Food

ACD Friendly Recipe Guest Post by Ricki Heller

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Ricki Heller, the creator of Diet, Dessert and Dogs, is an educator, writer, cookbook author, natural nutritionist and lover of all things canine. She studied natural nutrition at The Canadian School of Natural Nutrition and is currently a college teacher who works as a part-time cooking class instructor/chef and a part-time freelance writer.

I have asked Ricki to contribute a guest post on Candida Related Complex aka Candida, a condition that arises when someone has an overgrowth of yeast (usually candida albicans) in the body. Ricki has been sharing her personal struggle on her blog since March 2009 and today on my health coaching blog she is giving you the opportunity to learn more about candida, the effects it has on the body and what you can do about it.  She also has included a anti-candida (ACD) friendly recipe, which I have included below, for you to try and trust me her recipes are a must try, she is an amazing chef (source).

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Recipe: Cinnamon-Walnut Loaf

Here’s an ACD-friendly bread recipe that’s perfect for breakfast or brunch.  For a savory loaf (from which you can make sandwiches), omit the nuts and use only 4-10 drops of liquid stevia. 

1 Tbsp plus 2 tsp (25 ml) whole psyllium husks

1 tsp (5 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp (15 ml) pure vanilla extract

2 Tbsp (30 ml) smooth natural almond butter or tahini (sesame paste)

enough unsweetened plain or vanilla soy or almond milk to make 1-1/2 cups/360 ml (see instructions)

1/3 cup (55 g) teff flour

1/2 cup (55 g) amaranth or quinoa flour

1/4 cup (60 ml) potato starch

1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder

1/4 tsp (1 ml) baking soda

1/4 tsp (1 ml) fine sea salt

1 Tbsp (15 ml) cinnamon

1/4 tsp (1 ml) pure stevia powder or liquid, to your taste

1/3 cup (40 g) lightly toasted walnut pieces or chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease a regular loaf pan, or line with parchment paper.

Place the psyllium husks, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and almond butter in a glass measuring cup.  Add enough milk to reach the 1-1/2 cup (360 ml) mark.  Using a small whisk or fork, whisk everything together until the almond butter is well dissolved in the liquid and no lumps remain.  Set aside while you measure the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, sift together all remaining ingredients except for the walnuts.  Whisk well to distribute all the ingredients evenly.  Add the walnuts.

Whisk the liquid again to ensure that it’s smooth and everything is incorporated, then pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and stir just to combine (do not overmix!).  Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in preheated oven for 65-75 minutes, rotating the pan about halfway through, until the bread is well browned on the bottom and sides, and the top springs back when touched lightly (there will be a fairly thick crust by this time, but it should still spring back).  A knife inserted in the center should come out moist but clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from pan allow to cool completely before slicing.  The bread is very moist on the first day and dries a bit by the second.  Store, tightly wrapped, in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze for later.  Makes one medium loaf, or 8-10 slices.

Thank you Ricki for this wonderful recipe and her informative guest post over on my health coaching blog! If you would like to learn more about Ricki head over to her blog Diet, Dessert and Dogs and check out her amazing recipes.  I was a tester for her Desserts Without Compromise book and it includes so many amazing recipes perfect for those looking for ACD friendly recipes and for those who just love desserts. 

Up, Up and Away!

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Hello from Logan Airport! Hubz and I are currently awaiting our flight to Raleigh to meet my parents and head to Myrtle Beach (where I hear it is currently pouring). Until our flight we are hanging out, enjoying the free wi-fi and “enjoying” an airport breakfast of Starbucks oatmeal, OJ (for me), coffee (for him) and a fruit cup (to share).

REWIND!

Lets rewind a bit to Friday….

Friday afternoon started our Babymoon journey to Myrtle Beach by way of Boston, but first we had to stop into our midwife office for our mid-pregnancy ultrasound and appointment. We have a very active baby growing inside me and it took forever for the tech to get all the shots she needed but she finally got all the necessary shots and even caught a side profile for us. We did not catch a glimpse of the goods so we still have no idea what we are having. Well I mean we know it’s either a boy or a girl …we hope anyways. After our appointment we headed to Boston where we first stopped to have flatbread (our post appointment tradition) at Flatbread Company in Somerville. We ordered the vegan flatbread and it was good but we both agreed American Flatbread in Vermont is so much better. After dinner we checked into the Westin Copley Place where we passed out pretty quickly.

Saturday morning started off as it always does when we travel to Boston with bagels and lattes at our favorite spot- Espresso Royale on Newbury Street. We both ordered our favorite whole wheat everything bagels with veggie tofu spread and tomatoes (and sprouts for husband <--I miss sprouts so much!) and a decaf latte for me and an americano for him. We were so hungry that the bagels were gone before I could take a photo but I did shoot a quick pic of my beautiful and amazing latte.

After breakfast we took a walk around Newbury Street and the Prudential Center (actually that’s what we spent most of the day doing) and eventually we ended up at OMBE Boston for our massages. It felt wonderful to get a massage and just relax.

After our massage we strolled down Newbury Street and then stopped into my favorite college spot The Otherside Cafe where we shared a pot of tea and a big bowl of fruit with raw chocolate mousse.

After a little more shopping and strolling we headed back to the hotel to get ready for dinner at Estragon Tapas Bar where I actually purchased a Living Social deal for a few weeks back. I started with a virgin pineapple mojito which was amazing and for my second drink I asked the waiter if he could have the bartender make another virgin cocktail and he came back with this amazing ginger brew concoction that had caradmom, cinnamon, salt and one other thing I can’t remember.

The restaurant was dimly lit so I didn’t take any photos of the food but everything was so delicious! They have the vegetarian and vegan options labeled right on the menu which makes things so much easier. They have an amazing waitstaff, our water glasses were always full and our waiter attentive, friendly and knowledgeable.

We were tempted to go with the vegetarian paella but decided to try a variety of tapas, we had:

  • Garbanzos Fritos (VG) crispy paprika chickpeas
  • Puerros Con Romesco (VG) grilled leeks, romesco
  • Patatas Bravas (VG) feisty fried potatoes
  • Espinacas A La Catalana (VG) sauteed spinach, pine nuts, golden raisins
  • Pimientos Shishito (VG) blistered shishito peppers, sea salt
  • Esparragos Verdes (VG) Grilled Green Asparagus, Lemon Oil, Sea Salt

We really enjoyed all of the dishes but our favorites were the spinach and the leeks. I actually wasn’t really interested in the spinach but Neil insisted that we order it and I am so glad we did because it was AMAZING. I would really recommend trying this restaurant if you visit Boston.

Mood Boosting Food

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We all are living busy and stressful lives and for many  food is a big part of this stress.  Finding time for healthy cooking and eating just adds to the already too long “to do” list causing more stress to our mind and body. Although food can cause a lot of stress in our lives it can also energize our body and help us to make the most of our busy days.

A small change in diet can improve energy levels and how your body responds to stress. So boost your mood and increase your energy, while decreasing your stress, by increasing fresh veggies, seasonal fruits, whole grains and lean protein. It is important to remember to start small this could be as simple as making your Mondays Meatless or upgrading your snacks to include more fruits and veggies.

Head on over to my health coaching site where you can find more information on Mood Boosting Foods and three Mood Boosting Recipes.

Keep your eyes peeled for the following recipes coming up this week:

  • Recipe: Lemon-Herb Whole Wheat Couscous
  • Recipe: Chickpea and Potato Tagine


Pizza is For Lovers

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Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love. 

-Rumi 

Neil and I have had a wonderful afternoon together that started with a late lunch at Stone Soup where we shared a vegan roasted tofu sandwich (to die for) and the salad bar.  We then took a quick pop into Isabean, a children’s clothing and toy store, where I feel in love with a few baby items but I restrained myself from buying anything (today anyways).

After our lunch we came home and I relaxed for a bit and Neil finished up working. Once he finished it was time to get our walk on, it was beautiful out so we did our favorite 2.5 mile loop.  We were hopping to get a few nice sunset shots but unfortunately the clouds where in our way.

Mr. Photographer then decided to do a little photo shoot…

and of course I had to get one of him too before the sun went down.

Now we are back from our walk and I’m sipping a seltzer and orange juice, I know I’m wild, and am patiently waiting for the Hubz to prepare things so we can make this delicious pizza below.

This photo is from last week because trust me I am so hungry right now there is now way that I am taking the time to take new photos of the same type of pizza. The one above taste like artichoke dip on pizza and it is mouth-wateringly delicious.

On the Pizza:

Dough- homemade whole wheat olive oil

Garlic Infused Olive Oil from The Filling Station

Mushrooms

Sauteed Spinach (this won’t be on tonight’s pizza because we’re out)

Artichoke hearts

Nutritional Yeast

Neil is also making a second pizza with arugula, garlic olive oil, cherry tomatoes and finished with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and a squeeze of lemon juice.

That’s One Spicy Chickpea

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This weekend the Hubz and I took a whirlwind trip to Massachusetts to do a little Ikea, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Target shopping. We picked up a few things for the nursery and found out that 70% of the items I had put on our nursery vision board just didn’t live up to our expectations. I am glad we found this out now and not in March when we head to Boston.

On the ride home we stopped in to Whole Foods and I started craving hot sauce really bad, one of my weird pregnancy cravings, and I got to thinking what about a buffalo chickpea dip? I first thought of using Sour Supreme to make it creamy but I really wanted to avoid the soy and then I spotted the So Delicious Coconut Greek Yogurt and I decided to pick up a plain and try it in my dip.

The verdict? I loved the coconut Greek yogurt in this! I would recommend this recipe for your upcoming Super Bowl or Oscar Party it is sure to be a hit!

2-15oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup hot sauce (I use Franks)*
1 container SoDelicious Plain Greek Yogurt**
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2. Place 1 cup of the chickpeas in the base of a food processor with the hot sauce and process until smooth and pour into a medium bowl.

3. Add all of the remaining chickpeas and remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix to combine.

4. Pour the chickpea mixture into individual ramekins or into an oven safe dish.  Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until hot and bubbly.

5. Serve with veggies (I suggest celery) and pita, crackers or tortilla chips.

*If you desire less heat reduce the amount of hot sauce and substitute non-dairy milk or water.

**Can’t find coconut Greek yogurt? No Problem! Substitute non-dairy sour cream! 

Update: Hubz ate the leftovers today and said they were even better than the first day, that being said if you have the time mix the dip the day before, refrigerate overnight and bake off right before eating.

Chili and XO Cornbread

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Last night dinner was all about using up ingredients in the fridge which included:

2/3 of a yellow onion
refried black beans
whole plum tomatoes with juices
remainder of a jar of salsa

I decided that those four ingredients combined with a few other staples I had in the kitchen were the perfect ingredients to make a nice and hearty black bean chili.


 Towards the end I remembered that I had a bag of frozen corn the freezer and decided to add a few handfuls to add a little sweetness to the spicy chili (I was a little heavy handed on the chipotle chili powder). The end result was a nice big bowl of spicy rich black bean chili, so good!

To go with this tasty black bean chili I decided to try out the Gluten Free Corn Bread Mix that  Lindsey of XO Baking Co. sent me to try out.  The mix calls for milk, eggs and butter but I veganized it by using unsweetened almond milk, flax “eggs” and soy free Earth Balance.

I was a little nervous about how it was going to turn out with the flax “eggs” but the end result was something delicious.  The cornbread was slightly sweet, just how I like my corn bread and it was the perfect pairing to the spicy chili.  I ended up having two slices of cornbread dunked in my chili- the perfect pairing!

Three Things Thursday

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  1. I make 98% of the home cooked meals in our house but I’m not a baker.  The husband who is much more scientific and needs to follow a recipe in the kitchen has proven himself to be a really wonderful baker and lately we have had lots of fresh bread. He recommends these two books for bread making: Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day and Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day.
  2. I can’t get enough citrus. Apparently I became pregnant at the perfect time because it’s citrus season and I just can’t enough of it.  I am loving grapefruit and cara cara oranges.  I love to add blood orange, lemon and lime to water and seltzer.  I also have been craving Izze sparkling grapefruit juice. 
  3.  We have a million types of glasses in our house but I only like to drink from pint glasses.  Okay so I don’t drink everything in pint glasses but lately the only thing I drink is water and I only like it in pint glasses.  Give it to me in another glass and I’m apt to poor it into a pint glass.