Jelled Cranberry Sauce with Honey and Mixed Berries (SCD, GFCF)

It's funny how everyone has a different opinion on how holiday dishes are supposed to taste. I've heard people grumble about going to an in laws house for Thanksgiving because they don't make the stuffing right. Or that they prefer ham but the in laws make turkey. Or that no one could make pumpkin pie like their mother. Or that so-and-so doesn't even make pumpkin pie and all they served was cake.

My grandmother made the best cranberry sauce. It was quite easy and so yummy. She used boxed cherry jello, applesauce and cranberry sauce. I loved it. To me, that was how cranberry sauce was supposed to taste. For three years I have been trying to make a SCD version and I finally got it! It doesn't have any applesauce in it at all, but it tastes just like hers.

I used fresh cranberries for this but have been told that frozen cranberries are less tart. I have not tried it yet but they would probably work. The raspberries and strawberries cut out most of the tartness leaving only a hint.

Note: For those following the SCD, make sure the frozen berries have no added ingredients.

2 (12 oz each) bags Fresh Cranberries
1 (10 oz) bag Frozen Raspberries, thawed
1 (10 oz) bag Frozen Strawberries, thawed
1 1/2 cups Honey
4 packets (about 4 TBSP) Knox Unflavored Gelatin
2 cups Water
1 cup Water

Pick out and mushy or pale cranberries. I wound up with about 5 cups. Rinse cranberries and place in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water and other berries. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, pour in 1 cup cold water. Sprinkle in gelatin and let it sit.

Hold a large mesh strainer over the bowl with the gelatin. Ladle the softened cranberry mixture into the strainer, a few ladles at a time, and use a wooden spoon to press through the mesh. Stir the hot liquid with the gelatin to dissolve. Then ladle in the rest of the berries into the strainer. Repeat. Stir in the honey. Cover and refrigerate overnight until set.

Recipe Review for Zucchini Casserole from H-B-L and I've Been Tagged

I made the Zucchini Casserole recipe from Heal-Balance-Live for Thanksgiving this year and it was wonderful. I wasn't able to get a good photo of it though. For one, casseroles are hard to photograph. Then, this was the last dish to come out of the oven and hit the table in time to eat, and we all just pounced on it...getting the camera was not on my mind. I've had this recipe bookmarked for awhile and wish I'd made it sooner. I love casseroles and this was perfect...flavorful, cheesy and homey, mmmm. Karen's "SCD Seasoned Breadcrumbs" recipe for the topping was very good and would be perfect to add to some other dishes. I might try it on my "Mac" and Cheese.

This recipe does take some planning to get much of the moisture out of the zucchini. Karen recommends starting five hours before. I did, placing the shredded zucchini in a large mesh colander and setting it over a mixing bowl. I lightly salted it and every now and then I would wring it with my hands (clean hands of course). Over time there was a lot of liquid in the bowl, which I dumped on my flowerbed. I doubled the cheese it called for and it worked well. This was so good I'll be making it again soon!!

Also for Thanksgiving, a nice post from The Daily Lipid called Thanksgiving, A Source of Eternal Joy. I think this post reminds us of what the holiday season is truly about.

Also in the news...I've been tagged. Ina of Gluten-Free Delightfully Delicious tagged me in a game of food blog tag. It's a game that gives us a chance to know our food blogging neighbors a little better. I answer 10 questions from Ina, and then I get to "tag" other bloggers with my 10 questions. So here goes:

1. What is your absolute favorite food? (this can be a tough one, so go ahead and include a few)
I think spices and herbs are. They allow you to make everything taste good.

2. Who is your favorite Food Mentor, or Chef, and why?
My grandmother, she taught me to cook. We could always talk about food.

3. What meal did you first cook, that inspired you to become a better cook, and to create new recipes?
Actually it was a cookie, not a meal. I don't remember my first attempt, but my parents do. When I was a toddler they woke up to the smell of burning and found me in the kitchen with a plate of beans on the stove. I looked at them and said "chocolate man". The time I do remember was kindergarten. In class we made a no bake cookie. The first time my mom left me and a friend home alone, I pulled out flour, sugar and food coloring and tried to go off memory. My mom came home to a mess, and I have been determined ever since to be a better cook. I would cut out photos of food as a child and dream of making them one day.

4. What is your favorite cook book?
I am a total cookbook whore. I read cookbooks on vacation, for fun, before I go to bed, etc. I absolutely love them. I have too many favs to mention. Some are Elaine Corn's 365 Ways to Cook Eggs, The Joy of Cooking, just about anything in the Wei-Chaun Publishing Series... and more recent Dana Carpender's 500 Low Carb Recipes.

5. What kitchen gadget can you not live without in the kitchen and why?
My timer. I'm so absent minded that I fully depend on it.

6. Where in the world would you most love to eat, and what food would that be?
Malaysia, and it would be just about anything they served me.

7. What are some of your favorite recipes on your blog?
The curry and wing recipes.

8. What food, will you absolutely not eat and why?

I used to say Brussels Sprouts, but I've finally found ways to enjoy them. Lately, I have read about how healthy organ meats are for you. I can eat liver, but not brains, heart, etc. I wish I could because I think they are very beneficial, but ewww.

9. Do you grow your own food? And if so, what is your favorite food to grow?
I wish I had time to. Eddie has been the gardener so far. I would like to grow pickling cucumbers and learn how to make pickles.

10.Who in the world, would you most love to share a beautiful dinner with?
My husband Eddie.

Now, I would like to tag:

Paul of Eating SCD
Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea
Tracey of Unbreaded
Stephanie of The Dairy Free Diva
Melanie of A Foodies Fall from Grace

Here are my 10 questions:
1. What is your first cooking memory?
2. Which two spices, herbs or flavorings do you find most useful (besides salt and pepper)?
3. If you could be a fly on the wall of any kitchen, which one would it be? (past, present or future)
4. If you could invite a historical figure to your home to cook dinner for who would it be? (past, present or future)
5. If you could spend one week in any country in the world, in an average kitchen, learning to cook the local cuisine, which country would it be?
6. When you are very busy, what easy meal/dish do you usually prepare?
7. What are your favorite recipes on your blog?
8. If you could have anyone cook a meal for you, who would it be?
9. Is there a meal you will never forget? Describe it?
10.What is your favorite dessert?

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake (SCD, GFCF)

This is perfect for dessert, breakfast, brunch or just nibbling. This cake tastes best the next day, when the flavor of the orange zest starts to peek in.

Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake

2 1/2 cups Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1 teas. Baking Soda
4 Eggs
1/3 cup Oil
1/2 cup Honey
1 TBSP Vanilla
1/4 teas. Almond Extract (optional)
Zest from one medium size Orange or two Clementines
1 1/2 to 2 cups Whole Cranberries

Crumb Topping

1 cup Pecan Meal
1/2 cup Almond Flour
1 1/2 teas. Cinnamon
2 TBSP Honey
2 1/2 TBSP Melted Butter, Ghee or Oil (use oil for GFCF)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 inch Springform pan with parchment paper.

For the cake: Rinse cranberries and pick out any soggy ones. In a large mixing bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda. In a small bowl combine all wet ingredients. Stir into almond flour until combined. Stir in orange zest and cranberries. Pour into prepared pan.

For the Crumb Topping: In a small mixing bowl, combine pecan meal, almond flour and cinnamon. In a separate bowl combine honey and melted butter. Pour into pecan meal mixture and combine. Sprinkle on top of cake batter.

Bake about 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick tests fairly clean. Note: I place my springform pan on an aluminum cookie sheet while baking to catch any leakage, this may affect my cooking time.

This post is linked to Momnivore's Holiday Link Party.

SCD for the Holidays

Holidays are a time of favorite and treasured recipes. My grandmother's pumpkin bread and snickerdoodles will always come to mind when I think of the holidays. I thought our first SCD holiday was going to be a bust, then I stumbled upon a few good recipes and some new favorites came to light. Let's let that light burn brightly on all of our holiday tables this season!

Do you have a couple good SCD/GAPS recipes perfect for the season? Maybe even more than a couple? Do you have a story about the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or GAPS Diet and the Holidays? If so, please feel free to share it with us. Here's how:

1. In the Mr. Linky Widget below, in the "Your Name" box, add the title of your post and a brief description of your blog. example: Grain-Free Butter Cookies (Mrs Ed)

2. In the "URL" box, be sure you use the link to your recipe post, not your blog in general.

3. If possible, in your post, put a link back to this one so everyone can find more great SCD/GAPS holiday recipes.

4. If you're not sure if your recipe is 100 percent SCD legal, please check out the ingredients here.

Your recipe can be an older post. Add as many recipes as you want, however, if you have more than three or four you may want to put all of your holiday recipe links on one post and just use that one here. example: My SCD/GAPS Holiday Table Favorites (Mrs Ed)

Remember, stories and articles on the SCD/GAPS diet and the Holidays are welcome too. At some point I will create a SCD/GAPS Holiday Recipes page and compile all of the links.

Note: For Recipe link number 4, Kat's Sweet Potato and Apple Casserole, use this recipe with Butternut Squash, as Sweet Potatoes are not SCD friendly

My SCD/GAPS Holiday Table Favorites

Here's a list of links to some of my recipes you may find useful this holiday season. This post may be updated from now till the end of the year. I'm working on a few things, and if they work out I will add more links.

Flavorful Holiday Turkey

Breads

'Nana Bread A flavorful banana bread
Grain-Free Sandwich Bread Perfect for a turkey sandwich
Grain-Free Bread
Golden Bread
Rustic Hazelnut Bread

Appetizers

Rustic Hazelnut Crackers
Cheesy Sunflower Crackers
Spinach Parmesan Crackers
Savory Vegetable Dill Crackers
Liver Pate with Hazelnuts This is a very mild and smooth pate
Pimento Cheese Spread
Garlic Anchovy Dip
Rutabaga Chips

Holiday Sides

Jelled Cranberry Sauce with Honey and Mixed Berries
Brussels Sprouts There are two of my own recipes here, plus links to many more
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
Lemony Watercress and Cauliflower Salad A colorful addition to your table
Spinach Cheese Bake A comfort dish that is easy to put together
"Mac" and Cheese
Marinated Artichoke and Cauliflower Salad
And not really a recipe: A bowl of artichoke hearts marinated in your favorite vinaigrette makes for an easy side, plus you can make it the day before

Desserts and Sweets

Grain-Free Butter Cookies
Grain-Free Cranberry Crumb Cake
Elaine's Almond Roca
Pound Cake
Moist and Simple Coconut Cake
Raspberry Coconut "Zinger" Style Cupcakes
Deep Dish Pie Crust
Caramel Apple Tart
Butterscotch Sauce and Caramel Sauce
"Cream Cheese" Frosting
Coconut Pecan Frosting
Bourbon Coconut Pecan Frosting

Grain-Free Butter Cookies (SCD)

This is adapted from Elana's "Star Cookies for St. Lucia". I found this recipe and Elana's website just in time for our first SCD holiday season. My son was three then and was thrilled to have these cookies, they have been a favorite ever since. The other great thing about this recipe...the cookie dough. It's makes the best cookie dough, Gordon and I sometimes eat more than we bake! I have adapted it to the SCD and replaced the coconut oil with butter, as my son has a severe coconut sensitivity.

This post is linked to "Calling All Cookies" at the Sensitive Pantry.

Grain-Free Butter Cookies

2 1/2 cup Almond Flour
1/2 teas. Sea Salt
1/4 teas. Baking Soda
1 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 cup (one stick) Butter, melted or very soft
5 TBSP. Honey
2 teas. Vanilla Extract
1/2 teas. Almond Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line one or two cookie sheets (depending on how much dough you've nibbled on) with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a small bowl combine the wet ingredients. Stir wet ingredients into dry.

If you are not making cut out cookies: Chill in refrigerator for one hour. Roll into one inch balls, place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press down. Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.

To make cut out cookies, chill dough in freezer for one or two hours. (You can also keep dough in the freezer to have on hand) Cut out several 6 inch by 6 inch squares of wax paper. Roll a golf ball size of cookie dough between two sheets of wax paper. Peel off top sheet and cut out cookie shape. Flip over onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Peel off other piece of wax paper.
Bake 7-10 minutes until very lightly browned.