Megan Rand

Category: Recipes

  • Gluten Free Flours for Baking

    Gluten Free Flours for Baking

     

    Many of my client’s discover through an elimination diet or food sensitivity testing that gluten is not their friend.  For someone who has Celiac Disease or gluten sensitivity, removing gluten is critical for their health. This can be very difficult because that tricky little ingredient, gluten, is in EVERYTHING.

     

    As the food industry is catching on to the popularity of “gluten-free” there are an abundance of foods out there with this label.  Although this may be very convenient in a pinch for someone with a gluten intolerance, these foods are often not healthy and just as highly processed as the foods they are replacing.  A daily gluten-free muffin or cupcake is not a part of a balanced diet.

     

    Instead of using gluten free products, try to eat foods that are naturally gluten free.  Have you ever tried making a wrap or burrito in a collard green?  How about spiral noodles out of a zucchini or spaghetti squash instead of pasta?

     

    For special occasions when a collard green birthday cake is not going to fly, here are some flour alternatives for gluten-free baking .

    For All Flour Recipes

    To make a flour blend, thoroughly combine all of the ingredients, and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until used. You can double or triple these recipes to make as much flour mix as you need.

    Note:  If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

     

    All Purpose Flour Blend

    Use this blend for all of your gluten-free baking.

     

    ½ cup rice flour

    ¼ cup tapioca starch/flour

    ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch

     

    High Fiber Flour Blend

    This high-fiber blend works well for breads, pancakes, snack bars, and cookies that contain chocolate, warm spices, raisins, or other fruits. It is not well-suited for delicately flavored recipes, such as sugar cookies, crepes, cream puffs, birthday cakes, or cupcakes.

     

    1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour

    ½ cup teff flour (preferably light)

    ½ cup millet flour or Montina® flour

    2/3 cup tapioca starch/flour

    1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch

    High Protein Flour Blend

    This nutritious blend works best in baked goods that require elasticity, such as wraps

    and pie crusts.

     

    1 ¼ cups bean flour – chickpea is a fabulous choice

    1 cup arrowroot starch, cornstarch, or potato starch

    1 cup tapioca starch/flour

    1 cup white or brown rice flour

     

    Self Raising Flour Blend

    Use this blend for muffins, scones, cakes, cupcakes, or any recipe that uses baking powder

    for leavening.

     

    1 ¼ cups white sorghum flour

    1 ¼ cups white rice flour

    ½ cup tapioca starch/flour

    2 teaspoons xanthan or guar gum

    4 teaspoons baking powder

    ½ teaspoon sea salt

    How to Use Xanthan or Guar Gum

     

    Gum (xanthan or guar) is the key to successful gluten-free baking. It provides the binding needed to give the baked product proper elasticity and keep it from crumbling.

    Add ½ teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour blend to make cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, and other quick breads.

    Add 1 teaspoon per cup of flour blend to make yeast bread, pizza dough, or other baked items that call for yeast.

     

    Note:  If you purchase a commercial flour blend, read the ingredient list carefully. Some blends contain salt and xanthan or guar gum. If so, there is no need to add more.

  • Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth

    Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Bone Broth

    3 to 4 pounds of chicken bones and cartilage (ideally ALL of the chicken such as feet, neck etc) or a whole chicken

    1 to 2 large carrots, roughly chopped

    2 large celery ribs, roughly chopped

    1 large onion, roughly chopped

    2 bay leaves and spices of your choice

    2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

    Filtered water

    Salt and pepper to taste after cooking

     

    Add vegetables and bones (or a whole chicken) to a crockpot. Add vegetables and bay leaves. Feel free to add other spices of your choice. Fill the crockpot with filtered water until it covers the chicken bones or the whole chicken. Add 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar.

     

    Cook on low for at least 24 to 40 hours

     

    Store your broth. Strain bones, vegetables, and spices from your broth. Store it in glass mason jars.

     

    Using  apple cider vinegar and cooking over a 24 hour period helps to draw the minerals out of the bones. What is left is an amazing food to help boost immunity as well as a helping aid for people who are having issues with intestinal permeability or leaky gut.   Just like grandma always said, chicken soup is the way to go!

     

    You can use as the base of a soup, use instead of water to make rice, or just drink a mug daily like you would tea (add Tbsp coconut oil or ghee & sea salt for additional gut healing benefits).

     

    NOTE: If using a whole chicken, boil the chicken until the meat is cooked, then remove the meat and allow the bones to simmer for another 12 or so hours. Use the shredded chicken to add to a soup, salad, or any of your other meals.

  • Simple Radish Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

    Simple Radish Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette

    (Makes 2 Servings)

    2 cups mixed greens

    ½ bunch watercress

    ½ cup cucumber, chopped

    2 to 3 radishes, thinly sliced

    ¼ cup parsley, chopped

     

     TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

     

    1 large Roma tomato

    1 to 2 sundried tomatoes

    ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

    1 scallion

    1 teaspoon basil

    1 teaspoon oregano

    1/8 cup fresh parsley, chopped

    1/8 cup fresh cilantro

    1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

    Sea salt to taste

    Black pepper to taste

     

    Make the vinaigrette. Add your fresh tomato, sundried tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, scallion, basil, oregano, parsley, cilantro, raw apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Blend until well incorporated. Set to the side to allow the flavors to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

     

    Prepare your salad. Wash your mixed greens and add them to a bowl. Then wash the watercress. Remove thick tough ends of the watercress and place in a salad bowl. Add radishes, cucumber, and parsley. Mix and top with your tomato vinaigrette.

  • Berry Mood Stabilizer

    Berry Mood Stabilizer

     

    1 cup unsweetened almond or coconut milk

    1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries or blueberries

    1 Teaspoon maca powder

    1 Tablespoon almond butter

    1 handful of spinach

    1 Tablespoon raw, organic honey or stevia to taste (optional)

    Blend and Enjoy!

     

  • Cleansing Pesto

    Cleansing Pesto

     1 cup washed, loosely packed  fresh basil leaves

    ½ cup fresh cilantro, parsley leaves, or mint

    2 sun-dried tomatoes

    2 cloves garlic

    1 lemon, juiced

    ¼ to ½ cup quality, cold pressed extra virgin Olive oil, as needed Sea salt, to taste

    Makes 3-4 servings

     

    PROCESS YOUR INGREDIENTS.

    Combine the basil, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and lemon juice in a food processor bowl; pulse and process the mixture until it is finely chopped. Slowly add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off.

    Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste. Add enough olive oil to keep it moist and spreadable. Season with sea salt. Cover tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour to saturate the flavors.

     

    STORE YOUR PESTO.

    If storing overnight, pour a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil over the top of the pesto to help keep it bright green.