I scoured the grocery store Wednesday after teaching my 4 p.m. yoga class desperately looking, but unwilling to ask, for peanut sauce. I couldn’t even find a Jiffy and sugar version of peanut sauce! Not that I would have stooped so low…

So I trudged home, hungry and still dreaming of grilled chicken with steamed greens dipped in peanut sauce. They say hunger is the root of all tasty recipes… and so it was the case on Wednesday. I measured and mixed and taste tested until I came up with this recipe, a recipe Elav said triggered a childhood memory. I think that’s a good sign.

I invite you to test this recipe and leave comments! But first, a confession: at the Savvy Recipe Development talk (just one of the wonderful events at the Nourished Food Blogger Conference) it was recommended to test a recipe three times before publishing it. And I only tested my recipe, um, once. My only excuse is that I haven’t had time to get through 10 servings of really, really good Peanut Sauce since Wednesday. But I’ve made a huge dent.

Enjoy!

Peanut Sauce

Makes 10 servings

Ingredients

3/4 C Peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/4 C Coconut Milk
1 1/2 Tb Lemon Juice
1 1/2 Tb Liquid Aminos
1 1/2 Tb Water
1 Tb Honey
1 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tb Garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp Fish Sauce
1 1/2 tsp Ginger powder
1 tsp Yellow Curry powder
1/2 tsp White Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp Real Salt

Directions

1. Using a food processor, like this Cuisinart Food Processor, mix all ingredients.
2. Taste test and adjust as necessary.
3. Use on top of free range, organic broiled or grilled chicken or as the marinade for free range, organic pork chops.
4. Enjoy and…
5. Leave your comments below!

Linked to: Real Food Wednesday

One of my younger sisters spent a few months in Australia a few years ago. The summer Elav and I moved in with my parents for our in-between-school-and-job section of life, she introduced us all to these Australian burgers. They are delicious!

Aussie Burgers

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 grass-fed beef patties
4 slices pineapple
4 fried free-range eggs
2 large beetroot or 4 small beetroot
mayonnaise

Directions

1. Roast beetroot in the oven: slice thinly and bake at 350° F for approximately 30-40 minutes.
2. Grill or fry the beef patties and pineapple.
3. Fry the eggs.
4. Layer the burger: beef patty, mayonnaise, pineapple, egg and beetroot

The weekend we moved to Carbondale, IL–14 days after getting married–we went out to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings. I ordered wings with Blazin’, the hottest BBQ sauce, with the appropriate warning to keep away from eyes, pets and children. When our meal arrived, I excitedly tried the first wing slathered in sauce–it was so tasty but sooo hot! I downed glasses of water after that first wing, and tried to go back for more but it was too hot. So I haven’t ordered that sauce since.

Most BBQ sauces aren’t GAPS-legal because of the added sugar and other natural flavors. My favorite, Bone Suckin’ BBQ Sauce, actually uses honey as a sweetener, which is great, but also has Molasses, which isn’t GAPS-legal.

So I made this BBQ sauce. Want to burn? Add more Chili Powder and Mustard. To lessen the heat, decrease.

Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Serves 3 cups

Ingredients

1/4 C Coconut Oil
1 medium Onion
6-8 cloves Garlic
24 oz. can of strained Tomatoes
1/2 C Honey
1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1 Tb dry Mustard
1 tsp Black Pepper

Directions

1. In a medium pan, heat coconut oil and sauté onions 10 minutes.
2. Add garlic and sauté another minute.
3. Add all other ingredients and simmer on medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Use a Hand Blender to blend ingredients while in the pot.

Swiss Steak is a method of preparing meat (usually beef) by rolling or pounding and then braising in a pot. “Swissing” refers to the fabric or other material being pounded or run through rollers in order to soften the meat. The process is done to enable tougher and cheaper pieces of meat to be tenderized. (Wikipedia.com)

Today’s Crockpot Swiss Steak recipe comes to me courtesy of the Gaps cookbook, Internal Bliss, that I’ve been browsing through.

Swiss steak should be tender enough to be eaten without a knife.

(Lazy) Swiss Steak

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 Steaks
1 1/2 Tb dry Mustard
1/2 C filtered Water
1 tsp Black Pepper
2 Tb Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tb Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 Onion, sliced (optional)
1-2 packages fresh Mushrooms (optional)

Directions

1. Place steak in crock-pot.
2. Add mustard, water, pepper, olive oil, vinegar and onions .
3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
4. Add sliced mushrooms during the last hour.

Recipe from Internal Bliss – GAPS Cookbook (Recipes designed for those following the Gut and Psychology Syndrome Diet)

My guests last week enjoyed this light chicken salad and it was just enough for 4 people with some leftovers. Romaine lettuce, Kalamata olives and Caesar dressing combines with herbed chicken to create a marriage of delicious flavors.

Herbed Chicken Mediterranean Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 local, organic, non-soy Chicken Breast Halves
4 Tb Olive Oil
2 Tb Mediterranean Herb Blend

• 2 Tb dried Rosemary
• 1 Tb ground Cumin
• 1 Tb ground Coriander
• 1/2 Tb dried Oregano
• 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 Red Bell Pepper
4 C Romaine lettuce
Organic Dressing Caesar
1/4 C grated or shaved Parmesan Cheese
2 Tb Kalamata Olives

Directions

1. 4 – 12 hours before cooking, marinate the chicken with olive oil and Mediterranean Herb Blend.
2. Then, preheat broiler (or grill) and cook chicken and bell pepper half 10 – 15 minutes. Since I don’t have a broiler (or grill) I took a circular pizza pan with holes on top of a rectangular pan without holes and broiled our chicken on top. Creativity at it’s best!
3. While those are cooking, toss lettuce with dressing and divide onto 4 plates. Top with Parmesan and olives.
4. Slice chicken and pepper into strips, arrange on a top of salads and serve.

During Thanksgiving break, we went thrift store shopping and I found two cast iron food molds that make nine perfect heart shaped cornbreads! The cast iron was a steal. This recipe will leave the inside of the muffin moist, perfect for sliding a pat of butter and drizzling honey over.

Cornbread

Ingredients

1 C Sprouted Flour
3/4 C Cornmeal
2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp organic Butter
2 beaten farm fresh Eggs
1 C Raw Milk
1/4 C Ghee

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 °F. Add 1 Tb butter to cast iron skillet and place in oven for 3 minutes or until butter melts.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a small bowl, combine eggs, milk and ghee. Then mix wet and dry together until mixed. Pour batter into skillet or pan.
4. Bake 15 – 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm with honey and plenty of butter!

Over Thanksgiving (nearly a month ago already?!) my husband and I made an apple pie with a crust recipe from my Uncle Warren. My family members raved over the pie, claiming it was the best pie they have ever tasted. I think it was the lard in the crust. We made four pies and I still had crust left over, so when we got back to our little “Yooper” home I decided to make a Chicken Pot Pie.

Chicken Pot Pie

Serves 6

Ingredients

PIE CRUST (5 crusts)
4 C Flour
1 Tbls Sugar
2 tsp Salt
1 3/4 C Lard
1/2 C ice water
1 Tbsp Vinegar
1 farm fresh, organic Egg

CHICKEN POT PIE
1 medium onion, diced coarsely
2 large carrots, peeled and cut to your liking (diced, sliced, halved)
2 large potatoes, washed and diced into 1/2-inch chunks
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground thyme
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp peppercorn medley, ground
2 1/2 C chicken broth
1 C frozen baby peas
1 C lima beans (optional)
1 ½ C cooked turkey or chicken, diced or cut into small pieces
3 Tbsp and 2 Tbsp lard, coconut oil, ghee or another cooking oil (NOT most vegetable oils!)
1/3 C coconut flour
1 C raw or non-homogenized milk

Directions

CRUST

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt, then add lard. Mix until pea-sized.
2. Add vinegar and egg to flour mixture. Mix.
3. Then add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time and beat together in a small bowl.
4. Divide dough into five equal parts, wrap separately and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
5. Store in freezer, if storing longer than 3 days.

PIE

1. In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons cooking oil, add onions, carrots, potatoes, parsley, thyme, oregano, sea salt, and pepper. Cook on medium-low or medium heat until vegetables are softened. About 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer about 2 minutes.
3. Then add peas and/or lima beans. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
5. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, mix the coconut flour and 2 tablespoons oil until blended, heat on medium-low approximately 1 – 2 minutes until thickened.
6. Add the milk gradually to make a white sauce. When the mixture is almost thickened, add to the vegetable mixture. Stir in turkey or chicken, if desired. When mixture is thickened nicely, pour into a greased casserole dish or pie plate.  (I’ve used a pyrex pie plate. NOTE: I made the mistake of layering crust on the bottom of the plate. Avoid this! It will dry out the Pot Pie.)
7. Roll our your crust. Use plenty of flour to keep crust from sticking to your countertop. A cool surface works best. Place the crust over top, not quite going to the edge–leaving spaces allows for venting, if needed. If your crust isn’t perfectly smooth on the top, who cares? Call it “rustic” and everyone will be super impressed with your artistic skills!
8. Bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until crust is lightly browned.

See filling in photo:

Linky Parties: Fat Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Taking a Timeout Thursday

Meatloaf is such an easy dish to pack for lunch the next day or freeze in single servings to make a quick meal for unexpected guests ~ enjoy!

Meatloaf

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tsp Coconut Oil, Butter, or Ghee
1 med Onion
1/2 C Frozen Bell Peppers (red, green, yellow)
1 C Cooked Wild Rice
1/2 C Heavy Cream
1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
2 Farm Fresh Eggs
1 Medium Carrot
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
1 Tb Fennel Seed or Dill Weed (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat loaf pan with butter or ghee.
2. In a pan, saute onion onion and peppers in oil until soft. Transfer to bowl and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
3. Combine cooked wild rice and heavy cream. Soak 5 minutes.
4. Add all remaining ingredients to the sauteed vegetables along with the rice and cream. Mix ingredients together with hands until well blended.
5. Shape the meat into the loaf pan and bake 1 hour.

Part of the following blog parties: Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday, Family Time Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Tuesday Confessional, Hunk of Meat Monday, Monday Mania, Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Through the Introduction to GAPS Diet, this was a hit at our diner table. My husband who is not on GAPS, was able to eat foods he enjoys while I was able to commit to healing my gut. Win-win!

What is GAPS?

It stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome and is a diet created by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride a neurologist and pediatrician practicing in England. It’s a healing diet and has been used to cure all sorts of ailments – from ADHD to autism, schizophrenia to constipation. Dr. Campbell-McBride actually healed her own son of autism. That is pretty amazing.

In her book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome: Natural Treatment for Autism, Dyspraxia, A.D.D., Dyslexia, A.D.H.D., Depression, Schizophrenia, Dr. Campbell-McBride writes that she has never seen an autistic child with a healthy gut. The GAPS diet, based on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, heals and seals the gut lining using easily digestible foods and a heavy dose of probiotics. One of the main components of the diet is Bone Broth, which is easy on the digestive system and can help to heal allergies and Celiac, detoxes the liver and promotes bone building.

This recipe is from The GAPS book.

Chicken & Broth Vegetable Dinner

Ingredients

Meat. Options include the leg or shoulder of lamb, a joint of pork, a joint of beef, a pheasant, 2-4 pigeons, 2 quails, a joint of venison, a whole chicken, turkey legs.
Water
Salt
Pepper
Dried herbs to taste
Bay leaves
Sprig of rosemary
Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, small onions, etc

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.
2. Place meat in a large casserole with a lid. Fill the casserole dish 2/3 full of water. Add salt, pepper, dried herbs to taste, bay leaves, a sprig of rosemary. Place the lid on the casserole and bake in oven 5 – 6 hours.
3. About 40 – 50 minutes before dinner: add broccoli, cauliflower, whole peeled small red or white onions, brussel sprouts, carrots, etc.
4. When you take the casserole out of the oven, you can serve the stock in bouillon cups with dinner. Or just serve the whole dinner in soup bowls.
5. Meat stock leftover from this dinner can be used as a soup base and/or nourishing drinks.

I bought a half of a free-range pig in June and enthusiastically set about making pork chops that first night, since we had at least 12 packages to get through. I was so excited about being a good hunter-gatherer wife (hunting for good meat and gathering it at Otto’s Meat Processing in Luxemburg, WI) and my happy spirits took a nose dive when my husband didn’t even like the pork chops I made!

Thankfully, this story has a happy ending: I’ve since used this recipe and my hubbles loves the pork chops, he even sent me a text from work raving over the leftovers. So try this recipe and let me know what your happy ending is!

Why do we eat this food? Since the pork was free-range, we are getting vitamin D and protein necessary for our own bodies to flourish. Also, we are helping to sustain a small, organic farmer in our area which will have a positive impact on the community and economy where we live.

BBQ Pork Chops

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Pork Chops
BBQ sauce (I have an affinity to Bone Suckin’ Sauce)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 F
2. Place pork chops in an oven appropriate dish – glass or ceramic are preferable.
3. Place dish in oven for 3 hours.
4. Turn oven temperature to 350 F
5. Drizzle BBQ sauce over pork chops.
6. Let sit for 45 – 60 minutes in oven.

Linked to: Monday Mania