Pan Seared Salmon With Mango/Avocado Salsa

I was going to use a recipe I like from Amy Myers' The Autoimmune Solution.   Couldn't find it, so am trying a modified recipe from Nom Nom Paleo http://nomnompaleo.com/post/56076300574/mango-avocado-salsa-on-pan-seared-salmon

INGREDIENTS

For the salsa:

2 cups diced ripe mango (about 2) or mixture of mango and fresh blueberries

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 cup diced Hass avocado (1 medium)

1/2 cup minced cucumber

1/2 tsp cumin

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground pepper and salt

Juice from 1 lime

For the salmon:

1-1/2 pounds salmon filets

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread

Freshly ground pepper and salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

For the salsa:  Mix together all ingredients.  

For the salmon: Cut filets into 4 pieces and rub off any scales.  Heat oil and buttery spread in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Place filets into skillet skin side down.  Season with salt and pepper.  Press down on filets with flexible spatula to keep from curling.  Cook about 6 minutes, then quickly sear the other sides.

Serve salmon skin side up with salsa on top.

Pain-Free Lasagne

I made a meat lasagne this week, using only ingredients that don't trigger inflammation and pain for me.  It turned out pretty tasty - a little different, but still good and satisfying.  I used no boil lasagne noodles, but some of them came out kind of chewy, even crunchy, so it might work better boiling regular lasagne noodles and using those.  I made it in the pan I think of as our roasting pan - it's bigger than 9" X 13".

INGREDIENTS

1 recipe of Tomato Free Marinara Sauce (see separate blog post.  Takes about 20 minutes to make, and uses puréed pumpkin and beets)

1 pound ground chuck, cooked and drained

1 pound turkey sausage, cooked and drained

Lasagne noodles (either oven ready or cooked - enough for three layers)

8 ounces goat cheese crumbles

2 large eggs

4 oz grated pecorino Romano cheese

8 oz goats milk or sheep's milk mozzarella or other mild melting cheese

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  In small bowl, whisk eggs.  Add goat cheese crumbles and mix together with egg.  Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce in bottom of pan.  Add layer of lasagne noodles.  Spread 1/2 the egg/cheese mixture over noodles, add 1/3 of the other cheeses.  Mix cooked meat with remaining marinara sauce and spread 1/3 of that over cheeses.  Add a layer of noodles and repeat.  Add third layer of noodles.  Spread remaining meat sauce then the remaining cheeses.  Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Stir Fry Napa Cabbage

Needed to use up a small Napa cabbage we got a few weeks ago from Seton Harvest.  This was very good with brown sugar game and green beans for dinner tonight.  I got the recipe from the Food Network, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/stir-fry-cabbage-recipe.html, and only modified it slightly, using olive oil instead of canola oil and coconut amines instead of soy sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1 small onion, or 1/2 medium one, sliced or diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small head Napa cabbage, cleaned and thinly sliced

2 Tbsp coconut aminos

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add onion, garlic, and ginger.  Sauté about 1-2 minutes.  Add cabbage and sauté until begins to wilt, about 2 minutes.  Add coconut aminos (or soy sauce if okay with soy) and rice vinegar.  Continue cooking until cabbage wilted, about 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame oil.

Nancy's Sweet Potato Bread

My wife Nancy makes a very tasty sweet potato bread for most of our Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.  She got the recipe off the back of a yeast package, and has modified it slightly.  Her notes are in italics, and the original recipe is in regular type.  When making it so that I can eat it, too, she uses soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread instead of magarine or butter.  And she doesn't use the milk glaze - just rubs some of the buttery spread over the warm loaves.

Sweet Potato Coil  - original recipe in regular type, comments in italics

Things to know before you start: this recipe includes a 2-24 hour period of chilling the dough in the refrigerator.  This makes it good for holidays, and the mixing and kneading can be done earlier, and the forming the dough, rising and baking done later, at a convenient time – you just have to figure out your schedule.

Ingredients for bread to make 2 loaves: (amounts for 3 loaves in parentheses)

½ cup warm water (105-115°)     (3/4 cup)

2 pkg yeast                                         (3pkg)

¼ cup packed brown sugar          (3/8 cup)

1 Tbsp. salt                                          (1 ½ Tbsp)

3 Tbsp. margarine, melted (butter works)             (4 ½ Tbsp)

2 eggs, room temperature           (3)

3 ½ cups flour (white or pastry wheat)   (5 ¼ cups)

An  8 or 9 ounce can of sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (can also microwave a large sweet potato, and use the mash)                                   (a 14 oz can)                  

½ cup chopped walnuts (can substitute pecans)                                (3/4 cup)

Ingredients for glaze to brush on bread before baking: (I sometimes skip this, and just butter the loaf when it comes out of the oven. If you do use it, the amounts don’t change for 3 loaves.)

1 egg, room temperature

2 Tbsp cold milk 

Instructions for bread:

Get eggs out of the fridge so they can get to room temperature.

Mash the sweet potatoes.

Melt the margarine.

Get the rest of the ingredients out.

Put the warm water into a bowl.  I always use a thermometer to check the temp, as I have had yeast problems in the past.

Sprinkle in the yeast, and stir until dissolved.

Add sugar, salt, margarine, eggs, and one cup of flour.  Beat until smooth.

Stir in sweet potatoes, nuts, and enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

Turn out onto floured surface, knead 6-8 minutes.

Set in greased bowl, turn.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill 2 to 24 hours.

~~~2 to 24 hour Interlude~~~

Oil round 8-inch baking pans.

Oil hands and punch down dough. Divide into two parts. Roll (I just pull and stretch it) each part into 25-inch rope. Beginning in the center of greased 8-inch round baking pan, coil rope.

Cover. Let rise in warm, draft free place until doubled in size – about an hour.

Preheat oven to 375°

Instructions for glaze (I consider this optional, and prefer the butter method mentioned earlier, though it is less shiny, and the crust less crunchy that way)

Beat egg with milk, brush on loaves.

Bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes, or until done.

Remove from pans and cool on wire racks.

Pecan Pie

This recipe is from Epicurious, modified only slightly so I can enjoy it, too.  http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/old-fashioned-pecan-pie-356072

INGREDIENTS

1 deep dish frozen pie crust

6 Tbsp soy free Earth Balance buttery spread

1-1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 cups light corn syrup

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp orange zest

1/4 tsp salt

3 large eggs

2 cups pecan halves

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place cooking sheet on middle rack in oven.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In small saucepan over medium heat, melt buttery spread.  Whisk in brown sugar.  Remove from heat. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, orange zest, and salt.  Lightly beat eggs in separate bowl, then add to brown sugar/syrup and mix together well.  Put pecans in bottom of pie crust.  Get cookie sheet out of oven and put pie on.  Pour syrup mixture over pecans evenly.  Return to middle rack in oven.  Bake 50-60 minutes, or until done.  Let cool thoroughly before serving.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Squash, Dried Cranberries, and Dijon Vinaigrette

Trying a new dish this Thanksgiving.  Our Thanksgiving dinner is still very traditional - turkey, chestnut stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, creamed onions, peas, sweet potato bread, crudités, pies.  With the kids off having Thanksgiving with friends, we can cut back and make some changes, tho.  This recipe comes from the Blogging Over Thyme blog, http://www.bloggingoverthyme.com/roasted-brussels-sprouts-squash-dried-cranberries-dijon-vinaigrette/

INGREDIENTS

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4 inch chunks

1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 1 tsp

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup dried cranberries

Dijon Vinaigrette

2 tsp Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 pinches salt

Freshly ground pepper

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Place squash and sprouts on cookie sheet in single layer. Drizzle with oil, toss using hands, sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss.  Roast in oven 20-30 minutes, tossing 2 or 3 times.  Add cranberries last 5 minutes.  Remove from oven (should be well carmelized), sprinkle with remaining tsp olive oil, and let cool slightly.

Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients.  Place squash, sprouts, and cranberries in serving bowl and mix with vinaigrette before serving.

Delicata Squash with Orange & Pistachios

Three of my favorite flavors together in one dish!  Yum!  The recipe is from EatingWell, http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/delicata_squash_orange_pistachios.html   Delicata squash has a wonder, delicate flavor, and the skin is tender enough to eat when cooked - so no peeling!

Takes about 35 minutes to make, and serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, halved and sliced

1 large, or 2 smaller, Delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

1 tsp orange zest

3/4 cup orange juice

1/4-1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 Tbsp chopped salted pistachios

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 2 minutes.  Add squash, orange zest and juice, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook, stirring once, until the squash is almost tender, 6-8 minutes.  Uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed and the squash is tender and beginning to brown, 12-15 minutes more.  Garnish with pistachios.

Nutritional information:  each serving - 130 calories, 5 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 g carbs, 2 g protein, 4 g fiber, 313 mg sodium, 507 mg potassium

Roasted Spaghetti Squash and Kohlrabi Soup

Trying a new soup recipe and using up things from our Seton Harvest partial share.  This recipe is from http://www.theintentionalminimalist.com/2013/10/roasted-spaghetti-squash-and-kohlrabi.html.  I'm hoping it will help get rid of this cold I seem to be coming down with.

INGREDIENTS

1 spaghetti squash (yields about 4 cups)

1 cup kohlrabi, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)

2 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 1 cup)

2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, plus some for drizzling on soup

1/4 tsp Garam masala 

Salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Place squash halves cut side down in a glass baking dish with 1/2 inch water.  Baked, covered, about 30 minutes.  Flip squash halves and bake, uncovered, an additional 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.  Remove seeds.  Scoop out spaghetti squash and set aside.

In a large metal soup pot, add 1 cup chopped onion,1 cup chopped kohlrabi, 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/8 tsp salt.  Cook over medium heat 10 minutes.  Add chopped apple, spaghetti squash, and 1 cup water.  Stir, cover, and cook 10 minutes.  Add 3 cups water, 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup, 1/4 tsp Garam masala, 1/4 tsp salt and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and cook 20 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Blend.  This can be done in soup pot using emersion blender or handheld blender, or in batches in free-standing blender.  Serve with small swirl of maple syrup or plain.

Corn Fritters

Making the kohlrabi fritters last week reminded me of my love for corn fritters.  Not the round, deep-fried variety one finds at the Fall Festival, but the kind my mom made.  Her corn fritters, with maple syrup and bacon, was one of my very favorite meals.  Daniel and Hope recently sent me a few more family treasures, and amongst them was a note pad with several hand-written recipes, in mom's handwriting, including her corn fritters recipe.

Real corn fritters without flour

   4 ears raw corn

   2 eggs beaten

   Pinch of salt, dash of pepper

Score the rows of raw corn, press out the milk with the back of a knife.  Add the eggs and seasonings and fry in shallow fat over not too hot a fire.  Serve immediately.  If the corn is excessively milky, you may add a tiny bit of flour.

I made mine a bit differently, but they tasted very much like I remember Mom's.  Lovely trip down memory lane.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 - 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels

2 large eggs, beaten

Bacon fat from cooking 3-4 slices bacon

Salt & pepper to taste

Sprinkle (maybe 1/2 tsp) flour

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place corn in covered microwave dish.  Microwave about 2-3 minutes.  Place corn in colander and run cold water over to cool.  Mix corn with beaten eggs and seasonings.  Sprinkle flour over and mix well.

Drop large spoonfuls of batter into skillet with bacon grease at medium hot temperature.  Cook until browned, flip and cook other side till browned.  Repeat until all batter is used.  Makes about 4 large fritters.

Serve immediately with the 4 slices of bacon you just cooked and a little maple syrup.

Cornflake Oatmeal Cookies

These are a favorite in our family.  The recipe came from Nancy's family, and we've modified it a little over the years.  To make so I can eat them, I use Earth Balance soy free buttery spread as the shortening (otherwise we use Crisco).  We usually use a bit less sugar and less salt than the recipe calls for.

To make these vegan, I use 1/2 cup Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread, 1/2 cup coconut oil, and Egg Replacer.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour, scant

2 cups old fashioned oats

2 cups cornflakes

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together shortening and sugars.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add dry ingredients and mix well (I often mix them together separately then add them).  Gently stir in oatmeal and cornflakes.

Use teaspoon to drop batter on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 minutes.

Makes 4-5 dozen cookies.

Kohlrabi Fritters

Had a huge kohlrabi from our Seton Harvest share last week.  Decided to try fritters, and very glad I did.  They were very tasty - mild and slightly nutty.  I used a kohlrabi fritter recipe from http://localfoods.about.com/od/chipsfriedsomebaked/r/Kohlrabi-Fritters.htm.  I used our food processor to shred the kohlrabi.  

INGREDIENTS

Shredded/grated kohlrabi (one large or a couple of small bulbs)

1 or two eggs, beaten

2-4 Tbsp flour

Salt 

Extra virgin olive oil

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

After grating or shredding the kohlrabi, remove as much moisture as possible by wrapping in clean dish towels and/or paper towels, and squeezing.  Mix kohlrabi, beaten egg(s), flour, and salt.  Heat oil (generous amount - about 1/4" deep) in large skillet.  When oil is hot, put about 4 large spoons of kohlrabi mixture into pan and flatten some with spoon.  Cook 3-6 minutes per side (or until golden brown).  Remove to plate with lots of paper towels.  Repeat until all batter is used (probably 8-16 fritters total).  Serve immediately.

These can be eaten as is, or topped with sour cream, salsa, or chutney.

Tomato Free Marinara Sauce

I've been using a nightshade-free nomato sauce for a couple of years now.  I tried a new recipe today, which is much quicker and easier to make, and also very tasty.  It may become my preferred nightshade-free marinara sauce recipe.  http://www.adventuresofaglutenfreemom.com/2010/01/tomato-free-marinara-sauce/

INGREDIENTS

1 onion, finely chopped

1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 overflowing Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 can small beets, drained (reserve liquid), and puréed (in food processor or blender)

1 can pure pumpkin purée

1/4 cup dried basil

2 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

2 Tbsp reserved beet juice

1-1/2 tsp corn starch or arrowroot powder

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a large sauce pan.  Sauté onion and garlic until translucent and a little browned.  Add lemon juice and vinegar, mixing well.  Simmer about 5 minutes.  Add the puréed beets and pumpkin, basil, oregano, salt, and pepper, and mix together well.  In a small bowl, stir or whisk together beet juice and corn starch/arrowroot powder.  Whisk into sauce and cook about 5 minutes, whisking/stirring constantly.  Beets will discolor if cooked too long, so don't.  This only took 20 minutes to make.

This may be used on pasta or as a pizza sauce.  Cooked ground beef or turkey can be added to turn it into a meat sauce, and adding sautéed veggies is always good in a spaghetti sauce.

Low, Slow Oven Baked Ribs

One food I didn't eat often but really liked was BBQ ribs.  I never tried to cook them myself - I only ate them at restaurants, or occasionally the pre-cooked, packaged ones from the grocery store that just needed heating.  Since eliminating nightshades from my diet, ribs are something I really miss.  I tried a BBQ sauce and crockpot short rib recipe awhile back, but that just didn't satisfy my craving.  So today's attempt at nightshade-free BBQ ribs is a low temperature, slow cooking oven recipe  http://www.food.com/recipe/low-slow-oven-baked-ribs-super-simple-303245 using a nightshade-free blueberry BBQ sauce recipe (http://molliessoupkitchen.blogspot.com/2015/09/blueberry-bbq-sauce-nightshade-free.html).

INGREDIENTS

3-4 pounds ribs (baby back or St. Louis style pork ribs)

Salt & pepper

1 cup BBQ sauce

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Separate ribs into serving-sized portions.  Rub with salt and pepper.  Place with meat side down in greased baking or roasting pan.  Cover pan with aluminum foil.  Bake 3.5 (for small baby bake ribs) to 4 hours in 225 degree oven.  Pour off grease.  Turn ribs so meat side is up.  Slather with BBQ sauce (or cover with a layer of sauce) and bake uncovered another 25-45 minutes, until meat is tender and falls off bone.  Additional BBQ sauce may be added.

Blueberry BBQ Sauce (Nightshade free)

I'm going to cook some St. Louis style ribs later today.  And I'm going to try out a nightshade free blueberry BBQ sauce.  It's very pretty, at least 😊.  I got the recipe from the Primal Palate paleo blog http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/blueberry-bbq-sauce/

INGREDIENTS

2 cups blueberries

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

6 whole Medjool dates, pitted and cut into quarters

2 Tbsp dried sage

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp ginger root, freshly grated or finely chopped

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25-30 minutes, until thickened.  Either use an immersion blender or move to a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth.

Can be kept in the refrigerator 10 days to 2 weeks.

Cabbage Cheese Casserole

I modified this recipe http://www.cooks.com/recipe/8a2c68l1/cabbage-cheese-casserole.html, using goat milk cheddar cheese, almond milk, and adding crushed cornflakes.

INGREDIENTS

1 head green cabbage 

8 Tbsp flour

2 cups almond milk

1/2 pound cheddar cheese, shredded (I use goat milk cheese)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup crushed corn flakes

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Get a large saucepan of water boiling on the stove.

Cut up cabbage into bite-size pieces.  Add to boiling water and cook 3-5 minutes.  Drain the cabbage and set aside.  Can use the same saucepan to make the cheese sauce.   In the saucepan, whisk together flour and a little of the milk.  Continue adding milk and whisking, with the stove on medium/high, until well mixed.  Cook, stirring or whisking a lot, until thickened.  Turn off the burner and add the cheese, stirring until melted.  Add cabbage back into saucepan, stir together well, transfer to 11" x 13" casserole dish. And sprinkle crushed cornflakes over top.

Bake about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Banana Nut Bread (dairy free)

I adapted this recipe from food.com http://www.food.com/recipe/moist-delicious-banana-nut-bread-486641

To make this vegan, I use Egg Replacer instead of eggs.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup Earth Balance soy free buttery spread

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup almond milk

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 cup chopped pecans

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2 small bread pans.

Cream together sugar and buttery spread.  Add eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.  In another bowl, combine bananas and milk. Add dry ingredients and banana/milk mixture alternately to sugar, buttery spread, eggs, and vanilla mixture,  Mix well.  Add nuts, mix, and pour into prepared bread pans.

Bake at 350 degrees 45-60 minutes, until browned and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Satin Balls (for putting weight on dogs)

I started fostering dogs through Another Chance for Animals in April.  We've now fostered four dogs, all of whom have been adopted and gone to their forever homes.  One of our fosters was extremely skinny when we got him from the Evansville Animal Control Shelter.  Some other ACA folks suggested we feed him some "Satin Balls" as a supplement to his regular feeding to help put weight on him.  So I found some recipes on the Internet and made some - fed  some to Ringo, and froze some.  The dog living at our house this week is also very skinny, and weak, and scared.  She's a German shepherd who is very sweet, but one who had been abused before getting picked up by Animal Control.  She is also still recovering from heartworms and that treatment.  We are caring for her while her foster family is on vacation.  I've thawed, and she's eaten, the satin balls that were in the freezer.  So I am making more.  And instead of having to look up the recipe on the Internet every time I have a dog that needs some fattening up, I'm including the recipe here.  My recipe is slightly adapted from recipes at http://www.instructables.com/id/Put-weight-on-your-dog-with-satin-balls/ and at http://www.holisticdog.org/Nutrition/Satinballs/satinballs.html

I'm including recipes for either 1 pound of raw hamburger (makes 12-14 patties) or for 5 pounds of raw hamburger.  The amounts for 5 pounds are in parentheses after the amounts for 1 pound.

INGREDIENTS

1 (5) pounds cheap (highest fat content) raw hamburger

1-1/2 (5) cups Total cereal

1-1/2 (5) cups uncooked old fashioned rolled oats

1 (5) raw eggs (can include shells)

6 Tbsp (2-1/2 cups) raw wheat germ

1 (5) pkg Knox unflavored gelatin

2 Tbsp (3/4 cup) oil

2 Tbsp (3/4 cup) unsulphured molasses

Pinch of salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place Total cereal in large bowl.  Crush.  Add oats and wheat germ.  Mix together.   If you are including the egg shells, crush them separately and mix in with the cereals.  In separate bowl whisk together eggs, gelatin, oil, molasses, and salt.    Pour into large bowl and add hamburger.  Using your clean hands, mix and knead until all ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.  Form into treat-sized balls or into burger-sized patties.  Any you are not going to use within 2-3 days should be frozen.

New Diet

I've been reading "The Autoimmune Solution" by Amy Myers, M.D.  My current diet does a good job of keeping my pain at bay, but my inflammation marker lab results are still consistently high (C-reactive protein and Sed Rate).  I have lab work and see my rheumatologist next month, so I've decided to give Dr. Myers' eating plan a try.  You can find information about her book at her website, which also links to her blog where there are many recipes http://www.amymyersmd.com/.  There is also additional information about her autoimmune solution plan, including reasons and information about supplements Dr. Myers recommends.

This diet is about as food sensitive-free as one can possibly get - no gluten, no grains, no legumes, no soy, no dairy, no eggs, no nightshades, no seeds, no nuts, no sugar, no caffeine.  Lots of grass-fed, free-range, organic meats, poultry, and seafood.  And lots of organic fruits and veggies.  I've been pleased with how tasty the recipes I've tried so far have been.  They take a lot of preparation, and the grocery bill has gotten larger - so I'm both glad I'm retired and glad I have a part time job.  I haven't taken many photos yet.  Below are photos of several things we've tried.  I'll probably start posting recipes soon.

I'm following the diet as much as I can, but I know I'll eat some other things, too.  I've already had some pretzel sticks, a sandwich, and some coconut milk ice cream this past week.  Nancy and Jean are also giving the foods a try, with lots more eating of other things than I.  None of us like kale much, so I've been using a combination of romaine and spinach for most of the salads.  And I don't put cilantro in anything.  Fortunately, we all love avocados - these recipes use a lot of avocados.

Leftover roasted wild caught Alaskan salmon with mustard sauce and tangy mango salsa

Tropical Nicaraguan Salad (with romaine lettuce & spinach instead of mixed field greens)

Organic romaine and spinach salad with rosemary & basil turkey meatballs

Creamy acorn squash

Super guacamole (served on above salad with turkey meatballs and carmelized onions)

Pesto variations

We picked up our first partial share from Seton Harvest this week (we share a partial share with Susie, so pick up every other week).  It is mostly greens, so I've been hunting for recipes to use them.  I found a lovely recipe for Garlic Scape Pesto on the Frog Bottom Farm website (where there are lots of other good recipes for CSA shares)  http://frogbottomfarm.com/recipes/?recipe_id=6018716.  We only got a few garlic scapes this week, so I'm including the scapes in the pesto recipe below, and also using some of the other greens we picked up.  The pesto will be saved for another day.  I am making Sautéed Greens with Pine Nuts http://molliessoupkitchen.blogspot.com/2014/10/sauteed-greens-with-pine-nuts-and.html to go with dinner tonight.

What I've learned from all this reading of pesto recipes is that one can make a delicious pesto using pretty much any greens, any nuts, and any hard cheeses. Some of the other recipes for pesto using greens that I found are http://dinnerwithjulie.com/2013/03/20/kale-spring-greens-pesto/, http://eating-made-easy.com/power-greens-pesto/, https://homeingreece.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/mixed-greens-pesto-with-walnuts/, http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/winter-greens-pesto, and http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-winter-greens-pesto-recipes-from-the-kitchn-182833.

INGREDIENTS

3 garlic scapes, roughly chopped

8 oz. trimmed and roughly chopped greens (I used beet greens, vita greens, and kale)

1/2 cup lightly toasted and chopped nuts (I used pine nuts)

1 cup shredded or grated hard cheese (I used Pecorino Romano)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Set a large pan of water boiling on the stove.  Put cold water into a large bowl.  Place greens into boiling water and swirl them around briefly until they are wilted.  Remove them into the cold water.  Removed greens from cold water onto a towel and pat dry.  Place the scapes, greens, and nuts into food processor with 1/4 cup olive oil.  Blend until smooth.  Add garlic, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper.  Blend.  May be frozen for later use or used within a few days.

Makes about 1-1/2 cups of pesto.

Salmon wrap

This is what Jean did with some of the leftover grilled salmon.

INGREDIENTS

Large flour tortilla

Salmon

Avocado

Romaine lettuce

Parmesan cheese

Mixed cheeses (Mexican mix shredded cheese)

Lime juice

Sweet vinegar & olive oil dressing

Grilled Salmon

I'm happy to have my grill back in working order.  We grilled burgers and turkey dogs last week, and I'm planning to do lemon grilled chicken breasts for tonight.  Last night I grilled wild salmon.  I used this recipe from All Recipes http://allrecipes.com/recipe/grilled-salmon-3/.  I want to get Ian's father's recipe and possibly modify it so I can eat it too - it involves a teriyaki marinade, I think, and I might be able to substitute coconut aminos to get the soy out.  Anyway, this one was pretty good.  Took longer to cook than the recipe said - I think because the filets were so thick.  Forgot to take a picture last night, so these are the leftovers.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 pounds salmon filets

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice 

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

3-4 scallions, sliced

1 tsp thyme

1 tsp Rosemary

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk together all ingredients except salmon.  Set aside 1/4 cup.  Place salmon in shallow pan and pour remaining marinade over it.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Fire up grill and set on moderate heat, about 400-500 degrees.  Lightly grease grate, if needed.

Place marinated salmon on grill, skin side down.  Throw away the used marinade.  Cook 15-40 minutes, marinating several times with the set aside marinade.  Cook until it flakes easily with a fork but is still nice and moist.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (Dairy- and Soy-free)

Jean is home for the summer, and she loves chocolate chip cookies.  So I decided to make some I can eat, too.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup Earth Balance soy-free buttery spread

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp vanilla 

2-1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 9-oz pkg Enjoy Life dark chocolate morsels

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Using a hand-held electric mixer, Foley fork, or wooden spoon, cream together buttery spread and sugars.  Blend until fluffy. Slowly add almond milk and vanilla and mix until smooth and fluffy.  In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Gradually add dry ingredients to batter, stirring until blended after each addition.  Fold in dark chocolate morsels.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Drop batter from teaspoon onto greased or parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Cool on wire rack.  Makes 70-75 cookies.

Overnight Breakfast Casserole (nightshade- and dairy-free)

Nancy and I are headed to Fort Harrison State Park this coming weekend.  Nancy's parents, siblings, and sibling spouses are sharing the old general's house, where each couple will have their own bedroom or suite and bathroom.  A lot of planning and coordination has gone into meals, which we will all eat together.  I've been impressed and touched by the efforts folks have made to adapt foods to my dietary needs, or at least make sure there is something I can eat at each meal.  I am making an egg casserole for Saturday morning breakfast.  Fortunately there will also be biscuits and gravy that others are providing. Anyway, tonight's dinner is trying out a nightshade-free breakfast casserole.  I made a half-recipe, and am also serving blueberry pancakes for this 'breakfast for dinner' meal.

I found this recipe at http://kristinerudolph.com/overnight-breakfast-casserole/.  It calls for making ones own sausage using ground pork.  I used ground turkey instead, but otherwise followed instructions for making the nightshade-free sausage.

Feedback from my food testers is that it is a bit too sweet, and needs some work.  I like it; so does Nancy.  Not sure what changes to make, tho I will probably cook the sausage in bacon fat instead of coconut oil.  Saturday breakfast casserole may be a big surprise for all!

Saturday's casserole turned out fine.  I cooked the vegetables in bacon grease, and I used 1/2 a yellow onion, 1 turnip, 1 sweet potato, 1 rutabaga, and 2 Granny Smith apples.  I cooked the vegetables and turkey sausage at home.  Then Friday night I put the vegetables in a 9x13 inch pan, spread 8 eggs whisked with salt and pepper over them, and distributed the sausage on top of that; then covered the pan and put it in the fridge overnight.  Next morning, I uncovered it, added the last 8 eggs whisked with salt and pepper, recovered it, and baked about 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees F.  I then took the cover off and continued to bake about 15 more minutes.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground pork, turkey, or chicken

1/2 Tbsp plus 1-1/2 tsp sea salt, divided (I used less salt than recipe called for)

3/4 tsp black pepper, divided

1/2 tsp dried sage

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp dried ginger

3 Tbsp water

2 medium turnips, peeled and shredded

2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded

2 medium tart apples, peeled, cored, and shredded

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

1 Tbsp solid fat - bacon grease, lard, ghee, coconut oil (I used coconut oil)

16 eggs

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Add ground meat to medium size bowl.  In small bowl, mix/whisk together 1/2 Tbsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, sage, thyme, and ginger with 3 Tbsp cold water.  Add water and spices to meat and work spice blend into meat with hands until well-combined.  Cover and place in fridge.

Melt fat/coconut oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Add onion and cook until translucent, adding 1/2 tsp of salt as you cook.  Add shredded turnips, apples, and sweet potatoes and more salt. Cook until soft, about 15-20 minutes.  Stir regularly/frequently to keep mixture from burning.

Spread mixture evenly in 9x13 casserole pan.  In medium bowl, beat/whisk together 8 eggs.  Pour mixture over shredded vegetables.  Set aside.

Remove sausage from fridge.  Using the same skillet, brown sausage, taking care to break up chunks. Crumble cooked and slightly cooled sausage over egg and vegetable mixture, making sure to spread it out well.  Cover and store in refrigerator overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Remove casserole from fridge and uncover.  While oven preheats, beat/whisk 8 eggs plus 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.  Pour egg mixture over sausage.  Cover and cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Remove cover and cook for 15 more minutes (or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Serve.

Nutritional Information:  makes 16, 137 g servings; per serving = 151 calories, 8.2 g fat, 441 mg sodium, 185 mg cholesterol, 10.1 g carbs, 1.7 g dietary fiber, 13.5 g protein 

Vegetable mixture

Turkey Ham Salad

This is what I did with our leftover turkey ham.  Mix all together and serve on crackers or as sandwich spread.

INGRDIENTS

2-3 cups ground turkey ham (chunks of turkey ham processed in food processor)

1 cup finely diced celery (3-4 stalks)

1/4 cup finely diced sweet red or yellow onion

2 hard boiled eggs, diced

1/4 cup pickle relish

2-3 Tbsp soy free Vegennaise

1 tsp prepared mustard (Dijon, yellow, or spicy brown)

Simple Slow Cooker BBQ Ribs

This recipe is from Add a Pinch http://addapinch.com/cooking/simple-slow-cooker-ribs-recipe/

INGREDIENTS

4 pounds pork ribs (your choice of kind - I used spare ribs)

1 recipe BBQ sauce (I used Autoimmune Paleo (nightshade free) BBQ Sauce)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Spray slow cooker insert with non-stick spray.  Arrange ribs in insert (wrap around inside or cut into thirds or halves if necessary).  Pour BBQ sauce over ribs, reserving 1/2 cup in covered container in fridge for later.  Cook on Low for 6 hours.  Put reserved sauce over ribs for serving, or serve sauce on side.

Autoimmune Paleo (nightshade free) BBQ Sauce

I wanted ribs.  And I didn't want to risk triggering pain, so I needed to find a nightshade-free BBQ sauce to use while cooking the spareribs I bought.  I found this recipe at the Primal Palate http://www.primalpalate.com/paleo-recipe/autoimmune-paleo-bbq-sauce/

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh sqeezed + 1 tsp for other step

1 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp bacon grease

1 tsp ground ginger

1 cup raw carrots, diced (3-5 carrots)

1 cup onion, diced (1 medium onion)

1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped (10-12 large strawberries)

1/2 tsp salt (smoked salt) - I was going to try using liquid smoke if I couldn't find smoked salt, but I found sea salt flakes, smoke flavor, at Fresh Market.  I used 2 small pinches of the flakes)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a saucepan, add maple syrup, lemon juice, vinegar, ginger, onions, carrots, strawberries, and bacon fat.  Bring to boil, stir and lower heat to simmer.  Add smoked salt, stir until dissolved, and taste for salt.  Add more if needed.  Simmer about 20 minutes, until onion and carrots are tender.  Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Return to saucepan and simmer about 10 minutes more.  Will keep in fridge up to 5 days - freeze if you aren't planning to use it all within 5 days.

Baked Steel-Cut Oatmeal

Nancy made this oatmeal casserole this week.  The recipe is from Alexandra Cooks http://www.alexandracooks.com/2013/08/09/baked-steel-cut-oatmeal/   Nancy substituted almond milk for whole milk, and Earth Balance for butter.  She also used dried blueberries instead of fresh or frozen, and sliced almonds.  I liked it a lot.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup steel cut oats

1/2 cup walnut halves or almonds, toasted and chopped

1 tsp baking powder

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

3/4 to 1-1/2 cups blueberries

2 cups almond milk

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 large egg

3 Tbsp soy free Earth Balance buttery spread, melted and cooled slightly

2 tsp vanilla extract

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, mix together oats, nuts, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, whisk together milk, syrup, egg, buttery spread, and vanilla.  Pour the milk mixture over the oat mixture.  Store in refrigerator overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Sprinkle blueberries over bottom of 8-in square baking pan.  Pour oat and milk mixture over.  Bake 50-60 minutes.  Check after 30 minutes - if browning too quickly, reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information: per serving = 286 calories, 14g fat (2g saturated, 6g monounsaturated, 3g polyunsaturated), 31mg cholesterol, 773mg sodium, 33g carbs, 5g dietary fiber, 14g sugars, 7g protein

Chicken, Green Bean, Corn, and Farro Salad with Goat Cheese

We received some farro with our Christmas goodies.  I've only used it once so far, just all by itself as a substitute for rice last time I had salmon.  It was tasty.  This recipe is from Epicurius http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chicken-green-bean-corn-and-farro-salad-with-goat-cheese-354298

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup semi-pearled farro or spelt berries (I used regular farro)

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

12 oz green beans, trimmed, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (I used thawed frozen corn)

3 green onions, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp minced fresh marjoram (I used 1 tsp dried)

1/2 tsp course kosher salt

2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp minced shallot (I used red onion)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

4 oz goat cheese crumbles

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Cook farro in medium saucepan of boiling, salted water until just tender, 20-25 minutes.  Drain, cool.

Cook chicken (I poached mine, or salt & pepper chicken and cook in 1 Tbsp olive oil for about 8 minutes per side) and cut into 1/2-3/4 inch cubes.

Steam green beans, cool.  Mix with farro.  Add corn and green onions.  Make dressing (whisk together marjoram, salt, white wine vinegar, shallot/red onion, mustard, and 2 Tbsp olive oil; pour over salad; cover and chill.  Sprinkle with goat cheese when served.

Carrot, Apple, and Red Cabbage Slaw

This recipe is from Growing a Greener world.  http://www.growingagreenerworld.com/apple-carrot-coleslaw-recipe/. There is a video showing how to make it, too.  He recommends using a mandolin to slice the cabbage and make sticks/strips of the apples.  I just used a knife, and I left out the parsley.

INGREDIENTS

1 small head red cabbage, thinly sliced. (6 cups)

4 carrots, grated (2 cups)

2 apples, unpeeled, cut into matchsticks (3 cups)

1/2 cup flat leaf Italian parsley (I left this out)

Salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2-1/2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2-1/2 Tbsp Apple cider vinegar

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Place cabbage, grated carrots, julienned apples in a bowl.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Chill.

I made 1/2 a recipe, because that is how much red cabbage I had.

Rainbow Rotini Pasta Salad

Nightshades seem ubiquitous in pasta salads - peppers and/or tomatoes in all the recipes I found.  But I also found that most use either a bottled or homemade Italian dressing and other either raw or lightly steamed, cooled, and marinated vegetables.  Pepperoni and olives also seem popular.  So this is the version I made today, with what was in the house.  Lots of other possibilities.

INGREDIENTS 

1 12-oz pkg rainbow rotini, cooked, drained, and cooled

1/2 cup favorite Italian or oil & vinegar dressing

1/2 cup quartered turkey pepperoni

1 cup lightly steamed asparagus cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup lightly steamed baby carrots cut into thirds

1 cup lightly steamed peas

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half

1/2 cup sliced green olives

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, cut up

Mix everything together and let marinate before serving.

Buffalo Chicken

The recipe and photo are from son John, sent from his apartment in Arizona.  He had some leftover gluten free pancake mix batter and some leftover Buffalo Wings sauce.  So he bought some chicken, cut it up, coated the pieces with his pancake batter, and then cooked them.  He said it turned out very tasty.

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup pancake mix

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs

3 Tbsp butter

1 pound chicken

Note from John:  the recipe originally also called for 1 tsp paprika to go with the pancake mix, but I figured the buffalo sauce would provide the requisite spice.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch thick slices.

Mix the pancake mix, salt, and cheese.  Separately, beat the eggs.  Then dip the chicken in the eggs, then cover in the mix, then repeat.

When that's done, melt the butter and spread in over the chicken.

Bake at 450 for 12-14 minutes, flipping at 6 minutes.

Glazed Turkey Ham

I bought a Jenny-O turkey ham last grocery shopping trip.  I heated it (comes already fully cooked) at 325 degrees in a little water in a covered 2-1/2 quart casserole.  I found the recipe for the glaze I used at http://articles.philly.com/2008-10-09/entertainment/24991824_1_ham-glaze-creole-style-mustard.  The turkey ham was 2.2 pounds - heat half an hour per pound.  I made less glaze than the original recipe by using smaller amounts of the ingredients - below is what I made.

INGREDIENTS

2-4 pound fully cooked turkey ham

1/4 cup brown sugar

2-1/2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp honey

1-1/2 Tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 Tbsp soy free Earth Balance buttery spread

1-1/2 tsp corn starch

1 Tbsp water

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Whisk together brown sugar, vinegar, honey, mustard, and wine.  Heat in small sauce pan until well mixed and sugar has melted.  Add slurry of water and cornstarch.  Continue to cook, whisking constantly, until glaze has thickened.  Remove from heat.  Add melted buttery spread and salt & pepper.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Score turkey ham by cutting diagonal slits first in one direction, then in the other to form a diamond pattern.  Put turkey ham and about 1/2 cup of water into casserole bowl.  Brush glaze over surfaces of turkey ham.  Heat, covered, in oven 1/2 hour per pound of turkey ham.  Brush with additional glaze every 10-20 minutes.

Slice and serve.  Leftover glaze may be added to slices.

Photo was taken after we had eaten about half the turkey ham and refrigerated the leftover.

Easy Caramelized Onion Pork Chops

This is from All Recipes http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Caramelized-Onion-Pork-Chops/.

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp olive oil

3-4 bone-in center loin pork chops (or other pork chops)

1 onion, cut into strips (slice, then cut slices in one direction)

Seasoned salt (3 tsp)

Black pepper (2 tsp)

1 cup water

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS 

Sprinkle both sides of pork chops generously with seasoned salt and black pepper.  Heat oil in large skillet.  Brown both sides of pork chops.  Add onions and water, reduce heat, cover skillet, and let simmer 20 minutes.  Turn pork chops over.  Let simmer, covered, an additional 20 minutes, or until onions are caramelized and water is boiled off.  Serve pork chops with onions on top.

Paleo Banana Bread

GMy niece Sunday told me about this banana bread recipe.  I had lots of trouble with the website, but eventually got to the recipe.  During several of my tries, I wasn't able to scroll down the page, and my computer locked up.  Here is the link, tho - http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/recipes/desserts/paleo-banana-bread/ He does offer a number of suggested substitutions and variations that I have not included.  And I've removed any dairy from my version of the recipe below.

I used almond flour and a combination of almond and cashew nut butters.  I was also unsure how much the batter would rise, so I split mine between my silicon loaf pan and my silicon muffin tin (6 muffins).  The batter didn't rise excessively, but enough that I was glad I split the batter up.  The muffins were done in 35-40 minutes; the loaf in 45-50 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

4 bananas (2-1/2 cups mashed- can be yellow bananas)

4 eggs

1/2 cup almond butter (or sunbutter or other nut butters)

4 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1/2 cup coconut flour (or almond flour)

2-3 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of sea salt

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine bananas, eggs, nut butter, and coconut oil in blender or food processor and mix well.  Once blended, add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla, and sea salt.  Mix well.  Pour into loaf pan (silicon recommended - and I greased mine with coconut oil) and spread evenly.  Bake 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in center comes out clean.  Flip out of pan onto cooling rack.

Nutritional information: 12 servings, per serving - 186.6 calories, 14.2 g fat, 56.7 mg cholesterol, 169 mg sodium, 11.7 g carbs, 2.7 g dietary fiber, 4.9 g protein 

Tuna Bulgur Salad

GThis is a recipe I got from a friend probably 30 or 40 years ago.  I've modified it a bit over the years, plus a bit more since figuring out my inflammation triggering foods.  Both Nancy and I like it quite a bit, tho I don't make it very often.  The recipe makes about 6 servings, 295 calories each.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup bulgur, uncooked

2 cups water

2 Tbsp soy-free Earth Balance buttery spread

1 tsp seasoned salt

1/2 cup soy-free Vegenaise

1/2 cup plain yogurt (non-cow's milk - sheep's milk, almond milk, or coconut milk)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 6-oz cans drained solid white tuna, water packed

1-1/2 - 2-1/2 cups broccoli flowerets and thick-sliced carrots, steamed tender crisp

1 cup sliced celery

(I can't eat them, but cherry or grape tomatoes are a really nice garnish)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Combine bulgur, water, buttery spread, and seasoned salt in medium saucepan.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes.  Let cool.

Mix bulgur with Vegenaise, yogurt, and lemon juice.  Gently toss with tuna, broccoli, carrots and celery.  Chill.  Optional: garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Blueberry Muffins

Jean is home for her Spring Break, so lots of my cooking involves tried and true dishes I know she likes.  I also know she likes blueberry muffins, so I am adapting a Best Ever Blueberry Muffins recipe from Once Upon a Chef http://www.onceuponachef.com/2014/07/best-ever-blueberry-muffins.html.  I used Earth Balance buttery spread and almond milk so that I'll be able to eat them, too.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup soy free Earth Balance buttery spread, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1/2 cup almond milk

2 1/4 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp turbinado or raw sugar

Non-stick cooking spray

12 paper muffin cups (I used 18 - 12 mini and 6 regular)

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray muffin pan, place paper cups in muffin pan and spray them.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.

In large bowl, use electric mixer to cream together buttery spread and sugar.  Beat about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.  Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each.  Add vanilla and almond extracts.  Mix.  Alternate adding flour mixture and milk, mixing and scraping sides as you go.  Fold in blueberries.  Spoon into prepared muffin cups.  Sprinkle raw sugar evenly on tops of muffins.

Bake about 30 minutes, until lightly golden and toothpick stuck into middle comes out clean.  Let cool in muffin tins about 10 minutes.  If you didn't use muffin papers, run knife around each muffin.  Remove muffins from muffin tins.  Let finish cooling on cooling racks.

Chicken Salad

During the past few weeks I've made a chicken salad using the large cans of white chicken meat we had in the cupboard.  I've found it pretty tasty - with 1-2 cups of Romaine lettuce, as a sandwich filling, or on crackers.

INGREDIENTS

1 can (12.5 oz) white meat chicken meat, broken up

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 scallions, sliced

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup craisins

1/2 medium apple, peeled and chopped

1-3 tsp lime juice

1/4-1/3 cup soy-free Vegenaise

Salt & pepper to taste

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Mix all the ingredients together and serve.