Recipe: Gluten Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

The recipe below is gluten-free but not 100% paleo because I don't tolerate almond/coconut flours.  Please sub almond flour for the rice flour and full fat coconut milk for the heavy cream if you want to make it paleo.  I know blueberries and lemon are on high histamine lists but in these small amounts they don't bother me personally.  You can leave one out if it does bother you.

Gluten Free Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1/2 c arrowroot flour
1/2 c rice flour (or almond flour)
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted
1 TBSP maple syrup
1/2 c heavy cream (or coconut milk)
1 egg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1 TBSP lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix all dry ingredients together except blueberries and lemon zest.  In another bowl mix all wet ingredients.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold together with a spatula.  Finally, fold in the blueberries and lemon zest gently.  Using a large spoon, scoop the batter into a lined muffin tin (makes 6).  Bake 30 minutes or until light brown around the edges.

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Everyone should watch this - especially if you don't have migraines so you can understand what people are going through that do have migraines.

Recipe: Yummy Gluten-Free Brownies

I know chocolate is listed as a histamine no-no, but it has never bothered me in moderation.  This recipe is also not strictly paleo due to the rice flour but you could use coconut flour if that is a concern.  It is gluten-free and as a treat, which I must have occasionally for my mental health ;-), it fits the bill without having a bunch of junk in it like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, dyes, preservatives, and so on.

I did not get a picture this time, but next time I bake them I'll try to remember to come back and add one.

Yummy Gluten-Free Brownies

Ingredients:

1 stick plus 2 TBSP butter, softened
1 c maple syrup
3/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 c Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c rice flour
1/4 c tapioca starch
2 eggs, lightly whisked

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease an 8x8 inch pan.  Combine butter, maple syrup, cocoa, and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.  Add the eggs, salt, and vanilla and continue to mix.  Sift in the rest of the ingredients and mix until smooth.  Bake 25-30 minutes.  They are done when they pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.  Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe: Parsnip Fries

If you haven't tried a parsnip before, they are really good.  Sort of like a carrot, but sweeter and less bitter.  Roasting enhances their natural sweetness.  White potatoes tend to give me histamine symptoms, but sometimes it's nice to have "fries".  Here's a version of fries made with parsnips.

Parsnip Fries

Ingredients:
1 lb. of parsnips
2 TBSP coconut oil, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. Wash and peel the parsnips.

Next, using either a mandoline or just a very sharp knife, julienne the parsnips.  I use this mandoline and this glove. If you do use the mandoline please use the glove too - they are very, very dangerous without the glove.

Toss the julienned parsnips in the melted coconut oil, salt and pepper.  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet.  Bake 15 minutes on the lower rack, stirring them at least once.  Keep an eye on them because they will burn quickly, but you do want them to cook long enough to brown slightly.

Recipe: Roasted Artichoke

Before I found out I was histamine intolerant, I loved canned artichoke hearts.  I frequently used them in recipes and salads.  Now that I avoid all canned/jarred foods, I decided to try a roasted artichoke.  I didn't know how it would turn out because I noticed most recipes use garlic which I don't tolerate due to FODMAP issues and lemon juice, which I tolerate in small amounts as long as it's something occasional and not daily.  If you do tolerate garlic, I would recommend mincing some and adding it at the same time as I add the ghee below.  Even without the garlic it turned out delicious!

Roasted Artichoke

Ingredients:
1 whole artichoke
Grass fed ghee (or butter if tolerated)
Salt to taste
Light sprinkle of fresh lemon juice if tolerated

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

Wash the artichoke and chop the stem and the top off.  Place it upright on a large piece of foil.  Spread the leaves apart and stuff small bits of ghee between the leaves.  Liberally salt and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Next, wrap the artichoke in the foil so that it's completely sealed, and place on a baking sheet (to catch any drippings), and bake at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes depending on the size of the artichoke.

This is one of the few foods that need instructions on eating.  Pull each leaf off and turn it so the inside of the leaf is against your bottom teeth while holding from the pointed part of the leaf and scrape the meaty part off with your teeth.  When you get in the middle, that is the heart and most of that part can be eaten whole.

Recipe: Butternut Squash "Fettuccine"

I know I have already posted about my spiral vegetable slicer.  I love it and it can really add variety and interest to dishes.  I do love butternut squash, but chopping and roasting it can get repetitive and boring after a while.  So I decided to try making a "fettuccine" with the slicer out of butternut squash.  It was harder to get it through the slicer, but it did work with a bit of elbow grease and turned out delicious!

Butternut Squash "Fettuccine"

1 butternut squash, just the long, cylindrical top part above the seeds, peeled
2 TBSP coconut oil
5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

First, take a butternut squash, and chop it right before the round section with the seeds.  Keep that part to roast or use in soup, set aside.  Peel the long portion and chop the stem end off to create a flat surface.  Place it in the spiral vegetable slicer with the "large" spiral blade.

Chop the sage leaves.  Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add all of the ingredients to the pan and toss to coat the squash with the oil.  Cover, stirring occasionally, and cook until tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Recipe: Simple Rosemary Chicken

One of my favorite flavors with both chicken and pork is fresh rosemary. I'm lucky to live in a climate where Rosemary grows outside. This recipe is simple and flavorful!

Simple Rosemary Chicken

2 Boneless chicken breast

3 TBSP fresh rosemary, minced

2 TBSP ghee or other fat

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat skillet to medium heat and melt the ghee. Generously rub the chicken breast with the minced rosemary, salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chicken breast in the pan, and reduce the heat slightly. Cover and cook on those sides until lightly browned.  Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken breast. Be sure to let the chicken rest for a few minutes before serving. 

Recipe: Allergen-free Macaroons

Once in a while, I crave a treat.  I think most of us do.  Or if I know I'm going to a party where I can't eat any of the treats I'll bring one of my own.  Makes the party more fun if I can too can indulge.  Here's one of my favorites.  Coconut is a FODMAP for me, but if I only eat one or two macaroons at a time it doesn't seem to bother me.

One key to this recipe is to let them cool completely before moving them off the pan.  When hot, the coconut butter will be soft, but once cool they will firm up.

Allergen-free Macaroons

2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup Grade B Maple Syrup
1 cup of Coconut Butter (sometimes called Coconut Mana), melted
2 vanilla bean pods
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees fahrenheit.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pods.  Mix those and all of the ingredients until well blended.  I use my hand for this.  Then roll the dough into small balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake at 300 for about 25 minutes or until they start to brown at the edges.  Keep a close eye and start checking them at 20 minutes.

Let cool completely before moving from the pan.

Recipe: Falafel

I tried a modified version of falafel.  It turned out green, but still tastes great!

Falafel

Ingredients

2 cups of properly soaked chickpeas

1/4 cup parsley

4 green onions

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1/3 cup arrowroot flour, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

1 egg

Coconut oil

Add the parsley and onions in the food processor and pulse until evenly chopped.  Add the chickpeas and egg and pulse until it has a fairly even, but chunky consistency.  Finally add the cumin, corriander, arrow root flour and baking powder and pulse to blend.  Chill the dough for 30 minutes.  Dust a plate with some arrow root flour.  Melt enough coconut oil on medium to medium high in a skillet to come about 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch up on the patties.  Form the dough into a patty, then dust it in the flour and put in the pan.  Cook until golden brown, then flip and remove when golden brown on both sides.

Recipe: Savory Butternut Squash Soup

I seem to be craving soup a lot due to the cold weather, so here's another soup recipe.  Butternut squash are very nutrient dense and in season right now.

Savory Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash, cubed or sliced in a food processor
1 large carrot, shredded
1 large stalk of celery, minced
1 small onion or 6 green onions, minced
2 TBSP coconut oil
4 cups of filtered water
8 fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste

In a large pot, melt the oil on medium heat.  Add in the carrots, celery and onion and cook until translucent.   Add the squash, sage, salt, pepper, water, and butternut squash.  Bring to a boil, then simmer until the squash is soft, about 30 minutes.  Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Recipe: Zucchini "Pasta"

I can't say I really miss "regular" pasta at all.  Maybe it's just been too long since I've had any.  However, I do love the flavors that go along with pasta: oregano, basil, olive oil, etc.  Here is one of my favorite "pasta" recipes I've thrown together.  Feel free to use no meat, different meat, or different veggies that you tolerate.  In the summer this can be served chilled too as a salad.

Zucchini "Pasta"

1/4 c chopped green onions
1/4 c red pepper, chopped
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
Fresh oregano, chopped
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh rosemary
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP ghee (or butter if tolerated)
1 chicken breast
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt the ghee in a pan over medium low heat.  Mince the rosemary and sprinkle it along with salt and pepper on the chicken breast.  Cook in the pan with the ghee covered, about 7 minutes on each side depending on the thickness of the chicken breast.  While steaming the vegetables below let the chicken breast rest, then chop it.

Spiral the zucchini and yellow squash using a spiral tool like this one.  Put the zucchini and squash  as well as the red pepper and green onions in a steamer basket. Steam about 3-5 minutes, then set over a plate for a few minutes to drain.  Transfer the drained vegetables to a large bowl and add the herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper and toss.  Add the chicken to the top.

Enjoy!

Recipe: Cozy up to some Lentil Soup

It has gotten really cold here, highs in the 40s F.  A nice hearty bowl of lentil soup seemed like a great way to warm up.  I couldn't find a recipe that was both low histamine and used all ingredients I could tolerate otherwise, so I created my own.  It turned out fantastic!

The first step is to properly prepare and soak the lentils.  I soaked them overnight in salt water, then rinsed them and picked out anything that wasn't a lentil.

Lentil Soup

6 cups filtered water
2 cups prepared lentils (see above)
1 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup of green tomatoes
2 TBSP ghee (you could use any fat here)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste

Melt the ghee in a large pot on medium heat and add the carrots, onion, celery and salt.  Sweat the veggies until soft.  Add the lentils, water, tomatoes, and remaining spices.  Bring to a boil , then cover and reduce the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

Optional: Use an immersion blender to puree the soup to the desired consistency.  This gives the soup a creamier texture.

I know there is a lot of debate over whether slow cooking and  leftovers are a problem for histamine issues.  Based on this article and comments by The Paleo Mom, I am going with the assumption that as long as the food is at a high enough temperature to be cooking and/or frozen immediately, the bacteria cannot be actively creating histamine.  If you are more sensitive than I am, that might not work for you.  Everyone is different and it's important to listen to your body.  As soon as the 40 minutes were up on this recipe I immediately froze what I did not eat in single serving containers.