Fresh Cranberry Coulis (Sauce) Paleo! Yippee

This retro recipe is #6 of my top ten for holidays.  

Cranberries are good for me!  I know because Grandma was told by her doctor that she could either take a pill or drink a daily cranberry to improve her thyroid function and prevent UTIs. 

 I don't eat enough because admittedly they are so sour but I always keep bags frozen out of season to pop in my smoothies. 

Cranberry Coulis, A Paleo Sauce/Filling/Topping

One orange whole, peel and all - sliced in fourths
1 apple sliced.  
10 oz. bag cranberries fresh or frozen  (I used two bags) 
1/2  cup sugar (I have used honey and this time agave.)  Add slowly only enough to taste.  

Blend in food processor or blender until smooth.  This stuff is so good that iced a tiny bit in the freezer makes it a delicious addition to any meal.    Lidia made it with me this time and said she could love it atop ice-cream.  
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I scoop it and slurp it up by the spoonful--figuring it adds to intestinal health 'cause raw cranberries are good for me!!!  This recipe I could and would eat daily if I keep it made up in the fridge.  One year it was mid January before I ran out of the big batch I blended up.  

     I wish this dish didn't taste quite so delicious because it is gone so quickly.  I use this coulis atop chocolate because it's such a unique taste sensation.    

Carrot Cake Balls -- GF, CF, sugar-free, faux-cream cheese

IT's NATIONAL DIET MONTH!!!     Today I'm looking for something that will be delicious and yet not bust apart my 21 day diet. (because I'm not up to starting over.)  

This might work!  







Cream cheese cake balls that are dairy-free, sugarless, gluten-free, grain-free, healthy, raw and delicious?

And about which the 14 year old says,  "Okay Mom, they are not terrible."  Woot!  High praise indeed.

The impossible dream?  
Well, maybe. 
It's all true, except for the cream cheese.  

There is none of that in the recipe, but I made these and asked the guys what they  reminded them of and they came up with the name.  

Actually they said they tasted pumpkin too, but I thought that was really stretching it.  

Who knew dates are the secret ingredient? 

None of the guys and they will not!  

3/4 cup carrots, peeled, diced (2 or 3 full sized)
4 dates (pitted and diced)
1 teaspoon minced ginger root (I use the stuff from the jar in the fridge)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon orange extract
1/2 cup pecans

I have a good food processor, so I did it all together using my processor blade, but try chopping the carrots first then remove and do the rest and add the carrots to thoroughly combine into a dough.  I used my handy-dandy melon baller and then rolled them in coconut.  

This is the birthday cake ball recipe that my dear friend Pam researched and fed to me for my September birthday.  It's taken a month to get it replicated.  I hope you love it as much as I do.    

Reality Bite:  And for the record, I still do not like dates... alone. (hee,hee.)

Last posted 10-29-13

Zucchini Noodle Salad

THIRTY-DAY AUTO-IMMUNE DIET

I'm joining the Sisters for an autoimmune improvement month.  The month of April is dedicated to the improvement of gut health and I'm excited to begin.

As I've said before, all five of us have celiac disease and a diverse collection of other autoimmune diseases.

We've also been diagnosed with Krohns, migranes, lupus, symptoms of RA and a really rare and complicated auto-immune disease called  ‪#‎cryoglobulinemicvasculitis‬ that requires an expensive round of chemo often to try to improve those nasty symptoms.

Since the eldest of us has turned 50, our health is getting worse, so we thought we'd try a food solution.
Here we go. It's a thirty-day adventure and so I'm in for a month of great eating while I explore this food philosophy.  

Today I fixed Dr. Ann Myers' Zuccini Noodle Salad and it was surprisingly light, flavorful and good.  I served it with grilled wild salmon and cilantro cauliflower riced.  Turned out delicious.

I can recommend the recipe highly.

http://www.amymyersmd.com/2014/03/zucchini-noodle-salad/

So as I learn what I can eat and what to avoid, I've brothed all kinds of bones and I have a cooler in the garage filled with fresh produce until the college-bound guy eats all the cheese, milk, orange juice, eggs, and g-f cookie dough out of the fridge.  I urge him on... I NEED MORE SPACE.

Reality Bite:  I probably need less cookie dough too.

Black Bean Chocolate Brownies

http://www.inspirededibles.ca/2014/01/flourless-black-bean-chocolate-chili.html

I didn't use the chilies and adapted as ingredients needed. Found it too bitter so I piled white almond bark and sprinkles on top, mmmm.

GF CF Chocolate Meringue Cookies from King Arthur Flours

short and round, but dark and handsome: picture from King Arthur flours

No flour, no dairy cookies? Light and crunchy on the outside yet deep and chewy on the inside? Less than 30 minutes for the whole deal? Only four ingredients??

Yes, please.

Here's the link to the recipe: we just suggest you whip the sugar and egg whites together like any good French chef and THEN add the rest of the ingredients. Can be a pain to scrape off the pan if you neglect some sort of parchment paper or grease.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Mass Soup Rave--people at the latest party really loved this one again. It is a keeper.  

Go acquire the real curry from the India store.  The hot one.  It's worth the extra work to get the good stuff.   


Last posted 10-11-11

One of my bff's brought curried soup to the India fest birthday and here is her recipe for all those who loved, loved, loved it!

Mr. Darcey loved it because he prefers a savory soup and this one really hits the delicious spot.

Saute in

2 Tablespoons butter (or olive oil)

1 cup onion diced

1/2 cup apple diced (I used granny smith)

1 cup celery diced

Cook about three-four minutes, just until everything is translucent. (It's the job of the fat to take on flavors and carry them throughout the soup to the tastebuds.)

Add 2 teaspoons curry powder (use your favorite--she used spicy.)

Saute just a couple minutes more.

Add 1 cup chicken broth (make sure it's GF, and dairy-free if you need)

Blend this mixture in your blender (I used a hand-held immersion blender) until smooth.

Return soup to your pot and add

2 more cups of chicken broth

1 3/4 cups of solid pumpkin (or a 15 oz can)

Reality Bite: (I added the 29 oz can and then had to remake the second bath of the entire soup and there was soup, soup, everywhere... plenty to freeze for next week and the week after...)

Anyway...

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream, if you're dairy-free)

2-3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

Stir and heat to a simmer-- about another 5-10 minutes. Remove bay leaf before serving.

Delicious served with a dollop of sour cream and chives.

Reality Bite: And if you accidentally blend the second batch with the bay leaf, it's still good, just green flecked.