Category Archives: Low-Carbohydrate Diets

Ghee Coconut Creamer for Camping

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ghee-coffee-creamer

Ghee Coffee Creamer is a good cream substitute for camping season. If you like butter, ghee is stable without refrigeration making it a great camping or emergency food.

It’s camping season. While traveling it can be difficult to find sources of nourishing traditional foods. Usually, I like organic cream in my morning coffee but organic cream can be difficult (or impossible) to find outside of cities. In the past when I couldn’t get quality cream or raw milk I made a coconut-based substitute. This is an updated version of Coconut Coffee Creamer using ghee rather than butter.

Ghee travels and stores much better than butter. If you are going into the backcountry and want buttery trout or wildcrafted greens, ghee is the answer. You can buy commercial organic ghee but making your own will save you about half the cost.

Ghee will also store well as emergency food in your car or camper. If you would like more information about emergency rations please see Emergency Preparation: Fasting or Ketogenic Rations. There’s a link to the whole series about household emergency preparation too.

Homemade Ghee

1 pound unsalted, organic butter
Ghee is very easy to make. Take one pound of unsalted, organic butter and slowly heat in a sauce pan. Simmer the butter for 15-20 minutes skimming off the lactose that bubble to the top. Strain the golden ghee through some cheese cloth to get out the remaining lactose. Some people cook the ghee to a nut brown color for Indian cooking but I prefer using golden ghee.

Ghee Coconut Creamer

1/3c organic coconut oil
1/3c organic creamed coconut
1/3c ghee made from unsalted, organic butter
In a food processor, blend the coconut oil and creamed coconut together with the warm ghee. The Ghee Coconut Creamer should last 1-2 months without refrigeration. 2-3 tablespoons for each liter of coffee is about right.

For more information about the benefits of using coconut products in your daily coffee please see: Coconut Coffee Creamer.

For more tips about nourishing traditional food preparation while traveling please see: Eating Nourishing Traditional Foods While Traveling.

Healthy Household: Quick Summer Salve

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summer-salve-2016

Quick Summer Salve gives protection for dry or mature skin. It may even help keep the bugs away.

This Quick Summer Salve is nourishing for the skin and helps keep the bugs away. A low-carbohydrate diet is still the best defence against bug bites.

1 part organic shea butter
1 part organic mango butter
organic essential oils: frankincense, lavender, catnip, peppermint and geranium
Melt the shea and mango butter in a Pyrex measuring cup in a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat and pour butters into containers. Add the essential oils. Mix gently and allow to cool. Label the containers.

For more recipes please see Healthy Household: Staying Clean Safely.

Cauliflower Summer Salad with Crispy Walnuts

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HAPPY LONGEST DAY! Cauliflower Summer Salad travels well and is a good addition to picnics or camping trips.

This salad reminds me of an old favorite couscous (or bulgur wheat) salad. This salad does not use any grains and is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS or a modified Paleo Diet.

Crispy Walnuts

1-2c organic walnuts, coarsely chopped
1T organic coconut oil
1tsp sea salt
In a cast-iron frying pan, melt some coconut oil over a medium heat. Add the walnuts and sea salt and stir while they toast. Don’t overcook. Remove from heat and store in the fridge for snacks or as a topping for salads.

Cauliflower Summer Salad

2-3c Cauliflower Side Dish, chilled
1/2 organic long cucumber, sliced
1/2c garden parley or lovage, chopped
4-6 garden radishes, sliced (optional)
2-3T garden chives, chopped finely (optional)
1/2c organic crispy walnuts, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
This salad is good with any fresh vegetables from the garden. Don’t be limited by the normal. Use your imagination and enjoy! In a large bowl, mix the Cauliflower Side. Dish with the vegetables and walnuts. Add sea salt and pepper, if needed.

Cauliflower Side Dish

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It’s easy to dress up this cauliflower dish with some fresh grated turmeric and peas making it a great base for curry.

This side dish is sometimes called cauliflower rice or cauliflower couscous. I have no idea where this recipe originates. It popped up in the Paleo Community as a substitute for rice or couscous. It’s great for people that cannot tolerate rice or grains or just want to increase their vegetable intake.

1 cauliflower head, finely chopped
1tsp sea salt
1tsp peppercorn, freshly ground
1/3c extra virgin olive oil or raw sesame oil
Cut the cauliflower into pieces. In a food processor, finely chop the cauliflower into rice sized pieces. Doing small loads makes the chopping go easier. Spread the finely chopped cauliflower onto a glass baking tray. Stir in the spices and oil. Mix well. The olive oil is better for western dishes and the sesame oil is better for eastern dishes. Cook at 300F for 40 minutes but stir every 20 minutes to avoid burning. The dish can be eaten hot as a rice substitute or cold in salads like couscous.

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In a food processor, chop the cauliflower into rice sized pieces.

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Spread the finely chopped cauliflower on a glass baking tray. Add the spices and oil before baking.

Turmeric Cauliflower and Peas

1-2T raw sesame oil
1-2c Cauliflower Side Dish
1tsp turmeric, freshly grated
1/4c frozen peas
In a fry pan warm the sesame oil. When hot, warm up the Cauliflower Side Dish and stir well. Add the turmeric and peas and stir everything while the peas unfreeze. The turmeric will turn the cauliflower yellow as it warms up. The dish is a great as a base for curry.

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Cauliflower Side Dish can be eaten hot or cold. It’s a substitute for rice or couscous. It’s a good base for adding spices or vegetables.

For the LOVE of Quark

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“Quark cheese is a soft unripened cheese with a smooth texture and mild flavour. Quark is excellent for recipes that call for cream cheese. Use it in your cheese cakes or as a topping for baked potatoes and for adding to dips and sauces.”
Grass Root Dairies

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Quark makes an excellent topping for warm salads. These microgreens and sprouts come from our indoor growing unit. The greens are topped with caramelized onions and sliced pork roast.

Easy Quark Dip or Creamy Quark Dressing

Quark makes a wonderful dip for cut vegetables or can be thinned out to make a creamy dressing for salads. Grass Root Dairies, the new name for Gort’s Gouda, makes a creamy, delicious quark. You can find quark in Kamloops at Nature’s Fare.

2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/2tsp sea salt
1/2tsp black peppercorns, freshly ground
1/2c organic quark
1/3-1/2c virgin olive oil or raw sesame oil
This recipe is best made in small amount. Finely grate the garlic and place in a small bowl. Add the spices and mix in the quark well. Add 1/3c olive or sesame oil and mix again well. This will make a thick dip. Add more oil for a thinner dip or dressing.

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Quark makes an excellent dip for cut vegetables such as carrots, celery and broccoli.