Coffee Panna Cotta (GF)

This is one of the few times I will be posting a GF recipes that is not SCD legal. I love coffee desserts and I've had this idea to try for a couple years now. I thought this months Go Ahead Honey It's Gluten-Free theme would be a good time to post it.

It was not my intent to have it with separate layers. I do not know the culinary science behind why it did this, but I thought it looked cool. If you are a coffee lover I think you'll enjoy this.

Note: This recipe is not SCD legal

2 cups Whipping or Heavy Cream
1 3/4 cups Strong Black Coffee
1/2 cup Rapadura or Sugar (the Rapadura adds a nice depth)
1 teas. Vanilla
2 packets Knox Gelatin

In a medium bowl(I use a 4 cup Pyrex cup), add 1/2 cup of the cream and sprinkle the gelatin on top to absorb. A few minutes later, add hot coffee and stir.

Put the rest of the cream and sugar in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it begins to heat up and melt the sugar. Add vanilla. Pour into coffee mixture. When it has cooled to room temperature, pour into parfait glasses or goblets and chill until set.

The Dangers of Antacids and PPI's

If you or someone you know has Heartburn, GERD, Acid Reflux or has been taking antacids or PPI's (such as Nexium) please take a few moments to read about these. Chris at The Healthy Skeptic has done an excellent job covering this topic:

FDA sounds alarm on dangers of antacid drugs

Heartburn/GERD At the bottom of this article there are links to several more in his series on this.

Basil Chicken Salad (SCD, GFCF)

I planted some basil and other herbs with my flowers this year. It's so nice to have fresh herbs on hand. You can make the basil oil the day before, it's even better. I let my crock pot cook the chicken for me while I'm at work. The next day I throw the bones and bits back into the crock pot to make broth.

1 cup Basil Leaves, rinsed
3/4 cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 cups Chicken, cooked and diced
1 10-oz container Grape or Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in half
1 small Red Onion, finely diced
2-3 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 teas Dijon Mustard or Dry Mustard Powder
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Blanch the basil in boiling water for about 5 seconds, then rinse with cold water. Squeeze out the water. Add to blender with oil and pulse to combine. You can chill it overnight for more flavor.

Add chicken, tomatoes and onion to a large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, add basil oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Whisk until combined. Toss with chicken. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Lunch Gear

Being on a special diet means taking your food along with you quite often. I take my lunch to work each day and my son takes breakfast and lunch to school. I like having lots of useful gear on hand. No one has asked me to advertise this stuff, I have just found them useful. I love these Lunchopolis Lunch Kits. The most recent one cost $22.50 and that may sound expensive but it includes the lead-free insulated lunch tote, 4 containers with lids and a 15 oz. beverage bottle, all BPA free. Our blue model with green piping came with green containers and the brown with blue piping model came with blue containers. I found ours at the local Drug Emporium but they are also available online, info at Lunchopolis
The only thing missing is a silverware case. I don't like dirty silverware floating around my lunchbox and I worry a knife or fork is going to gouge it up.


The shape of the tote is perfect for holding two bento boxes and two beverages:


I found these adorable ice packs by Rubbermaid, at Target. I think they were $3.99 each. They are also handy to have on hand in the freezer in case of kitchen burns.

The Real Deal Strawberry Gelatin (SCD, GFCF)

The real taste of strawberries is great in jello, you'll never want the artificial stuff again. I used a 5 cup decorative bundt pan, but I forgot to oil it and the warm water bath was too effective, but it still tasted great.

4 cups Strawberries, sliced
Water
3/4 cup Honey
3 packs Knox Unflavored Gelatin

In a large bowl add 1 cup of water and sprinkle gelatin on top. Set aside to absorb.

Puree strawberries with an immersion blender or in a blender. Add water, if needed, to bring it back up to 4 cups. Add to a saucepan with honey and bring to a boil.

Pour some of the hot strawberry mixture, about a cup or two, on top of the gelatin. You may need to whisk to get the gelatin incorporated. Then add the rest of the hot strawberry mixture and stir to combine. Chill until set.