Category Archives: Specific Carbohydrate Diet

Beanie Ginger Snaps

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Adding more ground flax will give a hard, crunchy cookie which may be better for travel food.

I know this recipe sounds strange but I hope you will give it a try. This recipe is great for people who cannot eat grains.

This recipe is based on Ginger Snaps from the Joy of Cooking. I heavily altered the recipe to make it grain-free and for production in a dehydrator. The trick with the cookies is to have the cookie dough thick enough not to drip through the dehydrator screen but thin enough to have a light, crunchy cookie.

2c soaked, cooked and rinsed organic white beans
1/4c organic black strap molasses
2-3T local honey (optional)
1-2T organic coconut oil
4tsp organic dried ginger, freshly ground
1/4tsp organic whole cloves, freshly ground
1/2 organic cinnamon stick, freshly ground
3-4 pinches sea salt
1T organic lemon, freshly squeezed
1tsp organic lemon peel, freshly grated
2-4T organic yellow flax seeds, freshly ground

Soak the white beans overnight in filtered water. Rinse the beans well before covering with fresh water and cooking for 1-2 hours until very tender. Remove any scum or hard beans during cooking. Rinse the cooked bean well in cool filtered water before using.

Grind all the spices in a spice grinder. In a food processor, add the cooked beans, molasses, honey, coconut oil, freshly ground spices, sea salt, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Mix until very smooth. Add 2 tablespoons of the ground flax seed and mix well. Refrigerate for a few hours until the dough thickens. If the dough is still too soupy add a bit more ground flax seed. Mix well and refrigerate again.

Drop the cookie dough onto the dehydrator sheets in teaspoon amounts. With a wet spoon lightly press down the cookie dough into a round shape. The cookies will dry very quickly in the dehydrator. The trick with the cookies to to have the cookie dough thick enough not to drip through the dehydrator screen. This produces a light, crunchy cookie. Adding too much ground flax will give a hard, crunchy cookie.

The ginger snaps have a nice crunchy, creamy texture with a spicy aftertaste and are a great travel food.

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While the cookies dry in the dehydrator your home with be filled with the most amazing spicy smell! Yum!

Seasonal Foods: White Bean Salad

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White Bean Salad makes a nice winter meal and is good topped with homegrown sprouts.

This recipe is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Even though some types of beans are allowed on the SCD, I have avoided eating beans for many years. Recently, I have tried to reintroduce a small amount of beans into my diet.?I have found that careful soaking and numerous washing of the beans has helped make eating beans possible.?If you are on the SCD and find beans difficult to digest you might find these methods useful.

Soaked, Cooked and Rinsed White Beans
2c dried organic white beans or cannelloni beans
6c-8c filtered water for soaking
Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them with about 2-3 inches of water above the beans. Pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans very well. A large colander or sieve works well for rinsing. Pour the soaked beans into a large sauce pan and cover with fresh water. Have at least an inch of water above the soaked beans. Bring the soaked beans to a boil and simmer for two hours. After cooking, wash the cooked beans again in fresh, cold water until the cooked beans run clean.

White Bean Salad Dressing
2-3 organic garlic cloves, finely grated
1-2T local raw honey
1tsp sea salt
1tsp dried organic dill weed
1T Homemade Whole Seed Mustard or organic Dijon mustard
1c organic cider vinegar
1c organic extra virgin olive oil
Finely grate the garlic cloves and put into a mason jar. Add the honey, sea salt, dill weed, mustard, cider vinegar and olive oil. Shake well and set aside for later use.

White Bean Salad
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1-2c White Bean Salad Dressing
4c frozen organic green beans, chopped
5-6c cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
Finely slice the onion into thin rings. In a large bowl, add the onions to 1c of White Bean Dressing and stir well. Let the onions soak in the dressing for about an hour to soften them. During this time, lightly cook the green beans in a small amount of water for 5-10 minutes. Cook the green beans less for a crunchier salad. Drain the green beans and add them to onions and dressing and stir well. Add the drained white beans and stir well. Taste the salad and add extra dressing, if needed. Chill the bean salad before serving. Any remaining dressing can be used with any salad.

Onion Gravy

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This Onion Gravy is made from chicken drippings and bone broth. This gravy is great for people that cannot tolerate grains.

This recipe is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS or modified paleo diet.

I have really missed gravy over the years because I can’t tolerate grains. At long last, I have found a gravy substitute that is as good or better than traditional gravy! This gravy can be made with drippings from roast chicken, beef, lamb, pork or goat.

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Cut two onions in half and roast with the meat. Put the garlic cloves under the roast to protect the garlic from the heat. This “fat boy” chicken came from China Valley Poultry Farm in Chase, BC. Their contact information is below.

2 roasted onions, blended
4-6 garlic cloves, blended
1-2c roast drippings
1c bone broth (optional)
splash of white or red wine (optional)
Cut two onions in half and roast with the meat. Put the garlic cloves under the roast to protect the garlic from the heat. When the roast is almost cooked remove the onions, garlic and any drippings from the roast. Do not skim the fat from the drippings. The fat makes a very rich and delicious gravy.

In a Vitamix machine, blend the roasted onions and garlic until smooth. Add the drippings (including the fat) and blend. If the gravy is too thick, add some bone broth. Warm the gravy in a sauce pan and add the wine, if desired. White wine is best for chicken and red wine is best for beef, lamb, pork or goat.

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In a Vitamix machine, blend the roasted onions and garlic until smooth. Add the drippings including the fat and blend. If the gravy is too thick, add some bone broth.

China Valley Poultry Farm
Magi and Don Buchanan
7160 China Valley Rd, Chase, BC, V0E 1W0
T: 250.379.2903
E: magibuchanan(a)gmail.com
57km
brown free range eggs, turkeys and chickens grown free range without GMOs, antibiotics, and hormones

Easy Worcestershire Sauce

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Worcestershire sauce gives that “Wow!” to sauces, dips, marinades, and dressings. A little sauce goes a long way!

This recipe is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, GAPS or modified paleo diet.

This recipe is a simplified, uncooked version for Worcestershire Sauce from Nourished Kitchen. The secret ingredients in Worcestershire Sauce is naturally fermented fish sauce and tamarind paste. It’s really hard to get a traditional fermented fish sauce. Most fish sauce has additives and isn’t fermented. My favorite is Red Boat Fish Sauce. Tamarind paste can be found in the ethnic food section of the grocery store.

1/4c organic onion, finely minced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1tsp organic ginger, finely minced
8 anchovies, finely minced
2T tamarind paste, remove any seeds
2T extra virgin organic olive oil or the oil used to pack the anchovies
1tsp organic black pepper, ground
1/2tsp organic cinnamon, ground
1/2tsp organic cloves, ground
1 organic bird’s eye pepper, ground
1c organic apple cider vinegar
1/4c organic blackstrap molasses
1/4c naturally fermented fish sauce
1 organic lime, juice
Whenever possible use whole spices and freshly grind before use. In a Vita-mix machine or food processor mince the onions, garlic, ginger, anchovies and tamarind paste into a paste. Add the olive oil or the oil used to pack the anchovies and the molasses. Add the black pepper, cinnamon, cloves and hot pepper and mix very well. Slowly add the apple cider vinegar and mix very well. Add the fermented fish sauce and lime juice. Blend until the sauce is completely smooth. Store the sauce in the fridge and shake before using.

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Worcestershire sauce makes a great dip for a cold, grilled steak with some sweet pickles. Worcestershire sauce can be used for making Fruity HP Sauce and Spicy Ketchup.

Easy Worcestershire Sauce is a base sauce for making Fruity HP Sauce and Spicy Ketchup.

Sesame Seed Dip or Dressing

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Sesame seeds make a nice base for a dip or dressing.

I have a long history of making recipes safe for people on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet which means removing all the industrial ingredients and working from whole food sources. This recipe is base on a Tahini Dressing recipe from Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen. I have replaced the commercial tahini with whole sesame seeds making this creamy dip at a lower cost while avoiding industrial food additives.

Sesame Seed Dip or Dressing
2c organic sesame seeds
6c filtered water
Soak the sesame seeds overnight in the filtered water. Drain the sesame seeds with a sieve and discard the water.

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Soak the sesame seeds overnight. Drain the sesame seeds before making the dip.

2-3c soaked organic sesame seeds
4-6 large organic garlic cloves, minced
1tsp sea salt
1-2 organic bird’s eye peppers or other hot peppers
2/3c-1c filtered water
1c fresh garden parsley, chopped
1c fresh garden cilantro, chopped
2/3c organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4-1/3c fresh organic lemon juice or organic cider vinegar, to taste
In a Vitamix blender, mince the garlic. Add the sea salt, peppers and soaked sesame seeds. Add the water slowly and blend well into a smooth paste. Use less water for a dip or more water for a dressing. Add the olive oil and lemon juice or cider vinegar and blend until smooth. Add the parsley and cilantro and serve over salad, sliced vegetables or cooked seasonal greens.

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Mince the garlic in the Vitamix before adding the salt, hot peppers and sesame seeds. Add the olive oil and lemon juice or cider vinegar. Blend until smooth.

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Add the parsley and cilantro.

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Blend in the herbs until smooth. If you like more texture in your dip, blend less.

If you are interesting in experimenting with seed cycling for hormonal balance, please see Herbal Academy of New England. Sesame Seed Dip or Dressing and Sesame Seed Halva would be good for luteal phase (day 15-28) of your menstrual cycle.