Sausage and Veggies

First of all, the sausage!   I get my beef from Dalew Farms.    I take part in an annual cow share.   I love the fact that I know my farmers.  I know that they treat their animals very well, AND it tastes good.   They offer a gluten-free honey-mustard sausage, and that is what I ate tonight.   I just can't recommend them enough!   You don't have to buy a whole cow, just click on the link to learn more.   

*they do not pay me, I just think they're great.   

For vegetables, I was cleaning out my fridge the night before my bi-monthly trip to the grocery store.   

Carrots - I cut up the carrots, boiled them, drained the water, and then added one part honey, one part plain yellow mustard, and one part olive oil.   People love this honey mustard sauce, and it is so simple!

Radishes - If you've never tried fried radishes, you really should!  I thought I hated radishes.    Radishes (and carrots) are great because they'll keep in the fridge for weeks. 

Cauliflower - I love 'Cauliflower Buffalo Wings!'   Here is a sample recipe.   I'm often too lazy to follow all the steps, so instead I do the following:

• cut up the cauliflower
• dump it into a Pyrex baking pan
• mix it up with olive oil
• dump two parts gluten-free flour, one part onion powder, and one part garlic powder on it, and then mix it up
• start roasting
• two thirds of the way through the roasting process, I drizzle hot sauce directly on the cauliflower, and then mix it up

It's not as fancy, but it tastes just fine.  

Breakfast Buffet
​(Otherwise known as a chance to use my charming new bowls!)

As I'm sure most of my patients can tell you, in exhaustive detail, I'm a big fan of centering breakfasts around vegetables and a bit of protein!  Once they give this style of eating a chance, most patients don't want to go back to the way they were eating before.    There are many benefits, including:

• Reduced exposure to foods that cause many people problems (such as dairy, gluten, and eggs)
• Reduced exposure to processed foods (such as toast and prepared breakfast cereals)
• Good appetite control until lunch (imagine not needing to eat a 'second breakfast' at 10:45 AM!)
• Increased vitamins and minerals

I regularly see my patients benefit from making this change, including:

• Reduced need for drugs to control blood sugar
• Weight loss
• Better hormone balance
• Increased energy and vitality 
• Less tummy troubles (*if eating this way gives you more tummy troubles, it would be a good idea to talk to a naturopathic doctor about why that is, and what to do about it)

I have a range of vegetables I find palatable in the morning, including:

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts, sweet potato, rutabaga, squash, zucchini, and onion
• Steamed green beans and squash

I recommend preparing the vegetables in advance.   I don't know about you, but I don't have an extra hour to be cooking in the morning!   I'll often roast my veggies the evening before, while I'm preparing dinner.  It only takes about five minutes to prep them, add some olive oil and seasoning, and throw them in the oven.  

This breakfast was made from:

• Brussels Sprouts I roasted from frozen the evening before (in my cast iron griddle from yesterday's post).  In the morning I just sliced them in half and warmed them in my cast iron frying pan. 
• Baked Beans
• These fun little canned cabbage rolls I found in the international section of one of our local grocery stores.   You'll be far more likely to find canned stuffed grape leaves, which I would consider interchangeable. 

​

Pizza!

I found the MOST AMAZING pizza crust recipe.   I've been buying frozen pizzas as a Friday night treat for months now, but I figured it was time to make one of my own.   This pizza crust takes two minutes to throw together, from start to finish, I'm not even exaggerating.   I worked from this recipe.   

Ingredients:

• 2 cups gluten-free flour (I used this blend, which I bought at Metro, and really like!)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups plain sparkling water
• 2 tablespoons honey or pure maple syrup (I used honey)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions:
Mix all the dry ingredients together.  Add the wet ingredients.  I used my Soda Stream to make the sparkling water.   Stir it as little as possible, but until it is thoroughly combined.    Find a pan that has sides, spread a few tablespoons of olive oil in the bottom of the pan, and then pour the batter into the pan.   It's really runny, so, if you're like me, you're going to think you've done something wrong - you haven't.   Bake it at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, add your desired toppings, and then bake for another 10 minutes, or so.  

As a side note, I used my cast iron cookie sheet to make this pizza, which I use at least a couple of times a week.   I just checked, and it is actually called a 'griddle' (link here), but I use it like a cookie sheet.  Not only does it make food more delicious, it lasts for decades.  I'm still using my grandmother's cast iron frying pan.   My griddle is well seasoned, but I was still impressed that the pizza didn't stick to it at all.  

This salad dressing is also a favourite recipe of mine.  
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of maple syrup
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 of a yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp.  poppy seeds 

Add everything but the poppy seeds to a high-powered blender (I just use my Magic Bullet instead of my Vitamix) and blend until smooth.   Then add the poppy seeds.    

Blackened Salmon

This is the dish that made me realize I have the power to recreate most of the things I eat at restaurants!   Before a friend taught me how to make it, it would never have occurred to me to try.   It just seemed so fancy and complicated, turns out it takes five minutes....

Mix together these things (from this recipe):

• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Then, rub the spice mixture into two salmon fillets, so that it doesn't fall off.   Heat some olive oil to a medium-high heat in a good quality frying pan (I used my cast iron pan) and then throw in the fillets.     Cook them about two minutes each side, until the fish flakes (you have to be brave and only flip them once, otherwise they won't blacken).   That's it......FIVE MINUTES!

I used a combination of rice and cauliflower rice to eat with the fish because that was what I was craving.    I know, why have cauliflower rice if you're already eating regular rice?   It really hit the spot, though!  

I made white Basmati rice in my Instant Pot with a generous portion of dehydrated garlic.   I cook it at a ratio of one cup of rice to one and a half cups of water for 8 minutes, and then I leave to sit until the pressure gradually releases.  Once you start making rice this way, you'll never go back.    

I prepared the cauliflower rice according to the Green Giant package instructions.    I've been pleased to see I can make this in my cast iron Dutch Oven without it burning, although you can see a few nicely browned pieces. 

Last but not least, I included some Daikon Radish sprouts that I grew myself.    Sprouting is super easy, and gives you the most nutritious greens you can eat!  We're already seeing shortages of greens at the grocery stores, so it's nice to be able to produce them myself at home in less than a week.    These are the seeds I use.    And, these are the sprouting lids I use, I just screw them on top of large Mason jars.  However, I find the mason jar lids rust with time, so I'm considering switching to a fancier BPA-free plastic version.     Lots of people like more elaborate sprouting devices made from plastic.   So far, I've preferred what I use because it was cheap, and there is no contact with plastic.