Banana Pancakes

Everyone has a favorite banana pancake recipe. I made these this morning and they were absolutely great. To my delight, my 8-year old daughter, loved them too. She doesn't follow SCD though I have a hard time keeping my food away from her.

Banana - Coconut Pancakes

1/2 of a very ripe banana
1/2 cup dried shredded coconut
1 Egg
The next ingredients are approximations as I just dumped it all in the blender.
1 TBS honey (optional)
2 TBS coconut oil
1/4 TSP salt
1/2 TSP baking powder
1 TSP vanilla

Heat a large non stick skillet over medium low heat. (I didn't add oil since I put oil in the batter.)
Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until thick and smooth.
Try not to eat all the batter. =D
This will make 4 - 5 pancakes.
You can add butter or additional coconut oil to skillet if you want more of a "fried" texture.
Use a spoon to get the batter out of the blender and put in the skillet unless you want to remove it from the blender to a bowl.
Gently cook the pancakes on the lower heat so they won't burn and will cook completely.
Flipping them will be the hardest part.
Once the underneath side is golden, flip them and cook the other side until golden.
Remove and eat immediately. I didn't put anything on them.

They were moist and a tiny bit chewy from the shredded coconut.

Marilyn Alm's White Bean Chili

Marilyn is the moderator of the BTVC - Yahoo SCD group. She is an amazing woman with a great deal of knowledge about SCD and cooking. Last year, I made this chili recipe to go on a Girl Scouts camping trip. It was very good by itself or with cheddar and SCD "sour cream" (dripped SCD yogurt). Thanks for continuing to wow me with your recipes Marilyn!!!!


Ingredients:
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 Onion chopped (or diced)
3 -5 cloves garlic pressed (or minced
2 46-ounce cans tomato juice
2 - 3 TBS legal chili powder (or more or less to taste)
1 TBS cumin (or more or less to taste)
1 pound lentils or navy pea bean soaked for 24 hours. Drain then rinse well.


Brown 3 pounds lean beef, with onion and garlic. 
Drain off fat, if desired. 
Add 2 46-ounce cans of tomato juice, chili powder, 1 cumin. Stir well. 
Add one pound lentils, previously soaked.
Simmer until lentils are tender and the tomato juice is cooked down and it's thick. 
This took about 3 hours.
Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Don't add salt while cooking or your beans will be tough.
I liked the navy pea beans because they held their texture so well. Lentils were just OK in this recipe.
Serve topped with lots of shredded cheddar cheese.

This mix freezes very well, and reheats easily.


I have made this with half the amount of tomato juice and it didn't take nearly as long to reduce and the taste was similar to the longer version. I also boiled the navy pea beans for 30 minutes before starting the chili to help it cook faster. 


Thanks again Marilyn, for all the hard work and wonderful recipes!!!

Homemade Strawberry "Shortcake"

Even though I have been on SCD for 2 years and 7 months, I still crave things from time to time. The other night, I was craving something breadlike and sweet. I had some finely shredded coconut and frozen strawberries and this it what I came up with. It was really good. My 8 year old who is not on SCD even loved it. And she said, "And, it's healthy too because you only eat healthy food mom." It was so sweet.

Preheat oven to 350

Put 1 cup frozen or fresh sliced strawberries in a small pot and put it over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Stirring often.

Meanwhile, in a small food processor mix 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut, 1 egg, a tbs coconut oil, a tbs honey, a pinch salt and a little baking soda. Mix until combined. (You can mix by hand too.)

Place the coconut flour mixture in a blob in a nonstick pan and cook 15 - 20 min until browned.

Meanwhile, add a tbs honey to the strawberries, turn heat to medium low and cover to cook while the coconut shortcake cooks. I've since added a dash of cinnamon and vanilla to the strawberries while cooking and it was yummy.

When it's brown, pull it out of the oven and cut it in half vertically. Smoosh the strawberries up with a back of your stirring spoon and pour over the shortcake.

I've made this quick jam several times now. Yesterday for breakfast was banana panakes with the jam spread over them and crisp bacon crumbled on top. I rolled them up and ate them. I spread some of the jam on my daughter's toast and she devoured it. She hardly ever eats toast, esp with jam on it. SCORE one for mom!!!!

Spring mix salad with strawberries, almonds, parmesan and dressing

Last week I went to D'Angelo's Pizza and had the Sensation Salad. It was so good I had to recreate it. This is one of the best salads I've made on SCD.

1 bag salad greens (spinach, romaine, spring mix, etc.)
1/2 - 1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup toasted almond slices
Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar
2 minced garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lemon
Pinch salt
2 Tablespoons grated parmesan

Dressing:
Put everything but the oil in a food processor or blender and whiz to incorporate. Slowly drizzle the EVOO in until it starts to emulsify. It's best if you let it sit overnight.

Serve:
Place the salad greens in a large bowl.
Pour dressing over and toss to coast.
Add strawberries, almonds, and parmesan and toss once to combine. You don't want to toss too much or all the strawberries, almonds and parmesan will fall to the bottom.

Serve with protein like grilled shrimp. MMMM

SCD is causing me to gain too much weight!!!

Today, I realized that I've gained about 15 pounds in the last year. I think it's because my intestines had finally healed enough to start absorbing again. At 5' 4", I weighed 140.4 when I got up this morning. This is not a bad weight for my height and build but I can't fit in any of my clothes and I'm very untoned. Last night I went to a Yoga class and today I'm going to find a Karate class to for my daughter and I. I am very out of shape and want to tone up.

Breakfast this morning was 1 egg,  1/2 TBS butter, and 1/2 an apple. I made an eggplant and squash bake last night which will be lunch and snacks today. In 2006, I started something called the Six Week Body Makeover Diet. This was before SCD. I ate 5 - 6 meals a day that included 3 - 4 ounces of protein, 1/2 cup carbs, and as many green veggies as I wanted. I lost 30 pounds in about 6 months. I'm going to try to start doing something along those lines, but I don't have any protein with me today so today will just be veggies.

How much I weigh really isn't an issue. How my clothes fit and how I look in them is. So, today starts my journey to get fit.

Chicken with Tomato Sauce and Provolone

I wanted to cook a nice lunch for my friend. Her favorite dish is chicken parmesan. This is my adaptation to that. It turned out really nice. The chicken was juicy. The tomato sauce was tangy with a bit of sweetness from the honey. The provolone was gooey and not overpowering. Served with a side of green beans (and very SCD illegal garlic bread and pasta for her).

Chicken with Tomato Sauce and Provolone

Ingredients

•   1.5 – 2 pounds skinless chicken breasts. 3 breasts total would be best.
•   Italian seasoning
•   Salt/Pepper
•   6 slices thick provolone cheese
•   Olive Oil
•   1 28 oz can legal diced tomatoes or 28 oz fresh
•   ½ onion diced
•   6 cloves minced garlic
•   Honey (Optional)


Directions
In a large pot start the tomato sauce. Sauté onion in olive oil until soft about 4-5 minutes. I sprinkle a little salt. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes. Add diced tomatoes, 2 TBS of Italian seasoning, 1 TSP salt/pepper, stir well and cook over medium heat. When it begins to bubble, lower the heat to medium low and cover. Stir often and taste and add additional spices if necessary.
Meanwhile, heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat. I vertically cut the chicken breasts in half to make them thinner. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and Italian season on both sides. Pour enough oil in your skillet to cover the bottom (about 1-2 TBS). When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet and cook 3 – 4 minutes per side or until just browned. Remove to a oven safe dish that is big enough to accommodate the chicken but all the pieces need to fit tightly in there. Cook the chicken 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Taste your tomato sauce. If it’s a little bitter, add a drizzle of honey until it tastes right. If you like it chunky, leave it as is. Otherwise, blend with an immersion blender or in a regular blender. The liquid will be hot so leave the middle out of the top of the blender and cover the hole with a thick towel or the lid could blow off from the pressure of the steam from the hot liquid and puree until the consistency you want. If you want your tomato sauce a little thicker, you could cook it 20 or so minutes over medium heat with the lid off the pan. Stirring often.
Spoon tomato sauce over the chicken (about 2 TBS per breast). Layer the provolone cheese on top. Bake at 350 until the cheese is bubbly.
Serve the remaining sauce with the chicken or with zucchini noodles. Or save for the Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Torte or use as a pizza sauce. Tomato sauce is very versatile

Green Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
3-4 slice bacon
1 16 oz bag frozen fresh green beans (or fresh)
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Boil a pot of salted water. Once to a rolling boil, add the green beans and cook 5 - 7 minutes or until just crisp tender and very green. Remove immediately to a colander and strain. Rinse with cold water.
In the same pot, fry your bacon until done to your liking. Add green beans. If your bacon rendered too much fat, you can remove some. You want about 2 tablespoons of fat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat stirring often for about 20 minutes. Taste about halfway through to see if you need to add more salt and pepper. You can add onion or garlic of both to the dish which would taste awesome. A little fresh or dried thyme would be good too. You want the beans to be soft and done. I call them smothered beans.

This was a super successful lunch for both me and my non SCD friend and her children. Now, I just need to try it with my child. She loves my homemade tomato sauce though, so I'm sure it will be a hit.

Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Torte

I was really craving lasagna a few nights ago and decided to improvise with a spaghetti squash I had in the fridge. The results were super yummy. Anyone following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or a low carb diet should really try this.


One day I'll get fancy and start taking pictures.


Spaghetti Squash and Tomato Torte

Ingredients
•1 spaghetti squash
•1 cup shredded cheese (I used parm and Monterrey jack)
•3 TBS Dried Italian Seasoning Divided (can use fresh)
•Salt/Pepper
•4 eggs
•1 28 oz Can Legal Diced Tomatoes or 28 oz Fresh Tomatoes
•1 onion diced divided
•1 bulb garlic minced divided
•Olive oil
Directions
Cook Spaghetti Squash in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Or until done.  It's done when you can insert a knife easily into the flesh.
Meanwhile.....
Dice onion and mince garlic. Separate both into equal halves.
In a large pot, sauté onion in olive oil over medium until soft. I sprinkle a little salt. Add garlic and cook 3 more minutes.
Add diced tomatoes, 2 TBS of Italian seasoning, 1 TSP salt/pepper, stir well and cook over medium heat,
letting it bubble. Stir often. You want it to reduce.
Saute the rest of the onion in garlic in a small skillet with olive oil until soft. Set aside.
When the spaghetti squash is cooled enough to handle, split in half, scoop out seeds and pulp, and shred the meat with a fork making spaghetti. Place in a colander which you will place in a larger bowl. Add onion and garlic. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Beat eggs. I like to use the whipping attachment that came with my immersion blender and whip until tripled in volume. It's not necessary though.
When the squash is cool, empty the water out of the bowl the colander is sitting in and put the squash, onions and garlic in it. Add a TBS of Italian seasoning salt/pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Add eggs and fold to combine.
In a sprinform pan, add about half the spaghetti squash mixture and cook 20-30 minutes or until set and firm. You don't have to use a springform pan, it just makes it pretty.
The tomatoes should be pretty thick by now. Add half of them on top of the spaghetti squash, sprinkle with half the cheese, add the rest of the spaghetti squash and cook 20-30 minutes or until that layer is set and firm. Add the rest of the tomatoes, rest of the cheese and cook for 10 minutes or until the cheese
is melted.
Place the springform pan in the refrigerator overnight (or if you're eating it now, just go to the next step). Remove from the refrigerator, carefully remove the outer circle of the springform pan. Using a spatula, work it under the torte until you can remove it to a place. Cut into desired servings sizes (4 – 6).
I find it's easier to cut if it's cold.
It's better if you heat the individual servings up in the oven versus the microwave because it does get a little watery on the bottom, but I don't always have that luxury.
Last time I added cheese to the squash layer and that gave it great flavor, but I'm trying to cut back on cheese.
You could add ground meat to the thickened diced tomatoes.