In Praise of Pilgrims

I recently came across an article that described what the original Thanksgiving dinner would have been like. It seemed to look down its long aquiline nose at the simpler fare of 1621, as if our modern smorgasbord actually could boast a superior culinary position. Today, typical meals include lavish, sweet pies made with vegetable oils as folks smear margarines across their white, yeasty, refined rolls. The vaccinated, domesticated, farm raised turkeys sit satiated with nutritionally vacant stuffing…often from a box.

Let me take you back to the feast that started it all. I’m grateful that we can imitate that 17^th century wisdom and enjoy humble, pilgrim foods, even now, centuries later.

 The Pilgrim’s spread would have included organic venison, wild turkey, goose and duck. They had dibs on local seafood and cod, bass, lobster and clams could have been served, too.

Their thanksgiving feast wasn’t infused with white sugars or corn syrup  so don’t expect to see bowls filled  with cranberry jelly in the shape of the can or bright yellow, sweet corn. Instead, they munched on toothsome flint corn, which the Indians toasted.  

Instead of rolls and breads made with from bleached and processed flours, expect to see hearty cornbread and sourdough bread.

 Smart moms make these breads to this very day!

Pilgrims hadn’t yet filled their gardens with potatoes, so instead they stewed and boiled their pumpkin with cinnamon, ginger, butter and vinegar. Wholesome vegetables like radishes, carrots, beans, lettuces, parsnips and leaks would have been on their menu, too.

Likely, their seasonal and regional fruits, such as grapes and plums would have made a satisfying tart, seasoned with rosemary and cinnamon.

Yes, their foods were simple.  Their foods were safe. They were not finessed and fussed, but they were wholesome, local, organic and smart. Animal fats and proteins were plentiful, tart flavors were added to the bland and their wheat was fermented.

Time may have provided us with convenient kitchen aids like the oven and Cuisinart, but good, nutrient dense, whole foods are not a fad.

 Thank God.

 May you and your family enjoy a happy and wholesome Thanksgiving.

Love,

 

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Ooh La La! Rich Vanilla Cake With Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting (Gluten Free, of Course!)

This lovely recipe is based on the flourless cakes that have become so popular in high-end restaurants.  (See my Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe below!) It is rich, satisfying and doesn’t seem like a substitute cake at all.  It’s become my family’s favorite birthday cake.

The main ingredient may surprise you.

Beans!

­Here's what you do:

Soak 2 cups dry of white beans overnight in double the amount of water.

Next day, rinse well and cook until tender.

(You might have a little more than 2 cups once they’ve been hydrated and cooked, but only use 2 cups.)

Cool to room temperature and add the following to a food processor and puree well:

• 2 cups cooked beans  (use white for vanilla)
• 6 eggs
• 3/4 cup maple syrup or sucanat
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Add:

• 1/4 cup slightly warm coconut oil (so that it is liquid)
• 1/3 cup sifted coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp Celtic  salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

Puree again

Pour into spring form pan, lined with unbleached parchment paper, well oiled with butter or coconut oil.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes. I like to check to see if it's done by inserting a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out mostly clean, it's done.

(Cupcakes take about 20-22 minutes)

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

In a food processor add the following:

• 2 tsp  raw honey (more, if you like a sweeter frosting)
• ½ cup almond butter
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 5 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 organic egg yolk (Be sure to wash the outside of the shell with hot soapy water) The addition of  an egg yolk offers live enzymes and gives the frosting a little gloss

When the cake has fully cooled, smooth on the frosting. Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy!

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Go Gluten-Free!

With 1 in 133 in the U.S. affected with celiac disease[1], it’s not too surprising that gluten-free diets are popular these days. But people with Celiac’s disease aren’t the only ones who benefit from gluten-free fare.  Did you know, it’s been estimated that 97% of Americans who have Celiac’s disease are not diagnosed?[2]

Many people are completely unaware that they have gluten intolerances and end up experiencing years of discomfort (in mild cases) and much worse, in others.

I like to challenge many of my clients to go gluten free for 30 days and find out whether or not gluten is the culprit responsible for their health dilemmas.

Why don’t you take the challenge, too?

In the process, you’ll discover new ways to make old favorites as well as creative alternatives. Perhaps you’ll realize that you’re better off gluten, as many already have.

Let me get you started! Check out my gluten-free pancakes and banana bread recipes.  Or how about pizza with an almond flour crust? A simple bread or a festive almond cranberry loaf are good options, too.

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Back to school? 5 Tips to outsmart lunch menus!

Children learn many things in the school, don’t they? Math equations, pronouns, sports and games, but the last thing you want them to soak up is a taste for nutritionally vacant and maybe even harmful foods.  Cafeteria foods are notoriously unhealthy and gross. (I remember visiting with the head cook at my son’s school and found that nearly every item in the pantry contained MSG.)

Yes, they must go to school, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t learn invaluable lessons from you and their lunch box, too

Here are 5 easy and fun snacks to snuggle in their lunch box:

• Surprise Pot! A bell pepper opened to look like a jack-o-lantern stuffed with different surprises for each child. Try carrot or celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, cheeses cut into fun shapes, raisins, grapes or dried cherries and top the pepper again with its little cap.

• Pirate Loot! Skewered slices of apples, pears, peaches, etc., on little plastic swords. (Remember to dip the fruit in lemon juice so that it retains its color!) 

• Cheese Poppers! Old fashioned popcorn, drenched with butter and coated with Romano cheese, oregano, basil, garlic, salt and pepper. (Hot sauce is a nice touch if your child(ren) enjoy spicier foods.)

• Cinnamon Milk! Send them with a thermos of warmed raw, unpasteurized, non-homogenized whole fat milk with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of vanilla extract.

• Pick-Up-Sticks! Cut stick-size pieces of carrots, celery, cucumbers and peppers and toss along with fresh green beans. Make an easy dip of sour cream and chives for them to dip. (If you’d like a sweeter option, try stick-size slices of apples, pears and nectarines with a homemade dip of yogurt and raw honey.)

Check out these and other fun ideas in my audio CD, “Secret Spoonfuls. Confessions of a Sneaky Mom”!

 

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Instant in-the-Freezer Cookies

(-From “Secret Spoonfuls-Confessions of a Sneaky Mom” CD booklet)

I like this cookie recipe because there is no need to soak the flour. (All grains need to be soaked in lacto-fermented fashion.) Arrowroot is not a grain so there’s no problem with allergies. It is naturally white, too! From this one cookie dough many variations can be formulated. I freeze rolled dough and when in a pinch, I can cut them to size still frozen and pop in the oven. Sometimes I add ingredients to the frozen dough such as walnuts and raisins.

Have your ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Blend    4 sticks of unsalted butter

1 ½-2 cups of Rapidura (Whole can sugar available at health food stores)

1 tsp Celtic salt (Whole salt)

4 tsp vanilla

Add        3 eggs

Reduce speed on blender

Slowly add 5 cups of arrowroot powder or flour

Divide the dough in 4 separate sections and choose your flavors

For Ginger Cookies– Add 1-2 Tbsp fresh ginger

For Tahini Cookies– Add ¼- ½ cup tahini butter (or peanut butter)

For Dried Fruit & Nut Cookies– Add ½ cup walnuts and ½ cup raisins. These are good with ¼ tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp of gloves, ½ tsp of cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg and ½ tsp of ginger.

For Lemon Cookies– Add 1 tsp grated lemon peel. Scrub before grating.

For Orange Cookies– Do the same as above, substituting orange peel for lemon

For Coconut Cookies– Add 1 cup of finely chopped or flaked coconut

For Seed Cookies- (Sesame or Poppy) Add 4 Tbsp of your own seed of choice

Chocolate Chip Cookies-Add shards of organic chocolate bar

Lay each section in waxed paper and roll into a dough roll. Wrap and place in the freezer. They’ll remain fresh in the freezer for 2 months. When it is time to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, unwrap the roll and cut into ½ inch rounds. Place on cookie sheets approximately 1 inch apart and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Transfer the cookies to a cookie rack, cool before eating. They store well in a cookie tin or jar.

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Almond Flour Pizza Crust

3 cups almond flour

1/2 cup parm cheese

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp basil

 

6 tbsp olive oil

4 eggs

 

Mix all dry, mix all wet, mix together – 2 heaping tsp on parchment paper

Cover with parchment paper, spread out into small circles.  Cook shells 10-12 mins

@ 350 – you can keep in fridge or freeze and use as needed.

 

Use as individual shells with any toppings.  I use olive oil, homemade pasta sauce, harvati cheese,

Organic pepperoni a little more oregano on top – cook 350 10 mins.

 

Also use for garlic toast, olive oil, garlic salt, cook @ 350 10 mins…then broil till brown.

 

 

Nancy A. Beale

 

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Cranberry Almond Loaf

¾ cup creamy roasted almond butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large eggs
¼ cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped into ¼ inch pieces
½ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sliced almonds, plus 2 tablespoons to sprinkle on top
olive oil for greasing
blanched almond flour for dusting

1. In a large bowl, blend almond butter, olive oil and eggs with a handheld mixer until smooth
2. In a medium bowl, combine arrowroot powder, salt and baking soda
3. Blend arrowroot mixture into wet ingredients until thoroughly combined
4. Fold in apricots, cranberries, seeds and sliced almonds
5. Grease a 3 ½ x 7 ½ x 2 ¼ inch loaf pan with olive oil and dust with almond flour
6. Pour batter into loaf pan and sprinkle remaining sliced almonds on top
7. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted into center comes out clean
8. Let bread cool in pan for 1 hour, then serve

Yield 1 loaf

 

Courtesy of Elena’s Pantry Blog:  http://www.elanaspantry.com

1/11/11

 

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