Giving Up Grains

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christybutch — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 12:17:56 +0000

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Creamy Root Vegetable Stew with Ham Steak

christybutch — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 23:04:15 +0000

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup chopped sweet onion

3 tablespoons of garlic

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 1/2 cups or about 1 lb of peeled diced sweet potatoes

2 1/4 cups or 3/4 lb peeled diced rutabaga

2 cups diced peeled turnip

2 peeled sliced (1/2 inch thick) parsnips

4 cups organic vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 to 1 1/2 pound ham steak, cubed

Heat oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add onion to pan. Cook 3 to 5 minutes until clear then add garlic and rosemary. Stir and cook one minute. Stir in sweet potatoes and all ingredients up through vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer and cover and cook 20 minutes until vegetables are tender. Place 3 cups of vegetable mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of the lid to allow steam to escape. Cover with dish towel to prevent splatter and blend. Add water as needed to blend vegetables to a smooth consistency. Once blended, add back to the stock pot and stir. Add cubes of ham and simmer 5 minutes or until warm.

This is a great starchy, fill your tummy kind of stew and a great post work out meal due to the sweet potatoes and other roots. FYI, if you do not love the strong taste of parsnips just leave the out or you may try carrots. My family does not LOVE parsnips but they like the small amount in this stew.

Garlicky chicken with tomato and artichokes.

christybutch — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 23:50:25 +0000

This was very easy and uses what you probably have in your kitchen.

Ingredients:

1 to 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast

EVOO

2 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed

1 14.5 can diced tomatoes with juice

1 small onion, chopped

salt

pepper

parsley

1 can artichokes, chopped

Cut the chicken into 1 inch bite sized pieces.

Brown in a large skillet with EVOO on medium heat. Add a pinch of salt and pepper,

Add one chopped onion and cook until onion is clear.

Add garlic.

Add tomatoes.

Simmer about 12 to 15 minutes.

Add artichokes.

Add about 1/2 tsp parsley.

Cover and cook on med low for about 5 minutes.

Add as much or as little garlic and parsley as you like to taste.

Grain Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Scones

christybutch — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 14:06:57 +0000

I made these for the kids this morning. They are one of Collin’s favorites. This recipe is from Elana Amsterdam’s Gluten Free and Almond Flour Cookbook. I have enjoyed some of the recipes from this great little cookbook. I altered it slightly by substituting honey for agave’ and adding a couple of dashes of cinnamon. Delicious.

Elana’s cookbook and many free recipes are available at her blog at www.Elanaspantry.com

Kale!

christybutch — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 03:29:32 +0000

Kale chips are popping up on many of the blogs I read and get recipes from. Elana’s Pantry has a lemon Kale Chip recipe and Gluten-Free Girl has a salt and vinegar one just to name a few. I decided to put garlic on my Kale “chips” for the first try. I would say this turned out more like Kale snacks than chips. I chose the thinner more leafy kale. It was delicious. I ate the whole tray in one sitting.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees,

Take an entire bunch of Kale and chop into 1 inch pieces.

Put it in a large bowl and add 2 tbs of olive oil.Rub each leaf with olive oil using your hands.

Spread on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp garlic powder.

Bake for 12 minutes. DO NOT LET IT BROWN!

Next time I am going to try the heavier flat leaf Kale.

Wild Salmon with Rosemary Sweet Potatoes and Lemon Asparagus.

christybutch — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 00:28:09 +0000

I used to cook this long before we ever ate Paleo. It is very good. I got the recipe from a book titled The Ultra-Metabolism by Mark Hyman, M.D.

Ingredients:

2 small sweet potatoes

1 small onion

2 tablespoons EVOO

Pinch sea salt

1 clove garlic pressed ( I used two)

2 tsp dry mustard

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, trimmed

Grated zest of 1 lemon

8oz wild salmon filet cut into two portions

Preheat the oven to 424 degrees.

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit a shallow baking pan.

Wash the sweet potatoes.

Slice the potatoes and the onions 1/4 inch thickness.

Put the sweet potatoes and onions on the baking sheet in a single layer and drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake 15 minutes.

While the veggies are baking mix the garlic, mustard, lemon juice and rosemary to make a paste.

Remove the sweet potatoes and onions from the oven and place the asparagus on the paper around the sweet potatoes and onions. Sprinkle the asparagus with the lemon zest.

Lay the salmon on top of the veggies and cover with the mustard paste. Return the dish to the oven and bake another 12 to 15 minutes until done. Fish will be flakey when it is done.

Fajitas….hold the shells.

christybutch — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 13:45:05 +0000

This is such an easy go to meal. In fact I rushed in the house around 7:30 last night and we were eating this by 8:oo pm.

2 tsp Olive Oil or Coconut Oil

1 1/2 lbs of lean steak ( I had top sirloin filet so that is what I used last night)

3 mixed colored large bell peppers or two bags of frozen peppers and onions. (I love Trader Joe’s Frozen Fire Roasted Peppers and Onions)

1 large onion

Gluten Free Steak Seasoning

2 tbs tapioca or arrowroot flour

Chili Pepper Sauce

Salsa (optional)

Slice the steak into thin strips on a diagonal.

Add steak to a hot sauté pan with 2 tsp. olive oil. (If you wait and let the pan get hot then the meat will brown nicely on the outside.)

Once the steak is cooked to about medium well (slightly pink in the middle) add in the peppers and onions and sprinkle with gluten free steak seasoning.

Saute for 2 to 3 min and there will be liquid in the bottom of the pan from the veggies and steak.

Add 2 tbs arrowroot flour to thicken up this liquid.

Add Chili Pepper Sauce to taste.

Serve hot with salsa on top.

Southwestern Chicken Soup with Avocado

christybutch — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 16:55:01 +0000

Southwestern Soup

Mix in a bowl:

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Line a baking dish or pan with foil.

Put 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast in the dish.

Drizzle with 1 tsp olive oil.

Cover both sides of chicken with spice mix

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 min or until thoroughly done.

Take chicken out a allow to cool a bit.

Shred with two forks into bite sized pieces.

While the chicken is baking

Blend in a blender

2 cans diced or chopped fire roasted tomatoes

1 small chopped onion

Pour into a stock pot and simmer on low.

Take the shredded chicken and add to the blended mixture in the stock pot.

Add 1 1/2 cups free range chicken broth.

Simmer 15 minutes on low.

Serve with sliced avocado on top.

Recipe by Christy Butch

Hmmm Chicken and root veggies in the fridge. Sounds like Chicken Soup to me.

christybutch — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 16:58:20 +0000

With a side of almond flour biscuits! (We like to put the biscuits in the soup, kind of like dumplings.)

I have really been into slow cooker recipes but as 4pm approached yesterday, it was way to late to start anything like that. I was heading to go somewhere at 6pm so I checked the fridge. We had cooked chicken breast, carrots, onions, celery…so I made a quick chicken soup. It was delicious.

Ingredients:

1lb baked boneless skinless chicken breast( I bake ours in foil with a drizzle of olive or grape-seed oil and salt and pepper)

1 large carrot or 2 smaller ones, sliced very thin or shredded

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 sweet or white onion, chopped

1/2 tsp gluten-free poultry seasoning

1 32 fl oz box organic free range chicken broth

Cut the cooked chicken breast into bite sized pieces.

Add the chopped onion to a stock pot over medium heat and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the cut up chicken to the stock pot. Stir and keep over low heat for about a minute.

Add the chicken broth, carrots and celery and then the seasoning.

Simmer for 15 min on low.

Serve with Almond Flour Biscuits.

Slow Cooker Greek Lamb with Spinach and Artichokes

christybutch — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 13:54:19 +0000

I love my slow cooker and I am going to cook more and more dishes using it. When you are dealing with just meat and veggies, it’s just so easy and a great way to prepare a meal. For all those people who say they don’t have time to cook….get a slow cooker!

Ingredients

2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder roast

1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes

1 tbs minced garlic (5 or 6 cloves)

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp dried oregano

1 14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into quarters

3 cups fresh baby spinach

Trim the fat from the pork shoulder and cut into one inch pieces.

Stir the lamb, tomatoes, garlic, salt and oregano into a 4 quart sized or larger slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or low for 8 hours.

Stir in artichoke hearts and cook on low for about 15 minutes.

Add spinach and serve.

I am going to try this dish with chicken. My husband really liked the lamb but I am not sure I am a fan. I loved this dish but I am going to try it with the chicken and I’ll let you know how it goes.