Roast Tenderloin with Parmesan Herb Crust- for Turkey or Pork (SCD)

I haven't meant to neglect this blog for so long. Just to give a snapshot of my life: this week I go in at 6 a.m. to open the store, run home to make breakfast and pack lunches, then go to the local school to substitute teach, then run to Abilene afterwards for store errands or the Boogers soccer practice. Life gets so busy sometimes. That's what I like about this recipe. It comes together in a snap. While it's roasting I can get other things done. I make enough for leftovers and lunches. You can half the recipe if you are cooking for one.

Roast Tenderloin with Parmesan Herb Crust- for Turkey or Pork (SCD)

2 Tenderloins, Turkey or Pork (about 1 1/2 pds each, or so)
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1 or 2 TBSP Herbes de Provence*
2 TBSP Cooking Oil or Cooking Fat (I used Olive Oil)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season tenderloins with salt and pepper.  Combine cheese and herbs in a small bowl. Use a small roasting pan that will hold meat in a single layer. Pour oil in pan. Place tenderloins in the roasting pan and roll in oil. Press half of cheese mixture on one side of tenderloins, roll over and press the rest on the other side, covering all of the tenderloin. Roast 45 to 50 minutes until they test 160 degrees with a meat thermometer. Slice and serve.

*Herbes de Provence is an herb blend from the south of France. It is wonderful on poultry and is a mix of marjoram, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme, lavender, basil, parsley and sometimes fennel, chervil and garlic. If you can't find Herbes de Provence, than any combination of three or more of those herbs would work nicely.

This post is linked to Real Food Wednesdays.

Eggs in a Hoola Hoop (SCD, GFCF)

This egg dish has been floating around the internet for awhile and I finally tried it.

The ingredients are obvious: eggs, bell pepper rings sliced about 1/3" thick (yellow, orange, and red bell peppers are much milder than green), a little fat for frying, salt and peper. I cooked the pepper rings for about 2 minutes per side before adding an egg to each one.


Here's the recipes from around the web:

Flower Power Eggs from Apron Strings

Fried Eggs in a Bell Pepper Ring from Food Renegade

Roasted Bell Pepper Egg in the Basket from Z's Cup of Tea

Bell Peppered Eggs from Back to Her Roots

Eggs Fried with Tomato in Bell Pepper Ring from Enjoy Your Cooking

Bell Pepper Egg-In-A-Hole from Shutterbean (Use SCD legal toast)

Hawaiian Dip (SCD, Nut-Free)

I really don't know if they eat this in Hawaii. I am just paying homage to all of the recipes that call anything with pineapple in it "Hawaiian". This is one of my submissions for "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free".

Hawaiian Dip

8 oz of Farmers Cheese, or Dry Curd Cottage Cheese, or Dripped Yogurt, or Cream Cheese (cream cheese is not SCD legal)
8 oz can Crushed Pineapple in juice
1/3 cup finely chopped Green Onions, include tender green portion

If you are using cream cheese (not SCD legal), warm it to room temperature. Drain can of pineapple but reserve the juice.

Combine cheese/yogurt, drained pineapple, and green onions. If you need to adjust the taste then add pineapple juice, one teaspoon at a time until flavor is just right. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Carrot Hummus (SCD, GFCF, Nut-Free)

There are many different versions of garbanzo bean-less hummus. The first one I had ever tasted was a black bean hummus and it was delicious. This one uses carrots. Roasting the carrots brings out their sweetness which contrasts nicely with the cumin. This is also my submission for this month's "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free", hosted by yours truly. The theme is Dips and Dippers and the fabulous recipes are already coming in. Be sure to check back at the end of the month to see the recipe round-up.

Roasted Carrot Hummus

2 cups of petite baby cut carrots, you can use an equivalent of regular carrots
About 1 TBSP Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1/3 cup Sesame Tahini
3 TBSP Lemon Juice
1 Clove Garlic
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin

To roast carrots: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss carrots with olive oil and sea salt, and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, just until fork tender. Cool.

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until fairly smooth. If it is too thick you can add a few drops of olive oil or water.

Here are some more garbanzo bean-less hummus ideas:

Roasted Carrot Hummus from She Let Them Eat Cake

Black Bean Hummus from Life's Ambrosia (Note for SCDers: Do not use canned beans, use properly prepared black beans)

Herbed Lima Bean Hummus from Epicurious.com

Beet Hummus from Elana's Pantry

Zucchini Hummus from Girl Cooks World

Red Kidney Bean Hummus from Adventures in Tralaland (Note for SCDers: do not use canned beans use properly prepared beans)

Red Lentil Hummus from Chow (Note for SCDers: Properly prepare lentils)

This post is linked to Monday Mania, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,  Real Food Wednesdays, Real Food 101, and Fight Back Fridays.

Crispy Onions (SCD, GFCF)

I had seen recipes for these in Indian cookbooks and meant to try them. Then, I ate some served on sliced flank steak at a Japanese restaurant in Las Vegas. They were diced so fine they looked like toasted coconut and tasted amazing. I could not wait to start using them at home. They are not just good on steak, they are also great with casseroles and vegetables. They will shrink up while cooking. Two cups of fresh diced onion will yield about 3/4 cup cooked. You can make these a few days ahead and refrigerate until use.

Crispy Onions

Small amount of Oil or Butter
Onions, diced fine

Here, I diced three small onions to get two cups worth. Oil a frying pan with just enough oil to coat the pan. Heat pan on medium high heat. Add onions in a semi single layer:

Adding more will cause some of them to cook before the others. Saute, stirring frequently until golden browned and done. If they need more oil while cooking, add a few drops at a time. If they seem to cook too fast, adjust the heat.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider (SCD, GFCF)

Need to warm your cockles and spice them up a bit? Hot mulled apple cider is just the thing. Heat a pot of this before your friends come over and your house will smell heavenly, with an aroma that says it's the holiday season. My ingredients are approximate, you may want to experiment by adding ginger, nutmeg, honey, orange juice, etc.

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

1 quart Apple Cider (SCD legal if your and SCD'er)
1 Cinnamon Stick, plus more for garnish
3 to 5 Whole Cloves
6 to 8 Whole Allspice
1 piece of Orange Rind, about 1" x 2"

Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and them simmer low for 15 minutes. Pour into mugs and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves 4.

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays and Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free.

Easy SCD Chili (SCD, GFCF)

My dad has a saying, "Chili today, hot tamale". This is so true of Texas weather. One day it can be thirty degrees and the next day it can be eighty. This year we went from five months of August right into chili season. We have a hard time keeping the saltine crackers and cheddar cheese in stock at our little rural store. Everyone has a nice warm bowl of chili on their minds.

This recipe is from my son's grandmother. I have only adapted the seasoning to make it SCD legal, you can use my spice blend or a SCD legal chili powder. It's very easy. Cook's Illustrated suggests adding the spices to the hot oil before browning the meat for more depth.

Easy SCD Chili
2 TBSP. Cooking Oil
1 Onion, diced fine
1/4 to 1/3 cup SCD Legal Chili Powder
Cloves of Garlic, to taste
2 lbs. Lean Ground Meat
4 cups Tomato Juice
1 Whole Fresh Chili Pepper (optional)

Heat oil over medium heat in a dutch oven type pot. Add onions, chili powder, and minced garlic, cook until onions are tender. Add ground meat and brown. Add tomato juice and simmer for 20 minutes or more. (it will thicken the longer you simmer it, two hours makes a nice thick chili) If you are adding a chili pepper add it with the tomato juice and leave it whole (like you would a bay leaf). You can serve it with shredded cheddar cheese. I have a friend who serves her chili over steamed cauliflower and says it's delicious.

This post is linked to Fightback Fridays.

Freezing Tomatoes (SCD, GFCF)

There's nothing like the taste of homegrown tomatoes. The cruel irony is that just when you want that flavor the most, in your nice warm bowl of tomato soup when the weather is cold, there are no good tomatoes to be found. Several years ago a neighbor had a bumper crop of tomatoes. He told me to blanch them and freeze them. I took the tomatoes and the advice. I was amazed at how well the frozen tomatoes had retained their wonderful flavor. I was determined to have a good batch put away this summer. Eddie started some tomato plants this spring but the 100 plus degree weather dampened my plan. Luckily the farmers market here has some decent batches. This year, instead of boiling the tomatoes and peeling them, I got an even easier idea from a post on Apron Strings for Roasted Tomato Sauce for the Freezer.  I love the flavor of roasted tomatoes. So I followed the instruction for roasting. I sliced an X on the bottom of each tomato and placed them X side up in a roasting pan. I roasted them at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes, then let them cool. Then the skins just slipped off. It was so easy... and the house smelled like roasted tomatoes. I didn't make the sauce. Kalyn's Kitchen also has a recipe that caught my eye for "Just Tomatoes" Sauce for the Freezer. I'll be trying that one next week.

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup (SCD, GFCF)

Soup season is coming! I love soup. This one is almost a stew, but not quite. I used "beef" in the title but almost any ground meat will do. This batch was made with deer meat. I prefer to use a leaner ground meat so there's little fat to drain off. Ingredients are approximate.

Hearty Vegetable Beef Soup

1 lb Lean Ground Meat such as Beef, Turkey, Deer, or Bison
Small amount of Olive Oil if needed
1 Onion, diced fine
1 Tomato, seeded and diced fine
3 cups Tomato Juice
2 cups Water
1 teas. Dried Basil
1 teas. Dried Oregano
Dash of Celery Seed (optional, early SCD'ers omit)
1 cup Carrots, diced fine
2 small Zucchini, diced fine
1 cup Frozen Cut Green Beans
Salt to taste

Brown meat in a large pot. Drain off excess fat if needed. Add onions and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally until onions are tender. (If meat is very lean you may need a little olive oil). Add tomato juice, water, and herbs. Bring to a simmering boil. Add the other vegetables and simmer to desired tenderness. Season with salt to taste. Serves 6.

This post is linked to Fightback Friday.

Recipe Review - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes From Simply Gluten-Free (modified for SCD)

Carol Kicinski of Simply Gluten-Free has a flourless pancake recipe using ricotta cheese called "Gluten Free Ricotta Lemon Pancakes". Ricotta cheese is not legal on the SCD, so I substituted with dry curd cottage cheese, also called farmers cheese. They were very good. They reminded me of french toast without the toast. Thanks Carol!

 Here is a link for pancake syrups. I also have a recipe for Raspberry Syrup.

Chopped Brussels Sprouts (SCD, GFCF)

I love roasted Brussels sprouts, but despise the boiled ones. I didn't feel like firing up the oven to roast them, plus I was in a hurry, so I chopped and pan fried them. Very easy, quick and good. In fact so easy this really isn't a recipe at all, but I'll shamelessly post it anyways:

Chopped Brussels Sprouts

Brussels Sprouts
Butter, Oil or Fat for frying
Sea Salt

Cut the brown part of the stem part off the sprouts. Chop sprouts into quarters. In a frying pan over medium high heat, melt butter if you are using butter (for GFCF use another type of fat or oil). Add sprouts and cook until some are lightly browned and heated to your preference. Salt to taste.

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD, Nut-Free)

We have an abundance of sweet onions in our CSA box. Thankfully I have a food dehydrator. I also slipped some diced onions into the deviled eggs with tasty results.

Deviled Eggs with Sweet Onions (SCD)

6 Large Eggs, hard boiled
2 TBSP Mayonnaise
2 TBSP Butter, melted
1/3 cup Sweet Onions, very finely diced
Salt and Pepper to taste
A sprinkle of paprika for garnish.

Slice eggs in half lengthwise and scoop yolk into a small bowl. Add mayonnaise and butter and mash well. If the mixture is too dry, mix in more mayo one teaspoon at a time to desired consistency. Add onions, salt and pepper. Drop yolk mixture into egg white shells. Sprinkle with paprika. Chill until serving.

Roasted Cabbage - SCD

There was a head of cabbage in my CSA box. I've never been a cooked cabbage fan, but ever since I tried roasted Brussels sprouts I have wondered if the same technique could work for cabbage. Yes it does!  This came out sweet with a bit of crunch, not soggy and strong like my childhood memories of cabbage. Plus it's easy.

Roasted Cabbage

1 medium head Savoy Cabbage
3/4 cup Broth or Consomme
5 TBSP Butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Butter a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Slice cabbage into 1/2" shreds, discard stem and core. Place cabbage shreds in baking dish. Pour broth over the top. Dot with pats of butter. Roast for 15 minutes. Flip the cabbage. Roast another 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 6 servings.

Here are some more SCD friendly cooked cabbage recipes:

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon from Kaylyn's Kitchen

Roasted Cabbage with Bacon from the Kitchn

Roasted Cabbage and Kale Chips from Yard Farm

Braised Red Cabbage with Apples from Jill's Test Kitchen

Cider Braised Red Cabbage and Apples from Healthy Living Market

Stuffed Cabbage from Comfy Belly

This recipe is linked to Pennywise Platter Thursday, Real Food Weekly, Fightback Friday, and Traditional Tuesdays.

My Crockpot is My Stockpot - Homemade Beef Broth and Consomme (SCD, GFCF)

I've finally had success making beef broth in the crockpot. The secret, besides roasting bones with a little meat on them, is a low setting for 24 hours. Roasting them first removes fat and browns the bones for better flavor. I used soup bones that were about 3 to 4 inches in diameter, cut about an inch thick, and still had a few chunks of meat on them. This recipe made about 7-8 cups of broth. This broth had a good flavor and made a nice consomme too.

Stephanie of a Year of SlowCooking recommends adding cider vinegar about half way through to bring out the flavor. I forgot to do this, but will try next time.

Homemade Beef Broth

3 lbs (approx) Beef Soup Bones
10 cups (approx) Water
Veggies on hand such as onions, celery, and/or carrots (I used 6 Green Onions)
2 or 3 Bay Leaves
Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put bones in a single layer on a roasting pan, and roast about 40 minutes, until browned. Place browned bones in crock pot, adding water and other ingredients. Cook for 24 hours on low setting. Note: make sure your low setting is able to bring it to a simmering boil, if not use higher setting.

Cool cooked broth to room temperature, pour into a pitcher, and refridgerate overnight. When chilled, scoop off layer of fat, if you're avoiding fat then discard, if you're embracing fat reserve it in the fridge for future use. Use broth within three days of put in freezer safe containers and freeze.

To make consomme, put broth in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Boil until it is reduced by half. This will have a nice "beefy" flavor that is good in recipes. You can also freeze consomme for future use.

This post is linked to Fresh Bite Fridays,a whole foods carnival, Fightback Friday, and Traditional Tuesdays.

Great Recipe - Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce from The Dairy Free Diva (SCD, GFCF, Nut-Free)

I saw this tasty recipe for Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce on Stephanie of The Dairy Free Diva's site. It sounded so yummy I immediately began to think of ways to use it. Shrimp Salad? On Mexican food? Hmmm. I just happened to have some cooked chicken breast in the fridge and it was perfect for chicken salad. The lime and cilantro flavors go so well with chicken. I used all mayo, instead of part mayo/part sour cream, and added it to one half pound of cooked and finely diced chicken breast. I now have a new favorite chicken salad for lunches. Thanks Stephanie!

Artichoke Bisque (SCD)

A creamy soup with artichokes, Parmesan cheese and garlic...how could you go wrong? This was adapted from the "New England Soup Factory Cookbook" by Marjorie Druker. Instead of using cream, I use yogurt cream, homemade yogurt made from half and half and when processed for 24 hours it is virtually lactose-free. I also use canned artichokes, but you could use frozen ones as well.
This is my submission for this months "Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free". Linda of The Gluten-free Homemaker is hosting and the theme is "Seasonal Soups". Funny, artichokes are always in season in my pantry, so this was a natural choice. It it also quick and easy, another seasonal favorite!

This post is also linked to "Grain-Free Tuesdays" at Hella Delicious, and "Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays" at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Artichoke Bisque (SCD)
4 cups Chicken Stock
2 (14 oz) cans Artichoke Hearts (check for illegal ingredients)
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 heaping cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1/4 teas. Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 cup Yogurt Cream, or a very thick yogurt
Parsley or Chives for garnish (optional)

In a large pot simmer chicken stock, artichokes and garlic a few minutes, until artichokes are fork tender. Use an immersion blender to puree or use a regular blender and puree small batches at a time. Return to pot. Add nutmeg and cheese. Stir until cheese is incorporated. Season. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt cream. Garnish and serve.

Seasoning for Salmon (SCD,GFCF)

I am always leery of spice blends. I was glutened once by lemon pepper seasoning. This is my replacement for Old Bay seasoning. There's no bay leaves in it but it goes well with salmon. I've had success with it on broiled salmon and salmon patties (recipe for future post). The nice thing about making your own blend is that you can adjust it to your taste.

 If you are avoiding seeds you can substitute celery flakes for the celery seed. I use Simply Organic spices but I cannot vouch whether they are SCD legal or not.

This post is linked to Grain-Free Tuesdays from Hella Delicious Food, a GAPS diet and whole foods blog.

Seasoning for Salmon (SCD,GFCF)

1 TBSP Paprika
2 teas. Coriander
3 teas. Mustard (powder)
1 1/2 teas. Celery Seed
1 1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Ginger (powder)
1/4 teas. Allspice
1/4 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 teas. White Pepper
1/8 teas. Cayenne (optional)

Combine. Adjust to taste. Store in an airtight container.

Creamy Shrimp Bisque (SCD)

Did you know that January is National Soup Month? Lauren of Celiac Teen is hosting this months Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten Free. The theme is "Follow the Calendar" and January has more food holidays than you can beat with a stick. Soup is my favorite one, especially creamy bisques and chowders.

The idea for this soup came from Raman Prasad's "Red Pepper and Tomato Soup" in Recipes for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. I love this cookbook! If you are on the SCD, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, or just very serious about a whole foods diet, it's worth checking out.

Today's batch I made with creepy store bought wintertime tomatoes, not the best for flavor. For those of you not on the SCD, you may opt for a large can of whole tomatoes. For those of you on the SCD, this soup is a good inspiration to freeze those fabulous summer garden ones for winter recipes.

The creaminess comes from yogurt. Homemade yogurt that has been fermented for 24 hours has almost no lactose in it, the bacteria breaks it down. Many Celiacs also have lactose intolerance. Oh, I forgot to mention, this recipe makes a lot.

Creamy Shrimp Bisque (SCD)

2 Red Bell Peppers
7 Roma Tomatoes
1 cup Carrots
1 Onion
2 TBSP Butter
2 Cups Chicken Stock
Salt to taste
1 pound Cooked Shrimp, peeled and tails off
1 to 2 cups Yogurt or Yogurt Cream

To roast and skin peppers: Rinse and slice peppers lengthwise into quarters. Remove seeds. Place on an oiled baking sheet, skin sides up and place under broiler until skin is bubbly and has black spots. Turn oven off and let peppers sit in warm oven awhile.

To skin tomatoes: Boil a large pot of water. Drop in tomatoes. When skin splits, remove and add to a bowl of cold water. Skin should come right off.

Pull out peppers and let cool. Peel of the papery skins.

Add carrots and onion to a food processor. Pulse just until finely minced. Heat butter in a large pot, add carrots and onion and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and bell pepper to food processor and puree. Run through a sieve and pour strained mixture into carrots and onions. Add chicken stock and heat to boiling. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Salt to taste.

Put shrimp into food processor and pulse until finely minced. Add to pot and heat through. Stir in yogurt and heat about 1 minute. Serve.

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

Happy New Year!! 

This is a scrumptious dessert sauce.  For good results, use a good quality bourbon, such as Makers Mark or Knob Creek. As Ina would say, no "gut rot, porch climbing hooch". I'm going to try this batch with some sauteed bananas and pound cake. This was adapted from Joy of Cooking.

Easy Bourbon Sauce with Honey (SCD)

8 TBSP (one stick) Butter
1 cup Honey
1/4 cup Bourbon
A few dashes of Sea Salt
1 large Egg

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Add honey, bourbon and salt. Cook while stirring until ingredients are well combined. Whisk egg in a small bowl until light and frothy. Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in egg. Return to stove and cook over medium heat, gently stirring, until mixture boils up. Cook another one to two minutes. Cool until thickened. This will keep refrigerated for up to three days, if it lasts that long.

Avgolemono Soup - For What Ails You (SCD, GFCF)

It was bound to happen. An occupational hazard of my new career change has just caught up with me. I think I might have the flu. Since October I have been a rural convenience store clerk. I really enjoy my job.  I also get the local scoop on what's going on in our little town. This scoop always includes what bugs are going around as well.  I see lots of stuffed-up folks and parents who have been up all night with a sick kid (some of them in my son's class) come in for Gatorade, seven-up, over the medicines, and of course, cans of chicken noodle soup. It was only a matter of time for it to arrive in our household. We've done well so far, which I suspect the extra vitamin C, elderberry and junk free diet has helped. Now that it's here, I want to find the best ways to get rid of it. There's much to be said for age old remedies, especially the one about chicken soup. It's even been dubbed "Jewish Penicillin". As usual, science eventually catches up with what grandmothers have known all along (here, here, here, and here).

However, Greek folks will tell you that it's not just any chicken soup that can do this. They will say it is their mother's avgolemono soup that can cure anything. I have had the honor of watching a greek friend's mother prepare this soup. Traditionally it contains orzo, a small gluten pasta. For those of you who consume gluten, you can cook the orzo in the broth before adding the egg mixture. For those of you who eat rice (non SCD legal), you can add a cup of cooked rice to the soup.

Avgolemono Soup

4 cups Chicken Broth
3 Large Eggs
Juice of one Lemon

In a tall stock pot, heat both to a boil. In a small bowl, using a hand mixer, mix eggs until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add lemon juice and blend another 30 seconds. Then, with and oven mitt, slightly rock stock pot back and forth, without sloshing to broth out of the pot. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the pot while rocking it. The goal is to combine the egg and the broth without separating the egg. Heat for about one minute. Enjoy.