Grain-Free Carbonara

 All the deliciousness of an Italian pasta dish with none of the blood glucose spikes from processed grains. Yum! Enjoy an extra hearty dish made better by the lightness of the zucchini noodles (AKA: Zoodles) in place of a grain-based pasta. Did you know that grains, especially processed grains, can disturb your metabolic response in those who are sensitive? This may matter more than you realize if you’ve been noticing decreased energy levels and increased brain-fog symptoms.

Have you been watching your blood glucose numbers or A1C test results creep up into dangerous levels? The A1C test measures your average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months. It is determined by measuring the percentage of glycated hemoglobin, or HbA1c, in the blood. The A1C is the most frequently used diagnostic tool in clinical practices today. Or perhaps you’ve even been told that you have metabolic syndrome as 1 in 3 US adults is estimated to have currently or are you pre-diabetic or worse, a full-blown diabetic, like I used to be? Give this dish a try so you too can feel inspired to eat your way to amazing health!

Wait a minute… when you scroll down to find bacon, egg yolks, and dairy in this tasty nourishing recipe, you may be wondering how any health care practitioner, much less a nutritionist, considers this to be a healthy recipe. (?!?!) I’m guessing that like many of my patients, your doctor may have told you to avoid these very foods, or at least to choose the ‘healthier’ route of turkey bacon, egg whites only (skip the yolks), and to only choose reduced fat dairy options. I strongly disagree that these lower fat (and lower nutrient) dietary choices will give you the results you want in your health, your lab panel results, OR your lifestyle and energy levels. Call 541-326-8952 to schedule a complimentary consult or initial session to sit down and learn more about what real healthy food is and how to integrate it into your life in sustainable ways. You may be surprised to discover that the very foods your great grandparents ate are still the best healing foods for you and your family.
Instead of stressing your metabolism (as I used to do daily!) with a bowl of gluten-laden processed pasta; go ahead and nourish your metabolism instead with this nutrient dense veggie based ‘pasta’ dish! Enjoy!

Recipe modified by Summer Waters, LAc, NTP, CGP, inspired by Sara Lemon and adapted from: Keto Carbonara: https://www.yummly.com/recipe/Keto-Carbonara-2728863?prm-v1#directions
 Keyword    keto, pasta, eggs
 Prep Time    5-8 minutes
 Cook Time    15 minutes
 Servings    2 servings

INGREDIENTS:
•    10 strips (or one package) organic bacon, cooked and chopped into ¼ inch pieces. Traditionally, thick sliced bacon is preferred, though any great quality bacon is great.
•    4-6 shallots, diced
•    1 onion, diced
•    Optional: ½ - 1 cup peas
•    4 egg yolks
•    1 Cup finely grated parmesan cheese
•    1/2 Tbsp black pepper
•    2 medium zucchinis or 20 oz of zucchini noodles (commonly found in grocery stores), also called zoodles.
•    1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish    

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.    Remove the peas from the freezer if you’re using frozen peas and warm in boiling water to heat through.

For the Bacon:
1.    Fry the bacon on a medium high frying pan. Alternatively, you may prefer to bake it on a cookie sheet in the oven since this cooks it evenly and doesn’t need as watchful eyes for tending – flipping, minimizing on cleaning up splatters – as pan frying on the stove top requires. My preference is baking and setting a timer so I don't forget it's in there! ;-) 
2.    When the bacon is crispy in about 3-4 minutes (pan fried) or ~10 minutes (oven baked), set the bacon aside. Pour fat into a clean jar to use for sautéing any number of delicious and nutritious recipes.

For the Shallots and Onions:
1.    Cook the shallots and onions in some of the bacon fat (adding more fat, as needed), until they are cooked through – caramelizing optional. Some people prefer the rich flavor of caramelizing the onions while others have an easier time digesting onions that have simply been sautéed. I find it delicious either way!

For the Zoodles (Zucchini Noodles):
1.    If you are using a spiralizer (which I recommend), "spiralize" all the zucchinis on the size you prefer. I like a fettuccini style zoodle while some slice the zucchini in half as they prefer a smaller size. Set aside.

2.    Fill a pot with water and salt heavily. Bring to a boil, add the zoodles and boil for about 1 minute. Take the zoodles out of the water (save the water) and add the zoodles to the pan with the bacon, onions and shallots.
Note: The easiest way to save the zoodle water is to line a pot with your strainer and pour your zoodles into the strainer. The pot below will capture your zoodle cooking water so you can use it to perfectly finish the recipe.
3.    With the pan on medium heat, mix together the zoodles and the bacon, onions, shallots, and peas if you’re using them (about 3 minutes). While it heats up, move on to the next step.

Making the Egg Sauce:
1.    Combine 1 cup of parmesan cheese with 4 egg yolks. Whisk in the black pepper. Using about ¼ cup of the reserved zoodle water, add it to the egg mixture mixing quickly so the hot water doesn't cook the egg. Whisk until the cheese starts to melt, and the sauce is combined thoroughly.

Combining:

1.    Add the sauce to the pan with the bacon and zoodles and stir vigorously until the sauce is combined and there is no liquid left but instead, a creamy sauce. If the pan is too dry, add some more zoodle water until the creamy sauce is achieved.

2.    Divide the zoodles on two separate dishes and garnish with additional parmesan cheese.


Enjoy!

Sauerkraut Recipe & Tips

The bounty of fresh summertime produce motivates me to prepare some tasty ferments to enjoy with friends by the water and to eat every day throughout the warm weather when lighter fare is preferred.  Besides increased gut health, another benefit of making this recipe in warm weather is that you don’t need to heat up your kitchen to prepare this nourishing food.  Fermented foods are considered ‘cooked without heat’.  They are superior to raw foods because they have the added advantage of adding beneficial microbes to your gut, which are necessary for great overall health.

I have adapted this basic sauerkraut recipe from the Nourishing Traditions Cookbook.  It can be fun to experiment and ferments are rather forgiving in that they can accommodate many ingredient and flavor variations. If this is your first time making your own sauerkraut, I suggest sticking with the basic recipe here.  Once you’ve got that down, try adding some of the optional ingredients when you’re feeling adventurous!

Basic Sauerkraut Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 organic, medium green cabbage with any damaged outer leaves trimmed or removed, as needed 
• 1 TBL sea salt¹ or less (I use Real Salt – see Notes for additional tips on salt)
• 1 TBL caraway seeds

Some Optional Ingredients:

• 1-2 large fresh cabbage leaves for covering the finished mixture, if desired
• 1 cup kale, chopped
• 4 TBL liquid whey (Omit this for any dairy sensitive folks.  Whey is added to many ferment recipes as a precaution to encourage only beneficial flora inhabit the ferment.  I typically rely on sea salt for this purpose and skip the whey.)

Notes:

1. You can use Redmond’s Real Salt, Himalayan Crystal Salt, Celtic Sea Salt (click on any of these names to purchase quality salt on Amazon) or any unbleached, non-iodized sea salt (iodine is a disinfectant, so avoid regular table salt in this recipe and in your diet).  I prefer Redmond’s Real Salt because besides being high in a multitude of trace minerals, it is more affordable than most other quality sea salts and is sourced from ancient sea beds in the U.S. (Utah), which is a far more sustainable purchase for me here in Oregon.  I enjoy an assortment of sea salts, but do be aware that due to the variations in mineral content (amounts and types of minerals vary in different sources) some taste saltier than others, so adjust the amount you add based on this.  Remember, you can always add more, but the only way to mitigate overly salty kraut is to add more cabbage and blend it all up well together to distribute the overly salty portion.  [I’ll tell you how I know this…trial and error, and MANY ‘mistakes’ in the kitchen! ;-) ]  You can weigh your cabbage at the store if you do not have a kitchen scale and you are purchasing your cabbage from the store.  Just account for some loss from removing the core and any damaged outer leaves. 

 

Special Equipment: (See 1^st Preparation Instructions and Tips below for further information.)

• Food Processor (optional)
• Mandolin (optional)
• Large bowl or food grade bucket for mixing ingredients (optional)
• Wide mouth quart mason jar and lid (only optional if you have another viable fermentation vessel)
• Wooden kraut pounder (optional, but preferred for tightly packing your jar(s))
• Weights to hold kraut under the brine (optional)

Preparation Instructions and Tips:

1. Core and chop cabbage into hunks and then thin strips.  I feed the hunks through my food processor to make quick work of this.  A mandolin would be preferred because of the beautifully consistent ribbons of cabbage it produces giving a finer, more delicate texture to the finished product. Using a mandolin for preparation does take longer, requires more effort, can be more dangerous, and I have personally yet to invest in a mandolin.  Folks without either of these kitchen tools can cut the cabbage by hand, though I would rather avoid this option, mostly because I am lazy in the kitchen.  I just want to eat REALLY awesome food, not spend too much of my life making it when there are so many other more enjoyable activities to be engaged in.
2. Blend the flavors: I’ll describe 2 primary methods for accomplishing this, both of which are utilized with the purpose of evenly distributing the seasonings (especially the protective salt) throughout your batch.  My preferred method is to combine the shredded cabbage with other large optional ingredients (if using) and blend together in a large bowl or food grade bucket.  I prefer using my clean hands to mix the ingredients, though you can use a large wooden spoon if you prefer.  After the main ingredients are fairly evenly blended, sprinkle half of the seasonings (salt, caraway seeds, and any other herbs) as evenly as possible over the surface of the vegetables.  Blend these in by lifting and folding the vegetables over several times while massaging the shredded cabbage to encourage it to release as much of it’s juices as possible. Repeat this process with the second half of the herbs until well combined. Alternately, you can pound the cabbage as you are blending, using a wooden device or your own fists.  I used to do this, but have found that I prefer using my hands to massage the cabbage (it’s fun to play with your food!), though for large batches, we will sometimes still use a wooden kraut pounder.  I have also found that my wrists don’t enjoy pounding kraut and I prefer to keep my wrists happy. Some folks skip this step entirely and instead place the shredded cabbage mixture little by little in the fermentation vessel, pounding vigorously and sprinkling some of the sea salt as they go. I have found this to be awkward for my body and to take longer (hands on time, as I try to ensure even distribution of the seasonings), and to be generally less enjoyable because of the vigorous pounding which is too jarring for me. Plus, I like getting it all over my hands as I massage it, coaxing out the juices. The choice is yours.  Try it a few ways and then stick with the method you prefer. Pounding for 10 minutes should be sufficient, depending on how long your cabbage has been in cold storage.  Fresh cabbages have higher water content and will thus produce more liquid more quickly to form the highly desirable brine.  I generally massage the mixture (as I am blending the ingredients) for 5-7 minutes or so and then I leave it for 15 -30 minutes so the salt can continue to draw out the fluid from the vegetative matter before proceeding to the next step.
3. Tightly pack the cabbage into a one quart mason jar leaving at least 1 inch of space at the top for expansion from the gases that will be escaping and lifting up the contents. I do recommend a small wooden kraut pounder designed for the purpose of getting as much oxygen out of the jar as possible for this step, though I have accomplished this with other, more common kitchen tools before investing in my kraut pounder.  Make sure the extracted water covers the vegetables entirely to prevent unwanted microflora from inhabiting your ferment. If there’s not enough liquid, create a brine of 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt to 1 cup pure water and add what is needed to the jar. Do not use chlorinated tap water unless you boil it first, add the sea salt, and then allow it to cool completely. Chlorine is used to kill microbes and we are cultivating microbes in this recipe.  Best to use quality drinking water, not municipal water here and for drinking in your daily life.
4. Some people prefer to tuck in a piece of cabbage leaf over the top of the mixture at this point, to keep any stray or floating pieces submerged in the brine before loosely sealing the lid.  Others press the mixture and keep it under the brine by inserting a clean plate, dish or a lid into the fermentation container. Cover with a clean towel if needed to keep out fruit flies.
5. Place the fermentation jar in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow the Sauerkraut to ferment for about 2 -3 weeks.  Some folks prefer to place it in cold storage after a minimal time of 7 to 10 days, while others ferment it for as long as 4 weeks.
6. Check on it from time to time to be sure that the brine covers the mixture and to remove any harmless white mold that may form on the surface.
7. A good way to know when it’s ready is to smell and taste it during the fermentation process (after at least 7 days) and move it to the refrigerator when you’re satisfied with the taste.  Be sure not to contaminate your batch when you taste.  No double dipping, please!
8. Your ferment will change color and texture as the bacteria create lactic acid and carbon dioxide and it gets more sour. The flavor improves over time and the sauerkraut will last many months in your refrigerator or cool cellar.  Enjoy!

Tips on Eating Sauerkraut:

• I usually have about 2 Tablespoons with my meals, though this may be too much to start out with if you are new to consuming ferments. Stay tuned for some suggestions on how to make this wonderfully beneficial food easier to digest. 
• If you love the tangy flavor of sauerkraut (and your teeth are not bothered by eating it alone), it’s also highly beneficial to eat it before your meal – as a tasty way to whet your appetite by itself or as part of an appetizer plate before the main meal.  This prepares your digestive system for your meal and is excellent when folks are already feeling challenged with eating foods without pain or discomfort (from heartburn, gas and bloating, abdominal pain or other digestive discomfort).
• The distinctive sour tangy taste of sauerkraut pairs well with proteins and fat.  Think of a hearty German sausage or an all American hot dog meal as examples of a great flavor combination.

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Pear Cranberry Clafoutis

GAPS-legal, grain- and gluten-free

Christmas breakfast is just around the corner and I wanted to share with you my delicious holiday brunch dish. It is simple to make and tastes wonderful.  You can eat it warm, but it is also good chilled, which is what makes it such an excellent choice for your holiday morning. You can make ahead or that morning and either way LOVE it.  For a special treat, you can add some whipped cream, whipped coconut cream or drizzle with whole milk plain or vanilla yogurt.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1/8 cup honey

½ cup sour cream, creme fraiche, or full-fat coconut milk

½ cup (1 stick) butter or unrefined coconut oil 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract  

⅓ cup crispy almond* flour 

pinch of ground nutmeg 

¼ teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt

4 medium pears, cored and thinly sliced with the skins on**

1/2 cup cranberries fresh or frozen

*Crispy almonds are nuts that have been soaked in water with a little salt for 12-24 hours and then dried in the dehydrator until crispy. Soaking the nuts neutralizes phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Phytic acid blocks absorption of minerals such as calcium and magnesium; enzyme inhibitors make nuts hard to digest. I make a large batch of crispy nuts, grind them into flour in the food processor (don't grind too long or you will make almond butter instead of flour), and store the flour in the freezer. This way, the flour is always ready when I need it.

**You may substitute any fruit you like here. In the summer, use peaches and fresh berries. Thinly sliced or diced apples can be delicious in fall. 

Method:

In a small saucepan, melt one stick of butter.  Turn off heat and add honey. Give it a little stir but don't worry too much about getting it mixed well. Allow to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, sour cream, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.  I like to use my immersion blender to mix it all up together, but you could certainly use a whisk or mixer instead.

Add butter/honey mixture and almond flour.  Whisk or blend until smooth. Using the immersion blender is great because it further grinds the almond flour (which doesn't get particularly fine when I grind it in the food processor).

This dish is traditionally made in a cast iron skillet. If you have one, melt a couple tablespoons of butter in your skillet, arrange the pear slices in the skillet and sprinkle with cranberries. Its important to add the fruit to a heated cast iron skillet to get the delicious crumb on the outside of the clafoutis. If you don't own a cast iron skillet, this dish can be made in a buttered an 8x8 glass dish or a deep dish pie tin preheated in the oven for 5-10 mintues. Arrange the sliced pears on the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle the cranberries on top.

Pour the liquid mixture over the top of the fruit. If cooking in cast iron, remember the pan will be hot and you will hear the liquid sizzle a bit. (Note: the fruit will float up while it is cooking.)

Bake at 325° for 45-55 minutes, until clafoutis is set in the center and the top is nicely browned.

Allow to cool and then transfer to the fridge. Let chill for several hours and then serve.

Time-saving tips:

• For a delicious and easy breakfast throughout the week, double this recipe and cook in either two 8X8 dishes or one 9X13 dish (it will take more time in the 9x13 dish).  If you or your familiy members are pressed for time in the mornings you can scoop the clafoutis into individual glass dishes and store in the refrigerator. On subsequent mornings, just pull out one of the small glass containers and eat cold with some vanilla yogurt.
• If you are making this the day you intend to serve it, cook bacon on the bottom rack at the same time the clafoutis bakes.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Many attendees at my Nourishing Foods: Sweet Endings class requested a chocolate dessert and I promised to deliver. Here it is, a delicious, creamy, satisfying and nutritious dessert. Whenever I make this favorite for guests, or myself there is never any left over. This is bowl-licking good...AND nourishing at the same time, since it is made of real food ingredients.

Ingredients: Use the highest quality, organically grown ingredients available.

2-3 ripe avocados

1-2 very ripe bananas (brown speckled)

1/3 – 1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Seed and peel avocados, peel bananas and add to the bowl or food processor.  Add remaining ingredients. Mix all ingredients until creamy with an immersion blender or in your food processor. The ripeness of the banana determines how sweet your pudding is. If you find your pudding needs sweetness, add 1-3 Tablespoons of honey or maple syrup. Start with less and only add more if needed.  You can refrigerate it for an hour to set but I don't like to wait. My last batch I didn’t refrigerate at all. If you do choose to let it set in the fridge, cover it with parchment paper directly on the top of the surface of the pudding to avoid the formation of a skin, then cover the whole thing with plastic wrap. This is a great make ahead dessert to share with friends and family since it whips up in mere minutes, can be made in advance, and is a decadent chocolate dessert treat.

Optional Blended Additions:

1-3 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1/2 cup salted creamy nut butter

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon mint extract

Optional Stir In Additions:

3/4 cup chopped chocolate (use your favorite bar)

3/4 cup chopped nuts

Toppers:

Fresh fruit (banana, raspberries, etc.)

Chopped nuts

Whipped cream

Coconut cream

Drizzled nut butter

Coarse flaked sea salt

Flaked or shredded coconut

This article appeared in the December 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.

Tips and Tricks: Turkey, To Brine or Not to Brine

That is the question. Some people swear by brining and say it can add delicious flavor and moistness to meat. Others don’t want the hassle of brining-the pans, the fridge space and the time. The truth is brining can make a delicious bird and so can skipping the brine. Here are two ways to make turkey.

If you want to brine:

This will require time, so plan ahead. You need to start your brine the day before you plan to cook your turkey.

Basic Brine Ingredients:

1 cup sea salt or kosher salt

1 gallon filtered water

1 cup raw sugar or honey (optional)

1 bunch fresh sage (optional)

1 bunch fresh thyme (optional)

3 tablespoons black pepper (optional)

Brining Method:

Bring all ingredients to a boil; remove from heat and cool.  I place the hot pot outside in colder months to help it cool down quicker. Place thawed turkey in a deep roasting pan that is large enough to allow most of the turkey to be submerged in the brine, or use a commercially available brining bag. We use a 5 gallon food grade plastic bucket so the bird is fully submerged and I don't have to deal with the task of repeatedly turning it so that it gets evenly brined. The downside to this method is that substantial extra refrigerator space is needed during the day long brine.  We have used our extra refrigerator for this purpose, but before we had one, this method would have been ruled out due to lack of space.  If you use just the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate (or put in an ice chest if your refrigerator is full, just be sure to change out the ice blocks as needed). Turn the turkey in brine every few hours if it is not fully submerged. Keep turkey in brine for 12-24 hours.

Preparing the Brined Turkey for Cooking:

When it is time to cook the turkey, lift it out of the brine, rinse with cold water and dry with paper towels. Slide a small rubber spatula between the skin and the meat to separate them or use your hands. Insert half of the herbed butter mixture (recipe below) under the skin and spread evenly. Either put the remaining herbed butter mixture under the skin as well or on the outside of the skin. If you wish, fill the body cavity with stuffing (recipe below).

If you skip the brine:

Prepare the skin to protect the tender meat by making an herb butter. Blend the components together and carefully spread between the skin and the meat in a nice thick layer. Do not pierce the skin.

Herb Butter: Use the highest quality, organically grown ingredients available.

1 lb butter at room temperature

½ to 1 cup bacon fat

Several bunches of fresh poultry herbs chopped*

½ to 1 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh-grated is best)

3 Tablespoon sea salt (skip this entirely, or reduce to ~1 Tablespon if applying this herb butter to a brined bird) 

1 Tablespoon black pepper

1-5 cloves minced garlic

*What are poultry herbs? Traditionally they consist of sage, rosemary, thyme or marjoram (I like them all). I also like to use parsley and sometimes savory or tarragon. In this recipe each bunch equals about 1 – 2 Tablespoons of each chopped herb. The more herbs you use the more flavorful and rich your bird will taste. You may substitute dry herbs. Generally 1 teaspoon of dried herbs equals 1 Tablespoon of fresh.

Prepare the cavity to boost flavor by rubbing with salt and pepper and any leftover herb butter. Lightly stuff with the following aromatics:

Aromatic Stuffing: Use the highest quality, organically grown ingredients available.
Using room temperature ingredients is best, so the core of the bird is not too cool, which allows for more even cooking. 

1 large onion, chopped

2-3 large carrots, chopped

3-4 celery ribs, chopped

2-3 medium apples, chopped (I include the cores, and then discard after cooking)

1 lb pork sausage, lightly browned and cooled (Lightly browned means there is still some pink. Use sausagewith sage if available)   

Fat drippings from sausage

1-2 Tablespoon rubbed sage

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped

Mix aromatic stuffing ingredients in a bowl until combined or just alternate handfuls of the various ingredients as you stuff.  Lightly stuff the bird cavity. DO NOT tightly pack. We want everything to cook completely. Use leftover aromatic stuffing in the pan around the turkey.

Salt and pepper the exterior of your turkey. Now comes the trussing. Frankly, I’ve trussed and not trussed. In my opinion it really isn’t worth the time unless you have a bird with sprawling legs, in which case, trussing is needed to keep the drippings in the pan and avoid making a mess of your oven.

Roasting the Turkey:

Whether you brined or not, once the herb butter has been liberally applied, it is time to cook your bird. Roast at 475o to 500o for 30 minutes. Cover bird with a layer of parchment paper covered with aluminum foil. Turn the oven down to 325o to 350o and continue roasting until thermometer reads 165 degrees. Remove parchment and foil for the last 5 to 10 minutes of cooking.  Yum!

This article appeared in the December 2014 Savor Your Health Newsletter. Sign up in the Sidebar to get more tips, tricks and delicious recipes delivered to your inbox every month.