Ode to Popcorn

O crunchy, yellow-white mouthful
Of kerneled puffs bountiful,
With your Graciousness my taste buds dance,
Your mildness is so wonderful.

Gluten and Assorted

Let me apologize, please, for my dwindling updates of late.  Let me assure you that I am working on a couple of things at home, including a recipe (which will not happen until the middle of December) and getting that hair dye out of my towel.

I have recently concluded that I may have a gluten-sensitivity, not necessarily Celiac's disease.  I will not divulge my reasons just at this time, but there are a few hints that my body has given me.  It is a more common disorder than previously thought and my Candida dieting has cut a lot of foods out of my diet that I had not realized may be causing serious harm.  I have noticed that the Candida diet tends to be quite low in gluten (I had avoided wheat breads because of the yeast content and I had not made anything with the wheat flours).  Therefore, I am going to experiment.  I am going to cut gluten out of my diet for about a month then add it back and see what happens.  As a result, one might find a couple more Celiac-friendly recipes here, though, I want to help Candida-sufferers find edible recipes.  No doubt there are those afflicted with both maladies who may also benefit.

I realize that I am not a doctor, and therefore cannot diagnose even myself- though I do the best I can.  I will admit that I am one of the many in the United States unable to afford regular doctor's visits, and it is quite out of reach for me to undergo several tests et cetera on our budget.  I can, however, adjust my diet and apply scientific principles to testing for food allergies and sensitivities.  I cannot and do not recommend this.  I am not a trained nutritionist or physician.  I am a common denizen of the planet with access to the Internet and the Library and the Will to apply my limited Knowledge.  In my experience, diet has a lot to do with illness, so I try to make the inevitable trip to the grave as painless as possible.

Do you have any favorite gluten-free recipe or candida recipe?

Recipe Challenge Success! Chicken Fajita Chili

Last week I posted about a recipe that I was quite excited to try.  As promised, I did it.  And it was good!  I know this because, for the last two days, Mr. Yeater has been singing its praises (which he rarely does).

Home Roasted Peppers

My Recipe Challenge is on its way today.  As I write, it is simmering on the stove top, filling the air with a delicious aroma!  This little endeavor has taken me two days to complete, though, if I had had the time it could have been done in one.  Why should chili take so long?  Well, because I cannot eat canned tomatoes (which is where one will find fire-roasted tomatoes in the grocer's), I had to roast them myself.  Subsequently, I decided to roast my peppers as well.  The recipe calls for chopped, roasted red and yellow bell peppers.  That can be a little pricey to buy in the store.  I will admit that I have never before roasted any vegetable, so I did some research.

Needed:
   Red and yellow bell peppers
   EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil); just olive oil will do
   Baking sheet
   Wax paper or aluminum foil
   Spices

The first time, I set my oven to two-hundred and fifty (250) degrees Fahrenheit.  I foiled the baking sheet, using about one to two tablespoons of olive oil to grease the foil.  I then sliced the peppers in half and removed the seeds and white pith with a paring knife.  Coating the halves with olive oil (and whatever spices you like), I placed them inside-down on the baking sheet...

...and I smashed them with my palms.  It is okay if they tear.

When this was done, they went into the oven to slow roast for about three hours.

They began to puff and blacken on the tops and around the sides they began to caramelize (that is what olive oil does when exposed to high heats for prolonged periods of time).

The most fun, or least fun, part was skinning the finished peppers with a paring knife and my fingers.  I would open the skin with the knife and pull it off with my fingers.  I did burn myself a few times on the pan and flesh of the pepper because I was not paying attention.

I did not like the results of the slow roast.  The flesh was too soft and resembled colorful slices of overripe mango.  Because I had not known how many raw peppers were needed to make a cup of diced, roasted peppers, I needed to buy a couple more and determined to try again.  The only difference is that I heated the oven to three hundred and fifty (350) degrees Fahrenheit and baked the peppers for an hour.  The results were much more pleasing.  The flesh was tender and malleable but firm enough to slice without slipping and sliding this way and that.

Have you had to learn any new skills or techniques in the kitchen for a particular recipe?

Copyright November 2010 (includes images; drawn by me in OpenCanvas)

A Recipe Challenge

I am a member of a few sites that give me points for searching the Internet and signing up for trial services et cetera.  Every now and then, I find one that I really like.  I recently signed up for the thirty-day trial membership of the Cooking Club.  They also send me a newsletter that sometimes has a recipe.  It was within one of these newsletters that I found a recipe for Chicken Fajita Chili. 

Homemade Stuffing

I will be honest.  I was a little wary of attempting this at first, but I could not find any yeast-free, sugar-free stuffing mixes.  I do not live in a great metropolis city where things like this might be more readily available.  I did not even have a recipe to guide me.  What is stuffing, anyway?  Croutons (a.k.a toast), broth, and spices/herbs.

Because I cannot eat yeast or sugar, I used an unsweetened loaf of brown rice without yeast.  I bought it at the local health food store.  I made toast, which usually involves scraping Burnt off of the edges (I need a new toaster or something), then sliced the toast into my crouton size of choice.  While the bread was toasting, I managed to dice some fresh hungarian banana pepper (just a little for an extra bite), a few sprigs of parsley, some cebolla (an onion), and a little sage.  I used all fresh, not powdered, ingredients.  Then, I mixed these and the croutons in a bowl as I would toss a salad.  I let it sit overnight in the refrigerator, and shortly before supper I let it all simmer on the stovetop in a saucepan with homemade chicken stock (enough to thoroughly soak the croutons) until all of the liquid had been soaked up and the bread was soggy.  Salt to taste.

This tasted quite well.  It was mildly sweet and salty.  The flavor reminded me a bit of pizza I think because of the pepper.  Mr. Yeater even sang its praises!  Quite an accolade from one who loves sugary, yeasty, glutenous foods.

One of these days I will have a digital camera and show you.


Copyright November 2010

Salmon Soup

I promised in a previous recipe that I would try this recipe this week.  Plus, the parsley was not going to last very long in the refrigerator.  I got this from the same Book as the Blini Tiny Russian Pancakes.

Serves: 1
1 Serving= approx 7 POINTS (recheck the figure for broth instead of water and butter)
Ingredients:
     8 oz liquid (the books calls for chicken broth, but I did not have any, so I used water and about 4 tsp clarified butter)
     5 oz salmon fillet, cooked and shredded
     3 scallions (also known as green onions if you are unable to find 'scallions' at the grocer's)
   1/2 lemon's juice
     a few sprigs of parsley, chopped

In a medium saucepan, simmer the broth about 3 minutes.  Continue to simmer as salmon, scallions, parsley, and the juice of half a lemon are added.  Let it continue to simmer about 15 minutes (cook up the Blini during this time- make sure the batter is ready before hand).  Serve with the pancakes on a side plate.  Garnish these with plain yogurt.


Review:  I tried this last night without the pancakes.  It was a light soup that was surprisingly pleasant.  One might think that the scallions may leave one with 'onion breath.'  Rather, the palate is left feeling fresh and the stomach comfortable.  Next time I will use chicken broth instead of water and butter.  Until then, let me know what you think.

Blini- Tiny Russian Pancakes

I found this great recipe in The Candida Directory & Cookbook by Helen Gustafson and Maureen O'Shea.  It contains no yeast or sugar and is perfect for Stage I Candida recovery.  Even my husband likes them.  They are light, fluffy, and filling.  Great for a snack or a meal.

Yield:  about 20 three inch pancakes, or 30 two inch pancakes

Full batch= approx 14.5 POINTS (c) Weight Watchers (oil for the pan is not included in the POINTS)

Ingredients:

     2 eggs

     1 c buckwheat flour

     1 tsp baking powder

   1/8 tsp baking soda

   1/2 tsp salt (I don't add this, but you can)

   1/2 c water

   1/2 c plain yogurt

   oil for the pan

In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs.  Add dry ingredients and mix.  In a separate bowl, mix together water and yogurt.  Add yogurt mixture to the rest and mix vigorously.  Brush or spray a heavy frying pan (I use one that can handle a little while on the burner) with olive oil set on high heat.  When the pan is very hot (dip your fingers in some water and flick it into the pan- if it sizzles on contact it's ready) pour small spoonfuls (about one tablespoon) of the batter into the pan.  Let the pancakes cook for a minute, until the edges are crisp and the surface has little bubbles.  Turn the heat down to medium-low and turn pancakes over.  Cook the second side for a bit longer.  When the pancake holds together on a spatula it's done.  It can be served with butter or yogurt on top.  For those with a richer taste, the book tells me that caviar is a good topping too.

For those who suffer with Candida Albicans, the same book has a recipe for Salmon Soup which is supposed to be tasty and a good companion for these.  I have the ingredients in house and plan to make it within the week.  If it's good, I'll share it with you.

If you don't suffer with Candida Albicans, my husband suggests adding vanilla and powdered cinnamon and serving it with tons of syrup.  Get creative.

Let me know what you think.