be more sensitive to the the large amount of Vitamin K and fiber that is present, and therefore is linked to diarrhea as a side effect of kale.

The AARP promotes Kale for nutrition and age related disease, stating the 4 following facts:

“For your eyes: Kale is high in lutein and zeaxanthin, phytochemicals found in the retina, which could help reduce the risk of macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in older people. The American Macular Degeneration Foundation says research has indicated that eating red, orange, yellow and dark green fruits and vegetables, which are high in phytochemicals, seems to have a protective effect against vision loss.

For your immune system: Kale is rich in beta-carotene (vitamin A), a powerful antioxidant that may help boost the immune system and possibly protect against some chronic diseases and cancer. At least one study also found that long-term consumption of beta-carotene had cognitive benefits.

For your bones: Kale is is one of the few vegetables with a decent amount of calcium, but it’s especially high inmagnesium — just a cup contains 40 percent of the RDA — which is very important for bone health and to protect against osteoporosis. Magnesium has a crucial job working with vitamin D to help your bones absorb calcium. In addition, research has shown that the vitamin K in kale also contributes to bone health by improving bone density.

For your heart: While recent studies have found that antioxidant supplements, like vitamin E pills, don’t protect against heart disease, foods like kale that are naturally high in antioxidants are definitely heart-healthy, says the Cleveland Clinic. Plus, kale’s magnesium and potassium help lower blood pressure, and its high fiber content can help lower cholesterol — all beneficial factors in lowering your risk of cardiovascular illness.”

Kale maybe substituted for a variety of spinach dishes. Steamed and sautéed are the optimal way to maximize the nutrients within kale and let it work for your body. However, it can be boiled and then seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper and served on the side.

Green or Cruciferous Vegetables of all types are a key source of specialized chemical signals that our immune systems use to self-communicate. Four servings of cruciferous foods throughout the week will enrich the overall health of your body and promotes a sound mind.

INGREDIENTS  1 bunch is 6 servings

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 bunch of Kale (cut into bite size pieces.)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt  to taste
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 Tablespoons parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 6 teaspoons pine nuts (optional)

In a frying pan add olive oil, garlic and onion. Place on medium heat and allow

Saute` onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes.

onion to turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile,  wash kale leaves and remove access water. Cut leaves into bite size pieces. (May remove or keep center stem.) Add kale to frying pan, rotate leaves, combining with oil until well coated, add salt, reduce temperature to medium low, add water. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Serve on side of meal by itself or with parmesan cheese and pine nuts.

By: Kimberly Crocker Scardicchio

References

  • AARP “Hail Kale why you should….eat it” http://blog.aarp.org/2013/03/25/hail-kale-why-you-should-or-shouldnt-eat-it/
  • Indole-3-carbinol inhibits the expression of cyclin-dependent kinase-6 and induces a G1 cell cycle arrest of humanbreast cancer cells independent of estrogen receptor signaling.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9461564      “A component of cruciferous foods inhibits growth of mammary tumors”.
  • Ambrosone CB, Tang L. Cruciferous vegetable intake and cancer prevention: role of nutrigenetics. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa). 2009 Apr;2(4):298-300. 2009.
  • Angeloni C, Leoncini E, Malaguti M, et al. Modulation of phase II enzymes by sulforaphane: implications for its cardioprotective potential. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Jun 24;57(12):5615-22. 2009.
  • Banerjee S, Wang Z, Kong D, et al. 3,3′-Diindolylmethane enhances chemosensitivity of multiple chemotherapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer. 3,3′-Diindolylmethane enhances chemosensitivity of multiple chemotherapeutic agents in pancreatic cancer. 2009.
  • Bhattacharya A, Tang L, Li Y, et al. Inhibition of bladder cancer development by allyl isothiocyanate. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Feb;31(2):281-6. 2010.
  • Bryant CS, Kumar S, Chamala S, et al. Sulforaphane induces cell cycle arrest by protecting RB-E2F-1 complex in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Molecular Cancer 2010, 9:47. 2010.
  • Carpenter CL, Yu MC, and London SJ. Dietary isothiocyanates, glutathione S-transferase M1 (GSTM1), and lung cancer risk in African Americans and Caucasians from Los Angeles County, California. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(4):492-9. 2009.
  • Christopher B, Sanjeez K, Sreedhar C, et al. Sulforaphane induces cell cycle arrest by protecting RB-E2F-1 complex in epithelial ovarian cancer cells. Molecular Cancer Year: 2010 Vol: 9 Issue: 1 Pages/record No.: 47. 2010.
  • http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

Gluten Free Flour Substitutes

Many other starches can be used in place of wheat to produce delicious pastries: bars, cakes, cookies, pancakes, pizzas etc…

Gluten Free recipes are designed for those who suffer from Celiac Disease or those with Gluten Sensitivity.  Celiac Disease is diagnosed in young children with a wheat allergy. However, there seems to be an onset of Gluten Sensitivity in adults. While research has not been able to show how or why this sensitivity gets it’s start, the individuals who put themselves on a gluten free diet have noticed great improvement.

The following combination of starches produce the texture desired in cakes, cookies, pancakes,  pizzas, and other favored pastries.

A basic Gluten Free recipe for a 2 cup flour substitute can be used for cookies, bars and smaller baked treats.

  • 1 pound white rice flour
  • 1/2 tapioca flour
  • Whisk the two ingredients together

Another recipe that can be made in advance and conserved in a tightly sealed container.

  • Pour 6 cups (720 g) of brown rice flour into a large bowl. Brown rice flour is a whole-grain flour, which is less processed than other types of flour.

You can find rice flour in the baking aisle of most health food stores or large supermarkets. If you are looking to save money, opt for white rice flour. You can find it for a low price at ethnic grocery stores.

  • Add 2 cups (384 g) of potato starch to the bowl. Do not use potato flour. Potato starch thickens and adds moisture to baked goods.
    • You can substitute the potato starch with corn starch. The potato starch handles higher temperatures, so it is better for making baked goods, roux and breading. If you do substitute corn starch, you will need to add 1/3 cup (64 g) more of corn starch because it is lighter than the potato starch.
  • Pour 1 cup (120 g) of tapioca flour or starch. This is also useful as a thickener in the recipe.
  • Add 2 tbsp. (24 g) of xanthan gum. This is a binding agent that is commonly used in gluten-free baking. You will not need to add the xanthan or guar gum to recipes, if it is in your all-purpose flour.
  • Use a whisk to mix the flour. Pour it into a sifter to mix it more fully and break up clumps. This gluten-free flour mixture makes a very large batch. It can be made using the same ratios of 6 to 2 to 1, but in smaller amounts, with just a dash of xanthan gum.
  • Sift your gluten-free flour again before using it. The ingredients can settle, creating pockets of 1 ingredient or another.
  • Store your all-purpose gluten-free flour in a tightly-sealed tin. If you think you have made more than you think you can use, store the extra in a sealed container in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before using.

Use the following other flours as a partial substitute for the rice flour:

    1. Substitute a cup of the brown rice flour with sweet rice flour, if it is available. Although it is best in small amounts because it is sweet, it is a good addition to baked goods and pizza crusts.
    2. Substitute 1 to 2 parts of brown rice flour with sorghum flour to add extra protein. Sorghum is a common cereal in South Asia, Africa and Central America. It is available in specialty food stores or on the Internet.
    3. Substitute 1 to 2 parts of brown rice flour with coconut flour for use with chocolate baked goods. The slightly nutty flavor is complimentary to chocolate.
    4. Substitute 1 to 2 parts of buckwheat flour for brown rice flour for pancakes, waffles and muffins.
    5. Substitute 1 to 2 parts of teff flour for brown rice flour for baked goods. It adds moistness and a sweet, nutty flavor to gluten- free recipes. Teff is a kind of grass that is grown in the highlands of Northern Africa.
    6. Add almond meal made with ground almonds to pastry crusts or other baked goods.

Defined Disease:

Celiac Disease is defined as: a hereditary digestive disorder involving intolerance to gluten, usually occurring in young children, characterized by marked abdominal distention, malnutrition, wasting, and the passage of large, fatty, malodorous stools.

Gluten Sensitivity is defined as: symptoms of diarrhea, constipation, bloating, abdominal pain, fatigue, walking in a fog. Swollen: arms, hands, legs, feet, eczema.

Thank You  Wiki How for your Gluten Free Flour  Recipe!

References:
WIKI HOW http://www.wikihow.com/Make-an-All-Purpose-Gluten-Free-Flour
More GLUTEN FREE RECIPES at YUMMLY: http://www.yummly.com/recipes/gluten-free-baking-powder
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/celiac+disease?s=t