The last week of Bread-Month is here to bring you a wonderful treat for the weekend!  Often one hears “Grain-free” or “Gluten-free” and debates whether or not these foods would actually taste anywhere near the classic’s they remember.

The Belgian waffle is a North American classic weekend brunch food! Despite it’s name, Belgium doesn’t actually produce a “Belgian waffle” as the America’s do. They are known for similar classics such as the “Brussels waffle” or the “Liège waffle”. These waffles are slightly harder and crisper then what most have become accustomed too. For today’s “reinvention” I have used many ingredients you can find around your house, grocery store and farmers market.  It is not only delicious and grain-free but safe for the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. 

If you are not familiar with coconut flour or oil I urge you to read more about it. It is not only a wonderful gluten/grain-free flour substitute but has been documented to have wonderful health benefits despite some anti-coconut stances you may find when you Google it. Back in the 1930’s Dr Weston Price found the diets of South Pacific Islanders was high in coconut and found them to be healthy and trim despite high dietary fat, furthermore heart disease was almost non-existent.  On a similar note, in 1981, researchers found in two Polynesian communities had excellent cardiovascular health and fitness primarily linked to their diets having coconut as their primary caloric energy source.

PDF—–>Grain-Free Belgian Waffles <—– PDF

Today’s Post can be viewed at FoodiePages.ca for their Tuesday Tastings

http://foodiepages.ca/blog/2013/03/05/tuesday-tastings-gluten-free-belgian-waffles/

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Well reader’s grain-free bread month is almost at a close! Fear not! We have one more week of some great alternative grain-free bread after today!

Today we tackle a classic Italian Focaccia. Traditional Italian focaccia consists of high-gluten flours, yeasts, sugar, salt and oil baked in a stone or hearth oven.  Essentially everything one tries to avoid on a grain-free or the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. Don’t worry I have been able to create what I would consider an amazing alternative!

To create a comparable texture we will use coconut flour which will provide a dense flour base and use eggs and finely grated fresh parmesan to hold the batter together with a bit of baking soda to let it rise. The ingredient list for this recipe is enough to make one large round or two small round personal sized breads. As far as toppings go I encourage you to combine your favourite savoury herbs and vegetables. If you want to make this into a mock-pizza use some fresh prosciutto along with your herb/vegetable mix.

If you are not familiar with coconut flours I encourage you to check out the article linked to this website for more details! It is not only a great alternative to grain-based flours but is low on the glycemic index, high in protein and easily digested!

Enjoy! – GC

PDF —–> Grain Free Focaccia < —– PDF

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The February month of grain-free bread continues! This time was with a savoury bread creation I made the other week. I was hoping to put together something that would be fitting to be served with dinner. Two of my favourite ingredients to use are, fresh rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes! I tend to put them on everything. The parmesan cheese in this recipe serves to not only add a bit of gooey texture but also to bind the ingredients and hold them bread together. If you have found when making grain-free breads you are getting a less-fluffy texture then what you see in the picture, I recommend making sure you beat the ingredients for a while to help incorporate air into the mix. Sometimes simply just mixing and baking won’t do the trick!

As a herb, rosemary has been used for hundreds of years to improve memory, relieve muscle pains, stimulate the circulatory system and even stimulate hair growth, but what of the science behind these claims?

In vitro (in the lab) rosemary has been shown to have some natural antioxidant and antimicrobial properties (help prevent growth of Listeria monocytogenes, B. cereus, and S. aureus.). Whether or not these properties continue on in humans beyond a test-tube, has yet to be clinically shown for many of the claims. Some studies have shown clinical benefit with rosemary oil used in studies of hair loss in patients with alopecia and as an aid in reducing stress during test-taking. Whether or not all the health claim’s are true, rosemary is a wonderful herb to always have on hand or in your garden (many plant rosemary for luck!)

-GC

PDF —–>Savory herbed Bread <—– PDF

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As promised, this month here at GastroChef.org we will be having a month-long of breads! Delicious breads free of grains, sugar and gluten! Just because you follow a diet that excludes bread doesn’t mean there isn’t a way around it!

This week I haven chosen to start things off simple with basic nut butter bread. There are several variations to a nut butter bread, I have found this one to produce the best results. This loaf not only holds well but can also be used as sandwich bread, grilled for Panini’s or even for french toast!

One ingredient in this bread which may confuse you is apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

This versatile vinegar has many uses and a plethora of health benefits, from weight loss to helping with acne. In baking a little bit of this vinegar helps bread rise and can add luster to a crust when brushed on top. In desserts you can enhance the flavours, as salt does, while reducing excessive sweetness with a teaspoon.  The list goes on and on.  The addition of it to this recipe eliminates the need for salt so don’t feel the need to add any!

I hope you enjoy this basic bread! Next week we will be presenting a savoury rosemary and sun-dried tomato dinner bread.

PDF —–>Basic Nut Butter BreadBasic Nut Butter Bread  <—– PDF

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For anyone following any kind of grain-free diet they have likely discovered the joys of spaghetti squash (aka. Vegetable spaghetti, spaghetti, winter squash, etc). Not only does it create spaghetti like noodles but is also a wonderful source of folic acid, potassium, vitamin A and beta carotene (while be low in calories –if that matters to you).

This past weekend many things happened, including, our new GastroChef Logo! Hopefully you like it, and are bound to see it plastered over this website in due course. The other thing that happened was today’s recipe; a brunch or even dinner casserole! It is a simple layered casserole with veggies and spices, easily and quickly done with many rich flavours. My only advice for you this week is to ensure your squash is drained well and the parmesan is mixed into it well as that will serve as the “glue” to hold the whole dish together!

Enjoy!

-GC

PDF——> Spaghetti Squash Brunch Casserole <—— PDF

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Cornish game hen’s, perhaps a meat you walk past, unsure how to cook or question why that chicken is so small, is in fact an incredibly tasty bird.  Despite it’s small size these tiny chickens can make for the perfect entrée’s to impress your guests and family.  After much experimenting with various ways to cook these tiny birds (which is the tastiest form of experimentation) I have put together what has now become my staple recipe.

Step 1: The Brine

Brine is simply a heavy salt solution often made in a vegetable stock with spices that your meat soaks in. The salt creates a concentration gradient between the cells in the meat and the solution.  Because of this difference in salt concentration the solution and spices rush into the meat to equalize the difference through osmosis and diffusion.   However, what creates that juicy tender meat is the fact that, as salt flows in, it breaks down proteins within the cells. As these molecules become more concentrated water and stock flow into the meat to again equalize the difference and hydrate the meat.

Enough science, Brining simply makes cooked meat moister by super hydrating the meat before cooking. With chicken this is important as over cooking any bird will result in dry, often inedible meals.

**NOTE**

Do not reduce the salt in this brine in an attempt to make it more “healthy”. Without the right amount of salt the brine will simply soak the bird and not allow for the flavours and stock to enter the meat.  I use kosher salt as is recommended for most brines but should you not have any, table salt will do.

CONVERSION

1 Tbsp Table salt = 2 Tbsp Kosher salt

Step 2: Stuffing your Bird

Often when it comes to whole birds you stuff the bird with what you intend to serve as a side (re: thanksgiving stuffing). However, with smaller birds (as we have done with our duck) it is wise to stuff with citrus fruits to ensure the bird stays hydrated throughout the baking process. Use either a cut up orange or whatever citrus fruits you have on hand with a bit of rosemary and thyme and you got yourself a tasty hen with a nice citrus taste.

Step 3: Spice rub

My advice is to never make something overly complicated for a spice rub. Get some basil, oregano, pepper and olive oil and rub down your bird.  These herbs are fairly light and will complement the citrus flavor that will be gained from the stuffing.

Step 4: Nom nom nom

Enjoy!

-GC

PDF—->GastroChef’s Herb and Citrus Cornish Hen’s  <—- PDF

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Let me start off the first post of the new year by wishing you all a very happy and prosperous new year.  Now that is out of the way, lets get back to some quality food for all you grain-free / SCD followers. For today’s post i decided to create a “quasi-vegan” raw lasagne. In the past, I had experimented with some Raw and vegan cooking here on GastroChef.org, as well as some cheeses at home (not posted). However, there are a few aspects to the vegan diet that I need to alter in order to adhere to more digestively friendly dishes, thus my “quasi-vegan” label.

For instance, many pesto’s and cheese’s use pine nuts as part of the base. While this ingredient is legal on the SCD diet I like to limit its intake as they are quite hard to digest and may cause some stomach upset with those still trying to get their digestive system back on track. A great alternative to these is walnuts!

The second ingredient I avoid using is agave nectar to sweeten foods. If you do any standard internet search on whether or not agave is good for you, there is bound to be hundreds if not thousands of websites saying different things. As a scientist I will tell you the facts and leave whether you use it, in your capable hands. It should be noted though agave is one product out there that the science world has regarded as a product where “marketing has triumphed over actual scientific fact”… which is a sad sad outcome for what is actually quite an unhealthy product  (Ooops! I just put my own opinion! Ignore readers! Ignore!)

AGAVE NECTAR FACTS

1. Agave is low on the glycemic index  - This is due to the fact that it is made up mainly by fructose and has one of the highest commercial level of fructose aside from buying pure fructose. Depending on the company, plant and extraction process the level of fructose tends to vary from ~50% to 90%. Fructose is quite low on the glycemic index compared to other sugars like glucose, however please head my caveats**.

**High levels of fructose have been clinically shown to trigger fructose malabsorption, metabolic syndrome, hypertriglyceridemia, decreased glucose tolerance, hyperinsulinemia and accelerated uric acid formation **

2. Commercially sold Agave Nectar has not been shown in any clinical trial to provide health benefits.

3. Agave nectar is still pasteurized and heavily processed. While pasteurization does ensure our foods are free of bacterial products and contaminants, the heat will inactivate and denature most beneficial vitamins and minerals if present. Sweeteners such as honey can be used raw and unpasteurized due to inherit anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties secreted by the bees, additionally sweeteners such as honey contain many organic and inorganic nutrients, vitamins and enzyme factors to aid in digestion and health.

Ok there you have it, my rant is over, i will try my best to write an article in the future with a more layman’s scientific perspective on Agave Nectar.  For today’s recipe I would advise you to make this dish in the morning or the day before you plan to serve! It’s not complicated but holds so much better when it has a few hours to chill! So go ahead! Experiment with some raw cooking and you may be surprised by the incredible flavors that come out of this dish.

-GC

PDF —->Raw Vegan Lasagna <—- PDF

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Originating in Puebla, Mexico, the Avocado has become popular in kitchens around the world. While high in fat, it is mostly monounsaturated fat making up 75 of the caloric count (This is the good fat!).  Interestingly, some studies have shown regular avocado intake can lower blood cholesterol levels and may contain some cancer fighting properties due to its natural aliphatic acetogenins.

After my last post on Zucchini fries, I looked around my kitchen only to find a few firm avocados. The rest is history, or more to the point the rest is in this recipe. These lovely fries are not only easy to make but also have a wonderful texture. Once baked the avocados have a nice crispy exterior with a soft interior so make sure you let them cool for a few minutes once out of the oven or you may burn yourself!

As always I like to spice creations like this with turmeric due to its natural anti-inflammatory properties, a key spice for anyone with ulcerative colitis or inflammatory based chronic condition. In addition to turmeric, I put in a bit of garlic to give it a kick. Neither will over power the tastes of avocado so don’t worry about ruining the taste.

As a final note; If you don’t plan to immediately use your peeled avocado, add some lemon or lime juice to the flesh as they are prone to enzymatic browning and will do so shortly after exposure to air. No one likes a brown avocado… well they do, they just don’t look as great! haha!

Happy Baking (…and eating!)

-GC

RECIPE PDF —->Fresh Avocado Frites <—- RECIPE PDF

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Since 1802 when Thomas Jefferson was served “potatoes served in a French manner” at the White House Dinner, French fries have become common place at almost every restaurant, fast-food establishment and food truck. As Ronald Reagan once said “All great change begins at the dinner table”. While perhaps he wasn’t referring to my personal goal of re-creating dinner classics into a grain-free option, it is a good place to start.

After almost 3 years of watching friends, loved ones and hormone crazed teens at the mall scarf down fries without being able to partake, I finally now have my own guilty pleasure. Yet, at its core, there is nothing to feel guilty for with these SCD friendly zucchini fries. Zucchini is one of the wonderful veggies that is packed full of health benefits. A single cup of zucchini has only 36 calories and 10% of your daily requirement of dietary fibre which helps lower cholesterol and prevent it from oxidizing in the body’s blood vessels due to its high vitamin C and Vitamin A levels, preventing the onset of atherosclerosis!

Of course one of the greatest aspect of zucchini and turmeric spice is its natural anti-inflammatory properties. Anyone with IBD (Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s Disease, etc) and to some extent IBS knows the burden chronic inflammation plays on our digestive health and well-being. The high levels of Vitamins A and C along with copper in zucchini help deter inflammation throughout the body. Turmeric, that wonderful yellow spice, contains more than two dozen anti-inflammatory compounds as well as six different COX-2 inhibitors, which essentially help block pathways in our body responsible for inducing pain and inflammation.

So go ahead, indulge and for once, don’t feel guilty about having some fries with dinner or as a snack.

*Recipe Tips*

1. There is no right way to cut zucchini for this, cut strips as thin or as thick as you wish. The thicker the slicer the longer it may take to crisp up
2. Before rolling zucchini in almond/cheese mix, ensure excess egg mix has drizzled off
3. Instead of Turmeric, use any combination of spices or garlic to make a range of tasty fries

-GC

PDF —–> Turmeric Spiced Zucchini Fries <—– PDF

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Risotto, a classic italian dish is usually made with rice cooked in a broth and butter to form a creamy consistency. For a classic risotto dish one would choose a rice high in starch, however, here at GastroChef, we not only avoid starch products but also anything containing high levels of lactose, sugar or grains.

In order to make a risotto we decided to use cauliflower and process it until it resembled small grains. Now as you can see from the picture you can tell the difference between the rice and cauliflower versions, taste on the other hand is out of this world for our dish. Not only does it taste great with so many flavours, there is no starch you need worry about, so dig in.

To add extra flavor to the risotto I first cooked up some fresh bacon and leek to bring out all the flavours and then cooked the minced cauliflower with them in a broth base. A chicken or vegetable broth is acceptable (each brings its own unique flavor). Finally to get a bit of a creamy consistency I added in a bit of a coconut milk. Just before serving, stir in freshly grated parmesan and sprinkle some on top with chives and herbs to garnish!

Enjoy!

-GC

PDF —-> Cauliflower and leek risotto<—- PDF

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