12.02.2012

GAPS Meatloaf

Today I have a guest! Kelly blogs at www.ohlardy.com and today she has a meat lovers classic favorite: Meatloaf! This recipe is not only simple, but its grain free and GAPS friendly! Enjoy. 

 

I am fairly certain that most meat-eaters enjoy a good, hearty meatloaf. I know I do! My mother especially loves leftover meatloaf sandwiches. A while ago I came across a recipe that had good bones, but the ingredients needed some help. I used it as a jumping off point to create my own nourishing and delicious meatloaf.

I love the simplicity of meatloaf. All you really need is meat, goodies, and something to bind it all together! I like to throw all of my ingredients into a big bowl.

 

 

Then, I mix it all together with my hands.

 

 

From here you can shape into a loaf on a foil-lined cookie sheet and throw it in the oven. I like to make my mixture ahead of time and keep it in the fridge for a few hours. I am not sure this does anything for flavor, but it helps me in the whole dinner making/child wrangling arena later.

When you are ready, place your tasty meatloaf in a 350 degree oven for about an hour. Let your meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

 

 

This recipe is totally versatile. I would like to make it with a mixture of beef, veal, and pork just to see how delightful that is! This recipe is GAPS friendly and totally customizable to fit your lifestyle.

 

A Classic Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 ounces almond flour
2 tablespoons milk (can substitute almond milk if you are dairy-free)
1/2 cup ketchup (divided)
1 1/2 pounds grass fed ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon mustard (I use dijon because I love the flavor that it adds to the dish)
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the almond flour and milk in a large bowl and let it soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of ketchup and the remaining ingredients and mix together with your hands.

4. Shape into a loaf and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.

5. Spread the remaining ketchup on top and put it into the oven and bake for an hour or so.

6. The internal temperature should be around 160 degrees.

7. Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!

Variations: I have made this meatloaf without the ketchup spread on top and instead served it as a dipping sauce. I have also covered the top of the meatloaf with bacon strips and that was amazing! My husband suggested adding cooked chopped up bacon to the mixture, so that will happen soon!

How do you like to make your meatloaf?

 

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~Stay Gutsy!

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11.28.2012

Roasted Garlic Broccolini

Have you ever tried broccolini?

 Broccolinni

The first time I heard the name, I decided I would like it. Isn’t the name just fun to say “brocc-o-lini”! ;D It is also a fun twist instead of the boring stubby broccoli. Don’t get me wrong, I like broccoli, but something new is always worth a try. What makes it better is the thin slivers of roasted garlic. If you want to get fancy, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on top before you serve.

I find that if you roast them at too high of a temperate the tips immediately char. It is hard to roast broccolini and not brown the tips because they are so thin, but that way it adds to the flavor.

They are light, lightly crisp, and roasty! yum

Since I have been busy lately with NAET treatments (update on that soon) I thought I would post a simple recipe. Here is it! Even though I cannot eat broccolini due to my endless sensitivities, I remember the first time I had it. It was good. I also made this “side” for my family’s dinner.

 

INGREDIENTS:

sprinkle of sea salt

2-3 Tbsp grassfed butter/ghee or coconut oil

1 lb of broccolini

few garlic cloves or  1 tsp garlic powder

 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Wash the broccolini and slice the thick stalks in 1/2. lay on a cookie sheet.

2. Cut the butter in cubes and slice the garlic thinly.

3. Sprinkle the chunks of butter, salt, and garlic slivers over the broccolini.

4. Bake in the 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the tips are brown.

5. Serve hot and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top (optional).

 

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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11.19.2012

Celeriac: The Weird and Wonderful Winter Vegetable

I found Ariana’s blog a little while back and I was blown away with the charm and remarkable photography of her blog And Here We Are…  She just captures the essence of pure foods without all the fluff and stuff. I. simply. Love. her. blog! I have exciting news today, she is guest posting here on Gutsy!!

Hi Everyone!  My name is Ariana, and I blog over at And Here We Are… about living the good, simple life as an expat in Europe.  Caroline invited me to come share a post with you, and I thought we should talk about a very misunderstood vegetable: Celeriac.  Have you cooked with it before?  I think that this root is often passed over for other more familiar vegetables, since it looks so weird.  I never really knew what to do with it when I saw it once in a while in the USA, but when we moved to Germany a couple of years ago, I kept seeing it at the local markets, and decided it was time to give it a try.  I am so glad I did– this root has become one of my family’s staples.  OK, so let’s talk about it.

What is Celeriac?

Celeriac is a root vegetables with a huge underground base called a hypocotyl.  This part is edible, as are the shoots that look like sort of stringy celery stalks– but it’s this hairy bulbous part that we really want to eat.  This crazy-looking vegetable can be eaten raw or cooked in a wide variety of ways, making it super versatile.

What does it taste like?

Celeriac does taste like it’s cousin celery, but it’s also pretty sweet.  I would compare it to a parsnip, actually, but it’s less starchy than most root vegetables.  And when it’s cooked up, it becomes quite creamy!

When is it in season?

Now!  That’s why I think we should all try it– it’s great to be able to add more winter vegetables into our cooking repertoires, since it’s in late autumn and winter that we end up feeling like there isn’t as much variety from our markets and gardens.

Preparing Celeriac

There are so many ways that you can use celeriac.  I’ll show you how to peel it, and then I’ll share my favorite way to cook it.

 

Peeling Celeriac

1.  Lay the root on its side, and slice off the top.

2.  Turn it around and slice across the bottom, removing most of the hairy roots.

3.  Set the bulb on its freshly-flattened bottom, and use a sharp knife to  slice the peel from top to bottom, rotating and slicing until all of the sides have been peeled off.

4. Turn it over, and make any little slices you need to along the bottom to remove any remaining skin.

5.  You’re done! Slice the round bulb in half, and continue to prepare however you like– in spears, cubes, etc.

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Celeriac and Apple Purée

My favorite way to use celeriac is in a nice mash or purée.  It’s really simple if you have an immersion blender, and is very easy to adapt to include other vegetables.  Here’s the version I made to take to an early Thanksgiving dinner this past weekend.

1. Roughly chop or slice a whole celeriac bulb, and put it in a pot filled with about an inch of water.  Turn the heat under the pot up to medium, put the lid on, and let it steam for about 15 minutes.  While it’s steaming, peel and chop a large apple (or two.)  Add the apple after about 15 minutes, and continue steaming (check and add a little more water, if needed) until the celeriac and apple are both very tender.

2.  Drain any remaining liquid from the pot.  Add about 1/3 cup of butter (this part is very adjustable, and you can add more later, if you’d like, so do it your way!) , a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a bit of salt, and some pepper.  Puree this with your immersion blender until fairly smooth.

3.  Taste it.  I used a tart apple, and still felt the need for a little more lemon juice.  Adjust your seasonings until it tastes how you like it, and then blend some more.

You can serve this just like mashed potatoes!  I also enjoy the combination of carrots and celeriac, or turnips and celeriac– it’s hard to go wrong!

I also recently made celeriac fries to go with a venison stew— really delicious!  Do you have any questions?  Do you have a favorite way to prepare celeriac that you’d like to share with us?

I also made celery root bacon hashbrowns a while back with celeriac. So now you have lots of recipes to make with this wonderful veggie! Have fun 🙂

 

 

~Stay Gutsy!

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11.16.2012

Paleo Zucchini “Mac & Cheese”

I have a special guest today!! Gabriella has an amazing story plus tips on how to become paleo and she tops it off with a recipe! WOW, this girl knows how to blog 🙂 Make sure to visit her blog when you are done.

 

Hi Gutsy readers! My name is Gabriella Makstman and I’m a blogger at A Crafty Gourmet. My blog is dedicated to finding health & happiness through a new found love for food. I began the blog 6 months ago as part of a 21-Day Detox program to deal with arthritic pain in my hip. I’ve loved blogging about my journey and sharing my favorite recipes with my readers. I’m also studying to be a Health Coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and plan on working with clients to help them achieve their health and nutrition goals. In this guest post, I’m sharing my experience with the Paleo Lifestyle and one of my favorite go-to dinner recipes, Zucchini “Mac & Cheese.”

About Gabriella
As a child, I remember being pretty skinny until I was nine years old. I had a couple of traumatic events happen in my life and I began to seek solace in food.  When I look at old pictures, I can almost pinpoint the change in my demeanor and appearance. I quickly went from being a happy thin 8-year old to a chubby sad 9-year old.
My first diet was in seventh grade, I was about 11 years old. At the time, my father was trying to lose a little weight and we had a number of diet pills in the house by a very popular company called Herbal Life.  I remember sitting in gym class one day and just thinking “oh my God, I am so fat! What am I going to do with myself? Nobody likes me!”  I stopped eating lunches my mother would make me and I reduced my meal intake to 1 per day. I also started sneaking the diet pills to school with me.  This really wrecked havoc on my blood sugar and I became an emotional mess. I had several breakdowns, including one at my 12 year old birthday party. I don’t remember exactly how I got out of it, but friends who were concerned about my well-being helped get me off of the pills and start eating better again.
\You can read more about my story here: My Story
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What is Paleo?
Paleo is often referred to as the caveman or paleolithic era diet. It centers around the concept of eating like our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Much like the GAPS diet, Paleo is a therapeutic dietary lifestyle aimed at helping people feel better. It’s been shown to be beneficial for weight loss, improved glucose tolerance, lowered blood pressure, and cholesterol reduction. Paleo diet involves eating real, unprocessed food, specifically grass-fed meats, grass-fed organ meats, eggs, seafood, vegetable, nuts, seeds, and fruit; and avoiding sugars and grains.

How Has Paleo Helped Me?
Besides being mostly pain free (I have flare ups sometimes when I eat out and forget to mention that I am allergic to dairy), Paleo has improved my skin and digestion. My skin is now brighter and smoother than it had been in years and I have virtually no bloating and stomach pains. Additionally, I feel like it’s made me smarter. I’ve been eating lots of great brain healthy fats like coconut oil, duck fat, and red palm oil. Since the brain and the myelin sheath are over 2/3 fats, these healthy fats have been supporting both my cognitive and neural function. Neurologically, the tingling I had in my hands and feet has also disappeared. I haven’t felt this great in years!
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So What Do I Eat?
 Often, for breakfast, I will eat butternut squash puree with duck fat and rosemary salt with a side of Kale or other greens. For lunch, I usually have a big bowl of soup, like Borshct. Dinner is usually a stew loaded with veggies and greens, like my Tongue Stew or Zucchini “Mac & Cheese,” for which I share the recipe below. For snacks I have sardines, nori wraps, flax crackers, and an occasional Paleo friendly cookie, like my Ghoulish Green Cookie! I also eat lots of fermented foods like sauerkraut, kombucha, and coconut yogurt.


How You Can Become More Paleo:
1. Shop the farmers market, where you can often find local grass-fed meats. You can also find companies online that deliver.
2. Eat more organ meat. Organ meats are high in B12, an essential vitamin for cognitive and neurological function
3. Eat Fat! Fat isn’t something to be afraid of, rather it’s in my opinion the most important macro nutrient for humans
4. Cut the grains! Grains contain anti-nutrients like phytic acid, which binds to calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc keeping you from absorbing them. This can lead to mineral deficiencies that can cause a variety of problems such as infertility, suppressed immunity, and migraines.
Here’s my one of  my favorite go-to paleo dinner recipes, Zucchini “Mac & Cheese.” Check out my blog www.acraftygourmet.com for more recipes, giveaways, and book & product reviews.
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A Crafty Gourmet’s Favorite Paleo Meal: 
Zucchini “Mac & Cheese”

 

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Ingredients:

4-5 Zucchini
1 Cup Sunflower Seed Flour (See Empowered Sustenance’sRecipe)
2 Cup cooked pureed Butternut Squash (see recipe here)
1 tbsp Coconut Oil or Duck Fat or Olive Oil
1 tsp Ukranian Village Seasoning (combination of Kosher flake salt, garlic, onion, Tellicherry black pepper, minced green onions, red and green bell peppers)
2 tbsp Parsley
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Process:

1. Using a Spiralizer or a julienne peeler, turn
your zucchini into noodles

2. Bring a pot of salted water to boil and drop in
noodles

3. Leave to boil for 3 minutes

4. Remove promptly and run cold water over noodles
to keep them from over cooking

5. In a cheesecloth or paper towel, squeeze all the
water from the noodles and set aside

6. In a Vitamix, blend on high the remaining
ingredients to make “cheese”.

7. Top noodles with “cheese” and garnish with
parsley

8. Enjoy!

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~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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11.14.2012

GAPS Applesauce

Simple. Yummy. Seasonal. Healthy.

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GAPS applesauce

What more could you ask for? Applesauce is pretty much a staple on the GAPS diet. If you have been on GAPS intro, you know what I’m talking about ;). I promise you it cannot get more simple then this. You can make as much or as little as you want, because all that really matters is that you have apples!

Variations:

Chunky: Mash with a potato smasher only until every apple in smashed and then stir. You can do more or less depending on the “chunkiness” that you like. To keep it chunky, keep the skins on.

Smooth: “like the jarred grocery store kind”. If you like smooth applesauce, don’t keep the skins. Peel your apples and use the skins to make fried apple skin chips. Smash with a potato smasher until it is all mashed together.

Pureed: Don’t get pureed and smooth mixed up. Smooth is like the consistency of the jarred applesauce at the store. Pureed is like baby food-super duper smooth! I use a blender for this kind. This would be a good “puree” for fruit roll ups.

Tips:

Making applesauce is quite simple but a few tips may help perfect this food.

  • The salt and lemon juice help to break down the apples.
  • The water is used so the bottom of the pan does not burn- use more if needed.
  • Use a variety of apples for the best flavor!
  • Keep the lid on so the bottom of the pan does not burn.
  • I like to make 1 jar with cinnamon and 1 jar without so I add the cinnamon at the end.
  • Sometimes I even add a few Tbsp of butter and honey to the applesauce to make it extra rich 🙂
  • Don’t over cook!
  • Have fun with adding handfuls (1-2 cups) of other fruits and make combinations like…

 

Strawberry applesauce 

Plum applesauce

Cranberry applesauce

Pineapple applesauce

Cherry rhubarb applesauce

Blueberry applesauce

Cinnamon-maple applesauce

 

INGREDIENTS:

(makes about 1 1/2 quarts)

10-15 organic small apples (any variety)

pinch of sea salt

2-3 Tbsp of lemon juice

2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 cup filtered water —> keep extra on hand just incase you need to add more

1-2 cups other fruit (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS:

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1. Wash apples (scrub the “wax” off if they came from the store). These do the trick.

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2. Peel (optional) and core apples.

3. Cut into 1 inch cubes (doesn’t have to be perfect!)

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4. Toss the apples, water, lemon juice, sea salt, cinnamon (optional), and fruit (optional) into the pot.

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5. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes until all apples are soft. Don’t over cook or else the applesauce will turn brownish and start to separate. 

* if there is too much water, keep the lid off for the last 5 minutes to let it evaporate. If there is too little water add 1/4 in at a time.  

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6. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes (just so you don’t burn your face with steam). Smash the applesauce to your favorite consistency.

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7. Eat piping hot or let cool and put into jars. Jarred fresh applesauce stays fresh for a few weeks in the fridge.

 

~Stay Gutsy, Caroline

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